Catch that Sack of Potatoes!

Grayson and I were settled into a comfy couch in the foyer of our church watching the sermon on a television. This is where the parents of babies sit. Here there is no fear of if, or when your little one will stir, scream, or express gastric discomfort without shame. Zeke was two months old, sleeping dead to the world upon my chest. When you have a newborn, you meet a whole church of new people. They are drawn to the tiny toes, fuzzy head, and bright blue eyes. A gentleman approached us and commented, "I loved the 'sack of potatoes' stage, when you can set them anywhere, and know they will be in that exact location when you return. They just lay there, like a sack of potatoes."

Well, my little sack of spuds has developed some mobility, and speed to go with it! Just to get him dressed in the morning is much like the breakout of a war. I maneuver a little onesie over his head, and guide his squiggling, fighting arms through the arm holes. All the while he is screaming, crying, and twisting his little body in every direction. Every few moments he wiggles out of my grasp, quickly gains his balance on his knees, and makes a run for…or, crawl for it…out the door. I catch him, lay him on his back, and we start all over. It causes me to consider—is this how God views His children? We scream and twist and war with Him, thinking our way is superior to His, until we finally squirm away and book it to, and out of, the doorway. Only God doesn’t snag us back and hold us down as He makes us obey. No, He waits patiently until we realize we are lost without Him, and His desire for us is always, after all, the best for us. He is our Father. Suddenly that actual sack of potatoes sitting on my hutch in the kitchen seems so, well, obedient! I’m considering allowing Zeke to wait out this phase in his pajamas.

A few weeks ago Grayson and I were in search of some potatoes to go along with our dinner. Potatoes are one thing I have been trying to buy organic, knowing that they are vigorously sprayed with pesticides. As I walked out of the market $3 poorer, I felt slightly defeated that I carried only 3 potatoes in my hand. Who ever said eating real food is cheap?

Eating real food, however, does not need to break one's wallet. One of our goals in this endeavor is to figure out how to eat real food in an affordable way. Last week I walked through the doors into my favorite market to find, right in the middle of the produce section, sacks upon sacks of beautiful organic yellow potatoes marked on sale to $2.48 for a 3-pound bag! 

Waiting for my turn in the checkout line, I found this little gem: The Turbo Cabbage Soup Diet. Lose 8 pounds a week! With the changes Gray and I have made to our diet in the past 2 months, I have lost 6 pounds, and all while eating delicious food. Food that we look forward to eating. A diet should not be primarily focused on what not to eat, but instead, the great plethora of foods that God has given us to enjoy! Simply transitioning into a real food diet has already, in only two short months, been proven worthwhile. It dawned on me today that I have had no stomach problems for the past two months. I used to experience stomach pain every few weeks, lasting for about a week. As well, Grayson was taking supplements to aid his joint pain from roofing. His knees were being destroyed by his hard work. He has not taken a supplement in at least a month, as his joint pain has greatly subsided. I praise God for that, because at the outset of this all, seeing Gray relieved of his joint pain was one of my greatest desires and motivation, but it was also daunting. We realize that these claims are not solid proof that real food has healed us. However, we feel better. We have more energy and focus. We have lost weight. We are really enjoying what we are eating. Let's see a cabbage soup diet do that!

Many of our dinner dishes begin in my mind at breakfast. They sprout from a small idea, and transform throughout the day as I look at various recipes, taking ingredients and techniques from each and transforming them into a new dish. I figure out what produce we have on hand, and how to make it the star of our dinner. Yesterday it was Organic Yellow Potatoes and Organic Kale.

A Tale of Kale

The first time (and last time, until yesterday) I made kale, it was in a meager attempt at health. You see, this is not the first time Grayson and I have tried to be healthy. The difference is stark, however, between prior attempts, and the journey we find ourselves on now. Before it was nothing but rules created by improper understanding and motive. Eat vegetables. Ok. What in the world is kale? 

 I steamed some of the curious green stuff up, and we mixed it into some off-brand boxed macaroni and cheese. Please note that this attempt was much different than the White Pepper and Dill Macaroni and Cheese with Arugula, Spinach and Mushrooms which I highlighted in my last blog post.

