Food as a Cure

Ok, if you have read much of anything I write, you already know how I feel about food and its effect on the body.  I am far from perfect and sometimes the demons make me drink more than I should or eat ice cream.  I am horribly flawed.  But I am very aware of how my vices make me feel afterward.  I will have a hangover, whether alcohol, sugar or dairy product induced.

That said, I do try. I eat healthier than most people, even if I do not have the body to prove it.  So it angers me when I hear people complain about doing without the foods that make them feel like shit.  Lactose intolerant? Then don't have it in your house.  Avoid the pizza parlor and Cold Stone. Oh, it's your child?  Well, then, I'm sorry to tell you this, but if you are giving your child food that you KNOW is making them sick, it is abuse.  I'm not talking the occasional trip to the McDonald's or the candy feast at Halloween. Free range on vacation is the thing my kids look forward to the most.  I am talking the most basic every day here.  If you know your child is sensitive or allergic, don't buy it.  And yes, I know how hard it is.  I have stubborn children, one of which is absolutely in denial about nutrition.  You cannot force feed them veggies, but you do not need to keep an endless supply of soda and candy in your house, either.  Eventually they will get hungry.

And now that vacation is over, school is about to resume. It is time to get back into routines and schedules.  It is also time to detox my son.  He has been steadily sneaking in more and more junk. Funny thing is, the daughter is carrying too much weight. Her problem stems from quantity and low activity more than choices.  He is eating wrong.  And I have a gut feeling that he really needs to be grain free.  And I know for a fact he is lactose intolerant because doctor said so after one of his endoscopes.  

So my New (school) Year Resolution is to detox my kids, have regular meals at the table as much as possible and hit that gym.  I have 50 more pounds to go and I really want to get it off before next summer....I want my kids to be healthy and I want to be healthy for them.

Camping 2014

We haven't gone camping for a while. I always take too much food, so I am trying to be more practical this time. Plus we have special considerations.  Helen is a (new) vegetarian, Zachary is always hungry and David and I are sticking to "real" food as much as possible. So, this is what I have:

cheese, boiled eggs, hot dogs (veggie and applegate)

chopped lettuce, chili, chocolate (for s'mores)
and "pizza chicken"

cherries,snap peas,cauliflower,peppers, etc- all washed and ready to use

bread, crackers, poptarts (Zach has to be on field at 7:15 AM,so sue me), fruit cups (no sugar),
apples and bananas,and marshmallows (also for s'mores- I am human)

Banana bread (I use Paula Deen's recipe, substituting gluten free flour mix from Namaste)

the master list- sorry it is sideways

And here is the recipe for Pizza Chicken Foil packs:

for each pack

one chicken breast (boneless, skinless)

Pizza sauce (try to find one with cleanest ingredients-I used Classico)

Provolone cheese

toppings- you could use anything- I used red peppers and spinach. olives and mushrooms would be good too)

Lay chicken on top of the foil, top with sauce (several TBS).  place cheese on top of the sauce and top with veggies.  Wrap into a packet. I froze mine and stored them in a zip lock.They will be thawed by the time we use them Friday. I also substituted Quorn fillet for Helen's chicken a labeled her pack with a big ol' H). I like these because they are soy and dairy free.  They also taste pretty good.

Sunday Plan

Sunday is usually spent preparing for the week. I try to get things together and clean my house up. I am going to add something new to the list (as if I needed more to do). But this is such a great idea.

I know that when I plan ahead, we all eat better. So this is what I am going to do. I saw this on another blog. She lost 135 pounds (!) and this is what she does to prep for the week. So, today I am going to make a HUGE salad (I have done this before and it is SO nice- David can grab a salad, I can make one quickly for my lunch), boil a dozen eggs, make some grits or oatmeal, cook some chicken, make some chili. In the future, I may try to bake some sweet potatoes. They can be reheated for my lunches...... SO many possibilities, and I will have things to eat!

But first I have to go watch my boy wrestle and squeeze in the laundry!!!!!

Iced Coffee & Snow Ball Syrup Update

Tried my coffee this morning. I swear the only thing bad about iced coffee is that I always want another one. This was no exception. I followed a recipe posted by Pioneer Woman, but since I live in a much smaller place with no fancy glass coffee dispenser in my fridge, I made about 1/4 the recipe. Now that I know I like it, I will make a half batch next time. It is very easy to do. I put 1/4 pound of ground coffee 2 quarts of water and let it sit about 8 hours. Then I strained it in cheesecloth and put the pitcher in the fridge. This morning I used one Splenda, way more that a serving of Natural Bliss Coffee Creamer (Sweet Cream) and a bunch of ice....yum!

