Phasing Out and Starting Fresh (#1 - Cleaning out my pantry)

So maybe I got a little ahead of myself when I started my real food blog last week - I feel guilty that it's been so long since I posted.  What can I say, I've been working on my fall garden, coordinating remodeling work in our home, working my day job, and taking care of two little ones!

This week I've been busy further implementing my real food strategy, which has also consumed a lot of my time.  I guess I didn't quite realize how far my pantry still had to go to become fully organic and "real food" oriented.  I am still trying to decide how far I really want to take this and how far my family will let me take it - i.e. should we ban all grains/gluten?

I also didn't know that my feelings toward all of this were still so conflicted.  When it comes down to it, I get downright angry that we are having to go to such lengths to provide clean, safe food for our family.  I'm also still analyzing what utlimate price tag this is going to have on our grocery bill.  As soon as I can get some sort of bearing on this, I will report back with cost updates because I know that is a factor for many of us.  At the same time, what costs more? A healthy diet or paying for a cancer bill?

I honestly think that being completely unprocessed is just an ultimate goal for me but not something I can really expect out of myself at this point.  After all, when it really comes down to it, my priority is to spend some quality time with my kids each day, where we can just play together.  Not possible if I'm making literally everything from scratch and cleaning up afterward!

I am finding a strange comfort and excitement in returning to traditional foods and methods, and realizing that the results are just as good and sometimes better than when I used fake food products.  I've had a lot of success subbing my new farm ingredients for the old norm.  I am also finding that my Picky Eater has been willing to try more of what I've cooked lately, and that is just the best motivation ever to keep on! 

Some of our recent successes:

*Switch from grocery store organic whole milk to raw milk from Sand Creek Farm - EASY PEASY - kids immediately chug it down and ask for more!  Transitioning to their vanilla yogurt has been a little more difficult, but mainly because my kids are used to the fun, single-serve packaging from YoBaby.  A week later, when no more of that is in the house, and suddenly it's disappearing from the bowls!

*Switched Picky Eater from grocery store bread to organic whole grains bread (which is HUGE, people!  I did it by cutting the crusts off because they are not as soft & squishy as his old kind)

*Switched from Skippy Natural peanut butter to both roasted almond butter and organic peanut butter (also HUGE - I am not a nut butter kind of girl, but my kids both love it!).  I switched off Skippy because of the refined sugar and palm oil - can always sweeten with honey or jam yourself!

*Finally rejoined a CSA, and used ALL of the ingredients within a week!  Farmhouse Delivery has greatly improved since 2009, btw.  I have been an on-and-off kind of CSA girl since having babies, but honestly I like the ease of having it delivered to my door and then the challenge of using it all! Also recommend Johnson's Backyard Garden to those in the Austin area. 

*Finished cleaning out my pantry and realized that my "small" pantry is actually a perfectly good size when you don't fill it with processed boxes!

*Substituted real food ingredients in my old recipes with super success!

*Hooked myself up with all kinds of Real Food support - subscribed to their blogs, liked their Facebook pages, followed on Twitter.  These gals are super impressive, and the community that follows them is so positive.  It is very helpful on those days when you just want to throw in the towel and eat chips & queso!


I still feel like I have so much information to share and not enough time to get it all out.  What is most helpful to you guys?  Do you want more technical information on why you should consider giving up processed foods?  Would you like recipes that I've "fixed"?  Want to see my meal plans?    I would love feedback!  I am trying to decide if I just want to make a big list of resources and let you guys get after it if you want, or if you really are interested in our personal story surrounding food.