Real Food, That's What's on My Mind

I have two blogs. This one and another one about food:  http://www.texancookie.blogspot.com/.  Today, it feels like I need to talk about food a lot so I am posting food thoughts on both.  I think this emphasis on food stems from my recent conversion to eating vegan.  I feel the need to know everything there is to know about food and I am reading more books than I thought I could ever find on food. 

The best one so far is:  Michael Pollan's, In Defense of Food. I just finished reading it over the weekend and talk about eye-openers. It was outstanding! If everyone read this book, we would have very different food policies in this country. His basic recommendation is right on the cover: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

This means eat real food not processed junk, not imitation junk, or anything that looks real but is really not. He explains how non-organically grown produce is really not full of the nutrients we think it has for various reasons. First, the soil on which non-organic produce is grown is full of chemicals, such as fertilizers, which are absorbed by the plants and therefore, affects nutritional quality.  Second, the produce itself is full of pesticides.Third, the produce is transported from all over the world and it loses nutrients in transit. 

He also recommends eating until your brain tells you you are full.  Don't think you are full only when your plate is empty.  Eat slowly.  Enjoy your meal. Eat with someone.  Avoid eating in front of the TV.

Finally, avoid eating too much meat or meat products.  Plants are better for you and if you are eating too much meat, you are crowding out plants from your diet. But even if you choose to eat meat, make sure you are eating grass-fed and pasture-raised meat. It certainly costs more, but why shouldn't we have to pay for our environmental impact?

Probably my favorite part of this book is his discussion of how the government makes food rules based on nutrients vs. real food.  For instance, instead of being able to say "eat less meat", it says "eat less saturated fat".  All because of the huge meat, dairy, and egg lobbying that goes on this country. It's sad that few people seem to know the truth.  Even sadder that a lot of people don't care to know the truth.

I was having lunch with a friend and I was recommending this book to her.  She told that she'd rather not read it because she loves eating the food she eats now and she's afraid if she reads the book, she won't be able to eat those foods.  And how does that argument make sense to anyone?  I'm afraid that's the perspective of the typical American.  How can do we change that?  That is the real question.

Tell them you love them

My husband's school is going through a tough week. We have three funerals all in one week:

1. 46-year-old husband of a current teacher died in a car accident
2. 68-year-old dad of a former teacher died of cancer
3. 5-year-old former student was reported missing, but later found dead in a bush

It makes you realize how quickly things can change in your life. One day you are having fun with your family enjoying each other's company, arguing, eating...not knowing that that is your last day on this earth. I wish it were easier to live every day as if it were your last because you really do not know if it is. I guess the least we can do is tell them we love them.

Gorgeous Weather

I had big plans for last night, but they got derailed thanks to the gorgeous weather we've been having. But that is a good thing. We had an early dinner and then went out to play with the neighbors. All the kids and their parents were out and it was so nice to just sit and relax with the adults while the kids all played baseball, rode their bikes, and chased each other. That's the best part of living in a cul-de-sac. Cars are not as much of an issue.

We ended up staying out until 8pm! Once we came in, the kids were hungry, of course, so we had another mini dinner. While the kids were eating their second dinner, I read a couple of pages from the Diary of Anne Frank like I had originally planned to do. Nati said she didn't want to hear the "scary parts." "What scary parts, honey?" I asked her. "Mom, I can still hear the footsteps from the movie. Those were scary!" She's referring to the fear that ran through all the residents of the Anne Frank house when they heard footsteps and they didn't know to whom they belonged. Well, I guess that's my answer to the question of whether she's emotionally ready. Not fully. I was glad that she was able to tell me that.

Daniel, however, couldn't wait to start reading it so we read a couple of pages before I sent everyone off to bed. I skipped over sections that I thought were not appropriate for Nati. Tonight we have a playdate with some other friends, but hopefully, we'll get a chance to read some more. Can't wait!

Revisitng History with the Kids

We watched "The Diary of Anne Frank" last night on PBS's Masterpiece Theater. Wow. Talk about excellent programming. They took Anne's book and turned it into a two-hour made for TV movie, but were somehow able to capture the essence of the book. Kudos to PBS!

