In the spirit of being a foodie, today's reading is all about food! Yes!!! and can I get an 'Amen!'
(you did a little happy dance didn't you?)
I'm a cookbook junkie. I don't have a 100 or anything, but I do have a few. Like, well less than 10 - but I LOVE the ones I have. I love to look at the pictures and visualize who would like which recipe and how and when I could fix it.
I learned to cook from my grandmother ~ who if you don't already know my Mimi , she is the quintessential amazing southern cook. But I didn't just learn to 'cook' from her ~ I also learned her love of hosting. I learned to love bringing my family together for the purpose of spending time and of course, eating. And I learned to get a simple joy from not just cooking the food, but from the preparation the days before, the grocery trips, the setting of the table and then ending with getting all the food on the table at one time. (that's not easy to do you know?!)
She taught me to cook with love and I do believe that's an art form in itself. You can give someone a recipe, but somehow there's that extra little touch that happens only when someone prepares that food from the heart. (You may have to be southern to truly appreciate that last comment)
When I started on my journey towards changing my eating, I was terribly afraid this joy was something I was going to have to give up. And honestly, for the first couple of months, it really was. I was eating things that didn't require lots of prep or even attention and compared to the complicated multi-dish meals I was used to fixing, these meals were pretty boring.
But in the last couple of weeks, as my journey has become a little more determined and my family has begun to join me on this journey, I'm finding that joy has crept back into my life when it comes to cooking for the family. The kids still complain some, but it's so rewarding to see them dive into a head of cabbage and know that that didn't happen on accident!
Any active parent knows, that 'good' kids don't just happen. They are the result of a lot of work on the parents part. The same goes for good eaters. It takes a lot of work, and a lot of patience, and a lot of time, and did I mention a lot of patience? Oh, good. Cause' you'll need that part!
That being said, it's still an ongoing process in the Willis house to get our tastebuds to accept that we don't want to be addicted to sugar anymore. The kids are learning the value of real foods, and once I finally got serious and cleared out all the 'junk' that I was 'keeping around for the kids' ~ then I'm serious when I say, while watching their movie the other night, they fixed themselves a plate of raw cabbage, cherry tomatoes and some cherries.
Now before you think that's me bragging, let me also tell you that they are still kids and if given the choice (i.e it being in the cupboard, they would grab the bag of cheetos, some apple juice and head to the couch.) The difference is what's in the cupboard.
The same is going to be true for you ~ until you decide you're willing to throw it all out, all that stuff you hope to keep for a rainy day, or the treats that are 'just for the kids'..... nothing will change. None of us has the willpower to withstand that kind of temptation and let's be honest, if you don't need that food in your body, why would you feed it to your kids? (That ones hard cause' so many of those foods are much more convenient to fix aren't they?)
So make the change. Take the stand if not for yourself, then for those little cave babies you're raising.
But the change has to start with you. You are the adult. You make the decisions. You be the example.
They will watch what you do and learn more than if you were to scream and rant and beg and plead. Children are our best mirrors into our soul ~ so start today by giving them the best of you.
The littlest cave man and I made these delicious Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip muffins yesterday. By using the coconut flour, they are much sweeter and less dense than some of those made with the almond flour. Yummy!
As you go into your weekend, the challenge is to go take a look in your pantry. What foods are you keeping in there because you're afraid to give them up? Why do you think you continue to make excuses for your eating? What actions scare you and have you ever really stopped and thought about why that is? I don't believe we are called to live in fear ~ so take that step. Face the fear.
And then clean out that pantry.
Replace those sugar and flour filled cookbooks with whole food, real food, paleo/gluten free ones. The pictures are just as pretty, I promise :) Below are some recipes I hope to try over the next week. I hope you enjoy them.
(in the spirit of Veggie Tales,) Now for the part you've all been waiting for.....
Breakfast ~ 2 eggs, 2 pieces of bacon, Carrot juice w/ avacado
Snack~ post workout ARM drink
Lunch ~ Baked ham, green beans, almonds and eggs
Snack ~ shrimp cocktail, 1 pc havarty cheese
Dinner ~ Baked pork chops with Rondele cheese stuffed in the middle, green beans, sweet potato21 unbroken pullups
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