Thanksgiving Part 2: The Feast

I still feel so stuffed from yesterday. Here are some photos of what we made and ate:

The turkey turned out fine, a little drier then what I wanted but my family said that it tasted good.

The gravy was.... well thick. And rather flour and starch like. I have concluded that making gravy is an art that I have not mastered yet, but this was my first try.

My dad cooked a beef tenderloin in addition to the turkey. This has been tradition for many years and it is delicious.

I also made french bread; they turned out to be the largest loaves yet and the best tasting. Sadly I forgot to take a picture of it before it was eaten.

Here is all the food laid out on the table to serve. French fries, olives, pickles, and cranberry jelly from a a can were also on the menu.

I made an apple pie from scratch for dessert. The crust was nice and flakey with my secret ingredient.

So that is my Thanksgiving dinner that served 12. There is a ton of leftover turkey, so that will be going back to school with me.

Thanksgiving Part 1: Cooking

Today, the day before Thanksgiving, my family and I are preparing some of the food. I was put in charge of the turkey since I convinced my parents it was a good idea to buy a free range one from Becker Farms that ended up being 22 lbs. I spent last night researching how to cook a whole turkey, as I have never cooked turkey before.

The Turkey.

I decided to not follow any particular recipe. My friend Jamie taught me how to cook a whole chicken a few years ago, so I decided to adapt the approach. No, I did not measure anything. Basically I made a paste out of butter, and fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme and rubbed that underneath the skin. Then I filled the cavity with the remaining fresh herbs and some chopped onion. Then the whole turkey was put in a reynolds turkey bag in order to keep in the moisture.

Yay giblets!!

My mixture that went under the skin.

Turkey almost ready for the oven!!

I will update later with how it turns out.

Not So Healthy Diet

In my process of eating what is left in my fridge, I find I tend to favor certain foods. Bacon. Cookies. Cookie dough. Banana bread. None of these things are exactly healthy for me even if they are organic. That is a big thing to take away from this project. Just because food is advertised to be organic, free range, or otherwise healthy for you, it is not if it is all you eat. Sadly I cannot survive on bacon and cookie dough alone, even though that would be wonderful. I need to instead balance them out with fruits and vegetables and rice.

Cookie dough for dinner??

College is a time of abusing freedom and learning from it. I hope to learn in advance not to do things that are bad for me, but I am afraid some mistakes have to be made so that the whole value is learned. Already this semester I have gotten tired of biscuits and lentil soup and butter. Others are escaping my mind at the moment. So at some point I will be tired of bacon, if that is even possible.

What food do you want to eat day in and day out?

UPDATE: Don't worry mama bears, I have already learned from my poor diet choices. Unsettle stomach is a good lesson to remember. 

Eating Out the Fridge

My original title for this post was "Cleaning Out the Fridge" but I realized that I was not throwing food out, so the title was not quite appropriate. In four days I am heading home for Thanksgiving break. Therefore I am trying to eat the food that will spoil first. Then I will not come back to school with a stinky fridge or a mess to clean up.

I have to admit that I have not been keeping as good a track of when my food will spoil to begin with. So far nothing smells to funny, so I will take that as a good sign.

I need to eat a lot of yogurt, pancakes, muffins, and cheese before I leave. On a positive note, I will be cooking less and just eating leftovers. It is kinda nice, not cooking as much.

Thanksgiving break will be great, lots of food and lots of cooking for my family!

To Grandma's House We Go

Today I want to tell you some of my favorite food memories from visiting my Grandma and Grandpa Vinkemulder's house as a child. My sister and I would visit several times a year as they were only an hour away from us.

My fondest memory comes from Christmas time. We would go over, along with my cousins Tommie and Michele to make sugar cookies. Grandma always had the cutest shaped molds. I remember the gingerbread man and the stars. After they were baked came the best part, frosting and candy. Several if not all of the cookies had more frosting then cookie to them. There were different colors of sprinkles and I liked eating those straight. Cait, my sister, loved covering her cookies with red hots. They were always too spicy for me. When we got older, gingerbread houses came into the mix. The candies that came with them always tasted stale, but I ate them anyway. Grandma did not care, even if my mother got on my case that I had too much sugar.

Another favorite experience was afternoon lunch. It is a tradition for us to make ground bologna and pickle. Yes, that means taking a ring of bologna and sending it through the meat grinder. Then you grind up the pickles the same way. My sister and I never really liked pickles so we got our share of bologna before the pickles were added. This was my grandpa's favorite, he had it growing up as a child. We would then make sandwiches. Mine would be bologna and cheese, but I remember my sister once tried cinnamon swirl bread, bologna, jello, mac and cheese, peanut butter, and sun chips etc. She said it tasted good. The most important part of the sandwiches was how they were cut. Grandma called them choo-choo train sandwiches. You cut the sandwich into lego sized pieces and then place them around the edge of the plate like a train. I always found my food more entertaining to eat this way. Her cheese also came from a block and you had to use a cheese slicer, that was so much fun.

