Yikes it's been many days since my last post! But since my readers are few and far between, you probably didn't even notice!
So let's cut to the chase on today's topic...milk.
Milk is a tricky one to me, but since I started this blog with some big ingredients to avoid, high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oil, I might as well go for another big one, pasteurized milk.
Yes, good ole' "it does a body good" milk.
Is it really that bad? I mean, it's milk...vitamin D, protein, great with chocolate chip cookies and cereal. So let me break it down for you a little and you can decide for yourself.
Milk from the grocery store is pretty much worthless. Milk from conventional cows, which are cows pretty much raised and abused for their products, have an abundance of things to be concerned about. Here are three things in a nutshell to remember: hormones, antibiotics, and feed.
These cows are given hormones to increase their production of milk. Many cows are forced to produce 3 times as much milk as they are intended to. You might have heard of this hormone, genetically engineered Bovine Growth Hormone. Some milk that you can buy from local dairies is still pasteurized but will say rBGH free or something like that. I suppose that's a step in the right direction, but not far enough. These cows also need quite a bit of antibiotics from getting sick so often. In addition, cows are designed to feed on grass and just be lazy in the field, chewing on the cud (sounds tempting to me on some days). Conventional cows are given feed, often a genetically modified soy feed, which is not digested in their bodies the way cows were designed to digest grass. Arguments have been made that many people who cannot tolerate milk, perhaps can't tolerate what's in the milk, a result of what the cows were fed. While I'm not necessarily an animal lover, this treatment of cows is horrible and affects the quality of the milk product you drink. All that stuff ends up in your milk and in your body when you drink it.
Pasteurization is the process of heating the milk to destroy bad bacteria, and in the process kills the good stuff too. While most people insist it is necessary, we have much cleaner conditions today than back in the day when pasteurization was invented. If you find a trusted source for milk, sanitation should not be an issue. Pasteurized milk still carries bacteria and has caused salmonella outbreaks. Raw milk will sour naturally, but pasteurized milk, because all the beneficial bacteria have been killed, will putrefy. I used to drink organic milk but after 2 or 3 days the smell was so bad I was wondering what in the world I was really drinking. Pasteurization alters the amino acids in the milk making it less digestible and protein less available. It also changes milk-lactose into beta-lactose which is more rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream and has the same effect that sugar does on your body, raising your blood sugar levels rapidly. Pasteurization also destroys enzymes from the milk that help build calcium in your body. Pasteurized milk is linked ironically to osteoporosis and diabetes, allergies, tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.
If milk is pasteurized, all the natural vitamins have been removed so any vitamins in the milk are synthetic ones that were pumped back into the milk. The less fat in the milk that you drink, meaning you drink 2%, 1%, or skim means there are pretty much no nutrients anywhere. Your body needs the fat to help digest the milk as much as it can. When eating food in it's most natural form, that means the full fat version. If I didn't drink raw milk, I'd try to find some non-homogenized whole milk. If I couldn't find that, well, I'd have to seriously think about what I wanted to do. Some people say if you can't drink raw milk, don't drink it at all!
Homogenization is the straining of fat particles, which takes fat molecules which cannot pass into the blood stream and turns them into the small ones that can which allows toxins to enter the body. Homogenization is linked to heart disease. Raw milk has the cream which rises naturally to the top. I usually pour the cream off and use it in coffee or for cooking when I need cream. Or I put it on my oatmeal in the morning. I wish I could get more cream off the top!
A note on organic milk...some people think it's better because it doesn't have the rBGH and the cows are not treated with antibiotics. True, but it's still homogenized and pasteurized and follows the above reasons for not drinking that kind of milk. Plus it is ultra-pasteurized which is a violent process that heats milk to boiling in a few seconds. Why this process is used I don't know so if anyone else knows, please tell me! I used to drink organic milk, thinking it was better but I can't stand the taste of it now.
Raw milk tastes so amazing, I can't explain it. It's smooth and natural and not thick feeling in your mouth like whole milk. The farm we use sell it in glass bottles. There is something very refreshing about milk from a glass bottle. Plastic and cardboard boxes with milk leave a taste on the milk and it's never quite cold enough.
Some states do not legally sell raw milk. If you live in a state that does, check out this website for sources of raw milk or information on raw milk. If you find a local source you can trust, I say go for it! I'm not concerned about the bacteria and both my young kids drink it and we've never had any problems. I've read that many people who are allergic to milk can handle raw milk.
