I've been away too long - Tues March 31st - What I'm Eating

So I was out of town in Chicago last week, also suffering from a death cold, which is finally resolving - I think I'm down to blowing my nose only about a dozen times a day, which is at least a 90% improvement, and my voice sounds *almost* normal. We have only gone through 3 full-sized boxes of tissues in the last ten days...so it couldn't have been that bad!

Also a funny (not really) story about our trip - on the way home, we ran over a coyote, rest its soul. That is, a coyote threw itself in front of our van - it had a death wish, rest its soul! At first we thought it was ok for us, all bad for him, but then we began experiencing complications. Our van ended up with a busted front bumper, a trashed radiator, and heaven only knows what other internal damage. Of course all this was discovered in the middle of nowhere, Iowa, in the middle of the night. After a fun adventure involving two different tow-truck drivers, a random roadside motel, and a rental car, we finally made it home safely a full 24 hours later than planned, and our van is now still in Iowa City being repaired. Meanwhile hubby and I are sharing a car, since the bill on the rental was bad enough for just one day. In actuality, hubby ends up taking the car to work and I stay home all day. Its not so bad since we were gone all last week and I am feeling kind of homebody-ish, but I don't think this arrangement will be healthy for much longer. So that's the story...

OK, without further ado, the food info for today:

Breakfast: smoothie with kefir, frozen peaches, raw egg, half a banana, honey

Lunch: leftover lamb curry (with tomatoes, parsnips, peas, and quinoa)

Snack: most of a golden delicious apple

Dinner: Sizzler salad bar - clam chowder, romaine and spinach salad with beets, garbanzo beans, olives, and blue cheese dressing, far too much cheese toast, and soft serve vanilla ice cream with strawberry-banana sauce

Snack: organic hot chocolate made with raw milk

Analysis - all was going well until dinner... the clam chowder was chock full of potatoes, the toast was white bread, and then there was the ice cream...and the hot chocolate... then again, I had ice cream yesterday too, and cheesecake the day before that. I did not do so well on the diet while we were away - its pretty hard when you are out of town and you just don't feel like making a concerted effort, mostly because you are spending the majority of your energy wiping your snot and just trying to breathe. That being said, the sugar intake is probably one of the main reasons I got sick in the first place. Its true, sugar kills the immune system! Ah, its good to be back online spreading good cheer! :)

In all fairness, I have done a great job cooking this week up until today - on Saturday, I made whole wheat pasta with a ground beef and zucchini sauce, on Sunday I made the lamb curry, yesterday I made orange coconut chicken, and tomorrow I'm going to make either pot roast or adzuki bean soup. Little by little, day by day, I'm just trying to do better. Cooking at home is probably the biggest way to make sure I eat right, and its a lot easier to do when I am actually AT home! After that, I just have to resist the urges to go out and get dessert after dinner...that is my vulnerable time. Maybe I should be washing all those dishes and pots and pans during that time, instead of going out in search of sweets...??? :) But we all know that I have a pathological aversion to washing dishes...I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to it...

Sat March 21st - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: leftover enchilada with sour cream

Lunch: smoothie with kefir, banana, raw egg, agave syrup, mixed berries

Snack: Snap Pea Crisps

Dinner: Bison Stroganoff with whole wheat linguini and steamed asparagus

All day: drinking Garlic Lemonade with honey, and 2 glasses of Emergen-C - I'm sick - waaaahhh!

Analysis: Well, I didn't eat sweets today so I feel pretty good about that. I do not feel good about this cold. I forgot to mention that yesterday I took a walk for an hour and a half. It was great to get out and get some exercise, but I'm pretty sore today! Out of shape!!!

Fri March 20th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: smoothie - kefir, banana, frozen mixed berries, raw egg, agave syrup, coconut oil

Lunch: apple, orange, carrots, carrot chips - shared with a friend and/or the little guy

Dinner: Fish fry - fish, tartar sauce, french fries, cole slaw, iced tea, half a glass of beer, custard bar, lemon poppyseed cake

After dinner: hot chocolate made with water and cream (I'm out of milk)

Analysis: no protein at lunch, very naughty dinner...apparently I can't resist Lenten food...which is funny because I can never seem to really get into Lent. I am developing a sore throat tonight - after the little guy and hubby have been sick for two weeks and I've been fine, now I'm getting sick just as they're getting better!!! Off to swallow a garlic clove and gargle some Emergen-C before bed!

