night out!

i am ready for more inspiration, and a night out!  this month has already been so inspiring...watching my seeds grow, reading about nutritionism and the history of how the foods we see on our supermarket shelves have got there, and watching movies that shine light to the hidden truths about how those foods are grown and what the motivating factors are.  and you may not be shocked...health for humans and other living things, not to mention the earth we live upon, is not one of the motivating factors for many farms out there. factory farms that is.  and now tonight we will see another food and farmer movie, Fresh.  and i can't wait to tell you more about it.

but for now, a picture of my week with my new found inspiration.  and the thing to know about me, is it doesn't take much to inspire me to change my food habits, because the guilt i carry for some of my food choices is quite a load.  as much as i love crappy food, i just never feel good about it...either in my body or what it stands for and what it supports in the world.  i mean...i love candy (sweet tarts and kinda my fave), i love french fries, i love soda, i love mcdonalds, i love pringles, i love stuff that i don't want to love.  what a conundrum.  and so consequently, when i see and read things that give me something tangible to hold onto in the face of the quick drive through with the yummy burgers and fries and soda...when i see something that gives me the depth of what whole foods, grown with care for the earth and the animals, the depth of what those foods offer...it makes it easier for me to make the choice to drive by, or the think ahead and make our own food to bring with us.  and when my husband is on board because he sees it too or i read him a few paragraphs...that is the best, cause then there is less fighting about how i spend ALL of our money on food.  i am sorry, but that is one place where we really truly get to vote for what we believe in...where and what we spend out money on.  and i want to keep it local, keep it supporting farmers that care more about me than my money.  we all need money, and we all make choices based on that...AND i think we can also keep our values and morals in tact, to a certain degree.  (wow, caps.  twice, i hardly every whip out the words all in caps.)

and so back to my week.  i sat down sunday and made a meal plan for the week.  then i made my shopping list.  then i sent to our farm website and modified the contents of my box to match what i was making.  i could try doing that backwards...seeing what is coming in the box and making the meals accordingly, and then i would use more local ingredients.  next week!  anyway.  then i went to the farmer's market, and gathered a few things...and honestly i couldn't get that many things there this week. and then off to our local co-op, Madison Market...for the rest of the list.  here is my meal plan for the week:
Sunday:  Shrimp Stew, Mediterranean Quinoa Salad and Greek Salad
Monday:  Three Sisters Stew (red beans, winter squash that i had still from a winter farm box and corn) and Massaged Kale Salad
Tuesday:  Golden Spice Rice (turmeric/cardamom spiced rice with chickpeas, peas and currants)
Wednesday: Mexican Bean and Corn Casserole (the corn part is polenta...mmmmm)
Thursday: Nut Burgers and Grilled Veggie Salad
Friday: Sushi and Tahini Noodle Salad

they are all from a great cookbook....Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair.  and everything has been sooooo good.  says me.  ask my kids and they will tell you that every night has been disgusting.  and why oh why is everything we eat organic????  why can't we have food like everyone else!?  i want to know who these kids are hangin out with?  :)  all kidding aside (sorta), i just don't get why they have to fight me on everything....including dinner.  i am just hoping that if i keep it up, they will get used to it and shut up and eat it!  i want them to be healthy.  we used to eat more this way and sometimes i feel guilty that i let our dining room table slip into the realm of the Standard American Diet (SAD.)  but then i pick myself back up, dust the gmo's off my fat thighs and start again.  ok, my thighs aren't that fat, but i thought it sounded funny.  and seriously, the crappier i eat, the worse my body feels and looks.  and its not all about vanity, really it isn't, but for me it can be a reflection of the care i put toward myself.  and with bikram yoga and whole foods, i feel great.

so, I have been surprising even myself.  soaking beans overnight, cooking them in the morning before school.  finding time to make everything from scratch and work and clean the house and go to yoga.  oh, and water my garden!  luckily the rains have been lending a hand there.  :)  and i feel more energized and less tired.  and i know this is one week...life changes, weeks bring different challenges, and as good as i feel about keeping it all together and torturing my kids with all this gross food, i may not be able to do this every week.  they might actually get their damn hot dogs and ramen noodles someday.  can you tell have absolutely no animosity toward my darling little babies and their addiction to sugar and refined carbohydrates?  ah, those sweet little reflections of myself.

love, melissa