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We demonstrate the power of Twitter in today’s Face-Off. These lovely bloggers came on scene via the Real Food Twitter chat, held every first Thursday of the month and hosted by Donielle of Naturally Knocked Up. You can join in anytime or watch the action through Tweetchat.com even if you don’t have a Twitter account.
Many people also follow the hashtag #realfood regularly, so you can tweet with it when you’re talkin’ cookin’ or check it out for great articles, political action items, and seriously drool-worthy dinner ideas from around the world.
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 5B: Kim vs. Virginia
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?
| My cooking style would be best described like Grandma used to make. We enjoy a variety of foods cooked from scratch with as much from our gardens as possible. Soups and casseroles are a favorite in our home as they are nutritious, easy to prepare and very frugal! | Real, nourishing food, organic or beyond organic, local if at all possible. You know, something my grandmother would recognize as a food product! |
What was/is your major incentive for living a real food lifestyle? (How did you come to eat the way you do?)
| Frugalness was my major incentive, as home cooked food is much more economical then prepackaged. Later the health benefits became a big factor. I’ve seen major changes in our health when we stay away from prepackaged foods. | When I realized my kids were reacting to HFCS, colorings, preservatives (etc) I began investigating the local food scene and eventually latched onto Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. |
What was the hardest transition to make to real food?
| The biggest challenge for me was remember to prep ingredients. It was a big change remembering to start supper earlier in the day. As much as I’ve always enjoyed cooking meals you do get used to just pulling something predone out of the freezer when your tired. | It’s been really hard to move a family with two preschoolers to real food. If it were just me transitioning to real food it would be a quicker process. But just keep at it. Focus on adding good things and not taking away bad things. |
What’s next on your list of changes to make?
| We are trying to add more raw fruits and vegetables to our diets. Juicing is becoming a big part of this. | I want to start making whey so I can better soak my grains and ferment things like mayonnaise.
Katie here. Here’s how to make whey and homemade mayo. |
What does “eating healthy” mean to you?
| To our family healthy eating means avoiding processed foods. We try to raise as much from our gardens as we can in the summer. We keep our root cellars full with our harvest as well as canning and freezing. | Eating nourishing foods that make you feel good and healthy and having well balanced meals and snacks. |
What’s the most creative thing you do to make life easier in the kitchen?
| The biggest help to me is canning our own food. I can everything from jams to soup and it’s a huge help! On the days I’m very tired I can open a can of my own homemade food to serve my family. For example, my How to can beef soup recipe. | When I’m inspired, I’ll mix dry ingredients together in a bag for homemade bread, write the wet ingredients needed on the bag and put away for the weeks ahead. Makes for the assembly of a quick loaf of bread |
How important is organic food?
| Organic food is very important to me, however it’s not very available in our area. With that and the high cost I choose to raise as much organic produce as I can. | Actually, it’s not crucial. I’d rather know the farm and farmer where the food comes from, transparency is key. A lot of farmers’ in the area can’t afford organic licensing and a lot of their food is “beyond organic”. |
Follow Kim on Twitter @homesteadmommy. Follow Virginia @livinglocalnh.
You can find today’s face-off participants at their online homes, Virginia at Living the Local Life and Kim at Homestead Acres. Thanks for participating, ladies!
Be sure to come back on Tuesday for the next installment of the Real Food Face-Off, Hallee at Hallee the Homemaker vs. Mare at Just Making Noise. Sign up for a free email subscription or grab my reader feed to make sure you catch them all. You can also follow me on Twitter.
Special thanks to Jo-Lynne from DCR Design for the fabulous Face-Off logos. Please visit her if you are a blogger looking for design improvements!
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Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.
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Hungry for more? Related posts:
Happy to be “live” today! I will make a post on my blog soon! Thanks for hosting this face-off!
Virginia
livinglocalnh.blogspot.com
[Reply to this comment]
I love how Kim said “Focus on adding good things and not taking away bad things.” That may be a better way to look at things for me so that I don’t get overwhelmed by the transition.
Also love Virginia’s idea of preserving even soups to make things a bit easier on busy days–awesome idea!
[Reply to this comment]
I wanted to mention quickly that Virginia is on the right and Kim is on the left!
Virginia´s last blog ..New England Marketplace in Dover
[Reply to this comment]
Just found you page and got to say I love this post. It is great to see other peoples thoughts and tips on Real food.
Felicia´s last blog ..Baked Acorn Squash
[Reply to this comment]
Thanks so much for including me in your face off!
Kim´s last blog ..Welcome
[Reply to this comment]
Real Food Face-Off 11: Jenny at The Nourished Kitchen vs. Michelle at Find Your Balance | Hallee The Homemaker // Feb 18, 2010 at 7:32 am
[...] Face-off nine: Virginia at Living the Local Life vs. Kim at Homestead Acres [...]