Thurs March 19th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: smoothie with kefir, banana, frozen mango, raw egg and raw honey

Lunch: leftover Olive Garden breadsticks

Snack: a couple of cheddar sunflower seed crackers

Dinner: baked chicken breast with spinach, mushrooms, and brown rice, in cream sauce

Dessert: organic hot chocolate made with raw milk

Analysis: lunch was very bad - I had to work a bit this morning and it kind of threw my rhythm for the whole day off... I have been doing a lot of griping and venting, and I feel like I might be starting to get things off my chest and moving back towards a better place...starting... Next week we'll be in Chicago, and I think that will be good for me.

Weds March 18th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: smoothie with kefir, raw egg, raw honey, frozen cherries - forgot the banana today, definitely not as good without it...

Lunch: half a leftover enchilada with sour cream

Dinner: Olive Garden - salad, breadsticks with oil and vinegar, chicken and shrimp dish with parmesean cream sauce, red bell peppers, and pancetta.

Snack: Olive Garden leftovers

Analysis: Today was a pretty good day, but I shouldn't have had breadsticks at Olive Garden, and I should have asked for whole wheat pasta. The former I chose to eat on purpose, and the latter I forgot until it was too late. If you want to get technical, I should have had some veggies with lunch too, and snacked on something healthy at least once.

I had a good vent with a friend on the phone today, and I guess it just boils down to every time you go to put something in your mouth, you have a decision to make. You know if its right or wrong. You know if you choose right, you might feel sad or deprived now, but you know if you choose wrong, you'll feel guilty and depressed afterwards. When you are in a good mood and feeling strong, its really pretty easy to choose rightly, but if something has already thrown you into a funk, it becomes a vicious cycle: you don't care if its wrong because you want it, because you feel bad, but then you eat it and you continue to feel bad, which makes you care less and make more bad choices. Grrrrrrr. Of course, exercising makes you feel good, but when you feel grouchy, you don't feel like exercising either...

Tues March 17th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: smoothie with kefir, frozen mango, banana, raw egg, raw honey

Lunch: carrot chips and a string cheese

Dinner: pork and vegetable stir fry with mushrooms, snow peas, orange bell pepper, jicama, scallions, and garlic. brown rice

Dessert: a few bites of oreo cheesecake

Snack: Ezekiel tortilla quesadillas with raw milk cheese

Analysis: I needed a better lunch, for sure! Dinner was great, if a little on the light side, so I've found myself hungry again before bed...

So I've been slacking on posting again over the weekend - sorry! I ate many bad things that I should not have eaten - too evil to repeat. I don't have any good excuses... wait, are there ever any good excuses? One thing this blog has definitely made me realize is how much of an emotional eater I am - I never really identified that way before. I knew I ate when I was bored, but clearly, I also eat, and make very bad food choices, when I am upset. I have been grouchy about hubby's job situation for a few weeks now, with another hiccup occurring late last week and fermenting over the weekend. Apparently grouchy = I just do not care what garbage I eat. Sweets make me feel better in the (very) short term, so I eat them. Then my blood sugar goes up and I feel gross, and then I feel guilty knowing that I have just hastened the onset of Type II Diabetes yet again. Wow - it sounds obvious, but this is actually somewhat of a revelation for me. I obviously need to find better ways of dealing with these emotions. I suppose identifying the real reasons that I feel like eating the bad stuff when I feel that way would be the place to start, and then trying to deal with that directly. I think one reason I have been eating instead of dealing is because there is not that much I can do to resolve the problem... I need to learn to resolve my feelings about the problem, even if I can't actually correct the issue. Easier said than done, huh?

A long time ago, I DVR'd a series from TV called "I Can Make You Thin." I only watched a little of it, but I still have it saved. I think the guy deals with some of these things, so maybe I should actually watch it and try it out.

Fri March 13th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: donut and cappuccino from the gas station (they didn't have any fruit - or anything healthy, for that matter...)