If you're not ready for milk, maybe try cheese and other products made with raw milk. I think cheeses closest to the source taste best but our local grocery store carries raw milk cheese as well. Any dairy you can buy made from raw milk are going to be better pure sources than pasteurized. Dairy products should always be the full fat versions, anything less than that is processed more in some way and all the original good stuff is removed.
Whew...so was that a lot to take in or what?
I know to some of you this sounds crazy and not a step you are ready for. My advice is to just investigate. If it's something you're interested in pursuing, go for it. If you're not ready for it, just educate yourself so you know both sides and make your decision from there.
I'd love to know what you're thinking!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Show Me the Money, Part 2
I'm not sure if this is really a part 2 of what I wrote before, but as I've been thinking about living a more simple lifestyle, I also want to cook more simple meals. Meals that take only a few ingredients save money because you're not buying as much food to make them. And for working moms like me, save you time in the kitchen and give you more time to play with your kids after work. I'm always up for that.
I know there's a cookbook out there from the same group I mentioned before with the Simply in Season cookbook called More with Less. I don't own it yet, but a lady at our local market carries it so I might buy it from her. All of the recipes have only a few ingredients. As much as I enjoy Rachael Ray and the meals I've made from her cookbook were tasty, they take lots of stuff that I don't often have on hand and end up costing a bit more. If you check out the link, you can view sample recipes.
Soup is a great meal to make that usually takes not too many ingredients and often includes stuff you have on hand. Sometimes the list looks long because of all the seasonings but it's usually pretty quick and easy to make. Soup recipes galore exist online and in most cookbooks you find. Now is a great time of year for soup as the weather is getting cooler. I love a big pot of soup with some warm bread, especially if I have time to make it myself (which hasn't happened recently). Soup is also great because you can either double the recipe and freeze it for some night you don't feel like cooking or just save the leftovers and freeze them. Most soup recipes make a good amount.
I could probably spend a few weeks posting all the soup recipes I love but here are 2 of my favorites!
Lentil Soup (from my mom)
**lentils are great because you don't have to soak them like you do other beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 diced onion
2 diced carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups lentils
8 cups chicken broth
1 14.5oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced spinach or kale
2 TBSP vinegar
salt and pepper
1. In a large pot, saute vegetables in olive oil until tender. Stir in garlic and spices. Cook 2 minutes.
2. Stir in lentils and chicken broth and add tomatoes.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
4. When ready to serve, stir in spinach (if using kale, you may need to steam a little first). Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Hearty Broccoli Soup (from Simply in Season cookbook)
**I've made a lot of broccoli soups, and this one is my husband's favorite (he's pickier than me when it comes to soup)
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup minced celery
1 cup water
1. Cook above ingredients for 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 cups chopped broccoli and cook 5-10 minutes.
3. Add 3 cups milk, 2 chicken bouillion cubes and 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce. Heat until boiling.
4. Blend 1 cup milk and 1/3 cup flour until smooth in a small bowl. Stir into soup and cook just until thickened. Turn off heat. (I've also just used heavy cream instead).
5. Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese until melted.
What kind of soup do you like?
I know there's a cookbook out there from the same group I mentioned before with the Simply in Season cookbook called More with Less. I don't own it yet, but a lady at our local market carries it so I might buy it from her. All of the recipes have only a few ingredients. As much as I enjoy Rachael Ray and the meals I've made from her cookbook were tasty, they take lots of stuff that I don't often have on hand and end up costing a bit more. If you check out the link, you can view sample recipes.
Soup is a great meal to make that usually takes not too many ingredients and often includes stuff you have on hand. Sometimes the list looks long because of all the seasonings but it's usually pretty quick and easy to make. Soup recipes galore exist online and in most cookbooks you find. Now is a great time of year for soup as the weather is getting cooler. I love a big pot of soup with some warm bread, especially if I have time to make it myself (which hasn't happened recently). Soup is also great because you can either double the recipe and freeze it for some night you don't feel like cooking or just save the leftovers and freeze them. Most soup recipes make a good amount.
I could probably spend a few weeks posting all the soup recipes I love but here are 2 of my favorites!
