Some Articles to Check Out!

Just because you should...


Did you know that pizza is a vegetable?  I certainly didn't.  But it's considered a vegetable in our schools because of the minuscule tomato paste content, and Congress wants to keep it that way.  My question: how can we teach children to make smart food choices if we tell them such misguided information about the food they are served at school lunch?


A wheat-free diet is definitely getting more medical attention.  I'm excited to check out Wheat Belly and see what else William Davis says about the harmful effects of processed grains.  Big points go to the fact that he points out that the way wheat is now bred and grown is particularly harmful: "This isn’t your great grandmother’s wheat—or waistline—we’re talking about. Amounts of wheat’s destructive compounds have increased over the past 50 years as the grain has been hybridized and crossbred to be resistant to drought and fungi, produce higher yields per acre, result in better baking consistency, and cost less to produce. Not surprisingly, the increase in wheat in the American diet parallels obesity rates that have nearly tripled since 1960."


According to the USDA, sales of locally grown foods are up!  Local foods are healthier for our  bodies and for the environment since they leave a smaller carbon footprint -- a win/win situation.  And it's so nice to have a personal relationship with the person who sells you your vegetables.   Jump on the bandwagon and find a local farmers market or CSA here.


And finally, it's about time we bring back the local butcher and learn to savor truly excellent cuts of meat.


What have you checked out in the news lately?

Farmer's market finds

This past weekend, my husband and I stopped by the local winter farmer's market and did most of our grocery shopping there.  It's the first time we've ever bought the majority of our groceries at a place that's not an industrial supermarket.

Why we decided to go:
- I believe that buying local is healthier for our bodies; especially for buying meat.  I don't want to eat meat that has been pumped with corn, soy, antibiotics, and other junk that make us sick;
- I want to see my food in it's most natural form possible;
- Buying local, of course, keeps fuel costs down and consumes less resources;
- It's the way we were intended to eat.  Nothing genetically engineered; nothing sprayed with pesticides.  Glorious.
- I love the idea of supporting people in my community.  Local business, I feel, keeps an area thriving, and creates wonderful inter-personal relationships, and gives an area a certain character and elan.  Really, local goodies make life more interesting.

Our buys, for just over $50:

Our full bounty, which consisted of grass fed ground beef, grass fed pork, two gluten-free muffins for a treat, butternut squash, sweet onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, kale, turnips, whole seed honey mustard, rutabaga, and granola for my husband.

 Our grass fed ground beef, from Chestnut Farms.

Close up!  I especially love seeing the dirt on the vegetables -- I feel in touch with Mother Nature a bit more!  The irregular shape of the carrots was also refreshing.

What I loved about the Winter Farmers Market:

- The friendliness of all the vendors.  They were happy to discuss their products in great detail, they were emphatic about their products, and happy to endure my endless questions about their farms and businesses.

- The calmness.  Often in the grocery store, I feel like I'm being herded like cattle and rushed to and fro.  Plus, there's often a long line at the check out, which just adds to my stress.  Here, I was able to meander, relax, and enjoy my time perusing all the goodies.  It's especially nice since you pay the vendor individually, so there's no wait to "check out" somewhere.

- The quality of the food.  So far, we've consumed the butternut squash, some of the kale, a sweet potato, some garlic, and an onion -- all of which were very tasty.  There's nothing worse than buying a bad piece of produce, and I've enjoyed everything I've consumed so far.

- I admit, we didn't get all of our groceries at the Farmers Market for the week, but we spent less money at the market than I thought we would.  With our market buys supplemented with some other groceries (mainly eggs, yogurt, apples, and berries), our bill was actually under what we normally spend in a week.  Disclaimer: I will be buying more yogurt, milk, and a couple more vegetables tomorrow.  Also, eggs were sold out at the farmers market, but I'll be buying them from either the FM or a local farm stand from now on.

The biggest kicker, however, was the expense of grass fed meat.  We spent nearly $20 on two pounds of meat, which at first, was hard to swallow.  But now, I see it as a blessing in disguise.   We'll still buy meat, but we'll consume less of it, and up our veggie intake to compensate.  So far, it's worked well, and I'm probably eating better meat portion sizes.  And ultimately, I believe that a diversity of foods is key to healthy living, and buying what's available forces me to experiment with new foods and be more creative with my cooking. (I'll keep you posted on what I decide to do with the bone in pork).  Tomorrow, I'll post more about the meals I've cooked with our market bargains.  The last Winter Farmers Market is this Saturday, so if you're local, stop by!

Any suggestions on how I should prepare my grass-fed pork?  Or any new foods or finds you've tried lately?  Any vegetable that you're currently addicted to?