Tampering with the natural balance.....

I was watching Oprah about a year ago and saw Alicia Silverstone and the guy who wrote The Omnivores Dilemna, Michael Pollan and the founder of Chipotle.  It was really a life changing episode and I know that sounds so cliche but it's true.  Now to get on my newly found soapbox for a minute.  I will add this note, it's ALL about making choices that are right for you, just be educated about your choices. 

It all started around the movie Food, Inc. which is not just about animal cruelty and "harvesting" animals but also talks about this company, Monsanto, who basically bullies the small farmer. You may have tried their products a couple times, corn, soy, cotton and now alfalfa.  Nowadays, these crops are mostly all genetically-modified (GMO or GE for genetically engineered).  I don't want to write all about the issues with GMO and the risks but I will say this.  Monsanto owns Roundup and thier seeds are called Roundup Ready.  The seeds are genetically modified to inoculate the plants against a herbicide, um called Roundup.  In short, Roundup kills everything but the GMO plants.  So this corn, soy and now alfalfa can withstand a heavy duty herbicide and then is being fed to the animals you eventually eat, processed foods or straight into your body.  I actually prefer to stay away from soy but it's VERY hard.  The Supreme Court just lifted a nationwide ban on planting GE alfalfa seeds.  Anyhow, read more about it on http://www.npr.org/. (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122498255)

Alicia Silverstone, yes Cher in Clueless, wrote a book called The Kind Diet and it's about flirting with being a vegetartian, a vegan or a "super-hero."  She is very friendly about it, offers great tips, yummy gooey recipes, and says even if you are vegan one day a week you are making a HUGE difference.  I will write more about her book in a future post. 

Chipotle is another burrito take out place with one exception.  They are a growing chain that tries to buy all thier meat and veggies from local farmers and try to get as much of it as organic as possible.  They try to buy ingredients which are, "raised with respect for the animal, the farmer and the environment."  Makes you feel a little better about your 2lb. $6 dinner that parks you on the couch for the rest of the night. 

Day 3 Meals

• Breakfast:
• Banana
• Starbucks Chai Soy Latte
• Lunch:
• Baked pretzel
• Water
• Dinner:
• Gardein Mandarin Crispy Orange Chicken
• Taste:  YUMMY!!  Can't wait to try other "meat"
• Jasmine white rice
• I know, I know, I should switch to brown.  I'm working on my prefences there.  I'm not a big fan but baby steps, I mean I've only given up meat and animal products!!  :) 
• Green beans

Poor little lettucehead

OMG, I can't believe I forogt to mention last night's kale chips!  Copley and I LOVED these and now I know what to do with my weekly kale from my veggie pick-up!  It's so easy and so tasty.  Basically it is just a way to get salt into my mouth without eating it with a spoon.  Copley is my little vegetarian (by his choice, not mine) hunting dog.  This dog loves carrots, apples, green beans, cauliflower, brocolli and kale.  The side effects from eating a whole head of kale?  C got up at 4am badly needing to go #2 and I well, let's just say it was very sobering moment when I lifted the blankets to let him out.  They were right about your system clearing out with all the fiber.

Anyways, last night I baked these up and yum!!  Add enough salt to anything and yum!

Kale Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step One:  Cut kale into chip size pieces.  I cut off the stems and then cut the remaining leaf into 2 pieces.
Step Two:  Rinse and pat dry or use salad spinner.
Step Three:  Spray kale with olive oil and sprinkle on kosher salt.
Step Four:  Bake for 10 minutes or until crispy.  
Step Five:  Eat and light a candle :)

I strongly recommend buying an olive oil mister.  I have one from "Beyond the Olive" in Old Pasadena but I think you can grab one called Misto at most stores that sell kitchen tools.  Before I had this, when I "sprinkled" OO on my food, it ended up plopping a big pile on one portion and barely getting on the other pieces.

Here is my processed carb diet today.  I was at a conference and everywhere I looked, animal!!  I am trying to stay away from being vegan by just eating processed carbs but it's hard when at a conference.  Tomorrow I will try to get to stand before salads disappear. 

• Breakfast:
• Luna bar - Smores
• I read ingredients 3 times and no dairy or egg
• Taste:  a little dry but still yummy
• Lunch:
• Big baked pretzel with mustard
• I Googled it and they say vegan as long as no butter on top
• Taste:  Yum!
• Dinner:
• Tortilla chips and salsa

I am going to write about The Kind Diet, the book I am following and some other topics why on this challenge in upcoming posts.