Getting Lax
So we’ve hit Day 43 and it seems that I’m starting to slip.
The thing is that there is still plenty of food. We are not out of vegetables or fruit yet, dairy is running low, but present still in our diets. So why the change? Well I simply got fed up yesterday with not being able to see friends because we were restricting going out and so I spontaneously decided to hang out and chill with a few buddies.
Technically not cheating, but it still feels like the purge is coming to an end. At best I think we could go another week. I’m leaving for Haiti on Monday which might stretch it a little.
I guess it just comes down to this: I am going to buy a Kombucha if I want to… and I’m craving Kombucha.
Just in case you miss all the witty talking about the purge->
check out my blog Sustainable Bonanza
-or-
the one I’ve just started called Helping out in Haiti on YourOliveBranch.org, a site for positive news about Peace and Sustainability
-and -
look out soon because the next challenge will be to reduce our household waste in a blog titled ‘Waste Not’
Still going strong!
Kitchen Goddess Chaos and I were at our best this morning.
Yes, despite a hiatus of writing we are still going. In fact today makes 1 month and 9 days!!
Chaos was finished off a delicious smelling stew of lentils and wheatberries that had been soaking over night and I got ready to put my No knead-bread in the oven.
I think it is crazy that we are still at this and wonder how much longer it will go.
We have not run out of fruits or vegetables, although we are low, and there is still chocolate in the house.
Triggers
While most of the food that I cook and eat is for the pure pleasure I derive from the flavors, I have learned that I also reach for food at other times. Continue reading this entry »
Unleasing my inner kitchen goddess
Oh, what fun!
Today, I bopped around the kitchen after two hours of wonderful Yoga and made delicious food for the week.
What did I play around with?
On the stove and in the oven—>
1. No Knead Bread – to be baked tomorrow morning for breakfast
2. Black Raspbery and Rhubarb Crisp – which came out more like berry flavored granola bars, delicious
3. White Bean, Sage and little Pasta Soup
4. Sundried tomatoes marinating in olive oil, with rosemary and black pepper (We had the tomatoes I just wanted to start infusing a little added flavor)
5. Stuffed Acorn Squash with currants, walnuts, maple syrup, butter, rice and TVP
Between all of these successful endeavors (ok so we’ll figure out if the bread is successful tomorrow) I am feeling like the kitchen is mine to conquer!
I cheated.
Yes, it’s true, and here comes the confession. I cheated in a moment of extreme stress. Continue reading this entry »
ANXIETY
Starting at the beginning of this project there were times that I was filled with anxiety. So I’ve been thinking a lot about why something like this could make me feel anxious.
—-
This so far has been the post that I start and stop, start and stop. Why is it so hard to write about the anxiety?
—- Continue reading this entry »
Swapping and Sipping
What an amazing housewarming weekend! This jam packed fun filled weekend included playing board games, drinking exotic teas, eating tasty food, and simply enjoying being alive.
One of the coolest parts about the housewarming weekend to me was the Swap. We had people bring things that were in their house that they no longer use. Continue reading this entry »
Legacy of Poverty
My father’s family picked scrap metal to earn money when they first arrived in America in the late 1800′s.
Pre-Ellis Island’s more official and organized role, the records can’t tell me where my family came from beyond Italy or if Bonanza is really my last name or the mis-spelled answer to the question ‘Why are you here?’ ‘What do you do?’ or ‘Where are you from?’ While it is common for non-English speaking immigrants to have unintentional name changes it is the legacy of poverty that I think is in part behind my at-all-times, fully-stocked cabinets.
Food security issue are tied to poverty. I think it is probably those same food security issues in addition to my love of different flavors that keeps me heading to the store even when I don’t need to go. Continue reading this entry »
Day 27: Challenging Beliefs
Not in the mood for eggs or cereal this morning I opened the fridge to see what else might quench my appetite. Hands filled with ingredients, I set out to make a breakfast soup of leftover couscous, jalapenos, azuki miso, carrot and leeks.
This meal was totally easy to put together:
- dump ingredients except miso in 3c. water (about 1 1/2 c per person)
- bring to a boil
- turn off heat
- put into bowls and stir in one spoonful of miso
- eat 
The best part is you can play with whatever you have leftover in the fridge to make this satisfying breakfast. No measurements necessary: it is all to taste!
What interests me about this morning’s experiment is that it isn’t a typical breakfast; I would usually have eggs, yogurt, or hot cereal. I guess the Pantry Purge has not only become challenging the idea of what is enough (remember we are on day 27,) but also re-thinking what we eat and when. I wanted soup, so I had soup. I think breakfast for dinner is a popular happening, but before now, I didn’t often think of having a sandwich for breakfast unless it was an egg and cheese.
I wonder how allowing an unquestioned habit to dictate our meals, actions, and/or beliefs affects happiness, sustainability, or any aspect of our lives.
Italian Soul Food Night
After all the food, friends, and excitement of the weekend, it was nice to have a chill day at home getting stuff done. Tonight, the pantry yielded some incredible treats and I did a pasta-in-the-pan treatement like so:
- Pepperadelle egg pasta
- artichoke hearts
- roasted red peppers
- sundried tomatoes
- sauteed garlic and shallots
- pinch of hot pepper
- pesto
- dried basil and sage
Cook pasta as directed and drain, toss with a little olive oil. Sautee remaining ingredients in together with a pinch of basil and sage. Toss serving of pasta into pan with 2 tbsp pesto. Serve immediately and delight in the awesome.