As for the snowball syrup..... I followed this recipe. I bought those plastic ketchup and mustard bottles (does anyone really use those) to put our syrup in. But, when I made the syrup, I was doubling it and (since someone had to come in and ask me 55 questions) I did the ratio 1:1, not 2:1.... not enough sugar. I went with it any way, boiling the syrup for a bit longer to reduce it. It actually worked very well- I think 2:1 would have been WAYYYY to sweet.

I promise I will try to locate my digital camera so I can add some ohotos soon :p

Allergens in school

Since I was asked about the peanut policy at my children's school, I will share my stand......

As the parent of a child with allergies (yes, my daughter was allergic to peanuts, dairy, tomatoes, sesame seeds in addition to her horrendous seasonal allergies), I feel that "peanut free" zones give schools a false sense of security. What good does it do to have a policy unless you guarantee ALL parents will abide the rule. Additionally, peanuts are often hidden in ingredients, as are tree nuts. Unless you have a child with allergies, it doesn't sink in that the trail mix you packed has Reese's Pieces or almonds (or some other allergen) lurking within. How can a school say "no peanuts" then sell peanut butter crackers in the cafeteria line? Have they read their labels on all packages? How do they know the knife used to cut the ham sandwich in half wasn't contaminated in same way? Do I sound paranoid? Sorry, but if it was your kid and the chance of needing that Epi-pen (which is locked in a cabinet in the nurse's office in another part of the building) was real, you'd feel differently.

Further more, peanuts are not the only allergy that can result in anaphylaxis. Please visit http://www.foodallergy.org/ if you would like to learn more. So, please understand that I am not against the peanut free classroom or the no nut table. I just feel it gives a false sense of security, is not practical, does not remove parent responsibility and does not address the situation in a logical manner. I think children should be educated about their classmates' allergies, and so should their teachers. And it has nothing to do with liberals (please refer to comments here.)

Lunch

Although I do not have a snazzy new bento box like SOMEONE I know, I still try to pack my kids a health(ier) lunch that they will enjoy. This does take planning, though. I doubt I will get into taking pictures and posting them (but you never know)...... I do enjoy looking a other folks' lunch. And my newest "bad news"- no peanuts in Helen's class (which is a sore subject I'd rather not get into here).

For the upcoming week, this is what I have planned:

Monday-

Snack- Baby Bell round, whole grain pretzels, fresh cherries

Lunch- grilled cheese sandwich, corn, cantaloupe and strawberry kebobs, Sun Chips

Tuesday-

Snack- Apple slices, Baby Bell round

Lunch- Thermos with leftover ziti, carrot and apple "fries", oranges

Wednesday-

Snack- Greek Yogurt

Lunch- Corn Dog muffins, pineapple chunks, carrot and cucumber sticks, Baby Bell round

Thursday-

Snack- Granola bar

Lunch- Helen is going to buy (Zachary will not go to school because of his surgery)

Friday-

Snack- Fresh fruit*

Lunch- Grilled chicken chunks, crackers, cucumbers, fruit*

*- whatever is left or I go pick up because we will be out of fruit by then, lol

FOOD!

Now that our vacation is over, I am thinking about how we eat. David has high cholesterol and so do I. I need to lose weight; my kids prefer junk food over most other things. Gotta get serious about it.

We have been doing better, but I am leaning more and more toward REAL food. The kind that doesn't have a nutrition label, cuz God made it. Since we are dairy free (most of the time), there are some exceptions to the use of processed products. In fact, not all processing is bad. You wouldn't say no to canned tomatoes in the middle of January, right?

So I am going to try something. I know I cannot commit to using ONLY whole foods, local foods, etc. I have kids who are very active- they play sports, they go to parties. Very hard to control all foods they eat without support (which I would have very little of). But, I can control what is in this house and what they take to school. Zachary will be a bit easier than his sister to get on board. He is picky, but he doesn't have the food anxiety that Helen has.

I will be using whole grain pastas and whole wheat flour. I will not buy food in a box. The hardest part will be beverages. I hate water and so do my kids. I will drink iced tea, but I am Southern, dang it. I need me some sugar in it. Hold the lemon. A Diet Coke is also lovely. And my coffee like I like my men- hot and sweet........ Plus I just crave dessert......... And rum. My children do not like vegetables, rice, beans, etc. They like anything better when battered and fried. So I have my work cut out for me.

