Publix & Home Grown Alabama Farmer’s Market – September 28, 2012

     Two days ago J.T. and I ventured out to our first farmer's market.  My mother would argue that this was technically not my first farmer's market experience.  I, unfortunately, have no memory of going to the market as a child.  I bought three different food items at the market, including ½ dozen eggs, sweet potatoes, and turnip greens.  Although the prices are not cheaper than the grocery store, I would argue that they are no more expensive.  I would consider not paying 9% sales tax on groceries as a huge incentive to head to the farmer's market.  Doing research beforehand allowed me to make purchases from vendors that used organic and hormone/antibiotic-free practices.  I was disappointed with the small amount of vendors at Home Grown Alabama.  One of the main reasons I wanted to attend was to get prices on local beef, pork, and eggs.  The eggs, along with a variety of produce, were the only items present on Thursday.  I am not sure if the Farmer's market will be a weekly occurrence for J.T. and I, but  I hope to eventually incorporate it into my shopping routine. 
     
     My shopping trip to Publix seemed small, at least in quantity, not price.  Many of my purchases ranged from $5.00 to $6.00 an item.  I am still building my "real food" pantry.  Since I cannot stay within my budget and replenish everything at once, I have been gradually adding an item or two each week – hence the maple syrup and quinoa. If you go back and look at my first Publix blog posts, you will notice a big change in the foods I am purchasing now. I am most definitely not buying anything with GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Please watch this short video and get informed.

 

I was in the dark just a few months ago and now this is a subject that is dear to my heart.  You have the right to know what is in your food.  You will probably hear me speak more about this issue later, but that is an entirely different blog post.  I spent $57.99 on groceries for the week (this total includes the $8.00 spent at the farmer's market).  I only had $7.75 in coupons to put toward food items L. Although I used $5.55 in other coupons for toiletry items and dog treats, I have decided that since this is a food blog, I will only post my food purchases.  Pictured below are my groceries from Publix and the Farmer's market (the large Ziploc bags are holding my clean turnip greens which I wrapped in paper towels).

• Dairy
  • Publix Greenwise Organic Milk @ $5.99
  • Silk Almond milk @ $3.49
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $2.49
  • ½ dozen eggs @ $2.00 (Farmer's Market)
• Grocery
  • (1) Publix Greenwise Organic Oats @ $1.99
  • (1) Publix Greenwise Organic Coffee @ $5.99
  • (1) Heinz Organic Ketchup @ $3.19
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $2.19
  • (1) Spring Tree Grade B Maple Syrup @ $5.29
  • (1) Arrowhead Mills Organic Quinoa @ $5.99
• Meat
  • 2 lbs. Publix Greenwise Ground Chuck @ $5.49/lb. - $11.25 
• Frozen
  • (3) Birds Eye frozen peas @ 50% off - $3.00
  • Cascadian Farm Organic Spinach @ $2.69
    • $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.94
• Produce
  • Organic bananas @ $0.99/lb. - $2.23
  • 12 oz. Publix White Mushrooms @ $1.99
  • 2 lbs. Sweet Potatoes @ $1.50/lb. - $3.00 (Farmer's market)
  • 1 bunch Turnip Greens @ $3.00 (Farmer's market)

      $5.00 off $30.00 purchase Winn-Dixie competitor coupon

 

Total before coupons    $65.74

Less: coupons used          (7.75)

Total with Tax              $57.99

 

Hoppin’ John

     There is something special about living in the south.  I love the southern states and plan to spend the rest of my life living in at least one of them.  The hot weather, politeness of strangers, and simple food (think pintos, greens, & cornbread) are some of my favorite characteristics of the south.  Hoppin' John is a dish that is commonly served among southerners, particularly on New Year's Day.  The black-eyed peas represent coins that symbolize wealth in the upcoming New Year. 

     I was inspired to make this dish after ordering it with my meal at Cypress Inn Restaurant.  While Cypress Inn is one of our favorite places to eat (at least in Tuscaloosa), the Hoppin' John I was served wasn't hoppin' (ha!) with flavor.  The white rice was bland and the bacon tasted rubbery.  After studying many different recipes, I settled on adapting the Hoppin' John recipe from the Joy of Cooking (side note - my sweet husband gave me this cookbook for our 1 year dating anniversary). To make the dish healthier, I substituted brown rice for white rice and olive oil for pork fat.  Hoppin' John would be wonderful with kielbasa or smoked ham.  If you have any on hand, toss it in!  

 

Recipe adapted from Joy of Cooking

 

 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (1 ¼ cups) dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, drained & rinsed
• 1 ½ cups chopped Vidalia onion
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cups water, divided
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ¼ cups brown rice
• 2 ½ teaspoons kosher
• ½ black pepper

 
Directions

1. Place the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes in a large Dutch oven. Cover with 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 30 minutes.
2. Add the remaining cup of water, the vegetable stock, olive oil, and brown rice. Remove the thyme sprigs. Return to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Before serving, remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Serves 4 to 5 as a main dish.

