Mind Over Blather: No Junk Here

I am far from the typical consumer, I think. We're talking groceries here. I don't shop for anything else unless it's absolutely necessary.

You know, when you're standing there in line and there's nothing to do but wait, you can't help but see what other people are buying, especially if they're unloading the stuff onto the conveyor belt thingy. This is how I know I'm not the typical consumer. And I'm sure that Kraft, et al. are very happy that I am not.

To give you some idea, I will list what's currently stocked in my kitchen. Maybe I'm not as unusual as I think. Maybe I am. You decide.

Pantry contents:

In the freezer:

In the fridge:
Veggie drawer:

Fruit drawer:

On the door:

On the shelves or other drawers:

On the counter:

a bowl with bananas, mangoes, avocados (I call them green butter - yum!)
I don't keep much food in stock. I've always gone on a buy-as-needed basis.

You'll note there's no sugar on that list. I ran out of coffee and sugar and haven't replaced either. The only time I use sugar is in coffee. Next time I buy coffee, I'll get a small bag of sugar. I really should have some sugar around. There is nothing better for minor burns. Yep. Plain white refined sugar. Immediately run cold water on the burn and cake the sugar straight onto the wet, burned area. It'll be as good as new in no time. I've done it many a time.

You'll also note that I don't keep many processed foods or snack foods around - no cookies, ice cream, chips, what have you. I've never been in the habit of or have any desire to eat those types of foods. No soft drinks or fruit juices either. I drink water, maté or milk - and alcohol when I'm in the mood, but I haven't been for quite some time. I used to indulge in gallons of cold S. Pellegrino, a naturally carbonated mineral water, but for now I'm strictly on tap water. Dallas water is really very drinkable. One of the best in the country.

You won't find any type of bread in the kitchen unless I'm having people over. Just because I don't touch the stuff doesn't mean my guests should forgo their bread.

Another thing that's missing here is any kind of bottled salad dressing. The only salad dressing I will use and was raised on is a simple one of olive oil, white vinegar and salt - the very basic vinaigrette. If you haven't made a tossed salad with this dressing, you should try it. It's the most healthful and doesn't overpower the salad itself. Here's the recipe.

Basic Tossed Salad

Ingredients:

Romaine or any type of lettuce. I used to look down my nose on iceberg lettuce until I learned that it too has some interesting healthful properties. I can't recall what they are, but I know I heard something, somewhere and it stuck in my head - just not the details.
Tomatoes (not required if you're one of those misguided souls who doesn't like them)
Yellow onion - it can be white or red, but I use yellow for its excellent healthful properties. Yes, the lowly yellow onion. God made sure peasants can be healthy too.
Any other veggie you want but it's not at all necessary. This three-ingredient tossed salad is a perfect accompaniment to any meal. Other veggies can include carrots, celery, cucumber, green or red bell pepper, avocado (I always put one in there when one's around)
Olive oil. This should be part of your diet - on a daily basis. My neighbor never uses it. She had to have her gall bladder removed after much pain and suffering. She learned that eating just a tablespoon of olive oil a day would have prevented all that. I didn't know this, but I do know olive oil is great for overall health.
White vinegar. Just plain ole white vinegar. Not any other fancy kind.
Salt.

Putting it together:

