less is more.

I thought I would try to sneak in one last post before we say 'so long' to July and welcome in August.  July is always our month of celebration and excitement...August is our month of grasping at the last sweet days of summer.  Summer has taken new shape in our home this year...the girls are enjoying late nights and late morning slumbers.  I am enjoying quiet mornings, which will come to a screeching halt in just a few weeks *sigh....

As far as our eating goes....I was finding myself a bit stressed and decided to adopt a 'less is more' attitude.  We've, for the most part, been successful at embracing a meatless diet.  Dairy - not so much.  In a nutshell:

gluten free: unless it's done with very high quality products, recipes and huge amounts of effort...gluten free is a highly processed and a high glycemic alternative to whole grains.  I miss my whole grains...but have cut way back on the whole wheat.  I'm getting a lot of fiber from the rest of my diet...and enough is just enough.

dairy: I love my cheese and I miss my yogurt.  I have found some alternatives that I do enjoy, but why spend my life gagging down foods I don't enjoy???  I find that I do feel a heavy heart knowing that living creatures are seriously abused and mistreated to produce these amazing foods for us, 100%.  I have decided that I need to find a peaceful balance in this battle of nurture vs nature.  We have replaced milk with almond milk.  All are happy = all is well.  We have given 11 beautiful chicks a lovely home, they truly are a part of our family (although we still struggle with what to do with our beloved meat bird...bit of a quandary)  I have cut back on our cheese consumption, but let us let facts be facts - some recipes just NEED cheese.  I will research a local means of having fresh and friendly cheese in our diet.  And I just need my yogurt.  That is all.

soy: processed soy = fat. enough said.

corn: so much of the corn sold to the American population is genetically engineered.  I don't love it, I don't want to feed it to my children...but am I going to picket?  Probably not.  If you care, search far and wide for non-GMO corn.  Buy local, plant a garden...boycott?  My brain is completely overwhelmed from so much information, I'm resorting to the KISS method.  Keep It Simple Sunshine!

quality: I have searched and scoured the Internet for recipes, recipes and more recipes that will become fan favorites in our home.  I have learned: if it looks weird, it most likely will be.  A recipe can be vegan and still fall into the crap category.  Forcing your children to eat foods they find revolting will never work in your favor.  And, if one is willing to uproot all of their eating habits to adopt a healthier lifestyle, why not do it right.  Do I find it difficult to find the time to prepare healthy meals with quality ingredients for every single meal?  Youbetcha!  So there are days, I open a can of veggie soup and I make a meal of it.  Sanity trumps perfection.

I have learned that one can be a vegetarian/vegan/gluten free and still be unhealthy.  You still have to be dedicated and motivated to reach your goals.  You still  have to work hard and sweat it out...and sometimes, you still need to go to McDonalds.

And with that, I'm ready to kick back and enjoy August.