Cooking for my Family, the Cost of Cooking from Scratch

In the past I've always said I didn't want to cook from home for a reason.  Cooking from scratch is expensive.  It means you've got to have all the ingredients themselves on-hand, which isn't so expensive, I guess, if you have them all on hand already, or if you just need to pick up a little bit of this or that.  For me, cooking from home always seemed more of a luxury than I could afford, even with all the extra work required.

Yesterday was a prime example of that.  I went to the store with my dear friend.  We had to get some things into the house that I could actually eat.  Since I'm kicking all the things I'm allergic to, that doesn't leave terribly much, and as I looked at the items in the store, it became even more apparent that "not much" should really read, "nothing your average grocery store in Texas sells."  I ended up making sacrifices for things I really shouldn't be eating because I just don't want to give up everything I like all at once.

To give you an idea of what this diet means, doing it right means giving up everything.  There's no butter substitute (they all have soy), no cheese substitute (they have milk protein and soy), no store-bought flour in this area, no bread, no baked goods, no cereal, no granola bars, no candy, no snack food, no anything.  Even things that seem safe, like salt and vinegar chips, as it turns out, the vinegar flavor is made with dairy.  It's not so much the dairy that's the problem, though that is a challenge in it's own.  It's giving up soy.  It's shocking how many things are made with soy these days!

Taking a look at what's available to me, that leaves a very meat and potatoes kind of situation for meals.  We can't do anything creative because most creativity involves dairy of some kind, flour, or breading.  I suppose in many ways it's healthier to take a meat and potatoes kind of approach to things, but it's definitely limiting when the local grocery store's idea of produce is a small selection of broccoli, carrots, corn, and potatoes.  I was lucky enough to find some summer squash and acorn squash.  I've never eaten acorn squash, so I'm interested to see what that's going to be like.

It doesn't help that some of the substitutes are very expensive.  Coconut milk, rice milk, rice flour (which I have to order online around here), and all of that are very pricey.  I'm learning that fresh meats, fruits, and vegetables are very expensive too.  I'm not sure how long we can afford doing this!  Then again, we may find that cooking like this actually reduces the overall amount that we eat, but it's frustrating nonetheless.

Last night's grocery bill doubled our family's meal cost for the week last night, and all we did was avoid prepackaged foods.  Because I'm gravitating towards things that are good for me, healthy for the whole family, and are fresh, raw ingredients, things are getting that much more expensive.

Healthy and organic, one would imagine, wouldn't be a significantly more expensive option when it comes to cooking.  Families should be able to eat for less when they buy foods they make from scratch, things that will be healthy for them.  I've always thought the exchange was supposed to be things made from scratch cost less, but required much more work.  Prepackaged foods were supposed to cost more, but were quick and easy.  Now it seems like there's no exchange at all.  You have to be made of money to cook good, quality, healthy meals for your family.

Successfully Escaping Soda

I think I've found a way to successfully free myself from my addiction to soda!  I had expected this goal to be far more challenging than it has been thus far.  Of course, we still are pretty early on in the year!

My need for soda all started with a lack of wanting water.  Soda is sadly cheaper than juice, which is why I've tended to gravitate towards it in my adult life.  I've tried to keep juice for the kids, but I'll be honest, I haven't exactly given positive modeling for my children when it comes to drinking water.  I shouldn't be surprised that it's a challenge to get them to drink enough water in the summer because of it.

Recently I've started recognizing that my soda consumption has been a lot of things for me, unhealthy, expensive, and a bad example for my children.  I've been telling myself for a while that I need to cut back on how much soda I drink for years.  I've even determined several times that I'm going to stop drinking it.  Of course, it's that much harder when my partner can't jump on board.  He's inclined to drink soda all the time if given the chance.

In the beginning of the year I was left with no option on soda.  I kept telling myself we couldn't afford it.  I had the case of water intended for me to bring to class, so I had plenty of water to drink.  I had to live with that for the time being.  There wasn't another option.  With all the expenses from moving, we just didn't have the money.  Of course, that wasn't entirely true, but you can make yourself believe anything if you tell yourself long enough.  Therefore, I've been able to go without soda since our first night here.

Last night I saw my tea kettle sitting on the stove and remembered I had tea!  Not only did I have tea, but I had tea that helps encourage milk supply, which is something I've needed lately.  My milk supply has dropped far more than I wanted it too, and I want to nurse as long as possible.  Many pediatricians are now saying that if a mother can manage to nurse her child until two years of age, the child will get the most benefits of it.  I have to admit, I've been barely nursing recently (due to my son's nursing strike) but anything that can help, right?  Besides, I know babies well enough to know nursing strikes don't tend to last for long.

I've got two varieties of nursing tea around here, but the only one I can find at the moment is the Yogi Woman's Nursing Support.  I know somewhere around here I also have Mother's Milk Tea, but I don't know where it is, to be honest.  They both taste the same to me, so I can only imagine that they would be completely interchangeable. I suppose when I'm done nursing I can go on to some of their other tea varieties.

It looks like tea has really been the key to kicking caffeine, at least for me, and other unhealthy habits, such as drinking soda.  I guess I have it easier than some because I don't have to face the challenge of a coffee addiction.  In truth, most of the draw to the soda is the sweetness, and something that's a change from basic, flavorless water.  Tea is probably a much healthier option than juice anyway with all that sugar!

Dietary Changes for 2011

Okay, I'll admit it, I haven't been that great at taking care of my own health.  I've been saying I'm going to change my diet for quite some time.  Some of it's stuck, but some of it really hasn't.  However, I notice a complete change in myself when I start keeping to the rules I set for myself, so I think I really need to start working on changing my diet for the new year so I can live as a happier, healthier me!