Wash and dry lettuce and tomatoes
Cut lettuce into bite-sized pieces. I remember once telling this to an adorable 5-year old boy who wanted to help me, so I put him to work. He was tearing it, not using a knife. Anyway, when I explained to him that it should be bite-sized, he proceeded to pick up the lettuce leaf and acted like he was going to take a bite out of it. That's quite a sense of humor for a little tyke. His mischievous grin told me he knew exactly what he was doing. Lots of stories about that little one... OK. Add the cut lettuce to the salad bowl.
Tomatophobes may skip this one. Before slicing up the tomatoes, try this trick. Cut the tomato(es) in half, horizontally, then squeeeeeze it (I like that commercial) gently, like you're seeding it, shaking the innards into the bowl. This really incorporates the dressing and veggies. I'd noticed that after the salad was all eaten, the remaining dressing at the bottom of the bowl was very tasty and reddish from the tomato juice. So, instead of letting it happen naturally over time, I speed up the process by squeezing the tomato juices into the bowl right at first. Always thinking...
Slice up the tomato halves and add to the bowl.
Thinly slice the onion. Not the whole thing - enough to have onion in there, but not have an overly strong onion taste. It's up to you. Add them to the bowl.
Lightly pour some white vinegar over all of it. You don't want too much or it will overpower everything.
Generously season with salt. This is important. Don't be stingy with the salt - unless you're on a restricted diet.
Toss a bit to dissolve the salt in the vinegar and tomato juice. Salt won't dissolve in oil.
Pour the olive oil over it. You need to add just enough to coat every piece in the bowl. You don't want it dripping in oil, but you don't want it dry either.
Toss with a fork and spoon. Keep tossing. And keep tossing.
Taste. You may need to add more salt, vinegar or oil. It should have just a slight tang from the vinegar but not be too acidic. It will be a bit tasteless if there's not enough oil. Add anything that seems missing - but in small amounts. You can always add more, you can't take it out once it's in there.
Toss again. Taste. Hopefully you will get it just right before it's all gone... There is a bit of an art to getting the optimal quantities of each. I have the touch. My aunt and myself make the best salad in the family. Our talents are highly valued as we will inevitably be called into the kitchen when it's time to add the dressing.
Serve with the meal.

In Argentina we eat our salad with the main course. It is never served beforehand. Eating salad as the first course of a meal totally deprives you of the benefits of all that fiber nicely pushing the rest of the food through your system.

Another thing about this simple salad dressing is you will never tire of it. It's just not possible because it isn't a flavor or style. It simply brings the salad ingredients wonderfully together.

OK. Back to the contents of my kitchen. I have nothing to hide. Really, I don't! I am proud of my eating habits and I'm sure this is why I'm so healthy, physically (my mental health is on life support). What we eat on a daily basis has more effect on our health than anything else, except maybe genetics. I hope you all are taking care of the only body you have.

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Archived Comments

AJW308 ~

I believe that the human body wants to be healthy, and if given the proper nutrition and not loaded down with having to process lots of unnatural stuff, will be suprisingly healthy.

I do like your tip on squeezing the tomatoes and the logic behind where to place the fiber in the que does make lots of sense.

Aug 07, 2007 16:55

Taylor ~

The design of the human body is unbelievably sophisticated, yet so elegant. It is constantly attempting to balance itself. And as you say, given the basic materials, it will keep doing that. It is amazingly resilient. But, when, for whatever reasons, it can no longer balance itself, illness occurs. And then look out, when something as sophisticated gets out of balance, it is very hard to get it back into balance.

I have always been fascinated by the fact that we inhabit a body that we don't even understand very well. It goes about doing its marvelous and mysterious things without any conscious input from us. That does blow my mind a bit.

This sign I saw on an gastroenterologists desk may explain it somewhat:
To eat is human. To digest, divine.

That's just great.

Aug 07, 2007 21:41

Res Ipsa ~

Taylor,

You and Mrs. Ipsa are kindred spirits in the food department.

Aug 07, 2007 22:27

WaterBoy ~

Taylor: "I used to look down my nose on iceberg lettuce until I learned that it too has some interesting healthful properties. I can't recall what they are, but I know I heard something, somewhere and it stuck in my head - just not the details."

Don't know if this is what you heard or not, but iceberg lettuce is lower in vitamin K than most other leafy greens. Vitamin K is used for blood coagulation (clotting); it can lessen the effectiveness of blood thinners like Warfarin, which can lead to blood clots in those taking such.

I have to regulate the amount of vitamin K I take in, so I eat iceberg lettuce more than other greens like spinach and kale. Thankfully, I can also balance it with alcohol, which magnifies the thinning effect. Terrible that I'm forced to have wine with dinner if there's salad involved.

Or have a salad and a shot o' scotch...

