Here are pictures of my second and third-born eating their SECOND helping of salad tonight at dinner!! I was so excited that I HAD to grab my camera!! Of course, you know me, it was an organic spring mix blend with an organic ranch dressing (trans fat-free and high fructose corn syrup-free)!! I thought I was going to cry; I was so excited! Now, if only my first and fourth-born would join in the salad-eating fun!! :)
Sweet...eating those vegetables!!As I have been thinking more about our family's recent diet changes, I feel like I should explain that I didn't just make the switch to organic on a WHIM!! I started hearing all sorts of information about FOOD today and how it is SO processed and what it goes through just to make it on our store shelves! Then, I started reading more and more and more about it because it truly interests me and fascinates me. Then, seriously, as I started thinking about how God made the whole earth and we are supposed to take care of it, I started feeling a little convicted!
Let me explain, as I have experimented with making my own butter, which I didn't even KNOW was possible just a few months ago, I am even more in AWE of how God really knew what He was doing when He created the cow. I know you probably think I am a little crazy, but really, stay with me. All that butter is, IS CHURNED CREAM (or in my case, food-processer cream!) From the cow, we get yummy cream that can be turned into yummy butter that makes so many things taste better, like toast, mashed potatoes, popcorn, etc. So, why in the world does man feel the need to make something different or change something that God already designed?? I mean, have you checked out the ingredients of some of the "coffee creamers" sold in stores or in margarine??
So, really, my quest to eat healthy REALLY has a whole lot to do with trying to return to REAL, unmodified, non-growth-hormone-ized, un-hydrogenated, un-MSGed FOOD, the way God created it for us to enjoy.
When I began this quest to avoid certain ingredients, I had no idea that it would lead me to the aisles of my semi-local Whole Foods store rather than those of my local Wal-mart!! But it has, and I am actually really enjoying the journey!!!!
(also, I'm just sharing my thoughts...not trying to convert you all or make you feel bad or anything...I love you all no matter what you EAT!!!!!)
We started our second year of homeschool yesterday! Nate is officially in 1st grade and Kyle is in kindergarten. I am excited for a new school year!! It's funny how I was most worried about keeping the younger two occupied, but they have been wonderful! The older two, on the other hand...oh well, let's just say that day 2 was better than day 1. It's probably good that I didn't blog yesterday; it may not have been HAPPY! In pictures.... (By the way, I know that captions are supposed to go UNDER pictures, but it just looks funny for some reason. Therefore, in my blog world, they are going ABOVE the picture!)
I want to write a little about how I am making the changes that I wrote about in my last post. First, I have to tell you that this next month is actually the first month that I am taking such drastic measures to change the way we eat. I seriously thought that we ate so well before reading the "Nourishing Traditions" book, which in comparison to a lot of people, we do eat well! Then, I started reading the labels on the food in my kitchen. In my last post I wrote about finding MSG everywhere, like in my cream soups, enchilada sauce, blackened seasoning, taco seasoning...crazy. Then, you cannot even understand the complete disappointment I had when I found that my "healthy 100% whole wheat" bread that I have been buying for the last year has HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP as the SECOND ingredient. I searched and searched at the grocery store and finally found ONE brand that didn't have it in the bread. Now, my husband found some organic bread at Sam's Club that we love and is very reasonably priced! Although, as soon as I can fork over the dough to buy a Bosch Universal Mixer and a Nutrimill, I am going to mill my own grain and make my own bread! It really, really will save my family of 6 some money in the long run. These boys already eat so much!! I also found that high fructose corn syrup is in most spaghetti sauces, so now I buy a 3-pack of organic sauce at Sam's Club that is really yummy and very affordable. It's also in ketchup and salad dressings.
The raw milk that I started buying a couple of months ago is from a dairy nearby and is only$3.75 a gallon (Braum's is $3.89). I also buy cream (for my coffee and to make butter) and cheese from there. The cheese is so good! It is about $12 for 2 pounds. From the milk, I have made my yogurt, cream cheese, and whey!
Right now, we really just eat a lot of chicken and fish with rice or pasta (whole grain) and a veggie. Last night, for example, we had baked chicken (cooked right from frozen) and instant mashed potatoes and carrot sticks with ranch dressing. Well, the chicken wasn’t organic; it was “natural”. I don’t even know about the instant potatoes, and the carrot sticks are organic but definitely not the ranch. I have just decided to use up what we already have in the pantry and refrigerator, and then as I have to buy more, I’ll buy the better-for-you stuff. With some exceptions though, I am getting rid of the msg-ridden things in my pantry!
Anyway, I am planning my menu this week for next month, so I’ll see how it goes! I'll post my menu and then let you know how I did budget-wise! One thing that has been cool is finding so many blogs that are written by ladies like me who are definitely on a budget and striving to be healthy! I have made a new link list on the right side to these sites.
Oh, and the making-my-own cleaners is WAY cheaper than already made stuff!
Please let me know if you have any questions!!
Well, I must tell you that I am turning more and more old-fashioned, or what some people may call green, by the minute. Right now, I am making cream cheese. Yes, cream cheese. I have actually been making cream cheese and whey for the last week; you basically just sit raw milk out until it sours and turns to curds and whey (You know, like from the nursery rhyme...little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curds and whey!) Last week, I made my own butter and I must tell you that it turned out wonderfully. You may be wondering, why in the world would she be doing that? Well, I have began reading this book.
I have been learning all about homogenization and pasteurization and all sorts of other unfortunate processes that our food goes through. So, about a month ago, I purchased our first raw milk (straight from the cow, non-homogenized and non-pasteurized) from a local dairy, complete with cream on top and everything. My husband said that the transition from Braum's 1% to raw whole milk was too great. So, we found another semi-local dairy that sells raw skim, 2%, or whole milk. You can buy the cream separately. We also bought sharp cheddar cheese made from raw milk. It tastes great. I have also been learning a whole lot of other things from this book, but I'll save those for later!
I have also been reading this book.. 
From this book, I have been learning how to make safer cleaning products. It is very interesting and actually very cost effective. I just had to buy some spray bottles, borax, washing soda (different than baking soda), some more vinegar, and a good environment-friendly liquid soap. So far, I have made an all-purpose cleaner, a glass cleaner, and a baking soda scrub. I have also washed one load of laundry with the recipe for laundry soap. I am actually excited about this all! Everything has worked very well!
I must tell you that Mike is getting a kick out of all of this. I heard him saying, "The next thing I know she is going to be making our underwear out of tree bark." Ha, ha, ha!! You never know!!!
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