Is anything "Real Simple"?

By that, I mean the magazine. I subscribe, as part of a fundraiser for the middle school. As a rule, I avoid all fundraisers for unnecessary items (wrapping paper, candy, popcorn etc.) but I do like to read so I usually sign up for two magazines during that event. Real Simple was one choice and Frommer's Budget Travel as my second. Now, finding ways to green your child's school fundraiser is a WHOLE different post. The paper, the plastic, the unnecessary junk! I will tackle this issue at the beginning of next school year, I need the summer off.

So, I finally got around to reading the June issue of Real Simple. Not that I usually find much to be very simple about the magazine. Most of the solutions require buying lots of "stuff", the clothing is outrageously priced and the meals a little complicated and surely not very local. So, why do I read it? There can be helpful hints, some recipes I might tackle, but mostly because I really do desire the zen of a well organized life. However, I am rethinking my magazine selections for next year. Budget Travel will stay, thank you very much. Real Simple... might just have to go.

This month's letter from the editor? The excitement over getting a dumpster for the editor to clean her garage and basement in a "scorched-earth" plan. Yep. Throwing whatever she could from her kitchen remodel, along with junk from the garage and basement, right into the dumpster. Not a single mention of Craigslist, Freecycle or a garage sale either. And her exact word to describe the feeling? "Thrilling." There was one short remark about trying to recycle what they could from the kitchen, but if you need a dumpster to clean a garage and basement... That doesn't seem very simple to me. Besides, I had always had this picture in my mind of the editors at Real Simple having a pretty darn organized and well kept basement with all the product freebies I am sure they receive and all.... Maybe the magazine could be renamed "Taking the Easy Way Out"?

Have I just outgrown the magazine? Isn't living lighter supposed to be Real Simple? Or, maybe appreciating the chaos, simplicity and zen of my own life is better than the magazine? Either way, I could use some suggestions for the new school year's fundraiser. Real Simple has become Real Recycled!

Bookworm Challenge - AVM Part 2

Chapter 6: The Birds and the Bees: Favorite Line - "These are the big lugs so famously dumb, they can drown by looking up into the rain" - while this is not the funniest line in the chapter (can-Jo, turkey sex and the suggestion of a turkey reproduction specialist as a career path got the most gut-busters) it is the most thought provoking. Genes necessary to survival in the wild being bred out of animals in captivity for the sake of pure convenience is just about as disturbing as cloned sheep. I am certain that I don't want to be eating animals so genetically modified they couldn't even reproduce. So, what did I do? We have been buying as much local, pasture raised meat as possible, but hadn't even put a thought towards the big turkey day looming in November. As part of our CSA we can pre-order a free range, certified organic turkey to be delivered for the holidays. Now, there, that was easy! And, now I can threaten my boys every time they slack on the homework that if they don't buckle down, they might just end up a Turkey Wrangler!

Chapter 7: Gratitude: Favorite Line - "Nobody fell in the creek, nobody went hungry and nobody's husband refused to dance" - this hit a note with me because I am forever planning a birthday, bbq, holiday party etc. and run around stressed out that the food isn't right, the decorations shabby or the kids not having enough fun. As I look back, I am pretty sure I am the only one not having any fun. So, this summer I plan to take it easy, cook what's local and if the gaggle of 11-13 year olds hanging out in the backyard don't like nitrate-free, organic turkey dogs, well, I am sure they can eat a cookie and be just fine...

Chapter 8: Growing Trust: Favorite Line - "Penny-pinching is an accepted defense for toxic food habits, when frugality so rarely rules other consumer domains" - Oh, the part about school lunches is just so true. Here in the 'burbs we demand quality education, new computers, athletic fields and science labs. But, we can't demand a higher quality lunch and pay 50 cents more for it? So, over the summer I plan to write a series of letters to the school district trying to assist them in finding better options - in my opinion, my kids deserve better than a "taco hot-pocket"!