Aug 08, 2007 00:19

Billy D ~

My wife is my emergency brake. I have been admonished for my penchant for garbage, and will be again. I do try, but it does always end with a breakdown, a trip to a hardware store turning into a stop for a banana split, that sort of thing.
And scotch is just a magnificent creation. Three fingers on ice...oh yeah baby.

Aug 08, 2007 00:55

Jamie R ~

My wife is my emergency brake.

I was wondering how you were going to start your first sentence on this one Billy.

Aug 08, 2007 01:05

Taylor ~

Sorry to hear you're on medication, WaterBoy, but it sounds as if you're making the best of it.

Saying iceberg lettuce is lower in vitamin K doesn't speak well for its already bad reputation for having little nutritional value. This works out well for your condition, though.

I believe everything has some value if only by virtue of its uniqueness. That uniqueness means a different biology. A different biology means different qualities/chemicals/nutrients. It's like everything is a unique package of chemicals. This is why the old advice to eat a variety of foods is very good advice. No one thing packs all the nutrients/chemicals our bodies need for optimal health.

Aug 08, 2007 01:13

Taylor ~

Studies indicate that married people are healthier and live longer than those who live alone. Billy D, you are a good example of part of the reason for this. Having someone around to nag you isn't always a bad thing... And there's always us online naggers to contend with. You can't escape the truth, try as you might.

But eating/drinking habits are very hard to change. Eating is a fundamental function. Who wants to bother with constantly analyzing what we're putting in our mouths? Unfortunately, in this modern age of fast foods, preprocessed foods, convenience foods and the abundance of food, it's too easy to fall into very bad eating habits. Regardless of social/cultural food/eating/exercise trends, the body's needs never change.

And scotch is just a magnificent creation.

You'll get no argument from me on that one.

Aug 08, 2007 01:37

WaterBoy ~

No big deal, just something to which I've had to adjust. But learning about vitamin K interaction with the drug has taught me more about the different types of greens (and other foods) than I ever knew before.

Billy D: "Three fingers on ice..."

Now, why would you ruin a perfectly good drink like that?

Aug 08, 2007 01:42

Taylor ~

Res, I take it you, yourself, do not fall into the kindred spirit category...

I would not impose my eating habits on my husband, but I haven't met a man who hasn't loved my cooking, so I doubt I'd get too much resistance.

Aug 08, 2007 02:08

Spacebunny ~

We eat pretty healthy and don't keep a lot of junk in the house. I know what you mean about looking in other people's carts while waiting in line! Mine usually has loads of fresh veggies and fruits (white peaches are in season - yuuuuuummmmy). We don't use much sugar either except around the holidays when I'm baking. Also the habit of where we live is for people to shop everyday since the pantries and fridges are quite small. This wasn't much of an adjust for me because I was already in the habit of buying food the day I was going to make it (how do I know what I'll be in the mood for tomorrow?!), the kids eat almost no processed food and when we visit the states it's funny when they are visiting friends or family and those people try to make them "kid friendly" food for lunch like Kraft Mac & Cheese or something and they won't touch it. It's no good taking them to McD's either although they are coming around to fries (next to Peeps my favorite guilty pleasure).

As an alternative to your vinagrette you should try substituting lemon juice for the vinegar adding just a little pepper. It's particularly yummy on a really buttery type of lettuce that they have here.

Aug 08, 2007 07:24

Taylor ~

SB, I have no doubt that you'd be health conscious with your children's diet and your own. As a wife and mother, you'd almost be negligent not to be. The little ones don't know what's good for them. They have to be taught, like everything else.

Those good eating habits will stay with them throughout their lives, not to mention the health that results from it. I can't imagine being a mother and not giving my children the healthiest diet possible.

Yes, at times I will substitute lemon for vinegar and add pepper. It depends on the contents of the salad fixins.

My next recipe will be for Caesar salad dressing which uses both lemon and vinegar, and pepper, even the dreaded raw egg! But it is very easy to make in the blender and so good. I make a complete meal of it with sauteed chicken tenders. And I will give exact measurements. I'm looking over how I give out these recipes and I'm seeing my mother - put in some of this but not too much and not too little.... If I were to write a book of recipes, people would hit me over the head with it.