Last but not least were my Grandma Vink's chocolate chip cookies. These are the best cookies you ever had. When we came over the cookie jar was always full and I would always try to snitch a few before lunch when my mom was not looking. I remember my first week of final exams in college when I received a special delivery. A box of 3 dozen chocolate chip cookies from my grandma. She said she took them to the post office when they were still warm to have them shipped in one day.

It is these traditions that I hope to pass along to my children and grandchildren. These wonderful memories spent around food and family.

In loving memory - Mary Vinkemulder

What Do You Want for Snack Time?

So, I am taking the GRE tomorrow. All the advice I have seen says to bring a snack for the 10 minute break. Most articles specifically say a granola or energy bar. This poses a problem with my thesis of what would make an equivalent snack. Yes, I could break the rules and go buy an energy bar, but that could also end up making me feel sick during the exam if it has food dyes or preservatives.

Overall here are my criteria:

• protein
• natural sugar from fruit
• I can eat it in under 5 minutes
• tastes fine at room temperature

I have considered a sandwich, but it would take to long to eat and would take to much blood flow away from my brain to digest it. Right now I have some dried cranberries and mixed nuts in the house. This is my best bet, but I am afraid it will make me to thirsty. You are not allowed to have water in the testing room. I could take an apple, but I will probably not finish it.

What snack would you recommend?

Where Do I Keep Everything?

I was thinking, I really have not discussed where I keep all my food for this project. At my house I have a small fridge, as my roommate uses most of the full sized one. I also have some shelves and a cabinet.
Here we go.

My food corner:

Inside the cabinet. I tend to forget what is in here :/. So far I have not come across rotten food, just sprouting potatoes

I am in my fridge every day and yet stuff still goes bad. I am still working how to use the door space more effectively.

The freezer, otherwise know as the place food disappears for months only to be rediscovered. Case in point, the zucchini muffins I found last week that were made in early September.

My other cabinet. Baking dry goods and containers and cups.

So that is where all of my food lives. I like having it organized. It is actually a little messy right now, so I might empty stuff out later and clean all the shelves.

How do you organize your food?

A New Type of Farming

For my seminar I have been doing research on different science topics. This past week, I wrote an article on vertical farms. They are what they sound like, a farm that goes up instead of side to side.

So why the interest? Aren't current farming techniques sufficient for our needs? In actuality, by 2050 the world's population is expected to reach 10 billion and we are in need of new techniques to grow more food. Vertical farms might be the answer. They utilize shelves to grow more plants.

Aquaponics are used in these systems. Basically fish are raised in containment and their "dirty" water is then filtered through the plant roots, providing them with nourishment. This closed loop system can be seen as efficient as it eliminates waste and puts it to good use.

To help to explain this concept more, and so that you can visualize it, here is a video. And it has British accents!

These types of companies also exists in the United States. For instance FarmedHere LLC opened its doors in Chicago in 2013.

Final Farmers Market and Three Weeks Left

So today was not the final farmers market of the year, just the last one to occur during my project. That is right, I have 3 weeks, read 21 days, left of this diet. Huzzah!!! Honestly I am ready to be done and it is taking more effort to stick to my rules and not sneak around them.

I got some cool stuff at the farmers market today.

I got eggs, BACON (yay!!!!), onions, and apples. Bacon was the main thing that I wanted to get. I really missed it, it is probably my favorite meat in the world. The rest were necessities and I would rather get them from the market then from the store.

I also got myself a present to help keep my stress low in the coming weeks.

Lavender! Hopefully it will bloom in the coming months. For now I can rub the leaves and smell them, lavender has a very calming effect. Except if you are my sister, she dislikes the smell of lavender.

Building Patience

My roommate made an interesting comment today. I was stating how I was excited once this project was over, I would be able to eat instant soup. I really do miss the convenience in having food at the snap of your fingers when that craving strikes. She mentioned that by cooking food, you can build patience and character.

Those who know me well know that I am not the most patient person in the world. It has been challenging to have to wait for my food. Annoying to say the least. Cooking every meal requires planning, making sure you have all the ingredients, and allotting time to cook and eat.

The last 4 years of college I lived in the dorms, eating processed food whenever I wanted. It was the easy option, although expensive. So far, living off campus and making my own food has been rewarding. I do not have to worry about contamination of my food with peppers, and I can have whatever I want when I eat. This actually makes life less stressful.

