tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post8617447357580130922..comments2023-11-03T00:56:22.486-07:00Comments on better living: I can't believe it IS butter!Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00683655933935098511noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-7494287101752035202008-04-26T14:38:00.000-07:002008-04-26T14:38:00.000-07:00I completely agree. Reconnecting with the sources...I completely agree. Reconnecting with the sources of our food, having our hands in the growing and preparation of our food not only empower us but make us more appreciative.Green Beanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03133847111288382381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-500142567625874662008-04-26T12:28:00.000-07:002008-04-26T12:28:00.000-07:00arduous - you are right about the visiting snacks....arduous - you are right about the visiting snacks. :) When we were just hanging out at home though, there wasn't much snacking going on. I tend to graze throughout the day, and never usually eat three big meals, so that was more what I was thinking about. I've been giving this more thought though, and maybe what was stressing me out was not that there weren't any snacks, but that when and what I ate did not seem up to me...like you said, if somebody offers you food, you can't say no, even if you're not hungry. I found that a lot of the food that we were offered when we were visiting was super sweet, oily, spicy, or a combination thereof...I really wanted somebody to offer me fruit salad or something :) I was talking about this whole thing with my mom, and we decided food is one of those issues for us that is super connected to a lot of bigger stuff, like control issues - I think it wasn't so much that I was actually feeling hungry, but that I had to depend on somebody else for all my meals. I think that just like you mentioned on your "sustainability in the city" comments that the idea of self-sufficiency might be a cultural thing, I think some of our control issues might be cultural too. I wish I could let go of some of mine. I know it's part of the reason I hate flying. I don't like the idea that my life is totally dependent on that person driving the plane to not screw it up. Whew. I'm exhausted. that's enough introspection for one day!Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00683655933935098511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-88111857987251265012008-04-26T08:02:00.000-07:002008-04-26T08:02:00.000-07:00That's a really interesting take on food and I agr...That's a really interesting take on food and I agree with it completely. I think the more involved you are with your food, the more hands on you become, the more you appreciate it. I do have to agree with you about meat. I haven't been able to wean myself off meat, but if I had to kill the chicken or the cow or pig, I would probably stop eating meat pretty quickly. Thanks for the wake-up call.<BR/><BR/>Dagny McKinley<BR/>www.onnotextiles.com<BR/>organic apparelONNOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09999276424987359463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-89140174479063848872008-04-25T18:56:00.000-07:002008-04-25T18:56:00.000-07:00Dude, seriously? No snacks? All we do in India is ...Dude, seriously? No snacks? All we do in India is snack!! I actually find it a little stressful because every time you go to someone's home you are offered food and drink, and you can't refuse. I like snacks as much as the next person, but after visiting three houses in one day, I am snacked out!!ruchihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17043512641324366469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-14916139914136738952008-04-25T13:39:00.000-07:002008-04-25T13:39:00.000-07:00Hope you enjoy the lessons on the Fresh Loaf. I fo...Hope you enjoy the lessons on the Fresh Loaf. I found them incredibly helpful. The don't just give you a recipe, they explain why each ingredient is added and what changes in factors can result in. VERY interesting stuff. I'm all about the "why" - why stuff is the way it is. The second lesson was my favorite bread, although I now substitute local honey for the sugar. Yum, honey!hmdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13424022504830645523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-3982252714762965852008-04-25T12:27:00.000-07:002008-04-25T12:27:00.000-07:00heather - I find it's actually kind of scary when ...heather - I find it's actually kind of scary when I realize how much I cannot do for myself! (including almost all the skills your dad knows!) I saw the site you recommended on baking bread. I have to check that out because I've made some really disgusting loaves in the past few weeks. I have been forcing myself to eat them, but ugh. isn't it amazing how once you do become aware of the big picture regarding food, it takes on a totally new role in your life!<BR/><BR/>bcc - I think what's really scary about Japan is that just two years ago, they had so much milk they were literally giving it away and pouring it down the drain. I just signed up for the challenge...it seems very well thought out and I like the perspective you bring to it, and the fact that you've made it very accessible for just about anybody who wants to give it a try! I might get in touch w/ you later as I seem to be having trouble getting the banner up...<BR/><BR/>amma - 1st, I urge you to check out the challenge BCC is hosting. It's right in line with your comment! As to what you said, I totally agree. I think I am going to write an India post. my Indian & I were talking about how, despite the pollution, litter, etc., in some ways India is way ahead of us in terms of sustainability - out of necessity, which is what makes it interesting (and scary when I think about how quickly the middle class seems to be growing). I thought about snacking a lot while in India. I found myself feeling stressed knowing that snacks weren't available and knowing that I was at somebody else's mercy for the next mealtime. I found myself often overeating (when I wasn't totally sick). I think it was some sort of leftover instinct to stock up while I could - even though my body clearly wasn't in danger of shrinking away anytime soon.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00683655933935098511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-89741567708215000772008-04-25T11:18:00.000-07:002008-04-25T11:18:00.000-07:00Ever since our trip to India I have had a recurrin...Ever since our trip to India I have had a recurring thought - a 'simple' action which many people could/should do, for a multitude of reasons, is to just eat less. It is my opinion that many of us, including myself, spend too much time each day munching, grazing and snacking. I am working on eating mindfully - not just shoving food into my mouth out of habit or because I am bored or stressed. I am curious as to the amount of food which we waste each day just by mindless/senseless eating. Just a few thoughts...Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10638456137129970537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-2199408004743460772008-04-25T06:39:00.000-07:002008-04-25T06:39:00.000-07:00Trying to step back from the detachment you mentio...Trying to step back from the detachment you mention and reading Ishmael are the two forces that probably motivated me the most to cut way, way back on the amount of meat I eat. <BR/><BR/>Japan is probably going to be the first of the first-world nations to see most of these shortages. They import a much larger percentage of their food than the rest of us.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and I did put up my food-related challenge today (well, very late last night) if you're still interested!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302480784488907086.post-24023854701409659272008-04-25T06:32:00.000-07:002008-04-25T06:32:00.000-07:00I feel exactly the same way. I hear all the storie...I feel exactly the same way. I hear all the stories my dad tells, things he did when he was a kid and it blows my mind. My dad can sew, he can cook, he can mend a large wound (on himself, no less) in the middle of the forest, he has raised his own gardens and killed animals for dinner..... After all these years working to simplify my life, I realized that much of what I'd done was to make things more convenient for me, which is fine, but I was ready for the next step in my life - Becoming mindful of life outside myself. <BR/><BR/>So I became more environmentally aware which led to eating whole foods, then to eating locally. I really feel in touch with food the way I never did before and in doing so, I've found joy in some of those things that our generation just doesn't know anymore (like baking bread and making yogurt, etc). I love the feeling that in knowing these things, perhaps my husband and I can weather coming storms with grace and help a few others along the way.hmdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13424022504830645523noreply@blogger.com