So, here's the deal. Turns out, this is hard. My family is addicted to convenience foods and unwilling to make this transition easy. Plus, going organic is expensive. I did a trip through Whole Foods just to check things out and it was... $$cha-ching$$. Plus, making my menu and grocery list is always a challenge, but even more so to try to consider less meat, less convenience foods, more planning and preparation, more price comparisons. Not to mention that (I hope this is only initially) the start-up cost of going organic is pretty pricey because we pretty much have to start from scratch.
Ok. I still really want to do this. Like, really, really. So, I'm going to do a little transition now (the next two weeks) and try to build a little of my pantry, then make a bigger transition the next two weeks so that by the first of September we will be at the very least, primarily organic, local, meatless, etc.
I should also clarify that we are not going completely meat free. I'm sorry. I like my chicken, burgers, etc. so we will go mostly meatless... say, eating meat 3 nights a week. But I'm going to try to buy the local, horomone-free, grass-fed meats. This two weeks I bought horomone-free, grass-fed meats from The Fresh Market because they were on sale $2.99/lb. I still want to check out Western Wake Farmer's Market for local meats because I've been told prices are decent there.
I'm also going ahead with freezing fresh organic, local corn bought from the State Farmer's Market on Lake Wheeler Rd. at 65 ears for $20. I'm also going to can local green beans that Lee is getting me through his work. I'm getting a bushel for $40 which Nana says is a ridiculous price, but I shopped around and it's pretty reasonable now. I guess it's been 10 years since Nana canned green beans. Nana recommends Half-runner green beans and Silver Queen corn. Not sure if that's what I'm getting, but either way. The biggest cost will be jars, but I have some coupons and I've been watching Craigslist. I'm thinking I could also freeze blueberries which are currently in season as well as peaches. I'm just not sure if I have the money to do the fruits. Like everything, the up front costs are rather high, but I'm hoping for longer term savings.
I'll keep posting about this... I know you're all hanging on my every word.
August 1, 2012
July 29, 2012
Organic Makeover Adventure
I began reading a book that is wodnerful for information and advice on making a transition from a processed life to a wholly organic life, all for $5 or less a day. The book is called Wildly Affordable Organic by Linda Watson. (Check it out here: http://www.cookforgood.com/blog/tag/wildly-affordable-organic).
I've enjoyed reading this book and it has offered some really good insight into making the transition to organic. She talks a lot about the cost of various foods and she gives advice about namebrand or not; bulk or not, etc. I like this book for the information and I think her meal plans are clever. I don't however think that her recipes are very kid-friendly (or in my case husband-friendly) and she doesn't account much for issues like peanut allergies. I haven't looked much at her blog and maybe some of those issues are addressed there.
I'm also baffled by the cost analysis. She took the "food stamp challenge" of planning and eating each meal at $1 per meal per person. When I first read that, I thought, that's impossible! But then I started calculating my grocery spending and I found that I spend about 95 cents per meal per person per day. When I started doing the math I was shocked. And I'm buying plenty of processed garbage.
So. I am giving myself a challenge. Maybe I'll make it, maybe not. Starting August 1st I'm going to take my family organic, mostly meat-free, and all on my mere budget of $100 a week. For those that don't know me- we're a family of 5 with a a hungry teenager and an 8 month old baby.
I've been working on my menu, shopping list, etc. I'll post the final menu for August 1-15th tomorrow with my shopping list. I'm pulling from Watson's meal plan ideas, but putting twists that fit my family because I'm not a fan of most of her recipes. Because Sophia is a particular eater and Dave is unable to eat most things and Zoe and I will pretty much eat anything, I'm going to try to make meals that work for us all. Ethan, bless his heart, will have the pureed leftovers.
I doubt I'll be as efficient or wasteless as Watson is in her book and plan, but this is a start, right? I'm hoping to see health and weight benefits right away. I hope eventually I'm able to perfect this plan for maximum efficiency so I'm not rushed at night to push out dinner or left with the "what should we cook?" dilemma that plagues all of us cooking moms.