Lentil Soup (from my mom)
**lentils are great because you don't have to soak them like you do other beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 diced onion
2 diced carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups lentils
8 cups chicken broth
1 14.5oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced spinach or kale
2 TBSP vinegar
salt and pepper
1. In a large pot, saute vegetables in olive oil until tender. Stir in garlic and spices. Cook 2 minutes.
2. Stir in lentils and chicken broth and add tomatoes.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.
4. When ready to serve, stir in spinach (if using kale, you may need to steam a little first). Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
Hearty Broccoli Soup (from Simply in Season cookbook)
**I've made a lot of broccoli soups, and this one is my husband's favorite (he's pickier than me when it comes to soup)
2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup minced celery
1 cup water
1. Cook above ingredients for 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 cups chopped broccoli and cook 5-10 minutes.
3. Add 3 cups milk, 2 chicken bouillion cubes and 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce. Heat until boiling.
4. Blend 1 cup milk and 1/3 cup flour until smooth in a small bowl. Stir into soup and cook just until thickened. Turn off heat. (I've also just used heavy cream instead).
5. Add 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese until melted.
What kind of soup do you like?
Ditch the Water Bottles
Plastic water bottles are so convenient, are they not? Throw one in your bag when you need it, not having to worry about filling up your reusable one, even if it is better for the environment. Plastic bottles fill up landfills at an alarming rate, that' s for sure. While I'm not much for bottled water because all those little bottles add up to a lot more per gallon than gas right now, I did have a few bottles on hand.
After reading this article from Environmental Working Group, I'm going to rethink EVER buying them again.
To summarize, a series of tests were done on several bottled water companies and the tests revealed LOADS of chemicals in bottled water, chemicals that lead to cancer, heavy metals, arsenic, caffeine, Tylenol and many others. These chemicals are basically being accused of bottling tap water and making quite a profit on it. The article is short and even just skimming it will give you enough information to make you not even want to water your plants with it.
But as always, the choice is yours! Let me know if you decide to switch!
And if you find some really cool water bottles.
After reading this article from Environmental Working Group, I'm going to rethink EVER buying them again.
To summarize, a series of tests were done on several bottled water companies and the tests revealed LOADS of chemicals in bottled water, chemicals that lead to cancer, heavy metals, arsenic, caffeine, Tylenol and many others. These chemicals are basically being accused of bottling tap water and making quite a profit on it. The article is short and even just skimming it will give you enough information to make you not even want to water your plants with it.
But as always, the choice is yours! Let me know if you decide to switch!
And if you find some really cool water bottles.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Reflections
I promise I will get back to writing about food and my thoughts on healthy eating. It's been a little challenging with time in the last week. But my plan for this blog is a place to ramble about healthy eating AND living so I thought I'd share some reflections I had after our family's recent trip to Toronto, Canada to visit my huband's family.
I've always enjoyed visiting Toronto. It is a beautiful city...I love the skyline, the clean streets, the feel and rhythm. It's incredibly multi-cultural, not pockets of ethnicities here and there, but everywhere together. We went to a small park for a few minutes and it was amazing to see about 10 different cultures represented in the 10 children playing there. In the small town we live in with not much diversity, my biracial children fit in well there.
With 5.2 million people it's busy, lots of traffic, lots of having to really watch your kids to make sure they don't run off and you can't see them. Toronto is trying to be a green city so every family has to buy 3 different trash cans, one for regular garbage, one for food and compost, and one for things that can be recycled. At the grocery store, you have to bring your own cloth bags or pay for plastic ones...I like that rule, wish it would catch on here! There's other stuff they're doing, too. Every little bit of saving counts!
Anyway, there is a lot to see and do.
I had an interesting conversation with my brother-in-law, who pretty much knows everything that is happening in the city, knows where all the events are, etc...He was saying how kids today have everything at the touch of a button, the internet, texting, food, cell phones, video games, etc...They don't know what it's like to have to wait for anything. Even my generation has some of these issues (hence, part of the reason for our economic housing downturn). Those who live in Toronto and other large cities, have tons to do. There is always something going on somewhere.
And yet, they're bored.
The day after I got back from Toronto, I was listening to a speaker at a professional development (I am in the education field), and he was talking about the days when he was a kid growing up in the South without much to do. He told stories of what he and his friends did with a cardboard box, the games they invented, how they reused things over and over. He was an amazing storyteller and put a longing in my heart to have lived back then, or experiency that life today.
