Day Four - Tea and Turkey

The sun is shining! First time in days, so I'm posting a quickie in order to get in a game of tennis before the weather changes.

This morning Tom realized we are out of our favorite Jasmine Tea. He brewed a pot of chai before looking at the ingredients. Oops. Questionable ingredients in tea. Good grief! Fortunately we looked before we sipped so our purity remains. To the store, to the store, to the store I say! Love that morning Jasmine.

An eighteen pound sage, rosemary, and apple-stuffed turkey is roasting in the oven as I write. A warmish, sunny Thanksgiving-scented day, me in my shorts and t-shirt, Tom splitting wood, the girls at their French tutor lesson, the beagle lying in the sun, this day is off to a great start, tea mishap notwithstanding.

The morning of Day One I weighed, for statistical purposes. Though I rarely weigh myself, instinct nudged me to do so today. Stepping on the scale, squinting in fear that the weight may have gone up because the food is so good and plentiful, I peeked through my eyelashes. What? I've lost two pounds? Huh? Well, hey, nice surprise there.

I have plenty of weight to lose so this is not unforeseen. A chubber, me. I didn't accept this challenge for reduction of the chub but to learn about the foods I eat and how to improve. To give myself the healthiest aging possible I strive to attain better habits.

Tea. Turkey. Trimming up.

I LIKE Day Four!

Day Three - Up With Butter

"We have been told to eat margarine because butter raises our cholesterol and is bad for our heart. The truth is that margarine eaters have twice the rate of heart disease as butter eaters (Nutrition Week 3/22/91 21:12). We've also been told that saturated fats, the kind that are in butter, clog the arteries. But according to a study published in The Lancet (1994 344:1195), the fatty acids found in artery clogs are mostly unsaturated, not saturated, as we have been led to believe.

Butter is a natural fat, made from cream. Margarine is an artificial concoction of chemicals. Not only does butter taste better, but it's good for you. Butter is a source of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and important trace minerals magnesium, zinc, chromium, selenium and iodine. Purchase organic butter produced without the use of hormones, steroids and antibiotics. Raw butter from pasture-fed cows is even better."

~~ Lori Lipinski, from Weston A. Price website In an effort to fight obesity, the Danes are taxing butter. They label it an unhealthy food.  Governments have no business taxing our food in the first place. In the second place, THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. Butter is good for you. End of mini-rant. Day Three looks promising.  I ate fast food for breakfast. Yes, yes I did. A nectarine with yogurt and a mug of jasmine tea. Pretty fast. Cassie and I created a casserole from yesterday's taco leftovers that will serve as lunch. Not much kitchen time today which is great! It's raining so this afternoon will be comprised of a drippy walk up Kelly Butte to get my blood circulating, the cracking of filberts and walnuts to keep crunchy munchies on hand, and the washing of mirrors layered with the dust of a hundred dry summer days. Enjoy Monday, everyone! It only comes around once a week.

Day Two: Hey, This Isn't a 'Diet'

"I'm getting antsy. I feel deprived. I want munchies, sweets, chips. What's happening to me? It's only the first evening. I'm doomed." So said I to Tom last night before realizing that, in my mind with all its memory-routing and such, I was 'dieting.' For someone like me who's been on way too many weight-loss diets in her life, this was panic mode.

Restriction and its feelings of powerlessness and deprivation kill most weight-loss diet attempts because a person feels suffocated by whatever the restrictions present, whether it's caloric reduction, food-type reduction, or any number of restraints we put upon ourselves for 'the cause'.

After my fearful declaration, rationality returned. I'm not restricted by the amount of food I am allowed to consume. "This isn't a diet in that sense." That fact settles me down. The only restriction is that food not be processed beyond what could be done in a household kitchen. "I can eat as much as I want of any real food. There are a gazillion choices!"

