cook everything from scratch

I’m pretty close to doing this, although there are a few items, that are just nice to get from the store. Grains and beans turn out more tasty and more cost effective, when made fresh, so I’ll definitely keep doing that. You do have to remember to soak beans overnight!

One thing that I haven’t tried making yet, and it seems kind of time consuming is almond milk. I like what I get from the store, and I’ll probably keep doing that. Although I don’t buy cereal anymore, I make cream of wheat or cream of millet or eat quinoa in almond milk. Butter, or in my case vegan “butter” is good to have on hand, although I can live without that mostly. Organic vegetable broth can be good to have on hand for cooking soup. Tomatoes in a can are very useful too. I tried peeling tomatoes once. It didn’t go so well. My son loves noodles, and I don’t see anything wrong with making him brown rice noodles once in a while. They are freshly cooked, unlike bread, which is what I’m mostly going for. Almond butter and sesame butters are good to have, as well as some mayo to bring out flavor in veggies.

I’m counting this goal done! I’m going to keep going and experimenting with this to see how much stuff I can make at home. Next on my list to try is almond butter and mayonnaise.

I’ve been making a bunch of new stuff like different types of soups. I was really tempted to get soup in a can, but then I reminded myself how easy it is to make it! As a benefit, my toddler loves soups, and it’s the only way I can get him to eat veggies. Actually, there is a second way, yesterday, I made muffins with a bunch of apples and carrots! You can put some veggie stuff in any baked things. Then, by making my own cream of wheat, actually cream of spelt, by grinding spelt berries in the coffee grinder. Plus, I get to put better sweeteners in there, like agave nectar, that is a lot better for you. You can also substitute oil with applesauce. It still takes delicious! Anyway, I love cooking for myself, and eating fresh foods, lots and lots of fruits and vegetables.

I’d like to make all the foods that I eat, in order to eat less processed foods. I’m also doing vegan at the same time. The only really processed foods that I have been eating are microwaved popcorn, bread that I buy in the store, soy ice cream, and occasional canned soup. I’d like to eat all fresh stuff, such as whole grains like brown rice and buckwheat, fruits and veggies, prepared in different ways, and raw nuts and seeds. I think the only thing I will allow myself is some vegan mayo for making sauce. Also, occasional tofu is OK too.

I’ve drastically changed my diet and it wasn’t that hard. I’m now only eating fresh veggies, fruits and lean meats. I cooked up a big pot of vegetable soup and I’ve been eating it all week. A handheld food blender (the kind you stick inside the cup) has been a good purchase. I also drink tea and coffee with non-sugar sweetener to get me through the day. It stops the cravings for things that aren’t good for me. It has been hard to get off the sugar kick, but it has been worth it. Slowing down to eat properly is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I FEEL GREAT.

I’m using the Fat-Burner Foods book by Dr. Shreeve for super-healthy menus. Here are some simple & quick things I love to eat:

1) Half a melon (any kind) blended with 1.5 cups pineapple juice

2) 2 bananas blended with 2 cups lowfat milk

3) Lean steak fried in olive oil topped with sliced tomatoes

4) Grapes mixed with chunks of melon, drizzled with pure honey

5) 100% pure organic carrot juice blended with celery

6) Baked potato topped with anything lowfat

7) Any salad topped with tuna or chicken & lowfat dressing