Wendy's Real Food Resolutions

This post is written by Wendy.  It is part of a series we started last year on New Year's Real Food Resolutions.  The first part of the post was written in 2011; in the second half Wendy reports on their progress as well as what they are looking forward to in 2012.


With 38 years of eating, 6 years of studying clinical nutrition, and 15 years of feeding a family behind me, I feel like I’m only beginning to get a grasp on a truly healthy view of food.

I’ve long been a healthy eater by most standards, especially those I studied and taught in my former life as a dietitian. Yet much of what I built our family eating patterns upon has been up-ended as I’ve looked more to the specific needs of my children.

My husband Chad and I have four growing girls. They’ve always loved helping me in the kitchen, for which I am very grateful. We’ve made many wonderful memories in our aprons!

I specifically recall a conversation with an acquaintance in Ohio roughly six years ago. My daughters were 7, 4 and newborn at the time, and as I chatted with this mother of teenage daughters, she shared about her girls’ premature “development” and their family’s recent decision to purchase organic milk based on her personal reading about the hormones and antibiotics in conventional milk. I had always walked right past the organic section in our local Kroger, focused solely on keeping my monthly grocery budget in check. However, we decided that with four girls, the extra expense of organic milk would be worth it if the concerns were even remotely legitimate.

Ultimately, that conversation was what moved feeding my family beyond a simple financial decision in the grocery aisles and opened my eyes to the need to (re)educate myself.

Fast-forward to mid-2009, when the frustration of one daughter who has struggled with learning challenges and one who is plagued by constant intestinal issues drove me to tears. I prayed even more earnestly for direction in helping them where medical professionals and medications could not. The One who created them and loves them best is also my Counselor, and so I began to pour out my heart to God more regularly on behalf of my children. I also began to read and ask a lot of questions, slowly coming to terms with the humbling realization that I hadn’t learned much of practical value in graduate school after all.

The new learning curve was and is steep. Reading The Maker’s Diet and watching Food, Inc. have been helpful. Our best decision thus far has been joining a local meat-share program, which has provided a freezer full of grass-fed meats which I get to experiment with each week (a big shout out to Falling Sky Farm). I have to say I pretty much feel like a newlywed again, since only about half of my attempts over the past six months or so have gotten the “thumbs-up!” I am so thankful for the challenge, though, and how it is stretching me.

In 2009, we began by tackling the snacks around here, trying our best to avoid the pre-packaged items, and going instead for apples and peanut butter or cheese or mixed nuts. This was a really big deal at first, since we eat six times a day every day – seriously! That’s 18 meals and 18 snacks per day – all making a mess on the island and counters in my kitchen. We do still grab peanut butter crackers and granola bars from Sam’s occasionally, but the girls turn their noses up at them unless they’re really hungry and we’re truly “on the go.” Even my 5 year-old readily prepares her own snack rather than looking for a boxed item now.

In 2010, I really wanted to make a major kitchen transition – you know, throw out everything you’ve ever purchased and never buy it again. My husband didn’t so much go for that, but in his wisdom offered to discuss what would be most beneficial for our particular family and our current stage of life.

These are the goals Chad and I laid out for 2010 in January, dubbing them “the four B’s”:

BREAD - We began making our own sandwich bread from freshly-ground wheat berries the first Saturday in January – one year under our belts now. Yeah! We’ve had some really “dry” weeks, where even the toast wasn’t so great, but overall it’s been a good experience and I think we’re moving toward
more consistently edible bread.

BUTTER instead of margarine – and more of it. While we were at it, we also got rid of all cooking spray and cooking oils, keeping only coconut and olive.

BREAKFAST - We became much more intentional about incorporating a protein source every morning. This has often been eggs, but we have counted whole milk yogurt, too. Mid-year we also did away with any and all breakfast cereals (read why here). I have to tell you, my kids (and husband) really fretted about this one for a few weeks. Now? Well, I made our traditional huge batch of sweet potatoes for a Christmas Eve dinner party, which needed a couple of cups of Corn Flakes on top. The remainder of it sat in the pantry untouched for two weeks without anyone even asking for it. They’ve really begun to enjoy baked oatmeal, yogurt with granola, homemade muffins, and such.

