I love food.
Let me repeat that.
I LOVE FOOD.
There was a reason that I weighed 300 lbs, y’all.
I am not the healthiest eater on the planet. I tend to love foods that are not so awesome for me to consume. And when I love something, I LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEEE it.
Look at my slavish devotion to the 4th food group: Diet Coke.
(And hell YES, it is a food, I don’t care what you say so, PPPFFFTTHHH!!!!!!!.)
I get quite a few emails from people who are passionately concerned about my Diet Coke consumption. (I suppose I ask for this by having my flavicon be a can of Diet Coke.) They tend to range from the “It’s so sweet of you to be concerned” to “OMG,I AM TWO STEPS FROM TAKING OUT A RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST YOU, YOU DISTURBING PERSON!” One person sent me custom made pie charts.
Yes, really.
Still, I recognize that I am not getting any younger and my general state of well-being (or not) could probably use an infusion of dietary change.
(No, I am not giving up Diet Coke. It’s my one ingestible vice. Which, thank god because man…with my passion for, um, EVERYTHING I would probably be living under an overpass and sleeping on a urine stained mattress if I were into anything harder. )
It’s not that I hate things that are good for me, I don’t.
In fact, I am an utter foodie at times. One of my friends said it best when she shook her head and bemoaned, “Loralee! You are puzzling. You are the hottest person on the planet, you have this amazing palate and love good food. You find the best dishes at the best restaurants and yet? YOU EAT LIKE CRAP A DOODLE DOO!” (I may be paraphrasing a little here. Although the part about me being hot is totally, utterly true.)
I am intrigued by certain aspects of eating. Vegan eating just confounds and mystifies me and while I know I could never be that hard core I have a lot of respect for people who adhere to it. And, I have ALWAYS wanted to eat at a really good Vegan restaurant just…because. I tweeted it one day and “TA DA!” I have a date with the awesome Elisa and Lisa before BlogHer. Lisa is in my boat as far as lurving her cow on a pate, but Elisa has been a practicing Vegan for about 10 years (I think.) Since we’ll be in New York City AND it’s Elisa’s favorite restaurant…I am really excited.
Not only will it be a new experience but hello! FABULOUS COMPANY!
Another area I have been exploring more and more has been buying organic.
I do not agree that ALL organic is always best, so I have been taking my time doing research on what to buy organic and what doesn’t really matter. Buying organic is not that easy to do in little ole’ Logan, Utah, but I have started looking at ways to go about it after INHALING a plate of free-range scrambled eggs that my beesh Victoria made for me on a girl’s weekend in Park City. The difference in taste was staggering and surprising to me.
SO?
I was sold-ish.
I figured that the easiest way to pull this off would be through eating more veggies–and hopefully the lions share would be organically grown. This is not as easy as it sounds. I love almost ALL vegetables, but my family? Not so much. How ANYONE could be tasting the same HEAVENLY grilled asparagus that I am and make gagging, choking sounds is beyond me.
In case you need a refresher, I am the ONLY inhabitant of the Looney Tunes household that likes tomatoes.
I have a challenge on my hands.
Enter “Field to Families“.
I sit on the board of Social Media Club of Cache Valley with the owner and President and at a meeting he heard my sad little vegetable tale of woe, and kindly offered my friend Kim and I a free run of organic fruit and vegetables shipped in for pickup from California and delivered to locations around Utah for weekly pick up. (Redonkculously cute and useful grocery tote by my fabulous friend, Gretchen:Queen of the quilt and maker of some of the best freaking rolls on the planet.)
(Disclosure: Yes. I got to try out the service for free and yes: I will continue to be a customer. YES I would STILL write this post with or without them. We clear? Super!)
Holy MOLY, people.
I had strawberries in the dead of winter that were heaven on earth.
This produce stays fresh forever and I utterly want to keep using them (If you’re in Utah CHECK them out. They have pickup points around the state. If you’re not in Utah I truly hope someone near you does something similar.) You get an INCREDIBLE amount of fresh produce for $15 bucks. (This is just a portion of it) You can have orders that range to what your family uses and there is an incredible amount of flexibility.
Mainly I was just jazzed to get such awesome produce in the dead of winter. It was totally worth going to Merlin Olsen park bowery on a Saturday morning with bed head to pick it up.
