I'm trying to strike a balance between posting on a regular basis and, keeping my blogs a little shorter.
In keeping with that spirit, I will be posting some, "Notes" I posted on my personal Facebook Page some time ago. I do hope you enjoy!
In keeping with that spirit, I will be posting some, "Notes" I posted on my personal Facebook Page some time ago. I do hope you enjoy!
Organic Change
by Rebecca Andrews on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 1:12am
Mark and I have been talking about making healthier choices for some time. We both gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy, and neither one of us has lost any of that Pregnancy weight gain yet. Our weight weighs heavily on us (pun intended) and we’ve both wanted to lose the weight and the task of making a move to healthier foods and subsequent weight loss has been on my shoulders. Mark simply doesn’t have the time to shop, is not as informed, motivated or passionate about developing a healthy lifestyle. Actually, he never has, come to think of it, but that’s really not the point. He trusts my research, judgment and reaps the benefits of my hard work. I don’t mind, as long as he doesn’t gripe too much about the choices I do make. Not to say he doesn’t have a say, he does, but his comments are peppered in, I take note and adjust. Raise your hand if you want to be Mark right now. (I’m raising MY hand, what about you? LOL)
This blathering is leading up to the fact that, along with talking with my friend Christina about healthier lifestyle choices, I watched, “Food Inc.” yesterday. Watching, “Food Inc.” really brought together what Christina and I have talked about, as well as the other ways I have educated myself, i.e., reading Eric Schossler’s, “Fast Food Nation”, watching Morgan Spurlock’s, “Supersize Me” and Dr. Agaston’s, “South Beach Diet”. I am glad that I had prior information, but even watching it without prior information would be eye opening to anyone who cared to watch it.
“Food, Inc.” delves into the underbelly of the food industry in America, and how the average American consumer is mostly unaware of where their food comes from, how it is processed and treated to prevent life threatening illness for the most capital gain. “Food, Inc.” runs the informative gambit from the way animals are treated, produce is grown and chemically treated and how human beings who work for these companies, as well as human beings who buy from these companies are not human beings at all to those companies. It opened my eyes to the Organic movement, and how there really is a difference between Organic and non-organic. It informed me that currently, the FDA is nearly powerless to help protect American citizens because of laws and subsidies passed who are on the side of companies who deal in favors and assets. “Food, Inc.” made me angry, heartbroken and passionate about change.
Because of, “Food, Inc.” I want to give my child, my Husband, myself and all the other Americans, and even illegal immigrants the opportunity to be treated intelligently, seriously and humanely, by making choices that support local farmers and shunning companies who capitalize on our bank accounts, (containing very hard earned dollars) at a cost to our health as individuals, and as a country. The war may start at the Supermarket, but it reaches into healthcare, government and the very welfare of each and every American, hard working or not.
I am informed, I am empowered, and I have chosen to take a stand and make changes with our family funds and my voice that say, “I choose better for myself and my family. I choose to support our local farmers and economy. I choose health for myself and my family”. I am taking a stand against corporate America, and I want to say that the way our food industry is now is NOT okay, and it’s time for a change. I am taking a stand for our Nations children and families for better, accessible and affordable nutrition, and I started all of this today.
Curious to see what my local Supermarket offered, I placed Colin in his stroller, loaded up with reusable bags and Colin “things” and walked to the shopping plaza up the street from my home.
I had searched for, and found, a recipe for dinner from the Publix Greenwise recipe, Hunter’s Chicken with Garlic Green Beans, and aside from searching for those items in the organic produce and meat sections; I also took note of what else I could find that was organic. Sadly, the Publix by my house has very meager Organic dry goods, produce, dairy and meat section, (I do know that the Publix located off of Hardin, by the Target on the south side has a much larger dry Organic section, but that would be a LONG walk). Despite the meager selection, I was able to locate all the items on my shopping list in Organic form, plus some.
I will list the Sticker Price, because I know you’ll be curious, but I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT BUYING ORGANIC AND LOCALLY CAN BE REASONABLE AND EVEN ECONOMICAL. I set out today knowing that there was a big chance I might not have found many Organic items, and that those items would probably be pricey because I was buying from a Supermarket, not local farmers. This was a research trip, foray if you will, to satisfy my curiosity.
In reality, purchasing all of my Organic, or even local groceries from any Supermarket is not going to be practical. Becoming a conscious, informed consumer is going to take some research and some effort. This is why I plan on starting off easy, and working my way into it, not only for myself, but for my husband and our bank account as well. I need to research local farmers, prices and what is seasonal a lot more in order to really get the most out of this, but in the meantime, it is nice to be aware of what I can purchase at my local Supermarket.
