Saturday, July 3, 2010

Daily Fruit + Play

Yesterday I ate:

8:00 . . . 1/2 watermelon
12:00 . . 1/2 watermelon
2:00 . . . 3 black mission figs (divine)
3:00 . . . 3 bananas, as pudding
5:00 . . . bag of cherries
7:00 . . . 2 cantaloupes + a few heirloom tomatoes (SO good)

Play: barefoot walking/running, dance, stretching

It is summertime and I have been traveling, vacating, and, I confess, experiencing a bit of summer languidness. And by languid, I mean LAZY!

The figs I ate yesterday came off of my own little fig tree. This year it has had over 30 figs already, and is still growing more. Each year the tree gets bigger and I can imagine that one day it is going to be huge and a prolific fig producer. These figs are just unbelievable. To me, a fresh fig tastes like a soft sweet marshmallow with a rich strawberry preserve center. These are the best I've ever had. No surprise, because I get to wait until they are really super ripe, so ripe that the tree actually drops them into my hand. It is a heart-opening and awe-inspiring moment when this happens. Love and gratitude. ♥

The whole thing of fruit growing on trees . . . of watching the fruit form, taking in the sun and rain and earth and wind . . . slowly ripening . . . developing into a work of art . . . becoming sweet food . . . it is really a miracle, isn't it?

There are also some tomatoes growing, and there are muscadine grapevines EVERYWHERE. I can hardly wait for the grapes to be ready. I feel at the moment that I am living in a beautiful little orchard. It is really lovely. And there is little or no effort involved on my part. Nature is doing it all! I can only dream and imagine how fantastic it would be to live in a year-round orchard that could provide all of one's food needs.

I have been buying most of my food from a fruit stand near my house and from the large farmer's market. The local melons and tomatoes are just perfect right now. In my kitchen I currently have watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, pickling cukes, valencia oranges, cherries, and bananas. I have actually been eating some bananas every day lately. Having a few each day seems to work like a charm. I go heavier on the bananas in the winter. You can always count on them for a reliable sugar hit. For now, I am revelling in the summer produce. Back to the farmer's market today for more 'maters and melons!

P.S. As I look at my list of food, I realize that I technically eat more than what I list. I mean, I am snacking all the time, a bite of watermelon here, a few cherries there . . . just so you know. : )

11 comments:

  1. Thank you for this figgy post. I want a fig tree. There is a huge overgrown untended abundant fig tree hanging over the fence of someone's backyard right onto the boulevard of my little town. It makes me smile every time I pass it. I had a difficult day and really needed to hear a voice of joy, peace, and truth at this time. I always FEEL better after listening to you for a small moment.

    Love & Light, Esmee

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  2. Oh, Esmee . . . that is so SWEET! You just made my day! Thank you so much, fruit sistah. Sending you vibes of kindness and compassion. I do know about difficult days. Hope today is brighter. ♥ By the way, I bought the fig tree at the local nursery for $20. and it was a scrawny Charlie Brown tree. It was easy to plant and that's all I did! Well, I did water it some the first few weeks.

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  3. I have heard winter is the best time to plant fruit trees. So I am going to plan to do a fig tree then. I did, however, buy 2 pomegranate trees from my local hardware store several weeks ago for $22 each and am going to plant them even though it is high summer. With names like Wonderful and Ambrosia, I just couln't resist them, lol! I just got a book called The Backyard Orchardist which looks quite good. Maybe I will find my "calling" yet?? When people ask me what I do for a living, I will simply say, "Why, I grow fruit trees!" (or, rather, I watch fruit trees grow, I'm sure I have very little to do with it...)

    Love & Light, Esmee

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  4. What a beautiful calling! I love it! Ha! I wish we were all growing fruit. All you have to do is water the tree for the first few weeks/months while it is putting out roots. I think I planted mine in September and it fared very well. Have fun! Love, Julie ♥

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  5. Hello Jules! You are an inspiration!

    My name is Christofer and I'm from Sweden. I enjoy your blog very much, it's so inspiring! I go here all the time and get so excited about fruit!

    I've been wanting to eat just fruit for a while but wondered about some basic questions. Like, how much does it cost on an average month? And what would you recommend I eat for my first day on fruit? And what should I say when my friends ask me about nutrition, and protein and that kind of stuff?

    I could go on and on, I want to know so much! I just need a little kick start to get going!

    If you want, you can email me at christofer_bornedal@hotmail.com, I would be so happy for your advice! I love fruit!

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  6. Hello Christofer from Sweden!

    It is wonderful to meet another fruit lover. :) Thank you so much for your kind words. I suggest you keep reading here, and go back into the archives. I have written a lot about eating fruit! Another web site that will help you a lot is www.30bananasaday.com. There are lots of fruit-eating folks there and you can learn from everyone. Each of us has to find our own way. For myself, I only have one "rule" and that is to eat only fruit. But within that, I eat whatever I want, as much as I want, any time I want. A person would do well to eat the fruits they love the most, and that taste really delicious to them. That is a good guide, I think. Since you are living in the north, it could be a challenge to find good quality ripe fruit.

    And how much it costs varies so much. Some people have access to free fruit. And some have to pay a lot. I find that the whole lifestyle is much less expensive than what other peeps are doing since there are no restaurants, no supplements or medications, no doctor visits, no cooking supplies, etc. Bananas are usually relatively inexpensive and if you eat in-season fruits, it will be the best deals money-wise and health-wise.

    You will find a way to deal with family and friends. When you become comfortable and confident with what you are doing, it will be easy to answer questions. Mostly, I tell people that the so-called science of nutrition is greatly flawed and incorrect. :)

    Best wishes as you begin your journey and feel free to write any time! ♥

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  7. oh, me and mango we are dreaming about divine figs.. one day :)

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  8. They are SO worth dreaming about . . . but there are things I dream about lots more than figs!

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  9. Christofer BornedalJuly 27, 2010 at 10:26 AM

    Thank you for your advice. You're right, it's a little harder up here in the north fruit-wise. But I am on my way now, and it's the right way, because I get so excited about this and it feels so right, and so fun!

    Christofer

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  10. That's great, Christofer! Being excited and having fun are key! And KNOWING it is right is important, too. I'm so glad to know you are on your way. Good for you! ♥

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  11. sweet jules,

    sure me and mango are dreaming about other stuff than divine figs alone. :)

    love,
    kveta

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