Needless to say, this attempt at kale was a huge flop. It ended up in the trash bin, and we haven't touched kale since. This experience with kale left we somewhat intimidated of the green. Recently we have been hearing more about the health benefits it offers, and so with a coupon in hand, I decided to give it another try.

Kale is somewhat unique in that many of its health benefits come into play as it is cooked, compared to eating it raw. Research is supposing that lightly steamed kale eaten regularly in one's diet, through its ability to bind bile acids, has the ability to lower the risk of heart disease and some cancers. I have also been adding some raw kale into my smoothies, which definitely gives them a  more "green" flavor, but one I really don't mind. In fact, I enjoy it!

Fish, Potato, and Corn Chowder with Kale

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb organic yellow potatoes (skins on)
• 12oz frozen corn
• 3/4 lb organic curly kale 
• 1 medium onion
• salt, pepper, and additional seasonings of your choice
• 3 cups stock (vegetable or chicken) home made is always preferred
• 1 and 1/2 tbs real butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 lb white fish (I used 2 tilapia filets) cut into chunks 

1. Wash, chop, and boil potatoes until fork tender.
2. Wash your kale, and pull the leaves off of the stem. Chop. Place into a casserole dish, add about an inch of water, and steam in the microwave for 2 minutes. Cool and then drain the liquid. (Don't attempt to cook the kale with the potatoes, I hear the kale flavor is too strong, so it is best to cook separately.)
3.  Saute onion (no oil needed) over medium heat until tender, then add your boiled potatoes. Saute about 5 minutes, adding a little of your stock if the mixture gets too dry.
4. Add your corn and butter. Add 1/2 cup of your stock, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you desire (I used a Tuscan seasoning blend). Cook over medium high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more stock if the mixture gets too dry
5. Remove from heat. Puree half of your mixture, along with your remaining stock and the milk, in a food processor (or blender) until smooth. Add liquid slowly, adjusting the amounts to your desired consistency.
6. Note: You really do not need to add dairy to this recipe. Omit the butter and milk if you desire. Simply replace the milk with additional stock. The potatoes are what gives this chowder its creamy texture, the milk simply adds a little richness.
7. Add the rest of your potato mixture to the food processor, and pulse once or twice, until you have your desired, chunky chowder consistency.
8. Pour your mixture into a pot. Taste, and add more seasoning if desired. You may need to add some more salt at this point. The potatoes make for a starchy taste and salt compliments it well--just don't go sodium crazy. 
9. Add your steamed kale and raw chunks of white fish. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until fish is thoroughly cooked.
10. Always, always, always enjoy soup with fresh bread!

I just walked into the kitchen and Grayson told me, "There are two tests to whether or not a food is good. The primary test:  if it is eaten. The secondary test:  if the leftovers are eaten." He told me this as he polished off a bowl of leftover chowder. It's amazing to think that diet crazes in our society tell us we can lose 8 pounds a week by eating cabbage soup everyday. I have lost 6 pounds, have more energy and focus, and clearer skin, just to name a few benefits of our new way of eating. All while eating foods like this recipe, with some fresh bread and real butter! I'll opt for real food, and variety, thank you!

A Smooth Transition

When I was sixteen years old, I embraced a vegetarian diet for a year and a half. The greatest irony of this decision was found in the fact that I have a great distaste for raw vegetables. Throughout my entire stint of being a vegetarian, I ate only a handful of salads.

Grayson and I love good food. If this transition to a healthier diet did not include tasty food, I have large doubts that we would ever consider such a pursuit. One of our great motivators in this quest is the delicious food we are eating. I believe that so many diets fail because they neglect a very vital motivator:  the enjoyment of what we eat. I still have a moderate aversion to raw vegetables. They are simply foreign to me; the essence of their flavors are unfamiliar to me.  Instead of forcing myself to eat them, I am finding creative ways to incorporate their flavors into what I eat every day, with the ultimate goal of enjoying them for themselves.

And so, to smooth the transition, I have been adding the flavors of raw vegetables into something I enjoy everyday:  Smoothies!

Smoothies are an art. Throw together whatever juice, fresh fruit, and frozen fruit combination you have on hand, and see what comes of it! Today’s selection yielded a refreshingly tart concoction.