Wish me luck.
I've enjoyed reading this book and it has offered some really good insight into making the transition to organic. She talks a lot about the cost of various foods and she gives advice about namebrand or not; bulk or not, etc. I like this book for the information and I think her meal plans are clever. I don't however think that her recipes are very kid-friendly (or in my case husband-friendly) and she doesn't account much for issues like peanut allergies. I haven't looked much at her blog and maybe some of those issues are addressed there.
I'm also baffled by the cost analysis. She took the "food stamp challenge" of planning and eating each meal at $1 per meal per person. When I first read that, I thought, that's impossible! But then I started calculating my grocery spending and I found that I spend about 95 cents per meal per person per day. When I started doing the math I was shocked. And I'm buying plenty of processed garbage.
So. I am giving myself a challenge. Maybe I'll make it, maybe not. Starting August 1st I'm going to take my family organic, mostly meat-free, and all on my mere budget of $100 a week. For those that don't know me- we're a family of 5 with a a hungry teenager and an 8 month old baby.
I've been working on my menu, shopping list, etc. I'll post the final menu for August 1-15th tomorrow with my shopping list. I'm pulling from Watson's meal plan ideas, but putting twists that fit my family because I'm not a fan of most of her recipes. Because Sophia is a particular eater and Dave is unable to eat most things and Zoe and I will pretty much eat anything, I'm going to try to make meals that work for us all. Ethan, bless his heart, will have the pureed leftovers.
I doubt I'll be as efficient or wasteless as Watson is in her book and plan, but this is a start, right? I'm hoping to see health and weight benefits right away. I hope eventually I'm able to perfect this plan for maximum efficiency so I'm not rushed at night to push out dinner or left with the "what should we cook?" dilemma that plagues all of us cooking moms.
Wish me luck.
March 12, 2012
Kid Friendly- week's end summary
So... as you may have noticed I got through day 2. After that I kept forgetting to post anything or take the pictures. So, I'll give you a summary.
Basically, here's what I learned...
First, we did not stick to our menu. Thursday turned out to be such a crazy hectic day I ended up buying Sophia pizza at Zoe's track meet and then fixing a few chicken nuggets for Sophia later. After that, everything just got more and more off-track.
2. Zoe and I did not like the "kid-friendly" meals and so I ended up either not eating well or making two dinners. With the frozen crock pot meals, that wasn't bad, but if I had to actually make two separate dinners that would be a huge hassle.
3. Sophia did eat better- well, she ate without all of the argument and mostly ate all of her dinner. I guess for her it will be better to make things she'll eat because while I hate admitting he's right, Dave is definitely right that it's better that she eat rather than not.
4. I don't know if this has to do with the kid friendly meals or not, but it seemed like it was far too easy to just not eat together as a family. Part of that was due to none of us being home for dinner at the same time. But I think because I was less than enthusiastic to have hot dogs or fish sticks I didn't want to eat, same with Zoe. So we all ended up eating at different times rather than sitting down at the table together.
5. Kid friendly meals are not time consuming. They're mostly popping things in the microwave which is nice on the time aspect, but I have to wonder about the nutritional value of food that's so processed it only needs a couple of seconds in the microwave to be edible.
Ultimately, my decision is that I'm going to have to fix two dinners- one for me and Zoe, and one kid friendly meal. Dave is welcome to eat which ever or continue to fix his own dinners when he gets home. I still want to find some ways to make the kid friendly food less processed and more nutritional. I have some ideas and I've found some recipes to try. We'll see.
I still believe that this is a bad plan in the long run because it encourages not trying different flavors and tastes and limits her experience with food. I can only hope it's not setting her up for an adulthood of missing out on great foods. How I could possibly have a child that doesn't love food is beyond me. I love food so much- too much. Wish me luck on this adventure!
Basically, here's what I learned...
