Myth Busters

There are several correlations that exist in our culture that truly befuddle me. I don't have time to delve into that list and I'm sure that many of you wouldn't want to read it. What I have here to share with you is a list of a different sort. It's nothing new or exciting but here it is...

My grocery list.

It's nothing fancy but I think that it looks like a reasonably healthy collection of mostly whole foods. I try hard to feed myself and my family with stuff that tastes good and will nourish us so we can power through each day. Chris and I are both watching our diets so we try to make the most of our allotted calories we have each day. We're also trying to save money by reducing the amount that we spend eating at restaurants so I've been trying to jot down ideas for an assortment of things to enjoy for breakfasts, bagged lunches and dinners.

Where am I going on this tangent? I do actually have a point and it's this: There is a strange mindset that exists among a lot of people that eating healthy is expensive. I've heard so many people go on about how a healthy diet is out of their reach because because they cannot afford it. There are even several members of my family that believe this and feel that they're resigned to buying edible food-like substances in colorful boxes with characters on them and washing it down with a 24 pack of diet soda. I once heard a rule that seems to be golden as I see more and more grocery stores. The outer layer of the floor plan is usually where you should shop. The further into the middle you go, the more processed foods there are. The dairy, produce and other less complicated fare is all along the sides. I've also heard several people say that they don't know where to start when it comes to making healthy changes. I know that we get a lot of contradictory information as consumers when it comes to nutrition. I highly recommend this book.

Short, sweet and to the point. I learned a lot in the 10 minutes it took me to skim through it.

I am a Trader Joe's Queen. Almost all of the food you see and will continue to see on this blog was purchased there. I'm lucky enough to finally have one close to where I live! Their products are fun and simple with quality ingredients and no preservatives. I do buy some prepackaged stuff for days that I know I won't have time to cook. A frozen spinach pie or a pizza and a carton of tomato soup from TJ's is no worse than ordering it out and it takes 2% effort to make.

The vegetable based diet really helps with saving money so we can afford to spring for fancier veggies and quality ingredients. We also don't typically buy soda aside from an occasional 4 pack of Virgil's Root Beer which is usually a treat for everyone. Molly prefers milk to just about anything else and we drink a lot of water and tea. I've been all about the fiber lately so I try to eat a good bit of fruits, veggies and whole grain carbs. Typical breakfasts are quick aside from the few days a week I decide to cook something. It's usually half of a blueberry bran muffin and some cottage cheese. I love poached eggs and I'm a big fan of the Ezekiel line of breads. For lunch, I really like the frozen rice and bean burritos at TJ's and I take them with me to work at least 3 days out of the week with a piece of fruit. If I don't bring one, it's usually because I have leftovers from dinner. I haven't bought my lunch at work since the middle of December! I used to do it almost everyday so it's a big change.

Dinners vary and depend on my mood (and how tired I am!).

Smart Dogs with whole wheat pizza crust wrapped around them and baked is very popular with my family. We usually have it on Friday nights. I love them dipped in mustard and chili.

We love beans in this family. This is buttered toast with baked beans. In the summertime, we usually have fresh tomatoes with it. I jokingly think of it as "The Kerouac". Spinach and white beans is another favorite.

Some meals are a little more complicated...

Colorful bell peppers were on sale so I picked out one of each and stuffed them with white rice and black beans mixed with salsa and a bit of cheese. I simmered them for a bit and then let them brown in the oven. I served fresh guac on the side. I even had enough leftovers for two lunches the next day. It took a while to put together but I had company so that made it more fun. Anything remotely Mexican flavored will earn me an A+ with Chris and Molly. Burrito night never fails me.

When the West Windsor Farmer's Market opens back up in May, we'll be getting most of our produce from there. I can't believe how close it is! We get our public garden plot back in April!

I probably spend about $85 every week (give or take $10) on all of the different things I've mentioned. I think that list up there was about $75. Not too shabby considering it fed 3 people for several meals everyday. I also have to pack Molly a snack for school. Her teacher is a stickler for kids bringing in healthy food to hold them over until lunch and so M typically gets pistachios, cheese and crackers, applesauce or some fruit.

