OH MY GOODNESS....
I have officially crossed over....
crossed over to the dark side....the side that is often misunderstood...the side that I thought was kooky...
the side my husband and family call....
wait for it......tree huggers...
the side that talks and thinks in terms of food...that side that I wished I had studied earlier....the side that is making daughter #1 call me a food nerd...which is better then a food nazi....which my husband has referred me too...remember soup nazi...yep....that long ago...
The side that believes in the sanctity of pure food... not processed cardboard junk...the side that sometimes looks a little wild eyed as they watch the latest government move to control food....
but I can't help it......I was already on the path to a better pattern of eating, and thought I was making better choices.....then I watched this...
Food, Inc
has altered my view of food, the big corporations that run these food monopolies and the government. I already questioned the government being my over all guardian...but this stamped it closed for me.
After feeling frustrated and helpless as I felt like my hands were tied because of the prohibitive cost of trying to feed a family of ten not only nutritiously but on Real Food and because...don't forget...I live in a town home that plowed under our community garden so that they could build some ugly box homes (another story for another time)...but I picked up myself....and realized that even small changes are a start.
So here are a few....
Please bear with me, yes, dear, I am talking to you and to you out there in blogosphere..as we continue our journey back to the farm...it may be longer then it like, I may be taking more detours then I want, but maybe that is all for the good, maybe, most definitely I will appreciate and be ever so grateful, when and if I make it to my goal...my dream.
To live on our own farm, to feed my family with pure God given materials because we work hard and we work together to make it work. We don't go to the grocery store to just pick up a cellophaned Styrofoam package of grain and soybean fed meat product...but yet again..that is story for another day...
Start small, but start somewhere....love ya are what ya eat guts....
Veggie Lasagna
12 whole wheat/whole grain lasagna noodles (I want the machine to start making my own...aaahem...hint hint)
1 carton whole ricotta cheese
1 cup whole cottage cheese
3 cups marinara sauce (I use my own bottled...or you could make it from scratch ..or you could buy a healthy one in a bottle..whatever works for you!)
1 egg
1 cup of mushrooms (I used canned)
1/2 onion
1 red or green pepper
1 small package of spinach
1 lb of colby cheese (and yes..I need a cow..because I know how these poor dairy cows are treated)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
and any other veggies you want to throw in there. Cook noodles according to instructions. Lightly saute onions, peppers and mushrooms (I threw garlic in there too), thaw, rinse and then squeeze water out of spinach. Mix veggies with ricotta, cottage cheese, 2 cups of sauce and egg. (I did it all in the pan to dirty less dishes.) Pour a little sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 pan, layer 3 noodles, then veggie mixture and cheese, repeat three times. After laying the last of the noodles, cover with marinara sauce, remaining amount of colby cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and Bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Serve with warm french bread......
the hubs said it was restaurant quality....not anything that he would order....but restaurant quality...thank you I think....
I have officially crossed over....
crossed over to the dark side....the side that is often misunderstood...the side that I thought was kooky...
the side my husband and family call....
wait for it......tree huggers...
the side that talks and thinks in terms of food...that side that I wished I had studied earlier....the side that is making daughter #1 call me a food nerd...which is better then a food nazi....which my husband has referred me too...remember soup nazi...yep....that long ago...
The side that believes in the sanctity of pure food... not processed cardboard junk...the side that sometimes looks a little wild eyed as they watch the latest government move to control food....
but I can't help it......I was already on the path to a better pattern of eating, and thought I was making better choices.....then I watched this...
Food, Inc
has altered my view of food, the big corporations that run these food monopolies and the government. I already questioned the government being my over all guardian...but this stamped it closed for me.
After feeling frustrated and helpless as I felt like my hands were tied because of the prohibitive cost of trying to feed a family of ten not only nutritiously but on Real Food and because...don't forget...I live in a town home that plowed under our community garden so that they could build some ugly box homes (another story for another time)...but I picked up myself....and realized that even small changes are a start.
So here are a few....
- Create a garden...even a small one...and work on starting another community garden.
- Buy local and only in season, no more buying tomatoes in the winter because we are longing for that warm sunshine sweetness that is only an illusion in tomatoes form Mexico...or even California.
- Purchase meat and eggs....even if it is only small quantities...from local resources....not from a grocery store, on a side note....I had felt better about myself for buying chicken that said minimally processed, nothing added, go me...and then my #3 suggested we go to their website...um...yeah....the chicken may be minimally processed but they are still bred in the same horrific conditions that have made farmers allergic to antibiotics and produced chickens that are nothing more then walking breasts...
- Add a lot more veggies to our diet.
- Sign up and support Farm to Legal Defense Fund.....even five bucks a month will make a difference.
- Start writing letters on the school lunch program....I already hear my kids complain about it...but I am sure it is even worse then they or I imagine.
- Continue to educate myself on food....and anyone else that will listen...or I can pin against a wall!!
Please bear with me, yes, dear, I am talking to you and to you out there in blogosphere..as we continue our journey back to the farm...it may be longer then it like, I may be taking more detours then I want, but maybe that is all for the good, maybe, most definitely I will appreciate and be ever so grateful, when and if I make it to my goal...my dream.
To live on our own farm, to feed my family with pure God given materials because we work hard and we work together to make it work. We don't go to the grocery store to just pick up a cellophaned Styrofoam package of grain and soybean fed meat product...but yet again..that is story for another day...
Start small, but start somewhere....love ya are what ya eat guts....
Veggie Lasagna
12 whole wheat/whole grain lasagna noodles (I want the machine to start making my own...aaahem...hint hint)
1 carton whole ricotta cheese
1 cup whole cottage cheese
3 cups marinara sauce (I use my own bottled...or you could make it from scratch ..or you could buy a healthy one in a bottle..whatever works for you!)
1 egg
1 cup of mushrooms (I used canned)
1/2 onion
1 red or green pepper
1 small package of spinach
1 lb of colby cheese (and yes..I need a cow..because I know how these poor dairy cows are treated)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
and any other veggies you want to throw in there. Cook noodles according to instructions. Lightly saute onions, peppers and mushrooms (I threw garlic in there too), thaw, rinse and then squeeze water out of spinach. Mix veggies with ricotta, cottage cheese, 2 cups of sauce and egg. (I did it all in the pan to dirty less dishes.) Pour a little sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 pan, layer 3 noodles, then veggie mixture and cheese, repeat three times. After laying the last of the noodles, cover with marinara sauce, remaining amount of colby cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and Bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Serve with warm french bread......
the hubs said it was restaurant quality....not anything that he would order....but restaurant quality...thank you I think....
2 comments:
I watched that a few weeks ago, and was horrified!! I kept telling Reed about it, and have begged him to watch it(he said he will sometime), and he says, "please don't turn into a crazy." Haha, he's afraid I'm going to try and take away his meat too, because I also watched "Forks over Knives." But like you, have decided more veggies, less meat, and staying away(as much as possible) from fast food and proccessed food. I've done a lot better on myself, but need to do better with Reed and the kids. It's like I'm ruining their health now and later if I don't.
Julie, I loose sleep over that very thing...making sure that I give my kids the very best start to life. I just have to keep reminding myself to do what I can when I can, and always do better when I know better. But talk about some anxiety attacks in the grocery store! The Lord must be tired of my prayer for a homestead/farm every night....but it is a worthy prayer, right?
I think you are an awesome mama!!! Ad I have learned so much from you about creating beauty all around!
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