First, we did not stick to our menu. Thursday turned out to be such a crazy hectic day I ended up buying Sophia pizza at Zoe's track meet and then fixing a few chicken nuggets for Sophia later. After that, everything just got more and more off-track.
2. Zoe and I did not like the "kid-friendly" meals and so I ended up either not eating well or making two dinners. With the frozen crock pot meals, that wasn't bad, but if I had to actually make two separate dinners that would be a huge hassle.
3. Sophia did eat better- well, she ate without all of the argument and mostly ate all of her dinner. I guess for her it will be better to make things she'll eat because while I hate admitting he's right, Dave is definitely right that it's better that she eat rather than not.
4. I don't know if this has to do with the kid friendly meals or not, but it seemed like it was far too easy to just not eat together as a family. Part of that was due to none of us being home for dinner at the same time. But I think because I was less than enthusiastic to have hot dogs or fish sticks I didn't want to eat, same with Zoe. So we all ended up eating at different times rather than sitting down at the table together.
5. Kid friendly meals are not time consuming. They're mostly popping things in the microwave which is nice on the time aspect, but I have to wonder about the nutritional value of food that's so processed it only needs a couple of seconds in the microwave to be edible.
Ultimately, my decision is that I'm going to have to fix two dinners- one for me and Zoe, and one kid friendly meal. Dave is welcome to eat which ever or continue to fix his own dinners when he gets home. I still want to find some ways to make the kid friendly food less processed and more nutritional. I have some ideas and I've found some recipes to try. We'll see.
I still believe that this is a bad plan in the long run because it encourages not trying different flavors and tastes and limits her experience with food. I can only hope it's not setting her up for an adulthood of missing out on great foods. How I could possibly have a child that doesn't love food is beyond me. I love food so much- too much. Wish me luck on this adventure!
March 5, 2012
Day2 eating kid friendly
Yesterday I really just threw together what I had to start our week of kid-friendly meals. Grilled cheese, applesauce, and pretzels was kind of a no-brainer. I put ham on my husband's grilled cheese to "man" it up a little. Sophia did eat most everything. I can't say if she complained because she ate upstairs with her Daddy and I ate downstairs with the baby. The true test will be when we're sitting at the table.
Today, I made my menu and grocery list. I want to compare this week with future weeks that I hopefully start the kid friendly meals in a more healthy, homemade, wholesome way. It's also important to keep in mind that I also included vegetables that my daughter likes so these meals aren't completely without benefit. Here's our weekly menu:
Sunday: Grilled cheese, pretzels, applesauce
Monday: Chicken nuggets, french fries, peas
Tuesday: Cheeseburger Hamburger helper, broccoli
Wednesday: Hot dogs, Mac-n-cheese
Thursday: Fish sticks, spinach, rice
Friday: Hamburgers (McDonald's style), cut up apples, black eyed peas
Saturday: Homemade pizza- ham and pineapple for Sophia, pepperoni for Zoë
Sunday: Chicken Quesidilla
I didn't go to the store until Monday so everything on my list covers Monday through Sunday. Also, I accounted for things I already had as well odds and ends I needed for lunches, and snacks. My total grocery bill was $100.49 with only one $0.75 coupon used. Here's my grocery list:
Chicken Nuggets
Fish sticks
hot dogs
lunch meat
hamburger helper
hamburger
granola bars
nutrigrain bars
apples/fruit
peas
broccoli
spinach
black eyed peas
pizza stuff: dough, sauce, toppings
chicken quesidillas: chicken, cheese, tortillas
ginger ale
capris suns
Here's the product of my bounty:
Here's dinner for tonight. It doesn't look so bad I guess, except who knows what's in those chicken nuggets and I'm not a fan of those frozen fries. I'm trying to lose post baby weight so I'm having some chicken stew I froze a few months back.