And, finally, BEDTIME - Believing adequate rest was probably the main thing lacking in our girls’ lives, we resolved to re-establish earlier bedtimes for all four of them. That lasted about a week. We’re not nearly as good at the whole bedtime thing as when we just had one child. Oh well!

kombucha

The things that were added in along the way in 2010 were learning to make dairy kefir (used primarily for soaking oats and wheat so far) and kombucha in early summer. We made 6 quart-sized jars of the soda-style kombucha every week for about 5 months, interrupted by a family trip in December. My girls started begging to make it again – they were very glad to get back to it this month!

As for 2011, my thoughts are to branch out beyond bread and pancakes with the freshly-ground wheat (and to try other grains as well). This should be a little easier with my new Bosch – I never thought I would be so excited about receiving kitchen appliances from my husband for Christmas!

Another goal is to return to our pattern of hosting other families for supper 2-3 times per month. Actually, it’s not so much that we haven’t had friends over, but more that when we do host, I still serve one of several tried and true recipes adopted over the past decade. I need to figure out how to prepare and serve “real food” recipes that would be crowd-pleasers.

Finally, I would love to build on our weekly farmers’ market purchases of last spring, summer, and fall. Oh, how I miss the farmers’ market! I’m thinking the goal might be to double the amount of produce I choose each week in order to put some aside for winter. (Help! I have no idea how to do that!)


Thanks for the invitation to share our baby steps, Julie. Thinking back over our recent journey has made me realize how far we’ve already come. Now even the larger steps that remain ahead don’t seem nearly so scary anymore!

+++++++++

2012 Update

I am glad to report that we have enjoyed many opportunities to host in the past year and we have a deep freeze full of yummy vegetables from the surplus of our Kellogg Farms CSA (I highly recommend purchasing a half or full share for great produce all summer long)!

My teenage daughter has taken on full responsibility for keeping the kombucha going week in and week out, for which I am very grateful.  She also keeps herself busy in the kitchen making homemade applesauce, salsa, and more whenever her schedule allows.  What a blessing!

We are still failing miserably at the bedtime thing.  I seriously need ideas to have at least a few people in this house asleep before 10:00 p.m. each night.

In 2011, we did find great new ways of using the wheat berries to make hamburger buns, cinnamon rolls, and more, thanks in large part to friend Johanna Gelatt, who gave a bread-making demonstration in my crowded kitchen last winter.  If you're considering grinding your own wheat, get in touch with Johanna - she can share from a wealth of knowledge and experience!

Our food world was turned upside-down yet again when we took the plunge to begin the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) in November in order to address our 7 year-old's ongoing GI troubles (www.pecanbread.com and www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info).  No wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, rice, or sugars here for the forseeable future, but we are thrilled with her new outlook on life thus far!

The added work in the kitchen to make the SCD happen would have been truly impossible even two short years ago - I would have been in a heap of tears on the floor, I'm afraid.  Instead, by God's grace, we have taken baby steps which have led us to the place of being able to say "yes" to a radical change in eating that is proving to be very beneficial for our Caris.  I am grateful!

The words I am focused on for 2012 are "simplicity" and "authenticity" - in relationships, in parenting, in life.  They aren't specifically related to our eating, but I can certainly see how returning to preparing and eating whole, real foods is a simple way to live (not easy, mind you, but simple).  The relationships that grow as we work together in the kitchen, defer to one another's needs while on the go, and invite others into our home are the biggest joy of all. . . and they're authentic! Win-win!


-Wendy

Melissa's New Year's Real Food Resolutions

This post was written in 2011 by Melissa, mother of SIX boys.  At the end of the post she gives an update for 2012.

This girl is definitely more in the “drop the ball” camp when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions. Nonetheless, I face 2011 with great optimism that setting goals, whether they get fully met or not is a worthy practice! After all, how are you gonna measure your success without a gauge?

When it comes to eating real food this year, I am more optimistic than ever! Why? Because for one thing, I am already making significant baby steps (significant for me and my family anyway). And secondly, because the idea of eating real, whole, healthy foods moved from that part of my psyche that wants to be thin and pretty and acceptable in the world’s eyes to the part that says, “This matters for health and well-being and even for spiritual reasons.”

When things move from the superficial to the meaningful, the need to incorporate that becomes powerful and intentional. And even though I find myself occasionally (okay, more often than I’d like to admit…) reverting back to bad habits, especially in this past holiday season of feasting, I find that I am more convinced that my health is the thing taking the beating - not my waistline. It is for those reasons that I once again, set my face towards the goal and say…LET’S DO THIS!

