How to Afford Real Food

The cost of food has been going up lately, and is expected to go up even more with rising fuel costs.  Most of us agree that we all could eat better so how can we do that with limited time and budget?
For many people who go on a “diet” or make changes to lifestyles it also involves spending more money. So what are some ways we can stay within our budgets and not break the bank on buying higher quality food? 

1. Don’t Cook Separate Food for each Person - Baring any spherically  needed special diets, everyone in the house eats the same. This means if little Joey needs to be gluten free you make most of the meals gluten free. Really it won’t hurt the rest of the family.
2. Buy Local – even if you don’t have a farmer’s market near by, you can still buy local. There is always someone who has extra eggs to sell, or more vegetables than they can eat in their garden.
3. Swap with a friend or neighbor Do you have a bumper crop of squash and your neighbor perhaps has more tomatoes than that small town in Spain that does the tomato fight? If so , then swap with each other, win-win in my book.
4. Eat within the Season – not only does this help your pocketbook, the food always tastes better in season. Anyone want a January peach? I didn’t think so.
5. Shop the Farmer’s Market – these are a great resource, we have been known to get free food at the end of a market day because farmers don’t want to load it up and take it home.
6. Eat Less Meat  - when you eat less meat, you can eat a higher quality of meat and not spend anymore on your food.
7. Eat more Beans, and Nuts  - It has only been in the last century that Americans have decided that each meal must have meat.
8. Divert some of your other Budget Items to Food – Really, think how much you need that new pair of shoes, I know they are pretty but do you have more shoes than you wear already? That shoe money can buy a couple of nice grass fed roasts that will make at least two meals each. (I do love shoes, but come on even for a mostly vegan person like myself – I still do want some good steak)
9. Don’t' buy junk food. There I said it. Junk Food is just that- food that does not nourish the body or soul. Junk Food in my house is defined as any food that is artificially colored or sweetened, or uses hydrogenated anything.
10. Grow or make more of your own food. We recently started making our own Cliff Bars at home. This takes my dear husband about an hour a week, but we end up with the equivalent of 30 bars. We also put in a small kitchen garden each year.
11. Eat out Less – how much do you spend on eating out? I cringe at the thought of eating out or having to drive through the drive-thru because I know how much Real Food I could purchase with that money. Hmm $40 on a a meal out for the family or my meat share at the co-op?  Let me think about that.
12. Eat Leftovers – We regularly have nights where I don’t cook dinner but rather we will clear out the leftovers from the fridge and have a leftover buffet.

What are YOUR favorite ways to say money while eating Real Food?

This post is linked up with Green and Natural Mamas, Your Green Resource, Simple Lives Thursdays, Living Well Blog Hop

Is There Chocolate in Your Hair?

Regular readers probably already know that I use a no-poo method of washing my hair. Most of the time this is namely the Baking Soda ACV method.  But on those mornings I am running behind and think I can push the hair one more day I have a trick.
You may have already guessed what that trick is from the tittle. But you may be wondering how I use chocolate in my hair. I will take some cocoa powder and put it on a bristle brush and then brush it through my hair. Not only does the cocoa absorb the oils in my hair it gives my hair a nice red tint (well at least the white hairs). Someone will comment on my hair and wonder if I have colored it recently.
Why Use Cocoa Powder?
Cocoa is full of anti-oxidants, they are still there in the powder form, The anti oxidants are good for your hair too.  Cocoa is also high in magnesium, a nutrient missing or sorely lacking in most of our diets. Remember what you put on your body does end up in your body.
If you want to go further Crunchy Betty has a great hair mask treatment recipe using cocoa and yogurt. I just might have to give this a try.
Have you tried any interesting things in your hair lately? Let us know how they work here.