Lunch: BK Big Fish sandwich

Dinner: fish fry - baked fish w/tartar sauce, lots of green beans, mac and cheese, lemon bar and poppy seed cake (both shared with hubby and the little guy)

Snack: organic goldfish crackers

Analysis: WOW, it must be the curse of Friday the 13th! I was unknowingly running late for work this morning and literally as I set the blender on the base this morning, my phone rang - it was my boss asking me where I was. So into the car we went immediately, instead of fixing my healthy breakfast and take-along lunch. It was all downhill from there. Dear God - I need to start over!

Thurs March 12th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: leftover quiche and a smoothie with kefir, frozen cherries, banana, raw egg and raw honey

Lunch: Spaghetti Works whole wheat pasta with pomodoro sauce, mushrooms and shrimp. Spinach salad with beets, eggs, olives, and blue cheese dressing. chocolate pudding.

Snack: organic goldfish crackers and raisins

Dinner: leftover chicken noodle soup

Analysis: I splurged on the chocolate pudding at lunch, even though I very much did not deserve a splurge, and now I am paying for it with, well, let's just call it lactose intolerance... I also got too much white flour again today - the crackers are just too yummy, and they're organic! I bring them with us for the little guy to snack on when we're out, but it ends up being one for him, one for me... I probably shouldn't be feeding them to him either, since they're white flour... If its going to be like that, I guess we better be on the hunt for a whole grain cracker that he likes...

Weds March 11th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: smoothie with kefir, frozen peaches, banana, raw egg, raw honey

Lunch: leftover ham and cheese quiche, organic goldfish crackers

Dinner: homemade chicken noodle soup

Snack: more soup

Analysis: I staved off the sugar today...I still had some white flour with the crackers and the noodles in the soup... I would like to say I feel proud of myself for avoiding sugar today, but I am really just suffering with the cravings, and still feeling guilty from the donuts...

Tues March 10th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: smoothie - kefir, frozen peaches, banana, raw egg, raw honey

Lunch: leftover bison roast, buttered peas

Dinner: ham and cheese quiche with whole wheat crust, braised vegetables - carrots, cabbage, and cauliflower

Sin: an entire bag of powdered donuts, snacked upon throughout the day...

Analysis: need I say more? I feel sick. You would think I would learn my lesson one of these days, but it was a rough day, and they were in the house...I couldn't stop myself. Now they're gone, and I'll be warning hubby to never ever bring those kind of things into the house again! Yes, its all his fault...

What's Wrong with "Politically Correct" Nutrition?

A new way of thinking about nutrition
(or should I say an old way)
from the Weston A. Price Foundation

PC DIETARY GUIDELINES
PC DIETARY DANGERS

Avoid saturated fats Saturated fats play many important roles in the body. They provide integrity to the cell membrane, enhance the body's use of essential fatty acids, enhance the immune system, protect the liver and contribute to strong bones. Saturated fats do not cause heart disease. In fact, saturated fats are the preferred food for the heart. Your body makes saturated fats out of carbohydrates.

Limit cholesterol Dietary cholesterol contributes to the strength of the intestinal wall and helps babies and children develop a healthy brain and nervous system. Foods that contain cholesterol also provide many other important nutrients. Only oxidized cholesterol, found in powdered milk and eggs, contributes to heart disease. Powdered milk is added to 1% and 2% milk.

Use more polyunsaturated oils Polyunsaturates in more than small amounts contribute to cancer, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, learning disabilities, intestinal problems and premature aging. Large amounts of polyunsaturated fats are new to the human diet, due to the modern use of commercial liquid vegetable oils.

Avoid red meat Red meat is a rich source of nutrients that protect the heart and nervous system including vitamins B12 and B6, zinc, phosphorus, carnitine and Coenzyme Q10.

Cut back on eggs Eggs are nature's perfect food, providing excellent protein, the gamut of nutrients and important fatty acids that contribute to the health of the brain and nervous system. Americans had less heart disease when they ate more eggs. Egg substitutes cause rapid death in test animals.

Eat lean meat and drink lowfat milk Lean meat and lowfat milk lack fat soluble vitamins needed to assimilate protein and minerals in meat and milk. Consumption of low-fat foods can lead to depletion of vitamin A and D reserves.

Limit fat consumption to 30% of calories 30% calories as fat is too low for most people, leading to low blood sugar and fatigue. Traditional diets contained 40% to 80% of calories as healthy fats, mostly of animal origin.

