Blog Love - Raw Foods And Beyond Organic

I just stumbled upon this blog "Food Renegade" while doing research about agave nectar.  This is where I would love to be in say, ten years.  She talks about the benefits in raw milk, free range eggs, grass fed and finished meat, organic fruit and veggies as well as tons of other healthier foods.

I love her newbie page and the strategy she lays out (kaizen) to slowly move yourself into eating better food.  Kristen Michaelis is a mom, who lives in Georgetown, Texas (very near and dear to my heart so close to Austin).  She has a wonderful voice, that doesn't berate or make you feel bad about your choices, but she educates and shows how simple food should really be.  Please check out her blog!

I think this is a must and something to work toward.  Changing the way we eat is difficult, food is the most basic part of our lives and the most important.  When you decide to make a change it can challenge your digestion, taste buds, your marriage!, your pocket book and can really upset those little urchins we love so much.  But if we hold fast to a change that we make and know that we are making our family healthier but do it in tiny little steps, it can be done. 

Some of the changes I have made over the last year:

• I buy white whole wheat flour to bake with.  It changes the texture of foods just slightly.  I have been doing this for awhile and even yesterday at the grocery store was tempted to buy the "all purpose" stuff.  But I didn't!  I held fast.  So it takes awhile to get used to the new taste.  I am sure that there is a better product that is healthier, but this is my baby step.
• This is the second season of buying grass fed beef (although admittedly it is not grass finished).  I do know that we should move to the grass fed and finished beef, but all in good time.  By the way, this is easy!  You do have to research a farmer, but ask around and you would be surprised at how many people "know someone".  You need a freezer (or a really great mother-in-law whole will give up part of hers) to keep all the beef in when you get it because buying in bulk brings the price down dramatically.  I buy a quarter of a cow and it lasts about nine months with a family of four (really should say three, because of Jac and Mia I generally fix one portion and split between the two) and eating beef one to two times per week.
• I have been buying the organic fruit and veggies that my grocer stocks.  I don't have the budget to go to Whole Foods and buy all organic.  But I do try and support my grocer with my purchase.  Vote with your dollars and the choices will broaden. 
• I have devoted a portion of my yard to growing veggies.  This is more experimental than anything.  I hope to learn more and more every year and be able to grow more of my own food, at least in the summer.  Here is a post about my garden.
• I dipped my toe into canning last year.  Craziness.  It is so easy!  It is definitely a two person job, though, especially if you have a couple of little ones running around under foot.  But I am definitely going to make more jelly this year and hopefully broaden that into some other tasty things that come out of my garden (pickles and salsa are on my radar).