The best french fries I've ever eaten was in Belgium. I was very young, but still remember getting a big paper cone full of hot fries and eating them with mayonnaise! You bought them right on the street. I wonder if they still do that.

Aug 08, 2007 08:18

Taylor ~

Oh, and what you said about not keeping too much junk food around the house is key. If you don't have it, you won't eat it. That goes for both kids and adults. It's really that simple. That doesn't mean you can't have plenty of healthy or homemade foods for the munchkins to munch on.

Aug 08, 2007 08:35

Spacebunny ~

I wonder if they still do that.

Yes, yes they do. And in Holland that is extrememly popular as well! It's a good thing I don't live there....

I'd be interested in your cesear dressing. I love cesear salads and while I prefer (and make - aren't homeade dressings soooo much better than anything you can buy?) the creamier versions of the dressing I like to try different kinds.

As to our families diet. It's far from perfect and we have treats for the kids after meals (small ones, at the moment they are in a "small peice of dark chocolate and spoonful of peanut butter" phase or making homeade ice cream), but honestly it takes me less time to give them fresh fruit, meat and cheese for lunch than it would to make Mac and Cheese or some such thing for them. Cooking can be elaborate and time consuming, but it doesn't have to be. That's the mistake that all of those using the so called prepared foods are making.

Aug 08, 2007 12:01

Taylor ~

It's good to know that some things don't change.

This Caesar is quite creamy. You pour the oil very slowly into the whirling blender and this creates an emulsification just as if you were making mayonnaise. I'll post it later. I think you'll like this version if you like Caesar. I got the recipe from a real chef. It's the one he uses at the country club.

Oh, Spacebunny, I don't imagine it's easy always providing healthy meals for a family. You can make it easier on yourself if you find quick, easy AND healthful recipes. And think ahead. You know, like if you're making spaghetti sauce, make a bunch and freeze the rest. You have to use your brain if you want to stay on top of everything. But, there just is no substitute for home cooking - especially if you have a family. And I'm sure you do a great job of it.

Aug 08, 2007 13:44

WaterBoy ~

Taylor: "The best french fries I've ever eaten was in Belgium. I was very young, but still remember getting a big paper cone full of hot fries and eating them with mayonnaise!"

Mmmmm...frites met mayo....my Achilles heel...

Aug 08, 2007 17:25

Res Ipsa ~

Taylor,

I share my wifes food tastes. I also have a bad habit of eating some junk and not exercising daily. On the whole I enjoy meats more than she does, while she has a taste for all forms of dairy fat. One of these days I'd like to have a ménage à trois with you and Space Bunny, sort of a Iron Chef of the Blogs Sphere.

Aug 08, 2007 23:32

Billy D ~

???
French fries with mayo? How is it a New Englander like myself hasn't heard of this? Now, of course, I have no choice but to try it.

And you're right about not keeping it in the house. We don't, as I don't want my kids developing bad habits like I did. It's kind of funny, as my sister keeps her house loaded with garbage food, and she's "amazed" when mine don't want it.

Aug 08, 2007 23:03

Taylor ~

Hey, SB, just back and catching up on comments here and I read my last comment to you at 7:49. Boy, that one seems like I'm giving YOU advice. That's not at all how I intended it. I am in NO position to be giving advice to a wife and mother. None of those yous in there are directed at you, except the last one.

Sometimes the written word comes off very different than intended, especially when one is sloppy with grammar and all that crap. :)

Aug 09, 2007 01:09

Taylor ~

Now, of course, I have no choice but to try it.

Uh oh.

I, Taylor Blogger, am only responsible for the calories which I, myself, consume. The calories consumed, subsequent weight gain and broken scales which may occur to anyone who has read this blog are not my responsibility.

There. I'm covered. :)

Aug 09, 2007 01:22

Taylor ~

One of these days I'd like to have a ménage à trois with you and Space Bunny, sort of a Iron Chef of the Blogs Sphere.

Now ResBaby. I am strictly an amateur. There's no way I would go up against a paid professional, as you've been in the past.

