Day 11 - Dear Foster Farms, Monsanto, Tyson...

"Foster Farms fresh, locally grown chicken and turkey have no added hormones, steroids or artificial enhancers"

"Tyson cares about important issues, such as families, the environment, communities, food safety, and education"

"We want to make the world a better place for future generations. As an agricultural company, Monsanto can do this best by providing value through the products and systems we offer to farmers"

Wonderful, caring, supportive companies let me have a word!

How messed up is our society? Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment but financed by companies like Monsanto. Monsanto was accused of Attempt to bribe Health Canada for rBGH. Canada, Australia, European Union, Japan have all banned the use of rBGH due to animal and human health concerns. Seemingly Monsanto was unsuccessful there but here in the US it's who you know:

Former Monsanto employees currently hold positions in US government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Environmental Protection Agency‎ (EPA) and the Supreme Court.

WHY CAN'T WE BAN IT IN THE US? Is money worth more than a life and safety? 

The United States is the only developed nation to permit humans to drink milk from cows given artificial growth hormone.

What is rBGH? Recombinant bovine growth hormone, is a genetically engineered growth hormone that's commonly injected into dairy cows. rBGH forces dairy cows to artificially increase milk production by about 10% to 15% but sometimes can increase milk production by as much as 40%.

Here is a little video that shows how money rules! I found this excerpt on Wikipedia.

Lawsuit against WTVT

In 1997, Steve Wilson and Jane Akre were terminated by television station WTVT, a FOX affiliate. They filed suit, claiming the termination was due to their involvement in an investigative report criticizing Monsanto's use of rBGH, which the station did not air. Wilson and Akre claimed the station had engaged "news distortion" under pressure from Monsanto. WTVT later aired a similar report, which included responses from Monsanto. WTVT ultimately won the suit, and the plaintiff's claims were dismissed. WTVT won the case because Wilson and Akre did not have whistle-blower status. The reason they did not have whistle-blower status is because it is legal to report false news.

 

Where are we heading? Why are we blindly following what we are told and never ask why? How long can we sweep it all under a rug? One day we will stumble over the truth and who will be there to pick us up? Monsanto? 

Monsanto is not only the manufactures of GE (genetically engineered) rBGH but they have also helped to make the laws that if a company sells milk that does NOT contain the harmful rBGH they can NOT label it without a disclaimer stating that rBGH is not harmful. Monsanto disclosed: "We believe low milk prices and some processor requests for 'r-BST-free' milk are limiting our future sales". In fact, Monsanto is actually suing various milk companies for putting the "hormone free" label on their milk!

Is rBGH harmful to humans?
Here is an interesting article. For those who are not interested in reading this article here is a little summary:

How does rBGH milk containing IGF-1, affect, humans?   IGF-1 = Insulin-like growth factor 1
After the rBGH milk is consumed, IGF-1 is not destroyed by human digestion. Instead, IGF-1 is readily absorbed across the intestinal wall. Additional research has shown that it can be absorbed into the bloodstream where it can effect other hormones.

 WISDOM OF THE DAY

The top 3 grocery retailers in the nation, Wal-Mart, Kroger, and Costco have pledged not to sell such milk in their stores. Specific examples include: Here are only few companies who committed not to sell rBGH milk:

Winder Farms, a home delivery dairy and grocer in Utah and Nevada, sells rBST-free milk.

Guernsey Farms, a dairy farm and distributor located in Northville, Michigan sells and distributes rBST-free dairy products in Southeastern Michigan. Their milk has been labeled rBST free for a number of years.
Safeway in the northwestern United States stopped buying from dairy farmers that use rBST in January 2007. The two Safeway plants produce milk for all of Oregon, Southwest Washington, and parts of northern California. Safeway's plant in San Leandro, CA had already been rBST-free for two years.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has also announced it will serve rBST-free sour cream at its restaurants.
Kroger has banned rBST-derived milk from all its stores (including its subsidiaries such as Ralphs) as of February 2008,
Publix announced it has been rBST-free since May, 2007. 
Braum's has also issued a press release stating its milk is rBST-free.
Starbucks Company has as of January 2008 made all dairy in beverages rBST free.
Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores featured artificial-hormone-free "Great Value" brand milk, but did not label it as such in 2008.
Ben & Jerry's ice cream uses milk and cream from dairy farms that have pledged not to use rBST. 