Uh…I am not sure what I am wanting to do to that broccoli in that last photo but it is OBVIOUS that I need to get laid more often.
Just sayin’…
Kim had a great time picking up her produce as well.
Have you all met Kim? She’s one of my closest friends despite the fact that we are, um…radically different. (I dig radically different people. It makes my life more enriched getting to know them)
This really says it all. (I can’t take her anywhere.)
She is rad.
But mainly rad.
Kim is Ms. Crunchy Mama Veggie GURU, so she was right on board with utilizing Field to Families.
After we picked up our produce we got together at her house and made a HUGE freaking dinner for our families. I won’t overload you with photos but we started out with this and we ended with DIVINE lemon bars. And man…yum.
All in all, I am leaps and bounds ahead of where I was last year. I still consume way too much, um…junk.
But?
I would say this is a pretty decent start.
How about you? Tips? Tricks? Nummy recipes? Sites? Links? Wanna just pipe up and tell me I am super snazzy or that I am slowly rotting my internal organs with Aspartame? Go ahead. Only, be nice. Mean people suck, yo.
xo
P.S. My sincere apologies to everyone for using “laid” and “Broccoli” in the same sentence. I realize the Broccoli is totally innocent and did not deserve such scandalous vocabulary attached to it.
P.P.S. I also don’t really eat Diet Coke and Cheetos for breakfast.
P.P.P.S. For reals.
P.P.P.P.S. Pinkie swear.
P.P.P.P.P.S. Maybe.
:)
Are you going this Saturday? Considering it is only a block from my house I might want to use them. I need details!
Oh… I will be picking up your girl scout cookies on Saturday as well.
They are FABULOUS, and YES I am going this Saturday. Take a look at their site, Bridgy. I will totally go with you if you like.
AND WAY TO OUT ME AND MY HORRORIFYINGLY LARGE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE ORDER ON MY “I AM TRYING TO BE SO DAMN HEALTHY” POST!
Sigh.
When I die they are going to find that instead of blood, I bleed Diet Coke and Thin Mint Cookies.
:S
HAHAHA. Your girl scout order was not as large as mine. Do I need to sign up early for the veggies or can I just show up? I looked at the site, but didn’t understand.
Hey Bridge,
Now I’m wanting some cookies with broccoli after this post and comments :)
You can just show up at any location for what’s available “cash-and-carry”. Or, you can sign-up for a pre-paid monthly package which includes a certain number of pick-up orders per month.
Either way, you can sign up to be a free member of the online community–which allows you to more easily get updates and information and to interact with others who are members.
Signing up early for a monthly package gives you a lower cost and guarantee of items. You’d get a lower price for a particular amount of produce (this is what Loralee has been getting)…plus it guarantees that you’ll get certain items. For example, if a location sells out of strawberries for “cash-and-carry”, those who have pick-up orders will still get theirs, set aside.
Does this make sense?
I’m a self confessed Diet Dr. Pepper addict myself. I was drinking regular Dr P but had to switch to diet when my Type 2 diabetes was diagnosed last year. I don’t drink coffee so that’s my excuse – caffeine!
As for GS cookies, I’ve gone through 2 boxes of Thin Mints already & won’t confess how full the freezer in the garage is with boxes of cookies. When you have lots of nieces & friends who have little girls, one has to be fair & order from each one ya know. :)
Good luck on eating healthier! My son love veggies, hubby not so much. But I’m trying to make changes slowly & surely.
So far, my kids are pretty good veggie eaters. I had a major revelation last December 1st, and pretty much my last vice left is Diet Coke. The up side is I’ve lost 35 pounds so far- check m3 out – it was my topic for yesterday’s post.
Waiting for spring to come in the midwest – the veggies have to get better!
My kids are good vegie eaters. One of my best hints is to feed them in courses: Vegies first, when they’re the hungriest. Then protein. Then starch. Give them whatever they want to dip food into. I buy organic sour cream, organic ketchup, organic ranch, “pink” dressing (which is a local restaurant’s house, non-organic, that they LOVE. Its a sweet vinaigrette).
