I just wanted to make it clear that I am not an expert on this stuff. I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist. I am a stay-at-home mom who is concerned about our health, and I'm sharing our experience with you. I'm learning as I go, and sharing what I'm learning with you. I am doing research on everything, and the purpose of this blog is to help those who might be considering something similar but maybe feel overwhelmed, or don't know where to start. Maybe I'll even convince some of you who hadn't planned on making a diet lifestyle change to do so.
So my big excuse for a long time was not even knowing where to start. I didn't want to waste food, so for me, I had to make a list (apparently I have a lot of trouble organizing my thoughts because nothing gets done around here if it isn't on a list). I had to have a plan. For me, that's accountability. It's a good feeling marking things off my list, and I find myself anxious to mark off the next thing.
Another common excuse for people is the cost of organic food. Yes, it is expensive. But there are ways around that. I shop at Earth Fare a lot. If you sign up for their emails, they have specials all the time. This week, for instance, they have grass-fed, organic ground beef for $3.99 a pound. I could see the worried faces of the people in line behind me at the meat counter as I stocked up. Don't worry, they had plenty.
Another way for meat is finding a local organic farmer and purchasing a whole cow. It's usually cheaper that way, the cost includes the butcher fee, and they will cut it however you like, more steaks than ground beef, etc. I'll go more into that after I've completed my research, but I plan on finding two or three people to go in with me, and purchase a quarter cow, because it is a lot of money upfront, and I don't have freezer space for the whole thing. Like I said, more on that later.
I picked a great time to do this, because it's time to plant a garden! Now, if you know me well enough, you're thinking "Oh, bless your heart, you're going to try to grow something." I have killed everything that I put my hands on. Except my kids. Somehow they've managed to survive me this long. But as far as plants, well, we just don't understand each other. However, when Chase graduated from kindergarten, he gave me a flower plant (see, I don't even know what type of flower it is.) and let me tell you, two years and three pots later, because it keeps growing, that thing is still thriving! And I realized something. I cherish that plant. It means a lot to me, and I remember to water it, and I take darn good care of it! So you see, I can grow stuff!
I know that I have a lot to learn about gardening. Oh, and by the way, my whole life, my parents have had a huge garden. And every summer, I would be forced into manual labor, picking beans in 150 degree weather...okay so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit. But you would think that I picked up my parent's green thumb. No, no I didn't. But luckily, I have amazing parents, who are extremely patient, and my dad came over today to build me some garden beds. And he will probably be walking me through the whole thing. But I'll be helping them in their garden this summer again, and hopefully instead of the mindless bean picking and snapping, they can show me how to actually plant, and all that. And for my help, they will reward me with all the fresh and canned organic veggies that I want! So find a local gardener, and offer to help them for a few vegetables if you're not up for planting a garden yourself. Or you could do a small potted garden on your deck, but just be aware that planters need watering constantly.
No comments:
Post a Comment