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Only a holiday, in this case Easter, can take a cluttered refrigerator and turn it into Monica’s closet. It never fails. I’m not fantastic when it comes to cleaning out the fridge. I have a friend who cleans out her fridge every week before going to the grocery store. Every week she washes the shelves, cleans out the drawers, and tosses out whatever needs tossing. She rarely has anything that needs tossing, as you can imagine. Insufferable organized clean person.
My fridge gets nowhere near that attention. There isn’t food molding or open cans of soup or raw meet dripping onto the vegetables, but yesterday, 3 days past Easter, it was a mess. (You can see the before picture on instagram.) Cramming the boxes of kale was the second to the last straw.
The last straw was receiving my first order from Farm Fresh to You. I wasn’t about to stick all those vegetables in a cluttered fridge so they could get lost and spoil. I cleaned out the fridge, which wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Again. If I had a dime for every time I said that I could pay someone to declutter my house.
So much better! I even decided to make use of the wine rack thing that I always said I would never use. I tried to use the soda tray, but I couldn’t figure out where it went. Both the wine rack and the soda tray may go back once we’re done with the wine and soda. Both reflect Easter shenanigans since we don’t drink wine or soda regularly.
The Farm Fresh to You membership happened by accident. I opened the door to a solicitor and I signed up immediately. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years, and I’m glad I did. I know I could get everything cheaper if I did the shopping on my own, but I also know that’s not something I will do. I need it delivered to my door, and I need the weight of picking out what to buy removed from my shoulders. I do best when I don’t have a lot of options and I’m a creative cook when I’m forced to use something before it spoils. If left to my own devices, I’d forget the days the farmer’s market was open or show up and buy the same thing over and over again.
My post on skincare motivated me to tackle my diet, which I’m sure contributes to my breakouts and rough complexion. Since the boys and I are on Easter vacation, I haven’t found bought Starbucks or snacks. I already feel better. I’m going to eat at home more, plan out breakfasts (my downfall), and try out some recipes. I’ve been resistant to cooking from recipes lately, which wouldn’t be a problem if I was making nice meals on my own. I swear, if I liked quesadillas, that’s what we would be eating every night.
I’m debating buying the Bountiful cookbook. I’ve heard amazing things about it, and Andrea made a goat cheese + lemon spread recipe from the book that was incredible. Any other healthy cookbooks you recommend? I know, I know. You’re going to recommend Gwyneth’s It’s All Good. Any book but that one, even though it completely changed Andrea’s life and by all accounts is fantastic. This is going to sound horrible, but I can’t stand Gwyneth Paltrow. She drives me stark raving mad. Everything is so sui generis with that woman. She doesn’t get a headache. She gets “light-headed” and fears she’s “having a stroke.” Heaven forbid the woman decides to divorce like the rest of the plebs. No, she has to “consciously uncouple” and access her “pain toolbox.”
I can’t handle her. I really, really can’t. She’s beautiful, though, and her relationship with her father was touching. I’ll give her that. Gotta end on a positive note.
Thankyou for John Watson. I can’t recommend a cookbook because my favourite is out of print and costs over $100 second hand. But seasonal cookbooks that use mostly vegetables will probably help you make the most of your box. (The book I can’t recommend is The Seasonal Kitchen by Beverley Sutherland Smith.) I’ve been giving that Paltrow cookbook the side eye for a few months now, had no idea it was so popular. I was (am?) sure it’s just a fad.
Always John Watson. Never Gwyneth Paltrow.
Oh, I’m so with you on the Gwyneth Paltrow cookbooks. I don’t care how good they might be, I will.not.touch.them. I also have a thing against making ‘pretend’ meals by blending all sorts of random ingredients to make a cake out of avocado for instance. Eat the damn avocado and the cake, just not at the same time.
ANYWAY. Have you looked at Jamie Oliver cookbooks? The ingredient lists are pretty straightforward and the recipes are, in my experience, pretty good and/or a good source of inspiration. Some of his books are pretty specific (the Italian cookbook is great but not something I reach for every day) whilst others are more suited for every day options, so worth flicking through them first.
