Booking It | The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love

If The Dirty Life: A Memoir of Farming, Food, and Love doesn’t make you want to:

a) start farming
b) buy from local sources
c) eat organic

…nothing will.

I borrowed this book from the library where it was filed away with all the gardening books. That didn’t give me a lot of hope that it would be a very enjoyable read.

However, I’m so glad I was immensely wrong!

Reading the true story of how Kristin went from chic New York writer to hand-growing, horse-powered farm operator {along with her husband} was truly charming.

She weaves the story of her struggles, her insecurities, her fear of commitment into the story of the farm and the earth, the hard work and toil and exhaustion and the utter beauty and amazingness that is the co-op farm that she and her then fiance started from {literally} the ground up with a free year’s lease on a farm and only the savings they had in the bank.

You’re with her while she butchers her first animal, while shes sees her friends and neighbors lavish them with outpourings of generosity, while she learns to milk a cow, and while she witnesses the birth of their farm’s first calf.

The story is raw in a way, and real – the blood, sweat, and tears are palpable. But it’s beautiful as they reap what they have sown into the land. As she enjoys the bounty of the earth. She falls in love with the land and with her man.

Her description of fresh milk makes me want to buy a diary cow! The idea of unadulterated vegetables makes me long for a garden. When they tapped the trees for syrup, I decided it was time to plant some maples.

Kristin did such a great job of making a farm real and unromantic. But at the very same moment giving you the desire to be just like her, and dig in and learn the land.

As a child {who read too much Little House on the Prairie} I had the very romantic and unrealistic idea that my cousin and I would each marry our respective spouses, then have a farm together. He’s now a chaplain in the Army and my husband grows tomatoes in our suburban backyard. But reading The Dirty Life stirred some of those desires back up in me. Maybe I should help Nolan expand our garden and work on consuming more home-grown produce. Or look into buying more things locally and fresh.

It’s challenging too – God has given us this land and what am I doing with it?

I found this book to be truly beautiful.

I must add here a few disclaimers: There were a few choice words sprinkled throughout. I also do not all condone their choice to live together before marriage. Consider yourself apprised if you choose to read.

{Linking this review to my monthly book club: Booking It 2012}

Also read this month:

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
I know! It’s a classic and I had never read it. Very cute.

 

Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne’s House of Dreams by LM Mongomery
I’m really loving following Anne through her life’s journey. I took a break, but will be hopping back into her life shortly.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
I had seen the movie – oh, but I loved this sweet book! I will definitely read this to my children at some point.

The Welcome Committee of Butternut Creek by Jane Myers Perrine
See more here from when Jane guest posted!

I also picked up two cookbooks at the library:

100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know
This cookbook was put together by the editors of Glamour, so it definitely has that chic, modern feel. But I loved that most of the recipes were simple enough for the starting chef, but glamorous enough to serve at a dinner party. There are suggested menus at the end {which I always love} and lots of hints and tips scattered throughout. If it wasn’t for a bit of the “he stayed over” vibe I’d probably gift this at bridal showers. Regardless, I’m thinking about adding a copy to my collection.

I tried:
Engagement chicken {roast chicken with lemon and herbs} which was good.
Please-a-Crowd Salad {roasted cherry tomatoes, spinach, and Gorgonzola cheese} – which we liked a whole lot! It was my first introduction to Belgian Endive, and I loved it!

Food That Says Welcome: Simple Recipes to Spark the Spirit of Hospitality by Barbara Smith

This cookbook has a very…hmm…I can’t think of the word! Lots of casseroles and “old” staple recipes that I love {Strawberry Pretzel Salad, anyone?}. I love that the author includes a grocery list at the end of each recipe {so you don’t miss anything!}, and that she sprinkles Scripture and great tips throughout {like if a cake will freeze well, or what you might serve alongside the main dish, or if something can be assembled ahead of time}.

I tried:
Wild Rice Chicken Casserole {because I love a good cheesy casserole!} – this one was so-so, and I probably wouldn’t make it again.
Hawaiian Chicken – we devoured this! I was tempted to skip the fresh rosemary at the end, but that was perfect! The recipe is really for a marinade that you can use with a lot of meats.
Chocolate Fudge Cake – yum, yum! It starts from a box mix which makes it easy. So yummy! I made this for my mom’s birthday, and I believe everyone enjoyed it.
French Onion Soup – super easy! And tasty too.

Read with the boys:

Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Homeschooling:

I just finished making my way through the Rainbow Resource catalog trying to decide what to do with T next year for school. That thing is a beast! I think I should get a cookie for getting all the way through.

A great resource that a friend recently loaned to me is Hand That Rocks the Cradle by Nathaniel Bluedorn. The tag line is “Good Books to Read Aloud to Children.” I LOVE resources like this that are put together by Christians as it helps me decide what to read with my children. Many of the books listed here I read growing up, but there are plenty more to discover! I love that each book is given either a 1, 2, or 3 based on the level of your children. 1 for all ages. 2 for 10 years old and up due to more difficult language or more complex plots. And 3 for 13 years old and up for advanced language or more mature plots. Helps take some of the guesswork out of what to read next! I definitely plan on purchasing my own copy of this to add to my homeschool resources.

So what have you been reading?

{This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase, I’ll make a small percentage.}