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Update on New Diets

Earlier this year I wrote trying new diets, I adopted Dr. Fuhrman’s  Eat to Live Plan. In summary it is a mostly vegan eating plan with limited meat and no dairy products. I am allotted 12 oz. of meat a week. For the most part I spread this allotment out in 2 oz. portions a day. Some days I choose to be eat completely vegan. I also am following the gluten free version of this plan, as I suspect gluten plays a part in some of underlying auto-immune issues.
I will say this about the plan

1. I was never hungry.
2. I almost never eat 1lb of fresh vegetables or 1lb of cooked vegetables, mainly because THAT is a LOT of food.
3. I have never before lost weight this easily. Without effort I lost 9 lbs. in 6 weeks. (meaning no vigorous work out routine)
4. The redness in my face has diminished to the point that I no longer need to wear “green makeup” to reduce the appearance of redness in my face
5. I now crave things like sweet potatoes, lentils and brown rice, seriously.

My 6 weeks was up last Thursday, just in time for me to enjoy the Mardi Gras party at church, but I still kept to the eating plan, however this Sunday and Monday I probably ate 12 oz. of meat in those two days, but hey I figured Lent was coming up and I would be abstaining and fasting so it was okay.
I will be continuing the Fuhrman Eat to Live Plan for the next 6 weeks. The book recommends giving the plan a couple of months to ameliorate issues such as eczema and psoriasis and other auto immune issues. This plan also fits in perfectly for Lent, the fact that it is a vegetable based diet.
Now I do eat meat, but since I eat such a small amount I make sure it is the of the best quality, meaning I do not get my meat from the supermarket.  I do not spend anymore on my groceries than I was before because I am buying less food but of a higher quality.  For example I buy just about the right amount of meat to last two people a week and it works for a family of five for two weeks.
Is this a lifestyle for everyone? Probably not, without knowing it, I have been working towards this lifestyle now for two years. Various health practitioners have been recommending this sort of life style for me for a while.  While some may be able to jump in full on, for me it was easier to make a change stick by going gradually, working on one habit at time.

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How to Get Kids Outside to Play

This is another in the series about Kids and Play - You can read more here and here and here 
Kids desperately need play but they also need time to play outside. Studies have shown that kids who play outside have fewer behavioral problems. Organized sports are good but I am talking about REAL Play, where kids run around and create for themselves.

1. Encourage outdoor adventures: Reserve time for outdoor play where children can run, climb, find secret hiding places and dream up dramas. Natural materials – sticks, mud, water, rocks – are the raw materials of play..
   
2. Bring back the art of real work: Believe it or not, adult activity – cooking, raking, cleaning, washing the car – actually inspires children to play. Children like to help for short periods, then break off and play
   
3. Let kids help in the garden and yard, even if they do use Tonka trucks to move the weeds.
   
4. Go for a hike with your kids – we are blessed to have 5 acres to romp and explore on but frankly if I do go with them they always stay right around the house.  But if you don’t have woods or trails near by you just get them out in the neighborhood for a walk
   
5. Buy some sidewalk chalk – I can’t tell you how much this $5 investment pays off every year. As soon as it is warm enough my kids are outside there drawing roads to drive on, Hop scotch courses and creating art work.  (if you are wondering I buy the biggest bucket of chalk I can get and dole out colors 3 at a time.)
   
6. Let kids get dirty, kids need to know that it is okay to get dirty when they are playing. Raise your hand if you had school clothes, and play clothes growing up. I know I did, and my kids do too. When kids know they can play outside and not worry about getting dirty they are more free to play.
   
7. Make your backyard child friendly, have a place that kids can play, remember kids like to dig, so you might want to have a sandbox for them to play in, or else they end up in your garden.
   
8. Take advantage of local natural areas, go to the lake, the state park or even the botanical garden. One of my kids favorite places to go and play are the gardens or our local Art Museums. Yes my kids play at Art Museums.
   
9. Take some of your inside activities outside, let kids paint outside or even just read. Remember they are OUTSIDE
   
10. Encourage all sorts of play outside. All outside play is equal, whether it is social play, team sports, creative play, or just running around like an airplane play, or having a contest to see who can jump the jump up the furthest from a park bench.  (yes, they did  in skirts on Mother’s Day) 

this post is linked up to Green and Natural Mamas, Seasonal Celebrations @ Natural Mothers Network

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What the Kids are Saying

Yes my kids have said these things, I am not making this stuff up.

