Day 53 Kids Who Eat Vegetables Are Less Likely To Become Felons

This may come as a revelation to those who know me, but I rarely finish anything...except what's on my plate. I have begun many things in my life, diets, careers, relationships, classes of varying subject matter, belly dancing, knitting. I always start off strong, but somehow, I start to drift and eventually the project or person is forgotten and stuffed into the giant closet of past great ideas. Initially, I was afraid to begin this 365 day project, but I have discovered that the further I go, the more determined I am to finish and the more committed I become to following through, the more I see this as an open door to other goals. I believe that the more I take care of myself, the more I am able to help others and this project has allowed me to do that, even if so far, its just been getting a picky 10 year old to eat an avocado. So, let me jump up on my soapbox for a hot minute, I'm getting to the point, I promise. I don't expect everyone on the planet to stop eating fast food, if I had that power, though, I would use it with a megaphone and a burger squashing quickness. What I do toss out is a challenge to be conscious, of how you take care of yourself and who is watching you do this. I mean come on, its a green pea, not a booger, your kids are watching you eat! Let them cook with you and see you trying and liking new foods, even if it's a nasty beet or pickled okra. Maybe your kid will really dig something you hate, you've lost nothing, while your spawn becomes a well rounded consumer, having ingested one less chicken nugget in his lifetime. It is no secret, that healthy kids are less likely to pick up self destructive habits, like smoking and armed robbery, it's true, vegetables have that power....I'm not making it up!
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Day 44 Eleventy-Billion Uses For Avocado

Today, I learned that my Grandmother has never eaten an avocado, she doesn't know about the world's most perfect fruit! Avocados are my favorite food, unless you count cheese enchiladas, covered in avocado, so I cannot fathom, how someone has lived for 80ish years, without ever having eaten one! As I babbled on and on about guacamole and avocado sandwiches, I realized that that there must be a million other recipes, I had never laid eyes on. My Grandmother slipped me 5.00 as I headed out the door, and told me to buy something for myself....I bought 4 avocados and sat down to research over my simple dinner. Well, let me just say that the California Avocado Commission does not play around in their diverse collection of avocado recipes, concoctions I would never dream of! How about a California Avocado Milkshake, or an avocado Daiquiri? If drinking your Guac is not for you, how about couscous with avocado and mango or Grecian avocado pizza? Avocado poblano soup or Peanut crusted red curry avocado satay, the list is endless! The truth is that there are so many things we can do to make eating any fruit or vegetable delicious and interesting, but most of us cruise the produce aisle, tossing in iceberg lettuce, a couple of bananas and baby carrots, never considering the vast opportunity for healthy eating and food experimentation. I have also discovered that like the avocado commission and the potato commission, every other piece of produce probably has a commission too, this is a great place to find recipes and ideas for bringing more vegetables into your family meals. Eat Your Vegetables!
http://www.avocado.org/
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Day 23 Apples Shmapples

Today, I returned from the grocery store with something new, apples. I know, apples are as old and as common as the snakes that push them. Apples are new as far as my grocery list is concerned. I do not prefer them and generally just like to look at them or smell them in candles, but this week, I am going to eat them, along with a bunch of other fruit. I am adding fruit to my repetoire and I'm going try and choke some down every morning. Before I stopped eating out, I rarely consumed fruit, aside from the occasional grape or strawberry, but since I am broadening my experiences, I'm going to find a way to make apples enjoyable and edible. I'm thinking smoothies may be the way to go on this one, which means I may have to get up earlier, not neccessarily a bad thing. Breakfast is the one meal I miss grabbing on the way to work, every day I used to have an egg and cheese buscuit from McDonald's, a hashbrown or two, and a big fat Coke, so greasy, so buttery, so full of fizz and sugar. Ok, enough of that! I'm proud to say that I was 5.00 under budget for groceries today, coming in a 95.00 which should last for about 2 weeks! I am rocking the money saving vibe with this project and still had money left from my last paycheck (a new thing). I also attacked the fridge and have a lovely open space for the tons of vegetable projects scheduled for this week....including the one I've been eyeing from afar. So, my goals for this week, face my fear of fruit, create some new recipes, and celebrate my monthlong victory! Only 11 more to go!

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Day 22 I Spy a Dirty Beet

I found them, I found the beets, I was secretly hoping that farmers had stopped growing them and I would not have to keep my promise to make nice with them. I did not buy them, because I'm not ready to make the Borscht yet and I wouldn't want them to go bad or anything, but I saw them and they were dirty and bulbous and well, beety. Tonight, I will secure the recipe and tomorrow, I will approach them again, maybe from a different angle. In other news, last night I watched the documentary, No Impact Man and I am super inspired to take my experiment a little further. I will not go as far as eliminating electricity or forgoing toilet paper, but I like the family's approach to food. They ate only fresh, unpackaged food, such as fruit, vegetables, and food from the bins at Whole Foods. I don't know that this will be a 100% possibility for me to do, but I would like to make at least 80% of my food from fresh ingredients, I think that's a great idea and very healthy to eliminate the processed junko. I agree with the thought that there are many things that people can do to help the environment but it's impossible to do everything. Picking several things that serve the purpose, still has an impact on the earth. I feel the same about food and health, most people won't cut out fast food for a year, but maybe someone will cut down to once a week and drink more water or think twice about taking the kids to McDonald's and instead make a picnic of fresh from home foods and  have an hour of quality time together in the grass. The more we pay attention to what we eat, the less likely we are to eat garbage, I'm not your mother and you don't have to listen to me, but don't eat garbage, a nice lasagna is so much more satisfying!

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Day 9 Snowday Sunday

Today is the PERFECT day to NOT have to go out and forage the Chinese buffet or go out into the cold to gather burritos, it's snowing! I'm holding my breath for a Monday snowday and I have plenty of fun things to cook, if I'm stuck inside. I feel really great today, I had some oatmeal, some avacados, a few grapes, and for dinner, tonight, I'm making butternut squash. My Grandmother makes the best squash casserole, so later I'm going to add it to my recipe list. I feel pretty thrifty too, for every day that I don't eat fast food, I'm saving 5-15.00 a day, that's a lot of school books! http://www.fastfoodboycott.blogspot.com/