Attractively lively and animated, bubbling with enthusiasm and exuberance which flow effortlessly from an endless natural spring within the heart of the vivacious person, this is vivacità.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Day Zero

Tomorrow begins the October Unprocessed 2011 Challenge.

Daughters and I have perused the rules and suggestions, one of which is to make a custom plan that suits our needs and goals. Check and Double Check.

Because one of our needs is to continue drinking milk, we are following the advice of Challenge experts by adding one Deliberate Exception to our personal plan: we will continue to drink homogenized milk, though it is processed. I know, I know, raw is where it's at. But we can't afford raw milk right now. We do buy a more expensive local milk, Lochmead, because it is hormone and antibiotic free, plus the dairy does not ultra-pasteurize, a process I believe Louis Pasteure would find abhorant. But that's another post. Perhaps someday raw milk will be affordable to those with tight food budgets, but until then, well, we do what we can.

Our journey's goal is to explore the world of unprocessed foods by eating only them for the month of October, 2011. We are heading into this challenge with a sense of discovery and excitement. What will we learn about our current eating habits? How will our food tastes change, if at all? What will be the economic result? How will we feel in the beginning, middle, and end of this adventure? Will this be hard or easy? And, most enthusiastically we wonder, will our participation in the Challenge yield only a short term diversion or a long term life-style shift?

Cassie, Caroline, and I (and Tom, on a sort of wait-and-see basis) are heading into this month free of expectation and micromanagement, one day at a time. Menus will be made a day in advance so that we don't find ourselves up a creek, hungry, and thus tempted.


Enthusiam abounds! (And to be honest a sort of, 'What are we getting ourselves into?' feeling. Kind of like the feeling one experiences in that pause when the roller coaster harness and safety belt are in place but the ride has yet to move. Yeah, that feeling. Which is okay because I LOVE roller coasters.)

Preparation for tomorrow's foray into unprocessed-land were made today, just so you know. Pizza was eaten, as well as ice cream. Cravings subdued, we await October, rested and eager.

'Here we go!'

Thursday, September 29, 2011

October Challenge

Beginning Saturday, the first of October, I am participating in October Unprocessed 2011. The goal? To eat only unprocessed foods for the entire month. The long definition of 'unprocessed' can be found here. The short version is: Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients.

I'll be writing a post here on Vivacita every day.

Cassie and Caroline are joining me which makes the prospect all the more fun! Normally the girls and I aim to eat this way, but we are sloppy about it. Very. I'm hoping that the experiment will help clarify for us just exactly what we are eating by forcing us to think, plan, and read labels.

I hope you'll join me here for this unusual adventure!

Getting excited!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Variety is the Spice of Life

Sausages.

Six flavors, four chicken, two pork.

Cooked together, presented together, cut into pieces for sampling.

Served with brown rice, fresh from the garden salad, and farm fresh cantaloupe.





Variety. Discovery. Taste. Joy.