I've been around a French Master chef and several others whose lives have been dedicated to cooking. Oh my goodness. Their sauces would make a piece of cardboard taste good. Their brioche is to die for and you'll gain three pounds just by looking at it. I could go on and on, so would my waistline if that kind of food was around me all the time...

When it comes to the real art of cooking, I am the janitor in the museum.

Aug 09, 2007 02:07

Taylor ~

WaterBoy, I remember you writing about being in Belgium and figured you'd be familiar with those scrumptious fries.

Aug 09, 2007 02:32

WaterBoy ~

Just found this, and remembered that other Belgian delicacy -- mussels!

Time for another overseas visit, it seems...

Aug 09, 2007 03:39

Taylor ~

That's exactly how my aunt told me they make Belgian fries. She lived there for years. And the type of potato makes a difference. My grandmother would make gnocchi and she'd get very frustrated with the potatoes here and call them crap. I think they were too starchy.

What a coincidence with that mayo recipe. She pretty much described the process of emulsification that I was going to describe for the Caesar dressing.

Those mussels... Oh, I so love fresh sea food.

Thanks a lot, WaterBoy! Now I'm hungry and no stinkin' rye crackers and cheese is going to satisfy it!

Aug 09, 2007 03:58

Taylor ~

See, if I had a REAL spaceship, I could zip over to Belgium, pig out on fries, mayo and mussels, then zip right back.

That would be the life, no?

Aug 09, 2007 04:19

WaterBoy ~

You said it, sister.

Hey! So THAT'S why all those Belgian Air Force pilots have reported so many UFO sightings over the years...people with strange hankerin's in the middle of the night... :lol:

Aug 09, 2007 06:23

Spacebunny ~

Taylor, first of all it didn't sound at all like you were giving advice or getting preachy to me and even if you were, so what? Just because you aren't married with kids doesn't mean that you can't give advice (and your statement was dead on so there you go).

Back to the fries - in Belgium and in Holland they have special frite sauce that while we would call mayo it is not quite the same. My friend's mother brings it to her here and when we have girls night she makes fries and we eat them with the frite sauce - there's definitely a difference, but mayo works just as well. Type of potatoes definitely make a difference in cooking not just french fries, but most dishes so it's geat you can get so many varieties in the stores now. Where I am they say on the packages or bins what the potatoes are best used for.

Aug 09, 2007 07:17

Taylor ~

SB, it's just not my style to tell others what to do. Now, telling someone where to go is another story...

OK, obviously I have no problem getting preachy about eating healthy. Oh well. That's the way it is. Take it or leave it.

And you all know I do it because I care and do believe I have some idea of what I'm talking about. Not because I have any degrees or crap like that, but because most of it is logical. Societal trends have strayed so far from what's logical, that people need to be reminded.

Aug 09, 2007 15:14

Taylor ~

I just saw a news story about peanut butter. It reminded me of something.

On occasion I will eat a few spoonfuls of peanut butter. It's handy when I'm too busy to prepare a meal but need to throw a log on the fire... The point is, I had no idea that peanut butter would contain hydrogenated oil. That stuff is bad, bad. It's like eating plastic. Well, after reading the label, they sure do contain that crap.

The moral of this comment is it would be a good idea if you read the label of your peanut butter and switch if yours contains that man-made molecular monstrosity.

I buy natural peanut butter. It contains no hydrogenated oil and it's right there with the other brands in the normal grocery store.

You'll notice how it has a layer of oil on the top, separated from the solids. That's not a problem at all. You stir it up before you spoon it out. No big deal.

Aug 09, 2007 17:08

AJW308 ~

I would not impose my eating habits on my husband...

Put food in front of a man and he'll eat it.

I think the reasons most guys eat crap is that it's easy and plentiful.

As for taste, healthy food can be just as tasty and yummy (yea, they're not manly words, but they do fit) as processed food products.

A healthy food that surprised me was grilled asparagus. Put a little butter on them before you grill them and I've never enjoyed asparagus so much (and it satisfies a mans need to burn food over an open fire before eating it).