Minty Raspberry Smoothie

6oz 100% Vegetable Juice

2oz 100% Orange Juice

Small handful of fresh mint leaves

Medium handful of raw spinach

½ banana

1 baby banana (These are very sweet and delicious!!)

½ cup frozen mango chunks

½ cup frozen raspberry chunks

Adjust amounts of juice and frozen fruit to your desired consistency

The beauty of smoothies is that they are a very simple, fun, tasty way to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your diet. The blender does not muddy all of the flavors. Instead, each ingredient offers its own personality. The star of this smoothie really is the combination of tart raspberry and fresh mint. The baby banana offers a very sweet addition and smooths the consistency. Spinach gives it a beautiful color and mellow flavor. The vegetable juice contributes just a bit of spice. My one foundational rule for smoothies is this:  use only pure, healthy ingredients. This means no ice cream, and no flavored yogurt. In fact, I skip the yogurt entirely by adding a banana for smooth consistency. Also, avoid ice cubes as they only take up volume. Replace them with frozen fruit (make sure there is no sugar added to your frozen fruit...)

Parent's magazine recently printed a couple of conflicting articles concerning the incorporation of vegetables into children's' diets. One article argued that an effective way to get your child to eat vegetables is to puree them into a paste and mix them into foods which your children already like. The next article argued to the opposite:  children should be offered vegetables, and taught to appreciate and enjoy them. I must say that the first article maddened me. What will my child think if he sees me squeezing slimy green spinach goo into his lunch? If I teach my children that to lie is very hurtful and has great consequences, then I cannot give them any reason to feel I am deceiving them. I do think that there is a place for pureeing vegetables, if they are to somehow enhance the meal. In fact, my mother-in-law gifted me a cookbook which is based on this technique, and I have found some very tasty recipes in it. However, if the goal of pureeing vegetables and mixing them into a meal is to deceive your child into eating "well", I whole-hardheartedly disagree with the approach. If I add pureed vegetables to meals, I want my children to help me, and to understand and see why this technique betters the flavor and nutrition of our dish.

It is very important to us that our children know what they are eating. This will help them to make knowledgeable decisions about what they do and do not consume. We want our children to enjoy good food. We want them to grow, taste, discover, and appreciate food.  I don't want my kids to view vegetables as foreign or "icky". Rather, I want to prepare vegetables in such a way to showcase the creativity which God has given us through the food He sustains us with.

This is not a difficult task. I am finding that it is much more simple--and fun--than I imagined to make vegetables the star of our meals. Some meals take more time than others, and that's fine with me. I am very, very okay with giving of my time to ensure my family eats nutritious meals that they enjoy. In fact, I count it as one of my ministries to them. I am finding, however, that it can also be done quite simply and quickly.

Grayson had a lunch meeting at church today. And I decided that since he was getting a special lunch, I would also. Boxed Mac N’ Cheese. Yes—you read correctly. Boxed Mac N’ Cheese. Let me preclude this by saying we do not make it a habit to eat boxed or packaged meals in our home. We cook from scratch as much as possible. However, in 15 minutes I was able to put together this wonderful, healthy lunch.

White Pepper and Dill Macaroni and Cheese with Arugula, Spinach and Mushrooms.

1 large handful of raw spinach

1 large handful of raw arugula

6oz raw mushrooms

Wash, pat dry, and chop the above ingredients. Place them into a skillet and sauté over medium heat with some white pepper and dried dill for about 5 minutes, until the greens are wilted and the mushrooms are tender. Don't add oil. These veggies release their own moisture to cook in. Drain the extra liquid once they are cooked.

Mix your cooked veggies into a prepared box of organic mac n’ cheese. Make sure whatever boxed mac n’ cheese you buy has only natural ingredients, and prepare it with minimal butter (always use only real butter, none of that hydrogenation oil junk...)