My resolutions for this New Year are a short list but packed with lots of change for my family. Baby stepping we will go into this as we have already been doing!

1. Conquer my fear of the farmer’s market and buying locally.

Those of you who frequent the markets are wondering what it is I am so afraid of!? It is just the unknown. I feel unknowledgeable about things like what to look for in produce and local meat, what is a fair price, and if I can afford to pay the price. I tend to fall into extremes, either buy nothing…or buy everything…and either way live with regret. One way I am baby stepping towards this is to purchase organic produce a little at a time from Whole Foods and try new veggies and recipes with them. Then, once I know what my family will eat and how much is good and how much is a waste…I can make better decisions at the markets. I also plan to find a buddy who will go with my and hold my hand…so to speak!

2. Continue to experiment with new cooking techniques and recipes.

I have conquered kombucha and kefir and even tried Hindu fermented lemonade! Now, I’d like to try lacto-fermented mayonnaise, sauerkraut, more grain-soaking and maybe grain-sprouting. I also want to make my own vanilla extract, my own spice mixes (like taco seasoning, salad dressing spices, etc), and more of my own condiments.

3. Improve at managing my grocery and household budget so that making more expensive, but healthier choices will be doable.

I firmly believe that this can be done. I have already seen it. For example, if I make my own kefir I don’t have to buy yogurt at Whole Foods and that savings alone justifies my purchase of a cow share so that we can have access to raw milk! If I buy less sugar and snacks that are unhealthy, I can justify purchasing organic produce.  And, if I buy in bulk or from a co-op I have to spend more up front perhaps…but in the long run I am saving money…and my health! I want to get really savvy at this so I can show my husband that indeed, we are NOT spending more for this lifestyle or that if we are, it is minimal and worth it!

4. Begin weaning myself and my family away from chemicals in our home.

I confess….I love a clean home. I love clean laundry. And I have always equated those things with the SMELL of some chemical…be it bleach or detergent or perfumes. Slowly but surely I am becoming convinced that this is not good and not necessary. I have yet to begin this process so I am excited to see where it leads and if I am satisfied with the results.

So there you have it…that is a great accountability for me! Like I said, I feel confident these things can be done in 2011. It is exciting to see how I have already grown in the area of Real Food in the past few months. Blessings to you as you try new things this year too!

++++++++++

2012 Update:

I was scared to revisit these goals, but pleasantly surprised I had worked on most of them to one degree or another.  I was glad I kept it simple. 

1.      I did not conquer my fear of the farmer’s market at all.  In fact, never even went to one.  I really am going to have to find a friend to go with…several friends go so I have no excuses.  One issue I run into all summer is my boys swim on Saturday mornings and that keeps me busy 8 weeks of the summer.  I still want to work on this resolution!

2.      I did try new cooking techniques!  I made wonderful vanilla extract and then vanilla sugar, have made my own mayonnaise with ease and tasty results,  and make homemade salad dressings.  I have yet to do grain sprouting, but I have soaked grains for things like breakfast oatmeal casserole.  I will continue doing these things this year.

3.      I can’t say I “found the answer “ for  lessening my grocery budget to adapt to real food purchases, but probably managed to maintain status quo with it. 

4.      I did make A LOT of homemade cleaning agents this year and wrote about it here.  I still make many of my own cleaners though if I get busy I revert back to store-bought.  I am getting ready to check into Norwex cloths next week as this will eliminate the need for a lot of cleaners homemade or not.   

I need to maintain these resolutions this year and add in more experience with things like fermenting.  I hope to follow some of Julie’s recipe for fermenting foods.  I am also working on making more healthy alternatives for my kids for snacks.  I enjoy baking so I think this one will be FUN!

-Melissa

Kelli's Real Food Resolutions

This post continues our series on New Year's Real Food Resolutions.  It is written by Kelli who wrote here about how real food started for her.  She has also written Beef Tongue: Not So Offal.

****************

In January, 2011 Kelli wrote:
I can’t believe it’s been almost one year since I came home and told my husband I wanted to change our diet and our lifestyle…and my husband thought his world was ending. HA! Looking back over the year I’ve been thinking about a song from “Hairspray”: “I know we’ve come so far, but we’ve got so far to go.” (I know. A bit random, but it fits.)

It’s been a year of firsts: First time to bake bread without the aid of a bread machine, drink raw milk, grind my own flour, embrace fat, wash my hair WITHOUT shampoo, make a sourdough starter, learn that there was something even called “Kombucha”…I could go on and on.

