The stuff that's been littering my brain
Last night as we went to the the car for a dinner out (no-one was up for cooking or cleaning) Napoleona took a flying header as she ran down the road toward the parking lot. She cried for a while but all seemed well. Then this morning as I'm changing her clothes I discover a huge bonk on her upper forehead, complete with puffiness and those little red spots from the rough concrete. Felt like a very lame Mama for not checking under her bangs last night. Have been assiduously applying arnica gel ever since.
I've been reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. Such a depressing book really. For purely financial reasons we've been eating less organic foods lately, and for some reason more meat, and now it all makes me feel queasy reading this book. So now my brain is filled with thoughts of the interdependence of cheap corn, feedlot animals, fractionated corn products comprising most processed foods, farmers going bankrupt, cows heavily medicated to accept food they were never meant to eat, why potato chips and Wonder bread cost less than fruits and vegetables, and the fact that there are now more "overnourished" people in the world than undernourished. Can't wait to get to the section about hunting and gathering, hopefully much expanded from his article in the NY Times Magazine of 3/26/06.
Funniest holiday moment: the 10 minutes it took the kids to notice the play kitchen next to the Christmas tree, because they were too distracted by passing out presents and opening stockings. Grandpa literally had to say, I think there are more presents under THAT BIG THING OVER THERE!!!
Saddest holiday moment: the night before Christmas eve, spent cleaning and soothing Napoleona as she spent the whole night throwing up in her sleep every 20 minutes.
Most Christmasy holiday moment: singing Silent Night holding candles in Grammy's church with the kids.
Most annoying holiday moment: realizing that the only snow we were going to see for the entire vacation was on the day we were leaving to go home. Grr!
5 comments:
I don't eat meat because a semi-vegetarian diet is supposed to help with endometriosis. Personally I have found a big difference in the way I feel but my husband is always clamouring to have more meat on the table rather than less. I get worried about him and Kiko when I hear about medicated animals. I used to buy organic milk but I highly doubt it is available in this area. I can barely find organic anything around here, which bothers me. I try to buy the least processed foods I can find and cook lots of veggies but there is big resistance from the husband quarter.
I smiled when I read about the play kitchen, and I hope you're all feeling better now.
Oh - bruises! I noticed yesterday, when Kiko was sitting in his high chair, that he had a huge bruise on his forehead that was turning green. I have no idea when he did it or how long he has had it. His hair covers his forehead too.
Hi Helen, check out this site for info on organics in your area (I hope):
http://www.happycow.net/australia/new_south_wales/index.html
About your hubby wanting meat, I can imagine cooking meat separately from other dishes (for example, not part of a casserole but on the side) so that you all can choose how much meat to eat. Or if he's at work during the day he could eat meat dishes for lunch and then be more vegetarian at night with you?? It must be hard when you both don't like the same foods.
That's such a cool link! I didn't realise Sydney had so many Vegetarian restaurants and health food stores - I am taking note of some of them to take the husband kicking and screaming to - heh!! The problem is, I'm out of the city. We did use to make a regular trip to a health food store in Bondi Junction but it was a 1.5 hr car journey there and we haven't been for ages. If I was the entrepreneurial type I would set up an organic food/health food shop here because there is a huge market.
Another big market is my husband's work. He works in a factory far away from shops and restaurants and without a canteen. They are served by the ominously named "Tuck Truck". I will leave it to your imagination what this vehicle serves! Even my husband can't stomach much of it. Again, if I was entrepreneurial, I'd make a business of "Healthy Tuck Trucks" that would go around factories serving decent food. So usually he takes leftovers to work. Recently I've started roasting a chicken for him and Kiko but again, we can only get free range ones not organic. Not sure if free range means drug free.
That book's on my list to read. It sounds marginally more cheerful than the one I just finished, Devil in the White City. Ugh.
Helen, I think the US version of the Tuck Truck is the Roach Coach, which is a bit more blunt regarding quality of food! I've lived far away from civilization before, it's hard to get quality food usually. We're incredibly lucky to have a natural foods co-op about 5 mins. walk from our house. Now if only the food were affordable!
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