We interrupt our series of posts from my recent BBQ back in Kansas City for a special announcement... Starting today... TWO FOR TUESDAY!
2 for Tuesday... Never heard of it??? Well, until a couple days ago, I hadn't either. For all the details, check out Girlichef's post of a few days ago (Click HERE).
But if you are too lazy to hit the connection, here's a quote from her post about just what 2 for Tuesday is all about...
This Tuesday marks the start of the Two for Tuesdays! Blog Hop Carnival. Two for Tuesdays is the brainchild of Alex from A Moderate Life. It began on her site as a day to link up one (or two) of your blog posts that featured REAL FOOD. Recipes, anecdotes, stories, photos, reviews...anything your blogged about featuring REAL food. What is REAL food, you ask? Think: slow food, traditional food, hand-prepared food, nourishing food...food that is NOT processed....food that doesn't come from a package...food that your great-grandmother would have made &/or eaten. REAL food is homemade. REAL food is from scratch. REAL food has recognizable ingredients. REAL food is made from traditional ingredients. REAL food is food you make with your own hands...from food grown, milled, raised by you or by people (not machines). Think family farmer. Think farmer's market. Think garden. Think local grain mill. Think REAL.Real food is near and dear to my heart. Making real food a habit is something I have been trying to work on for a year. If you would like to start eating "real food", 80% of it is easy. Like Woody Allen says, 80% of success is just showing up, well you can quote me now... 80% of feeding your family "real food" is just to not buy the other kind...
Well, I just so happen to have an anecdote with photos to illustrate what I mean...
As many of you know, Jackie and I are on temporary assignment (actually she is assigned, I am just hanging out) in the US Virgin Islands (St Thomas to be exact). This last weekend, Jackie wanted to visit her mother for her 76th birthday. We flew into Kansas City for a couple days, and then drove to South Dakota. During our visit to KC, we got a chance to live as company in our own house (we have a wonderful house sitter).
We'll call him Kevin. Kevin is a single dad, with a teenage son, Nick.
Kevin and Nick get the house for 6 months. We left them lots of groceries, but of course, in those six months, Kevin is going to do a little grocery shopping...
Trust me... My pantry does not normally stock...
4 different kinds of cheese whiz...
2 boxes of snack crackers, Doritos and a bag of chips...
Hamburger Helper and soup loaded with salt...
And I dare you to read out loud the ingredient list on this breakfast cereal... anything with that many syllables is not real food.
My pantry has looked like this in the past. I ate like this... But no more and never again.
For a year, I have cut out salt, and tried to eat only food I can pronounce. Read the ingredient lists. If you can't pronounce it, find an alternative.
80% of success in the battle is to stock your pantry with real food. 80% is just not having it around.
Good luck to Heather and Alex and the rest of the Two for Tuesday crowd... Hope Kevin and Nick listen one day soon.
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I'm with you! Real food is the only way to go. I stopped stocking any processed food when I moved to NY. I think the most processed thing I have is dried cranberries. And they're from Trader Joe's. So I'm pretty sure they don't count!
ReplyDeleteThe most processed food you'll find in my pantry is Pasta and breads and an occasional Whole Foods Triscuit droid. I really want to learn to make my own pasta, but as you know, I'm doughaphobic. One of these days....
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh!! I hope they listen soon, too!! Thanks so much for helping promote REAL food, Dave!! I hope all your jaunts include lots of fabulous food and that you get a little down time to grill us up some more goodies soon!! Thanks for bringing your anecdote to Two for Tuesdays today ;)
ReplyDeleteMy eyes bugged out at those 4 cans of cheez whiz LOL.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I have been slowly working on eating only real food as well, it is a transition!
ReplyDeleteReal food is cheaper than processed crap! Cooking is simply not that difficult!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I have been eating natural foods for over twenty years. It not only will make you feel better and give you more energy, but it will add years to your life!
ReplyDeleteOkay... all of you saints... can you swear you've never eaten any of that stuff... okay the cheeze whiz I can honestly say I have never bought.. (my mother has though... and my health food nut son almost finished the can)... BUT I will admit to Cocoa Puffs... I'm a Cocoa Puff girl... I buy Raisin Bran... but every once in a while I give in to my Cocoa Puff addiction...
ReplyDeleteLOL... I guess my point is ... very few people can honestly say they have never lapsed into processed stuff... maybe not now... but at least at some point in the past.
Give the guy a break!
LMAO, Dave! Hilarious post and perfect for the first Real Food Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteDave, thanks for linking up to Two for Tuesday! It's always great to find another blogger passionate about real food! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post Dave. I am going to join you guys next Tuesday if I can figure out how to do the linky thing.
ReplyDeleteDave! Awesome post! Thanks for participating in the Two for Tuesday Recipe Blog Hop and I hope to see you again next week. I spent many winter vacations sailing through the Virgin Islands and it is some of the most beautiful country in the entire world! Am following your blog. Keep it REAL! Alex
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