His story and point were similar to the conversation I had with my brother-in-law. Even with so much around us to do and get quickly, why are people still bored and restless? Why can't we be satisfied with the simple things in life? Why is there such a need for more and more?
I used to come back from Toronto feeling like I was missing something, somewhere. Like I wanted to go and DO stuff. This time, I came back content with my simple life in a somewhat small town. While we live pretty simply, we're not like Laura Ingalls Wilder, mind you, I really want to strive to live MORE simply. To have my kids find joy in the small things, to be creative thinkers and not button pushers. Don't get me wrong, I won't go back to a dial-up modem, but do you know what I mean? Let's just live simply, and stop complicating life with stuff and wanting more. Let's go back to the good ole' days, so to speak, where we had to be more creative and didn't need to have everything immediately.
Am I crazy? Or does anyone else know what I'm talking about?
I've always enjoyed visiting Toronto. It is a beautiful city...I love the skyline, the clean streets, the feel and rhythm. It's incredibly multi-cultural, not pockets of ethnicities here and there, but everywhere together. We went to a small park for a few minutes and it was amazing to see about 10 different cultures represented in the 10 children playing there. In the small town we live in with not much diversity, my biracial children fit in well there.
With 5.2 million people it's busy, lots of traffic, lots of having to really watch your kids to make sure they don't run off and you can't see them. Toronto is trying to be a green city so every family has to buy 3 different trash cans, one for regular garbage, one for food and compost, and one for things that can be recycled. At the grocery store, you have to bring your own cloth bags or pay for plastic ones...I like that rule, wish it would catch on here! There's other stuff they're doing, too. Every little bit of saving counts!
Anyway, there is a lot to see and do.
I had an interesting conversation with my brother-in-law, who pretty much knows everything that is happening in the city, knows where all the events are, etc...He was saying how kids today have everything at the touch of a button, the internet, texting, food, cell phones, video games, etc...They don't know what it's like to have to wait for anything. Even my generation has some of these issues (hence, part of the reason for our economic housing downturn). Those who live in Toronto and other large cities, have tons to do. There is always something going on somewhere.
And yet, they're bored.
The day after I got back from Toronto, I was listening to a speaker at a professional development (I am in the education field), and he was talking about the days when he was a kid growing up in the South without much to do. He told stories of what he and his friends did with a cardboard box, the games they invented, how they reused things over and over. He was an amazing storyteller and put a longing in my heart to have lived back then, or experiency that life today.
His story and point were similar to the conversation I had with my brother-in-law. Even with so much around us to do and get quickly, why are people still bored and restless? Why can't we be satisfied with the simple things in life? Why is there such a need for more and more?
I used to come back from Toronto feeling like I was missing something, somewhere. Like I wanted to go and DO stuff. This time, I came back content with my simple life in a somewhat small town. While we live pretty simply, we're not like Laura Ingalls Wilder, mind you, I really want to strive to live MORE simply. To have my kids find joy in the small things, to be creative thinkers and not button pushers. Don't get me wrong, I won't go back to a dial-up modem, but do you know what I mean? Let's just live simply, and stop complicating life with stuff and wanting more. Let's go back to the good ole' days, so to speak, where we had to be more creative and didn't need to have everything immediately.
Am I crazy? Or does anyone else know what I'm talking about?
Monday, October 13, 2008
DETOX!!
I've been away, off to Canada for a few days to visit my husband's family. I really do love visiting Toronto, even though we don't get there that often, and I have a few thoughts to share about our recent visit, related of course to the theme of this blog, on a later post since we didn't get much sleep this weekend. But I digress...
When you eat healthy most of the time, your body gets used to feeling a certain way. And when you go off that track, for purposes of visiting relatives outside of town who eat out in restaurants much of the time, you eat food that say, you wouldn't normally eat. Which was the last 4 days for us. It's amazing how fast your body takes a downhill spiral. My blood sugar is out of whack, I've had an ongoing headache, and not to give too much infomation, but, let's just say my pipes aren't working normally. And I've noticed the same is true for the rest of the family. Because truly, when you eat well, all those things don't happen.
So it will take a few days to get back to normal. And can I just say that eating pretty much whatever we felt like the last few days really wasn't that much fun! I missed our food! Despite eating some greasy food and some fried food and some sweet food loaded with all the things and more that I've written about are horrible for you, it didn't make me feel like I was missing much. Feeling like crap right now...yeah, not worth it!