My second hint is grow fruits and vegies at home, and have the kids participate in the gardening and cooking (and grocery shopping). They somehow gravitate to things they have grown or prepared. They would be ALL OVER that broccoli! (sprinkled with shredded cheese and garlic salt, natch) I have to admit my three year olds still don’t like lettuce, but we can always get them to eat a “salad” of cucumbers and diced tomatoes with pink dressing and gorgonzola(?!).
As far as buying organic. I started with dairy and eggs. Then I started substituting the vegies that we eat the most of. Salad fixings, most fruits, a lot of frozen organic vegies and berries. Such a better deal, and they are picked at the peak of freshness, as opposed to be shipped and over handled. I don’t bother with organic bananas or oranges. The “dirty dozen” are the main ones to switch.
You have me wanting to look into the co-op delivery in my area, again. I thought it was too pricey and wilty-looking the first time I checked it out. Your produce looks great though. Keep up the great eating!
Great tip on veggies first, protein next, *then* starch. I need to do that myself!
I’m making it a personal goal to use the word “sure-ish” in my place of employment today.
there is a co-op called bountiful baskets that i think is throughout utah and arizona-maybe new mexico. i heard about it from a friend who lives in AZ and LOVES it.
Not organic unless you pay out the yang for it and you get so little.
Talking about Bountiful Baskets here.
I haven’t heard of them, but Field to Families gives you incredible bang for the buck.It’s one of the reasons I am such a huge fan.
Dude. We should chat. It’s not as difficult here as one would think. I made a complete shift in our eating over the past year and have lots of resources…
YES! WE MUST! If for no other reason than to go to coffee and chat. Send me an email woman and we’ll set something up! xoxo
Ditto about the sauces and the like – cheese is the main secret ingredient for most veggies, because almost everything tastes better with some salt and fat. And as a bonus, there are a bunch of vitamins in veggies that are fat soluble & need the fat to be able to work, so it’s win-win. Other than that, onions and leeks are great when they’re caramelized and most veggies are good roasted (raw can be a bit harsh for some people). And I hear you on the eggs! I always thought it was just marketing hype that they’d taste better, but was really surprised that it made such a difference.
I am not a fan of things that originated in the dirt. I eat worse than you. LONG LIVE DIET COKE!
Wow, I would LURVE to have access to fresh produce like that for $15! AWESOME!
I wasn’t sure what to think when I saw your title (well, to be honest, I’m never sure what to think when I see your articles, but that’s one of the reasons I love your blog), but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was actually about eating healthier! GO YOU!
As for the diet coke…yes, it’s bad for you. And yes, it’s addictive. I am a reformed soda addict. It’s been 18 months since my last soda (except for one sip I was required to do during a secret shop and then I threw it away before I lost control and sucked down the entire 40oz cup!!!). If I trusted myself more, I’d allow myself to have one occasionally, since I adore soda so much. I used to drink sprite for breakfast (you know, to keep it light), and then diet coke with lemon the rest of the day. When Coke zero came out, I may have thrown a party to celebrate (maybe it was a superbowl party, but I was just excited about the Coke zero).
Anyway, if you’re looking for inspiration on eating healthy, living healthy, or being fit, I hope you’ll stop by my little corner of the blogophere and say “hey.”
And it’s my blogiversary. So you kinda have to, right?
Thanks for brightening my day once again with your awesome stream of conciousness writing. I so wish I had the confidence to write that way, hit publish, and go on. Unfortunately, I am far too much of a perfectionist. But that’s another vice to talk about in another comment, on another post. Cheers!
I made writing this post look easy?
SWEET!!!!!
I’ll totally swing by. :)
Well I had Coke Zero (looooove it) and Marshmallows for breakfast soooo… no judging from me!!! As for Organic – I do produce and free run eggs at the moment, to expensive to be completely organic in Ottawa (Canada) in the winter. But check out 101 cookbooks website (no affiliation) especially the homemade boulion – it is a freaken staple in my freezer and I could not live with out it. So easy to make and it adds so much flavor to like everything I cook (in ground beef it is insane).
Mmmm, Thin Mints.
Once again, reading your blog makes me smile like a fool.
I remain your biggest fan in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, though I’m trying to watch my weight these days, so I’m slightly less big than I was previously.
