Saturday, August 16, 2008

Some of my Latest, Interesting (to me) Reads

There is a great site- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that explains this wonderful book. Barbara Kingsolver (author), her husband and 2 daughters, moved to their summer home for good and decided to eat only that which they grew/raised themselves, local produce, dairy, or meat (within a 70 mile radius), and they did it, for one year. It is a journal of how they did it and includes suggestions for all of us, on how we can eat better, and more locally. There are also tons of great recipes.
I want to try:
Eggs in a Nest
Asian Vegetable Rolls
Disappearing Zucchini Orzo( I made it a couple of nights ago- here is the RECIPE)
Zucchini Chocolate Cookies
Sweet Potato Quesadillas
to name a few. It is inspiring to read about people that are dedicated to making changes in their lives for the better. I want to do all the things that they did in this book- for the environment, economy, my family, and for me. I really loved this book!
I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and it was very interesting. Makes you think about what you are eating and where it comes from.
Here are his suggestions of how you can "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants"
*Don't eat anything your Great Grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.
*Aviod food products containing ingredients that are A) unfamiliar, B) unpronounceable, C) more than five in number, or that include D) high-fructose corn syrup.
*Avoid food products that make health claims
*Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle
*Get out of the supermarket whenever possible
*Eat mostly plants, especially leaves
*Eat like an omnivore
*Eat well-grown food from healthy soils
* Eat wild foods when you can
*Eat more like the French, or the Italians, or the Japanese, or the Indians, or the Greeks
* Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism
*Don't look for the magic bullet in the traditional diet
*Pay more, eat less
* Eat meals
* Do all your eating at a table
* Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does
* Try not to eat alone
* Consult your gut
*Eat slowly
* Cook, and if you can, plant a garden
Next up:
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
The Dinner Diaries:Raising Whole Wheat Kids in a White Bread World by Betsy
Block
Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children by Ann Cooper
What the World Eats by Peter Menzel
to mention a few.

6 comments:

The Flynn's said...

I really wish I was as interested in food as you were. Actually, I just wish I was rich and could hire a cook!! I would SO do that if I had he money.

Audrey and the Boys said...

Those books look great! We could solve a lot of problems by following that simple advice and all be a lot healthier! I'd like to borrow those books while I am in town!

Trishelle said...

The guidelines from that book ought to be needle pointed onto a pillow or something...although it would have to be a huge pillow...I guess not so much because then where would you put it? It sounds like a brilliant book. Thanks for the scoop!

Jaime said...

i have to read these, b/c i get so ticked just trying to find simple bread w/o high fructose corn syrup (and many other products w/o that junk!) b/c i felt soooooo good in Spain b/c of the diet. i would love to eat w/i 100 miles, there is a book called 100 mile diet about that also you would like- forgot author though

Mandy said...

thanks for the suggestion on this book, it looks really interesting, it's definetly going to be on my "to read" book log.

happy mom said...

thanks for spelling it all out for me here, and since you got rid of your other blog, does that mean all my precious comments to you are lost forever? that would be so sad!