So all of that is just to say, if you do try to make changes, you should feel differently, for the better. And when you go back to your old ways, you'll notice!
I need to detox!
When you eat healthy most of the time, your body gets used to feeling a certain way. And when you go off that track, for purposes of visiting relatives outside of town who eat out in restaurants much of the time, you eat food that say, you wouldn't normally eat. Which was the last 4 days for us. It's amazing how fast your body takes a downhill spiral. My blood sugar is out of whack, I've had an ongoing headache, and not to give too much infomation, but, let's just say my pipes aren't working normally. And I've noticed the same is true for the rest of the family. Because truly, when you eat well, all those things don't happen.
So it will take a few days to get back to normal. And can I just say that eating pretty much whatever we felt like the last few days really wasn't that much fun! I missed our food! Despite eating some greasy food and some fried food and some sweet food loaded with all the things and more that I've written about are horrible for you, it didn't make me feel like I was missing much. Feeling like crap right now...yeah, not worth it!
So all of that is just to say, if you do try to make changes, you should feel differently, for the better. And when you go back to your old ways, you'll notice!
I need to detox!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Show Me the Money
One of the biggest responses I hear when people want to know things about healthy eating is, "How much do you spend a month on food?" Or, "I'd like to eat healthier but it's too expensive." Well, I have a few thoughts on this I'd like to ramble about.
First, I could share how much we spend a month on food but I choose not to. At least not now, anyway. Because, to be honest, I'll bet we all spend around the same amount, give or take a little. No matter how you eat, food costs money. People are complaining about the cost of food nowadays with the economy being what it is and yes, I agree the cost of food has gone up to a degree. But we can control WHAT we buy, and who we choose to give our money to. There are things we buy that people would say, what?? And then other things I put my foot down and say, no, not doing it. So I simply say, if you think it costs too much, don't buy it. Don't complain about it, just don't buy it. I might spend 7 dollars for a bag of grapes and you'd think I was crazy. But you might spend that much for 2 boxes of crackers or 2 bags of chips and I'd say you were crazy too! So, much is in the eye of the beholder.
I think as Americans, we are used to things being cheap...we want cheap gas, food, clothing, the works. Many people in many other countries are not used to things being cheap. So, either buy what you want for what it costs and don't complain, or just choose not to buy it. Seriously, I and some others I know get a little ticked off by people talking about how expensive everything is. We all have a choice about what we spend our money on. We all can adapt our budgets a little to give room for some other things. OK, I'll get off my soapbox now.
So, as for food, here's my theory. FOOD is one of the most important, if not THE most important thing we buy. Why? Because we can do without a lot of stuff, like cable TV, getting our hair or nails done, cool electronics, new furniture or cars, or whatever. Even though that stuff is great, I love new clothes by the way and would spend lots of money on them if I had the money to spend, but we don't need them. FOOD, we do need. We NEED to take care of our bodies and food gives us the energy we need and sustains us. Remember back to elementary school where you talk about needs and wants? Food, water, shelter, and clothing (OH, there's my excuse for new clothes!) are our basic needs. So I choose to spend more money on food than other things because I choose to take care of my body in the way I think is best. My hope is that by feeding myself and my family well, we will be less worried about being sick now and later in life and can live an abundant life! What we eat affects our bodies and in turn, how we treat others and how we fulfill all that God has intended for us to be. I know when I eat junk (and I do on occasion), it affects my body entirely differently than when I eat the way God intended for us to eat. I then treat others differently when I don't feel well after I eat that stuff. I just feel yucky and don't have the energy to do what I need to do, whether it be clean the house, work to my full potential, play with my kids, etc...So maybe this is a totally new soapbox, I'm not sure! It's so much a part of how I think these days.
I'd love to have the time (maybe I will someday) to do an experiment and take a typical menu I make and buy the groceries. Then take a menu that uses a lot of pre-packaged food and buy the groceries. Then compare and see what happens. If you want to see what happened when someone else did it, read this article.
