Buddha Fist Bump!

So, I walked into Whole Foods this morning and I looked up and saw a weird yellow dreadlock looking fruit.  I motioned toward the produce gal and said, “What the hell is that??”…she giggled and said, “It’s a Buddha Hand Lemon”.  Huh???!!  Wow, it smelled so good.  I asked her how much and she reported, “$7.99”.  Hell, I spend more on flower arrangements and none have the smell that this thing had.  Also, I have crazy wallpaper in my dining room, so traditional is not my protocol.  I’ve already painted pumpkins green and blue to match my wallpaper.  How appropriate that I have this weird, yellow thing as my centerpiece.

The Whole Foods lady told me that this particular fruit didn’t have much interior flesh as you would find with a lime or lemon.  I asked if the exterior was still good for zest…and, of course, she agreed.  The smell is incredible.  Buy this as an alternative to a floral arrangement…very weird…very cool!!

The Ranting of a Corn Nut

OK, so I’m trying to keep my blogging somewhat positive and upbeat, but yesterday took me through a loop.  My youngest daughter brought home a paper stating that the class was going to celebrate “the friendship between Pilgrims and Native Americans” by having a “special corn product snack”.  Each child was told to choose one item to bring in from the following list:  Doritos, Go-gurt, marshmallows, soft drink, flavored popcorn, cheese puffs, Cheetos, Corn Chex or corn bread.  REALLY?

what is corn anymore?

We have to teach our children this “friendship” by having them eat processed, HFCS-laden crappy junk food?  Seriously, when did Thanksgiving become about Cheetos??  As a second part of the task, each child has to bring in a list of corn products in the home.  Great, we don’t carry anything with HFCS in our home anymore.  We have a can of corn.  I have some Amy’s Organic Black Bean Veggie Soup with some corn in it.  But, really, other than that ~ it’s a no go.  Even our ketchup is of the no-HFCS variety.  Does anyone know of any other household product(s) that contain corn?  I’ve heard something about plastic sandwich bags, possibly parchment paper that contain corn ~ is this true?

My immediate reaction was completely pissed off.  I drafted 10 different emails to the teacher expressing my disgust…but then deleted each one noting the lace of venom.  I knew that it would do nothing but make me look like a completely crazy mom.  I’m still pondering whether to address this issue or not with the teacher, so I’m asking for your opinion.  WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Animal vs. Food

After reading my last blog, I realized that my third paragraph may have seemed a little rambly (is that a word?)…what the hell was I talking about?  I rarely re-read my posts…possibly some mild editing; however, I get a wild hair and then post!

So, here was my thought process.  I was basically talking about the fact that I am a more “aware” consumer.  I was thinking that there was some correlation between this and the compassion towards animals.  My sidebar into the work I did for the animal shelter was actually a bridge in my head between these two distinctions.

It makes sense though, right?  I am a Republican.  I support gay rights.  I eat meat.  I own five cats.  My parents have always considered me a VERY liberal Republican…I even married an Oregon boy!!   The joke we’ve always had was that a redneck (I’m from Georgia) married a tree hugger; however, just the other day, as he was standing there in camo shorts and I stated that it would be fun, after our girls were in college, to live in a tree house in Washington for a few months (just for fun).  He then looked at me and said, “ NOW who is the redneck and who is the tree hugger??”  LOL ~ I get your point.

For me, it only makes sense that my trek is gravitating towards vegetarianism.  I am sickened by the kill floors.  It’s been months since I’ve eaten a fast-food burger prepared from several cows riddled with feces and e-coli.  I can't get these images out of my head when making food choices.

I made my girls watch Food, Inc. with me.  As we watched, my 7 –year old said, “Mom, the ‘good farms’ also kill the chickens.”  “Yes,” I said, “We have to kill animals to eat them; however, the nice farms feed their animals what they were meant to be fed and the animals have a quality of life before execution”.  Wow, that still sounds sucky, but that was my answer.

I don’t know the right answer.  In the meantime, I just want my girls to be educated about what they put in their bodies.  I want them to be aware of crappy marketing by large corporations and I hope that they make good decisions…hell; I hope I make good decisions!!

Flexing My Tarian!

