October Unprocessed 2011

Oh, man!  I stumbled upon a challenge in the blogosphere this week.  A challenge I'm seriously contemplating.  One that speaks to the heart of what I'm trying to do in my family's kitchen.  A challenge that Halloween is going to make very difficult!

It is called October Unprocessed and the simple idea is to go a month without eating any processed foods.  Re-calibrate your taste buds, as it were. 

The definition of "processed foods" is a topic of debate.  Andrew at EatingRules.com, the instigator of the challenge, defines it as Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients.  But your definition can be whatever YOU are comfortable with.

I don't know.  I've been trying it already.  I just hate committing to something that I'm most likely going to fail.  Really ... go all October without Halloween candy AT ALL?   Although, perhaps M&Ms take much more than "reasonable skill in a home kitchen."   (I am a bit too good at finding loop holes!)

Anybody up for a challenge?  You can read more about it over at EatingRules.

-Cindy

Meal Plan Monday

It is the last week of September!  Where did the month go?  But that means ... I can decorate for Halloween!!!  I love Halloween.  I know there are people who don't like it, but we make it a whole month long event around here!

My whole food eating has great days ... and then there are other days.   I am finding myself, um, grossed out at the thought of some process foods though.  I'm starting to be able to taste the difference and when given the choice, I'll pick the whole foods option.  (Unless it is peanut m&ms.  I have not found anything that curbs that craving.  Sigh.)

Here's what I'm hoping for in this weeks menu:

MONDAY:  White Chili and homemade bread

TUESDAY:   Spinach Lasagna Rolls (and I finally braved making my own tomato sauce - just haven't braved tasting it yet!)

WEDNESDAY:  Steak and baked potatoes (birthday dinner for hubs)

THURSDAY:  Mac & Cheese for kids (eating out for hubs birthday for grown-ups)

FRIDAY:  Breakfast Tacos

SATURDAY:  Pizza

Linking just because OrgJunkie

Menu Plan Monday-orama!

So my quest to eat more whole foods ... yeah, it is a process.

I actually did fairly well for myself, but it is my kids I'm struggling with.  I have a dipper.  He'll try most anything ... if he can dip it in ranch dressing or ketchup!  Last night as he finally ate his corn on the cob by dipping each bite in ketchup, I realized, I may just need to learn to make my own ketchup!  Add it to the baby steps list!

It's a process and as long as I'm on the road moving forward, I'm doing good.  Right?

This week's menu:

MONDAY:  Homemade Chili and corn bread

TUESDAY:  Jambalya

WEDNESDAY:  Macaroni and Cheese Muffins(I need to find a non-canned substitute for canned cheese soup)

THURSDAY:  German Pancakes

FRIDAY:  Pizza

SATURDAY:  Tacos (I should make my own tortillas, but I'll probably just use store bought.  At least my salsa is homemade)

SUNDAY:  Ham and potatoes in the crock-pot (I saw a Make-Your-Own-Cream-Of-Something-Soup recipe once.  I wonder if I can find it.)

Linking for fun ... OrgJunkie

The Pinocchio Workout

Today I decided to try something new.

It's been difficult to get into my routine.  The kids are halfway through their first quarter of the school year and I just can't seem to get it together.

So today I just started all over again, with a fresh new start.....

A new class at the gym at a new time.

I decided to check out the AquaFit class.  It's a cardio and weight resistance class in the pool.  It sounded fun and would be a great chance to recharge my routine. 

So I walked into the pool area and found 18 other people in the water just beginning their warm ups.

I was younger than all of them by at least 40 years.

I inwardly groaned because, come on, I've been squatting pretty impressive weights in the Pump class.  I've been jumping and running in the sports' inspired class.  I've been kicking and punching imaginary enemies and slicing pirates in my Combat class.  What the heck would a class catering to old people have to offer?

But my entire body will tell you, it is a deceptively hard-core class.  What I've deemed "The Pinocchio Workout."  It's deceiving.

I'm actually looking forward to this class.  It should give me something new and challenging to do.

I think this might be fun after all.

-Shelly

Meal Plan Monday!!!

What did pushing my meal plan reset button do for me?  I don't know that it did much.  Ha!  But we'll give this a go ...

I'm trying to convert to a more whole foods diet with my family.   The ultimate goal = eliminate processed foods from our diet.  I think there are a lot of bad things in that processed stuff and I would like to avoid it.  I also have this idea that if I can get us eating whole foods, my weight will naturally drop and stabilize at its ideal.

You'll notice I call it my "ultimate goal."  This is because processed foods are SO ingrained in my system and, I'm almost embarrassed to admit, I really LIKE some of them!

I'm baby-stepping my way into this.  I may make notes about whole foods or processed foods on my menus now.  Ignore them if you like.

Baby step ... make the menu ... baby step ...

MONDAY:  Autumn Stew and homemade bread (store-bought tomato soup in my stew)

TUESDAY:  Baked Ziti (store-bought noodles and spaghetti sauce)

WEDNESDAY:  Summer Harvest Soup (homemade vegetable stock, store-bought pasta and sauce)

THURSDAY:  Waffles and ice cream (store-bought mix and ice cream)

FRIDAY:  Fast Food Friday (grandma babysitting)

SATURDAY:  Pizza Muffins

SUNDAY:  Grilled cheese sandwiches (homemade bread)

Okay.  I gotta start making my own spaghetti sauce ... but I really like Ragu (and I can buy it so CHEAP).  Sigh.  Baby steps, baby steps.

Linking up for fun ... OrgJunkie

-Cindy

The Slow 5k

I ran my fifth 5k race yesterday.  My first was a year ago.  Yesterday.

I'm slow.  I don't have a prayer of winning overall or even coming close in my age group in these races.  Some of them have made me want to barf.  Some have made me cry.  But I've never come in dead last.  I really don't train.  I've been walking 5 mornings a week consistently but I haven't done any jogging in over a month.

But I do 5ks.

It is funny to tell people about my races.  Okay, it is embarrassing to tell real runners about them because most of them could finish twice before I get to the finish line.  But telling people who don't do 5ks or any races, that I do is fun.  They assume all sorts of stuff about me from that one sentence, "I did the 5k this morning."

Most of their assumptions are wrong.  Totally and completely wrong.  Even when I try to explain that an old lady with a walker could beat me in these races, their assumptions won't allow them to believe that.

So why do I run?  Why do I keep it up even though I am so incredibly slow?

I prefer walking.  I love a nice brisk walk.  I can swing my elbows and my hips with the best power walkers.  I LIKE that.  Running?  Not so much.  So why do I do it?

Pride.  I'll admit it.  Most of these 5ks I've done have had an accompanying 2 mile walk.  I used to do those 10 or 15 years ago.  I liked them.  I was good at them.  I often finished in the top 3 or at least the top 5.  But when you tell someone that you just did a 2 mile walking race, do you know what they do?  They say, "Oh" and never give it a second thought.

I'm awful in a way.  But this pride is a good thing.  My husband likes being able to say that he does 5ks with me (it is WAY more manly to say that than to say he walked a 2 mile race).  So we do it together.  We wear our race shirts and humbly accept our slow pace.

I am doing a sixth race in a couple of weeks.  I'm sure I will finish behind the pack as usual.   I'm also sure that my husband and I will have a good time, will support a good cause, and get another conversational tee shirt to wear ... proudly.

-Cindy