Eating the way I talk about does cost money. The ingredients I talked about before, and some other ones I haven't blogged about yet, are cheaper to make and have a longer shelf life than fresh foods which is why you might think they are more affordable. BUT, they are NOT good for you! If you're used to buying certain foods and you try to switch all at once, you will spend a crazy amount of money. But if you make slow, gradual changes like I've talked about, you won't feel it as much. Here are a few other ideas to try to save. But remember, I think food is the most important thing I buy! So think about how important it is to you? To your family?
Here are some tips that work for me:
1. Pre-plan your meals: When you go to the store, buy only what you need for the week or month or however you do your shopping. Take a list or else you'll just pull stuff off the shelves that sounds good.
2. Avoid processed food as much as possible: This stuff really adds up! Try homemade oatmeal (recipe below) or eggs for breakfast instead of expensive cereal.
3. Buy local: In season, local produce, is cheaper than shipped produce or out of season produce.
4. Pack lunch, make your own coffee, eat out minimally: This stuff really adds up to, eating out takes a whopping amount of your money. Add up what you spend in a month on all of it, you might be surprised? Treat yourself on occasion, but have a budget to do it.
5. If you have a freezer, stock up on things that are on sale or look into buying part of a cow from a local farmer (more in a later post). Freeze local produce when it's in season for the winter.
6. Drink water...juice, soda, tea, all that stuff adds up.
7. Avoid going to the "corner store" or gas station...those prices are much higher than a grocery store. Just a few items adds up quickly!
Here are 50 tips if you want more. Those are just a few I use.
Here's one more thought: everything in life has a cost to some degree. Not financial, but a different kind of cost. When we make choices, it costs us something. We move to a new town, take a new job, take a risk in a relationship, tell someone how we feel, etc...Sometimes the choices we make are worth the cost, sometimes, maybe not. Eating healthy adds a cost financially. To me, it's worth it. What about you?
Breakfast Porridge (taken from Sally Fallon...I'll post on her later)
1 cup steel cut oats (you can find these in bulk at most grocery stores, or in a can in your organic aisle)
2 TBSP. yoghurt, buttermilk or kefir
1 cup warm water
pinch of salt
1 cup of water
Mix yoghurt, buttermilk, or kefir in 1 cup warm water. Add oats and soak covered, 7-24 hours. Boil 1 cup water to a boil. Add oats mixture and simmer for 5-7 minutes. A quick, filling, and delicious breakfast! I add cream, butter, and a sweetener, usually rapadura or maple syrup. Choose what you want! YUMMY!
First, I could share how much we spend a month on food but I choose not to. At least not now, anyway. Because, to be honest, I'll bet we all spend around the same amount, give or take a little. No matter how you eat, food costs money. People are complaining about the cost of food nowadays with the economy being what it is and yes, I agree the cost of food has gone up to a degree. But we can control WHAT we buy, and who we choose to give our money to. There are things we buy that people would say, what?? And then other things I put my foot down and say, no, not doing it. So I simply say, if you think it costs too much, don't buy it. Don't complain about it, just don't buy it. I might spend 7 dollars for a bag of grapes and you'd think I was crazy. But you might spend that much for 2 boxes of crackers or 2 bags of chips and I'd say you were crazy too! So, much is in the eye of the beholder.
I think as Americans, we are used to things being cheap...we want cheap gas, food, clothing, the works. Many people in many other countries are not used to things being cheap. So, either buy what you want for what it costs and don't complain, or just choose not to buy it. Seriously, I and some others I know get a little ticked off by people talking about how expensive everything is. We all have a choice about what we spend our money on. We all can adapt our budgets a little to give room for some other things. OK, I'll get off my soapbox now.
So, as for food, here's my theory. FOOD is one of the most important, if not THE most important thing we buy. Why? Because we can do without a lot of stuff, like cable TV, getting our hair or nails done, cool electronics, new furniture or cars, or whatever. Even though that stuff is great, I love new clothes by the way and would spend lots of money on them if I had the money to spend, but we don't need them. FOOD, we do need. We NEED to take care of our bodies and food gives us the energy we need and sustains us. Remember back to elementary school where you talk about needs and wants? Food, water, shelter, and clothing (OH, there's my excuse for new clothes!) are our basic needs. So I choose to spend more money on food than other things because I choose to take care of my body in the way I think is best. My hope is that by feeding myself and my family well, we will be less worried about being sick now and later in life and can live an abundant life! What we eat affects our bodies and in turn, how we treat others and how we fulfill all that God has intended for us to be. I know when I eat junk (and I do on occasion), it affects my body entirely differently than when I eat the way God intended for us to eat. I then treat others differently when I don't feel well after I eat that stuff. I just feel yucky and don't have the energy to do what I need to do, whether it be clean the house, work to my full potential, play with my kids, etc...So maybe this is a totally new soapbox, I'm not sure! It's so much a part of how I think these days.