I’m not huge into the whole New Year’s Resolution thing, but I have been thinking about some things I would like to see happen in the coming year.


1. One of the best Christmas gifts I received this year was Nourishing Traditions. I want to read through and absorb the wealth of information.

2. Drink some kombucha everyday – even if it’s only half a cup. (Still acclimating to the slight fermented flavor. Teetotaler here.) Experiment with flavors beyond fresh pineapple – my go-to flavor. An added health bonus is that it seems to help with muscle soreness. I’m training for a marathon and need all the help I can get in that area!

3. Be more diligent about taking my fermented cod liver oil and red raspberry leaf supplement.

4. Focus on gaining strength, especially in my upper body. As a long-distance runner I have plenty of endurance, but no upper-body strength, which is common among us runners. I plan on getting into a routine of pilates and free weights along with my running.

5. Make a better effort to eat well outside my home, which will mean bringing my own food a lot of times. Learn to plan ahead for this. Have a mental list of foods that are quick and easy to throw together in a short amount of time, and are made from ingredients I typically have on hand.

6. Discover the perfect recipe for a natural facial moisturizer: one that moisturizes without drying me out OR causing pimples. No small feat. Any recipes would be appreciated.

None of these things are earth-shattering in their impact, but all of these steps together will go a long ways in improving my overall health and quality of life. After all, it’s all about the Baby Steps!

++++++++++

2012 Update:

I can’t believe a whole year has past since setting these resolutions! How did I do? I would say…good. Not excellent, but good.

I read a little bit of “Nourishing Traditions”, but still haven’t read it cover to cover.

We were doing great with the kombucha until the cold weather set in. Our house stays too cool for it to ferment, so we’re having to wait until it warms up to start it brewing again. We’ve really come to love it, and I miss it! I console myself by grabbing a bottle from Drug Emporium any time I’m close by.

{JULIE adds her two cents here: I was having the same cold kitchen problem until I ordered this seedling heat mat.  It helps to increase the temperature of my kombucha so that it will ferment.  Worth every penny.}

Am I still great about taking my supplements? Sadly, no.  This is one I am still working on improving.

After running a marathon in March, I’ve been cutting back on the distance running and adding in more Pilates. I cannot say how much I love Pilates!!! I discovered an awesome blog – Blogilates.com – and there are tons of free Pilates videos on there. I feel so much stronger now! The good thing about Pilates is that you get strength without the bulkiness. My belly is flatter and I’m more slim and toned overall.

I have not been diligent about bringing healthy foods when I’m hanging out at someone else’s house, but I HAVE been better at not over indulging and trying to pick out foods that are less evil than the others.

NAILED IT! See THIS post. 

I don’t have any resolutions about food this year, because I feel like at this point in my life, eating traditionally is just something we DO, it’s not something I have to sit and think about. I just want to keep on doing as we do, and if I come across something I feel needs to change, cross that bridge when we come to it. My main goal is to get back into blogging on my personal blog. I didn’t have the time when my husband was cramming in classes to finish up seminary, and I have yet to get back into the habit.

Here’s to 2012!!!

-Kelli

Rachael's New Year Real Food Resolutions

Rachael's daughter is now 5yrs and the twin boys are 4yrs.

This post is written by my (Julie) best friend from Phoenix.  Rachael gave me my first kombucha scoby and is to be blamed one of the reasons I'm on a real food journey; she's an excellent mother of three preschoolers and is a preacher's wife.

Get the Junk (Back!) Out

We had been successful in ridding the pantry of all taboo (according to Nourishing Traditions) ingredients, but as time slips past, some of those no-no’s surreptitiously crept in again.  They all began as “just this once” or “I need to have something easy for Sunday while we wait for Daddy.”  Slowly but surely, they have become regulars.


The following items need to be eliminated again:

◦ Cereal
◦ Packaged Snacks (with all sorts of heinous ingredients, I’m sure)
◦ Too frequent desserts

To be successful I will need to get in the kitchen to prepare the alternatives.  This is where the real work begins, right?  To help me with my plight, my daughter needs to do a candida cleanse which will necessitate getting my tail in gear.  I MUST have something prepared to satisfy the 4-year-old, “But, Mommy, I NEED a snack!”

Removing the poor food choices is never enough though, is it?  I also need to:

Add the Good Stuff--CONSISTENTLY!