We started buying organic milk about 2 weeks ago. It tastes good and I feel good about giving milk to our two-year old daughter. I feel she is the main reason I want to ask questions. And if the truth is not 100% clear, I don't want to take the chances and rather spend few bucks more to buy her healthy milk. We are buying Tillamook cheese which rejects Monsanto rBGH and only organic yogurt or Nancy's yogurt. Nancy's yogurt statement is this: We are opposed to the use of recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and will not purchase milk or powdered milk which comes from cows that have been treated with this hormone. 

I recently tried organic soy milk and I am ok with it. I am not a big fan of milk, but I like it in my cereal. The majority is consumed by our daughter. Our milk comes from a local farm bottled in a glass bottle with a $2.50 deposit. The milk costs $2.50 and is a half gallon. It lasts for at least 1-2 weeks...if you are still doubtful...do the math and make a good choice for your children. We are planning to visit the dairy from where we buy our milk. I am excited to show Amelie where we get our good milk from. 

Got milk?!

Millions Against Monsanto

Day 10 - Refuge for Chicken "Princess"

Guest chicken "princess"

Is it coincidence that last night a chicken came to our house? And this morning she came back? Tom trapped her in our fenced area, which is the future area for chickens (if we should get any). He walked heroically in the bedroom this morning and announced: "Well you wanted chickens, I got you a chicken." We gave her peaches from a can and some water. She ate the peaches, but didn't care for them much. You should have seen her when I gave her some grains. Holy Moly! She almost had a smile on her face. Now I build her a temporarily coop, with the old lattice from our porch railing (which is to be sold any day), an old laundry basket filled with grass. I am hoping she will reward us with some delicious eggs. I don't know who's chicken it is, but Tom mentioned that there is a family in the neighborhood who has some chickens. I will check with them this afternoon.But watching this cute chicken, eating, walking around and just being a chicken...makes me really think that we can give chickens a good life. And I am going to build a coop soon and maybe all that has some effects on Tom and he will change his mind after all. While watching her (a.k.a Princess - I named her Princess) I am realizing that it can't be so hard, plus grains are not so expensive either. She loves the grains I gave her, they are organic and meant for bread but hey...I don't mind sharing...how about some eggs Princess?

Last night I picked up some books from the library and one of them is called The Homesteading Handbook - Back to Basic Guide and the other book was on raising chickens called Chick Days. I can't believe the coincidence, now I can start reading the books while I am having a chicken running around in the backyard. 

Today I am at home sick, I woke up this morning with a bad headache, congested, aching neck. I will use the time wisely and read up on all the great new things I generally don't have time for. I am planning to visit my first organic restaurant this weekend and get some serious baking done. I also want to learn how to make soups. I got some great soup books from the library at home and I will make tons of them and possibly freeze them (if they turn out to be good). I also want to bake some cookies for my schatzies and bread for the family. My friend Diana, baked the most delicious bread last week, which gives me hope that baking can't be this hard. I hope that I will feel better tomorrow and able to enjoy the weekend since the weather is going to be so gorgeous. I am going to update today's blog a little later in the day with WISDOM OF THE DAY and more other interesting stuff....stay tuned!


Part II -
It is just about 6 p.m. and I am feeling so much better. I actually felt better much earlier and built a chicken coop. Princess hung out with me in the unfenced yard and watched me building it and fell asleep. I am surprised that she doesn't want to run away she just hangs out with me. I built her a temp coop and hope that one day we will get chicken and I can make this coop a little bit better. She even went inside couple of times but I think a coop is supposed to be a little higher. Most of the wood I used, was left over from our new porch - no need to buy anything.

Here is the unfinished coop

And here is Princess and her temp coop.

WISDOM OF THE DAY

 Since we are a host family to a chicken I thought to provide some interesting chicken facts:

A hen can live up to 20 years. She will lay eggs her entire life, with the number decreasing every year from year one. Chickens lay different colored eggs, from white, to brown, to green, to pink, to blue. The color of a hen's first egg is the color she will lay for life. It takes a hen 24-26 hours to lay an egg.

A chicken finds it very important to have a private nest. She builds her nest by first scratching a hole in the ground.  She will then pick up twigs and leaves, which she will drop on her back. Back in the hole she will let the material slide off her back around the rim.