I'd love to have the time (maybe I will someday) to do an experiment and take a typical menu I make and buy the groceries. Then take a menu that uses a lot of pre-packaged food and buy the groceries. Then compare and see what happens. If you want to see what happened when someone else did it, read this article.
Eating the way I talk about does cost money. The ingredients I talked about before, and some other ones I haven't blogged about yet, are cheaper to make and have a longer shelf life than fresh foods which is why you might think they are more affordable. BUT, they are NOT good for you! If you're used to buying certain foods and you try to switch all at once, you will spend a crazy amount of money. But if you make slow, gradual changes like I've talked about, you won't feel it as much. Here are a few other ideas to try to save. But remember, I think food is the most important thing I buy! So think about how important it is to you? To your family?
Here are some tips that work for me:
1. Pre-plan your meals: When you go to the store, buy only what you need for the week or month or however you do your shopping. Take a list or else you'll just pull stuff off the shelves that sounds good.
2. Avoid processed food as much as possible: This stuff really adds up! Try homemade oatmeal (recipe below) or eggs for breakfast instead of expensive cereal.
3. Buy local: In season, local produce, is cheaper than shipped produce or out of season produce.
4. Pack lunch, make your own coffee, eat out minimally: This stuff really adds up to, eating out takes a whopping amount of your money. Add up what you spend in a month on all of it, you might be surprised? Treat yourself on occasion, but have a budget to do it.
5. If you have a freezer, stock up on things that are on sale or look into buying part of a cow from a local farmer (more in a later post). Freeze local produce when it's in season for the winter.
6. Drink water...juice, soda, tea, all that stuff adds up.
7. Avoid going to the "corner store" or gas station...those prices are much higher than a grocery store. Just a few items adds up quickly!
Here are 50 tips if you want more. Those are just a few I use.
Here's one more thought: everything in life has a cost to some degree. Not financial, but a different kind of cost. When we make choices, it costs us something. We move to a new town, take a new job, take a risk in a relationship, tell someone how we feel, etc...Sometimes the choices we make are worth the cost, sometimes, maybe not. Eating healthy adds a cost financially. To me, it's worth it. What about you?
Breakfast Porridge (taken from Sally Fallon...I'll post on her later)
1 cup steel cut oats (you can find these in bulk at most grocery stores, or in a can in your organic aisle)
2 TBSP. yoghurt, buttermilk or kefir
1 cup warm water
pinch of salt
1 cup of water
Mix yoghurt, buttermilk, or kefir in 1 cup warm water. Add oats and soak covered, 7-24 hours. Boil 1 cup water to a boil. Add oats mixture and simmer for 5-7 minutes. A quick, filling, and delicious breakfast! I add cream, butter, and a sweetener, usually rapadura or maple syrup. Choose what you want! YUMMY!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Local Folk
Preplanning meals is very important but also thinking about what kind of food you are making for the time of year is also very important. The concept of cooking "in-season" is such a brilliant idea, and yet it escaped me until very recently. My mom bought me a great cookbook called "Simply In Season" and it has become a new favorite. Traditional cookbooks are organized by category: main courses, soups, appetizers, desserts, etc...This cookbook is organized by season, and lists recipes that contain mostly foods that you can buy when they are in season from a local farmer's market or farmer. Brilliant, right? I wish all cookbooks were organized this way!
When we shop for produce in a grocery store, we are purchasing food that has been shipped from all over the country, or world, which uses a lot of a variety of resources. We don't know exactly how that food is grown, how the soil is prepared, what the people are like who raise it, and how the production of that food affects the land. If we buy from our local farmer, we are not only saving those resources but getting fresher, healthier food and supporting local farmers and community. We are making a statement about how we want our food produced. The more people who pick up on this concept, the greater the support for the local farmer and the less demand for use of resources to ship our food.
