“A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” –Proverbs 17:22 What is a merry heart? Certainly it is a heart that’s happy. Happy because things are going well and life is grand? Could be. But most of us do not live that kind of life. We have struggles and challenges. God is clear that during our lives, we will experience our fair share of labors, cares, and tribulations. And still He tells us that a merry heart does us good. Which means it must be possible!

Lots of times we talk about the “how” of real food. How to do this, how to do that. But how often do we consider why? The “why” is often more important than the “how.” It gives us the motivation for all that we do, including how we prepare and eat foods. Here are my top twelve reasons for embracing real food… aka GNOWFGLINS.

I’m not an animal person. Never have been. But here I am, the chief milk maid in my family. I started out by milking goats and now I’m milking a cow. I figure, who better to tell you all about it (both the wonderful and the icky) than someone who was won over to it in spite of herself? Here is one of the most often-asked questions I get: what are the differences between milking goats and milking cows? And probably the second-most-asked question is: which do you prefer? I don’t claim to know it all, but I’ll do my best to answer.

The holidays are upon us — can you feel it? I feel a little bit of excitement, but on the other hand some trepidation. I don’t enjoy added stress and bustle. I’m a homebody through and through. I’ve been thinking about what things I’m purposing to do for myself and my family to help us stay healthy and happy into January 2012 — and I want to share these tips with you. Be sure to add any tips of your own in the comments.

I’m going to share my favorite fermenting vessels. They’re all air-tight, as that is my preference. They have various applications, but I use them mostly for fermenting fruits, vegetables, beans and beverages. Please let me know if you have anything to add!