Pi (almost 14) to younger brother (7) – “but my Dragon is organic”
Pi  - again “mom, are those strawberries organic? You know how much pesticides they use right? They are out of season right now, where did they come from?” (I guess your kids DO listen to you)
Peanut “Let’s taco the Taco Truck to China Town”  - seriously I wouldn’t believe it if my kids did not play two feet from me.

Pi – whackadasical, that’s a real word? No dear the word is lackadaisical
Pi – I wonder what would happened if you ate Mentos then drank diet coke? (of course neither of these are found in my house)

After looking back at these things it is hard to believe that Pi is the brightest kid in her class. Yup, makes you wonder sometimes, seriously though she is a straight A student and in the gifted and talented program, and I always thought it was Peanut who said the "blonde" things.

Preparing for and Observing Lent

Lent for me is a time of renewal. Strangely I look forward to it each year as a reason to simplify my life and renew myself.  For some that may include retreats and acts of service.
For us Lent as a family usually includes stations of the cross on Fridays and adoration. We also give up as a family TV time and enjoy  meatless Wednesdays and Fridays for the family for all of Lent.
In years past I have opted to go vegan for all of Lent as has my husband, who has followed a Raw Food Diet. Regular Readers may remember that I have chosen earlier this year to adopt a diet that is gluten free and vegan, by default my family is enjoying this diet (at least at home).  
While many have plenty of activities they like to do for Lent, I prefer to keep our Lent simple. We eat simple meals on Friday’s no elaborate vegetarian feasts,  spend more time together as a family.
Lent is a time of preparing through fasting, prayer and almsgiving. We fast by abstaining from meat and giving up sweets and other treats, we pray with the community going to stations of the cross, adoration and Solemn Vespers. We practice almsgiving by raising money for the poor or taking on a family service project.

If you are looking for more Ideas for Lent please check out these resources
101 Practical Fasting Ideas for Lent a great list of different ways you can fast and prepare for Lent.  This list is filled with the normal you would expect and then has some you may not have thought of.
Lenten Resources Kitchen Stewardship Style What can I say? Katie is one of my favorite bloggers, and then I discovered that she was Catholic. Be still my heart. She shares not only recipes, but ideas for observing Lent with a family.
Catholic Icing – another of one of my favorite blogs. She has all those great ideas you wish you had for all things Catholic, but especially for kids. This link will take you to a wonderful resource of all sorts of bloggers who are sharing their ideas for Lent.
Now it is YOUR turn. How do YOU like to observe Lent? Share with us here in the comments section below. Come on you know you want to.




this post is linked up with Lent Link UP

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My Natural Beauty Routine

(a special thanks to my model – my daughter Pi)
I have always been interested in a natural beauty routine as long as I can remember. When I was a teen my beauty routine consisted of using Neutrogena soap with witch hazel as an astringent, later after I discovered the wonders of aloe Vera while on Spring Break in the Bahamas. I kept up with this very simple beauty routine for many years.
I was always looking for a way to simplify and reduce the toxins n my home and body.
In the last couple of years I have refined my beauty routine. I no longer use shampoo of any kind. I no longer use soap on my face. (I do use a homemade, by someone else soap on the smelly parts of my body). So what do I do?

1. When my face needs it I wash it with honey. As someone with dry skin this has been a great find for me, but it also works for my teen daughter who tends to have that oily t-zone.
2. At church the other day I mentioned that I do NOT use shampoo I got some interested looks and some questions. I have been using the No-Poo Method.  While it may take a little effort to wash my hair I don’t wash my hair as often. Now is I work out and get a little sweaty I simply rinse my hair and spray it with a little Apple Cider Vinegar. On days I think I can stretch my hair another day I will simply brush a little cocoa into it. Don’t laugh it smells great and gives a nice red tint to my premature grey streaks.
3. When my hands need a little TLC I use some Coconut Oil. I just dip my hands in the jar get a little bit and massage it in. My gardener’s hands are very happy.

Do You have any Natural Beauty Secrets?

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