peas, please
We are tree huggers. Well, I'd say we try our best. I'd love to shop at Whole Foods or Wild Oats, but we just can't afford it. So when I shop, I try to buy most of the organic products offered at our grocery store. I believe that the more mainstream organic products become, the cheaper they will get. And recently I have tightened up my grocery standards.
I am trying to buy fewer items that have enriched flour (all the good stuff is taken out and a little bit is added back in), high fructose corn syrup (super sugar- who needs that?!) and partially hydrogenated oils (um, yuck). If the first five ingredients include any of these, I don't buy it. And it's hard. Even our favorite whole grain bread has high fructose corn syrup! Now, I'm not trying to overdo it. I don't want those foods to be off limits. J always gets to pick out a "treat", and he always picks out something worthless. But that's ok. Everyone needs their treats. But I'm really trying to make an effort. I need to feel like I'm doing what I can to protect our health, and the health of the planet.
This year we have joined a csa. It is called Rolling Prairie and we get a big bag of organic produce every Wednesday. One year we joined alone and ended up composting a lot of this locally hand-farmed produce. We just couldn't eat it all. So this time, we're splitting it with my parents.
This week we got a big bag of snap peas. I sat down at the table to shell them, and J wanted to eat one raw. Now, there's nothing like raw, garden fresh peas, so I said sure. J and N and I sat on the couch and ate the entire bag, like three peas in a pod. As N wisely puts it, mmmmmm.
We also got a little container of strawberries. They are tiny, imperfect, and melt-in-your-mouth sweet. A little bite of pure summer.
Comments
Isn't it awesome seeing kids eat or beg for healthy food?
Candy in our house is now dehydrated fruit leathers. (Occasionally we have real candy, like a lollipop, swedish fish or maple candy but the sugar high and crash are so difficult to go through.) Or, if my kids do good at whole foods they each get to make a fruit cup.
Having the nasty food allergies has certainly made the way we eat a lot better.
I'm rather jealous of your CSA. I was really missing mine this week. Maybe next year we'll do yours. Your seems to be a lot more reasonably priced.
Posted by: capello | June 2, 2006 09:52 PM
We do a csa too and it's one of my favorite things about summer. Ours starts next week and I can't wait. Good for you - helping the environment and your local farmer!
Posted by: Mama Urchin | June 3, 2006 04:47 AM
Oh, I have very early childhooh memories of gardening with my mother- going out back to pick all the peas, then sitting in the shade behind our house eating them all; none would make it to the dinner table! Wonderful to have such quality, well-cared-for food arrive at your door!
Posted by: Mary-Heather | June 3, 2006 10:39 AM
what wonderful thoughts and ideas. I could spend my whole weekly budget at whole foods. Thank goodness its an hours drive away. I love the do-able goals you made for your family's diet--avoiding the sugars, en. flour and hyd. oil. that sounds like a great idea.
I've always thought of joining a coop, but luckily this year we have a garden of our very own!
And I agree, if we buy more organic it will eventually become more mainstream and more affordable!
Posted by: molly | June 3, 2006 12:21 PM
That is so cool. I think all we'd get here are strawberries and peanuts. I'd so sign up for a give me some good real food please deal. We'd don't even HAVE a whole foods here. And those peas look so yummy!
Posted by: Angela | June 3, 2006 01:36 PM
Thanks for the info on csa... I am going to investigate that one ! I love your pictures... they are so crisp and clean and simple ( thats a good thing )
Posted by: diana | June 4, 2006 08:35 PM
Nice post. I believe in the power of the purse. If enough of us buy/don't buy, things will change. It's more powerful than yelling about it -- so keep it up. A CSA sounds like the way to go if you can split it.
Posted by: Amy | June 5, 2006 07:51 AM
fresh peas + fresh strawberries = summer for me. i second nora... mmmmmm!
Posted by: tracy | June 5, 2006 11:34 AM
ooo, fresh sweet peas are Food of the Gods!!! yummy!!!! great photos!
Posted by: Amanda Button | June 8, 2006 07:10 AM
Hooray for CSA's! When my son was younger we used to volunteer at one in Santa Cruz, California. I love the way the week's selection helps to decide your meals for you. Sometimes I will get in a repetitive food rut. I find that the CSA bushels break up that monotony, with good variety.
Posted by: Sylvie | September 27, 2006 08:11 PM
airplane domestic tickets
Posted by: tickets flights airplane | July 2, 2007 10:39 AM