Lurve you-
D
We live in CA, and are fortunate enough to have a farmers market close by every Sunday. And every week, without fail, I buy fresh yams. Ever had sweet potato fries?? OMG, they are AWESOME. And super easy to make. Just slice, put on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, a little cumin, a little cinnamon and bake until all golden brown-ish. My kids love them and one big sweet potato feeds 4 people. Or just me. That’s a great lunch. We’re learning not just to eat veggies, but to eat only the veggies that are in season. Meaning no tomatoes in February. You’ll learn to eat kale, fava beans and other things you might never have tried before!
Oh, hello, fellow Diet Coke addict right here. And I’m also trying to make healthier eating choices right now, which is pretty hard, especially when I see Cadbury creme eggs everywhere I go.
I see you have some gorgeous leeks in that bunch of produce, which is like my new favorite vegetable. (I’d never had them before this past Christmas.) I made up this super-easy recipe a couple of nights ago & it totslly worked.
* Chop up 2 leeks & saute in half olive oil / half butter. (Don’t do all butter or it might burn.)
* Once the leeks are soft & starting to caramelize, toss in some shrimp. (I used about 2 dozen jumbo-sized shrimp. I cut them into bite-size pieces ahead of time for my 3 year-old, but you know, personal preference, whatever.)
* Add salt & a little garlic powder. Saute for another 3 to 5 minutes.
* Serve over rice.
YUM.
P.S. Those amounts are meant to serve 2 adults & 1 kid; adjust your portions as necessary.
Thanks for sharing! Leeks are something I never know how to use except in soup, so I love this idea!
Leeks are one of my favorite veggies OF ALL TIME.
There is a great dish called “Bubble and Squeak” that I like to use them in.
Simply take mashed potatoes and mix them with chopped up leeks and cabbage, form patties and fry them in Olive Oil. MMMMM…. For a non-vegetarian dish and chopped up bacon.
SO SO good.
my 3 year old just discovered last week that he loves broccoli & carrots. it’s a whole new world in my house!
i eat things with ingredients i can’t pronounce sporadically & we are trying to make as much as possible ourselves (sandwich bread, pizza, all desserts, etc.)
i drink coke only with pizza or burgers, so i have 1 or 2 a week. if diet soda tasted better, i’d drink it, but i like sugar. same reason i use butter instead of margarine.
and in moderation, you can eat that kinda stuff.
but, dude, BROCCOLI AND CARROTS!!!!
Butter is better for you than margarine anyway.
First time commenting on your site – thanks for the add on Twitter BTW! Just wanted to chime in on the topic of organics – have you read Michael Pollan’s Food Rules? Super simple tips for eating REAL food, and also good tips on organics. It’s hard to get away from the processed stuff (I broke bad & picked up a box of Cap’n Crunch this week…) but good for you for taking steps in that direction.
Hi, I just barely found your blog (what rock have I been hiding under?)… Anyways, I too live in Logan, and THANK YOU for the information on this produce. Not only is that an AWESOME price for so much produce, it’s fresh! And good for you! And, I too love Diet Coke.
Hey there! I just stumbled upon your blog and I must say, you are absolutely hysterical! 5 minutes for mom suggested I check you out and I’m glad I did. I am a complete health food nut (pun intended), that leans a bit closer to the vegan side more than I care to. Eggs and Cheese are my vice! Anyway…you mentioned the aspartame and being nice so I will kindly suggest Xylitol to you. Very sweet, no aftertaste…I’ve even gotten my sugar-holic husband addicted to it. :o)
Christy
Awe, thanks! I heart Janice and Susan. SUCH lovely women.
I don’t use artificial sweeteners in anything but Diet Coke. Why can’t they use Xyiltol, dammit!? :)
Hey Loralee :)
I was a vegetarian for a few years…until I met my French boyfriend (now fiancé) and subsequently moved to France. Vegetarianism just doesn’t work here; I love living here but the diet is very meat-focused (though saying that, we do eat a lot of vegetarian food at home).
Indian food is a good place to start on vegetarian food; there are plenty of excellent vegetarian curries and I’d defy your kids to think they’re boring. Plenty of Italian risotto recipes are also vegetarian.