Eat 6-11 servings of grains per day Most grain products are made from white flour, which is devoid of nutrients. Additives in white flour can cause vitamin deficiencies. Whole grain products can cause mineral deficiencies and intestinal problems unless properly prepared.

Restrict salt Salt is crucial to digestion and assimilation. Salt is also necessary for the development and functioning of the nervous system.

At least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day Fruits and vegetables receive an average of 10 applications of pesticides, from seed to storage. Consumers should seek out organic produce. Quality counts!

Eat more soy foods Modern soy foods block mineral absorption, inhibit protein digestion, depress thyroid function and contain potent carcinogens.

thanks to my friend J for putting this up on her blog...there are so many great articles on the Weston A. Price site, I could post them all!

Mon March 9th - What I'm Eating

Sorry this is a little late...

Breakfast: smoothie with kefir, frozen mixed berries, banana, raw egg, raw honey

Lunch: leftover kale soup - its finally gone now!

Dinner: Roasted chicken and leftover vegetable trio - that is finally gone now too!

Snack: 4 fruit snacks made with 100% real fruit and no added sugar, small scoop of Mocha gelato from Whole Foods

Snack: 1 piece whole wheat crust hawaiian pizza

Analysis: I have to stop this late night eating! I am loving the breakfast smoothies, though - they hit my craving for sweet, but have plenty of protein, and I am so excited about all the extra vitamins and enzymes that I am getting from the kefir and the raw egg. I decided it didn't need the extra regular milk...

Sun March 8th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: smoothie with homemade kefir, whole milk, frozen mixed berries, banana, raw egg, and agave syrup

Lunch: leftover kale soup

Snack: 1 cube of cheese, some ritz-type crackers with some unknown cream cheese-based dips, a couple of strawberries, and 3 bites of cake

Dinner: Famous Dave's chopped pork, green beans, apples, corn, cornbread

Beverage: Panera Chai Tea Latte - it said it was sweetened with honey...

Snack: leftover whole wheat crust hawaiian pizza

Analysis: Breakfast was SO AWESOME!!!! I was afraid with the egg in it, it would taste weird or have a gross texture, but it was actually one of the best smoothies I've ever had! I swear you could have gotten it at Orange Julius! We went to a baby shower after lunch, hence the strange snack and the cake. I was able to employ the 3 bite rule quite successfully, but I probably should have abstained from the ritz-type crackers...there weren't really any better options though, besides eating nothing, and what fun is that? At dinner I shouldn't have eaten the cornbread, and probably not the apples either, but... I still need to get more veggies in all around, and we have got to stop eating out so much! Its hard when company is in town. On the up-side, I did give away the gluten/soy/dairy (but not sugar) free cookies I had made for the girls night out on Fri...so I'm not eating those! Honestly they weren't even that good - a little underdone - but I would have eaten them all anyway if they had been here! Tomorrow I'm roasting the chicken that had been meant for yesterday - its been in the fridge - hopefully it's thawed by then!

Sat March 7th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: leftover kale soup

Lunch: McDonald's McChicken sandwich - and a cheeseburger

Dinner: Papa John's whole wheat crust pizza with ham and pineapple

Analysis: I am embarrassed by today's forage...my mother-in-law is in town, whom I adore, but we were out all day shopping. The place we went, I thought had a place to get deli sandwiches, but it was closed and the only other thing was McD's. I got the McChicken off the dollar menu, thinking it was grilled, but it was fried. At that point I was still hungry, and was disenchanted because I had already blown it so bad, so I got a cheeseburger too. Then we came home and I went to prepare the chicken I had taken out to thaw this morning that I was going to roast. It was still frozen solid. So we ordered pizza - at least the crust was 100% whole wheat. Ugh! So much for buckling down on my diet...

Part of this blog is to function as a deterrent to me, motivating me to make better choices, knowing that I'll have to fess up to them later. And of course, since I know I'll still end up making bad choices sometimes, its also to prove that its a process, not an easy one in this world, and to show whoever might be reading this that it is indeed very hard, and theoretically that you can't beat yourself up over every transgression. That being said, I still do! Well, tomorrow is another day...

Friday March 6th - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: leftover kale soup

Lunch: Ezekiel corn tortilla quesadilla with raw milk cheese, leftover vegetable trio

Dinner: fish fry - baked fish, green & kidney bean salad, mac and cheese, bread and butter, jello, a couple bites of a really nasty cherry cream cheese pie...