Back to building patience and character, I think I have improved on both accounts. I am used to food taking a while to make and I appreciate how good home-cooked food tastes. My patience is only tried when I have a craving that I cannot satisfy immediately. On character, I think I have grown as a person. I am more independent about what I eat and more willing to take chances and try new foods.

Have you noticed any changes in me over the course of this project?

Me Want Cookies

This evening I have been craving sugar to the point of eating it out of the bag. Don't worry it was only a tablespoon. About an hour later this craving intensified, so I began to wonder why. What is my body telling me by craving sugar? Does that mean I am lacking something in my diet? After a brief search on the internet, this is what I found:

When you are craving sugar, such as cookies, ice cream, and candy it means that your glycemic (sugar) levels are low. Low blood sugar should not be remedied by giving into pure sugar, as that can cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash again. That is why I wanted more sugar an hour later. What I found is best is to eat a piece of fruit. It has a lower sugar level and the fiber found in fruit is good for you. Eating legumes and carbs can also help as they slowly release sugar therefore not creating as much of a sugar high and crash. We are designed to crave sugar as a survival instinct, but this is not a problem in most modern day societies.

What about chocolate? Oddly enough it does not fit into the sugar cravings. Chocolate has magnesium in it, so when you are craving it, that might actually mean that you need magnesium. Magnesium is found in leafy greens, so try eating those (I know a harsh alternative to chocolate). From what I read dark chocolate in small quantities is also ok.

The other main craving I have faced is salt. Normally I crave it during the summer when I am working outside, and that typically means I am dehydrated and actually need salt and electrolytes. My coworkers know that I will put salt on my biscuits and bread or just eat it strait out of the box. When you are not dehydrated, salt cravings are caused by stress. Instead of eating, try slowly breathing and doing something to relax before you binge.


What are you craving right now?

Sources
What Your Cravings Mean
13 Ways to Fight Sugar Cravings

Survey Time

One of the main goals of this project was to prove that I could eat organic food with no preservatives while maintaining a college student's budget. It is now time to establish what a college student actually pays for food.

I have created a survey that I would like you take. Please only take it if you are a current college student (graduate and doctoral are ok too). The survey is completely confidential. I would also appreciate it if you could pass it on to any other college students that you know.

Once I get enough data collected, I will post the results here. I am really excited to see what information I get.

Here is the link
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KKPGDH7 

And don't worry, it is only 10 questions and should be quick and painless.

Here is another goat for your troubles.

Grocery Bags

Shopping bags. I bet that you probably do not think much about what carries your food from store to car. Paper or plastic? How about neither. With this project I have been making my best effort to use reusable bags when I buy groceries.

These bags are sold at  most stores now for as cheap as 99 cents. So why do I use them? One of the first reasons is that I am sick of the accumulation of plastic bags at my house. Honestly I have no idea what to do with them all. They can be small trashcan liners, but that is all that I have thought up. The same goes with paper sacks. Because of my childhood the only other use for them that I can think of is weaving projects for elementary school kids.

Only 1-2% of plastic bags are recycled in the USA. This means that 98% of them are going into landfills.

Target will credit you $0.05 for each reusable bag you use. This is the only store that I currently shop at that I could find if they give a bag credit. Who knows, it could catch on at other stores.

Further Reading:
Retailers push reusable bags to save money, environment

Food Feast

This weekend I got to go home and see my family. This morning my sister Cait, her boyfriend Josh, and my cousin Michele got together to cook. Cait and Josh tackled the Eggs Benedict while I worked on hummus, and Michele made kale chips. My aunt Linda sat conveniently close, I believe to be the first taste tester.

Here my sister Cait shows off her mad cooking skills!

The finished Eggs Benedict! The yoke is running away!!

So much hummus!! I got my mom to try it, and gasp...she liked it :)

More lemon rosemary chicken for dinner! Yay protein (I am eating it Mama Carnivore).

I have had a lot of protein today. Eggs, ham, hummus, and chicken. Plus milk in hot chocolate if that counts. I am also so stuffed after dinner; I have not had this feeling for a long time. I am also gaining my energy back.

My Friends Are Amazing

As you may have already figured out, I have been sick with the flu for the past week. I have not been posting as much because my diet has not been that interesting. Biscuits, biscuits, and more biscuits.

Today I finally felt up to cooking. I made scrambled eggs sandwiches with provolone cheese, and of course, biscuits. Sadly my appetite was not up to the meal and I only finished half, but that is something. I also made hot chocolate, since it is a nippy day.

This afternoon my friend Elise came over and brought me food.  She made some ice cream in her little ice cream maker. That will do wonders for my sore throat. It tastes much like a chocolate frosty, not too thick and not too runny. Ice cream for dinner it is.