For inspiration:

http://thefoodillusion.wordpress.com/

http://michaelpollan.com/articles/

Poolside Picnic

We go to the pool every day (getting my money's worth!). Helen has swim team practice from 12 to 12:45, so we usually take our lunch. So I guess I really don't get a break from packing lunches! There is a concession stand there- the usual hot dogs, burgers, pizza and fries.... It is expensive, not healthy and certainly not allergy friendly. Once in a while I will buy snow balls (once I told the kids they had to buy their own, they stopped asking- funny how they don't want to spend their own $$$), but we always take our own lunch and snacks.

Here is an example (cuz I know the world wants to know what I had for lunch):

This is one of the kids' containers- turkey (on white cuz Dad went shopping), with cucumbers,

pretzel crisps, cantaloupe and red grapes.....

I had a salad- mixed greens, chopped egg, cucumbers, GEORGIA tomato..... the small containers hold ranch dressing and Salad Sprinkles:

(i really need to get rid of the incorrect date stamp, grrr)

Feeling better plus a food rant

I don't know if it was getting adjusted yesterday, being dairy free for 3 days, swimming and being more playful with my kids or what, but I feel good today. NO PAIN!!!!!!!! I had forgotten how it felt to not hurt all the time! I do know that I need to make major changes in my lifestyle or I will end up crippled by my lifestyle. There is simply too much at risk.

Sadly, everything always comes back to money..... How will I keep swimming when the pool closes for winter? How will I continue to eat better foods and avoid processed things (I don't care what folks claim, ten years ago fresh produce did not cost more than processed- now the more that is done to it the cheaper it becomes). Wheat bread costs twice as much; brown rice does, too.

See this , and this . This article has several cooks preparing a meal using a budget and food stamps. In case you have not yet figured it out, I am not a wealthy person. I am struggling like pretty much everyone else. Our family's income took a big hit 11 months ago. I refuse to give up the Catholic education I want my children to have, so tuition comes before many other things in life. Unfortunately, this includes groceries......

Grocery Shopping

Going to the store later..... I need to make multiple stops, so it may not all get done today. You want to see my list? Yeah, I knew you did.......

David's Natural Market

Soy yogurt- we usually get Silk

Daiya "cheese"- a new item that I am going to try, but not tell Helen it is non-dairy

Tings- Not that they are healthy, but they are darn good!

Earth Balance- hands down the best nondairy margarine out there!

Vince's Produce

Whatever looks good, especially tomatoes, corn and peaches!

Costco-

Bread

Sandwich fixings

Salad greens

Strawberries

Lots of other things, too. One thing I have learned about my child- she is food focused. She must have starved to death in a previous life because she worries all the time there will be some sort of shortage or that she will not be fed. It is irrational and the source of much friction in my house, but I know she functions better if she knows what and when she is going to eat. I usually keep a wipe off board with menus for the week written out. I can change my mind, or rearrange meals as things come up, but just having it there seems to help a great deal. Not being able to grocery shop on a set day and not always having what we need is taking a toll and driving me nuts. I wish I could "fix" that about her, but she is who she is and I have to feed her (department of family services said so!).

I get it that somethings are just going to be difficult. Most parents don't have to write down a weekly schedule of everything, including meals, for their child. Most children assume they will be fed and that is the end of it. This is not most households and she is not most children. I just wish that I could get everyone else to understand. When she thinks she will not eat, she panics. It is unreasonable and unjustified, but it is her REAL feeling and I cannot change it. It is unfair to stress her out about it, but some people in her life DON'T get it and find it annoying that she is so bothered by that fear. She needs massive structure in her life, and that includes food.

On a more positive note, she has been dairy free for 36 hours. She keeps complaining that we are going to "ban" dairy, but has not yet noticed she has not consumed any, lol!

Good-bye Dairy Products

As some of you may know, Helen had a dairy allergy. We thought she outgrew it because she no longer had eczema and stomach issues. I think we made a wrong assumption. Since allowing dairy back into her life, she has ballooned in weight, become even more moody and irritable (if that was even possible) and all she wants is carbs and dairy. And meat. She turns her nose up at anything that looks like it grew in the dirt and craves ice cream and yogurt. So, I think it is a done deal..... dairy is going. This time will be harder because #1- she doesn't believe us that there is a problem, and #2- she is 10, not 5. She is on her own more, makes her own food and does not always make good choices when away from home. But, I need to get a handle on this and we are about to become a dairy free house. Before, I gave up dairy as well. And, frankly, felt great! Zachary is also lactose intolerant, so it won't kill him either. David, who says milk is for baby cows, has a harder time realizing that milk is where you least expect it. He doesn't drink milk or eat yogurt, but loves cheese. Oh, well. The only way this is going to work is by total elimination and going it dairy free and not having it in the house. She cannot eat what we do not have. This is going to be painful!