Dessert: a gluten/soy/dairy free sugar cookie, a bite of brownie, a piece of sushi, an orange slice, a few chocolate covered almonds, iced tea

Analysis - tonight we had a girl's night out, so I enjoyed some of the delicious things that people had brought to share... I think I did better on veggies today, but still too much sugar and white flour...I should have skipped the mac and cheese and bread at the fish fry. If I am going to be off my medication, I really need to start being much more strict on my diet. No joke. Its just so hard when you are out and about, and when seasonal things come along like fish frys... Doesn't matter - must stay focused or will become diabetic in the near future!

I had another round of acupuncture today just to follow through with what we did on Tues, and I have to tell you, my lungs feel back to normal. I haven't used the inhaler at all today, or felt like I needed it! I guess we'll see how long that lasts... I still do not know if it was merely asthma, if it was related to the medication I was taking, or what. I guess in a couple weeks I will be retested to make sure I still really need the medication, and then I will decide whether to go back on it or not. I don't really want to be on a daily asthma treatment, esp not a steroid, so I am hoping that whatever the problem was, it doesn't come back! Hopefully it was the liver stagnation and the acupuncture just cleared that up - assuming that going back on the meds wouldn't aggravate that again, I think we'd be in the clear. Regardless, if my insulin is still too high, I will go back on it, and I guess I will just have to get acupuncture more regularly to keep myself in better balance. Like I said, I really need to buckle down on my diet. I am constantly faced with times where my willpower is tested, and I have been giving in every time lately! I've got to get it together!

By the way, I asked the acupuncturist again today about her education, and she actually did 4 years of undergrad plus 4 years of acupuncture school - that is as much as an MD! I am SO impressed and cannot understand why they have such restrictive practice laws - well actually, I can. Its the drs trying to protect their monopoly again - if people found out that acupuncture could help them without expensive drugs and surgery, they might do that instead!

Thurs March 5th - What I'm Eating

Yesterday:
Breakfast: french toast with real maple syrup, blueberries

Lunch: Ezekiel corn tortilla quesadilla with raw milk cheese, banana

Dinner: Poached salmon with sun-dried tomato sauce, vegetable trio (zucchini, eggplant, tomato)

Dessert: a few bites of leftover Maggie Moo ice cream


Today:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with raw milk cheese, apple

Lunch: grilled chicken breast, wild rice pilaf, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot veggie mix, and a dinner roll.

Dinner: Paradise Cafe meatball panini, ceasar salad, chocolate chip cookie

Analysis: Too much dessert, but otherwise not bad. I do justify french toast because its made with good bread and each piece includes basically a half an egg. If you go easy on the syrup, really, its no worse than any kind of egg and toast.

Today was an insanely busy moment in my life - I was at the Capitol most of the day for our committee hearing for our bills, which was exciting and scary, and I wasn't even testifying! Everyone who did was fantastic though! So its back to the business of lobbying now, trying to pressure them to pass our bills out of committee to the floor. However, this is a pretty routine type of process, so as I ease out of work mode and back into domestic mode, my house is already getting cleaner and I am increasingly able to cook. It doesn't help anything that I nearly cut off two of my fingers on my left hand the other day (when preparing the squash, did I mention that?) But they are on the mend so I should be able to do the dishes again soon. Don't tell hubby, but I probably could just get some rubber gloves in the meantime. I really hate dishes, so I'm content to let him at least wash the things that don't go in the dishwasher for now! He's such a great hubby! ;)

Tues March 3rd - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, Ezekiel toast with cultured pasture butter and cherry preserves, a little bit of leftover bison roast

Lunch: leftover Portuguese Kale Soup

Snack: banana and some raw milk cheese

Dinner: leftover kale soup and more bison roast, with a little A-1 sauce

Dessert: Maggie Moo's ice cream - single scoop

Analysis: I was doing so well until the evening, then the sugar craving hit and the willpower caved to the ice cream... Ice cream is actually not the worst cheat in the world (in great moderation) because at least it has some fat and protein with it to slow down the sugar a little. But if I am going to have it, I really should be having the all-natural stuff, not a brand of which I do not know the ingredients, because more likely than not, it probably contains the dreaded high fructose corn syrup.

