Comments on: ROTTEN FOOD http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/rotten-food/ Just another WordPress site Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:17:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Chrome http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/rotten-food/#comment-1247 Chrome Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:24:24 +0000 http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/31/rotten-food/#comment-1247 I belong to a CSA and get supplemental fruits and veg at the farmers market. The boy and I at least once a week get our dinner meat there as well, but it is soooo expensive....and now that I have the added allergies eating well is just going to cost more. Because of the yeast problem and the cow's milk problem, I can only eat blue cheese made from goat's milk. $22.99/lb. I have to buy rice pastas and quinoa ringing in at $5-7 per bag. So, my living better efforts are both conscious and forced, but dang it, I better come out of this the picture of health. One of my big things about eating locally is it also forces you to eat seasonally....foods just taste better when you eat them in season. So, at least we got that going for us. I just re-read that and I seem very incoherent. I belong to a CSA and get supplemental fruits and veg at the farmers market. The boy and I at least once a week get our dinner meat there as well, but it is soooo expensive….and now that I have the added allergies eating well is just going to cost more. Because of the yeast problem and the cow’s milk problem, I can only eat blue cheese made from goat’s milk. $22.99/lb.
I have to buy rice pastas and quinoa ringing in at $5-7 per bag.
So, my living better efforts are both conscious and forced, but dang it, I better come out of this the picture of health.
One of my big things about eating locally is it also forces you to eat seasonally….foods just taste better when you eat them in season. So, at least we got that going for us.

I just re-read that and I seem very incoherent.

]]> By: Chris http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/rotten-food/#comment-1246 Chris Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:24:02 +0000 http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/31/rotten-food/#comment-1246 Part of the problem is that we don't talk about food as food anymore. When companies talk, they talk about nutrition. And now we do it to. You can exist on a bland protein paste that is nutritious. When we visited Seattle and Portland, we ate all the time, and I still lost weight. I didn't overeat because the food was more than tasty; it was satisfying. Part of the problem is that we don’t talk about food as food anymore. When companies talk, they talk about nutrition. And now we do it to. You can exist on a bland protein paste that is nutritious.

When we visited Seattle and Portland, we ate all the time, and I still lost weight. I didn’t overeat because the food was more than tasty; it was satisfying.

]]> By: Gertrude http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/rotten-food/#comment-1245 Gertrude Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:07:07 +0000 http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/31/rotten-food/#comment-1245 I am with you until the wheels come off! And just like Al Gore and the light bulbs....it takes one person at a time to change the utter complete horrible madness that has become food in our country. I encourage you to read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen. It helped me. I was shopping EBAY for a plastic bubble suit and trying to figure out how to survive in the pesticide covered world and the book opened me up and lifted me up. I am gosh darn proud and inspired by you and Chris.... babe, you make it look easy! And bravo! bravo! on dinnertime! Slow food for us all! I am with you until the wheels come off!
And just like Al Gore and the light bulbs….it takes one person at a time to change the utter complete horrible madness that has become food in our country.
I encourage you to read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollen.
It helped me.
I was shopping EBAY for a plastic bubble suit and trying to figure out how to survive in the pesticide covered world and the book opened me up and lifted me up.
I am gosh darn proud and inspired by you and Chris….
babe, you make it look easy!
And bravo! bravo! on dinnertime!
Slow food for us all!

]]> By: Cindy http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/rotten-food/#comment-1244 Cindy Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:49:14 +0000 http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/31/rotten-food/#comment-1244 Kristina, I didn't even touch on the health risk of eating that crap because I didn't want this entry to turn into a novel. Our local CSA has a waiting list and I've been able to split some baskets with my boss, but it's been really limited and sketchy this year (we haven't had a basket in three weeks). I agree with growing your own. My parents did it for years. It's just not something Chris and I are in a position to do in our current home, but that will change when we move. Gluten free is nearly impossible here. You will become an amazing label reader though. Kristina, I didn’t even touch on the health risk of eating that crap because I didn’t want this entry to turn into a novel. Our local CSA has a waiting list and I’ve been able to split some baskets with my boss, but it’s been really limited and sketchy this year (we haven’t had a basket in three weeks). I agree with growing your own. My parents did it for years. It’s just not something Chris and I are in a position to do in our current home, but that will change when we move.

