Thinking about the future

Oh I kept meaning to blog and then I was feeling all tired and blah. 

Guess what? Today I got my period, that two year break was NOT LONG ENOUGH. Boo.

But enough about that. Let's talk about something even more depressing, the future of our food! 🙂 Bj and I watched two documentaries this weekend: The Future of Food and Food Inc. (and then happened to read this). If you just watch one I would go with Food Inc, just for production value, but Future of Food delves into the Monsanto/GMO issue more. It's very interesting, and I admit I was really turing a blind eye to what I've been eating, know things were bad but eating it anyway. I took it more as a "bad for me" thing, and didn't really think about the earth/future generations. Even before I got pregnant we were trying to eat better, and I have slowly come around from my nearly 100% candy diet (I like candy way too much). But with summer close (so they say, you'd never know it if you came over to rainland) and the first CSA box picked up I'm getting into the kitchen and taking over! No more fast food, no more corn syrup, no more GMOs! Of course I don't think I'll be able to be perfect, just trying to do my best. And I'm not sure what do about that severe diet coke addiction….

Anyway I started my cooking off with an easy curry rice soup, and made a lot so I could freeze some portions for when I'm feeling overwhelmed and lazy. Last night I made some dough and today I baked this:

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Oh yes, it is just as delicious as it looks. I am totally in love with my new book. And they are serious, 5 minutes a day really is all it takes! My mom asked me for the recipe, but I'm all, "It's a system mom, a system!" This is just the basic, you-must-learn-this-first bread, but there are so many yummy looking ones I can't wait to try. I had to make a little investment in the book, a pizza peel, and oven thermometer (we already had a stone and I'm using a big stockpot for storing dough for now), but besides that I think a loaf works out to be ridiculously cheap, like fifty cents. 

We also used up some of our produce from our CSA box. The bok choy and green garlic went into a simple vegetarian stir fry we did over rice for dinner. 

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Tuesday was so excited about it she figured out how to use her spoon! She's been aiming at her mouth for a while, but at the last minute she'd tip it over and most would end up in her lap. Halfway through dinner she did get tired and started shoving things in with her left hand, maybe she'll be ambidextrous! 
 
Also:

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Playing, but being distracted by:

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The big machine tearing up our driveway. We were going to have grass by this weekend, but did I mention the rain WON'T STOP?

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Our poor backyard looks so naked.

p.s. You may want to check out the picture of the day. Yesterday Tuesday and I got to watch a dance class… full of preschoolers. 

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13 Comments

  1. Boo period.
    Yay pictures of the day!
    I love her little cup and I hope it never ever breaks.
    Good for you for making healthier choices. We are trying to cut back the amount of plastic we buy. It should be challenging, but hopefully this trend will lead to less plastic in the world. Maybe.
    I found my board patient today…and currently procrastinating on my very last homework assignment. I should have a life again any day now!!!

  2. I have seen the Food, Inc. one. I think I’m the same as you…have slowly been changing my eating habits…
    I pay more attention to what Miri eats…but am starting to focus on the adults in the household, too.
    It’s scary stuff…

  3. Just wanted to verify that “YES” the bread is delicious! Dipped in a little olive oil… Yum! You know it’s difficult for me to follow directions so I think you should just make a loaf for us and I’ll pick it up when I take packages to the post office. So happy you’re getting better eating habits, perhaps you’ll try more of my weird and wonderful dishes!

  4. Oh I really think we need to meet sometime! Our kids are within a week of each other, I just got that same book for my bday and I just got my period back too the day before you! We need a stone, until then I’m using my Dutch oven. I just love the smell of baked bread in the house!

  5. I’ve been working on that same bread cookbook. So far, I’ve made one batch of dough, shattered a Pyrex pan in a 450 oven, and baked one actual loaf – which was partially raw. I ate half the loaf – despite the rawness – and the other half was stolen by the dog. I’m giving the bread baking a bit of a break.

  6. Oh my I am laughing so hard right now! That sucks! I guess that answers my question about trying to bake it in a pan, I’ve only done the free form so far. I made sure my oven was right on, and despite what the book says, it was up to temp when I put the bread in the oven. And I let it cook until it was very dark on the outside. Still I like your story better 🙂

  7. Oh, I understand how you feel. My period also returned last month. You mean I have to carry pads now on top of all the other stuff in my huge diaper bag?? We want to have a movie night with my moms group to see Food Inc. What changed my diet was reading Fast Food Nation in 2002. I stopped eating McDonald’s after that. Well, 2003, to be exact. We lived near one of the first McDonald’s http://www.flickr.com/photos/billd4u/4508620718/ and I couldn’t resist the fried apple pies. All the others have baked pies!

  8. I have both of those bread books and love them. My oven is broken right now, but hopefully when we get back from dealing with Noah’s surgery and all later this month I will be able to make more foccaccia, cheese breads and the like. A bread baking friend is keeping my family well stocked in the meantime (she brought over chocolate bread today!).
    Our CSA starts next week and i can’t wait. I’m looking for a meat CSA and we get fresh eggs from a woman in the area so slowly but surely we’re getting things as local as we can.
    Can’t wait to see your finished yard!

  9. that bread looks amazing! YUM. i watched (sort of, i had to look away during certain parts) food, inc a few months ago. totally eye opening…i told my entire family to watch it when it aired on PBS recently. i’ll have to check out the other one.
    i’d love to do a csa box, but with just me it doesn’t seem like a good plan. for now it’s the co-op, farmers market and the fruit stand (twedts) as soon as they start up again. i’m hoping that when my parents move (come on house, sell!) the’ll let me have a little corner of their garden for a few things too 🙂

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