Starting From Scratch

I have discovered a new passion. It's something I've more or less been into for the past few years but more recently I have started totally geeking out on it.

My passion is Real Food. Food made from scratch -- from basic, raw ingredients in their most simple form, prepared by hand with love and care. Food that is not made in a factory or filled with chemicals, artificial colors or flavors, or added junk just for the sake of adding junk. Foods that were once "convenience" foods have become all too often the norm. Made not just on those nights when there's no time to cook something from scratch, but every night. And even worse than these pre-packaged convenience foods, is fast food. Which most people eat several times a week. Sometimes at least one meal per day. And much too often, more than one meal per day!

Growing up, my family made most of our food from scratch. It was both a budget thing and we also just knew that what we cooked at home was usually far superior to anything we could eat out. From a young age I started helping my mother in the kitchen. I was making pie crust by the time I was 11. I could, and would, make meals for my large (8 person) family without a thought by that age, too. Every one of my 5 younger siblings is confident in the kitchen and is able to cook and bake for themselves and do so regularly.

I feel lucky to have been raised this way. I know many people in my generation, growing up in the 1980s and 90s, were not so lucky. And they are now adults who are unable to cook for themselves or their families (and I fear that it's even worse for the kids 10-20 years younger than me!). Actually, I shouldn't say "unable", as everyone is able to cook once they learn a few basics. But these people either believe it's too hard or complicated, or it just doesn't even cross their mind to try. And why should they, after all? You can buy anything your heart (or stomach) could possibly desire already made for you.

I believe they should try. Everyone should try. All it should take is a glance at the ingredient label on anything you pick up in the grocery store to make you question what on earth you're actually consuming. The number of ingredients in most products is ridiculous. And usually more than half of them are unpronounceable chemicals and flavorings and preservatives. How can that possibly good for us? As it has so much to do with health and wellness, I feel strongly that the quality and source of our food is vastly important. After all, what is more crucial than having a healthy, happy and strong body? It can affect every aspect of our lives.

“The way we eat has changed more in the past 40 years than in the past 40,000.″ This quote from Eric Schlosser (author of Fast Food Nation) gives me the chills. Granted, everything we now know and use in our modern lives has changed more in the last 40-100 years than it has in the past 40,000 as well. However, even with all of our advancements in medicine, science, and technology and our extensive knowledge about the human body, health, nutrition, hygiene, etc, we are now dying in staggering numbers from issues that stem from obesity and other ailments that can be traced back to what we consume.

We are no longer dying en mass from the black plague, or small pox, or dysentery, but we are dying (younger and younger) as a result of the kinds and quantities of fuel we are giving our bodies. And that is something I can not wrap my mind around. It is just so backwards and against nature, in my opinion. And I believe that nature is pretty damn smart.

I could talk about this all day. Which is why I started this blog. And also because I want to challenge myself. I have a goal and I think it'd be interesting, and also hopefully beneficial to others, to document my journey towards that goal. My challenge for myself is to, for one month -- April 2010 -- only eat things that I make myself, from scratch. No prepared foods. No preservatives. No eating out. At times it's going to be tough, even though I use few of these things as it is.

The most common things I buy prepared (yogurt, butter, breads, pasta, canned beans, and a few others) will all be made from their basic ingredients in my own kitchen. And though I rarely eat anything that can be considered fast food, not eating out in other restaurants or similar will be challenging (bye bye Starbucks). A factor that will make this even more difficult is that April will be a very busy month. Not only will I be a house-guest at a friends' home for a few days , I will also have both a brother and my mom staying with me for a week each.

In my next post I'll detail the "rules" for my challenge. This blog will also be a place where I review and recommend books I've read in my research on all topics of health, nutrition and anything food related; link to websites and blogs also dedicated to these topics; share photos and recipes; and tell you about my triumphs and hardships along the way.

Ready? Let's do this!

P.S. I promise I'll have photos with future posts. And probably not quite so much text. :)