Our diet isn't anything too special but we like it. We're satisfied and we don't spend a lot of money. I read that the average American household spends 10% of their income on groceries. I see an investment in quality sustenance as a much better option than paying for a bunch of pharmacy visits in the future. I could go on and on about how even the slightest change in our way of thinking about food would be a definite variable in some very positive changes that would come about in our country but this ain't that kind of blog.

I just wanted to dispel the myth that we have to spend a lot of money to eat well.

C&Z

This year was full of serendipitous discoveries for me in the food writing genre. I'd definitely heard of Chocolate and Zucchini but I'd never gone as far as to actually check it out until earlier this year. I have to say that catching up on everything this girl has written over the past few years is a daunting task. The same issue exists for David Lebovitz. I am so happy to have had the experience to prepare and take my trip to Paris this past summer or else I might still be in the dark as far as these great food blogs (and books!) are concerned.

I started to take a closer look at French cooking after our trip to Montreal last summer. We had several fantastic meals that made it seem much more approachable. The main focus, of course, is quality ingredients. Clotilde's approach to preparing French food is very cheerful and casual. We didn't hit up and fancy restaurants in Paris so our dining experiences (believe it or not!) were very similar. Pleasurable and creative. Those are definitely two words I would use to describe the recipes in Chocolate and Zucchini.

I prepared several recipes from the book....including the Chocolate and Zucchini cake.

I really wanted to celebrate the first zucchini to come from our garden by making something extra special with it! As you can see, it is very unassuming and simple. No layers or icing. Aside from shredding the veggies, it didn't require too much work. Despite all of this, the taste was fantastic. The concept was cute and quirky so despite the lack of frills, people were quite eager to dig into it. I'd highly recommend this cake for a party or potluck!

I'd also highly recommend either one (or both!) of Clotilde Dusoulier's books if you are planning a trip to Paris or if you just want to eat like a true Parisian in the comfort of your own home. If you don't feel like springing for the book, check out her website. She is more than generous with the recipes and content. My favorite feature would have to be the edible idioms. I start my French class tomorrow and it's nice being able to see some commonly used expressions.

Someday

I'm not one for drinking milk. My daughter is the exact opposite. She would probably take an IV of milk if I would allow it. We buy her the super fancy organic milk in the glass bottles that come from a dairy farm in Pennsylvania so I doubt we'd be able to afford a continuous supply to her bloodstream. I hear so many awful things about the hormones in dairy that I refuse to take the chance with cheap, crappy milk.

We are pasteurization freaks here in the U.S. I've read several interesting books about the benefits of the cultures found in raw dairy products. In Europe, it is readily available and I am really looking forward to tasting creams and especially butter! I am excited to see how it affects the flavors of chocolate and other things that have dairy in them.

I'm not sure how great of a lead in all of this is for a review of yet another book I've read in the past month about Paris. French Milk is an adorable graphic novel written by a girl who travels to Paris with her mother for six weeks during the end of 2007 and into 2008. She talks a lot about art and food which are to things I plan to focus on for my trip! The illustrations are similar to the ones found in The Persepolis in that they are simple but manage to convey a lot. It's a much quicker and lighter read though. I had a lot of hope in me when I finished the book. I hope we are able to have as interesting of an experience in Paris and also I hope to be as close with Molly when she is older as the author is with her mom. I feel like we are on the right track! She's a great girl and I'm so proud of her. I've already promised her we'd take her to Paris someday.

How Sweet It Is

I feel in and out of the loop with this latest entry. I finished reading The Sweet Life in Paris a few weeks ago and the book has only been out for about two months. However, David Lebovitz, has been cooking up some amazing food along with equally amazing food writing for years. I have to say that this upcoming trip to Paris has opened so many new doors for me as far as discovering great books, blogs, foods and ideas. I haven't even left yet and I already feel so enriched.

