Seems easy, right? We are guilty of falling into the trap of eating what we have become to know as "normal". Not really realizing how much of the food be have come to know and love, is nothing more than the devil in disguise. When you take a moment and pause to think, I mean...really think of what you eat. It's amazing how much all those little habits add up, and it can all cause a collision course with our health. Is it worth it? I don't think so.
To eat healthy is a lot easier than eating unhealthy. Once you get into the flow of foods to avoid, and foods that are your friends, a little light bulb will turn on your awareness. When shopping at the grocey store, you should always shop the perimeter of the store. The inner aisles... are where the most crap, junk, high calorie, high sodium, fatty, sugary temptations lurk. I would have to say 95% of all those foods can be avoided. The chips, soda, colorful cereals, bars, ice cream, frozen "dinners", boxed "dinners", processed meats, cheeses, pastas, to name a few. Sound familiar?
I am going to stop for a moment and tell you a little about myself. I LOVE food! Grew up with the most amazing food, and goodies, snacks and treats! My mom is to thank for all my love for all things culinary. That's where my heart lead me in life. I am a Culinary Arts graduate. I have seriously always been in a kitchen. I had a short four year career after my graduation, before taking permanent vacation to be a mom to twin girls, and in another four years to a little man. Bittersweet to leave something I really enjoyed doing. In turn, I fell in love with being a mother. Often daydreaming about those hot days behind a busy line, and my interning days in the crazy bakeshop. I never lost my touch and picked up my mother's nearly 30 year cake decorating business. It was second nature, since I grew up watching, learning, doing! So long story short, it's in my veins. The love of food runs straight through me, and the love to create and cook and share runs deeper.
The past 8.5 years has truly sculpted me in to who I am at this very moment. Being a mom, being busy, and being active. On top of my everyday motherly duties: Cooking, cleaning, picking up, laundry, making snacks, mealtime, bathtime, bedtime, schedules, appointments and so on. On top of that comes being a referee, nurse, maid, therapist, teacher, personal shopper, among other trades! So in this time I have been molded into a smarter, educated, seasoned, more aware cook. I have been transformed from the norm. I have accepted the fact, that I too had fallen into the bad habits most everyone picks up. Mainly out of convenience and necessity.
Over the past 5 years I have really turned into the inner Martha Stewart I knew I have always had in me. To cook, create, entertain, garden, and make it better! I have always had "the touch", and love knowing how to make things "just right". The more I enjoyed staying home raising our children, the more I became very resourceful. Always making nearly everything handmade, homemade,from scratch, fresh from the garden, and sewn by hand. My personal motto " Don't buy it, if you can make it yourself!" So you can imagine, and I am self admittingly a cookie snob... I make those myself, Granola bars(please)... hand me my oats, Brownie mix? Nah, I'll make those too. Bisquick?? I don't think so! Campbell's Soup... Over Homemade Chicken Noodle...Never! Double -Triple- Chunk-Dunked Ice Cream... No thanks.... I will make some homemade vanilla instead! Not only was I being a snob to the general norm, that most people deem as "groceries". I looked at it with ($)($) dollar signs in my eyeballs. I found it and still find it, so much more fulfilling to my soul and to our wallet to make things myself! The main reason, I love to cook. The second reason, it's cheaper. The third, and probably the MOST IMPORTANT reason..... I know each an every ingredient in each and every item I make, no matter how big or small. I can pronounce my ingredients, and that is and was my main drive to step it up a notch.
Not only did I find my calling by doing so, but love to know my family is eating nothing processed, noting loaded with sodium, no yucky food coloring, no overloaded sugary drinks. But I will say my kids, are infact kids... and they do eat "the junk", once in a great while as it is a right of passage! On behalf of their grandmothers, I may add! I don't freak out if they have soda at a friend's birthday party, or decide to grab a gumball with the quarter burning their little pocket. I let them live a little! After all I do, I know what they mostly they eat, it's okay to say "okay" in moderation!
We also take great pride in growing large gardens in the summer! It's nearly free. The Earth will provide it's share, if you are willing to share your time and love. There is truly nothing like fresh vegetables at a hand's reach, and knowing you had everything to do with it growing in the first place. Taking the harvest and making pickles, jams, jellies, relishes, canned and frozen veggies.....nothing quite like it!
So to eat healthy, truly starts with awareness. The grocery store can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you are not liking the way you look or feel? Perhaps, you and the grocery store need to get to know one another again. Be aware of what you NEED and what you DON'T. Even if you are not as fond of the kitchen as I am, take small steps to really enjoy what you are preparing. Sometimes these things take time! It's all good :) Take the time to turn over a product and read the label. Compare products and prices! Clip coupons, and look for deals!
In this blog I hope to really share a lot of my insights, recipes, tips, homemade ideas, cleaners, a clean eating diet, better choices, and more! Eating healthy isn't a life sentence, it's a lifestyle!!