I second the recommendation for Jamie Oliver. I have a couple of his books and they are easy to use and the recipes are delicious. I have his “Jamie’s Dinners – The Essential Family Cookbook” and I like the way its organized. He even has “family tree” recipes which give you several different options on the same dish or several different ways to use a particular recipe.
Ooooh, when we first got married my husband used to cook a salmon dinner out of his Jamie Oliver cookbook that was AMAZING. Must revisit and look at his other books.
The faux food stuff is the worst. I couldn’t agree more with you about the avocado/cake thing.
I’m with you on that. Eat the real thing, and just enough, and don’t bother with the faux stuff. Of course its easy for me to say that. I’m not allergic, or even sensitive, to anything. I’m with you on the sugar and processed foods. I just feel better when I cut back on the sugar. And I savor it more when its a delicious, made from scratch treat, or yummy cup of tea with real raw sugar and whole milk.
That’s what I struggle to remember. It’s supposed to be a treat and it should be yummy! Don’t waste your calories and health on things that aren’t really, really yummy. Kind of like remembering not to buy cheap clothes :-)
OK, I had to click on the link to the Paltrow cookbook: “no coffee, no alcohol, no dairy, no eggs, no sugar, no shellfish, no deep-water fish, no wheat, no meat, no soy, nothing processed at all!” Um, no way.
But I clicked because I’m so tired of feeling tired. I’m so tired of having migraines every. single. week. If you find a great cookbook, I’d love to hear about it. Myself, I’m starting simple: No more fast food and no more sugary treats–at least not until I see/feel some improvement. At that point, I’ll try to figure out how I might do those things in a way that doesn’t wreck me. If I say never, I won’t be able to stick to it.
I’m with you. My headaches vastly improved with the glasses (night and day, really) but my skin and energy level is showing the effects of how I eat.
Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson has had many hit recipes at my house. The only recipe that I made that my husband didn’t completely love was the “potato” salad. My favorite so far is her rice casserole. It is a vegetarian cookbook, but lots of the recipes are side dishes and lunch recipes. The granola is really great too!
Oh, good one! One of my favorite recipes I’ve ever made from online is her mushroom rice casserole. It’s FANTASTIC and I could eat it every day. The boys, on the other hand, hate mushrooms. But my other favorite recipe is also from Heidi, so why I haven’t bought her books is a mystery. I’ve given them as gifts, even!
That’s the casserole! I definitely found Super Natural Everyday to have more interesting/useful recipes than Super Natural Cooking, but have acquired both.
Another book I would recommend is An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler. It isn’t really a cookbook in a conventional sense, but it is a book that is very helpful with changing the way you view food and how we treat ingredients (roasting vegetables, using carrot tops and other “trash” in clever and delicious ways, how to cook cheap and nutritious types of meat). It’s fascinating, really, and I have been telling everyone about it! I like it because while cooking recipes from books such as Heidi’s is nice when I can afford all the ingredients/have time, Adler helps you work with what you have right now to still make delicious, non-deprivational (is that a word? I cringe) meals.
Oh, and I just read the comment below…An Everlasting Meal has the foreword written by Alice Waters!
I really love “The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters. It’s less a collection of recipes than a collection of ideas of how to cook things. It’s organized largely by technique and season. Which considering your aversion to recipes seems right up your alley.
You get something in your delivery you’re not sure what to do with – just look in up in her book and you’ll find several suggestions. Nothing is overly complicated and is focused on letting the natural flavor of the food shine through. Grh, that sounded pretentious! Her genuine love for food and eating well really shines through the book. Her writing is lovely and I think you’ll enjoy reading it as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Simple-Food-Delicious-Revolution-ebook/dp/B0046REPKE/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398345320&sr=1-4&keywords=alice+waters
Great idea, thank you!
Gwyenth is a polarizing creature, and I am mildly embarrassed to admit that if someone is pro-Gwyneth, I don’t think we can be friends. She’s just…… too much. I have zero healthy cookbook recommendations. The only helpful thing I can add is that when I cut back on the sugars and white stuff, I feel better. Go veggies!
