Bison Beef

Tonight I made taco soup with bison beef! I've never cooked with it before, apparently it is really really really lean and has more protein than regular cow beef. I noticed that when I was browning it, there was zero grease. I really didn't taste a difference, although any flavor (or lack thereof) may have been masked by the tasty/spicy soup it was stirred into. I didn't tell Andrew (or my sister & her husband who came over) that it wasn't regular beef. Mwahahaha....I'll have to ask them and see if they noticed any difference.

I purchased a pound of it at Health Nut (in Wyndhurst) and it was pricier than regular beef, but worth a shot. It was $9.95/lb. Anyway, I thought it was great and it gets the Hutcheson stamp of approval!

Bee Pollen

Ok, I haven't blogged in a while because I have been really awful at keeping up with the "Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not too Much." thing...BUT - I have come across something really great that I wanted to share. A dear friend of mine actually told me about it and I've started taking it.

Here's how it goes: you can get it in granule form, or as a capsule. I got the granules. You start by taking only a few, and work your way up to a teaspoon. At first I didn't think the taste was that bad, but now that I'm up to a 1/2 teaspoon it's not quite as tasty. Anyway, it's supposed to be full of anti-oxidants, help with allergies and give you energy. So far, so good! I think it helped clear up my 2nd sinus infection of the season (that, and my neti-pot).

I highly recommend it!


*Just a sidenote: don't take it at night. It really is packed with B12 and will keep you up.

Chicken

I can't believe I haven't written on here in 2 weeks! That's ridiculous. Maybe it's because I have fallen off the wagon and am not as gung-ho as I was in August....this is tough. And, this is expensive.

As I was saying to my dear friend Liz, it's no wonder that people become vegetarians when they want to be healthier - organic meat is soooooooo flippin' expensive! I got salmon last week that was "wild caught" (as opposed to farm raised, where they are fed and injected with hormones). I have also not been able to go to the veggie stand I normally go to because it's not open when I'm done with work. Excuses, excuses....I know. This is just proving to be much more difficult than I originally thought. I think I need to read another book about it. Food Rules really got me going in the right direction, so I suspect it might be time to watch Food, Inc. This movie looks really disturbing, but perhaps that's what it will take to make a more lasting change...?

Grass-fed Beef

I mentioned Mountain Run Farm a few posts ago. Apparently they sell their ground beef at Health Nut Nutrition for the same price that it's sold on the farm! Last I checked it was $5.20/lb. Not too shabby at all! Laura's Lean Beef is $4.99/lb and is not locally "grown" nor is it necessarily grass-fed. I'm thrilled about this!! I plan on stopping in there sometime this week. If you're in Lynchburg, you should check it out too!

Almond Milk

Almond milk is really gross. I tried it in my cereal, and in my coffee. It's disgusting no matter what you do to it. Yuck. For someone with a soy allergy, I feel stuck as far as milk goes. I don't drink a lot of it, and I have organic coffee creamer (yum!) Any suggestions for alternatives?

I went to the grocery store today and saw that the organic, free-range chicken was $7 a pound!! Holy cow. The regular Tyson's was $1.99/pound. Insane. I didn't realize there would be that large of a price difference! As a result, I didn't get any chicken...but am hoping to check Mountain Run Farm out in the near future because I believe it's cheaper there.

This week I'm trying a zucchini bake. Any other recipe suggestions, especially with zucchini, are welcome!

p.s. We found out what happens if you eat really well for a long time and then go to Biscuitville in Lynchburg, VA for lunch. Not pretty.

Mr. Goodies

This post is simply to state that Mr. Goodies is ruining things for me. This new discovery is disastrious. Their ice cream is not only delicious, but also very, very inexpensive. True Confession: I have been 4 times in the past week and have plans to go again tonight with my sister and her husband. Like I said...it's bad.

I'm hoping to speak to someone there so that they can confirm that this is all natural and sugar free so that I can continue guilt free....wish me luck.

Snack Time!

Snacks are something I really struggle with. They are the thorn in my side. Breakfast, it's easy to eat something light (usually fruit) and if I pack a healthy lunch, I have no choice but to eat it once I get to work. Dinners have always been on the healthier side with salads and veggies...but snacks are my weakness. Specifically - salt & vinegar chips. I feel like they are a thrill ride, the flavor is so intense and I love it. Anyway, I'm learning that if I pass them in the grocery store, they aren't at home (genius, I know) and therefore, I don't eat them!

Anyway, I'm proud to say that today I got desperate enough to actually snack on celery and carrots. They have been in the fridge for about a week or two. What makes this particularly monumental for me is that Andrew, that foul tempter, brought a bag of salt and vinegar chips home...into my house...and is currently eating them in front of me. They're "all natural" but are still potato chips. The surprising part is that I really like these little green and orange sticks more than I thought I would. I'm hoping I can keep this up!