May Good Food Box

I picked up my May Good Food Box yesterday. As usual, a plethera of goodness for only $10.

We got:

• 10lbs potatoes


• 1 head of romaine lettuce


• 2lb bag of carrots


• 1 cucumber


• 1 bunch of green onions


• 1 bunch of asparagus


• 1 tomato


• 1 bulb of garlic


• 1 pineapple


• 1 lemon


• 2 oranges
  

Yummy goodness! This goes along well with all the reading I've been doing lately about eating local, eating fresh and eating in season.

Lollipop, lollipop...

I'm overwhelmed! The kids had a great time trick-or-treating last night. Essentially it was the first time all and out going door to door. Up until now they have always gone to our church party and visited a few hand-picked friends houses on the way. This year the church went for a harvest dinner instead (which turned out very well btw).

So trick-or-treating we went. Well Drew went. I went to the neighbours houses and then Drew and the kids met up with friends and they went around the neighbourhood. They came home after an hour and a half and then went by car to our family's houses.

We had the usual few pieces of candy eaten once they got home and then the bedtime routine began. Yes they were a little high on sugar. This morning? My mistake, I left the candy out, which might have helped, but the first question was Can I have one? Then, Can I take one to school? To which of course I answered no. Yep I'm mean. And then I feel guilty. And then I think but no, Drew will get mad, our "policy" is no candy until the weekend. Which I TRY to follow but I will admit I give in and give one or two here and there. And I sometimes like to surprise them and put one in their lunch to find. When I do that though I find that they tend to expect it. So what is a mom to do?

Interestingly, I found a few articles in my inbox about this topic today. I have forwarded them to Drew and we will be having the discussion tomorrow (as he has now gone to bed). Basically they are suggesting that if we restrict the sugar intake too much it only makes the kids crave it more. Hmmmm. So they let the kids have free reign and actually find that the usage tapers off after a day or two - which they say is the same for the adults. I think that may be true in my case! Maybe not with cookies though... The other article talks about the Switch Witch (might need a name change) where they let them have free reign for the night (Halloween) and then the switch witch switches the candy for a cool toy that the child(ren) have been wanting (and the candy goes to the husbands work - out of the house). I actually really like this idea. I had thought I heard something similar but couldn't remember the details. I'm wondering if we can still work this into the plan. Part of the candy problem is that Matt is a hoarder. He will basically still have candy next Halloween. Marlee does not have as much control and Cierra, well, we can control her intake more easily but I know she likes it. And me? well I just like to eat whatever is around and I have very little self control. There you have it.

Soo - until the discussion - here are the links:

http://www.raisehealthyeaters.com/2010/10/5-ways-to-help-kids-eat-smart-this-halloween/

http://www.realmomnutrition.com/2010/10/13/oh-candy-corn-i-hate-you-dont-leave-me/ (which is actually linked within the above article).

I have bookmarked this site - it looks like there is some interesting discussion on handling the sugar habit. I know I need to read up on this.

The Omnivore's Dilemma

I finally finished the book The Omnivore's Dilemma (young readers edition). It was really thought provoking. I earmarked a few pages and these were the things that I wanted to think more about:

• p35 - Regarding corn and how the price of corn (paid to farmers) is kept low by government policies and how in turn, in order to stay in business, most farmers receive subsidies from the government. The price paid for corn is below what it costs to grow it and yet it is the most in demand. Cyclical event that doesn't make sense.


• p56 - possible ingredients in cattle feed - yuck!!! and how cows are not designed to eat corn and yet are forced to. Hmmm.


• p83 - cheap fat - it is cheaper for the average person to purchase foods with empty calories rather then foods with nutritious calories ie potatoe chips and cookies versus carrots and other whole vegetables. Again the US government helps pay farmers to grow corn and soybeans but not the other fruits and vegetables we need. It discusses how one part of the government promotes the food pyramid and then another part makes it impossible for some to follow it. Hmmm.


• p105 - shows the marked increase in childhood obesity and the increase in the average number of calories consumed of HFCS daily


• p128 - how a chicken lives it's life before it gets to our table


• Polyface farms - I'd love to check it out some day! (egg yolks should be bright orange in colour if they have been given a grass diet)

Some resources to check out:

http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/

http://www.100milediet.org/

http://www.eatwellguide.com/

http://www.localharvest.com/

http://www.westonaprice.org/

Videos: Nourish; Fresh by Ana Jones; Food Inc.; What's on Your Plate; King Corn

What do I want to take from this book? (Btw I read the young readers version because the other one wasn't available from the library and I had started to read this one before I realized there was another version)

It is definitly thought provoking and good for conversation. I have been wanted to try to eat more locally and certainly more grass fed meat for a number of reasons. I need to research these ideas more (they are also part of my 101 things to do in 1001 days (LOL! - maybe I will get some of it accomplished!) and actually figure out how to do it.