I have really good intentions, honestly I do.  But as they are wont to do, busy days come and we skip the cod liver oil “just this once--we’ll do it at dinner.”   Most of the following items have been a part of our healthy lifestyle in the past, but this Mama needs to get back on the wagon!  Here are some of the things I would like to add (and keep!) this year:

◦ Fermented Cod Liver Oil
◦ Vitamins and other supplements
◦ Homemade, Soaked Bread
◦ Kombucha for the children (Mama and Daddy have been hoarding it!)
◦ At least one organ meat recipe that everyone loves (okay, tolerates would be sufficient)

Thankfully, my children help me remember their vitamins and cod liver oil, if I’ve been half-way regular in giving it to them.  I am blessed that all three of my preschoolers take their CLO right off the spoon!

The big theme that I’m seeing in these goals (and others for the new year) is that I need more routines and structure.  From cod liver oil to a regular baking day to having the children help tidy the house,

Rachael milks 3 goats for their family's raw milk.

Mama needs a routine.  And I need to stick with it!  I’ve never been much good at sticking to a system and maybe I should start out by figuring out why.  It may be that I try to overhaul my life in a single day or it could be that I don’t like being told what I have to do, even if I’m the one telling me!

If anyone out there has suggestions or what has worked for them, please leave a comment.

-Rachael

Erin's Real Food Resolutions

This post is written by Erin, who has written articles before like Real Food Budget Tips, about her food journey in Small Beginnings: Where Do I Start? and the dangers of fluoride in Water, Water Everywhere and Nor Any Drop to Drink.  As a side note - Erin's husband, Paul, wrote a song called I Eat Real Food.

******************

I have to keep things very simple when it comes to resolutions or I'll get discouraged and give up before I even get started.

My theme for resolutions this year is keep it simple and frugal.  So here are my simple kitchen resolutions for 2011:

1. Learn how to make (and start making!) my own yogurt.  I might try to make it in the crock pot.
2. Grow some of my own food, especially herbs
3. Stop using paper napkins and paper towels

+++++++

Here's my update for 2012:

1.  I pretty much bombed with yogurt-making because I am constantly using my one crock pot for cooking chickens and stock.  However, I am picking up a new crockpot this week!
2.  I bought herbs but didn't get them planted soon enough--so they fried. :(  I will be attempting this one again.
3.  Success!  We have completely eliminated paper napkins.  I still keep a roll of paper towels around for emergencies, but I hardly ever use them.  I found this product to be a nice substitute.

Rita O'Kelley's Real Food Resolutions for 2012

Rita O'Kelley, former Weston A. Price chapter leader, has written in this space before.  A few of the topics include: where to start on a real food diet, fats do not make you fat and the short and skinny on sweets.  


And, remember - Thursday night is the Weight Loss Edition from 6-8pm at FamilyLife.  If you're thinking of going, be sure to let Dr. Bishop's office know.  Details here.

**************

Goal: Eat “In Season”


When I began my “real food” journey in 1999…. I let my Irish spontaneity take me into “all in” hyper drive. I read Nourishing Traditions and got rid of ¾ of the “food” in my pantry and fridge. I realized I needed to take small, manageable bites… what to keep, what to absolutely stop or discard, what to try later.

In 2012… one month at a time, my goal is to learn what foods are “in season” in Arkansas, and more specifically in and around Little Rock not California, Florida, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and beyond.

We go to the store and buy whatever we want (usually) and it is there; albeit tasteless, picked prematurely, shipped ridiculous distances, and subjected to harsh road trips and mishandling.

Read those labels… see where it was born and raised, country or city-fied…. Sprayed or au naturale….green or ripe….USA or foreigner.

If it isn’t fresh, locally grown or “in season” right now, I am going to ever-so-slowly discipline myself to set aside “wants” and plan. Eating what is “now” means winter and requires discipline. In Arkansas there is not much grown or harvested Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb.

It will teach me to put up food for the winter, learn about my farmers and area, and quit expecting blueberries in January… or chicken if I have not bought chickens when harvested locally. I bought chickens. Yea!

January: winter squash, potatoes and onions stored from prior months, lettuces, herbs and other “green” foods grown in greenhouses by Arkansas Natural Produce and other local farms.

Here is link to what is available by month (general rule) in Arkansas.

Good luck and good planning! One day at a time… one month at a time.  Eat fresh and local.

