Day Seven - Send in the Cavalry

Hobbling around from an overstretched muscle, I'm not up to food prep.

Never fear! The family steps to the front, sends me to relax and rest my leg.

Shepherd's Pie, made by Cassie and Caroline using leftovers and freezer supplies, provides a tasty main dish. Tom cut up a melon.

Voila! Food! Food that keeps us in the running of October Unprocessed 2011.

It's been a week, people. Seven days into the challenge.

Even an injured Head Cook can't keep us down!

 We ROCK!

Day Six - Little Things

Little things like making my own baking powder for the fun of it and then using it to make pumpkin muffins. Light, airy, moist, delicious.

The 'pumpkin' was actually frozen butternut squash from last year's harvest.

Little things like Cassie making a batch of mayonnaise for our lunch-time turkey sandwiches, and later, for a chocolate cake.

This is the first time I've ever had home-made mayo. How can I ever go back? Good job, Cassie!

Little things like making our own mustard on a whim using canned dry mustard and water.

During lunch I asked the family what they enjoy about this experience so far and what they might miss.

Little things like Jiff peanut butter were missed, though the 'other' peanut butter is 'okay.'

Little things like how nice it is to linger at the table during and after meals since there is so much more to talk about.

Little things like working together to figure out what to eat or how to make what we want using our know-how.

Little things like weight coming off, sleep coming easily, grocery money lasting longer, and fabulous homemade vanilla ice-cream made with evaporated cane sugar.

Little things like no hunger, no sugar withdrawals.

Little things like one daughter saying, "I hope we stick with this beyond October."

It really is the little things that make life interesting.

And satisfying.

Day Five - Poultry Panic

With four days under my belt there is a certain growing confidence. Patience, too.

Last night for supper I wanted a turkey sandwich, something I adore. My mouth began to salivate at the thought. Turkey leftovers from Thanksgivings past came to mind. The soft bread, the mayo, the heaps of meat.

Then, I remembered, there's no unprocessed mayo in the house and store-bought isn't an option. Mayonnaise on a turkey sandwich is a must for me. I simply must have it, that's how I make them. Always. Cassie, Caroline, and I planned to make home-made mayonnaise - but, alas, we forgot! And Cassie, the only one of us who's made the stuff, was at work for several hours more.

Salivation grew stronger. Eyes widened. Breathing quickened. Deprivation! The dieter's nemesis.

I want a turkey sandwich!! NOW!!

But I wanted to victoriously complete the October Challenge more.

The angel/devil on the shoulders conversation in my head went something like this:

"This is not a problem, it's an opportunity."

"No, it's NO TURKEY SANDWICH." Jaw clenches. Then, in supposed defeat, shoulders slump. Lower lip trembles.

"Shush. You're overreacting. Sheesh. There must be another way to have that sandwich and be satisfied."

Thinking. Thinking.

"AHA! Pesto! There are those frozen pesto cubes you made last month from the basil and walnuts. Tom's Dubliner cheese qualifies, to add to the pesto. Yes."

"You know, that actually sounds better than mayo. Let's go!"

I lightly toasted the bread, spread on pesto, layered turkey, a tomato, and a few crisp lettuce leaves I'd braved the rain to pick from the garden. Sitting at the table, napkin in my lap, half an apple next to the sandwich, and glass of milk nearby, I bowed my head to whisper a grace that has never been more sincere.

With great contentment I dined.

THE TURKEY SANDWICH WAS SO GOOD!

Lesson for today: Don't panic. Use your mind. Think outside of your own little eating-experience box. Alternatives may delight you!

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!