In lieu of having something yummy for y’all to try cooking, I have collected a number the things that have changed my outlook on life in the past few months. During a conversation with a family member this afternoon, we discussed how important it is for people to share the things that they find helpful and inspiring. While I am hesitant to limit this to just women, I think that we, in particular, need to help each other by passing along little lessons, truths, inspiring moments, laughs and educational tidbits. Before you get too excited . . . this is not going to be like Oprah’s Favorite things (though I unabashedly LOVE her and frequently sob while watching her help people on her show). I will not be handing out obscenely expensive sweaters or random electronics. The following is just a quick plug for a few books, and items that I think are worth a moment to consider!
I hope that one strikes your fancy and piques your interest.
To Read:
About two months ago, I absentmindedly picked up Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle . . . and for the next day could do nothing but read it. It chronicles Barbara and her family’s one year pledge to eat only things that they can grow or raise themselves, or can purchase from local organic farms. This book changed my life. Told through absolutely exquisite language and charming anecdotes, this book presents an un-condescending argument for sustainable eating that it is impossible to ignore. I understand that living in California I have the luxury of fresh produce all year round from farms that are no more than a hour away, but the point that Kingsolver manages to make is that one change in food purchasing, no matter how small, can help make a difference.
I will not begin to describe, in detail, her arguments for eating close to home, but suffice to say that fossil fuel conservation, support of local agriculture and preservation of species are a few. I have long since made the switch to organic produce (and whatever else I can find), but this book has added another level of consciousness and appreciation for the food that I put into my body. I LOVED it!
Note about Sustainability: This is going to sound like a shameless Whole Foods plug, but they do the best job of any supermarket of making sure that information about their food is available and easy to understand. From the life quality rating on their meats, to the Local and Organic signage on the produce, whole foods WANTS you to know where everything comes from . . . far more than I can say for any other supermarket. While all of us can't have gardens in our backyards, we can at least buy and eat things that come from the yards and farms of others.
Use it in the kitchen:
Two Words . . . Silicone eggcups. These are friggin genius! For those of you out there who love a good, runny yolked, poached egg, these are going to be your new obsession. They are little silicon cups (that my roommate likes to point out could double in a pinch as some sort of boob cover), that keep the white of from dispersing into the boiling water. You know that nasty, milky ribbons effect that happens when you drop the egg in and it goes EVERYWHERE. Well, never again. These make perfectly poached eggs every time, and poaching is hands down the healthiest way to cook an egg (no frying or oil required).
If you are an egg addict . . . get some.
Subscription:
Clean Eating Magazine . . . is amazing. This is another one of those life/diet/food-changing reads. It has the best recipes for seasonal food, as well as really pretty pictures (which, lets face it, is REALLY what inspires us to try to cook something). They have info
bites about the different ingredients, articles from top chefs, and even a product review section. Somehow they take all that nutrition information from dry and dull to palatable and fun.
Check out their website, and the next time you are in Whole Foods or Borders, take a flip through one of them. If the shiny photos and colorful produce cant inspire you to eat as healthy as possible, I don’t know what can.
http://www.cleaneatingmag.com
So thats all for this 'edition' of things that I like . . . but if you have suggestions that are different, let me know! Sharing knowledge is as, if not more, important than acquiring it.
-Cat
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