Making new lifestyle changes.So far so good! I have dispensed with the "monthly rules" I was previously imposing on myself because I believe it was making it seem more like a chore rather than a pleasure to be making these changes. However I can't deny that having these rules really did help get me off to a good start; I certainly eat far less cheese than I did before and I know I'm cooking far more often.
Nevertheless, I feel ready to go a bit easier on myself and just enjoy my food rather than perpetuate the typical western dysfunctional relationship with food that most of us suffer from. As a result, I've been cooking from scratch far more often and really having fun with my meals. This week I've even been trying some new recipes, all of which have turned out fantastic! Check it out:
<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v180/Sheona/Food%20and%20FS/?action=view&current=2011-08-02181719.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/Sheona/Food%20and%20FS/2011-08-02181719.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" width=500></a>
Bare-cupboard spinach strata<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v180/Sheona/Food%20and%20FS/?action=view&current=2011-08-03182614.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/Sheona/Food%20and%20FS/2011-08-03182614.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" width=500></a>
Macaroni cheese<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v180/Sheona/Food%20and%20FS/?action=view&current=2011-08-05191416.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/Sheona/Food%20and%20FS/2011-08-05191416.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" width=500></a>
Chickpea burgersIt's incredibly satisfying to eat real food made with real ingredients and know exactly what's gone into it and where it came from, unlike eating store bought varieties. Plus I'm celebrating my birthday with my family tomorrow and we're having a barbeque, so I'm excited about being able to take along my home-made veggie-friendly burgers to throw on the grill and impress everyone! My sister is now also vegetarian, so I'm sure she'll appreciate having something safe to eat.
Aside from the cooking, I've also been doing a lot of reading to educate myself better and figure out what I've been doing wrong with my lifestyle and how to correct it. For example, Michael Pollan's "Food Rules" was a great wee guide to traditionally held wisdom on eating that recent generations have seemingly forgotten. It includes such gems as "if you wouldn't cook with it, don't eat it" (a way to avoid weird additives & chemicals, which are
not food), "never eat more than you can hold cupped in your hands" (a surprisingly good measure of a single portion) and "eat your colours" (which promotes eating of a wide range of vegetables instead of what my mother calls "yellow food").
As well as reading about food, I've been trying to find information on how to live a more natural, healthful, ecologically-aware life but everything I find seems to assume I have a house and a garden, not to mention money to put solar panels on the roof - because that will totally work in a block of flats - and invest in the latest in eco-gadgetry. Not really helpful.
So I decided to go it alone and figure it out for myself...much like I've had to do with food. I'm also going to go ahead and keep a blog of my attempt to change my life, so others with limitations like mine have at least
some information on where to start. It will of course refer to the specific country in which I'm based, but hopefully it will still be topical enough that anyone can gain from taking a peek.
Would be delighted if anyone wants to check it out:
The Dear Green Place: Urban Eco LivingAnyway, I'm off to pack up my chickpea burgers for tomorrow. Ciao for now!