THROW BACK THURSDAY

Growing up in South Florida was a treat. We ran free, protected from the worlds perceptions by year-round summers. We were clueless, that by national standards, well....we weren't that well off. Not quite poor.... But the latest pair of guess jeans or LA Gears were not an option. Back then school shopping happened at J Byron's or Zayre's!

And though we didn't quite qualify for food stamps, our house was not immune to the standard block of government cheese that melted perfectly into sandwiches or generously into Mom's mac and cheese. And something about that generic brand, black and white labeled peanut butter jar tasted oddly familiar. Kinda like...fresh peanuts! We'd picked and roasted our share, to be sure!

Our corn didn't come from Libby. But oft times we'd run through fields of the stuff, chomping on its starchy goodness with Dad. And though Grandmother worked our little fingers sore, "shelling peas", its natural goodness was a welcomed (stolen) reward.

By America's standards, we weren't rich. Grandmas preserves wasn't labeled by a national brand. Canned peaches were,....well....canned peaches that were canned in the kitchen. Even pecans weren't as simple as buying a bag from the local market! There was a nutcracker, a bag for trash and countless hours of back and forth family banter while cracking and snacking.

There were trips to the peach, apple and blueberry orchards. And every breed of mango was readily at our disposal. Sometimes we'd climb and stay up in a neighbors tree half the day. Coming down only to clean off the sticky sweetness beelining to the bends of our elbows.

There were banana plants, avocado trees, cumquat, tamarind, grapefruit, tangerine, orange, sea grape and even ackee trees.

And though Vicks or TheraFlu weren't always available, there was an abundance of aloe plant around the yard. Later, we were introduced to "searcy", another medicinal plant imported from Jamaica.

No. We weren't rich by America's standards. But we had a rich life!

Do something rich for yourself today!! Don't by it. Build it!

- create a garden. If you don't know how, consult with local experts. I just discovered an awesome organization right here in my backyard. www.lagreengrounds.org

- there's something sensationally gratifying about making my own juice. I know exactly what's in it. Back then we had that orange hand contraption and an orange tree. Today there are fancier versions of juicers. Find an inexpensive one from amazon...and seriously....no really! ...it can change your life!!

- Jams and preserves are fairly easy to make. You can pretty much create a sugary spread out of anything. And the better part is that you get to control the sugar content. Or even substitute it with honey or stevia. I recently made spicy pepper jelly. Mint, orange, mango, rhubarb, lemon.... Be creative.

- nothing says rich like a lifted pinky while sipping a cup of tea. Try drying your own leaves to create a personalized blend. I've done it with rose petals! Divine.
You can use other dried flower petals, fruit peel or raspberry leaves. Of course mint is always a favorite.

There are plenty we can do to get back to living "rich" by our own definition! Have any other awesome ideas...please share!

- EAT WELL