I am starting today, purging the pantry that needs to be cleaned out any way. The good thing about this is that I have not been "big" shopping in two weeks, so the pantry is getting bare. And I will need to shop alone so I can read labels and focus my energy to something besides telling Zachary to get off the cart and repeating the word "NO". My goal is to be "detoxed" before school starts back. I am considering gluten free, too, but that will be another chapter. I do not think I can do it all at once. Cheese, I will miss you terribly..........

lunch programs

I am not an Obama fan.  The First Lady just rubs me the wrong way- so sue me.  But, being the Libra that I am, I must see good in everyone and will give credit where it is due.  I feel the need to commend Michelle Obama for her decision to include a kitchen garden at the White House.  Hopefully she has an idea about the crap we Americans eat.  And I hope she realizes the power she has to help share that with fellow Americans.  Healthy food is not for the elite.  Ironically, when I was growing up such healthy foods were "poor people" food (my brothers words, not mine).  We ate from a garden and rarely had processed foods.  I don't even really remember having much cheese around until I was in middle school.  

Which brings me to another point.  I would love to see a high profile parent (are you listening Mrs. First Lady) make school lunches a priority.  We are so insistent that kids will only eat nuggest and pizza that all we are willing to give them is the crap we know they will eat.  We will have a generation of adults that do not know what a real piece of food looks like.  Are we doing this because it is easier or cheaper?  It is certainly NOT because it is healthier or the only things children will eat.  

Other cultures do not share this mentality and their children eat fish, seaweed, beans, veggies, fresh fruit........  I have officially decided that I will no longer order of the kids' menu for my kids (as much as possible any way- if they cannot share, adult portions are too large and expensive for little guys).  I have been fighting a battle all their lives to get my kids to appreciate real food.  I am starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.  If I could go back, I would have kept giving Helen what we were eating even though she threw it on the floor.  She would have eventually eaten what she was given.  I also wish I had never given them anything but water and milk to drink.  Zachary will drink water, but Helen would rather dehydrate than drink it.

Maybe following their trip to Europe, Mrs. Obama will recognize the need for this country to stop buying into big agriculture and the determination that children need such processed foods in their every day lives.  It needs to begin in the home, but school is  setting a terrible example.  I taught in a headstart type program in Georgia.  Our food funding really had no room for all processed foods.  We may have had the occasional nugget or pizza bagel, but we had more real chicken and dumplings, beans, home made meatloaf, fresh baked bread, fresh fruit......  And the kids ate it, especially the ones who told me "my grandma cooks like this".  Food for thought, people.  Feed your kids well.

food junk.....

Normally, Jamie Oliver irritates the snot out of me (I hate his lispy voice), but I have to admit that I am fan of his ideas for school cafeterias and our food supply.  Check out his junk.  He is really one smart fella.  You can view his show Fowl Dinner on YouTube.  I am sure American TV will never air this.  He is not anti-meat.  He is just speaking for better treatment and, therefore, better quality.  

According to this article , fast food commercials are making kids fat.  Silly me, I though actually EATING the food and then sitting around on your RUMPUS made you fat........  What was I THINKING?

First Day of School and a food rant

Well, I just sent my baby off to kindergarten. It wasn't the least bit awful- it was much harder sending Helen to preschool. Zachary has been counting down days for a week now. He was up at 6:15 and dresses to the shoes. He had put his belt and socks in his locker last night, lol. Helen did not share his enthusiasm, however. She did ask me to put her hair in ponytails and was ready to go before 7:30, but give it couple of days, lol. She did seem happy that Zachary was going with her. She loves him more than she admits. They both seem glad I will be there today. I need to leave in a minute, though.

Here is the rant I promised. Interesting article here. It seems that fast food isn't really of the devil, the sit down chains are. McDonald's, while still not my favorite place, has the best nutritional stats of any of the chains, fast or otherwise. Some of the other establishments burgers contain an entire day's worth of calories. I don't know about FAT, but I'm sure that, along with sodium, is sky high. It is time these eateries feel the heat and wrath that McDonald's did a few years ago......... COMPLAIN, DAMMIT. We Americans need to speak up or don't eat in theses places. You could actually be risking your very life........