Yes, she is. I hate that I hate her so much, you know? It’s ridiculous that she has so much emotional control over so many people, but she does.
It’s not really a cookbook, but I really like “An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace,” by Tamar Adler, which begins with a chapter on boiling water. (Actually, maybe you recommended this years ago? It seems like your kind of book and I’m sure I heard about it from a blog.) I’m also currently reading “Cooked,” by Michael Pollan, which is also interesting.
As for cookbooks — I like Nigella Lawson’s recipes and writing. I’ve never watched the show, but I’ve had people tell me how much they dislike her based on it. Her recipes, though, always work for me, taste good, and she remembers to mention things like “it will look like it’s gone wrong at this stage, but keep beating and I promise you it will work out.” Which helps a lot when you get to the stage where it all looks wrong.
The Tamar Adler book was actually our 3rd book club book. Yet another reminder that I must bring back book club because we really did read the best books. I need to reread that book because it really was excellent.
I find Nigella’s recipes also very good. Her Guinness Chocolate Cake is TO DIE FOR. Truly my favorite cake ever. I used to watch her show. She’s a bit of a sex pot, but she didn’t bother me. I thought it was great because she was (at that time) 40 years old and owning it.
I was going to comment on your post about skincare and make-up – specifically to respond to Meg who has rosacea, and to ask if she had tried any elimination diets – but then I decided not to because I figured it was too much of a “duh, well of course!” question. But since you’re now talking diet and skin in general, maybe my experience will be helpful. I have rosacea (mine started in my thirties, ruddiness on my cheeks progressing to break-outs). I pretty much just tried to ignore it and cover it with make-up until three years ago when it got really bad. I did some research and decided to try an elimination diet, starting with dairy, and got lucky with my first try – as soon as I stopped drinking milk and eating cheese my skin cleared up. It’s no longer red, it’s fairly smooth, and I hardly ever break out (and I was able to re-introduce limited amounts of cheese without any problem).
For food in general, I’ve tried really hard to cut back on sugar – eliminating it altogether in coffee and tea, having fruit for snacks instead of baking – and I feel better. I’m less tired during the day, and I’m less hungry between meals. In feeding my family, I go by what Michael Pollen says: eat food (as in real food, not processed stuff), not too much, mostly plants. We’re semi-(almost completely) vegetarian, and I’ve had really good luck with recipes I’ve found online (Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, Oh She Glows, Pinch of Yum, Cookin’ Canuck…).
Oh, Marian — you would think that would be a “duh” question, but sadly — no. I will say that I did a 30 day vegan thing a couple of years ago, and didn’t notice much of an improvement, but it deserves another try. I’m not what you would call the most disciplined eater. I love hearing what has worked for you!
I’m glad I put my two cents in now, then :). Rosacea is such a complicated thing, and what works for one person may not work for another. Have you checked out any of the rosacea forums online? One other thought besides elimination diets: perhaps it’s worth looking at your omega 6 and omega 3 intakes? (Apparently North Americans have far too much omega 6 in their diet, and some studies seem to link that to acne and rosacea and inflammation in general. Wanting to increase my omega 3 intake (but not wanting to take fish oil), a year ago or so I began eating one tablespoonful each of flax meal and hemp seeds sprinkled on my cereal, and although it was hard to tell if it made a difference in my face, I did notice that my hands – which have always been really rough and dry – became incredibly soft).
Good luck, Meg, I hope you find some answers!
Oh, I got signed up for the farm box in the same way! I am terrible, terrible, no good, awful at saying no to solicitors so typically I don’t answer the door. This girl came up to me while I was getting my mail and I had no escape. I think I was so excited that she was selling something that I was actually interested in, I signed up with no questions asked! We’ve been getting them for months and agree, I could do cheaper at the farmers market but it’s just so much easier this way. Plus my kids think it’s super fun to sort through the box of surprises.
As far as cookbooks go, have you checked out Dinner A Love Story? It’s awesome. The meals aren’t all super healthy but some of them are and all of them use real, whole food ingredients. They’re accessible and really delicious. All of my go to weeknight meals come from it. We also use a Jaques Pepin cookbook and love America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Illustrated. (We watch a lot of PBS since we don’t have cable).