So, without further adieu, here is the list of the Organic items I purchased from Publix today:
White Oak Pastures, grass fed ground beef that has all kinds of seals of approval and exclamations on how very, 100% Organic the beef is. The cows are treated humanely, are grass-fed, 100% USA, free range and free roaming, non-dairy cows, no Antibiotics, no hormones. www.whiteoakpastures.com
Sticker Price: $6.99 – I know you think I’m crazy for this, but I really just want to try it out. It looks AWESOME! All sorts of marbling and this is GROUND meat! (I mean, seriously, you should see it. Your mouth would start watering, if you’re a carnivore, like me.)
www.whiteoakpastures.com
Murray’s Family Farmed Chicken. No antibiotics, fed all vegetarian diet, no animal by-products, no hormones or growth stimulants, no artificial products, minimally processed.
Nothing on the package says anything about whether or not the chickens are free range or housed in open air, sun filled coops, but if you visit: http://www.murrayschicken.com/about_us.php#
The website tells you that the chickens are, in fact, treated humanely, and if you watched what I saw on, “Food, Inc.” that’s actually pretty important.
On sale at $3.99 a pound, the skinless, boneless breasts are very low in fat trimming, and come as a package of two, actual breasts that you can split apart. AWESOME.
(Actually, all of it is, because those poor chickens AND cows are made to grow too fast with all sorts of crap and it’s really horrifying what it does to the chickens, and what we’re actually eating while ingesting the meat.)
Organic Green Beans
Sticker Price: $2.99 on sale
There was a BOGO coupon on Sprout, organic baby food. I bought two.
End price: .99
Organic Mushrooms, (which were really tasty, but Mark didn’t like them)
Sticker Price; $2.99
Turbinado (all natural, non-processed) Sugar, (which I didn’t actually use, but was supposed to, but dinner was still good)
Sticker Price: $5.59 for a several pound bag.
Herbs De Provence Vingerette
Sticker Price: $3.95
Organic Green Pepper, (which was from a selection of four, and it was the best one out of the other three that had spots and looked like they were going bad)
Sticker Price: $2.99
Organic Tomato on Vine, (which I have not eaten, but they look really yummy and I can’t wait to have them with my Organic Baby Spinach)
Sticker Price: 1.13 lb @ $5.99/lb $6.77
4 Grain Eggs, which are humanely treated, no antibiotics or growth hormone brown eggs.
Sticker Price: $2.99 for one dozen.
Box of Organic Whole wheat bow ties
Sticker Price: $2.59
Can of Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Sticker Price: $1.69
I enjoyed dinner immensely. I think I enjoyed it even more because, 1.) It was healthy, and 2.) It was Organic. The flavors of the Mushroom, the juiciness of the chicken and all the rest was delicious. I even gave Colin little bits of Chicken to try out.
Aside from my nutritional Organic shopping foray at Publix, I also hit up CVS and purchased a tag that I can attach to any reusable bag and earn $1 in extra care bucks every four times I go to CVS and use a reusable bag with the tag. I also picked up a bamboo cloth, “poufy thing” for Colin, and a, “grow your own” herb kit that will yield, Sweet Basil, Chives and Parsley! Fresh herbs are yummy, I can’t wait!
I also stopped by the consignment shop and picked up a sun hat, a button up blouse and a pair of summer sandals, all for less than $25.
At Publix, I also purchased energy efficient light bulbs, a reusable, non-plastic laundry bag and two reusable bags, because I don’t have enough…*cough-cough*.
It is all a conscious effort. I plan on taking baby steps, because I want this to become a way of life, and I know that I have much to learn to make this work for me and my family, but I am determined and passionate about it. This is no fad for me, this is life, and this is taking a stand.
If you’re interested in the recipe I made for dinner, here is the link: http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/GreenWise/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=4054&mealGroupId=1151)
The, “Food, Inc.” website is, http://foodincmovie.com/index.php
Going beyond to other resources and petitions, you can also visit, http://www.takepart.com/foodinc
Eric Schlosser’s and Morgan Spurlock’s books can be found on Amazon.com at reasonable prices if you decide to buy used, (which is also good for the environment, and really, is there any good reason not to save a couple of bucks to buy a used books?)
If you’re in Lakeland, there is a Farmer’s Market on Wednesday and Saturday. There is also a, “Food Revolution” in Lakeland that highlights local farmers and conscious restaurants. Both have pages on Facebook that you can, “Like” and get updates on.
If you’re interested in finding out what produce is seasonal, you can find recipes and information at www.harvesteating.com
Hopefully, that starts you off. There are other reading materials that I plan on purchasing to further enhance my knowledge, and therefore adding power and savvy to my purchases, and if you’re interested I’ll keep you abreast.