-Rita

HB's Real Food Resolutions for 2012

This week we are continuing our series on Real Food Resolutions. Today's post is written by HB who has also shared with us her real cheese dip,  don't hate the okra, and the baby steps her family has taken on a real food diet.

1. Do less, be more.

I've been taking my family on this wonderful, crazy, challenging, totally un-American journey into real food for nearly two years now. It's time to stop trying new things and stick with the basics that are working. So, I am taking a big ole break from incorporating new recipes, making new beverages, and trying to convince my sweet hubster that spaghetti squash tastes just like Ronco pasta!! You know it does! :) I've finally figured out how to make delicious bread, granola, and many other recipes that fill our bellies and nourish our bods. For now, I'd like to take it easy, enjoy nutritious food and live a little outside my kitchen.

2. Get back to my food-budgeting roots.

My man and I got hitched in November of '03. For the first two years of our marriage, our food budget was less than $125 a month. Yes, it's true. We were squeaking!! It was awesome. Actually, I mean, it wasn't really awesome because we definitely ate some processed junk, but I loved the feeling that resulted from conquering the food budget. I was large and in charge and my man was happy. Seven years and three kids later, our food budget is way, way, way more than $125 a month. That figure just makes me laugh. I've given myself plenty of time to get used to eating real food and lots of wiggle room in the budget. Now that I've tackled feeding my family real food, it's time to take this budget DOWN! My goal is to cut it down by 40%. I know that seems extreme, but hey, if you're gonna set a goal, why not get crazy!?!?

Here are some ways that I plan to save some cizash:

• buying wonderful pastured eggs from the farmer who gives me the best price. This is not super convenient, but a gal's gotta do what a gal's gotta do.
• ordering most of our organic produce from Azure Standard. Azure has already saved me a load of money. They have great products and dang good prices.
• continue buying our meat in bulk. I buy our pork and chicken from Cove Creek Acres and our beef from Falling Sky Farm. I know these farmers personally and they are great people who work hard to bring the best grass fed meats to my table. Buying meat in bulk has saved me literally hundreds of dollars.
• continue meal planning. I am a die hard menu planner. I love, love, love to plan a good menu. Makes mouths happy.
• once-a-month cook what I can so that we have great meals prepared when we are pressed for time and tempted to eat out.
• eat out less!!! My man and I are trying our darndest to not spend a dime on eating out for the entire month of January. So far, so good. Only 20 something days to go. That's not too bad, right? Right??? I've begun twitching slightly when we drive past Layla's on Rodney Parham. They miss me, I know they do.
• ask my farmers if they will trade with me. I make lots of bread and am happy to trade. Making bread is easy. :) Shhhh...don't tell.
• grow some seriously good veggies this summer. We had a garden last year and it was fabulous. My children snacked out of the garden until there was nothing left. We saved a ton of money by gardening.

I think that's all I'm resolved to do at the moment. When our children are older and don't need every single ounce of my attention and energy from the hours of 7 a.m. till 8 p.m., I will likely add some more food goals to my plate. Get it? :) For now, I'm enjoying feeding my family well, but mostly, I'm just enjoying my family. Happy New Year, friends!!!

-HB

++++++++++++++++

Well, how did I do in 2011?

Thankfully, I was able to meet many of the goals I set for myself.

I brought our food budget down quite a bit, but not 40%. I would say it's down by about 15 to 20%. Since I posted last January, we have had the privilege of becoming foster parents for the state of Arkansas. We have a very hungry one year old in our home. Adding another real food eating, milk loving baby has definitely increased our food budget. I am convinced that feeding this little one nourishing food while he is in our home is more than worth any extra expense or time in the kitchen.

Though it may not be cheaper than the grocery store, my husband and I have decided to support Kellogg Valley Farms and buy a CSA basket.  Kellogg Valley grows local, chemical-free produce and getting chemicals out of my food is important.  Though I plant a garden, it just doesn't produce enough for our family.

Speaking of time in the kitchen, I have successfully spent less time in the kitchen this past year. My husband is happy and so am I.  Julie and I will continue our batch cooking extravaganzas, and I will continue with my basic standby recipes: oatmeal bake, granola, and soaked sandwich bread. 

As far as real food resolutions for this year, I plan to continue cutting back on eating out and make my mayonnaise taste less like olive oil and more like Miracle Whip. I know, don't cringe. I'll admit, I like Miracle Whip and so does my husband. I'll keep you all updated on any mayo making successes. 