I do have a couple of other favourites, though (see below). One is a Moroccan tagine, and the other is a British shepherdess pie. Try them out; hope you like :)
Fruit & veg tagine; serves 2
Fry half a chopped onion in a tablespoon of oil, then add a crushed garlic clove, a teaspoon of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of coriander, and a quarter of a teaspoon each of saffron (or turmeric) and ground ginger. Add 200g chopped tomatoes, 200ml water or vegetable stock, 200g chopped potato, 1 peeled and chopped carrot, 4 chopped olives, 2 chopped dried apricots, 2 chopped dried figs, half a tablespoon of honey, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add 200g chopped courgettes and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Serve with couscous :)
Shepherdess pie; serves 6
Fry a chopped onion in two tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 grated carrots and 1 grated courgette and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add a tin of tomatoes, a tablespoon of tomato purée, a pinch of mixed herbs, 200g frozen sweetcorn or peas, and 400g tinned pulses (your choice! make sure you drain them), and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place this mixture into a dish and spoon over 800g of mashed potato. Sprinkle 150g grated cheese over the top if you want. Bake for 30 minutes at 180°C.
Some vegetarian dishes definitely take longer to prepare than meat dishes, but it is worth it. As a vegetarian, I was slimmer, had more energy, and my food bill was lower. It’s definitely worth going meat-free a few days a week even if you can’t commit to full-time vegetarianism. Hope this helps you :)
This sounds YUM (all these recipes do.) I am a HUGE fan of Shepherd’s Pie and my family loves it so this sounds like a fabulous alternative.
P.S. France? JEALOUS!
lol thankies XD I’ve been living here now nearly 18 months :) LOVE it.
my favorite local (boston) restaurant is a vegetarian place. my solution? i have a burger at lunch to get my meat fix then indulge in a veggie dinner and the best vegan deserts e.v.e.r.
I soooo am doing Fields to Families! One great thing about my kids and hubby….they like me WILL eat and LOVE LOVE LOVE all the veggies. We go through so much that it kills our budget. Thanks for the heads up! This will TOTALLY help us out!!!
OH, I hope you do! They are a GREAT company!
They are not in Ohio. Boo :( I love diet coke and thin mints too.
Oh I also need to add…the more I put something on the table the less I hear complaints. My kids would never TOUCH asparagus a couple weeks ago. I made them take at least 1 bite each time…now they can’t get enough on their plate!
One more thing…keep a veggie tray with fresh veggies in your fridge. Keep some of the yummy make at home ranch with it. I pull our veggie tray out with EVERY meal (yes even breakfast) and the kids do and will grab food off the tray and eat it!! Even when I have friends kids or my nieces and nephew…they too will grab some of the veggies and eat them, so I know it isn’t just my kids that love it!
Also – I find that real carrots chopped into sticks (even though it takes more time) taste better and the kids eat those better than “baby carrots” from the store.
Good luck and you can TOTALLY do it! You have to have access in order to consume healthy veggies so finding such a great way that is affordable to get such yummy veggies is AWESOME!
I would love to eat healthier… but unfortunately, I have a husband who has the same tastes as a whiny, pig-tailed, three-year-old named Mimi. And since we don’t have time to make TWO separate meals every night, I either FORCE HIM to eat something reasonably decent (which means it’s not straight out of a can or the freezer section), or we just eat CRAP. (I love my husband, but I also hate him for this fact.) If someone could show me ways to make a picky eater eat GOOD THINGS instead of foods that rot out his colon, I’d love them FOREVER. Because he is a MAJOR pain in the butt. Also, I would LOOOVE to try organic… but yo… it’s quite a bit more expensive, is it not??
OMGOSH..heheheheh! You slay me, Sue.
I’m not big into the organic label, but I do try to eat more of the real/slow food stuff. I understand your point about Logan not being a hot bed of organic land, but it does has some awesome resources that I totally miss. The farmers market (well, at least in the summer), the fresh eggs, the honey!
I have to try and track down some local honey this weekend. I had to resort to the store stuff last time and it doesn’t taste like anything! How is that tasty in my tea, baking or well, off the spoon?
OH, yes. I love Logan’s farmers market in the summer. I was just THRILLED to get this during the winter. It’s fabulous.
And yes…the honey here is divine.