Aug 09, 2007 17:30

Taylor ~

It's great to have the men take over on the grill. I get to sit back and sip on a glass of wine and just watch.

There's no reason why eating smart and healthy should be considered some kind of sacrifice.

I love asparagus in any way, shape or form and will even happily eat it cold, straight out of the can. But yes, grilled veggies are so good. Try thick slices of grilled portobella mushroom sometime. They're almost like meat.

I have kabob skewers where I'll put different pieces of meats, like lamb, beef and chicken and veggies, like peppers, onions, mushrooms, eggplant, tomatoes, jalapenos - all together on skewers then grilled. There's some bacon in the mix as well. Oh, that's some good stuff.

Aug 09, 2007 18:07

Roci ~

i believe this post falls into the TMI category, but not in a bad way.

Aug 09, 2007 18:53

Taylor ~

Ha. It is rather long-winded. I think it's interesting what people will stock in their kitchens. And we're all pretty different there. We have to be because somebody sure is buying all that stuff I never do.

I often will take care of my neighbor's cat while they're away. They're like second family so I have no problem going over there and getting some milk out of their fridge if I've run out and it's really late or I'm too lazy to make a trip to the store. Anyway, I notice they buy completely different foods than I do.

It just struck me what a variety of food we have available - and that about 80% of it is junk.

Aug 09, 2007 19:20

Res Ipsa ~

Taylor,

Try Adams peanut butter. My skills in the kitchen are above average but I bet yours are as well. Still I think the cook off would be fun.

Aug 09, 2007 22:19

WaterBoy ~

Tasting good food? I would volunteer for that...

Aug 10, 2007 16:44

Taylor ~

I've never heard of Adams, but will keep a lookout for it.

Who would judge?

Aug 10, 2007 11:50

Taylor ~

As long as there are no anchovy dishes...

Aug 11, 2007 02:47

Susan ~

To keep the oil from staying at the top of the Pbutter jar, just store jar upside down in a dish. Stays smoother that way.
You refrigerate your tomatoes!?!?!? Oh man, that is just sooo wrong. It does funky stuff to them when you do that. Putting them in a bowl on the counter keeps the "just picked" flavor and texture in them.
Don't put your cooking skills down Taylor. From what I have seen at various times on your blog, you have great technique and skill. I would eat at your table anytime.

Aug 11, 2007 17:37

Taylor ~

Thanks for the tips, Susan. It sounds like you really know your way around the kitchen.

Putting the peanut butter jar upside-down - that's a good idea.

I have heard about not refrigerating tomatoes. I do it out of habit. Those tomatoes on the vine stay pretty tasty, but I'll try to remember.

You can't beat a nice, fat, freshly plucked, deep red, juicy tomato like my aunt brings from her garden in the country.

I don't refrigerate tropical fruit because they hate that and will let you know it.

From what I have seen at various times on your blog, you have great technique and skill. I would eat at your table anytime

Thank you, Susan.

I am light years from being a domestic diva. Whatever skills I may have, have come about from doing. I'm not one to watch Martha Stewart type show and don't have any books on the subject. Being single with no family, I've probably put in many less hours in the kitchen than most housewives.

My posts in this area are mostly for entertainment purposes and sharing the little that I think I know...

Aug 11, 2007 22:58

Susan ~

Taylor, 30yrs of marriage combined with coming from a family filled with great cooks helps. Plus I am pretty sure most jr/sr high school girls don't have to take home ec. like I did at their age. Also on the subject of Pbutter again, check your store to see if they have a peanut butter grinder machine thingy. Even though I buy the Adams brand, we also have that machine. TOTALLY addictive stuff when you grind yourself. I am beginning to think that the artificial stuff is to keep the oil from appearing. Most people don't like the mess.
Sorry for the long comment. You just happened to be talking about one of my areas of expertise and happiness.
Have a great rest of the weekend Taylor. Hope the weather is nice for you.

Aug 12, 2007 04:56

Mind Over Blather

Monday, August 6, 2007

No Junk Here

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