Learning about Real Foods

Since I have been hanging around here I keep hearing about eating healthy,eating local and eating organic. Before, I had this idea that only people that were out to "save the Earth" or people that were paranoid about disease worried about pesticides, chemicals and whether their food was organic or not. I don't know if it is who I am hanging around with; or the fact that I am getting old, and mortality seems a closer fact, but all those conversations have piqued my curiosity.

I started by reading The Omnivore's Dilemma I haven't really finished it yet. What I have read though, have been eye opening. I learned all about corn and how it has turned into the big commodity it is today. I also learned about cows and how they have been transformed into grain eating animals instead of keeping to God's original design for them.

The Second book I am reading is Real Food . I have found this book interesting. I can't say that I don't gloss over some of the details but overall it has made for a riveting reading.

I feel a little overwhelmed by the possibility of changing the way we eat, not because I am attached to it, but because it requires thinking and planning. It becomes one more thing I need to do. But how can I not? The information I have gathered just makes sense. It makes sense that once we have tinkered with the natural processes, things are bound to go down hill. Not that I am against industrialization. (God knows I am thankful to be alive in the 21st century. And, as idyllic as a farm sounds, I couldn't live in one. Dealing with animals and the hard work of a farm are not my things! ) It makes sense that chemicals and pesticides not made for human consumption, would cause harm. It makes sense that when we alter genetics and force animals to deny their nature, it is only logical that some ill consequences will follow. It stands to reason, I think, that if cancer and other diseases are more prevalent nowadays we need to look for causes in what we eat and their source.

All this information begs for action. Where to begin? Budget is a consideration. It is difficult to make myself spend, for example, almost $6.00 in a gallon of milk when the regular milk only costs $3.47. Availability is another consideration. Here where I live, local farms are not common; Farmer's Market is only available for a couple of months in the summer. It makes eating locally and seasonally, difficult. It leaves us with the small overpriced organic departments of the local groceries and the small (and somewhat weird) health food stores.

Small changes seem to work best for me. Baby steps,as the Flylady would say. A good place to start seems to be making a conscious effort to eat more vegetables and fruit. It is not that I have discovered this for the first time. This is something I have been hearing all my life. I am just lazy. Vegetables have to be washed, cut,dressed and I have to deal with picky kids who won't eat them. Nina Planck has this advice:

If you can't find or afford ecological produce, eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables anyway. You may be sure that most studies showing the benefits of diets rich in fruits and vegetables were done on industrial produce. It is sensible to wash industrial produce, but peeling is a tough call. Most of the pesticide are found in, or just under, the peel. So are the vitamins and antioxidants. I simply don't know which is the lesser evil.

She also has some suggestions to increase the intake of fruits and vegetables:
-have them on hand
-have a salad every meal
-be aware that some vegetables are more nutritious when cooked (broccoli,cabbage, spinach). Others, like carrots, liberate more of the nutrients when they are peeled, juiced or shredded.
-dress them up nicely
-eat salad first
-sometimes eat salad as a main course
-put some vegetables and fruit out when the kids are hungry, even if is right before dinner
-eat local food, it will increase the variety
-mix different vegetables for a variety of textures and tastes

Action? The first action I am taking is printing this to take with me to the store. It is a list of the fruits and vegetables with highest pesticide content and the ones of the least amount. Secondly, I am going to try to wash and cut vegetables as soon as I get home so they will be ready to eat. Thirdly, I am going to make an effort to have more salads. Fourth, I am going to come up with more creative way of preparing the vegetables we do eat. And lastly (and more difficult), I am going to try expand our repertoire, in a search for some my kids will eat.


We will see how it goes.

The Spear by Louis de Wohl

Today we finally finished The Spear. This book was our Lenten reading but it is a long book, 400 pages long. It is the story of Cassiua Longinus a Roman soldier whose father is betrayed and cheated out of his family fortune. Cassius sets to avenge his father's misfortune and ends up first a slave and then a soldier in Judea. In Judea he comes on contact not only with the puzzling Jews but with the even more puzzling followers of Rabbi Yeshua.

