For us, food can be a very political and even a spiritual issue. More so every day. I really believe we do place a vote every time we pick up our forks. It is such an essential and basic need we all share, and how we choose to address this need can have very large impacts on the world we live in. Just look at the growth of organic foods, I actually saw a commercial (well the tail end of it) the other day for Wal-Mart Organics. I about fell on the floor. They arent starting to focus on that market because of their environmental consciousness, they are answering all those forks who call for organic foods to be on their tips.
Anyhow, so through pursuing our desire to really get rid of all the chemicals in our lives, and breath easier we have evolved into an almost completely organic family. From there we have chosen to also really think about the path our food takes to get to us. What is going on with the seasons, are we eating foods that have to come from the other side of the world just because it is off season?? How about supporting our local environment and supporting the river and the desert with its many water issues? How can we make choices that better support what we really care about, the "essential energy" of our food choices?
We started out by only shopping at the coop and occasionally at the larger stores in town when we needed something the coop didnt have. Then we began to wonder what it was that the coop didnt carry, and why? So we now shop mainly at the coop. Before we moved here I found out about Los Poblanos Organics, the local CSA. We joined right after arriving here in town. Best choice we ever made regarding our food. Now we can get our milk, eggs, veggies, fruit, beef, chicken, salmon and bread there if we so choose. All direct from the farmer and at wholesale prices. WooHoo! I also mentioned in an earlier thread our need to eat our foods without processing. We try to eat only whole foods and to buy just base ingredients. Making most everything from scratch. It calls for a baking day, but I love it and the kids love helping with it so...
Okay sorry, I get all excited about this now! Here is my list of essentials...
- Responsible consumerism with our food choices, buying local, in season foods as direct from the farmer as possible. Moving up the teared system to the local coop before heading to the chain Whole Foods stores.
- Eating Organic, including our meats, raising our own eggs, and making our foods from scratch.
- Special diet issues; GM and my diet of being GF, and soon to be CF. Tying in enzymes and supplements to help him work toward his optimum functionality. (Which by the way, are working really well).
This has been a lot to undertake and probably the reason why it took me so long to embrace it. However I feel it is really the largest part of my roll as a Mother. To provide a healthy diet that really supports and nourishes my family, while making choices that support the environment. I really do feel good when I can do this for us.
The issue: Snacks and lazy days!!!!
You will win or lose this quest with snacks. It is hard to have a yummy snack on hands that is really going to always fit within the above essentials. I am really getting better at trying to keep snacks on hand that suit us, and bringing them with us on outings so we arent forced to buy something on location that really doesnt work for us.
Also lazy nights. We are really under renovations over here and trying to not just grab a burger isnt easy. Well it is easy for GM and I because we dont eat them, but it is hard for my husband and the other two kids. I am going to try to start making some meals and freezing them so that on those crazy or lazy days we can just pop something in the oven and still meet our goals, without the hard work.
2 comments:
I am really enjoying your blog. : )
I guess I should officially introduce myself. I am Julie, SAHM, to Will (4) and Jack (2). We are a striving to be strictly organic food family. We attend the Waldorf toddler programs as a family and plan to homeschool, either using Waldorf or Enki methods. Still researching all that. We live in suburbia and are on a journey of awakening consiousness. Really, its the only way to describe it. My dh commutes too far from work, and we often consider moving and becoming city dwellers (we live in a suburb of Kansas City). But we are surrounded by family right now - Grandpa lives down the street, aunt, uncle and cousins are a couple blocks over. Its a hard decision.
We started a little garden this year and I love it. I would love to have chickens but don't think our neigborhood association would allow it!
Anyway, I also wanted to give you a suggestion to help stock your freezer with more whole food dishes. My mother's group started a "cooking club."
We bulk cook dishes, then plan to meet and swap dishes. So for example, if there are 5 people in the group, you make enough for your family and the other four families. You swap, and go home with four different meals for the freezer. Its been great!
You have such a great way with words Kari. I sooo enjoy reading your posts!! I also have been talking more and more about changing the way we eat and I think you nailed it when you said about how you knew it wouldn't be easy or quick so it was hard to start but now that you have you can are so glad you're on that road! We are slowly making changes also. Keep it up! That is so great how you are starting to consider all the aspects of the food(season, where, etc.) We are just barely starting down this path but we'll see where it takes us.
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