Hi y'all! My mom is visiting this week, which has kind of thrown our normal schedule up in the air. From her comments and looks, I have a feeling she thinks I spend waaaaay too much time on the computer (she can't seem to understand that that's my job...but that's another story for another blog! ;-) ) so I'm trying to keep my internet time to a minimum.Anyway, my mom made 2 comments this week that I thought I'd share here:
1) "Cooking from scratch is good and all...but doesn't it take up a lot of your time?" - We have much to teach her, don't we?
2) "You sure eat well for someone who's on such a limited budget." - Yes...yes, we do.
Even though these conversations happened a few days apart, they are very much related. To me, the Paleo lifestyle can be "easy and expensive" or "a little harder but cheaper". If you have the money, you can enjoy some of the finer (and easier to cook) cuts of meat like steak or boneless chicken breast that you can quickly fry up for dinner or buy the prepackaged already-clean-and-prepared veggies in a bag.
On the other hand, the Paleo lifestyle is still very much reachable for those of us on a "limited income" as long as we're willing to work for it. I don't mind buying bone-in chicken (I get the bones to make broth - yum!) or having to wash and cut up heads of romaine for a salad. I enjoy being inventive with what I find on sale that week...but that's me! I love to cook!So, yes, Paleo can take some time and effort, but I swear, it's well worth it!
You are doing great work blogging here Anita. There are too few/hardly any/no other paleo blogs that cover the subject from a low budget perspective. Most of the paleo blogers seem like early-adopter types who can afford the grass-fed meat and the pasteured butter (whatever that is - I've never laid eyes on it) to trail-blaze the paleo movement. But for most folks paleo means CAFO meat and dairy, and first-press virgin coconut oil in one pound jars that cost $15 is not just a luxury but laughable. You deserve more traffic here, and the paucity of commenters is a dismay. But you are a permanent bookmark for me, for sure!
ReplyDeleteAwww...thank you, Martinla. It's good to get compliments like that every once in a while.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your blog too and agree that you should get more traffic! You remind me that I am not going to die if can't afford the very expensive foods that all the "experts" say I should eat. I want to know how much income these people have.
ReplyDeleteI do have a question not related to this post. I noticed from a pic in a post that you use Armour lard. Does it contain hydrogenated oil? The cans I've seen in the store do. Is it not a concern for you? (Not judging, just wondering).
@OnMyWay - Thanks for the compliment and welcome!
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question - it's partially-hydrogenated oil that you need to worry about (aka - transfats). I had the same concerns but after some research, I felt comfortable buying and using it.
From Mayo Clinic ( http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trans-fat/CL00032 ) -
"'fully' or 'completely' hydrogenated oil doesn't contain trans fat. Unlike partially hydrogenated oil, the process used to make fully or completely hydrogenated oil doesn't result in trans-fatty acids."
Thanks for the info. I didn't know that there was a difference.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy now because a small container of palm shortening cost close to $7. I like it when I can buy regular food without having to A) drive all over creation or B) use a whole paycheck to purchase it.
On the subject of: Steak and chicken breasts... Actually, just chicken breasts. My family's favorite part of the chicken is drumsticks. I dislike chicken breast as it has no flavor - and so little fat, it requires something else to create a high-energy meal. But drumsticks are fun, cheap, easy, and the best-tasting part of the bird!
ReplyDeleteGreat to have found your blog via your comment on mine. We share some of the same interests: writing, cooking, paleo, and spending too much time on the computer :)
ReplyDeleteJen