Oh, and I agree, an Everlasting Meal was an awesome book. Although I’ve struggled to put a lot of her tips into practice.
I don’t mind Gwenyth but I had to laugh at your feelings and explanation. I feel the same way about a couple of celebrities though, to the point that I won’t buy ones shoes even though I consistently see ones I quite like. Oh well.
I like Jamie Oliver, too. And I think your fridge cleaning friend is crazy. I thought I was doing alright cleaning out the fridge every week but now I know I’m a total slacker because I don’t empty and clean all the drawers haha.
I just love “the kitchen counter cookbook”! I just finished it for the 3rd time. It’s just a fabulous book about how this woman helps these nine women learn to cook just wholesome food and the recipes are great. I highly recommend it and you’ll be throwing out all your processed foods before you know it. The library will have it. But since I’ve borrowed it so many times I think I’m buying it off amazon.
I just checked my library and they don’t have it–unless perhaps you have the title wrong? Wishful thinking on my part. So many libraries in my city, so few books.
I think I asked that they buy it with Friends of the library money. Can you do that?
Title:
The kitchen counter cooking school : how a few simple lessons transformed nine culinary novices into fearless home cooks / Kathleen Flinn.
Author:
Flinn, Kathleen.
Abstract:
” The author of The Sharper Your Knife tells the inspiring story of how she helped nine others find their inner cook. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, writer Kathleen Flinn returned with no idea what to do next, until one day at a supermarket she watched a woman loading her cart with ultraprocessed foods. Flinn’s “chefternal” instinct kicked in: she persuaded the stranger to reload with fresh foods, offering her simple recipes for healthy, easy meals. The Kitchen Counter Cooking School includes practical, healthy tips that boost readers’ culinary self-confidence, and strategies to get the most from their grocery dollar, and simple recipes that get readers cooking. “–Provided by publisher.
I really like Smitten Kitchen’s cookbook and I turn to Veganomicon and Super Natural Every Day often. I also just checked out SuperFood Smoothies from the library and will probably buy it. So many yummy options!
You’re killing me! Your refrigerator is so beautiful — super inspiring! I’m currently in the middle of post-Easter Tetris here, and it’s driving me nuts.
As per your request, I will not recommend Gwyneth’s book (although I, too, resisted it for the same reason, and then relented because it really is a good one. Skip the introduction, though, if you ever decide to crack it open one day.) I just checked out Ellie Krieger’s Weeknight Wonders from the library, but haven’t actually tried it enough to give a solid recommendation. Her lemon tahini dressing is absolutely delish; that much I know.
A couple of things……1. I make quesidillas way too many times during the week. They’re quick and they’re great for baby led weaning. I’m kind of ashamed at the frequency that we eat them. 2. Gwyneth……just no. no. no. no. no. no. 3. I LOVE The Family Flavor. I’m actually cooking my way through it this year as a little project for myself. The recipes are so easy and there’s no crazy ingredients. Every time I make something I swear it’s my favorite recipe. Then I make something else and that becomes my favorite.
I’ve been trying to be better about eating (a healthy) breakfast lately too. At first, after my baby was born (last Sept), I just got baked goods from the store. But a diet of donuts does not a healthy mama make. Then, I tried baking things on Sunday that I could reheat and eat on the run through the rest of the week, but that just wasn’t really working for me. I’ve finally settled now on fruit salads. I can make a big batch and toss it in a Ziploc bag so it doesn’t take up too much space in the fridge, and it’ll last for 3-4 days, so I only need to make it twice a week. Then to make it more filling, I just top a bowlful with muesli (and sometimes yogurt) or cottage cheese with a sprinkle of cinnamon and honey, and I’m good to go. Still fast, and better than donuts. We’re coming into the bounty of fruit season here in Thailand (though you should be getting into berry season soon in CA, right?) so it’s turning into a great way to use up a lot of fruit that normally I would end up admiring yet passing by.