We let the kids just watch part of it because it was very late and they had to go to bed and also because we wanted to screen it before we let the kids see it. This program coming out right now is perfect timing for us. Last week, we read Patricia Polacco's, The Butterfly, a picture book about two little girls living in German-occupied Paris during World War II. One little girl is asleep in her room when she wakes up one night and thinks she sees a ghost, but it's not a ghost. She did not realize that her family is hiding a Jewish family in the basement and the "ghost" is just another little girl. The story and pictures are beautiful and hopeful just like all of Polacco's books.

The kids had many questions after we read this picture book: Who are the Nazi's? Why are they so mean? Why were they chasing the Jews? When did this happen? Could this happen today? And many others.

After reading The Butterfly and piquing their interest by letting them watch the beginning of the movie, we feel the next step is to start reading the book with them tonight. I am so excited. I can't wait. I am a little nervous about them being emotionally ready for it, but I guess we'll just have to see. I'm almost certain that D is ready. N is almost seven so we'll have to just keep monitoring her reactions.

I am, by no means, a history buff. Far from it, but fortunately for all of us, my husband majored in International Relations and knows a lot about all the wars in which we Americans have ever participated. After the movie ended, I was mesmerized by his descriptions of his visit to Auschwitz and the Anne Frank house. He has actually been in the attic that was part of the Frank's hiding place! The kids are going to love that.

I am so enjoying this part of parenting, the part where I get to learn, too. I read this book in middle school and wrote papers about it, but the depth to which we can delve now is amazing. The internet research we can do just boggles my mind and then of course, listening to David talk about this stuff is so much fun. I can hardly wait until tonight!

Books, Glorious Books!

I love books. There's no denying it. Yesterday I drove to the downtown library and perused the new books aisle, the cookbook section, and the parenting section for an hour and came home with 13 books just for me.

People ask me, "When do you have time to read?" I carry books with me all the time. I read at stoplights much to my kids' chagrin. "Mom! The light is green!!! Go!!!" I read in waiting rooms. I read in the car while I'm waiting in the pickup line at school. I read right before I fall asleep for at least an hour every day. I just love all the knowledge out there that can be so easily absorbed by just reading.

One of our dreams for our family has always been to raise avid readers. I like to think that we have done all the right things to encourage that. They need models. I think we are doing our part, there. David is also a big reader (surprise, surprise). :) We have been reading to the kids every single night since before they were born. (The picture above was taken in 2000, when D was five months.) Even now that they can read independently, we read together out loud almost every night. (I like to pick one author and read all his/her books. This week we are reading Patricia Pollaco.) It comes as no surprise then, that they also love to read.

Yesterday, I picked up a book at the library titled If I Live to be 100: Lessons from Centenarians by Neena Ellis. The book originated from a project she did for NPR's "All Things Considered." I am intrigued by centenerians since my dad is 90 and in such good health. I wonder what he has done differently than most people his age who have alls sorts of ailments. He takes no pills, except for heartburn (because he probably overeats!) He has all his teeth. His hearing is not as great as it used to be but he can still hear, and he can't see with one eye. He has no arthritis. No diabetes. Nothing. Thank, goodness! Anyway, I saw this book and I thought about my dad so I checked it out.

I read parts of it on my way to pickup the kids from school (at stoplights only, of course!) and fell in love with some sections. At dinner, I was so excited about the book that I spent a good 10 minutes describing it to the kids. They listened intently and asked lots of questions. Then I casually asked them what they were reading. I did not expect this, but my two older kids ran to get their books and brought them to the dinner table. D has three books going: Lone Wolf from the Wolves of the Beyond Series, something from the Lemony Snicket series, and one from the Seekers series. He proceeded to tell us about his books. Then N shared with us The Puppy Place's Chewy and Chica about two chihuahuas that are born in a doggy mill and are adopted by a family. I was thrilled to see my kids so excited about books. They even read sections of their books out loud. After we picked up the kitchen, the reading out loud continued.

When my husband got home, I couldn't wait to share with him about our "book club" dinner. My 2-year-old overheard me talk about it and she told Daddy that tomorrow she is going to talk about the books she's reading.

I am so excited about this. I think we are going to implement a weekly, maybe daily? book talk at dinner.