I will leave you with pictures of the meal I prepared tonight, and I hope that it encourages you!
This blathering is leading up to the fact that, along with talking with my friend Christina about healthier lifestyle choices, I watched, “Food Inc.” yesterday. Watching, “Food Inc.” really brought together what Christina and I have talked about, as well as the other ways I have educated myself, i.e., reading Eric Schossler’s, “Fast Food Nation”, watching Morgan Spurlock’s, “Supersize Me” and Dr. Agaston’s, “South Beach Diet”. I am glad that I had prior information, but even watching it without prior information would be eye opening to anyone who cared to watch it.
“Food, Inc.” delves into the underbelly of the food industry in America, and how the average American consumer is mostly unaware of where their food comes from, how it is processed and treated to prevent life threatening illness for the most capital gain. “Food, Inc.” runs the informative gambit from the way animals are treated, produce is grown and chemically treated and how human beings who work for these companies, as well as human beings who buy from these companies are not human beings at all to those companies. It opened my eyes to the Organic movement, and how there really is a difference between Organic and non-organic. It informed me that currently, the FDA is nearly powerless to help protect American citizens because of laws and subsidies passed who are on the side of companies who deal in favors and assets. “Food, Inc.” made me angry, heartbroken and passionate about change.
Because of, “Food, Inc.” I want to give my child, my Husband, myself and all the other Americans, and even illegal immigrants the opportunity to be treated intelligently, seriously and humanely, by making choices that support local farmers and shunning companies who capitalize on our bank accounts, (containing very hard earned dollars) at a cost to our health as individuals, and as a country. The war may start at the Supermarket, but it reaches into healthcare, government and the very welfare of each and every American, hard working or not.
I am informed, I am empowered, and I have chosen to take a stand and make changes with our family funds and my voice that say, “I choose better for myself and my family. I choose to support our local farmers and economy. I choose health for myself and my family”. I am taking a stand against corporate America, and I want to say that the way our food industry is now is NOT okay, and it’s time for a change. I am taking a stand for our Nations children and families for better, accessible and affordable nutrition, and I started all of this today.
Curious to see what my local Supermarket offered, I placed Colin in his stroller, loaded up with reusable bags and Colin “things” and walked to the shopping plaza up the street from my home.
I had searched for, and found, a recipe for dinner from the Publix Greenwise recipe, Hunter’s Chicken with Garlic Green Beans, and aside from searching for those items in the organic produce and meat sections; I also took note of what else I could find that was organic. Sadly, the Publix by my house has very meager Organic dry goods, produce, dairy and meat section, (I do know that the Publix located off of Hardin, by the Target on the south side has a much larger dry Organic section, but that would be a LONG walk). Despite the meager selection, I was able to locate all the items on my shopping list in Organic form, plus some.
I will list the Sticker Price, because I know you’ll be curious, but I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT BUYING ORGANIC AND LOCALLY CAN BE REASONABLE AND EVEN ECONOMICAL. I set out today knowing that there was a big chance I might not have found many Organic items, and that those items would probably be pricey because I was buying from a Supermarket, not local farmers. This was a research trip, foray if you will, to satisfy my curiosity.
In reality, purchasing all of my Organic, or even local groceries from any Supermarket is not going to be practical. Becoming a conscious, informed consumer is going to take some research and some effort. This is why I plan on starting off easy, and working my way into it, not only for myself, but for my husband and our bank account as well. I need to research local farmers, prices and what is seasonal a lot more in order to really get the most out of this, but in the meantime, it is nice to be aware of what I can purchase at my local Supermarket.
So, without further adieu, here is the list of the Organic items I purchased from Publix today:
White Oak Pastures, grass fed ground beef that has all kinds of seals of approval and exclamations on how very, 100% Organic the beef is. The cows are treated humanely, are grass-fed, 100% USA, free range and free roaming, non-dairy cows, no Antibiotics, no hormones. www.whiteoakpastures.com
Sticker Price: $6.99 – I know you think I’m crazy for this, but I really just want to try it out. It looks AWESOME! All sorts of marbling and this is GROUND meat! (I mean, seriously, you should see it. Your mouth would start watering, if you’re a carnivore, like me.)
www.whiteoakpastures.com
Murray’s Family Farmed Chicken. No antibiotics, fed all vegetarian diet, no animal by-products, no hormones or growth stimulants, no artificial products, minimally processed.
Nothing on the package says anything about whether or not the chickens are free range or housed in open air, sun filled coops, but if you visit: http://www.murrayschicken.com/about_us.php#
The website tells you that the chickens are, in fact, treated humanely, and if you watched what I saw on, “Food, Inc.” that’s actually pretty important.