The books is masterfully done. De Wohl pulls together Scripture and his own imagination, and the result is a believable and well told story. The descriptions were in tad too long for the kids. It was a little anti-climatic to read the scene of the crucifixion on Easter Monday but, it was compensated by the reading today of the events following Pentecost. It was a great story and it really enhanced our Lent by fleshing out the events leading to the death of Our Lord.

The Power of the Resurrection

In Easter, with Jesus' resurrection "a new way of living has opened up, a way of living focused in Jesus and the power of his resurrection" (WAU, p.22).

What does this mean? How is our life this week any different than life last week? After all the resurrection, the actual event, happened many, many years ago. How does it affect my life today?

Jesus is the same "yesterday, today and forever". What He did all those years ago, He can do today. In a supernatural but real way, the power of the resurrection is the same today as back then.

What did the resurrection accomplish? Simply put, it changed lives. It transformed the apostles. It made it possible for them to understand, to see and to comprehend the truths of Jesus' teachings.

It is true that the most dramatic changes happened after Pentecost. The time between the resurrection and Pentecost was a slow unfolding of the life that begun when Jesus left the tomb. That Easter time seemed to have gradually affirmed, in the mind of the apostles, the reality of what they had witnessed. I picture them, growing more assured with each apparition of Jesus. Each encounter deposited more confidence in their souls and made them thirst for more. The resurrection began it all.

It was the resurrection, that ultimate miracle, what made believing easier. If God could raise Jesus from the clutches of death, what couldn't He do? With the resurrection everything becomes possible. The resurrection creates an expectant faith.

An expectant faith is fertile ground for receiving the Holy Spirit. Faith that awaits opens itself. Like thirsty ground waiting for water, a soul who expects will receive the Holy Spirit and produce abundant fruit.

The Church, full of wisdom, uses the liturgical year to help us re-live these truths. During Lent our family focused on certain readings. We read the story of the woman at the well. Jesus was for her the Living Water. We read about the man born blind. Jesus was light for him. We read about Lazarus. Jesus was life for him. We meditated on these stories. Jesus is for every person what that person needs.

Now is Easter. Easter comes during spring time, when nature all around us is freeing itself form the grasp of winter. New life is everywhere. It is time for us to have new life too. It is time to make those truths we read about during Lent, be our truth. It is time to let Jesus, who is Living Water, Light and Life, be our Living Water, our Light and our Life. It is time to make the power of the resurrection OURS.

Nature Study: We did it!

N. and I went for a nature walk today. Honestly speaking, I wasn't planning on it but, I have made the mistake comment to N. yesterday. Sure enough, today he reminded me. I didn't have an excuse. So armed with binoculars, magnifying glass, baggies, and a camera, we went for a walk around the block. We took samples of leaves, put them in baggies and brought them home to identify. It was a fun experience. N. was all into it. It kind of make me feel a tad guilty that I haven't taken him on more outings.



To identify the leaves we used this Virginia website as well as some field guides we have at home. We learned ( and I really mean we, not a figure of speech) about the parts of leaves, and what to look at when trying to identify them.

We also did some leaf rubbings. Even A. got involved. It was fun experimenting with different leaves and colors, different coloring media (pastel, crayons and coloring pencils) and different patterns.

King Tut

Yesterday, we went to Dallas to see King Tut. Actually King Tut wasn't there but tons of artifacts found inside his tomb were.

I think there is a little bit of false advertisement going on. They use King Tut's gold mask for the publicity but the gold mask is not there and, of course neither is the mummy. I am glad a friend warned me ahead of time. I think we would've been disappointed.

I found this article that explains a little bit more about the mummy, King Tut's Mummy. This article tells a little more detail about how the mummy was moved into the glass case that house it today and why it was moved there.

