Real Food Face-Off: Kelly the Kitchen Kop vs. Catholic Mommy Brain

February 2nd, 2010 · 5 Comments · Real Food Face-Off

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It feels like a long time ago already since the sourdough foodies faced off last Thursday. I’m getting used to having my friends over for a little chat twice a week.

Today I’m proud to present two special ladies, Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Anne at Catholic Mommy Brain. They’re both Catholic mamas with whom I’ve connected online, Anne because she writes for the Couple to Couple League’s Family Foundations magazine, and Kelly because we have a mutual friend, Sue of the famous soaked baked oatmeal recipe.

Visit the Real Food Face-Off Introduction page for a full list of all the participants and the complete list of possible questions. Each week, only a handful of the contenders’ answers will be posted here.

Week 4: Kelly vs. Anne

Kelly has been blogging for two years at Kelly the Kitchen Kop, where she busts politically correct nutrition and encourages people to fix their diets with a genuine exclamation point or two. She speaks from the heart as one with experience living on processed foods before her food conversion changed everything, and her perspective as a mother of a teenager who has trouble letting go is invaluable. Kelly has often been one of my sources for information on raw milk, coconut oil, and simple family-friendly recipes, and I like to tease her about sourdough starters.

Anne is a former high school teacher, freelance writer and mother of a toddler with another on the way. She blogs at Catholic Mommy Brain, a term set in opposition to the cultural implication that mommies’ brains function less effectively than in their pre-mommy days. Anne says, “The Catholic Mommy Brain blog investigates the inner workings of the brain– and the life– of a Catholic mom.” Anne is a rookie real foodie, dipping her toe in the pool while trying to balance the rest of life in her well-oiled Mommy brain.

Below are the answers to some real food questions, in the bloggers’ own words:

How do you describe the way you eat when someone asks you to define your food?

I try to eliminate boxes, bags and cans as much as possible and replace those with traditional, nutrient-packed foods. (Read about my “food conversion” story.)

I still consider myself in the beginning phases of changing the way I eat. But I tell people that we try to cook from whole, fresh ingredients. Our goals are to avoid processed foods and to purchase local meat, dairy, and vegetables whenever possible.

What was/is your major incentive for living a real food lifestyle? (How did you come to eat the way you do?)

My #1 incentive is hoping that my kids will grow up not having to worry about getting sick like most everyone else does, and hoping that maybe we changed our ways in time to avoid degenerative diseases ourselves, too. 2nd part: We began eating this way 6 years ago, after discovering the Weston Price Foundation and learning the TRUTH about food.

My mom tended to cook traditional, healthy foods and was always interested in the link between diet and allergies. But reading Nina Planck’s Real Food: What to Eat and Why was the first time I fully understood and embraced this approach myself. Thanks to my cousin and Kelly the Kitchen Kop, I found this book and started my real food journey.

What food was your favorite that you no longer eat (or shouldn’t eat)?

Oh, I looooooved my Cocoa Puffs, or my Taco Bell on crazy evenings, I could go on and on. But for me knowledge takes away my cravings (for the most part anyway) – now that I know how empty Cocoa Puffs are of nutrition, yet full of crap, it’s not even a temptation anymore. And thinking about all the gross stuff that could be in Taco Bell meat…no thanks. I’d rather make tacos at home and pig out on the real deal.

COOL WHIP

What was the hardest transition to make to real food?

In the beginning it was tricky running all over to track down our Real Food – where to get it, what to ask for, how to find the best price. Now I’ve got it down and we’re part of many carpools/cowpools.

The hardest transition was fighting my own perfectionistic tendencies. Once I was convinced about the merits of changing my diet, I wanted to change everything at once. I’ve really had to allow myself to take baby steps in the right direction and not get overwhelmed.

What’s something you remain afraid to try?

I’m afraid to make sourdough AGAIN and to have it bomb AGAIN…

Despite Katie’s best efforts, I have yet to incorporate organ meats.

What’s next on your list of changes to make?

I’m going to master that loaf of sourdough bread, dang it. Also, as Ren said in the first Face-off, I’ve got to get better at lowering carbs consistently. So it’s probably good that I haven’t figured out the sourdough.

I’d like to try baking with sprouted flour. And I should really try those organ meats.

List your top 3 baby steps to move from a Standard American Diet to Real Food.

Eat lots of butter and eggs
READ LABELS
learn how to make bone broth.

Analyze your eating habits and choose one thing you’d like to and can afford to change.
Take it one step at a time.
Creating weekly menu plans and shopping lists helps me stay focused and within budget.

Number one tip you tell your blog readers about eating healthy foods:

As Anne Sergeant said in this post, the 3-Legged Stool of Good Nutrition, it’s more than just buying organic. It’s a matter of getting the bad stuff out (that’s where organic comes in), getting the good stuff IN (eating more nutrient-dense foods), and properly preparing our meals to get the most nutrients from our foods as possible.

Take it slow and do the best you can when you can. Every little thing helps in the long-term. Oh, and eat more butter.

I don’t, in any way, feel like a food expert. But I believe my health, my family’s health, and the health of the environment are important enough to keep reading, learning, and growing as a consumer and a cook.

Anne dishes more on the Face-off and her week here.

Follow Kelly on Twitter @kitchenkop. Follow Anne @Anne_McClure

Now it’s your turn! I’d highly recommend honoring my real food guests with a visit over to their blogs, Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Anne at Catholic Mommy Brain. If you have any questions or thoughts about their answers here, get a little discussion going by leaving a comment.

Be sure to come back on Thursday for the next installment of the Real Food Face-Off, Paula at The Chicken Coop (aka Mother Hen) vs. Jen at A Heavenly Perspective . It’s also #realfood Twitter party night! Donielle has some prizes lined up. You can read more about it and sign up for the chat here. If you want to just watch the action, go to tweetchat.com and search for the hashtag #realfood – you don’t have to have a Twitter account.

While you’re here, check out the other post for today, homemade salad dressing recipes. If you have one to share, go one over and link up!

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Special thanks to Jo-Lynne from DCR Design for the fabulous Face-Off logo. Please visit her if you are a blogger looking for design improvements!

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