A "Healthy" Dose of Fear

For those of you who came to know Christ as your Lord and Savior as a child, you may identify with my first motivation to "pray the prayer":  a great fear of Hell. Growing up in church, I had heard the stories of this fiery, dark, lonely existence, and would do anything in my little 4-year-old ability to avoid this scary place. And so, when my parents explained to me that all I had to do was pray and ask Jesus to forgive my sins, I was all in! Of course, as the years went on, and I came to know more and more about my Savior, I realized (and continue to realize every day) the great benefits of knowing Christ, and living life in His grace! Fear is not the best motivator, and there is so much more beyond avoiding Hell. For my past, I am forgiven and freed from wrong done. In my present, I am forgiven and freed to live an abundant life, always accepted in Christ. For my future, I am forgiven any sin I will ever commit, and freed in the knowledge that I will be with Christ in eternity!

 I have found that the same analogy can be applied to Grayson and my journey for health. This all began with fear. It started with viewing a few documentaries on health and nutrition.("Food Inc.", "Forks Over Knives", "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead", "Food Stamped" to name a few). As we viewed these, the reality began to sink in of how great the effect is on our lives from that which we eat, or don't eat. And so, in fear of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, auto-immune diseases, obesity, chronic fatigue, and other illnesses often caused by poor nutrition, we set out on our journey. As I have explained before, I fully acknowledge that a poor diet is not the sole offender or cause of these diseases. The world is fallen. People become ill, sometimes even very fit and healthy people. I also acknowledge that a wholesome diet on its own will not protect us against disease. God protects my family, and may His will be done in our lives. As we live in His grace, we accept whatever may come our way in full appreciation of His sovereignty, love, grace, and promise of an eternal future with Him! However, I do firmly believe that a nutritious diet and exercise can indeed improve our quality of life, and ability to serve one another and the Lord.

I have a chronic disease which developed in my body simply by fluke. My immune system, at some point, became a tad bit confused. It caught a glimpse of my adrenal glands, and mistook them for a foreign object, set its little lasers and it, and pow! Non-functioning adrenal glands not only means that my body produces no adrenaline; adrenals have a much broader job than only adrenaline. And so, beyond an absence of adrenaline, I experience various symptoms on a day-to-day basis. The most prominent of these is fatigue. Now, for a mother of an eight-month-old, a healthy energy level is a must. Since we have begun adapting our eating and exercise, I have experienced a notable increase of energy. Eating well and exercise cannot in itself guard against chronic illness. It cannot correct my chronic disease. However, it can help us to thrive in whatever health we encounter. It will keep us well even when unwell. And hey, it does give us a better chance against chronic illness.

Our journey for health has moved beyond initial fear of disease and premature death. We are learning, and experiencing every day great benefits of eating nutritiously, and exercising. Beyond an increase of energy,  I have lost 5 pounds, have healthier skin, and have much better focus and alertness.

One of the most helpful things we have done to transform our diet is introduce a lot more fresh produce. At the market on Saturday, as I glanced over our items on the checkout belt, I was very pleased to realized that the bulk of our purchase was twisted into many little produce bags. Instead of trying to fit more veggies into our recipes, we are instead fitting our recipes around our veggies. We buy whatever produce is on sale, and then figure out what to do with it, and before it sits on the counter too long! It is a challenge, and one I am enjoying. I hate to waste food, and so it is my mission to use up our produce before we have to toss it. This is causing us to rethink how and what we cook.

Although many of our recipes are vegetarian, we have not (and do not plan to) eliminate meat from our diet. Take, for instance, last night's dinner. It is rare these days that we base a meal around a protein. However, during our family date on Saturday, we were browsing through Whole Foods, and noticed that they had all-natural, hormone free whole chickens  on sale. We have never cooked a whole chicken, sadly. And so I introduce to you, Pat!

Now, I can take absolutely no credit for this delicious-looking bird. I was a bit intimidated by the task of cooking a whole chicken. And so instead, I handed the job over to a wonderful chef I know, the one who taught me most of what I know in the kitchen:  my husband! Yesterday afternoon Grayson brined the bird, and and then rubbed it with a Tuscan seasoning,  Herbes de Provence, and garlic. He placed Pat into a pan with some onions and fresh orange slices. We set out on our family walk. About a hour and a half later, we walked back into our home and were met by a indescribable, magnificent aroma! It was Pat! We served him up with some sweet corn and organic potatoes.

My husband is a brilliant man.