3 things you can do to help your life and health

1. cook!

According to Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, the number one thing you can do to change the food system in the US and to help you and your family eat better is to cook! He has a new book out called, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation.

Well, we already cook all the time. It's hard to keep getting inspired, but I think this is one of the best things the internet can be used for. I just made this dish with artichokes, peas, and orzo over the weekend and it was delicious. It was too time intensive for my current schedule with a baby, but the end result was delicious and it fed over 6 people for a picnic, along with a sundry of other items we had.

I also can't rave enough about this garlicky broccoli recipe from the Times as well. I make it at least once a week and because of it, my husband and I eat a lot more broccoli. It's super easy to make and is just incredibly yummy.

2. stop using plastic bottles for water!

they cost too much and are a huge detriment to the planet. buy a reusable bottle and fill it up at the tap. tap water also has fluoride in it which will help prevent cavities for you and your children- not true of filtered and bottled water! Eating Well magazine suggests this Takeya bottle is a good one. I also use Camelbak bottles which are light and easy to use and BPA free.

3. grow your own herbs and food.

we grow our own herbs and some food each year. depending on where you live (climate, i mean), you can grow a bunch of different stuff. you don't need a lot of room, but you do need sun. and water. we have a patio and this year i've already planted our herbs. we will scale back the food we grow because i have a young child and don't have much time to dedicate to watering, but i'm still looking forward to fresh herbs all summer long. plus, i will freeze them so we have fresh herbs until the following spring as well. this way you know there are no harmful chemicals on your food and once established, your garden will save you some money on expensive things like fresh herbs.

my favorite things to grow are low maintenance, high-yield like tomatoes, especially cherry tomatoes, herbs, hot peppers (thai), zucchini, lettuces. this year we are doing herbs and maybe one tomato plant and that's it. we also have a fig tree and two blueberry bushes that i hope will produce a lot of berries this year!

yay, spring!

What I have learned recently. And so on.

When growing zucchini, plant 2 in a couple gallon plastic pot. They get huge and if crowded, will not produce as large fruits. Zucchini are fruits!!! Right? Seeds inside? Whatever.

Plant them with plenty of room to grow.

Caterpillars eat leaves of plants and while they are cool looking and cute, you don't want them in your garden.

You must water herbs every day, especially when they are in direct sunlight for several hours a day.

When trying to lose a bunch of weight rather quickly (I hypothetically have a wedding to go to in July that I need to lose about 15 lbs for in 3 weeks), drink a shitload of water and eat lots of veggies and whole grains and fruit.

Here is my yes and no list as to what I will (not) eat while dieting:

YES
Lean meats (chicken, seafood, pork loin, ham, turkey)
Vegetables
Fruit
Multi grains (Quinoa, Millet, Brown rice)
Oatmeal
Yogurt
Skim milk
Low fat cheese (goat, swiss, LF cheddar, parmesan)
Olive oil
Butter (small amounts)
Beans
High fiber cereal
Juice (in moderation)
Alcohol (Hard alcohol, wine, Guinness, Amstel Light)
Unsalted, raw nuts (moderation)
Low-sodium broth
Canned veggies rinsed & soaked in H2O


NO
Pizza
Fast food
High fat meats (bacon, sausage, beef)
Starch (Pasta, potatoes, rice, cous cous)
Sugar
High fat oils
Pre-prepared sauces (Chinese, Thai, salad dressing etc.)
Deep fried anything
Dessert
Alcohol (Beer)
Liqueurs
Canned food
Frozen entrees
Salt
High fat cheese (brie, regular cheddar, blue)

Do not eat bagels every day for two weeks and expect to lose weight. No matter how fresh and delicious they are.

I am beginning to make homemade compost because I want my veggies and fruit to be amazing and everything I read says I have to have it.

Jon and I are trying to buy a place and might close in the next week or so. This is an incredibly stressful process. I love our new place to bits, but I am now without any funds and no job and am hungry all the time.

My favorite ice cream is cookies and cream. Just so you know.

I have to eat now. Something healthy. Tonight for dinner I'm making baked chicken breasts, quinoa, beet salad. Yeah! Bring it on.

On Gardening and Auditioning

Well, I bought a begonia today. There are only so many times I can walk by my local garden center eyeing a bring orange/pink/white begonia before i give in and buy buy buy! I planted it and it looks lovely. I have a shitload of veggies and fruits, but not too many flowers. Well, one lavender plant in bloom and the dahlias and peonies (drool) are not growing yet. Altho i did see a hint of a peony coming up in one of the pots... hurrah!

My point is this: Do not buy terra cotta pots for plants. I have a few terra cotta pots, strawberry pots (3) and herb trenches (my wording, 2). Other veggies are in plastic pots because they are huge and pretty flowers are in glazed ceramic pots. Glazed ceramic is the way to go if you have something that won't expand rapidly at the root. It keeps the plant more moist (terra cotta absorbs water so you have to water the plant more frequently) and looks much nicer. Plastic pots work well if you are planting something like tomatoes or zucchini - i.e., something that will grow rapidly and not be a showpiece.

Today I auditioned for a play in Manhattan. I did a cold reading and LOVED the character. I saw her clearly in my head and had a fun time reading the script with the woman who was cast in the lead protagonist role. Then the director asked me to read it again in a totally different direction and I don't think I did very well. It was so hard for me to switch my mental image of this person, I couldn't erase all of the characteristics I had planted (tie in!) in my brain. Sigh. Oh well. I promised myself I would be proud no matter what the outcome - and I am. I risked something and put myself out there for criticism and rejection, always a hard thing to do. And I did have some fun... that was my goal.

Now I get to vacuum, do a yoga video and do paperwork before cooking turkey burgers for dinner (along with a goat cheese salad). Hurray for the domestic life.

At least I have my already-blooming, brightly colored begonia in a pot so every time I look out my window I can admire the gorgeous flowers and feel a sense of pride in accomplishing something today.