A number of years ago Drew and I did purchase wholesome organic meats from a company. We haven't really been able to afford it again. Or rather, we haven't really chosen to afford it again since then. Nor has our freezer been ready for it. We did get very good meat. Drew has mixed feeling on it - i think we had a lot of good friends over and shared it and it may not have lasted as long as we had planned. I know there are some local farms that sell meat that I would like to check out.

I would also like to check out a few of the fresh produce/CSA farms. Or maybe even the Good Food Box system again. I have been buying more locally grown foods through our supermarket but I need to get to the farmer's market too. I haven't really needed to buy anything there lately but I would like to be choosing their produce over the supermarket.

That being said, I know that I will still want to buy bananas, pineapple, and navel oranges to name a few fruits that will never grow around here.

Above all, no, this does not mean that I am going to become a vegetarian. Or a no-junk food person. I do not have that kind of will power. But I have been thinking of the need to make better choices regarding our food and this book only confirms what I have known in my heart; the industrial food chain is not a great one. There is something to be said about eating and buying local and I hope to do more.

BTW there are some interesting reviews here on the full version.

We could get used to this...

...eating like kings every day that is. Our small group (initiated by KG) arranged a week of dinners for us soon after the baby was born. I then found out this week that my sister also arranged for a few days of meals as well. I will be highly recommending that we continue this idea with any other babies born at the church or amongst my friends. Also amazing is that each meal was actually enough for at least one more if not two. Right into the freezer for the next week! What a blessing it has been!

Last Sunday everyone (I was still in the hospital) had a meatloaf from S&C.
Monday (home day for me) was turkey pot pie with strawberries from A&A.
Tuesday was a yummy chicken and broccoli casserole with a fruit tray and dip from K&S.
Wednesday was a pork roast with roasted potatoes and asparagus from C&A.
Thursday was lasagna and salad from G&C.
Friday (Good Friday) was quiche and KFC with trimmings with the H for lunch - which carried on into dinner.
Saturday was some of the leftovers (there are LOTS - mostly put into the freezer as we knew we were getting more food daily).
Sunday was spent at family's places and we also got leftover lamb and ham for future meals.
Monday started the meals from my sister (organized from South Carolina none-the-less) - we had another amazing Pork roast with potatoes and veggies.
Tuesday brought an Asian theme with noodles, broccoli and beef as well as Caesar salad and bread.

I wonder what tonight will bring?

What's for dinner?

What's on the menu for this year? Actaully we haven't talked about it at all except for the fact taht we are having it at mom's house. I know it will all come together. Here are some holiday questions to get me thinking about it though.

-who does the shopping - both Drew adn I depending on how organized we are or who is already out and about
-what's on the shopping list - the turkey comes from an organic farm family contact; veggies, bread, desserts - the usual
-who does the cooking - whoever is hosting does the turkey and the potatoes; everyone else contributes the "accessories"
-how long it takes - depending on the size of the turkey of course - usually it is big because we all like leftovers! dinner is usually mid to late afternoon (depending on who is hosting)
-what recipes are used - I'll have to ask about this one - I don't think we have any family recipes handed down; every year the veggies are different. We do always have pumpkin pie adn applie crisp. My sister has requested plum pudding and hard sauce as well as mince meat pies. I think they may be a fmaily recipe.
-where those recipes came from
-who comes to Christmas dinner - the usual brood - both sides of the family, any relations who can make it - the more the merrier!
-where you eat (whose house? What room? What table?!) This varies from year to year between the 3 houses; always the dining room at the dining table with an additional fold out table to allow room for all of us.
-how long it takes you to eat dinner - reading of scripture, crackers, eating, break and then back for dessert - it probably takes us a good few hours! What a great time!

Prompt 6 from the learning room...

Being prepared is a good thing.

Maybe its just that the kids are older. Maybe its that we have individual DVD players. I like to think that it is because I was prepared and organized. Both the ride up and back from the cottage were great this year - relatively uneventful. And that says a lot for a 16.5 hour car ride. Well - including meals. But hey - the kids aren't allowed tv until after lunch. They have their own bags with things they need. We had nutritious snacks packs (and some non-nutritious ones too), a few planned stops, stories on CD, and well - it just worked. And even better? We were out of places to eat for dinner when everyone got hungry but they were happy with bread and butter. Go figure.