I was really impressed by the beauty of the jewels, furniture and amulets we saw yesterday. They are exquisite! I was amazed at the level of craftsmanship and beauty they could attain with the primitive means at their disposal. I was also struck anew with how much time and money was spent in thinking and preparing for the afterlife. If we invested as much time thinking about heaven, we would really be holy!

Nature Study

I am a nature student wannabe. I drool over sites like this. For years, since G. was little, I have read Charlotte Mason books, and Charlotte Mason inspired moms that seem to have the perfect homeschool. They take the kids outside backpacks in tow, ready for a nature walk. Nature walk, just the name excites me. Doesn't it sound dreamy? It evokes times outside, under the trees, with picnic lunches and sketchbooks. Then I wake up and I remember that 1) I don't like bugs, 2) I am scared of running into wild animals, 3) I don't know how to sketch.

Once more is Spring. Spring seems to beckon me outside. Really? well, not really. It is the same thing again. I want to, really want to go outside but, there are so many things to do inside- books to read, blogs to check and did I mention school, cooking, cleaning?

I am determined this year. I think. I am going to go outside. I am going to take the kids, at least N. for a walk in the neighborhood. We are going to do something simple: collect leaves, identify them and tally the trees in our neighborhood (more like our block). Maybe do some drawing. No, wait, don't get ahead of yourself. Try the most simple thing and see how it goes.

I found this book at our library. I think I am going to follow it and see how it goes. But because I am how I am I couldn't resist doing some poking around on the internet and found these helpful-tuck away somewhere in the back of your mind-blog them so you can remember- links:

http://www.squidoo.com/cmnaturestudy

http://mrshappyhousewife.com/homeschooling/science/nature-study-thirty-six-weeks.html


Tomorrow I'll go. I think.

He Is Risen!!

He is risen INDEED!
(Just a note: I did not misspell alleluia. It is written in Spanish)

Just Finished: The Fisherman's Testament by César Vidal

In the Fisherman's Testament, César Vidal takes us to the final days of St. Peter's life. Nero, curious about the Christians, wants to judge Peter himself. The book is told through the eyes of a Roman official, Marcus Junius Vitalis, who has been called by Nero to assist him in the proceedings.The book is an account of the trial in which Peter, interrogated by Nero and Vitalis, recounts his life with Jesus as well as the Master's teachings.

I really, really wanted to like this book but I didn't. I was expecting a book along the lines of Louis De Wohl's masterpieces. I was expecting a book that recreated Peter's trial in a more credible way. I was expecting one of those books that take you to the scene in such a way that you think you were there. This book was really a retelling of the Gospel of Mark with a thin plot thrown in for good measure. The book has some happy moments but overall it felt contrived and boring.

Heard during the Easter Triduum (my version)

Holy Thursday:

There was a man who really wanted to serve God. God told him to find three medium size rocks, put them in a wheelbarrow and take them to the top of the hill. The young man's heart rejoiced at the task. Finally he had been asked to do something for God.As he began his ascend to the top of the hill, people kept on asking him to carry some rocks for them. Soon the wheelbarrow was stock full of rocks. At first the young man was delighted to serve others but as the burden grew and the hill became steeper, his attitude changed. He found himself grumbling. Instead of joy, in his heart he found resentment. He brought his complains to God. He heard the Lord saying: "I only asked you to bring three medium size stones, where did you get all these other stuff?"

Jesus asks us to serve. As we strive to follow his command, we do well to keep our focus on who He has asked us to serve and how he has asked us to do it.


Easter Vigil:

At different times, our lives seem to unravel in front of our very eyes. Wounds, betrayals, sufferings conspire to throw us in the depth of despair. Darkness threatens to envelop us. In situations like this we remember that Christ is our light and the first step is to trust him in the darkness much like the man who finds himself in a dark tunnel. Terrified, he remembers to pray: "Lord send me a light so that I can see my way". The Lord, moved by his plight answers: " I don't have a light to give you but, I AM your light. Take my hand and I will lead you out". His first step out of the tunnel was to trust.