 

Chickens are very social animals. They will fight to protect their family and will mourn when a loved one is lost. There are more chicken than people in the world.

Day 9 - Must be good to be a GMO apple

Good evening friends! Today was somewhat an unhealthy organic food day. We are running low on food and didn't bother to buy anything since both of us were supposed to leave town. My plans got cancelled and I didn't have much at the house to make for lunch. I generally bring my lunch to work every day and despite being tired last night I stood in the kitchen at 11 p.m. to make some pasta. Organic whole wheat pasta, with natural tomato sauce and organic zucchini. It was good, but I think I have a carb overdose and I didn't feel like working out today, because I feel either a little cold coming or some sort of allergies. I was hoping that I will not become sick, since I am eating mainly organic, but I guess eating organic will not stop an incoming cold? I don't know. Does anyone have an answer? I guess even healthy and good food will not prevent a cold. 
Instead of drinking coffee this morning, I switched to a green tea with raw honey. Honey is supposedly filled with tons of good stuff.

Raw honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. The vitamins found in honey may include niacin, riboflavin, minerals include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Did I read ANTIOXIDANTS?? What are they? They are loyal protectors and nurturers of our cells, repelling disease, and promoting good health. 

Well, we see how beneficial it is. I don't get sick very often maybe 2-3 a year, and I hope that an organic diet either maintains it or reduces it. Just like the docs say: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Talking about apples...I mentioned in my previous post that we purchased apples 4 weeks ago and they still look amazing, completely unchanged. The experiment continues and I am keeping the apples until they show some reaction of getting old. Must feel great to be a GMO apple, you never look or get old and always shine. Hahaha..
No, seriously...I am not kidding the apples have not changed a bit. Therefore I took a picture to share this experiment with you. Here is the proof:

GMO apples from local store purchase about 4 weeks ago

First photo of GMO apple

Aren't these apples just pretty? Too bad they taste like nothing. Well, at least they look good and people buy them...I just must stress how great, juicy and delicious organic apples are. And here is a surprising fact, they only cost $1.59/lbs so just about as much as GMO apples. I don't know if all apples are GMO but I am going to assume that anything that is not organic is GMO, since the USA does not believe in labeling GMO foods. And that is why? 

I made a doctor appointment for my annual check-up unfortunately it is not until next month. I did want to see my biometric data before I get too far into my organic diet. By the time I am going to have my appointment, I will have been eating organic food for one month. It will be still interesting to see if anything has changed since last year, I had my last appointment in March, 2010.


Today I made some dinner and would like to share this recipe with you.
You can find the recipe in my recipe section. This was an all organic dinner for only $7.00. I will call it Curry Chicken with Rice and Zucchini.

Tonight's dinner - All organic curry chicken with zucchini & rice

 WISDOM OF THE DAY

Free range chickens

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) requires that chickens raised for their meat have access to the outside in order to receive the free-range certification. There is no requirement for access to pasture, and there may be access to only dirt or gravel.

Day 8 - Genetically Modified Research

  I have to admit I was unaware what GMO was until just about 3 weeks ago. I remember during my university time just about 2-3 years ago that people always wrote papers about it, but I must have been really naive that I didn't even bother to ask. Now I take a different stand on it. 


Ever since I started eating organic food, I fell in love with it. We always ate fruits and vegetables in the past and I always missed the juicy, sweet and unique taste I remember from my childhood. I never knew that it does make a difference eating organic or non-organic produce. I am currently doing a little experiment and am watching the apples we purchased about 4 weeks ago. They still look great, just like the day we purchased them. On the other hand the organic apples we purchased few days ago can't keep up with them even for a week. (That's no problem because the organic apples are so yummy and we eat them within a few days).


Well, during the drive to Twin Falls, Tom and I had a little conversation about GMO. According to the mass information we receive, GMO is not harmful. Here is a short description of GMO. GMO is any organism in which the genetic material DNA has been altered (modified) in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination. For instance, a bell pepper may have DNA from a fish added to it to make it more frost-tolerant. GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) are commonly used to refer to all organisms that have added genes from another species which were inserted through the techniques of genetic engineering. GMO is sometimes called "Frankenfood", what an appropriate name...hahaha

Well, I am not sure if I trust the statement that GMO is safe, years ago companies claimed that smoking was good for the health too. I personally think it is wrong and organic food tastes so much better. Two things come to my mind immediately. It is assumed that food allergies are linked to GMO and that is not surprising to me, I find it odd when young kids and people all around me are stating that they have a food allergy. Years ago, there were very few allergies now almost every other person is allergic to some food.  Makes me wonder if there is a connection. The other thought I have on GMO is, if DNA from a fish is added to it or some gene from an animal (which is awful if you think about it) does that mean that vegetarians are actually eating animals? Hmmmm...