Different Kind of Diet

So what have I been up to the past few days. Lots of sleeping, up to 14 hours a day. I have also not been eating that much. I have had lots of biscuits, some butter, and rice. This is the best I can do for sick food without breaking the rules. Oh, and I have also gone through one gallon of orange juice.

On the plus side, I am not eating that much food, therefore I am not running out. I am hoping to be back to normal tomorrow, where I get to go to a super fancy luncheon for my seminar. I cannot say no to free food.

This weekend I get to go home. I hope to teach my sister how to make hummus and teach my family to like it. The tables are turned, the picky eater bringing a new food to her family. Believe it or not, I was an extremely picky eater as a child. I still kinda am.

Any suggestion of what I should eat to get better?

This Week Could be Cheap

If the last two days are anything to judge by, I will be spending a lot less on food this week. So far I have spent $5.39 in two days. So why is it so low? I currently have a cold and more likely the flu. Therefore my appetite has shrunk considerably.

Right now I am eating biscuits and orange juice. I am going to try my very best not to break the rules and get better at the same time. I am really fortunate that I just made myself a large batch of biscuits, so that should hold me out this week food wise. I can also make rice. Seeing that I get dizzy when I stand up, cooking is not exactly a priority. Sleeping on the couch sounds just fine with me.

What are your remedies when you get sick? I know chicken noodle soup is a good one. I have one bag left of it frozen, but I will save it until I have an appetite.

I am sorry for the short post, but it is time for me to go crash and get better.

A Different Type of Restriction

Photo from wikipedia.org

I am not sure if I mentioned this before, but now is a good of time as any. I have another restriction to my diet besides the whole no processed food organic thing. I have food allergies.

I was diagnosed with food allergies my freshmen year of college. They originally thought I was allergic to 26 different foods including pork, turkey, beef, apples, bananas, cantaloupe, spinach, broccoli, yeast (brewer's and baker's), all nuts, shellfish, peppers, potatoes, etc. I cannot remember the rest. For a periods I eliminated all of these from my diet, sustaining on Pediasure, a child's nutritional supplement. I guess this is one reason why this project is not as hard, my diet is not as nearly restricted.

So what am I actually allergic to? After eliminating everything, I brought back foods one by one. When they did not make me sick, I assumed that I was not allergic to them. The skin prick test is 40% accurate if the result is positive. I am allergic to bell peppers (I include all related peppers in this group just to be safe) and all shellfish. That is not that much to deal with.

Are you, my reader, allergic to anything?

A Number's Game

I thought now is as good of time as any to update you on the money side of this project. I have just completed week 11 and I have 5 more weeks to go. Almost 3/4 of the way done. Of the first 77 days, I have stuck to the diet for 70 of them. The 7 days off included the 4 day trip to Washington DC, 2 days at home for labor day weekend, and today where I went home to visit family. I am anticipating one or two more weekends home and thanksgiving break to not be calculated in the totals.I am finding that on those days I am not monetarily counting, I am still eating following the rules, I am just not the one paying for it.

So far I spend on average $5.32 on food per day. I have spent $554.58 on food, eaten $372.10, and wasted $41.93. That means I have $140.55 in food sitting around my house waiting to be eaten.

I have a maximum of 35 days left on the project. This will be more like 30 counted monetarily for the project due to family gatherings. I do hope to do all the calculations for thanksgiving dinner though.

I am amazed on how little I spend per day on food. Most of it is still organic or right from the farmer's market. I think the main thing that helps me is that I make everything from scratch, I am conscious when things will expire, and I have a smaller appetite. I also cook in bulk.

How much do you spend a day on food? Do you wish you could spend less?

Stuck on Side Meat

This past week I have been stuck in a rut. Every day at some point I have biscuits and bacon. Typically for breakfast. Then there is biscuits for lunch, and maybe for dinner. It is just easier when I have them lying around then to make something different.

The remnants of my breakfast.

I can see how these two foods were go to foods for early settlers of America. Bacon (or side meat as they called it), would keep cured in the smokehouse all winter long. It provided vital fat and protein, necessary for their diets. Biscuits provided carbohydrates and were a carrier for other foods such as jam or butter. They also helped fill up the stomach and decrease the feelings of hunger.

The sad thing is that I only have a few biscuits and 2 pieces of bacon left. I will have to wait a week at least until I could get bacon from Becker Farms again. I can always make more biscuits though. The nature of this project is forcing me to eat different things. I will need to find another source of protein since my bacon will be gone. Therefore I will need to cook my chicken or beef, eat eggs, or make more hummus and eat more nuts.

Even though I fall into patterns for a week at a time, they are not forever. At some point I run out of a food item and I have to eat whatever else is in my pantry.

What is your favorite food? What would you do if you ran out of it?