Today, I made my menu and grocery list. I want to compare this week with future weeks that I hopefully start the kid friendly meals in a more healthy, homemade, wholesome way. It's also important to keep in mind that I also included vegetables that my daughter likes so these meals aren't completely without benefit. Here's our weekly menu:
Sunday: Grilled cheese, pretzels, applesauce
Monday: Chicken nuggets, french fries, peas
Tuesday: Cheeseburger Hamburger helper, broccoli
Wednesday: Hot dogs, Mac-n-cheese
Thursday: Fish sticks, spinach, rice
Friday: Hamburgers (McDonald's style), cut up apples, black eyed peas
Saturday: Homemade pizza- ham and pineapple for Sophia, pepperoni for Zoë
Sunday: Chicken Quesidilla
I didn't go to the store until Monday so everything on my list covers Monday through Sunday. Also, I accounted for things I already had as well odds and ends I needed for lunches, and snacks. My total grocery bill was $100.49 with only one $0.75 coupon used. Here's my grocery list:
Chicken Nuggets
Fish sticks
hot dogs
lunch meat
hamburger helper
hamburger
granola bars
nutrigrain bars
apples/fruit
peas
broccoli
spinach
black eyed peas
pizza stuff: dough, sauce, toppings
chicken quesidillas: chicken, cheese, tortillas
ginger ale
capris suns
Here's the product of my bounty:
Here's dinner for tonight. It doesn't look so bad I guess, except who knows what's in those chicken nuggets and I'm not a fan of those frozen fries. I'm trying to lose post baby weight so I'm having some chicken stew I froze a few months back.
Feeding kids
I've always prided myself that my kids are good eaters. Both Zoë and Sophia will eat most anything and plenty of things that most kids won't. Zoë has always eaten just about anything put in front of her, and I've never been one to give much acceptance to turning her nose up at something. For that I have a 17 year old that is an excellent eater, who loves food, who has (what I consider to be) a healthy relationship with food, and who is willing to try all different kids of foods.
Sophia has always given me a hard time about eating. Not so much what she's eating, but just getting her to eat. She's always been distracted. She wants to talk and play and eating just isn't in her schedule. My husband says it's because I serve unfriendly kid meals. (i.e. chicken teriyaki and rice)
So, I have decided to serve a week's worth of kid friendly meals. I'm taking my meal ideas from kid's menus. I'm curious to see if it really is the food or if it's just the sitting down to mealtime that is the problem. We will have chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mini pizzas, hamburgers... just to name a few. My concern is that most of this is processed foods with lots of sodium and fat. If it turns out that the problem is the food I'm going to search out healthier homemade versions of the foods rather than the processed stuff.
Here is last night (Sunday)'s dinner:
And, to make me feel better... I decided to have a little "processed" treat for myself, so I made a Betty Crocker cupcake mix with some cream cheese icing. Yum. They almost made me forget that I was serving my kids grilled cheese for dinner. :D
Sophia has always given me a hard time about eating. Not so much what she's eating, but just getting her to eat. She's always been distracted. She wants to talk and play and eating just isn't in her schedule. My husband says it's because I serve unfriendly kid meals. (i.e. chicken teriyaki and rice)
So, I have decided to serve a week's worth of kid friendly meals. I'm taking my meal ideas from kid's menus. I'm curious to see if it really is the food or if it's just the sitting down to mealtime that is the problem. We will have chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mini pizzas, hamburgers... just to name a few. My concern is that most of this is processed foods with lots of sodium and fat. If it turns out that the problem is the food I'm going to search out healthier homemade versions of the foods rather than the processed stuff.
Here is last night (Sunday)'s dinner:
And, to make me feel better... I decided to have a little "processed" treat for myself, so I made a Betty Crocker cupcake mix with some cream cheese icing. Yum. They almost made me forget that I was serving my kids grilled cheese for dinner. :D
March 3, 2012
Pinterest has ruined me
After being on Pinterest for a while now I've had the opportunity to browse a lot of blogs. This has lead me to realize two things. First, this blog of mine SUCKS! and I need to spend 2012 improving. This means better organization, more focus per posting, more pictures, a better overall design... Yeah, that about covers it.