Chapter 9: Six Impossible Things to Do Before Breakfast: Favorite Line: "In fact, June Cleaver has left the premises" yes, she ha.s ladies and gentleman, yes she has. Working mothers on the run between jobs, baseball games, baseball practices, band concerts and track meets (we had all of those this week alone!), housekeeping, gardening and lastly - cooking. Many of the things in this chapter, such as doubling up on a good recipe on the weekend, are complete common sense, but are the things I had forgotten over time. It was just as easy to crack open a frozen Costco lasagna, shove it in the oven and go back to my day. Now, I don't see myself as the type to make my own cheese (let's face it, Barbara is pretty ambitious!), but I certainly see myself as the type to make a double batch of homemade muffins that are great for breakfast and snacks. As a matter of fact, I did this last night and I ate one this morning. Yum.

Chapter 10: Eating Neighborly: Favorite Line: "We could hear the crash of corporate collapse with every bite". Oh, I hope so, I hope so. We all know CAFOs are inherently wrong, but so is the marketing, advertising and labeling of just about every single food inside of a gigantic chain store... Meats proclaim to be all natural, free range, antibiotic free! Buy Me! Buy Me! What they are not telling you is how that animal lived, what they really ate and how much time they spent outdoors. So, all of our meats are now coming from within our own state, from farms where animals are cared for as an art form, eating grass and natural foods and are packaged and processed naturally. It's strange feeling to get meat wrapped in blank, white paper and bacon without a single label - these farmer's aren't worried about their marketing pitch - they are just selling you good, honest product. Farewell Tyson and Perdue, I can hear the crash of corporate collapse!

Bookworm Challenge - Book Review

Rather than an eloquently written, smart and knowledgeable book review, I am going to do this review of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for the Bookworm Challenge a little different. Hey, I live in the suburbs, remember? We totally find the easy way out... So, I am going chapter by chapter and giving you my favorite little quote that made me change the way I eat, shop, cook or live on this planet. Today is chapters 1-5 and tomorrow 6-10 and so on... you get the picture. Ready?

Chapter 1 - Called Home: Favorite line: "Potatoes have a plant part" and this is something I want my children to know too. Carrots have a feathery, leafy top. Peas come in a waxy, green pod. Cucumbers are really what you have before you get a pickle. So, what did I do? Planted some container gardens with beans, carrots and tomatoes along with some herbs.

Chapter 2 - Waiting for Asparagus: Favorite line: "making with care instead of buying on the cheap" and I want my family to eat more of what I made, with love, rather than what I bought pre-mixed, packaged and labeled at Costco. So, what did I do? Banned premade, store bought cookies from the house. Ouch. That is, until I made some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that are now a weekly event, when those boys roll off the bus at 3:15 and can grab a handful of cookies off the counter, I feel proud.

Chapter 3 - Springing Forward: Favorite line: "The Case of the Murdered Flavor was a contract killing" and I was one of the accomplices I think... See, I never thought about buying strawberries in November or broccoli in March. I thought I was doing a whiz-bang job by getting the kiddies to eat some veggies or fruit and even better, much of the time it was organic. Sure, it was organic, but from where? Straight from Mexico, Chile and Californian hot houses and it really didn't taste all that good, I was just going through the motions. So, what did I do? I decided a really good strawberry was worth waiting for and we are doing our best to buy what is in season, from the farmer's market or the U-Pick place. Granted, sometimes our fridge has been pretty bare this month, but berry season is in a few short weeks, so I am certain it will be full and happy once again.

Chapter 4 - Stalking the Vegetannual: Favorite line: Stalking the Vegetannual - enough said! It's kind of funny to picture everything connected in that way, but it is and thank goodness we have bees to make sure everything is healthy and pollinated. So, what did I do? Decided that real honey, from local bee keepers will be the next purchase at the farmers market and to use it as a sweetener in things like oatmeal and snacks. Let's keep those bee keepers in business, shall we? Those bees have a job to do and it's hard to work when you're homeless!

Chapter 5 - Molly Mooching: Favorite line: "I am not one to argue with wild mushroom hunters who claim the distinction of being still alive". This actually made me giggle because for years my parents have been finding morels on their property in northern Michigan and my sister and I keep thinking that their eyesight isn't so great and one day - gulp - that might not be a morel in the dinner dish. They claim they have a "book" and they're sure what they're picking is a morel and they too have the distinction of still being alive. So, what does this mean to me? It's about trying new things and being more adventurous with what is locally available to me. Vegetables that I might have avoided because they look strange, tasted strange or were just plain icky to me as a child, might be worth trying again. We are signing up for a CSA this year and plan to try everything. Even the chard. Really. At least one bite. No plugging my nose either.