A Diet Refocus

The April sun seemed especially strong. The dandelions had just appeared recently and were a beautiful, bright yellow. I hopped around the yard taking in the beautiful view. I had not picked my nest yet but knew this backyard would be a good place. There looked to be a nice garden at the east end of the lawn. Asparagus was already peeking through. I hoped there would be carrots later in the year. Hopping along the fence line, I found some tall grass that was going to seed and stopped to take a few bites.

Yes, it was decided this would be the place for my children to grow up. The squirrels seemed to like the tree in the front yard and would not bother us in the back. This house seemed to be the only one on the block that had dandelions, which are one of my favorites. I found a particularly large one and took a bite, savoring the flavor.

Our yard seemed more beautiful than ever this spring. The greens that came out after the first rains were particularly bright and contrasted well with the blue skies. The trees’ buds were gorgeous, and now the trees have nearly all of their leaves. Even the dandelions seemed especially bright and prevalent this year, much to the chagrin of my neighbors I imagine.

More impressive this year is our asparagus patch. Each stalk seems to grow many inches in a day, and we have too many stalks, asking neighbors and family members to stop by and take some home. I often get the question: how do I prepare our asparagus? That is a question easy to answer and full of flavor.

First, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While it is warming up, I get out the basting brush and brush the asparagus with an olive oil that features basil. I get out my baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil. After placing the asparagus on the foil, I add salt and pepper to my tastes. Then, I simply place it in the oven and bake for thirty minutes, turning the asparagus halfway through. (It is also possible to grill it on an electric grill, flipping as needed.)

While the asparagus cooks, I can prepare a smoothie to go with it. We had kale leftover from the previous summer that I can take out of the freezer. Taking a frozen half banana, the kale, and some mixed berries; I add the ingredients to the blender. Adding almond milk and peanut butter gives the smoothie the taste I am looking for.

Lastly, we have a new little one that will need to start foods eventually. We have our own combinations of garden-fresh produce to treat his little taste buds when he gets to six months old. One combination that has been popular with our other children is a combination of butternut squash, pears, and sweet potatoes blended together. Should that combination not be his favorite, we can simply boil and blend up apples for homemade applesauce. It is also good to try potatoes or sweet potatoes blended on their own.

As he gets a little bit older, we can introduce him to peanut butter, berries, and bananas; hopefully creating a nicely rounded palate for healthy foods. This past year has created a need for a refocus on healthy food options, and my diet choices in the past mean I would benefit from more salads and smoothies and less potato chips and ice cream. Hopefully starting our young one on the right path to a good diet would also be a benefit of more vegan choices.