First Step

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Eating real food is hard.

Really hard.

It takes time

and focus

and planning,

a lot of planning.

After posting yesterday, I got very discouraged.

How is this possible.

It costs money (but hopefully not the way I do it) and time and concentration.

I literally spent all day yesterday researching online,

so now you know I will become an expert.

Despite the little discouragement, I am moving slowly

And you can too.

Here's how:

One step at a time.

It cannot all be done at once.

So take a deep breath.

Here's what I am going to do this week.

1. Dry 3 lbs of pears--they were on sale. (post coming soon)
   
   
2. Made four ingredient tomato sauce. Freeze it in one cup increments because that's all we eat at a time anyway. Look at us, saving money.

Let me comment on this four ingredient tomato sauce. It's amazing! I could drink it. Seriously.

I did things a little differently than the recipe above.

• Puree six 14-oz cans of whole tomatoes (They are 10/10 at Albertson's.)
• Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large pot
• Sautee 5 minced garlic cloves in the hot olive oil, soften for two minutes (do not let them brown--i.e. stir frequently)
• Add 1/2 cup pureed tomatoes, let it warm and become a golden color
• Add the rest of tomatoes
• Bring to a boil and simmer for four hours
• Let it cool, then measure into freezer safe bags or containers and freeze

So despite the little setback yesterday, I'm feeling pretty good about this movement. There's nothing like using a little of that marinara that I made from scratch and feeling accomplished. It's the little things, right?

Try it. You won't want to go back to $3 jars of marinara. I don't.

Real Food

I am changing the way my little family eats. I have heard over and over again about the importance of eating real, unprocessed foods, but recently, I've been discouraged by how much it costs. It is expensive sometimes, especially in a community where organic foods are not well-supported and can be outrageously priced. Even our farmer's market is more of a craft fair than a place to get fresh veggies and fruit. It extremely disappointing.

Well, after watching this video, I am back on the road to eating healthy, unprocessed foods. Watch it. You will be inspired too. I had no idea that the food industry had changed so much since the 90s and that there is a reason some people are focusing on returning to the way our grandmothers cooked. I plan to do that and soon.

The problem still is the budget. I just found this amazing e-book called Real Food on a Real Budget. I am about 45 pages in and drinking it up. Eating well on a budget does seem possible and I'm going to try some things out and let you know how it goes. So stay posted.

I'm interested in your thoughts. What do you think about the video?

A new way to eat an apple.

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Speaking of healthy, quick snacks, I was just in the mood for one of the huge Granny Smith apples I found at the store yesterday (I literally just made this). This sounds different, but it's actually really good.

• Chop up the apple
• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on it
• Sprinkle salt* all over it

I know, sounds weird, right? But so delish. Yum.

*I used kosher salt which supposedly has half the amount of sodium as table salt.

Quick, Healthy Snack

I've decided to update this blog more often, so stay posted because I've already got at least five recipes ready to post after this one.

This healthy little snack is perfect for days when I just need something fresh and tasty. You get your protein and vitamins and a little crunch. Enjoy.

• 2 parts cottage cheese
• 1 part your favorite salsa
• Add some salt and pepper
• Scoop up with celery sticks
  
  

See how easy? This is also delicious with corn chips. Here's another variation:

• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1-2 tsp lemon pepper (garlic salt is also delish, but has a ton of sodium)
• Scoop up with celery sticks

Do you have any go-to snacks that are quick and easy?