Everyday nonsense

So... I have discovered one large tea bag (the family size) and one Tazo chai tea bag makes the perfect iced tea/chai in a one gallon pickle jar.

My cucumber plants have turned yellow and died for the most part so I harvested the last few cucumbers on the vine. not sure if we'll make pickles or relish but... I have seven of them.

Dinner tonight is iced chai tea, sweet potato puffs, Green Giant green beans almandine and crescent rolls stuffed with vegetarian hot dogs, Morningstar vegetarian bacon strips and velveeta.

Processed. All of it.

But hey-- my husband just finished a 12-day work stretch and we all survived a crazy work/school week. I worked, went to class, did a freelance project AND did a project for my internship.

Which brings me to my next topic. NPR ran a commentary on whether or not vegans and vegetarians feel superior to meat eaters.

Go google the article if you want to read it, but it got me thinking.

I am far from perfect. I wish I could visit more local farms for more produce. I wish I could give up more animal products. I wish I had the money to be choosier about which company's products I consume. I wish I never used processed foods.

I was a vegetarian for about eight years and I experimented with veganism for a few months.

I had gestational diabetes. This gives me an increased risk of type II diabetes.

I was severely anemic for two years.

My daughter retains fluid in her ears, which gets worse when she has dairy.

As a result of all of this, I think a lot about my food. I think about protein, carbohydrates, iron and vitamins. I think about how pure the food is that I feed my daughter. I read labels and avoid ingredients I can't pronounce.

My daughter doesn't eat orange cheese. She doesn't know how to open American cheese in the individual wrapper. She doesn't realize that fast food kids meals come with toys.

I try to balance our exposure to wheat, sugars, salt and soy. I try to mix colors in every meal.

We drink sun brewed iced tea, 100% juice diluted with bubbles from our SodaStream, and water. We switch between almond milk and soy milk.

I do this on a strict budget.

My daughter and I garden. We bake. We preserve our food via canning.

Because of all this, I think I am superior in the kitchen to the American with the standard American diet. I work hard at it.