LOGAN MISSES YOU! xoxoxoxo
the broccoli bit had me laughing in the aisle! i am ho-hum on vegetables but you almost make me want to buy some carrots. that co-op sounds like a great plan for states that don’t get local produce year round.
i’m new here to your blog and wow…you are not an ordinary, ho-hum girl, are you? I hope you realize how lucky you are to be that way!
Well, thanks! But…it has an utter downside. Trust me. :)
I just found out about this service a few weeks ago. I just haven’t gotten around to signing up.
Looks like it’s a great deal!
Hi first time poster, long time reader. I just had to comment on this post because, hello, it’s about food, which I too loooove! Not only that but it’s about vegetables which I especially love which I guess is a good thing since I’m vegetarian.
I have an awesome recipe for you to try. Actually, her site is full of awesomeness. She’s a vegan blogger but don’t let that scare you, she has the greatest recipe for Brussels sprouts EVER!!! Even my Brussels sprout hating husband and anti-anything-that’s-green-and-edible children love them. Here’s the link they are really that awesome. http://shmooedfood.blogspot.com/2005/12/best-brussels-sprouts.html
I am so excited to hear you joined one of these hippie-deliveries too!!!
xoxo
I got the Diet Coke lecture from my 16 year old son just this evening-this from the boy who would live on nothing but cereal and protein bars was telling me how bad my diet coke is….BITE ME YOUNG MAN-CHILD!
I’m with you, I just love LOVE LOVE to eat. I have managed to lose 14 lbs since August. Mainly I am eating more seafood than I used to and alot of fruit. Fruit has replced candy, cookies and ice cream.
Here is an easy recipe for Tilapia or any mild white fish:
Spray pan liberally with Pam
Slice (not chop) a whole small onion and lay across the frypan. Sprinkle fish with basil (fresh if you got it) and put lid on the pan. Turn heat down to low for 12 minutes or so. Fish comes out wonderful!
Another diet coke and thin mint lover here! One year my brother bought several cases of thin mints to pass out to clients when he went on sales calls – my sister and I ended up eating them all! Ah well. It’ tough to get nice, fresh produce in the winter in Ohio. My kids eat a lot of apples, oranges and bananas all winter, then we totally chow down on all the fresh local produce all summer. It’s just the way it goes here unless you want yucky fruit, or are willing to pay through the nose, which, with 9 kiddos, we can’t do.
I do have a great sugarless recipe though for a lovely fruit salad that tastes like dessert:
1 small pkg. non-instant tapioca
1 sm. Pkg. non-inst. (sugarless)Vanilla pudding
1 (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits in juice (reserve juice)
1 (11 oz.) mandarin oranges in lite syrup
1 ½ cups (approx.) orange juice
1 cup seedless grapes
1 cup sliced strawberries
(or 2 cups of fresh fruit of choice- I have even used frozen berries- blueberries & nectarines are great together)
Stir puddings together in saucepan. Combine reserved canned juice and enough orange juice to equal 3 cups. Add to puddings. Cook and stir mixture until it comes to a full boil. Cool. Fold in 4 fruits. Pour into glass serving bowl. Garnish and refrigerate for several hours. So, so yummy!
That sounds like an awesome desert! And I got totally excited when I read sugar free – I am forever trying to make yummy impressive diabetic (type 1) friendly deserts – but sadly fruit juice is verboten (especially OJ and preservative juices as they have soooo much sugar) I wonder if it would it work with water or like crystal light?
You had me at Cheetos. Oh wait, what were we talking about? ;)
Strawberries? Sigh. I can’t wait for summer fruit. I buy organic dairy and eggs. I try with meat as often as possible…but I’m not what one would call a decent cook, so eh, we eat easy stuff a lot.
I just heard about a similar group called Bountiful Baskets but they don’t have pick up anywhere near me. I might go check out Field to Families tomorrow, since there’s a pick up right near my house. Thanks for sharing, I was really wondering about these groups!
P.S. I actually hid a box of Samoa Girl Scout cookies from the rest of my family!
sorry, I I do not get it
Don’t let anyone tell you Cheetos and Diet Coke are bad for you. They’ve got everything you need to get through the day.
Broccoli, on the other hand, I hear is great in bed.