new this week

This week I have manged to get myself off diet cola.  The only caffeine I have is a cup of tea in the morning at break time.  I'm substituting ice water and when that really doesn't cut it, I add a little lemon or lime juice.  This is a big step since previously I only drank soda.  I probably consumed 4-5 cans a day.  I went with half as much, half as often until I could quit with minimal distress.  I miss the bubbles.  I miss the taste.  I'll have to see what I can do to make my beverages more interesting.

The next steps are switching to maple syrup, honey, or rapadura in place of refined sugar and increasing our milk from skim to 1%.  When we get used to that we will move to 2% and then to whole.  When that is palatable, I will see if I can find a source of raw milk and give it a go. 

I remember as a child visiting friends who had a dairy farm.  We stayed for supper and I almost gagged on the raw milk they drank at every meal.  But I was used to skim and it was like drinking cream.  I figure if I can make it to whole milk, stepping up to raw, even if just for cooking at first, will not be as difficult.

I tried kombucha this week as well, but the tart flavor from the fermentation might take some getting used to.  I think I'll try a different flavor.  I'll also try kefir to see how I like that.  I love yoghurt so it can't be much different.  Again, it might be added to a smoothie to make it more palatable at first.

I have a powdered French vanilla non-dairy creamer on my desk at work to mix with my chai tea.  I'm starting to consider options for when it is gone.  Real cream is fine since there is a fridge at work but I love that rich vanilla flavor.  I might have to explore vanilla beans or make my own vanilla extract.  I hate to think what might be in that shot of vanilla the coffee shops use.

I'm also working on ice cream.  I have an ice cream maker that is pretty easy.  It plugs in and has a bowl that goes in the freezer for several hours before you use it so you don't have to worry about salt and ice.

So, it's been a busy week here.  I still struggle to choose the right foods and I make mistakes. Most of the mistakes are choices and not surprises.  I chose to eat fast food one day at lunch and suffered all afternoon.  I knew better but went with the convenient option. The thing is, now when I eat something wrong, I notice how bad I feel.  It's hard to believe I felt that way before and thought it was normal.

Butter Crocks

When the margarine in the fridge is gone, we won't be buying any more. We will be switching to butter.  Real butter.  Unsalted and organic.  This is my plan.  As we use something up, we replace it with healthier choices.  One step at a time is easier to maintain.

My only issue with butter is that it is so hard.  When it's cold you can't spread it.  Bread gets ripped to shreds.  How did people do this before?

I found a butter keeper on Amazon that looks like this.  I was really excited.  Water in the bottom keeps a seal and lets you leave the butter on the counter where it stays nice and soft and spreadable.

When it arrived it was broken so I had to send it back.  Amazon is really great about returns.  I printed out a return slip and prepaid label.  All I had to do was drop it off at a UPS site.  Easy.  But I was still without a butter keeper.  

I was downtown tonight and stopped in at a great kitchen store, The Measuring Cup.  They had a very nice one and it was 20% off.

Now I'm ready.  

The Co-op

About three years ago, I joined my local co-op.  My intention was to eat better, right?  My problem was that I didn't really understand what that meant.  I would go into the co-op and see lots of really nice food but it was so expensive!!  I kept comparing the prices to my local chain supermarket and the co-op just couldn't compete.

I have shopped there off-and-on ever since.  Each time comparing the price and variety of the offerings to my big chain grocery store.  I found the gluten free cereals to be mushy rather than crunchy.  Also the crackers and chips lacked the same flavor I liked in my usual brands.  And what exactly do I do with some of those things in the bulk aisle?

And so it went, until...

Last month (November 2011) I attended a class at my co-op that I thought would teach me new ways to prepare legumes, nuts, and grains so that I could make them more often for my family in ways they will actually eat.  It turned out to be an introductory class to the Weston A Price Foundation.  Wow!  This has changed everything for me.

They teach the dangers of modern food that has additives, artificial colors and flavors.  They argue for a return to the way our ancestors ate, real meat, vegetables, and fruits as close to their original state as possible.  They believe that many of our common health problems are created by our artificial diet.  Our bodies do not know how to break down these chemicals for use.  Start really reading labels and see what is in your food.  Do you want to eat margarine when you know it is synthetic and has artificial colors and flavors to make you think you are eating butter? Who says all those chemicals are better than real butter?

They also challenge the belief that food has to be altered to be healthy.  Our great-grandparents didn't have problems with obesity or heart disease or cancer like we see now.  Why?  Could it be our food source?

So now the tables have turned.  I walk through my big grocery store and I read labels.  I wonder why I would want to eat all that stuff in my food.  I wonder what the pigs and chickens in the meat aisle ate while they were alive and what the cows are being fed when they are producing that milk.  I spend more time in my co-op where label reading isn't nearly as scary.  I stick to organic meats and produce.  I try to buy local and seasonal.

I challenge you to click on the link above and see what the foundation is all about.  Read about the dangers of soy and statins and sodas, and see the research behind their stance.  See if it doesn't change your opinion about where your food comes from.

CSA Farms

About a year ago, we decided to buy into a CSA.  For those of you not familiar, that is a Community Supported Agriculture farm.  Members pay up front so the farmer has cash for seeds and gas and other needs.  They then go to the pickup site, usually the farm, to get their weekly share of the crop as it comes in.  If the year is good, there is a lot of food for a family of four.  If the weather is bad, everyone's share is smaller.  Members take a chance just as farmers everywhere do each year.

My hope in joining was that we would increase the amount of vegetables in our diet but this year the weather didn't cooperate and our share was small.  Most of our weekly box was supper on pickup night.  There were a lot of items that were unfamiliar to us and we struggled to know how to prepare them.  There were some items for which we never did acquire a taste.

All-in-all, our experience was not entirely sucessful.  But, we have decided to try again with a different farm for 2012.  I like the idea of supporting local farmers and getting organic produce that hasn't been shipped in from far away.  I like changing how we eat to include more whole foods.  And I like exposing my grandkids to the farm.  They should know where food comes from.