I started to do some research and it is truly a jungle of information to weed through. Who really knows the truth and who really is providing accurate information? Whatever the outcome is, I strongly believe that we people should be able to have a CHOICE to eat GMO or not, therefore support mandatory labeling for GMO foods.

Many countries in Europe have taken the opposite position: that genetic modification has not been proven safe, and therefore that they will not accept genetically modified food from the United States or any other country.

How can you avoid GMO food?
1. Choose food labeled USDA certified organic, which forbids GE.
2. Choose food labeled “Non GM” and dairy labeled “cows not given rBGH” (recombinant bovine growth hormone).
3. Weed out processed foods from your diet and eat more fresh, seasonal whole foods


I also learned from Tom that GMO creates another problem, namely the "superweed" - a plant almost nothing can kill. This sounds like a sci-fi movie. But just think about it... a plant that can't be killed?? That sounds scary. I have to admit, the more I get involved with organic food the more I learn about my environment and food habits. I was so blind!

Here is one of the articles I found online - Genetically Engineered Superweeds Emerge in Canada

 WISDOM OF THE DAY

The following countries have banned or restricted the import, distribution, sale, utilization, field trials and commercial planting of GMO’s: 

Africa: Algeria, Egypt 

Asia: Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Japan, Phillipines

Europe: The European Union, Norway, Austria, Germany United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Luxembourg, Portugal

Latin America: Brazil, Paraguay

Middle East: Saudi Arabia

North America: Maryland has banned GE (genetically engineered) fish and North Dakota and Montana have filed bans on GE wheat. The Municipalities of Burlington, Vermont (declared a moratorium on GE food), Boulder, Colorado (bans on GE crops) and the City and County of San Francisco (urged the federal government to ban GE food) are the only towns or states to take some sort of stand against plants, animals, foods, crops and body products that are, or contain Genetically Modified Organisms.

NOTE: The U.S. government, and the FDA do not require anything Genetically Modified to be identified on ingredient lists. Genetically Modified foods and products are in widespread use and distribution throughout the U.S.

Pacific: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Australia, New Zealand

Day 7 - First debates within

Last night Tom and I had an interesting debate. We both are disagreeing on how to proceed with our organic adventures. Tom feels that he does not want to sacrifice certain things - which in this debate it is salami. I have a problem with that because I feel it is not the original vision we both started with. I feel we can be flexible and adaptable (particularly when traveling or have absolutely no other options), but I do see a conflict with buying salami by choice when we decided not to eat meat, dairy and vegetables/fruits unless it is organic. Tom and I share a different view on this topic, but that's nothing new...since most of the time we don't agree on minor things - luckily we share the same opinion when it comes to major lifestyle attitudes.

Well, what do you think? If you adhere to an organic lifestyle  and support the message from the Food Inc. movie - would you stop buying salami that is not organic or would you say once in a while I am going to eat a food I enjoy?
It is a good question and both opinions are valid and a vital part of becoming an organic family. Raising questions and having debates will teach us more about us and in which direction we are heading.

On a different topic. We have been talking about getting chickens, but are still hesitant. Mainly because we don't know how much work it is, if we would be able to handle chickens and the costs that are involved with it. According to Boise Code "Boise municipal code allows chickens to be classified as pets rather than livestock when there are three or fewer hens"  We have the perfect space for them but would have to modify some things and build a coop. I don't know what to think.. I am not a farm girl, I don't really like more responsibility than I already have, what if we want to travel, and how much maintenance and cleaning up is required? But then again...fresh eggs from our own chicken...unbeatable. Tom is not down with it and we are still playing with the thought, but we need to do a lot more research and weigh out the pros & cons.

Here is an example I found on the internet how easy it can be

WISDOM OF THE DAY

If you are considering raising your own chicken and are not brave enough to kill you own chicken (which I would never be able to do) there is a local company who does that for you. Home Grown Poultry. They are located in New Plymouth (about 1 hr away from Boise). You can also purchase chickens there and get tons of interesting information.