While I had great ambitions of starting a small garden this year, it didn't happen. I hope to next summer and despite my lack of a green thumb, I'm optimistic for at least a few things to grow. My family did join a CSA this year, which has been such a neat experience we have loved and will continue in future years. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a community of individuals who come together to support a particular farm operation by purchasing a weekly share of the produce from that farm. You pay money up front for the cost of the farming and farmer's salary, and pick up a share each week of produce that has been grown. Typically, a season runs from late spring to early fall. There is satisfaction in supporting a local farmer and having some connection with the land and food you eat. For us, we can see where our food is grown, know the farmers who are tending the land and raising it, ask questions about the food, and share with others in the process. You also share the risk of pests or weather ruining the crops but the benefit of the bounty is amazing. This summer we have had so much produce every week that we've had to search for new recipes. Despite loving fruits and vegetables I've tried many new things this summer that I never had before like bok choy, okra, kale, collard greens, kohlrabi (I didn't even know that word existed before), yellow and orange watermelon, various colors and varieties of tomatoes and eggplant. It's been incredible! Here is a picture of a recent share.
There are over 2000 CSA's in our country! If you don't know of local farmers in your area or if you have CSA's available check out this website: localharvest.org. You can enter your zip code and get all kinds of information about what is available in your area.
Regardless of whether you join a CSA or not, look up where you can go for local produce. Try buying as much as possible in season and limiting what you cook that is out of season. It does save money too because the cost of local in-season produce is much cheaper that buying shipped out of season produce. As much as I want strawberries in the winter, they are too expensive and not as tasty. I'll have to wait until June! Now is the time for me to stock up on apples, make and freeze as much applesauce as possible to last through the winter. I'm also freezing local green beans and peppers. I don't know how to can and I'm sure there is much more I could do but I think that every little thing I can do is better than nothing.
So think along the lines of a local county's theme: Buy Fresh, Buy Local!
What's For Dinner?
Did you ever have this experience??
You're wondering what in the world to make for dinner so flip through a cookbook, find a recipe that sounds good, write down everything you need, go to the store to buy it all and then gasp when you see how much you actually are spending to make it! Does that sound at all familiar or am I the only crazy one who does such things?
Pre-planning meals can be a huge help to make sure this doesn't happen. I know there are some fancy menu planners online but I just use a generic calendar and keep track of what I'm making for the week. I'm only just getting better at this, by the way. I have struggled with pre-planning for a long time. Then at the end of the month, I can look back and see what I've made and try not to repeat everything the following month, since my husband likes variety!
I'm a working mother so it definately is beneficial to me to preplan what I'm making. If I get home from work without a clue what's for dinner it ends up being toasted cheese sandwiches! Sometimes I have to do some prep work the night before so that I'm not trying to do all of it after a long day at work and 2 little kids tugging at me. I like to spend my time in the evening with my family so it can be a hard balance to find. It might mean going to bed a little later so I can stay up and pre-make the meatloaf or the stuffing for peppers or chop vegetables for soup. Eating healthy does require a lot of time to prepare meals, so I try to make as many simple meals as possible that don't require a lot of ingredients. Regardless, making fresh food takes time! But the benefit of eating whole food compared to processed food is worth the effort.
You're wondering what in the world to make for dinner so flip through a cookbook, find a recipe that sounds good, write down everything you need, go to the store to buy it all and then gasp when you see how much you actually are spending to make it! Does that sound at all familiar or am I the only crazy one who does such things?
Pre-planning meals can be a huge help to make sure this doesn't happen. I know there are some fancy menu planners online but I just use a generic calendar and keep track of what I'm making for the week. I'm only just getting better at this, by the way. I have struggled with pre-planning for a long time. Then at the end of the month, I can look back and see what I've made and try not to repeat everything the following month, since my husband likes variety!
I'm a working mother so it definately is beneficial to me to preplan what I'm making. If I get home from work without a clue what's for dinner it ends up being toasted cheese sandwiches! Sometimes I have to do some prep work the night before so that I'm not trying to do all of it after a long day at work and 2 little kids tugging at me. I like to spend my time in the evening with my family so it can be a hard balance to find. It might mean going to bed a little later so I can stay up and pre-make the meatloaf or the stuffing for peppers or chop vegetables for soup. Eating healthy does require a lot of time to prepare meals, so I try to make as many simple meals as possible that don't require a lot of ingredients. Regardless, making fresh food takes time! But the benefit of eating whole food compared to processed food is worth the effort.
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