I also get a CSA box but I find it is much cheaper than going to the farmer’s market or grocery store. Our box is $25/week (we do every other week since there’s only 2 of us), and we would spend way more on the same amount of fruits/veggies at the market.
I am not a huge fan of Gwyneth, but her cookbook is pretty good and some of the recipes have become go to dinners for us. Maybe look for it used so she doesn’t get your $? I’ve heard good things about “Vegetable Literacy” by Deborah Madison, and “Clean Food” by Terry Walters is great because it’s divided by season (not that we really have those in CA). Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo is also really good and easy to approach. I also tend to find recipes online and pin them, or just search pinterest.
I don’t get the Gwyneth phenomenon either, but I don’t hate her. I am indifferent (MUAH HA HA.. that could be as bad, right?) Now on to cookbooks:
1. Loved Everlasting Meal when we read it for book club. Not so much because it was full of recipes, but more about how to make the most of what I was cooking (and keeping me from having to dump food).
2. They are not cool or trendy, but I am a big fan of the Everyday Food (Martha Stewart) Great Food Fast and Fast Food Fresh ( I think is the name of the second one). I can consistently throw together a whole food meal that is easy, using stuff I usually have on hand and that my kid will eat. They aren’t hip, but I turn to them a lot.
3. love Jamie Oliver’s 30 minute Dinners (again with the title, it’s something like that).
4. I also have Dinner: A Love Story and since it’s a blog, you could look before purchasing. I find I don’t use as many of the actual recipes, but I do love the set-up of how they make family dinner work with school age kids on the go & parents that work and it inspires me & I use the meals as an outline
5. Anything by Heidi Swanson is fabulous! But, you knew that!
6.Keepers. It’s another very easy book. lots of veg, things I can make from the regular pantry generally. I feel that most of the flavor profiles are Asian, but it’s not ‘Chinese food’ & I find my kid will eat the food. Always a plus.
7. Sprouted Kitchen. Also a blog that you could look over. Mostly veggies. I haven’t made anything I don’t like and I’ve made A LOT of the recipes. This has our favorite frittata & even Boy Wonder asks for it. I’m a fan of the Mexican Caesar dressing. THAT was the reason I bought the book to begin with. :)
Lastly, Kitchen Counter Cooking School was one of the best books I’ve read about cooking & learning to eat, but not for actual recipes (in my humble opinion). Different style than Everlasting Meal, but shows how to change our thinking about cooking whole foods at home ourselves and the benefits of doing so.
Yes to 1., 2. and 3. The rest I haven’t read yet, but yes.
We used FFTY for several months and I really enjoyed it! And loved that I could specify our preferences (we both prefer veg over fruit, so I liked having an all veg option).
I used to set aside a few hours of prep time on the day the box came so I could take everything out, wash it up (chop if necessary) and bag it all neatly. The time helped me consider what I might make with everything and also made it so much faster the rest of the week.
We stopped using them because I got back into regular meal planning, but I might go back to it at some point. Our neighbor gets a box from them and I’m always jealous when I step out our front door in the morning and see it.
I love my “Simply in Season” cookbook. It is part of the cookbook series from the Mennonites that started with the “More with Less” cookbook. “Simply in Season” got me through the year we did a CSA. It is arranged by season and then by vegetable/fruit.
I can’t think of a single person I hate but.. I think Gwenyth Paltrow comes off as exceedingly pretentious. It’s one of those things that if I were in the same room with someone saying the things she’s quoted as saying, I would make awkward faces and edge away to distance myself. I think she’s highly insensitive and possibly a little delusional. I find it more a mental health issue or lack of self-awareness though, than an inherent meanness, so I don’t think she deserves all the scorn of the internets, though possibly a little less attention?
Also, older but a favorite for few ingredients and fresh, fast meals- Everyday Food by Martha Stewart. Beautiful pictures and organized by season. Oh, and Mark Bitman anything. Can you tell I’m a little lazy? =) Kidding.
‘though possibly a little less attention’ AMEN!
*and we also agree on the Everyday Food & Mark Bittman, too.
Can’t stand her either!