fresh eggs

We are lucky enough to have several friends and family members who raise chickens for the pleasure of fresh eggs. Whenever we visit, the kids race to the chicken coop first thing. They love chasing the chickens and collecting the eggs. 

There is something very exciting (even for us adults) about finding the freshly laid eggs, and the beautiful blue green shells of the Araucana chickens are particularly hard to resist.  Keeping a batch of hard boiled eggs in the fridge is a great way of having a healthy snack or quick breakfast or lunch at the ready, and they pack well in kids lunch boxes too. 

emily's farm

I met Emily for the first time eight and a half years ago when she interviewed to be our nanny. The boys were only 2 months old and I was looking for someone to spend the days with me as I tried to juggle 2 newborns and still manage to function...I fell for Emily immediately! Although much younger than me, she became one of my best friends. 

Now, all these years later, Emily is an organic farmer in Rhode Island and has 2 sons of her own. Her committment to growing healthy food is such an inspiration. Visiting her on the farm is a trip we all look forward to every year. She and her husband Craig welcome us despite their grueling schedule...while there we devour all the gorgeous vegetables they grow, get to see them in action at the farmer's market or running their CSA, chase chickens and collect eggs, have a tractor ride, and spend some quality time together. 

We are just back from our most recent visit. Walking through the fields and seeing all the carefully planted crops was so inspiring. It makes me want a garden of my own but I know I could never do all the work it requires, not to mention the fact that we have no land here in Brooklyn! 

This was the first time we visited mid-week so we got to see the CSA rather than their stand at the farmer's market. I wish I could find a CSA like this nearby...all the mounds of vegetables made me want to cook, and it was clear that all of their customers felt the same way.