Here are their charges:

Young Chicken  $3.75 per bird   Unbagged $.25 per bird deducted from your total. Your tote or container MUST meet USDA standards  

Mature Chicken  $3.75 per bird    Unbagged $.25 per bird deducted from your total. Your tote or container MUST meet USDA standards

"We slaughter and dress all types of poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, chukars, pheasants, quail, and guineas. Our skilled and experienced staff can assure your birds are treated with respect and are humanely handled. At this time we only offer whole poultry. We expect to add cut-up services in the near future".

Her is an update on my gardening project and a recommendable local place to get organic vegetable plants from.
This weekend I visited our neighborhood plant store and was positively surprised that the local plants the owner sells are organic and cost less than the regular grocery store sells them for. I purchased organic lettuce and organic sweet basil. Both looked really good. If you are interested in checking out the store and supporting local plants/flowers (organic) please visit the store. Here is a coupon I found on their website which saves you $2.00 when you purchase something for  $10.00 or more. Click for link here. Coupons expires 6/30/11

 Native Son Plants
4101 Rose Hill, Boise
Mon - Sat  10 am - 6 pm
Sundays 11 - 4

Day 6 - Home made food

We are back home from our short trip to see family and are enjoying a day with home made foods and a healthy organic breakfast. Today I will be baking some organic cookies and will try to bake another organic bread. After I had a good talk with my mother-in-law about the science of baking I am no longer surprised that nobody in the family would touch my home-made bread. I didn't include gluten and instead of the three cups of whole wheat flour I substituted buckwheat for one of the three cups. In addition to that I added grains and flax seeds and I learned from the conversation that any additional ingredient not listed in the recipe changes the consistency of the bread dramatically. 

Organic breakfast (free range chicken eggs, red peppers, zucchini, spinach)

Today is a good day to remove all the weeds out of my vegetable/fruit garden and spread the little seedlings so they can grow strong and provide food to the family. Last year we were swimming in zucchinis and I want to swim in it again. :) This year we doubled our space and vegetables. Here is what I am planting this year:

• Parsley                          
• Cilantro
• Green Peas
• Peppers (all kinds)
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Arugula
• Watermelon
• Strawberry
• Basil
• Raspberry
• Onions
• Squash
• Eggplant
• Kohlrabi
• Brocolli
• Chives
• Asparagus 

 
  I still have parsley left over from last year and it is doing great, I don't know how it survived the winter but it did. I have already frozen tons of it and now I am planning to dry the rest. I have also dried dill left from last year. Some of the plants are doing better than others. The winner this year is green peas. Those very capable plants have been growing and growing for the past weeks despite the crappy weather we are experiencing.

  My tomato plant is somewhat sad, cucumbers are pretty saggy and asparagus is shy. Kohlrabi is going really good. Here is a photo of my kohlrabi. Not familiar with kohlrabi? Check it out here. What can one make with Kohlrabi? The options are endless...raw, fried, cooked...Here are some recipes I collected over the past, even though I prefer Kohlrabi fresh and raw, I will be experimenting with diff. recipes this year.
Click here for recipes.

I am especially excited that my cilantro and arugula are doing well. Last year my cilantro didn't come out at all. Our family uses cilantro for Tabouli, Couscous, Salsa, Tacos and other things. We used to buy cilantro a lot because we love Indian food and cilantro is often found in Indian kitchens. The entire plant and the seeds are properly named coriander, while the leaves alone are cilantro. I found out that cilantro isn't around long, especially in warm weather. To keep the leaves coming, you can sow seeds every two weeks for a continuous cilantro crop. I will try that! 



 And here are my green peas. I can't wait for them to grow. I remember picking pods and popping the fresh peas straight into my mouth as a child. Today I like to use them for my salads and even Amelie likes eating them. Peas are one of the world's oldest crops. For centuries, peas were popular but during the Roman Empire, peas declined in their popularity because the Romans suddenly assumed that they were poisonous and had to be dried before eating.
Here is some nutritious facts about peas: 


FOR 1/2 CUP OF COOKED SNAP PEAS:
Calories: 34
Dietary Fiber: 1.4 grams
Protein: 2.6 grams
Carbohydrates: 5.6 grams
Vitamin C: 38.3 mg
Iron: 1.6 mg
Potassium: 192 mg
Magnesium: 21 mg 


 I am hoping that gardening is going to bring us a lot of organic and healthy food throughout the summer and possibly all the way to early fall, this will save us money and support our healthy lifestyle.  