So, I put a poll on my blog a week ago about types of vegetarianism.  I’ve, of course, read Vegetarian for Dummies…isn’t the “Dummies” series where all personal journeys begin?   My second step was with “clean eating”…pretty much eating things without a bar code.  I started to feel better.  I started consuming nuts and real cheese and veggies and fruit…lean meat and great organic dairy.  Not only have I been feeling better, but weight is dropping off.

Then, I started watching movies like Food, Inc. and Fast Food Nation…ugh!  I haven’t had a burger in about four months now!!  (By the way, did you know that Burger King offers a Veggie Burger?).  It may not be the best on the list of things to eat, but it’s a fantastic alternative if you are in a hurry.

I’ve always been a sucker for animals.  Once stationed in Alabama, I sold ad space for a local newspaper.  I soon wanted to start a space in the paper for the local no-kill animal shelter.  Initially, my boss would not support a section for the “animal of the week” because it was not cost-effective.  With this bad news, I took it on my own to determine the cost as it applied to an ad space and divided the logo space on the perimeter of the promotion to compensate the cost.  I drove around town and “sold” my idea amongst many retailers for a small logo ad space required to support the “Pet of the Week”.  Very quickly, I was able to find sponsors for my idea and went from there.  By the time we left Alabama, the shelter gave me a plaque, a card and a wonderful good-bye.  As a matter of fact, I didn’t even realize I had made such an impact.  They were able to adopt out many animals due to my work.  At the time, it just seemed to be the right thing to do.  In the end, I not only had a cute little black shelter cat named Chloe, but a great sense of accomplishment.  So, to make a long story longer...I am now eating organic and natural foods.  I would not classify myself as a vegan, although I have much respect for those much-disciplined individuals.  I eat free-range eggs, drink organic milk and will only eat either grass-fed beef or other humanely-raised animals.  I am now conscious of fish and how they are raised or caught or their rarity in the world.  I am a “Whole Foods” junkie and get kind of grossed out now when I go to a “normal” grocery store.  I also seek out restaurants that support and use locally-grown items.  The experience is completely different than a franchise-type establishment.

Anyway, after my poll, I realized that I am possibly a flexitarian now.  I don’t eat meat everyday.  I am trying to cut down on my carbon footprint.  I am aware of my food and where it comes from.  So, I finally have a label ~ FLEXITARIAN!!  What a much better way to describe myself than a WHATEVERTARIAN.  I am now making better choices for me and my family.  I am really curious to see where my family and I progress to in the next few years.

Notch on My Belt

How many meetings/articles/consultations have you been involved with that ask you that very stale question, “Why do you want to lose weight?”  Ugh!!  We all know what comes barreling out of our mouths…”Well, it’s to be healthy and live a wonderfully long and happy life” ~~ blah, blah, blah. 

In my teens, I really just wanted to look slammin’ in a bikini.  In my twenties, I only wanted a non-wiggly ass when I played that imaginary game of beach volleyball with the cute soccer team that my girlfriends and I just happened to come across.  In my thirties, I wanted to get the baby weight off and not have to wear my preggo pants anymore.  Now, at 40, I want to wear a belt again.  And I’m talking about a kick-ass belt.  I will know that I’m at the top of my game again when I’m wearing a crisp white shirt, new jeans, funky shoes and that kick-ass belt that proves that I still have it!

I have found that belt.  About six months ago, I came across a vendor on Etsy and found the perfect, super-excellent belt that fits into my dream of coolness.  I’m about 15 pounds away from this dream, but I will get there and get there soon!! 

So, this may all sound really shallow.  But, after reading that “notch on your belt” is defined as a success or achievement that may help you in the future, I no longer feel so superficial.  This belt will represent perseverance, health and happiness for me.  It will represent that I have finally achieved moderation in my life with food, work, parenting, spouse hood (is this a term?) and everything else I have tried to go balls-to-the-wall with.  Moderation.  My belt will represent this for me.  And, I think that’s an O.K. goal ~ at least it’s realistic and mine.  It’s not what I think I’m supposed to be saying.  I just want to wear a cool belt again.

Click on the following link for your belt personality:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/awcombes ~ there are sooo many cute designs.  I even bought one for my best friend for her 39th birthday last year.