what do you eat.

So my weight loss to date is become more noticeable. Well and I'm not wearing a bunch of baggy clothes to cover me up(it's too hot to). So wherever I go people ask. Whatttt are you doing?

I almost feel guilty, because I think I should be doing a LOT more than I am. . Well besides the diet changes &meds most people are on. I don't have a regular exercise program, like I should. & you know what I'm not perfect & I do "cheat" like once a week from the no gluten, no dairy, no red meat, plant diet. Most of the time my cheat  is for "pizza" it is the thing I miss the most. I gave up soda/pop earlier in the year & haven't missed it a bit. I miss, but can do with out the baking & cookies, desserts that go along with it.

My biggest ally in the plant based diet, is my CSA Farm. Those not familiar with a CSA; it is Community Supported Agriculture. Some may call it a share, membership, buying into a farm, % owner of the farm.
The nitty gritty of it;  I sign a contract in the fall, agree to pay $ XXX for my "full" share in the summer 2012 produce share. My (mennonite) farmers, have about 50 people who are shareholders in my town, so they bring it to our local farmers market & I go & pick up my share each Saturday. As a shareholder I reep the benefits of the bounty of the farm each week, but in turn, if their are any losses, we may share in them also.Like floods, or frost ruining a crop. None of that scary stuff has happened in the past. This is my 3rd year with this farm. Oh yeah the best part is the farmers produce almost everything organically, heirloom, and Non-GMO produce. A full share is enough for a family of 4, so my sister & I share our full share each week. They do offer 1/2 share & 1/4 share, but for us it works to split the full share.  Our farmers are super nice & have allowed my mom to work at the market.. in exchange for a 1/4 share .
For example last week, we got 4 heads of lettuce, 2 tomatoes, 2 garlics, 1 head of califlower, 1 qt of peas, and 2 squash.  the 1/4 shares got 1 head of lettuce, 1 tomato, 1 herb, 1 cauliflower, pint of peas & 1 squash.

The benefit this year has been a really warm spring, so we have produce about 4 weeks earlier than normal.  In the early season weeks 1-8 things vary each week but we get 1-3 types of lettuce a week, 2-3 herbs a week, scallions, asparagus, tea leaves, basil, parsley, garlic, garlic scapes, chard, spinach, we have received early random's each week like early tomatoes, cauliflower, zucchini, squash.beets, radishes, Soon we will get brocoli, cabbage, watermelon, cantelope, green beans, carrots, turnips, corn, peppers, eggplant, onions, tons of different types of tomatoes. towards the fall we get all different potatoes,  lettuces again. winter type squash,  pumpkins and apples. Apples are the only thing we get that grow on trees.   

I like that I get to know my farmers, we are always welcome to come & visit the farm. They also raise, pigs, chickens, rabbits & ducks. That are free roaming & eat off the land & not fed any antibiotics or hormones.  They sell those meats & eggs at the market.. Nothing fresher than farm raised.

I find our share a nice challenge to use everything up & try making new dishes with it each week. 

Some of my go to meals lately have been: fresh veggie omelet.. - breakfast lunch or dinner.
Roasted veggies & grilled chicken.     minestrone soup - or kitchen sink soup..
lettuce wrap sandwiches             chopped salads.            

I try to do a lot of cutting up & roasting when i get the produce on Satruday or Sunday when I have time & plan out what I am going to do with each item so it doesn't go bad. If it looks like I'm going to have a lot of something or extra, I share.  My homebound 80 yr old neighbor benefits when I have extra's.
This past week when we got our first batch of peas I made them up into babyfood for my nephew.

Hubs is not a huge "vegetable" fan. He likes corn & green beans.  yes folks that it. But he likes things like spaghetti, so I have started making my own "red sauce" just not when he is around. I throw lots of "extra's in & he eats it as long as it is RED . I can't make his chunky..but pureed up he says yum !

I'll try & post some recipes coming soon to highlight the weeks bounty.

So when people ask, how are you losing weight. I say.. well just eating better. I tell them to get out to the farmers market & get some fresh produce.