Eating Healthy in 2009.

I know this is a common New Year's resolution. I don't make resolutions typically, but I have been quite burdened about my family's eating habits lately. We began our journey into healthy eating about six or seven years ago. We changed to whole grains. I started baking our bread. However, from time to time healthy eating can slip, and sometimes it can plummet to great depths. I am feeling as though we are in a HUGE plummet. As I am typing my daughter is begging for M&M's. Does this say anything about what I am dealing with here?

I began my research online by posing the question, "How to feed my family more vegetable?" This seems to be our biggest downfall. I like vegetables, and sometimes I think I am the only one. While browsing around on Almost Vegetarian, I came across the book, What to Eat: An Aisle by Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Eating by Marion Nestle. I decided that this was a must read for me. Thankfully, my library system had a copy of it. I was able to pick it up yesterday.

Anyone who shops for food, and that would be most of us, should take a look at this book. Many of us are probably familiar with the idea of "food miles", but do you know what COOl or VCOOL are? Do you know how a grocery store defines "fresh"? I am learning all this and more.

As I read through this book, I hope to share my thoughts and discoveries with my blog friends and readers.

Christmas 2008

Twas the night before Christmas...



The stocking were laid on the trunk with great care...



Brianna building Lego.



Carolyn opening her Breyer horse set.



Natalie displaying the Horspital set.



Jonathan digging into his Xbox 360.

Wordless Wednesday (almost)...Christmas Treasures

My dear husband gave me this ornament 19 years ago when we were dating. It was my very first Christmas present from him.

Snowy days...or is that daze?

We have had about 2 feet of snow in the past 3 days. It was trecherous driving yesterday as we made our way to church, to my parent's house, and then home. We drove home in near blizzard conditions last night. I was amazed how bad it was after we got home. David spent the morning blowing out the driveway.



The driveway is all plowed.



The trees, pool and backyard all covered in snow.



This wood pile and our little bushes (plus the side of our neighbor's garage).

Wordless Wednesday...He's Got Game

BTW, he is #9 with the white helmet and blue pants.

Gamma Seal Lids...

After my first post about stocking the pantry, a dear visitor whose blog is Gullett Circus, stopped by and asked a question about gamma seal lids. She asked if I recommend this kind of lid. I must say that I wholeheartedly do recommend them. After years of struggling to remove the lids from my containers to refill sugar canisters or to access wheat berries, I found these lids. They are airtight yet easy for me to remove. I can even have my 12 year old daughter refill canisters.



The lids come in two pieces as shown below. The ring fits semi-permanently on the bucket, and the lid screws onto the ring. They are so easy to get on and off yet they keep food very well. I find them to be an investment that was well worth the money.



There are many online retailers that sell the gamma seal lids. I purchased mine from Bread Becker's.

Back in the Pantry

I have spent the better part of the last day, when not preparing Christmas gifts, reading up on a man named Gerald Celente. Gerald Celente is the CEO of trends research Institute, and he apparently has an amazingly accurate record on predicting economic events. Yesterday, this article came to my attention, Revolution, food roits, in America by 2012. It sounded a bit sensationalist. After reading the article I felt that it was the most doom and gloomy article I have read. However, I think he could be right.

That brings us back to the pantry. A friend sent me a link a few weeks back to a list of 100 Things That Will Disappear. I am not exactly sure where they will disappear from as many of these items would not be purchased at a Wal-Mart Superstore. Interspersed in the article are many suggestions for pantry items. Here is a summary list:

Honey/syrups/sugars
Beans/rice/wheat

Vegetable oil

Vitamins

Milk-powdered and condensed

Tuna fish

Garlic, spices, vinegar, and baking supplies

Flours/yeast/salt

Canned fruits, vegetables, soups and stews

Soysauce/gravies/boullion

Graham crackers/saltines/ pretzels/popcorn

Peanut butter/nuts

Chocolate/cocoa

Tea/coffee

Gum/candy

Where should someone start with a list like this. I started about 5 years ago with one 5 gallon bucket in a double wide mobile home with no basement, no attic, and no garage. I saved food where ever I could. Thankfully my kitchen was good size with ample cupboards which made up in some small part for what it lacked.

We have moved since then and my "pantry" has grown to a good part of my basement. I took some more recent pictures of my stock.

It is important to plan part of your grocery shopping budget for stocking up on something. I bought those cans of tomoto puree over a six week period earlier this fall. I think I bought 4 cans at a time. Now I have about 20 tomato puree and about 10 cans of crushed tomatoes. I also plan to buy one bulk item of plastic forks, knifes, spoons, styrofoam plates, bowls, plastic cups per month. I buy these at Sam's Club. So, I want to encourage you to start small, but plan to buy something extra this week at the grocery store.

Wordless Wednesday...A Taste of Christmas at My House