Gluten free is nearly impossible here. You will become an amazing label reader though.

]]> By: Kristina http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/rotten-food/#comment-1243 Kristina Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:39:25 +0000 http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/31/rotten-food/#comment-1243 A few things- Even if you take the environment out of the equation, it is amazingly bad for <i>your</i> health to eat all that crap. Now, me, I want to eat healthy. I want my kids to eat healthy. To me, that means local, organic, and preservative free (we still eat meat and dairy). It is also looking like my middle son is allergic to wheat (not gluten- wheat), which means we have the added problem of avoiding all wheat products. Avoiding wheat can get expensive! I just spent some time looking at how much it is going to cost to go wheat free and I am <strong>not</strong> happy! It feels wrong that it is so expensive to eat local food. What I really want is to grow my own food. That is my goal for next year. I want to grow as many of my own fresh fruits and vegetables as I can. If that means turning my entire yard into a garden, fine. The neighbors will just have to deal with it. I don't like mowing, anyway. A yard is not the most ecologically sound way to utilize the ground, anyway, especially if you're mowing it every week. But, good luck. I know it will be tough. Have you looked to see if there is a CSA close to you? That might cut down on <i>some</i> of your costs. Also, Tiffany, as far as humanely harvested dairy products (and meat products), you should look into kosher products. Kosher regulations are extremely strict in how you can treat the animal. It can be very difficult to find them, though, if there's not a large Jewish population where you live. :( A few things-
Even if you take the environment out of the equation, it is amazingly bad for your health to eat all that crap.

Now, me, I want to eat healthy. I want my kids to eat healthy. To me, that means local, organic, and preservative free (we still eat meat and dairy). It is also looking like my middle son is allergic to wheat (not gluten- wheat), which means we have the added problem of avoiding all wheat products. Avoiding wheat can get expensive! I just spent some time looking at how much it is going to cost to go wheat free and I am not happy!

It feels wrong that it is so expensive to eat local food. What I really want is to grow my own food. That is my goal for next year. I want to grow as many of my own fresh fruits and vegetables as I can. If that means turning my entire yard into a garden, fine. The neighbors will just have to deal with it. I don’t like mowing, anyway. A yard is not the most ecologically sound way to utilize the ground, anyway, especially if you’re mowing it every week.

But, good luck. I know it will be tough. Have you looked to see if there is a CSA close to you? That might cut down on some of your costs.

Also, Tiffany, as far as humanely harvested dairy products (and meat products), you should look into kosher products. Kosher regulations are extremely strict in how you can treat the animal. It can be very difficult to find them, though, if there’s not a large Jewish population where you live. :(

]]> By: Tiffany A.D. http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/rotten-food/#comment-1242 Tiffany A.D. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:17:19 +0000 http://www.elephantsoap.com/2009/08/31/rotten-food/#comment-1242 I know, Cindy, I know, I know, I know. BLARGH. I will see that film, too, when we get a chance. I had been angling our family toward a more vegan way of eating than vegetarian, but I have recently given that up. I think dairy can be harvested humanely, but it rarely is, so I thought, "Well, let's be vegans." But I'm off that now (for a whole bunch of dull reasons). Now, we're just going to make a better effort at trying to purchase humane dairy products. Your attempt to be locavores (or more locavore-ish) is going to be really, really cool. I want you to keep us posted on it, because I'm really interested. If you guys have some luck, maybe Tom and I will try it too. I know, Cindy, I know, I know, I know. BLARGH. I will see that film, too, when we get a chance.

I had been angling our family toward a more vegan way of eating than vegetarian, but I have recently given that up. I think dairy can be harvested humanely, but it rarely is, so I thought, “Well, let’s be vegans.” But I’m off that now (for a whole bunch of dull reasons). Now, we’re just going to make a better effort at trying to purchase humane dairy products.

Your attempt to be locavores (or more locavore-ish) is going to be really, really cool. I want you to keep us posted on it, because I’m really interested. If you guys have some luck, maybe Tom and I will try it too.

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