Eating Out

Week ten is all about transition, so we're eating out this week...out of this blog, that is. Grandma Bea always say the two best thing you can give your children are roots and wings. Hopefully I've given you some roots, and now it's your chance to use your wings! Below are links to some of my favorite real food eating blogs' recipe pages. Browse them, and do some meal planning from there! Enjoy!!

Vehement Flame
The Nourishing Gourmet
Passionate Homemaking
Nourishing Days
Only Slightly Pretentious Food
A Good Appetite
BURP! Recipes
Diet, Dessert, and Dogs
Organic Thrifty
Sarah's Musings

Bonus: Favorite Spring Recipes from Karina's Kitchen!

If anyone else has a blog with a recipe index, or wants to share their favorites, go for it!

Processing: Fake Food vs. Real Food

Ready for a shocking statement? My diet is filled with processed foods. Yup, I confess. I eat my food baked, cut up, fermented, sauteed, previously frozen, canned, and/or steamed. So what the heck am I doing blogging about Real Food? Well, let's get our definitions straight. Processing food simply means altering it in some way before consuming it. In fact, in many cases, processing, or cooking our food, helps make it more digestible. But what we've recently (since my grandmother roamed the earth) come to know as processing takes on a whole new meaning. I think the difference is in the manner the food is processed, and what's been added to it during the process. Enter, industrial food processing.

When you prepare food yourself, you have much greater control on the ingredient list. Granted, it can be more time consuming, and require preparation and foresight, but if you live a healthier, more vibrant life, isn't it worth it? However, if you buy food with more than one ingredient in the supermarket, chances are good you're going to find some add-ins in order to--

* Color - Farm raised salmon is pink, right?
* Stabilize - Watery gravy = gross
* Emulsify - Ever had homemade salad dressing? Oil and water just don't like each other...
* Bleach - We need to get the rat poop out of the flour
* Texturize - Nothing's worse than soggy cereal...
* Soften - It's as if the ice cream was churned twice
* Preserve - I'm so glad I can eat that box of crackers three years from now
* Sweeten - Even when it's sweet enough...
* Hide Odors - Do you really want to smell the fish paste in your instant Pad Thai?
* Flavor - Strawberry pop-tarts, anyone?
(Adapted from the Body Ecology site)

Maybe knowing that someone's messing with your food doesn't really bother you, but check out these fast facts to see if they ruffle a feather or two:

1. Harvard conducted a study that showed women who avoided processed carbs cut their heart disease by 30%!

2. Your taste buds become used to the strong flavors of processed foods and make you want to add more salt or sugar to the natural flavors of whole foods.

3. Convenience Foods save little time and lack nutrients, contributing to obesity and water retention according to this article

4. The World Health Organization (WHO) says processed foods are to blame for the sharp rise in obesity (and chronic disease) seen around the world.

5. Americans spend 90% of their food budget on processed foods!


Interesting Resources:
Natalie Butler, a Registered Dietitian, has a series of videos and a website detailing some of her holistic nutritional advice. I just think she's pretty cute, and she has some good basic info regarding processed foods!


Weston Price article on Industrial Food Processing
Freedom You Nutrition - The Dangers of preservatives and additives
Top 5 Hidden Dangers of Processed Foods
Twelve Dangerous Food Additives

Shopping list for Week 9

Meat
2 chicken sausages
1 lb turkey sausages
4 chicken breasts
bacon

Produce
4-5 beets
bag of yellow onions
mushrooms
2 red onions
lettuce

Dried or Canned Items
Quinoa
Millet
Rolled or steel cut oats
whole wheat flour
dried apples
pomegranate molasses
2 c white beans

Dairy
eggs
goat cheese log
plain yogurt
creme fraiche
Parmesan cheese

Things you may have on hand...
sauerkraut
tomato sauce
sesame seeds
walnuts
pecans (egg salad)
olive oil
white wine
anchovies

Week 9 Menu

I know everyone is busy, and this transition to real food can be an incremental process. With that in mind, next week will deal with processed foods, and hopefully give you some pointers on what to look for if you're going to buy pre-made or processed foods. I hope to throw in some advice on eating out as well!

I've been working on some new recipes, but am trying to be discerning about which ones I post. I want them to be yummy, nutritious, and work well! If you're sick of the same old, same old, mix things up and check out some other blogs for new recipes. (I just can't guarantee I've tried them. =)


Features

Bread - Seeded Sour No Knead (this is Mark's favorite!)

Soup - Sauerkraut Sausage Soup


MENU

Breakfasts

Oatmeal with chopped apples or bananas
Roasted Beet and Cheese Pie (Likely needs to be made ahead for a weekday meal, but it's worth it!)

Turkey sausage patties and sunny-side up eggs with seeded sourdough

Omelettes


Lunches
Quinoa Mushroom Casserole

Caesar Salad

Easy Egg Salad


Dinner
Walnut Pomegranate Chicken and sauteed greens

Play with some Pizza

Sauerkraut Sausage Soup with baked Sweet Potato

Snacks
Butternut Squash fries

Peanut Butter Cups (Mark and I have eaten about a dozen of these...each...in two days!)

Power Bars

Crispy or sprouted nuts


Natural yogurt (no added sugars or "vitamins") with unsweetened coconut, soaked nuts, and cocoa powder

Hummus with veggies or crackers

Homemade popcorn, popped on stove in coconut oil

celery with all natural peanut butter and raisins