Challenged by my challenges

Two months ago, I took on the one task that most people thought was laughable: reducing my intake of Diet Coke.

But that wasn't all. I also swore off eating out, added sugar, seconds and processed food, all in the name of exploring what it's like to live without.

On the surface, I failed miserably. I went out with my coworkers a few times for lunch; I admittedly stress-ate (on multiple occasions); I even had a (gasp!) Eggo waffle or two with syrup.

But here's the deal. I really came out O.K.

Not only did I drop 12 pounds in the process, but I also learned a few things about myself. I can actually change my habits if persistent enough (my soda consumption is down 25 percent, and I'm hoping to eventually pare it back more). I'm learning to find other ways to deal with my stress, and while they're not foolproof, they are alternatives that I'm sure I'll need to turn to in the coming months.

I've gotten to know myself a little bit better these last few months, and the reality is sometimes, other things in life take priority. Right now, my family's welfare is taking center stage, as we're approaching the start of month six of my husband being without full-time work. We need prayers, people who support us through our stress, and, ultimately, a paycheck, and that trumps little things like questioning the perfection of every item that touches your lips.

I guess you could say I'm challenged all around by our challenges, both fun and not-so-fun. But realizing where you're starting at is the first step to making changes.

Thursday morning musings

Random thoughts while I wait for the first Diet Coke in 24 hours to kick in...

• Giving up anything cold turkey is not fun, no matter the reason (in this case, one part financial/one part situational--couldn't get to the store). So this probably evens out my week's attempt at the discretionary challenge. (Chile, this is where you say something really inspirational...)
• I mentioned in my meatless meals post below that the bok choy from my CSA last week was a mushy mess by Monday. I may have found the reason why. According to the CSA's weekly post, "Choy is probably one of the most precious and fragile vegetables we handle. One little snap of the stalk and the leaf is dying within a day or so." Hmm...could have used the warning last week!
• Speaking of my CSA, I actually tried okra for the first time this week. It took quite some time to find a recipe that didn't involve shrimp (as in gumbo) or frying (which I tend to stray from for health reasons.) I found a very simple recipe buried online: Slice the okra; slice some onions. Saute both in olive oil. (In retrospect, we would have added garlic as well.)
• I have to come to terms that summer is over. I finally had the opportunity to go to the Wednesday-evening Greenwood farmers market last night, but it was just too late in the season. There were football players instead of stands. Maybe next year!
• Speaking of, thanks to those who gave me moral support for my posts earlier this week about the little things we did and didn't do this summer. I think we're all guilty at one point or another at failing to see the little positives in a world where big changes are needed (fast).
• Finally, I leave you with a great quote I read this morning by columnist Leonard Pitts Jr.: "We are becoming the stupid giant of planet Earth: richer than Midas, mightier than Thor, dumber than rocks. Which makes us a danger to the planet -- and to ourselves. This country cannot continue to prosper and to embrace stupidity."

The name of this Indianapolis CSA was deleted from this post on January 28, 2009. This small green parenting blog has been falsely accused of libel by this CSA and I will no longer promote them by using the name of the organization. The First Amendment is a beautiful thing, please do what you can to preserve it!

On Jan. 30, 2009, I removed links to the CSA's site. I am sorry if you can't handle the fact that the links were left; there were only a total of nine links in this post before I removed yours.

More meatless recipes to share

You'd have to be hiding with your head in the sand to not know what's going on with our economy crumbling, and more and more people are trying to shave what they can from their budgets.

My post two weeks ago on meatless meals got a lot of response, and readers on and offline asked me for other ideas. So, here are a few other recipes to try. I'd like to state for the record that the 3 year old ate them all, so they are kid-friendly!

Gougere
Otherwise known as "cheesy bread," this is great to make late at night to have on hand for breakfast. Warning: It takes a half-hour to prep and an hour to bake, but we think it's worth it.

I'm including the "base recipe," but you can tweak it by adding such things as Italian herbs, cheeses, bacon, green onions or whatever sparks your interest.

1 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature (set out 2 hrs. early)
1 cup parmesan, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9-inch cake pan.

Cook milk, butter, salt and pepper in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently, until full boil. Take pan off heat. Dump flour in at once, stir. Return to heat. Stir vigorously until mixture comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.

Beat eggs one at a time into dough, stirring vigorously until eggs is completely incorporated. Add parmesan. Pour dough into pan; bake 50 min. Make a few cuts with a sharp knife; bake 10 additional minutes. Serve hot or cold.


