A few nights ago, on the one year anniversary of our great caravan adventure departure, I sat down with my farmer boy and we went through our checklist.


We wrote that checklist on the South coast of WA late last year when we were starting to think about returning home. The checklist is a list of questions about the way we are living our life.
I've never published this list because my farmer boy prefers to keep it private, but its all about the type of decisions we are making. The ways we spend and manage our time. The life we are making for our family. And how well we are sticking to the resolutions we made about life at home.



I added in the mostly because there is always room for improvement and because there are times where we are exhausted and it all falls in a heap.

And I think the point on the checklist that has made me the happiest, that has made me feel like the best mama, that has kept us healthy, that has saved us money and has kept me the sanest, is the kitchen garden.

The depths of winter is probably a funny time to be writing this post considering the lack of variety in the garden right now. But never-the-less, having a range of herbs, salad greens and leaves, broccoli, silver beet, carrots and spinach growing a few steps from the front door is brilliant.

Growing our own means:

• We know exactly what went into growing the vegies we feed our family. What they were grown in, sprayed with and how they were looked after.
• We know that our vegies haven't sat for hours and days in a refrigerated truck or for months in a cool room somewhere. 
• We know that having been picked and travelled the few steps into the kitchen our vegies are still filled with nutrients and as fresh, as fresh can be.
• Our kids are more likely to eat something they have been involved in growing. 
• I can escape, deep breathe and pull weeds when necessary.
• We have pride in our food.
• We are all more aware of what foods are planted, grow and are harvested when.
• Our meals are full of taste and love.
• We save money by planning meals around the foods we are growing.
• We have a gorgeous looking, vibrant kitchen garden in the front of our house.
• When we are sitting down to lunch and the four year old demands purple carrots, getting her what she wants is a pleasure.