1) We would obtain fresh produce, that is in season and grown organically and locally - so we know where it comes from and when (relatively speaking)
2) We are supporting local farmers :) and
3) It would be kind of fun to get a basket of fresh fruit and veggies every week or every other week - I mean, how cute is that!?
Has anyone ever joined one? Any pros or cons? I mean I am all for getting fresh veggies and fruits that are grown without pesticides, hormones or GMO's, but is it worth the money? It would lessen time at the market which I am all for! And I wold kind of like to meet the farmer who grows the produce we are putting on the table! I mean how old fashioned and fantastic would that be?
I am wondering though, just the two of us, would we need a weekly or bi-weekly (2x's a month) pick-up? Decisions...Decisions....
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Do you ever have those days, or days that turn into the nights, where you just canNOT seem to do anything right? Or is it just me? Ok, well, allow me to explain why the past two nights, my sweet husband has taken it upon himself to be the chef for our eveing meals.
Let me lay out the procedural history first, as any lawyer would when briefing the Court or Client:
It all started Monday morning; I had a doctor appointment in the AM which didn't go that well - and what I mean but that is, it is never a good sign when your mother actually gets up and leaves the room mid-visit, and then, the doctor actually leaves the room promising to return, but then never does. True story.
Then I drove 50+ miles to work, 40+ miles to Trader Joe's after work to pick up items that are way too expensive to get at Mother's (side note: don't you just love how you have to go to at least THREE grocery stores to get all the damn food for two people to eat healthy for a week?)
After TJ's I sped home, exhausted. I lugges the bags up the stairs, unpacked all the groceries and put them in the fridge, and then began cooking right away. When I had last left B, it was after the doctor appointment where he said he would be home for dinner around 8:30pm. So I had about an hour. I was excited to get going on a tasty meal that he could come home to. I decided on flavorful quinoa and a raw veggie mix. I also thought I'd heat up the breast of chicken leftover in the ziplock baggie in the fridge from, oh I don't know, about a week ago for B.
I boiled 2 cups organic chicken broth on the stove, poured a cup of quinoa in it, along with some chopped onions, minced garlic cloves, and let it cook. To my utter glee, when I lifted the pan lid, I saw beautiful fluffy quinoa flakes, light and steamy. I was so excited because this was the first time I had ever successfully cooked quinoa (despite numerous previous attempts which shall remain a mystery). I ground some Himalayan salt into the pan and fluffed.
As for the raw veggie mix, I chopped cucombers, mushrooms, and added 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tbsp. fresh salsa, ground pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
The chicken, I must admit, was a bit of an afterthought, hence the plastic looking overlay of over-broiled and then cooled cheese shown in Exhibit A to the right.
See, 8:30 came and went, and before I knew it, I had eaten the quinoa and veggies, nearly fallen asleep 3 times on the couch, and around 9:45 B walked in. I told him his dinner was warming in the oven - and had been for an hour. He said it smelled good. I was grateful for that compliment. THen he sat down, ate one, maybe two bites, and started packing up his plate in a leftover container.
I put my hand on my hip and said, "Um - exauuuuuuse me? What are you doing? You don't like it?"
Response: Is this the chicken from a week ago?
"Yea."
Is it still good?
"I don't knowww! Why arent you eating the dinner I slaved over for you?! I am so tired! Why do I even bother trying to cook if you aren't even going to eat it!
I'm not hungry! I had a few beers. I love it though babe and I'll have it for lunch tomorrow (sans chicken which was now face down in the trash)
"I'm glad you had a nice barley and hops nutritional and well -balanced meal!" I proceeded to slump off to the bathroom for a bath to calm my fuming nerves.
It only took 2 days later for me to get the truth. The next day, when I got home from work I discovered the container of quinoa still in the fridge. I looked at B and asked him point blank - what did you have for lunch today, and then darted between him, container, him, container, until he finally confessed "Ok I didn't like it!"
And therein lies the story for why B has been cooking the past two nights. And can I just say, what a fantastic cook that little gipper is? I will post his fantastic RAW and gluten free Vegan meals tomorrow.
And on another note, I have been recently hearing and reading a lot about the benefits of Himalayan salt. Also, the girl at the supplement counter at Mother's Market tonight was going on and on about how important the acidity and alkalinity in our bodies is and how it can affect inflammation . I stood there trying to determine what cold water fish variety I wanted (Cod Liver, Krill, Salmon, etc) and half listened to her probing me for answers about whether I had ever tested my pH.
However, in my ever persistent and cyclical jounrey to achieve balance and wellness in an anti-inlammatory body, I listened to her advice and pointers regarding supplements and vowed to go home and research. Turns out, my pink Himalayan salt I just started using can have an affect on acidity and alkalinity! AH - my mind hurts at all this supplemental crap!
Watch this video if you want to learn more about acid/alkaline balance in the body, and this guy has plenty more on YouTube if you fancy him.
After hearing a lot lately about woman in their late 20's to mid 30's being plagued by fatigue, inflammation, muscle and joint pain, cramping, and feeling altogether toxic...I decided to dive into some reserach about what is infiltrating our bodies and find out the cause and effect that our environment, food and drink we ingest, and altogether crammed lifestyles has on our health and longevity. Like most people, it is way too easy for me to post-pone and prolonge making the seizmic shift to a healthier way of living and eating. Just how damaging is our culture of instant gratification to our bodies and lifespans? Many people I know are altering their habits and food choices and opting for the gluten free, sugar free, Paleolithic type diets in order to change the way they feel. It takes a solid commitment and most people wait until they are faced with an unpleasant diagnosis to decide to turn the corner and alter their habits. They say it takes 3 weeks to change any habit. I think it takes a lot more than that. Research, understanding, planning, scheduling, and acquiring an affinity of nutty not to mention trying to find restaurants or So much of our culture and social agendas are based around eating and drinking. You call up a friend and decide to catch up over a cup of coffee, desert, fro-yo, or brunch. A majority of family gatherings are often spent chatting and munching around the kitchen island or table. More than a couple of my good friends have jumped on this gluten free, homeopathic remedial regime, and it does make it a bit challenging to say the least when you plan your net outing. The good new is there are a variety of options now on menus at commercial dining establishments and at healthy grocers such as Mother's Market, Sprouts and Henry's. But it is not so simple to alter your social agenda to the point of getting excited about planning a holistic and au natural meal...comfort food starts to take on a whole new meaning. Coffee colonics, gluten free bird seed granola for $6 a package...It;s not that enticing to jump on that health train.
But making small daily changes like popping a multi-vitamin and probiotic are easy switches that can get you started on the path to feeling better. Recently, after a long week and achy joints, I bought a carton of Epson Salts and decided to draw a nice relaxing bubble bath. It said on the carton to pour 2 cups of salts into a warm bath and soak in the relief. I thought, double the salt, double the relief, right?
Not so much. I ended up sitting on a grainy mountain of salt, and constantly had to shift to avoid chaffing my lower extremities. Lesson learned, follow the directions, because often times, less is more! Read more...