About the book...it's a cleverly written memoir of his experiences as an American chef who has been living in Paris for about seven years now. It's similar to A Homemade Life in that there are several short stories with accompanying recipes. After reading the book, I feel that I am a little bit more prepared for what to expect on our trip. His stories are informative and hilarious! I have learned several bits of etiquette and such from reading the book will hopefully save me from the occasional faux pas in France! For example, I was at one of my favorite food shops here in Princeton. I'm usually chat with one of the girls behind the counter if she is working and we've become casual acquaintances. I was telling her about this book and some of the tips I've picked up and she asked me for an example. I told her that I'd learned to always greet shopkeepers when entering any sort of establishment. Apparently it's considered to be quite rude not to do so! She stopped and thought for a second. I know she has visited Paris and she was probably reflecting on past experiences. She looks at me and says That explains a lot!

His blog is an even greater resource. He is beyond generous with his insider tips on everything from chocolate to food photography. His post on what he considers to be mandatory Parisian noshing sounds way more appealing than standing in line to get into the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower! I only wish I were going to be in Paris at the same time as one of his tours!! What an experience that would be!

I know I'm arriving late in the game with some of these amazing blogs but I'm thankful to have discovered them at the perfect time so that I am able to really put the information to good use! We are leaving for Paris on Saturday! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Dream On

Today I finished up the last morsel of Molly Wizenberg's debut novel.  Some of you might better know her as Orangette.

I heard about her blog through a customer that comes into the bookstore on a regular basis.  A Homemade Life had just hit the shelves so I decided to treat myself.  What a treat it was!  I am thankful that reading doesn't have any calories.  However, this book is definitely going to go straight to my hips after I start making some of the amazing recipes that accompany her delectable short stories.  

I was sucked in pretty quick.  Each story was like sitting across from her over a nice cup of tea and a big slice of cake while she talked love, loss and what she ate.  The main topics include her late father, her mother, meeting the man who would become her husband through her blog and her adventures living in Paris.  Yup, there's the P-word again.  

Molly is also a writer for Bon Appetit magazine.  I only recently started reading it and her columns are a delight.  I went to the website to look at the stories from some of the back issues and found an interesting one on why she is no longer a vegetarian.  Everything she says is true!  It's refreshing to find someone else who can abstain from eating meat while still admitting that they love it.  The holier than thou hecklers that I usually refer to as vegeterrorists would probably have had a field day with this one.  I was surprised that there were so few comments considering it can be such a hot topic.  There was some comic gold though!  Someone named vegangirl left this tidbit that actually caused me some temporary eye strain from rolling them so hard.  

Vegetarians or vegans DO NOT dream about food...they are smart enough to realize that all food is, is fuel to survive. If you are dreaming about food, you need help. 

I must be some sort of friggin' idiot because I dream about food, day and night, all of the time!  I contemplate dinner, I fantasize about weekend brunches, I look forward to breakfast dates with my husband....  Sometimes I dream about eating meat!  I wake up feeling guilty but it still happens!  The list could go on and on.  I love bonding with friends and family over a good meal!  This girl needs to get a life!  As a matter of fact, I highly recommend A Homemade Life!  

Edible Adventures, here I come!

Over the weekend, I got my hands on a copy of each of Clotilde Dusoulier's books because I had a coupon and store credit to use up at Borders.  I spent a good part of today cruising through this really enjoyable and exciting guide for eating in Paris which basically reads like a foodie wet dream.  Towards the beginning of the book, she states that it is her desire that the reader use this book to plan a trip (even if it is in their dreams) to Paris.  She hopes that they will go as far as to bring it with them on their journey to serve as a knowing and friendly reference. As I was reading this part, my heart started to beat more rapidly and I could feel myself flush a bit with reckless anticipation.  It really hit home in my brain that I am going to Paris in about seven weeks.  We've had our tickets and reservations for over a month but it dawned on me today that it's really happening.  It took everything not to give out a squeal of joy.   It was fantastic motivation to buckle down and seriously focus on these language CDs I've been listening to.  It's going to take more effort to get around in France.  I am reasonably seasoned with German but French isn't nearly as familiar.  

In the short time that I read this book, it has already paid for itself in useful knowledge for what to expect when dining out in Paris.  There are also hot tips on shopping in markets and boutiques.   I really feel like I have some good fuel for more accurate daydreams about our vacation.  Except for the part about me communicating in French with skill and ease.  

If you are planning a trip to the City of Lights, I cannot recommend this book enough!  It would probably be torture to read otherwise!