The second thing Pinterest did was to make my "to do" list and/or wish list a thousand times longer. Now I have too many crafts to try and get great at, too many foods to cook and eat, and too many ideas for my own style. I can do it. I can, I can, I can.
February 22, 2012
Listings and stuff
I managed to find Pinterest. This website has become my newest addiction. It is both a blessing and a curse. Blessing in that it has given me lots of ideas and inspiration for all of the crafts and baking and cooking I want to try. Curse in that I spend so much time looking at the pins and finding things to pin that I've neglected to *do* anything. Everything has a double edged sword, now doesn't it?
On that note and back to my new year's resolutions (which by the way I have not had great success with thus far) I'm going to make a list of the some of the things I want to get to further my goals.
For the kitchen:
a new LARGE crockpot
personal soup pots for individual pot pies, soups, etc.
some good knives- not a set- individual
a large stock pot for cooking soups in large quantities
some mixed, funky cereal bowls (lots of colors and stuff)
some freezer-friendly pans/dishes
a couple extra large muffin/cupcake tins- enough for at least 12, up to 24
a hand mixer (I can't beleive I don't have one of these)
some more mixing bowls
some new pans
some new metal bread pans
a dutch oven
I'm sure there are several other pots I could use
- I know the list goes on... just not sure what else... right now.
For the bathroom:
More towels
more washcloths
some rugs that match
a large mirror for the downstairs
a hand towel ring for Zoe's bathroom
a toilet paper holder for Zoe's bathroom
some general decor
a garbage can for the downstairs bathroom
candles for the bathrooms
For my bedroom:
a crib
bedside tables
a comforter
bedding: bedskirt, shams, etc.
extra sheets
a headboard
baskets for the shelves
decorations for the shelves: candle holders, picture frames, vases, etc.
curtains
lamps
a small reading chair and ottoman
This is my list... so far... Boring reading, but helpful for me. :)
On that note and back to my new year's resolutions (which by the way I have not had great success with thus far) I'm going to make a list of the some of the things I want to get to further my goals.
For the kitchen:
a new LARGE crockpot
personal soup pots for individual pot pies, soups, etc.
some good knives- not a set- individual
a large stock pot for cooking soups in large quantities
some mixed, funky cereal bowls (lots of colors and stuff)
some freezer-friendly pans/dishes
a couple extra large muffin/cupcake tins- enough for at least 12, up to 24
a hand mixer (I can't beleive I don't have one of these)
some more mixing bowls
some new pans
some new metal bread pans
a dutch oven
I'm sure there are several other pots I could use
- I know the list goes on... just not sure what else... right now.
For the bathroom:
More towels
more washcloths
some rugs that match
a large mirror for the downstairs
a hand towel ring for Zoe's bathroom
a toilet paper holder for Zoe's bathroom
some general decor
a garbage can for the downstairs bathroom
candles for the bathrooms
For my bedroom:
a crib
bedside tables
a comforter
bedding: bedskirt, shams, etc.
extra sheets
a headboard
baskets for the shelves
decorations for the shelves: candle holders, picture frames, vases, etc.
curtains
lamps
a small reading chair and ottoman
This is my list... so far... Boring reading, but helpful for me. :)
January 26, 2012
Happy Birthday to me
I celebrated my birthday this week- Tuesday. It was uneventful and could easily have passed for any other day except that my grandmother called me which we never does and my friend Denise left me a piece of red velvet cake on the front porch which I ate and thoroughly enjoyed. The beauty of getting older is that eventually it fails to bother you that you're getting older. You just begin to appreciate the fact that you aren't dead or dying. Ha ha.