Pita Salad
Loosely adapted from Every Day with Rachel Ray Magazine, September 2008, this was a great way to use up some odds and ends from my CSA share.

3 pitas, cut into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°. Transfer the pitas to a baking sheet; bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions, parsley, mint and pitas. Add the lettuce and toss.

Vegetable Low Mein

We'd planned to make another recipe, but our bok choy in the box was no good. ("Mush," my husband described it as.) So we tweaked the original recipe as follows.

12 ounces vermicelli, uncooked
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot
1/2 cup mushrooms

Cook pasta according to package. Drain and set aside. Coat a wok or large nonstick skillet cooking spray and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Heat at medium-high temp. (375 degrees) until hot. Stir-fry garlic for 2 minutes. Add onions; stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add broth, soy sauce and red pepper. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add carrots and mushrooms corn. Stir-fry for approximately 2 minutes. Add cooked pasta; toss gently.


[The name of this organic CSA was deleted from this post on January 28, 2009. I have been falsely accused of libel by this CSA and will no longer promote them by using the name of the organization. I only hope that their representatives learn to appreciate the beauty of the First Amendment that we have achieved in this country. As I am open to all opinions and discussions on my site, I maintained their comments even though I disagreed with them.]
[Edited Jan. 30, 2009, to remove link to my former CSA's blog, where the other low mein recipe was posted. Sorry if you wanted a different low mein recipe, but there are plenty online!]

Pros and cons of staying with a CSA

My Community Supported Agricuture (CSA) experience will be coming to a close in about six to eight weeks.

I'll be frank that I'm still ambivalent about whether to return, and the last few weeks will help determine whether I'll commit to it for next year. There are a number of pros and cons to using a CSA over shopping locally at the farmers market.

Pros -

• With a CSA subscription, you are supporting local farmers. (I say this because I know at some farmers markets, such as Kansas City's City Market, they have vendors who come in or bring produce in from out of the region.)
• You get a weekly share of locally produced produce, possibly before farmers markets are open.
• You may get a more variety with a CSA plan than if you went to the farmers market. (For example, mine is loaded with tomato stands, and that's about it, it seems.)

Cons -

• I signed up for this plan because of the wide variety of produce promised, and much of it didn't happen. I felt like I got a lot of expensive tomatoes, lettuce and green peppers, when I could have simply got those at the local farmers markets instead (organic and at a much cheaper price).
• Sometimes, quality. I've had several weeks where I've had to toss produce before eating it because it was bad when delivered.
• Cost. You do need to pay for the season up front, which can be cost-prohibitive to many families. You sign up in the winter and do not see a "return" until late spring/early summer.
• Weather. We were blessed with a cool May and floods in some regions in June, which may have impacted our early weekly shares. Regardless of how much you receive in a given week (and some weeks there was half of what was promised) you have committed financially that amount.
• You get what you get. If it's a half-cup of broccoli, it's yours to figure out how to flesh that out to make your dish. I felt it forces you to do additional shopping at the store and/or market, whereas if I went list in hand it would be only one trip.
• Not every CSA has a convenient pick-up location. I looked for a program last year, only to find the closest one 30 minutes away. In contrast, a farmers market or farm stand may be in your area of town.
• If you miss your pick-up time, you lose your weekly share. In contrast, if you don't go to the farm stand or market, nothing is lost on your end.

If you're considering your options, definitely shop around. Talk to the farmers more than I initially did - in my excitement I just signed up, sight upseen. To find markets and CSAs near you, visit localharvest.org.

The name of this CSA, one of the oldest in Indianapolis, was deleted from this post on January 28, 2009. I have been falsely accused of libel by representatives of this CSA and will no longer promote them by using the name of the organization. I urge you to research any CSA program thoroughly prior to investing in shares.

Edited Jan. 30, 2009, to remove link to this CSA that was inadvertently left on the post.

In the issue of fairness

Yesterday I whined about the list of things I'd meant to do this summer and didn't. In the sense of fairness, I should report that I wasn't a total environmental slacker.

Here's my report:

• I gave up virtually all of my plastic Diet Coke bottles and cups. I even attempted on several occasions to reduce my overall consumption.
• We tried out several area farmers markets, including Greenwood, Franklin, Indianapolis City Market, Traders Point and Broad Ripple.
• We introduced our 3 year old to the joy of planting and harvesting tomatoes, herbs and strawberries.
• I successfully experimented with making homemade baby food and grilled vegetables.
• We cut out nearly all plastic bags.

How was your summer?