WISDOM OF THE DAY

 What are heirloom seeds and how can they provide us with a wider variety of produce?

Heirloom seeds grow heirloom plants, also called heirloom varieties or heirloom vegetables. Heirloom plants were cultivated throughout human history, but are not used in mass factory production. Industrialized agriculture is concerned above all with making a bottom line, so they have chosen to breed only very specialized varieties of crops. The varieties are chosen for their hardiness and productivity. As a result, industrial agriculture companies only breed several varieties of apples - and you never get to taste those other 10,000 varieties.

One fairly common image of heirloom vegetables many people are probably familiar with is the colorful corn you see on Thanksgiving. These are heirloom varieties of corn. You won't find heirloom corn at major grocery stores, but nonetheless it is edible - some very small grocery stores (in Amish communities, for instance) even sell heirloom popcorn.

Day 5 - Farmer's Market

Today we are in Twin Falls, ID and staying with Tom's parents. Last night we had a delicious home-made lasagna and a yummy salad. I ate so much and I knew I would because it was really delicious and there was a lot of it. Sure enough our body noticed the difference in nutrition...if you know what I mean. After dinner Tom's mom had organic fudge for us. I don't think I have ever eaten such good fudge.

Twin Falls is a small town with about 50,000 people. Karen, Tom's mom told me that they used to have few organic/health stores in town but they went out of business. I guess I feel somewhat spoiled living in Boise and having so many options after all. Boise does not compare to other big cities but it seems like we have enough. We noticed that there is a Farmer's Market in Twin Falls, ID and went to check it out. It had about 15-20 stands and about 60% of it was jewelry and clothes/bags. One really interesting thing about this market was that the free range chicken eggs were only $2.50! In Boise, we pay $3.45 for the cheapest free range chicken eggs. Naturally, we go a dozen there and since Tom loves honey so much we decided to buy local raw honey for $5.00 a jar. I am not sure what size the glass is but I would assume a regular sized jelly jar. I don't generally eat honey, but I tasted it and it reminds me of good old childhood memories.

 WISDOM OF THE DAY

What is raw honey?

Raw honey is honey that is taken right from the hive, extracted and put in a bottle. It is not heated to pasteurize and consequently, it will crystallize (turn cloudy) in about 2 months. This makes the honey less attractive to the buyer but doesn’t not harm the flavor. The fragrance and goodness of natural honey is preserved. Sugars (especially fructose), antioxidants, pollen and minerals are preserved. 

 I am suggesting a great book I have read on the way to Twin Falls. I will be citing many interesting facts I have learned from this book. If you would like to learn about organic cooking and get some wonderful insights and tips, check out this book.

Day 4 - New Frustrations and financial dilemma

Ever since we started buying quality vs. quantity our fridge is empty and looks like a bachelor's fridge. When I get home after work, I'm generally so hungry. After kissing my family "hello" I head to the fridge. We were both pretty hungry last night therefore we decided to go grocery shopping AGAIN! After our workout we headed to Co-op - dropping another $37 there. Tom and I were both sweating when trying to keep the cost low and picking the right items for our dinner and lunch tomorrow.

Here is what we bought:

•  4 organic bananas ($.79/pound)
• 2 sesame bars
• organic crackers 
• organic bread (since my bread is not good enough to be eaten..hahaha)
• organic cookies for Amelie
• local organic cheese
• organic tomato sauce for our pizza
• 2 organic zucchini
• organic bulk granola cereal
• organic bulk tabouli

Again we spent too much money for not enough food. The fridge still looked empty after the trip to the store. But we rewarded ourselves with a yummy home-made organic pizza. (90% organic) Here is the proof:

Onion, spinach, garlic, zucchini pizza all organic except the pizza dough. 

