A Nod to Them

One area of homemaking I eagerly embrace is that of cooking, grocery shopping, and overall "fooding." But with my love of all things culinary comes some convictions. To sum up: as a part of honoring Christ in all I do, I must work to make my food choices with Christ in mind. Thus I embrace frugality, nutrition, and balance in consumption (i.e. not overeating!) as part of my pursuit of Holiness.

So, Cam and I have been investigating new and healthier food choices together, specifically Clean Eating (visit cleaneatingclub.com!). Basically, I was lazy in college and opted for convenience over true nutrition far too many times. I would say I was raised to eat healthfully -- we often tried to by organic and limited "junk" food more than most people I know. But our eating habits were far from perfect nonetheless. In lieu of my love for frugality, health, and green living in general, after getting married I began to form some more appropriate dietary habits with the help of Hubs. Here's just a smidgen of some of our recent food endeavors and adaptations. Maybe some of them will spark a change for the better in your nutrition and walk with Christ as it relates to the care of your body.

1) Sprouts: We have become avid sprouters. What can I say? We can't get enough of those alfalfa beans, mung beans, garbanzos, and so many more! I bought a basic sprouting kit my mom also owns, grabbed a bunch of sprouts from our local Healthy Grocer, and from there have incorporated sprouts into almost anything I can! We particularly like sprouts on our salads and in our sandwiches (can I just talk about my oh-so-indulgent grilled cheese/sprout creation?!). Lately, I've been "frying" sprouts up with anything I might have on hand to make many a side dish for our dinners. (Tonight, for example, was sprouts, onion, and fresh mushrooms with garlic and a few other spices sauteed in a bit of EVOO/Smart Balance. BIG hit next to our Spaghetti Squash with Pesto!)

2) Bread: Tortillas, muffins, dough, and loaves included. For our anniversary, I got the breadmaker I wanted. And it's been in use ever since! I find that in making my own bread products as much as possible, I am able to save us money and control the level of nutrition of each loaf/tortilla/muffin/etc. We adore homemade bread, and a breadmaker couldn't make the process any easier. I always add to the dough to increase nutrition -- currently I'm into wheat germ and flax seeds. I'm also seriously considering grinding my own whole grain flours in the future. There's just something about feeling like you can sustain yourself with homemaking skills, no matter how "outdated" they may seem.

3) Raw milk: I know there are many skeptics, but I'm here to present facts and opinions, not cause a disturbance. That being said, I sure do love my raw milk! Surprisingly, I can find it a few places here on the West Shore. Also, it can be found in Lancaster County and I'm sure elsewhere if some searching is done. The laws surrounding the packaging and distributing of raw milk are quite strict, so it is becoming harder and harder to find. And it can be a little expensive. I am lucky, though, because a local gift store sells such milk, and when they get a new shipment in, their "older" milk that's left from the previous shipment (though not yet expired, mind you) goes "on sale" for half price. Can't beat that! Nothing beats the flavor and nutrition of raw, unpasturized, unhomogenized cow's milk. I won't go into extreme detail here, but basically raw milk is a whole food, great for digestion, and loaded with vitamins, minerals and protein. If you're interested in exploring further, here's a great weblink: http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/index.html.

4) Local produce/Gardening: This past spring we set up a "deck garden" based on Mel Bartholomew's principle of square foot gardening (check it out: http://www.squarefootgardening.com). While it probably didn't pay off terribly this year, over the years the money we put into building our garden will be worth it for the fresh produce at our fingertips -- organic and sustainable and hot off the vine/stalk/bush. Similarly, our local farmer's market provides us with a plethora of local-grown/produced foods year-round. I prefer to support local merchants as a part of green AND healthy living. It's overall closer to my homegrown standards, cheaper for us, and sustainable in the long-run. Plus, who doesn't love a farmer's market for Pete's sake! :-D

5) Smoothies: OK, this one's just for me -- Cam runs far from smoothies in general. I've been making them since I first tasted one (yes, I asked for [and received!] a blender of my own for Christmas when I was 14...I'm a wee bit obsessed perhaps). I love to load mine with fruits of any and all types (frozen, fresh, whatevs!) and some juice/milk/yogurt/liquid. Usually I throw in some flax seeds and wheat germ as well. Sometimes a little dab of honey is necessary for sweetness sake. Hearty, fabulous, nutritious, yummy!

