Summer Vegetable and Bone Marrow Frittata

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If you had told me three years ago that I’d be adding bone marrow to a frittata, I would’ve asked you where you were getting your drugs.  HA!  But the times, they’ve changed.  And here I find myself searching for ways to incorporate as much bone marrow (from organic, pasture raised, happy cows) into my meals as possible to reap the many rewards of it’s deeply nutritional and healing properties.  You see, as our ancestors well understood,  bone marrow is chock full of incredible minerals (calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium to name a few) and vitamins (specifically the most important A, D, and K) that are critical for healthy thriving.  Our ancestors appreciated the bits and bobs of the animal that we have since stopped eating- the organs, the marrow, the FAT.  They somehow instinctively understood that these parts of the animals contained an abundance of nutrition critical to healthy humanity.  And I personally love knowing that nothing is being wasted- we’re eating every bit of the animal we can get our hands on.  This makes sense to me in so many ways.

While I love eating bone marrow roasted and sprinkled with salt, I also love the idea of sneaking it into other meals to increase the amount of it that we’re getting.  I’ve been making the beef stock from the Gjelina cookbook (it’s heavenly and now that I’m mentioning it I should note that the cookbook is my all time favorite).  The recipe calls for 5 pounds of beef shanks, all of which have marrow in them.  I also add two long split marrow bones that I get at the farmers market to the pot.   I’m careful when I’m making the stock to not stir the shanks/marrow bones and when it’s done I gently remove the shanks and collect the marrow from the bone centers.  This is what lands in this frittata, after sitting in the refrigerator and firming up a bit.

Now, are you wondering how this tastes?  Because ultimately that is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!  And the answer:  it’s flipping delicious!  The marrow sort of blends in with the goat cheese and egg, adding a richness to the flavor that isn’t overt.  It would be a brilliant way to sneak bone marrow into your family if they find it to be suspect.  And the asparagus and tomatoes add the sweet taste of summer that finishes it off perfectly.  I love it, and I think you will too!  xx- Sarah

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GAPS Diet For Healing

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Hi there friends!  There were a lot of requests for me to write about my experience with the GAPS diet on this post, so even though it’s a bit delayed I’m really happy to finally do so!  First and foremost, as you may know, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in January 2011 (you can read more about that history here if you’d like).  I’ve been on a determined path of healing since that moment.  I’ve managed to avoid hospitalizations and medications while also enjoying improved health for the better part of 5 years since my diagnosis through various lifestyle/dietary changes.  I’ve had some bumps in the road, but when I think back to the day I found out my diagnosis and the doctor who told me I would most likely need to have portions of my intestines removed I feel grateful that all that I’ve tried to do with alternative treatments has kept me out of the hospital and my intestines in tact!  Crohn’s Disease can be debilitating, and my heart is with anyone who is suffering.

As I mentioned before, pregnancy triggered my digestive issues and so I started trying to troubleshoot with dietary adjustments once more.  This brought me back to the GAPS diet which was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride and based loosely on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD).   Dr. McBride cured her son of Autism utilizing the GAPS diet and has helped 1000’s of children and adults heal since that time.  Her story is pretty incredible, and if you’d like to learn more I highly recommend her book for an in depth explanation of what she discovered in her quest to heal her son.  Her research led me to Weston A. Price and his book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.  All that I’ve learned from their extensive research and knowledge has been LIFE CHANGING!  One more book I can’t recommend enough is Nourishing Traditions, the first chapters give a very clear and simple breakdown of nutrition and the rest of the book is full of such important information alongside delicious recipes!

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Patio Decorating!

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Hi friends!  Summer is going strong here in San Diego and we’ve been spending every minute we can outdoors, the warm nights sitting around chatting with our neighbors until the sun goes down are my favorite!  And I’m thankful for every day that’s not sweltering as my belly grows larger and larger by the second, turning me into a living furnace!  All of this outdoor fun has sparked an obsession with decorating our patio and making it functional for outdoor living.  Right now it’s a blank slate with a table (chairs are TBD), a few plants sans pots, a hammock and these cafe lights strung above the pergola.  But I have dreams!!!  And they involve something like the above….  there are so many cute options for outdoor decorating these days!  I’d love to have an area for lounging- a couch, some chairs, a coffee table.  And of course for us a dining space for entertaining is a must and a place to sit around a fire is a strong bonus.  Lastly, no home of ours is complete without a hammock.  One of life’s most simple and lovely pleasures is, in my humble opinion, hammock lounging.

On another note, do you remember our Palm Springs backyard?  TAKE ME BACK!!!  Except DON’T!!!  Because it’s 1 trillion degrees and the cicadas are probably buzzing like crazy right now.  But I sure do miss that backyard!!!!  Happy Summering my friends!  xx- Sarah

Chair  // Windchimes  //  Plant Pot  //  Pillows  //  Lanterns (on sale!)  //   Firepit  //  Planters  //  Pillows

ALL THE STONE FRUIT SALAD

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Hi friends!  This pregnancy really took it out of me for the first 20 weeks or so, and now I feel (at 22 weeks) like myself.  Or at least a rounder, slower, but still capable version of myself.  Which is such a JOY, I’ll take it!  I’d heard from so many friends and moms that the second trimester is amazing, but I spent half of mine asleep!  It took me a bit longer to shake off the first trimester fatigue but now that I have I see what everyone is talking about.  And now that I’m awake the NESTING INSTINCT HAS HIT ME LIKE A TSUNAMI!!!!  I’m in the kitchen so much and when I’m not I’m puttering around the house/yard and daydreaming about what our life will be like with another family member soon!  It’s such a special time, I’m soaking it up!!

I thought I’d welcome myself back with a little recipe post.  And I’m hoping to be hanging around here more often- it felt so good to have my creative hat on and I realized how much I missed this space (and all of YOU!).  I’ll write more soon, I promise!  But for now- this salad, for all your throw-together-meal-night needs.  It’s light, flavorful, easy, healthy, and feels indulgent in spite of all of it’s simplicity.  And stone fruit- I eat it like a professional when it’s in season.  I can never get enough!  It’s also perfect to bring to potlucks and bbq’s because it’s just so pretty that your friends can’t help but love you for it.  I hope you enjoy!   xx- Sarah

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Well Hello There!

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Hi friends!   I know it may have seemed like I’d fallen off the face of the planet (or left for our epic road trip and not looked back) but as you can see above and below I’ve been doing the most important work of my life… growing our newest family member!  For most of the pregnancy so far I felt protective and private (which was confusing because I simultaneously wanted to shout our amazing news from the rooftops)!  I decided somewhere along the line that I’d come back to this space when I felt pulled to, and in the meantime I’d honor my feelings and enjoy this new direction. Click to read more

Shopbop Friends and Family Sale!

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Hi friends!  Had to pop in just in case you missed the memo that my fave, Shopbop, is having their epic friends and family sale where EVERYTHING is 25% off (code INTHEFAM).  It’s my favorite sale of all sales- and a great time to pick up splurge items and staples.  As I was furiously adding to cart I thought I should share some of what I’m loving.  See below if you’re interested!  xx- Sarah

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