Green inside and out

So I have finally taken the time to begin making several important life style changes for me and my family. I started by ordering all "GREEN" products from Alice.com on Thursday. I was so excited. To know that everything I will be using is safe for the environment and safe for me to use in my home. I have in the last few years developed severe allergies to certain foods and products. I can't use anything with bleach (chlorine) in it. I hurt in my chest and burn in my throat all day even when I wear a mask. So I haven't used bleach products in a few years. Anyway. I decided the other day when I was placing my order on Alice.com that I would just "DO IT" I would just make the jump even though I knew it would cost more I was ready and would just change our budget to fit our new lifestyle. I was tired of making excuses. After I bought all that stuff, I went to the commissary the next day and realized they have a large portion of if available there. I was so excited and its a little cheaper at the commissary. So I will still have to use Alice for some things like storage bags and stuff. (they didn't have that at the commissary.) I am excited to know that my commissary is going green too.

WHOLE FOODS MARKET!!
OMG!! I have been dying to go to this store for a long time. Finally on Saturday we went. Tito took me because its in Metairie, LA and that's about an hour and 15 minutes from us. I was so overwhelmed when we walked into the store. I should have went with a plan but I didn't. Spent a whole lot of money but got enough groceries to last the rest of the month. I was not that impressed with their local produce section. They didn't have much so I decided that I would use our local farmers market for my produce. Their meats there where awesome looking. I can't wait to try them and see if there is a difference. Tito and I fell in love with all the different cheeses and enjoyed being able to taste them before we bought them. I was very excited to find local milk that was hormone and antibiotic free!! We also found eggs that are farm raised. they were more expensive but I told Tito I wanted to buy eggs that you just walked out to the hen house and got. So we chose the vital farms brand. they say organic. we will see. the reason I say this is I have tried the cage free eggs before but they were fed a soy diet and I had an allergic reaction to them. So we only bought a small container of them to see how I do. The strawberries I chose from there were organic, and oh my goodness. You can really taste the difference. I was amazed! I think next year I may try and grow my own. It took me a little bit to realize that when they used the word "Conventional" in the store that that meant it was just like what was in a regular grocery store. We bought a loaf of bread that was wonderful (but I think I still want to try and make my own). I finally found cashew butter and it was awesome. All natural too. No added sugar:O) It actually tasted very similar to peanut butter.
So when we got home, I had to put the chicken into smaller packaging and was bracing myself for the icky chicken smell. I have over the years developed an aversion to chicken because it smells horrible and is slimy when you take it out of the pack. Well when I opened this hormone and antibiotic, cage free chicken breast package...there was no smell and it wasn't slimy!! I was in shock!! I can't wait to cook with this chicken no more gagging!! Yay!!

After we went to the store I talked with Tito about going green. I told him I really wanted to try and recycle stuff and be more earth friendly. He agreed. I told him it makes no sense to only have do this. If we are going to do it, then we need to put our best foot forward. I later asked my mom if she thought I was nuts. She said no, she has always wanted to make the switch but it was just too expensive. So see I get it honest!! So I will be driving to NOLA twice a month for some organic meats, unless I find some place closer!!

Finally what started all of this.
Well my sister in laws are very earth conscious and I have always admired them for that. But what really set it off was I watched FOOD INC. It just really touched me and I knew that it was time. It makes since to me that we pump our food full of antibiotics and then we eat it and wonder why we have diseases that the antibiotics can't fight. I have always been a person that did not like to take a lot of meds. So why would I eat foods that are full of meds and chemicals.

Ok so maybe this whole post was a soap box. But I don't care!! I am so excited about the changes we are making in our lives. and we are really going to try and start eating seasonally too. Whew. that will be a chore for me..lol guess I better learn how to fix them greens, but in a healthier way!!:O)



So till I post some new healthy recipes remember, REUSe, REDUCE, RECYCLE!!