Day 71 - What Have We Learned So Far?

Today is my last day focusing on the kitchen because I just can't take it anymore. So, I thought I'd get all Oprah on you and share some of My Favorite Things. I will also share some Things We've Learned So Far, so file this post under "educational". But before we dive in, I'll share a little exchange my husband and I had the other day after I came home from the grocery store bearing Hemp Seeds:

Him: Hemp seeds? Really?

Me: Yes. They're very good for you.

Him: What do you use them for?

Me: Stop interrogating me! I don't know yet, but they're very good for you.

Him: OK. Well, I guess if we're going to try this whole healthy eating thing, we might as well be baked.

Aaaaaaaaanyway, here we go.

My Favorite (Kitchen) Things
- I have already waxed poetic about my Vitamix. Love. They will have to pry it from my cold, rigor mortised hands when I'm dead.
- "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day" (making beet bread this week in honor of Valentine's Day)
- pizza peel & pizza stone - makes the bakin' of said bread easy peezy.
- spiralizer - easy way to turn veggies like sweet potatoes, zucchinis, etc. into noodle or pasta shapes. More veggies = healthier you. Bring it!
- agave nectar - super sweet like sugar, but less of an impact on your blood sugar. Great for weaning yourself off the sugah sugah.
- Oreos
- the usual mix of gadgets: garlic press, wooden spoons, scrapers, measuring cups & spoons, kitchen shears, yada yada. My rule for purging: if I haven't used it in 6 months, buh-bye. I am ruthless, I tell you!
- OXO containers
- glass storage bowls (that plastic stuff is so very iffy, and loaded with mad freaky chemicals. Even if it says BPA free, ask yourself - what are they replacing the BPA with? Go for the glass.) We have these and I love them.

A Few Things We've Learned Along the Way
- smoothie: avocado + broccoli + onion + spinach = revolting. Don't do that.
- reducing your consumption of animal products will NOT simplify your life at first. Apparently, first you suffer, THEN you reap the rewards. Such is life. It's bound to get easier once we get into a groove (or Marty becomes a chef, whichever comes first).
- Oreos are vegan (wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!). Oreos are not healthy (booooooooooooo....). No Oreos.
- baking soda and baking powder are not at all the same thing. Someday, I will tell you how I know this. Please do not ask me why I didn't know that in the first place.
- seaweed tastes exactly the way you think it would
- cutting back on caffeine can make you a little cranky. Bitch.

Next week, who knows what I'm tackling. I'm starting to see things magically falling into place, so this whole endeavor seems to be bearing fruit. YAY! Perhaps it's time to set up some (gasp!) routines? Being a freelancer leaves a lot of unstructured time that gets parceled out in odd ways. Can I get a shout out from the SAHM's and other folks who work from home? WAY harder than you'd think. Well, back to my sewing machine - I'm working on a VIBRANT pink peplum jacket to go over some costumes. It hurts my eyes.