Food is still pissing me off

Milk prices

Crop rotation

Iowa flooding

OK, so milk price are rising due to the cost of grain for feed, corn prices are up because of fuel demands, etc., poor soil is blamed for flooding..... It all goes back to the government and big business controlling the world's food. Get a clue- feed the cattle GRASS! Feed the grain and corn to people. Conserve the fuel we have and utilize our own resources. The fact that farmers are getting top dollar for soy and corn and growing little else is going to kill us. These foods are finding their way into every processed food in the store. So is milk. Don't believe it, go read some labels. There are chemicals in food that are so far removed from corn that you cannot even call it corn, yet it is there. You absolutely cannot avoid it. Soy is almost as bad, and dairy is right behind it. Why? you ask. Well, it all goes back to the government. After WW2 it was decided that it would be a good idea to pay farmers for certain crops (soy, corn). SO the very lessons I learned back in the 4th grade about soil conservation and crop rotation were forgotten. In fact, many "new" farmers don't even understand how to do it. You grow certain crops on certain fields and ROTATE them. You put cows out to pasture. Any five year old knows that. They eat grass, they have babies, they make milk. Which gets me off on another tangent. WHO decided that all this milk was required? Oh, that would be the National Dairy Council. So, really we are ruining our land and food supply to feed the wrong food to an animal that we put on a cement lot and artificially impregnate so it will continue to make milk for us humans instead of the calf it births, which is subsequently taken from her and fed by a bottle until it is sold for food or can make its own milk, continuing the bizarro world cycle we have created. Now a substitute a human female into that scenario and see how very odd it is. We are the only species that continues to drink/eat milk after early childhood AND we take that from another species. Sounds f'd up when you think about it.

Here is my fix- stop buying processed foods. Buy as much locally grown food as you can. Stop consuming dairy, be picky about how your meat lived and died. Farmers- stop looking for the fast buck. Think in the long term. Man has cultivated crops for centuries. It is what domesticated us (David says it was beer, but man still had to grow grain and hops). For centuries it has been known that you cannot keep growing the same thing over and over. You must grow crops seasonally and mix it up. Don't put all your soy beans in one basket. This "new" method of farming has only been around since the 1940's. See what it has already done. It hasn't even been one hundred years. The damage can be repaired, but it will require change. Everyone has complained that organic costs more, grass fed beef costs more (which actually the cost is reflective of the SLAUGHTER, not the growing, fyi), yadda yadda. But I spent $72 at the grocery store this afternoon. What did I get? My "splurge" was some deli ham. The rest- fruit, bread, veggies. It didn't go far. I plan to frequent the farmer's markets in the coming weeks and I will not be buying a lot of things that I normally buy. I am guilty as the next gal with the dairy life without cheese isn't the same.

I remember as a child we didn't drink milk and juice constantly. We lived on water and, of course, iced tea. Meat wasn't the huge portion we think of today, and sometimes in the summer, nonexistent. We ate a lot of things that came from the garden. We ate beans and rice. My mom "put up" countless cans and jars of produce and preserves. My kids need to get over their food issues and eat what is given to them. Period. I will let you all know how it goes. It starts on Monday, dang it.

Food Scares the Slop out of Me

I know I tend to be dramatic and all that. I get all weirded out by shit that doesn't matter. But I have serious concerns about our nation's food supply. In the interest of "more" we have sickened ourselves.

Some like to argue that to change our ways would cause people to starve. I say crap to that. How are we starving when we as a culture grow more than enough calories to feed ourselves. The problem lies in WHAT we are growing and HOW we are using it. Corn is a cash crop. Too much is being grown. This surplus is NOT being used to feed starving orphans in third world countries. It is being used to make corn syrup to sweeten products that used to call for sugar. Cows are using it for food. Really. I knew when I was 5 that cows eat grass. Corn cannot be digested by cows, as they have 4 stomachs and the seeds create gas and bloating. This feed makes the cows gain weight and go to slaughter much faster. Good thing because they cannot survive the corn diet for very long without antibiotics. And contrary to what one might think, the drugs are not given to the sick cows. They are given to every cow. The other white meat doesn't fair much better.

Now we have funky tomatoes. I promise that when the source is discovered, the public will not be informed, just as it was with the spinach last year. And the dog and cat food. How many of you knew that part of the problem was MELAMINE? Go on, raise your hands. Not many, huh? I thought dishes were made from melamine. I didn't know that it is an FDA approved form of protein. Hmmmmmmm. Scary.

I have no idea where I am going with this, I just know that people in this country need to get mad. Get fed up. Wonder why we have so much disease, obesity, autism, ADHD...... What are we doing to ourselves and what are we allowing people who are only interested in profit do to our food supply? Wake up and smell the fair trade coffee.