Here are the biggest problems I need to address in my diet:

1. I have a dairy allergy and I need to pay attention to that.  I have less headaches and irritability and more energy when I avoid dairy.  It can also make me very nauseous depending on what variety of dairy I eat.  This seems only to extend to cow's milk products, eggs, and honey.  Feta cheese seems to be okay.
2. I have a tomato allergy.  Eating tomatoes makes my stomach upset (along the lines of nausea, not heartburn) and also makes me more irritable.  I also find avoiding tomatoes does seem to have an impact on my energy levels as well.
3. I have an allergy to MSG.  This allergy also presents itself with irritability, migraines, stomach upset, and low energy.  In addition, MSG also seems to be directly related with having a lack of appetite.
4. I have an intolerance to processed sugars.  Eating processed sugars upsets my stomach and results in low energy.
5. I have a caffeine intolerance.  Drinking caffeine tends to give me the shakes, makes my heart race, and if I have enough of it can make me really anxious, which can lead to jumpiness and irritability.
6. In my observances of my own diet, I notice that gluten seems to be a point I need to address.  I can't say for sure if I have a full blown gluten allergy (though I do show symptoms, I'm not about to label myself without more information), I think it's worth cutting gluten out of my diet on a temporary basis to see if it helps.

So, that's the list of things I really need to address.  My partner likes to joke that I'm allergic to everything with that list alone, never mind the animal allergies (I'm allergic to cats), household allergies (like dust, bleach, many scented soaps and laundry detergents), environmental allergies (like ragweed), textile allergies (notably wool), and metal allergies (I can't wear anything in my piercings but surgical grade and can't wear most regular metals against my skin).  I have to admit, I am kind of inclined to agree with that joking statement!  I am allergic to a good deal!  However, some of those allergies are very easy to control and will make our lives run that much more smoothly.

Here's some of the plans I have for 2011 to address these problems and see if we can minimize or eliminate their effect on my life:

• Stop eating out, or at least do it with as little frequency as possible.  Eating out generally means consuming MSG and dairy.  I also tend to choose sugary and caffeinated sodas.  There's also a lot of wheat in foods you eat out, especially fast foods!
• Attempt to stop "just this once" excuses for things I shouldn't have.  Instead I'll attempt to experiment with new treats and "sweets" so I can still indulge, but it won't come at the cost of activating my allergies.  Besides, home made cookies are far better than store bought candy!  I can still make hot chocolate and such with soy or rice milk.  I treated myself to some Silk Nog this holiday season and I think I like it better than the real stuff!  Anything with honey can be changed out for agave, which seems to taste very much the same.  It's a good excuse to try new stuff!
• Start cooking from scratch more frequently.  By cooking from scratch I can substitute soy, rice, or coconut milk for cow's milk as needed.  Egg and cheese substitutes are also possible.  These options aren't frequently available in boxed foods and frozen foods.  Also, many prepared foods or partially prepared foods at the grocery store contain MSG.  Even some of the quick and easy ingredients contain MSG as a preservative.  By making it myself, I can avoid possibly all MSG!
• Avoid temptation for things I can't have.  This may make for tricky grocery store trips, so planning ahead to make as few trips and as little time spent there as possible will be ideal and necessary.  When possible, I'll either bring my partner with me to shop (even with the kids) so he can help keep me on track, or I can send him with a list, especially when it's just a quick trip to pick up a few needed items.
• I will research gluten-free recipes, gluten substitutes, and other aspects of a gluten-free diet.  After I accumulate enough knowledge and supplies for a week of gluten-free cooking, I'm going to attempt to go gluten-free for one full week.  Depending on the results of the experiment, we'll decide whether we give it another week to continue the experiment, give it up all together, or go over entirely to a gluten free diet.  This isn't just for me.  If I don't benefit from it, but someone else in the family obviously does, then perhaps gluten-free is the way to go for our family.  I expect this process to happen several months after eliminating the other allergens from my diet so I can most accurately assess the effect of gluten for my personal health and well being.
• Start a journal for my new diet.  Each day I will record the approximate time I wake up, what I eat for each meal or snack and at what time, how my energy levels are and how I'm feeling at three points in the day (probably at meal times), what fluids I take in, and how much and what kind of exercise I do, and approximately when I go to bed.  This will help me keep on track, monitor when I slip up on my diet, and hopefully mark some positive changes on my energy levels and overall well-being in the process.  It should also be a good motivational tool!

In the end, I'm expecting to see a rise in energy levels and an overall happier and healthier me.  I'm expecting to be less irritable, which will probably help me to better manage other aspects of my life.  I expect to start sleeping better, as much as it may seem unrelated, because I'll be feeling better and staying more active during the day, which generally leads to resting better at night.   I expect that eliminating gluten will have a positive effect on my own health and well-being, as well as for my older son, but I will give it a fair and unbiased assessment.  I also expect that I'm going to have my partner thinking I'm pretty crazy in all of this!

All in all, I need to do this for my own health and happiness.  It's time to stop making excuses and start making changes in my life.  Once 2011 is over, I give myself until everything is moved into our new home.  I'm allowing myself a little bit of leniency to get everything moved since that needs to be our number one focus, but once it's all in the house, I know it will take time to settle in.  If I give myself until everything is unpacked, somehow I'll always leave some stuff to be packed and sorted out first, so I'll always have that excuse.  Nope, not going to happen!  I'm going to be motivated on this!  My health and happiness is at stake!