On sale at $3.99 a pound, the skinless, boneless breasts are very low in fat trimming, and come as a package of two, actual breasts that you can split apart. AWESOME.
(Actually, all of it is, because those poor chickens AND cows are made to grow too fast with all sorts of crap and it’s really horrifying what it does to the chickens, and what we’re actually eating while ingesting the meat.)
Organic Green Beans
Sticker Price: $2.99 on sale
There was a BOGO coupon on Sprout, organic baby food. I bought two.
End price: .99
Organic Mushrooms, (which were really tasty, but Mark didn’t like them)
Sticker Price; $2.99
Turbinado (all natural, non-processed) Sugar, (which I didn’t actually use, but was supposed to, but dinner was still good)
Sticker Price: $5.59 for a several pound bag.
Herbs De Provence Vingerette
Sticker Price: $3.95
Organic Green Pepper, (which was from a selection of four, and it was the best one out of the other three that had spots and looked like they were going bad)
Sticker Price: $2.99
Organic Tomato on Vine, (which I have not eaten, but they look really yummy and I can’t wait to have them with my Organic Baby Spinach)
Sticker Price: 1.13 lb @ $5.99/lb $6.77
4 Grain Eggs, which are humanely treated, no antibiotics or growth hormone brown eggs.
Sticker Price: $2.99 for one dozen.
Box of Organic Whole wheat bow ties
Sticker Price: $2.59
Can of Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes
Sticker Price: $1.69
I enjoyed dinner immensely. I think I enjoyed it even more because, 1.) It was healthy, and 2.) It was Organic. The flavors of the Mushroom, the juiciness of the chicken and all the rest was delicious. I even gave Colin little bits of Chicken to try out.
Aside from my nutritional Organic shopping foray at Publix, I also hit up CVS and purchased a tag that I can attach to any reusable bag and earn $1 in extra care bucks every four times I go to CVS and use a reusable bag with the tag. I also picked up a bamboo cloth, “poufy thing” for Colin, and a, “grow your own” herb kit that will yield, Sweet Basil, Chives and Parsley! Fresh herbs are yummy, I can’t wait!
I also stopped by the consignment shop and picked up a sun hat, a button up blouse and a pair of summer sandals, all for less than $25.
At Publix, I also purchased energy efficient light bulbs, a reusable, non-plastic laundry bag and two reusable bags, because I don’t have enough…*cough-cough*.
It is all a conscious effort. I plan on taking baby steps, because I want this to become a way of life, and I know that I have much to learn to make this work for me and my family, but I am determined and passionate about it. This is no fad for me, this is life, and this is taking a stand.
If you’re interested in the recipe I made for dinner, here is the link: http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/GreenWise/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=4054&mealGroupId=1151)
The, “Food, Inc.” website is, http://foodincmovie.com/index.php
Going beyond to other resources and petitions, you can also visit, http://www.takepart.com/foodinc
Eric Schlosser’s and Morgan Spurlock’s books can be found on Amazon.com at reasonable prices if you decide to buy used, (which is also good for the environment, and really, is there any good reason not to save a couple of bucks to buy a used books?)
If you’re in Lakeland, there is a Farmer’s Market on Wednesday and Saturday. There is also a, “Food Revolution” in Lakeland that highlights local farmers and conscious restaurants. Both have pages on Facebook that you can, “Like” and get updates on.
If you’re interested in finding out what produce is seasonal, you can find recipes and information at www.harvesteating.com
Hopefully, that starts you off. There are other reading materials that I plan on purchasing to further enhance my knowledge, and therefore adding power and savvy to my purchases, and if you’re interested I’ll keep you abreast.
I will leave you with pictures of the meal I prepared tonight, and I hope that it encourages you!
Hunter's Chicken with Green Beans that were supposed to be Garlic, but I just steamed them instead. LOL
Not so garlic, but still delicious, Organic Green Beans
Mmm...hot in the pot!
So, i'm doing this backwards. Yep, backwards.
Mmmm...Grassfed Beef...and they really, really want you to know that it's all sorts of good! Just look at the emblems!
Tasty Chicken
Delicious pasta
You can't tell from this picture, but they were the Greenest of Beans.
They weren't on the menu, but they looked so red and tasty that I couldn't help myself! They're going on tomorrow's Organic Baby Spinach Salad, with a generous smattering of so, so tasty Goat Cheese. Mmm...can't wait for lunch!
I really thought these mushrooms were very delectable, but Mark thought they were too, "earthy'. Man, he has some weird ideas sometimes! Maybe, by earthy, he means they taste like dirt? I didn't think so! LOL
No comments:
Post a Comment