First discovery for today, my favorite farm-wife cupcake recipe - from two generations ago - can be made with no exceptions except for raw sugar replacing granulated. I made a batch and they taste virtually the same! Moist and chocolatey they require no frosting. Hit the spot!

Second exciting find is how the family and I hit roadblocks, became momentarily stunned, then found a way over most of them. For example, Cassie usually preps the meat for tacos, which we made today for lunch. She's like a crazy chef hunched over the meat, shaking bottles of spices into the skillet, stirring and shaking, powders puffing into the air. Her taco meat is always delicious. Today, she hit a few roadblocks. Some of those spices are no-no's. She'd stop, stunned, as a problem arose. Then, she'd explore options. She discovered that, while prepping taco meat with bottled seasonings is faster, stirring together sensational taco meat with unprocessed fresh or home-dried herbs is easy and do-able.

Same with refried beans. Tom holding can: "We can't use these." Solution, canned whole beans, though it took some elbow-deep pantry-diving to find a can that was only beans, nothing added. (Note to self: plan to soak and cook beans for next time.) One roadblock we couldn't jump today was hot sauce. It has one questionable ingredient. In our quest for purity we abstained, determined to find or create a recipe of our own. Later. Thankfully, Cassie's meat was spicy. We ate like Mexican Royalty.

Third satisfying realization is that my herb garden, close at hand, holds far more value than even I have understood. Replacing customary processed 'flavors' with herbs goes beyond substitution into enhancement and contentment. Cassie and I found ourselves putting all our knowledge and experience to the test as we threw pinches and handfuls of various herbs into our concoctions. More than usual because we have to cook differently. How satisfying to create an entire new taste experience off the cuff!

Lastly, I am concerned with how much time I am required to spend in the kitchen. Here, though, once I get the hang of using different ingredients I think I can cut the time back to where it normally is when making a 'from scratch' meal. My brain will make new pathways and I'll be cooking by instinct again, with unprocessed ingredients. I think. Time will tell. For now, I am incorporating more help from the family.

You should have seen the four of us today, working different stations. Like a well-oiled machine. I was making masa tortillas while Tom shredded cheese and chopped veggies. Cassie worked her magic on the meat, picking Hawaiian chili peppers from our indoor plant, chopping garlic, crushing coriander in the mortar and pestle, selecting spices that were pure, and finding new ingredients to add texture and taste. Joe set the table and played the role of sous chef to all four of us. A smile erupts on my face as I remember the moments.

Yes, Day Two has been a success. I've followed the rules. I'm not hungry. I haven't overeaten. I don't feel deprived. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, even as I enjoy the rest of this perfect, quiet Sunday. Tonight we'll eat the last of the green beans from the garden, along with yogurt and fruit.

Sounds divine.

Day One - Starting Strong

First thing I notice about this first day of the challenge is that our food choices are not much different than what we are used to eating. Second thing, the sweet tooth is going to be the hardest hurdle. Not that I wanted anything sweet today. (Had ice cream yesterday, remember?) But it's the missing of the little nibbles such as Tom and I buying a half dozen peanut clusters from the bulk food section to eat on the way home. Can't do that.

However, we used our brains. We bought peanuts. Just peanuts. They are crunchy, and good, and unprocessed. Good alternative. I think we'll get the hang of this.

Since I don't want to spend a lot of time on the computer documenting my journey - but I do want to document it - I will use photos now and then (each is worth a thousand words, you know).

I made yogurt last night, just to get the ball rolling.

Oatmeal for breakfast, which is very common for us.

After making a menu for the week, Tom and I went grocery shopping for unprocessed foods. A few alterations in our regular choices, such as peanut butter made there in the store, evaporated cane juice sugar, natural sour cream, and Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour that meets the challenge requirements. Amazing how many things have sugar in them! But again, how exciting that so many of these good options are available at the grocery store. We live in a time of great opportunity. This colorful food, added to what we harvest from our garden, pick up at farmer's markets, and thaw from our well-stocked freezer is just plain beautiful!

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!'

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!

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.