Publix – September 21, 2012

     As I mentioned in my post on Friday, yesterday was J.T.'s birthday.  The large majority of my shopping trip was centered around J.T.'s family birthday lunch, which is taking place on Sunday.   He requested the following menu:
     
     Roasted Chicken
     Cornbread Dressing with Gravy
     Cranberry Sauce
     Green beans in a can (his favorite vegetable!)
     Peanut Butter Pie (leftover from Friday night)

     I have spent a large amount of time baking this week.  All the recipes have been a success, including Gluten-Free Whole Grain Pumpkin Muffins, Easy Cheesy Crackers, Pumpkin Cornbread (blog coming soon!), Peanut Butter Cookies, and lastly Peanut Butter Pie. 
     
     The only product I wasn't thrilled about purchasing this week was the canned cranberry sauce.   There were only two options available to me: Publix cranberry sauce or Ocean Spray cranberry sauce – both containing corn syrup.  After thinking about the cranberry sauce long and hard (I am pathetic), I decided to buy the Publix cranberry sauce.  Since it is J.T.'s birthday, I made a "corn syrup" exception.  This dilemma prompted me to think about Thanksgiving.  I will either (a) make it myself or (b) purchase an organic variety online.  I will admit that price was the key factor in my cranberry sauce "situation".  I knew there was no way I could buy a bag of organic cranberries (or let alone find organic cranberries in Publix) for less than $1.39.  On Sunday, we will be content with our generic, corn syrup, cranberry sauce.  Since I just wrote about a negative (the cranberry sauce), I will end with telling you about a product I was thrilled to buy  – Triscuits!  I have been waiting for these to go on sale for a few weeks now.  Triscuits only contain three ingredients and are "real food" approved.  J.T. is a big cracker eater, so I paid $4.00 for three boxes using coupons.  I spent a total of $59.28 on groceries.   The extra $10 I added to my budget feels like $100 J


 

• Dairy
  • Publix Greenwise Organic Milk @ $5.99
  • Silk Almond milk @$3.49
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $2.49
  • Davidson's Safest Choice Eggs @ $3.69
    • $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon - $2.94
• Grocery
  • (1) Publix Greenwise Organic Oats @ $1.99
  • (3) cans Publix Greenwise Organic Green beans @ $4.17 or $1.39 each
  • (1) can Publix Jellied cranberry sauce - $1.39
  • (1) 32 oz. Pompeian Olive oil @ $5.50
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $4.50
  • (2) cans Bumble Bee Tuna @ $3.00
    • $1.00/2 manufacturer coupon - $2.00 or $1.00 each
  • (3) Triscuit Original Crackers @ $7.50
    • B2G1 manufacturer coupon &
      $1.00/1 Target coupon - $4.00 or $1.33 each
  • Publix Greenwise Organic Flaxseed @ $1.99
  • (1) Diamond Crystal Kosher salt @ $1.19
    • $0.40/1 Upromise coupon - $0.79
• Meat
  • (1) Publix Greenwise Whole Chicken @ $7.60 or $1.99/lb.
  • (1) pkg. Publix Greenwise Chicken Drumsticks @ $4.31 or $2.99/lb.
  
   
• Frozen
  • (2) Pictsweet Deluxe Family size frozen Brussels (BOGO) @ $3.39
• Produce
  • Organic bananas @ $0.99/lb. - $1.84
  • Organic Girl Baby Kale @ $2.99
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.99
  • Publix Greenwise Organic Celery @ $3.29
  • 1 lb. Publix Greenwise Organic Carrots @ $1.29/lb.
  • 2 lbs. onions @ $1.99
  • 1 garlic bulb @ $0.27
    
    
  $5.00 off $30.00 purchase Winn-Dixie competitor coupon
  
   
  Total before coupons         $72.53
  Less: coupons used            (13.25)
  Total with Tax                   $59.28

Happy Birthday to My Husband ~ Peanut Butter Pie

     Today is my husband's birthday.  This is a special birthday for us, because this will be the first birthday we have celebrated as husband and wife.  J.T. doesn't get quite as excited about birthdays as I do.  I grew up in a family that likes to make a BIG deal out of birthdays.  My mom would place an embroidered "You Are Special" placemat at the birthday person's seat around the dinner table.  She would also bake a fabulous birthday cake, which looked similar to the ones that come from a professional bakery.  Some of my cakes as a child included Barbie, The Little Mermaid, Lion King, and Winnie the Pooh.  I have followed in my mother's tradition of baking for someone on his or her birthday.  In my opinion, a birthday does not necessarily have to include a cake.  It must include a dessert, but this dessert can be anything the birthday person requests.  J.T. requested a Peanut Butter pie, his favorite dessert.  I LOVE peanut butter pie, but have not had a slice since going gluten and lactose free in 2009.  J.T. also requested that I make a dessert that both of us could enjoy.  After a little research, I combined two recipes to make an Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Pie.  This pie is made using a peanut butter cookie crumb crust, a custard based filling, and a meringue topping.  All gluten and lactose free!