The pizza dough (1 lbs - makes a medium sized pizza) was purchased for approx. $2.40 at a local pizza place (Flying Pie)

Again, Amelie ate her entire dinner, she ate 2 slices. I can report that Amelie is eating much better and it seems to me that she does like the taste of organic food. But, to get back to the original dilemma, we need to come up with a system and can't be buying food every other day for $30-40. This weekend Tom and I will figure out a plan, how to save money and still eat healthy. We are experiencing a crisis-like feeling, we don't want to fail and give up organic eating but can't afford buying solely organic. I don't know what the plan will look like, but we are playing with the thought to purchase eggs, milk, yogurts, any meat and fruits/vegetables organic and find bread, snacks, cheese, and many other things that are qualitatively good at a regular grocery store. We need to fill our fridge and have something on hand that can be snacked on.

I love organic fruits and vegetables, because they are all sooo juicy, apples are sweet (for my taste a little too much - but it might be the type of apple) and vegetables actually taste like vegetables. My all time favorites are onions. The smell of an organic onion is so much better than regular onions. Not that I love onions and eat them raw, but it def. makes a difference when cooking with them. And the tomato sauce on that pizza last night...mmm-mmm-mmm..

Today for lunch I am going to enjoy an organic Tabouli mix from the Co-Op bulk section, with organic zucchini. Lunches and dinners now have to be planned ahead. I am worried about that one day where I am going to run out of ideas, or have nothing at home to fix - I will break and eat a burger! To avoid temptation we cleaned out our fridge and freezer last night and threw away tons of things. Wow, I don't think I have ever seen the bottom of our freezer...and where did this huge bag of frozen organic corn come from? :)

A little update on the weight. Well, I stepped on the scale at my local gym last night, turns out I am still the same. But truly I do feel lighter and somewhat less blah. Going to make an appointment with my doctor for an annual check up to get my stats. Keep reading and don't be shy join my blog and comment.

Happy weekend everyone! We are heading to visit family and are already excited and a little nervous spending couple days away from home and our organic lifestyle.  Luckily Tom's mom is very conscientious about her diet and understands what it means to eat healthy.

EATING OUT - KEEPING IT ORGANIC

Thanks Diana for recommending a local natural/organic restaurant. Boise Fry Company.

 "In an effort to make our entire process green, natural, sustainable, insert other environmental buzzword, we use all natural, local, and whenever feasible, organic products. We produce little to no waste. We use Energy Star appliances and lights. We recycle our peanut oil in cars. We’re just trying our best to make as little impact on your cholesterol and our planet as possible."

Here is their menu. I think I will check them out next week. I am sure I will be blogging about this place once I pay them a visit.

WISDOM OF THE DAY

What does "enriched" mean? Enriched flour is flour in which most of the natural vitamins and minerals have been extracted.

Why is enriched flour bad? When the bran and the germ (the parts of the wheat that contain vitamins and minerals) are removed, your body absorbs wheat differently. Instead of being a slow, steady process through which you get steady bursts of energy, your body breaks down enriched flour too quickly, flooding the blood stream with too much sugar at once. Your body then has to work hard to absorb the excess and stores it as fat. This causes quick highs and lows in your blood-sugar level which can lead to type-two diabetes and obesity. All this and you’re not even getting close to the amount of nutrients that whole grains contain.

Whole grains Whole grains are richer in dietary fiber, antioxidants, protein (and in particular the amino acid lysine), dietary minerals (including magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and selenium), and vitamins (including niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin E).

Look for products that say 100% whole wheat.

Day 3 - First weight loss and mindful eating

I have been worrying about my weight, because lately I have not been as low-carb conscious as I used to be. It is already ridiculously hard to find healthy, organic, affordable food. Tom cooked us dinner last night. Organic chicken, with curry and the cool transparent Chinese noodles which are most likely loaded with tons of carbs. They were so delicious that even Amelie finished her portion before we did. She inhaled them. The entire dinner was about $10.00 for the entire family.

Which included:

• free range chicken for ($5.00)
• Chinese vermicelli noodles ($2.00)
• curry
• organic lettuce ($1.49/lbs)
• organic onions ($.99/lbs)
• carrots (entire bag $2.50)
• Annie's Natural Goddess Dressing ($2.40/bottle)

After we finished the delicious food, we were again sitting at the dining table and drooling over Amelie's uneaten chicken, like hungry wolves. After dinner we look at each other and generally complain that we are still hungry. This stinks!!

The portions are getting smaller and we are still eating at the same speed as we used to. At times it feels like someone At times it feels like someone stole our plates just from right under our nose. Suddenly - NOTHING LEFT!

