In the Kitchen: Part 2

EATING:
This is one area where I'm not as good as I want to be and I REALLY want to change.

There are a LARGE number of theories on the ~right~ way to eat. We personally have tried veganism and vegetarianism. I find both difficult to do as I was raised eating meat and it's hard for me to think of meals that ~don't~ include meats. I don't mind eating it, I just have a hard time planning it. We have, however, greatly reduced the amount of meat that we eat.

I've looked into a number of diets and the ideas that appeal to me most are the ideas of Wesley A Price. Basically he proposes that we eat foods as unprocessed and as close to nature as possible. Animals should be raised as free-range as possible. Grass-fed and with access to roam and lack of hormones and vaccinations. Natural game like bison and deer is better for you than cows. Free-range chickens who haven't been pumped full of antibiotics lay better quality eggs and are better to eat.

I get my eggs from a lady who allows her chickens free range of her organic garden. When I have at get store bought eggs, there is a huge difference in the color and the taste in the eggs. (The farm fresh ones being better, obviously)

Big D doesn't think we should eat dairy, I think we should, so we compromised. I currently get my milk from a cow share program. Basically, we pay an initial fee to buy a "share" of a cow, and then pay weekly for a supply of fresh, raw cows milk. Because it's truly whole milk, I get cream and have made butter and a basic cheese from it with pretty good success. I'm going to be changing soon to get fresh, raw goats milk from the same lady that I get my eggs from. Goat milk is more easily digestible than cows milk and less likely to cause allergies.

Because we eat less meat, we are trying to be able to afford better quality meat. Next year, what I'd like to do is purchase a portion of a grass-fed cow and possibly a pig and chickens. We will need a large freezer to store the meat, but it's the most cost effective way to get high quality meats.

We were part of a CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) program. Each week we received a box of local, organically grown produce. It was a challenge because a lot of the time there was something in there that we'd never had before so we had to figure out how to eat it. But it exposed us to a lot of new stuff. It got us to eat more vegetables and fruits.

I would LOVE to be able to grow more of my own food. Raising anything is a challenge here in the desert. There are a number of ways to do it that I just haven't tried here, including container gardening. Next year, that's one of my biggest goals even if I have to start small. I'd even like to have my own goat and chickens, but my HOA has rules against them. (We won't buy a house in an HOA again!)

The other area that we're working on is eating less processed foods. I buy wheat in the grain form and have a wheat grinder. I make my own pancakes and waffles and things rather than buying them pre-made or in the mixes. I love to bake my own bread, though I do have a bread maker when I just don't have the time. We eat 100% whole grain whenever possible, including pastas, breads and rices. There are a number of grains out there that I'd like to explore when I have a little more energy, including quitoa which is supposed to be a "super-grain". I stock a lot of basics in my cupboards and try to make things from scratch (though I did better on this before I got pregnant). We also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.

We try to avoid processed or artificial sugars whenever possible. We don't allow the kids candy or ice-cream or things like that. When they want something sweet, we give them fruit and they love it. Occasionally we will make cookies, but I make them from scratch and use whole grains and things to make them a little more healthy than store-bought cookies. I also have a couple of sugar-free cookbooks that use fruit purees and juices rather than any type of sugar or artificial sweetener. Sugar is a BIG issue to my husband as a large number of his relatives have diabetes and he and I are both addicted to sugar.

We also try to avoid fast food as much as possible, though I've broken down more often now that I am pregnant. Almost everything on fast food menus contains high-fructose corn syrup. Even at sit-down restaurants, anything on the kids menu is likely to have added sweeteners so the kids like it better. And we won't even start on portions and calories per serving, etc.