Mad Grocery Shopper

Do you ever peruse the groceries on the belt in front/back of your order at the check-out?  Do you try to figure out what they're going to make?  How busy their week is?  If they live alone?  Are they going to a party?  WHY ARE THEY SPENDING THEIR $$$ ON THAT?!

I always do this.  I mostly take note of the produce:  how much fresh vs frozen/canned vegies. Most canned produce makes me sad.  There is just no way you can replace fresh, steamed/sauteed', green beans/asparagus/mushrooms/brocoli/carrots with canned, no way. There are exceptions: any canned tomato, bean, artichoke or Hispanic product is totally fine and are pantry staples in our kitchen.  Frozen vegies don't freak me out so much; frozen corn, peas and hash browns are always in my freezer - but frozen "Vegie Medleys" are kinda icky to me.  Instant mashed potatoes are a crime on humanity and canned potatoes?!  yuck.

Which brings us to the pre-packaged, processed "Complete" meals...they are so full of junk and preservatives, it's no wonder our society is dealing with such grave health and obesity issues.  And this stuff is sooo expensive.

No don't get me wrong, I enjoy a few convenience products just like the next Mad Housewife.  But I do scrutinize the ingredients lists; the easier it is to pronounce the ingredients, the healthier it is.  Corn sweeteners/syrup/starch and hydrolized/hydrogenated stuff freaks me out.  I love all of Annie's Mac products; I like Farmhouse Wild Rice Pilaf, Ghiradelli Dark Brownie Mix (I always add Kahlua or Scotch or Triple Sec to it!)  and I like to have Krusteaz stuff in the house for emergencies.  We always have emergency kid food too:  frozen taquitos, ramen, Progresso chix noodle soup, Morningstar Farms Corndogs and Nancy's mini Quiche. 

I realize that not everyone has time for a "scratch meal" every night of the week...I don't.  But I do believe that there are a few simple things that will not only help you to eat more healthy; they won't take any more time and might actually save you a few bucks. 

Jilly here, trying to save the world one fresh head of brocoli at a time.

Un-intuitive Purposeful Sitting

I’m sitting on the front sofa listening to Q hum while she flips through her Tinkerbell Activity pages. The reason this is noteworthy is because it’s 4.30 in the afternoon. I am rarely sitting at 4.30. Normally, I’d be working on dinner or doing something else around the house. Nothing I’ve done the past 15 days has been “normal” for me. I’m doing a lot of sitting. I don’t sit much. It’s not that I have anything against sitting; I have just known for a very long time that sitting is not in my nature. I run, I cook, I taught skiing, I waited tables and bartended and I always have a project - that usually does not require sitting.
I’m sitting because I had Reconstructive Foot Surgery on my right foot on 5 March - Foot #2. My surgeon is T. Scott Woll from Rebound Orthopedics - he is brilliant and kind. The first surgery was painful on so many levels - mostly emotionally and spiritually. I was angry, hurting, frustrated, bitter and pathetic. It took me nearly 9 weeks to figure out that I was actually blessed. Blessed to have amazing insurance through M’s awesome job; blessed to have support and help from dear friends, blessed to have a skilled surgeon and blessed that God was providing all those things when I clearly wasn’t appreciative.
This time, I had focus and peace before I even went in. It seems to be going so much smoother this time. The first 2 nights (in the hospital) were really challenging; I could not get my pain under control. But I crossed a threshold the 2nd morning and was able to be released to M & Q by Noon. Recovery is going well; I have more range-of-motion in my hip where they did a bone graph, I am stronger and more fit than I was before the first surgery, I have post-surgery Physical Therapy (The Lovely Jodie!) and I have been thoroughly covered in prayer. I have people coming out of the wood work to feed us, call me, visit me, bring me coffee/lunch, send magazines, do recycling/composting, sending e-mails and praying for me. Seriously, the prayer thing is overwhelming - I can physically feel it.
So, here’s my Blog. I’ve been talking about it for 6 mos, I’ve been badgered about it for 3mos and today I was gifted with it. My lovely friend Janet came over this morning and set me up with a blog. Who does that?!
I promise that I will transition more into food related topics as I continue to heal. I can tell you that I miss cooking soooo much - it really should be the 6th Love Language. I love everything about a meal - pondering the possibilities, planning, shopping, prepping, cooking, consuming and the beverage that goes with it!
Thanks for checking in.

Some friends bring Food, some bring cd/dvd's; some friends bring flowers and wine or sweep the floor.  And some friends bring you a BLOG!!!