Even though over the past weeks I tried eating consciously and tried slowing down, there is nothing I can do about the fact that I still feel hungry right after we eat. The strange thing is that  after about 20 - 30 minutes, I am no longer feeling this hunger. I guess, what I describing as hunger is just a craving for something unidentifiable. In addition to that we are no longer eating cookies, ice-cream or other junk. (We are hardcore, huh?) Poor Tom who eats cookies on a daily basis, sat there on night and moaned about every two minutes: "I want some cookies. I want some cookies. I want some cookies." It's not that we will cut out sweet stuff for good, but we still haven't found semi-healthy sweets/cookies.

It has been now few weeks and I feel lighter and therefore I stepped on the scale this morning and it seems like I lost about 4 lbs. I will confirm that in a couple of days, by watching my weight and also consult the scale at the gym, since our scale at home is a bi-polar scale showing a different weight each time you step on it. Plus, I am going to schedule my annual check-up and will have blood, cholesterol, weight and all the other important info available soon.

On a complete different topic, I have been driving by this cool looking store/restaurant/tearoom called Shangri-La Tea Room.  I inquired about it and I heard good things so far. I am planning to visit the place, now even more due to their organic menu and healthy herbal teas. I am a little bit turned off by the "hippie vibe" (see photo below) but I am eager to try some real organic meal not prepared by us. If you have any other organic restaurants to recommend, please comment or let me know. I am learning each day new things!!

                                                           Shangri-La-Tearoom        

___________________________________________________________________________

 WISDOM OF THE DAY

Not everything that claims to be organic is organic. The foods that are 100  percent organic carry the USDA Organic sticker (here in the U.S).  However, other products can show the stickers if they are at least 95%  organic (labeled as organic) or products which 70% of  their ingredients are organic (labeled as made with organic  ingredients).

Day 2 - Getting involved - Learning about the Farm Bill 2012

As mentioned, I will not only change my lifestyle (family lifestyle), I am also getting involved with anything and anyone who will support a healthier life & future for the U.S. So far so good, but what I have to deal with now that I have to get involved with politics. What a drag! Therefore I have my fiance who loves, loves politics and understands how the system works.

Well, I recently signed up with a website. They send out a newsletter with current issues and also supply petitions that one can sign to make a difference or getting involved.

Food & Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the public consciousness about what we eat and drink.

This website focuses on issues like - Food Safety, Federal Budget, Factory Farms, Farm Bill: Better Food Starts Here...and many others. This is where I stumbled upon "The Farm Bill". Initially an interesting concept and a great vision proposed from Food & Water Watch.

Here's our vision for the next Farm Bill:

1) Level the playing fields for all farmers, so that huge multinational corporations and mega factory farms don't control our food system;

2) Create food system infrastructure that will support new markets for farmers and eaters in every part of the country to make sure that everyone has access to healthy, safe, affordable and sustainably produced food;

3) Protect and build upon the progress we made in the last Farm Bill that promotes sustainable agriculture, local food systems and fair contracts for farmers.

 So, I figured that's all really great and I want to become involved. Before I take drastic steps I wanted to make sure that I understand the bill completely, I asked my political brain Tom. He read over it and looked at the history of the Farm Bill, particularly the 2008 and as it turns out the vision of Food & Water Watch is more or less a "wishful thinking" vision. The Farm Bill 2008 had different ideas in mind. What I understood from this was that organic/healthy food will be  accessible to low income families, farmers are going to be able to regulate their farm business more independently and will not rely on multinational corporations....well there is much more to it than what was stated. I did sign the petition on their website, but I feel that it was too generalized and no specific previous components were tackled. 

With this post, I am advocating to get involved but also suggesting to inform yourself before you dedicate your time to support or petition something that you might not fully understand. I will keep you posted on any other development.

 If you are interested to read about the 2008 Farm Bill here is the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food,_Conservation,_and_Energy_Act_of_2008

 __________________________________________________________________________

WISDOM OF THE DAY 

According to the Department of Agriculture:

U.S. consumers spend just 10% of their income on food-the lowest percentage in the world. Twenty years ago, American consumers spent 11.7 percent of their disposable income on food. Thirty years ago, that figure was 15.1 percent. Going back in history, Americans spent about 20 percent of their income on food about the time today's baby boomers were born. In 1933, the figure was more than 25 percent.