The funny thing is that I'm 36 (shhhh... don't tell) and I realized that it was at this age that my mother had saw her daughter graduate from high school, had a brain aneurism and nearly died, almost lost her father, and became a grandmother. All I can think is damn. What a lot to happen in her short life. Then again, Zoë is a Junior and will graduate soon. I pray she doesn't get pregnant any time soon because I'm still doing the mommy thing, I'm not ready to do the grandma thing. But overall, I've been very healthy.
I think birthdays and getting older have somehow become less exciting over the last few years. I don't feel the need to make a big deal about it like I used to. It's become just another day. And that's sad. I think we should all celebrate our birthdays with great pizazz because being born is certainly the greatest gift any of us are ever given. I think we should love ourselves enough to make a big fuss about the fact that we have graced this Earth with our presence. Why shouldn't we?
And for that matter... why aren't we also celebrating the people that brought us into this world? I always tell my parents, "Happy becoming a parent day" on my birthday. I'm the first born and I gave them the first opportunity to succeed (or fail) at being a parent. What a wonderful gift!
My final thought on birthdays is in regards to gift giving. I used to send cards out to everyone I cared about on their birthday. I have a calendar that tells me everyone's birthday and their kids' birthdays and I sent out 30+ cards a month. It was a way for me to let them know I was thinking about them and I was celebrating their birth because I was glad I had the chance to be touched by their life. I did this for years. Last year I decided not to do it because it was expensive and it felt like the people I was sending cards to didn't really care. No one said thank you. And last year when they didn't get their cards, no one said they missed them. Well... not no one. One person said she missed my cards for her and her kids. And this year she sent me a birthday card.
I can't tell you how happy it made me. How it put a smile on my face (not just because the card was funny). I remembered why I sent those cards. It was not for me, but for the people I cared about. So... this year... I'm going to save myself some money and make funny little birthday cards for the people I care about and send them out. I hope that they appreciate the cards, feel special and loved and know that I care about them. I hope it makes others feel as good as it made me feel to receive that card.
Happy birthday to me. And happy life to you.
The funny thing is that I'm 36 (shhhh... don't tell) and I realized that it was at this age that my mother had saw her daughter graduate from high school, had a brain aneurism and nearly died, almost lost her father, and became a grandmother. All I can think is damn. What a lot to happen in her short life. Then again, Zoë is a Junior and will graduate soon. I pray she doesn't get pregnant any time soon because I'm still doing the mommy thing, I'm not ready to do the grandma thing. But overall, I've been very healthy.
I think birthdays and getting older have somehow become less exciting over the last few years. I don't feel the need to make a big deal about it like I used to. It's become just another day. And that's sad. I think we should all celebrate our birthdays with great pizazz because being born is certainly the greatest gift any of us are ever given. I think we should love ourselves enough to make a big fuss about the fact that we have graced this Earth with our presence. Why shouldn't we?
And for that matter... why aren't we also celebrating the people that brought us into this world? I always tell my parents, "Happy becoming a parent day" on my birthday. I'm the first born and I gave them the first opportunity to succeed (or fail) at being a parent. What a wonderful gift!
My final thought on birthdays is in regards to gift giving. I used to send cards out to everyone I cared about on their birthday. I have a calendar that tells me everyone's birthday and their kids' birthdays and I sent out 30+ cards a month. It was a way for me to let them know I was thinking about them and I was celebrating their birth because I was glad I had the chance to be touched by their life. I did this for years. Last year I decided not to do it because it was expensive and it felt like the people I was sending cards to didn't really care. No one said thank you. And last year when they didn't get their cards, no one said they missed them. Well... not no one. One person said she missed my cards for her and her kids. And this year she sent me a birthday card.
I can't tell you how happy it made me. How it put a smile on my face (not just because the card was funny). I remembered why I sent those cards. It was not for me, but for the people I cared about. So... this year... I'm going to save myself some money and make funny little birthday cards for the people I care about and send them out. I hope that they appreciate the cards, feel special and loved and know that I care about them. I hope it makes others feel as good as it made me feel to receive that card.
Happy birthday to me. And happy life to you.
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