How-we-doing Humpday

Sustaining and foraging. 

Growing up, I spent four years living in Central Florida in a yard landscaped with exotic plants; supposedly, the previous owners landscaped for Disneyworld.  Looking back, we could have eaten much more from our yard - our internet connection was fairly slow in 1990...we couldn't just Google "edible plants".  We ate the young bamboo shoots.  We ate the ripe loquats from the tree in the backyard.  At one point we even tore apart a fruit from one of our palm trees (Queen Palm perhaps) to get to the seed just to smash it open and eat the edible nut inside. 

Now, in my own yard, I eat the hibiscus blooms and leaves.  We have a small herb garden on the back porch with rosemary, basil, mint and cilantro.  Strawberries come back every year.  We grow gardens in the summer.  And every other year, our two pecan trees provide a harvest, if you can compete with the critters.  Next spring I hope to use our copious amounts of wild onion in place of chives (one less thing to grow).  And I look forward to dandelion greens next year - must continue research on dandelion's detoxifying effects on the liver.

My father has a spectacular garden every year.  He's been growing these amazing, long "Chinese Beans" since I was in elementary school.  Squash, tomatoes, cucumbers (he's been pickling!). His jalapeno peppers are an amazing gift each summer. He can be so generous!  I remember, just a few years ago, watching him snack on pine nuts from his yard.  I'm glad those tall, scary pine trees have something to offer.  There is yucca and wild passion fruit in their yard, which they are less exited about than I am.  I'll try anything.

How-we-doing Humpday

It's that time again.  Time to be glad about one less step toward a healthier me.

Condiments. 

I was raised on salt, pepper, syrup, and jam.  Dips and toppings were the spice of life as a child.  In high school I'd eat packets of sugar at a time...by themselves.  In the school lunch line, I got ranch dressing...for my cheese pizza and fries. 

Once I moved out and started exploring supermarkets, I discovered options that had not existed in my childhood home.  Mango, papaya, guava...these were not the "apple" and "pear" I grew up with.  Once I had my first set of twins, I realized they were eating these things I've never tried in BABY FOOD! 

I have a strict rule of "If I don't try it, my kids don't try it!"  I tried my breast milk and baby formula, so why not tropical fruits?  Right!  It makes sense to try something on its own the first time...so you know what it tastes like...what to add.  I realized these new things were yummy without additions.  No added flavors.  No added sugars.  Just ripened fruits.  Perfect.

After I tried a few new foods with nothing else, I started trying familiar foods all alone.  What a difference!  Fresh fruits and vegetables taste unique and delicious as they are.  There is no need to add salt to your watermelon (I know it's good, right) or caramel to your apples or sugar to your strawberries.  Salad dressing masks all the natural flavor of the produce.  These foods are perfect little packets of nutrients without messy, less-nutritive add-ons. 

Spare the calories.  Spare the sugar.  Spare the money. 

How-we-doing Humpday

After writing out last Wednesday's Pat on the Back post, I started brainstorming other things I should be grateful for.  Progress is progress.  Success is success.  I'd like to keep this up.  This week I'm happy about two food groups that I enjoy eating.

Whole Grains.  I LOVE whole grains!  I prefer brown rice to white rice.  I wish I could afford more wild rice...really adore that stuff!  I enjoy whole wheat noodles and bread.  Ezekiel bread with the sprouted grains - I love that too!  It makes no sense to refine a grain.  None.

Veggies.  I am not a picky eater.  I enjoy those odd veggies people have horror stories about.  I enjoy Brussels sprouts, Lima beans, and okra in any form.  In fact, since my last pregnancy I eat all the "A's" that I once could not fathom eating with joy.  That's right.  Artichoke, avocado, and asparagus are now welcome on my menu.  I've been known to turn up my nose at cooked greens (mustard, collard and turnip), but I can eat ANY greens raw and still savor them.

Pat on the Back

Do not let the last post fool you.  I do have bad habits.  But, I have made some positive changes.  Those positive changes are progress that I need to acknowledge, no matter how small they seem to be. 

Sugar.  I have eliminated white sugar from my coffee; rather, I switched to Agave Nectar.  It is true, you use less nectar than white sugar.  The taste is not as strong as honey - at least not the Agave in the Raw.  I'm sure the darker nectar is more intense.

Chocolate.  We all need a little chocolate.  It stimulates parts of my brain that otherwise seek out far worse substances.  It is a lesser evil.  I like dark chocolate, but lately I've only had milk chocolate around to nibble on.  I've gotten very good at portion control by eating only one or two rectangles off of a Hershey's bar or by eating only one little chocolate out of an Advent calendar.  Hershey's are approximately 17.5 calories per rectangle on a standard size bar; the Advent chocolates are about 15 calories each.