6) Organics: From produce to meat, we try to buy organic as much as possible. I also count our wild venison (courtesy of Hubs and his hunting skills), and our free-range, whole organic chickens we buy locally from an Amish farmer. Oh, this isn't to say that we don't give into the occasional Oreo or box of Mac & Cheese or Burger King run, but I don't like to give into the non-nutritious temptations out there, and I'm trying to develop the will-power to avoid unnecessary, unhealthy binging. Besides, I usually don't feel so hot after eating unhealthily. We choose organics when possible in order to support those who manufacture/grown/raise organics. Also, we really hate the idea of ingesting pesticides and chemicals unnecessarily. Further, organic foods are in general more nutritious and flavorful. God created foods a certain way for a reason. I try not to mess with that as much as possible.

7) Beans: Yeah, I realize the "stigma" behind the bean, and I certainly didn't always embrace beans as a valid food (it's a texture thing), but with the cost of them so low and the nutritional value so high, I've now jumped on the wagon and use beans at least weekly in our meals if possible. Not only does this eliminate some of our use of meat, it also boosts our fiber intake considerably. So all-in-all, irreplaceable in a healthy, nutrient-rich, cancer-fighting diet.

8) Tea: I love tea. And I've become a tea snob. I'm hooked on a local shop's loose-leaf teas. I'll have no other in my house! (Ok ok, not quite...but almost! ;-)) Check out onegoodwoman.com! Green and white tea in particular have a large amount of antioxidants, but all teas are beneficial (when not loaded with sugar, of course ;-)). I consume so much tea, I just had to throw it in here as part of my list.

There you have it: the latest in my foodie endeavors as I try to balance the beauty of food with frugality and good stewardship. Hopefully I'll be able to add more to my repertoire over time. I've been looking into the use of Kefir, sprouting (and grinding) grains, expanding my knowledge of vegetarian cooking, and conforming more fully to the ways of clean eating. Any help in my journey of health is greatly appreciated!


*~The greatest delight the fields and woods minister is the suggestion of an occult relation between man and the vegetable. I am not alone and unacknowledged. They nod to me and I to them. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~*

Pleased as man with man to dwell Jesus, our Emmanuel

Happy December to all! In an attempt to make good use of my time this busy month, I'm attempting to tackle Christmasy projects each day I have off. Today, I have off. Today, I am tackling Christmas cards whilst sipping a sensational Pumpkin Caramel Latte at my favorite local coffeehouse. I rarely experience such sheer bliss as when I'm both productive and stress-free simultaneously. I find a coffeehouse to be one of the best places to achieve such bliss. :-) And, in an effort to be doubly ambitious, I have plans to begin my first batch of Christmas cookie baking when I get home today (Brown Sugar Shortbread -- so simple, so dang TASTY!). And my Christmas shopping is partially done already also. I've never been this ahead of the holidays! (And boy does it feel good inside my little type A soul.)

In my increasing free-time, I've also taken a larger interest in current events and news in general. I find myself often starting my days with the local news channel. And I usually find myself quite disgusted with one or more news stories of the day. But there's my conservative tendencies coming out. I really am trying not to prejudge news and the world in general based on the conservative vs. liberal mentality though. This struggle has been on my heart recently, so I think it might be God's prodding for me to be less one-sided...or at least, to try my hardest to see the world from His eyes, which assumes no political slant. Of course, this change in focus is hard for a self-proclaimed conservative due to the inevitable liberal bent all news/media seems to take these days. I guess that coming from a science background makes me long to hear ALL sides of an argument/discourse/opinion. Is it wrong that I feel as though evidence based practice should shape our news reports? (Although, in the defense of reporters everywhere, I did just read a significantly less-biased article regarding the war in Afghanistan on the CNN website, so I guess I shouldn't be too quick to speak.)

Current events broaden my outlook because they take my focus away from me and puts it on other aspects of creation. Even if you've never cared much before about politics in general, I think it might be a good Christian practice to invest some time this Christmas season in expanding your own outlook. It's just one more way to live deliberately and to remain focused on ALL of the people Christ was born to save.

*~Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Risen with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to given them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"~*