I got acupuncture today for the second time ever, and it was lovely. The acupuncturist said that according to chinese medicine, when you are stressed, even just normal life stress, it can be tough on your liver, and that in combination with my medication, might have caused my liver to attack my lungs of sorts. I am not very well-versed in chinese medicine, so I can't explain it any better than that, but when I told her the story, that is what immediately came to her mind. I do think there is a lot of wisdom in that healing modality - it is a system that has existed for over 3000 years, so there must be something to it! I asked her how long acupuncturists go to school and she said 4 years - I was actually surprised it was that long - it must be a very extensive training! Anyway, she did overall energy balancing, lung support, relaxation, and also a little help for my reproductive system... Just like the first time I tried it, I have been feeling better and better as the day went on. I am excited for tomorrow because I suspect I will be feeling quite great. Tonight I already did a lot of cleaning that I hadn't been able to keep up with before.

Some people will want to say that its all psychosomatic, and for one thing, in my experience, I really do not think it is because I experienced benefits I never anticipated, and for another thing, so what if it is? If it makes people better, it has achieved its purpose, right? That's what MDs do when they hand out antibiotics for viral infections, which they do all the time... The ER doctors wanted to give me Ativan or Zoloft...no thanks - I'd rather have needles stuck in me all day than take drugs with potentially toxic side effects, when I do not even feel that I have an anxiety issue! I am sure those medications truly help a lot of people who really do need them, but I know I do not fall in that category - at least not right now! And even if I did, I certainly would want to try more wholistic (read: non-pharmaceutical) forms of treatment first... Acupuncture not only helps relieve stress, it also helps balance energy and can support your body in healing itself! Why just mask the symptoms when I can do something to potentially actually heal the deeper problem, whatever that may be? Anyway, I've gotten into a rant here, and I know when you start talking about anti-depressants some people get a little ruffled. So please understand that I am simply talking about my personal experience with this situation at the moment, and that I would never hold anything against someone who used those medications when they felt they needed it. That being said, I am exploring alternative therapies to those, and want to share the knowledge that I am gaining about it so that maybe others will think of trying it for themselves if they are looking for some sort of solutions... I will update as to the further developments!

Mon March 2nd - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with raw milk cheese

Lunch: the rest of the scrambled eggs with raw milk cheese, and blueberries

Dinner: Portuguese Kale Soup - onions, carrots, garlic, parsnips, white beans, tomatoes, italian sausage, kale

Analysis: The soup was SO good! And the recipe made a huge amount, so we will be eating it for a while... I should have had some kind of carbs for breakfast. The raw cheese on the eggs was great, though - I will have to get used to going without my usual colby jack and cheddar, but I know its the best thing to do. That being said, there is still some of that in the fridge I will need to use up - no reason to waste it!

Sun March 1st - What I'm Eating

Breakfast: yogurt with frozen berries and agave syrup

Lunch: Burger King Crispy Chicken Sandwich, one or two onion rings

Dinner: Bison roast, asparagus, acorn squash with cultured pasture butter and raw honey. dried cranberries

Snack: dark chocolate raisins, and a little cherry chip gelato...shared with the little guy...

Analysis: so today was up and down. Or should I say down and up? Lunch was embarrassing. We were waiting for something and Burger King was the only thing around, but still, I should have chosen better. But dinner was ecstasy! The bison roast came out perfect - like prime rib! (I put it in a roasting bag with some chicken broth at 250-275ish degrees for 2 hours...) The squash was great - the little guy was begging for more! And I always like asparagus... The best part is that there is plenty of roast left over to eat later!

At the grocery store I looked around for raw cheeses - they had a bunch! I got two to try - they are expensive, but that will just mean that we will have to eat less of it, and/or learn to make our own. I wonder how hard that is???

I am excited about our meal plan this week - I'll be roasting a chicken again, and also cooking with fish stock for the first time. I'm not making it myself - the store didn't have any fish bones, but they did carry the fish stock already frozen. I thought, hey, for $3.99, its not worth the trouble to make my own! That is, of course, assuming they have not somehow screwed it up by, for example, pasteurizing it...I didn't check. I'm ordering my kefir grains and I can't wait to go to the farm and get some raw milk!