After a few years of real fooding, I think I've finally come to a happy medium.  I am comfortable with my 80/20. Yes, there is almost always a bag of wavy Lay's potato chips in my pantry. There will always be a few things that I like and choose to eat even though it's not nourishing. The main staples of my family's diet are nourishing, whole foods. I encourage you all to embrace freedom and not perfection when it comes to real food. Each one of us can only do so much. Focus on what you can do, not on what you wish you could do, or what someone else seems to be doing.

Happy 2012!

New Year's Real Food Resolutions

Last January in this space, we posted New Year's Resolutions for real people, striving to eat real food.  In the 365 days since, new readers have joined us so I have decided to re-post the Real Food Resolutions.  The first in this series was written by yours truly.  I will post the others over the next couple of weeks.

++++++++++

Every year when the new year rolls around I like to make lists of resolutions but *dad*gum*it* I can't keep up with half of them.

Today I'm posting my real food resolutions for 2011.  I'm loosely following Kimi's four wise tips for success and participating in her carnival:
 - make baby step goals
 - make goals very specific
 - don't plan a whole year
 - make one goal per month

That said, the first two resolutions I tried implementing last year and dropped the ball more than once.

1. Take fermented cod liver oil at least 5 days a week.  Seven would be great.  Five is realistic. Read here for tips to get it down.

2. Eat a fermented food with every meal.


This resolution was inspired by Little Rock's Weston A Price chapter leader, Lisa Lipe.  Lacto-fermented foods introduce beneficial bacteria and enzymes that helps your gut digest food, among other things.

Lisa says she doesn't always plan a fermented food with each meal, but more likely just pulls out jars of lacto-fermented condiments and has them on the table for each person's personal choosings.  I'm thankful that my family enjoys kombucha, a fizzy lacto-fermented drink.  Other fermented options could be: yogurt, kefir, raw dairy, lacto-fermented mayonnaise, radish relish, sauerkraut or kimchi.  With lacto-fermented condiments, a little bit goes a long way.  A couple of tablespoons is sufficient for beneficial results.

Two new resolutions for 2011:

3. Buy a grain mill (with Christmas money) and use it.


I've been wanting to buy one for a while but not had the cuh-za$h. A friend of mine with a grain mill and has been grinding grain for me.

4. Eat seasonally and locally.


The book that inspired me to think seasonally and eat locally was Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  It ranks in the upper echelon on the list of books that have changed my life.  Another book my husband read recently, that resonated with both of us, is What Are People For? by Wendell Berry.

Eating seasonally and locally will be the hardest resolution to fulfill.  It will require forethought, planning, and self-control.  Because it is such a paradigm shift - I am not resolving to exclusively eat seasonally and locally. I have been thinking about this resolution for a couple of years and trying to take baby steps to get there.  My specific resolution: I will strive to have at least one meal a week that is exclusively local and supplement every meal with something grown locally.  The typical farmers markets are shut down for the winter but I can still buy locally through the Arkansas Sustainability Network (ASN) food club.  I love shopping the markets in the summer!

Bonus Resolution {shooting for the stars here, this one will most likely happen in 2012}

Learn how to make awesome soaked, sprouted, or sourdough bread.

Bread making the traditional way seems to be daunting.  I have wanted to do it for a long time and is one of my last holdouts.

Stay tuned for more resolutions from others who write for Real Food in Little Rock.

-Julie


Click here if you'd like to read other baby steps my family has taken on our real food journey.  Or this article written by my husband (to wives) on how to get your man to eat real food.

+++++++

2012 Resolutions

I have not written new resolutions for this year, I will continue working on the ones above.  With joy, I am able to report that my family was able to keep up with most of the resolutions.  I bought a grain mill - that one was easy!  

After attending the Weston A. Price conference in November and learning about the incredible benefits of lacto-fermented foods, I was resolved even more to keep adding the lacto-fermented foods to our plate.  

In 2012 I want to strive to do better with eating locally and seasonally.  I have invested in a half-share of Kellogg Valley's CSA. He has more shares available if you are interested.

As for the bread, I have been experimenting with Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  It is not sprouted, or soaked (in the traditional sense) but it is easy to squeeze into my crazy life and much better than store-bought bread.  This bread falls into my unhealthy 20% of the 80/20.  I can't do it all.  I don't do it all.