 
     Moving on to the sappy part of this blog post…a note about my husband.  Before meeting J.T. in 2010, I never wanted to get married. I had decided I was going to be a single, career focused, woman who spent all of her time at the office.  God had different plans.  J.T. is the most unselfish and patient individual I have ever met.  Most importantly though, he is the most Christ-like individual I have ever met.  I may be slightly biased because I am his wife, but what I write is the truth.  J.T. is not the average man.  He always puts others before himself and never looks to receive personal acknowledgment or gain.  He is the best listener, comedian, husband, and friend.  I thank God everyday for placing him in my life.

Happy Birthday J.T.

I am blessed to be your wife.

I love you boo!

Love,

Ellen

 

Recipe adapted from Southern Plate & Gluten Free Girl

 

Ingredients

For the pie crust:
Make the peanut butter cookies:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling the dough balls
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 large egg

Make the pie crust:

• 1 ½ cups peanut butter cookie crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

For the pie:

• 1 (9-inch) peanut butter pie crust, above
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups almond milk
• 2/3 cup sugar
• dash of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup sugar, for meringue topping

 
Directions

1. For the peanut butter cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beating by hand, cream together the peanut butter and sugar. Stir in the baking powder and then beat in the egg. Roll the cookie dough into little balls. You should be able to get about 20 cookies from the dough. Roll each cookie dough ball in sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave on the baking sheet for 8 minutes. Very carefully, move the cookies to a wire rack to cool, for at least 10 minutes.
2. For the pie crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Make 1 ½ cups cookie crumbs from the peanut butter cookies (I used about 9 cookies). Stir in the grapeseed oil. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. For the pie filling: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the confectioners' sugar in a medium sized bowl. Using a fork, cut in the peanut butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle half of this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pie crust. Reserve the other half and set aside. Separate the egg whites from the yolks, placing the yolks in a medium sized saucepan. Add to the saucepan, the almond milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cornstarch. Whisk together until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens to the consistency of pudding (be patient, because this can take some time). Pour the thickened mixture into the prepared pie crust. To make the meringue, beat the egg whites with an electric mixture until foamy. Add the sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Spread the meringue on top of the pie filling. Sprinkle the remaining peanut butter/confectioners' sugar mixture on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Yields 1 (9-inch) pie.

 

Gluten-Free Whole Grain Pumpkin Muffins

      On Monday I felt as though the heavens opened up.  I am probably being a bit dramatic, but I ate a pumpkin muffin for the first time since 2009.  It may have been longer than that, but I do not keep records of stuff like "ate last pumpkin muffin June 12, 2008."  I was so excited about these muffins - singing and dancing with Otis (the dog) and downright giddy the rest of the afternoon.   Why am I so excited about muffins?  Well, I refuse to buy packaged gluten-free foods such as muffins, crackers, etc. because they do not taste very good.  I also do not want to pay for expensive gluten-free flour blends.  While I do purchase brown rice flour, I make my own oat flour.  My inspiration to find a whole-wheat flour substitution came from 100 Days of Real Food.  Many different recipes on this website call for whole-wheat flour, which is not an option for me.  After doing some research, I came across a blog post from Gluten-Free Girl.  She had formulated a gluten-free whole grain flour blend that I had all the ingredients to make!  Finding a gluten-free whole grain flour blend, opens up so many more recipe options to me and I could not be happier!

Recipe adapted from 100 Days of Real Food

 

 

(I am not sure how my kosher salt made it into this picture.  This recipe uses table salt only.)

 

  

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free whole grain flour blend*
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup honey
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a small glass measuring cup, whisk together the coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and eggs.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Fold in the canned pumpkin puree.  Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to ladle the batter into the muffin tin.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and leave the muffins in the tin for 2 minutes.   Move the muffins to a wire rack to cool.  Yields 12 muffins.

* I made my own gluten-free whole grain flour, but you can also substitute whole wheat flour.  The recipe behind my whole grain flour blend came from here.  I used the following ratios:

• 150 grams brown rice flour
• 200 grams oat flour
• 150 grams cornstarch

This flour recipe makes more than what is required for the muffin recipe above.  Store any extra in the refrigerator.

Changes…Publix – September 14, 2012

     My trip to the grocery store this week was definitely different. One of the biggest changes I made was increasing my grocery budget to $60 a week. I am contemplating allowing this $60 to go toward both food and toiletry items. This will allow me to put extra money toward food, during the weeks that I do not purchase any toiletry items. I am happy to report that everything I purchased this week, with the exception of my almond milk, has less than five ingredients or is a whole food in itself. Many of the items on my grocery list were organic – probably more than I have ever bought before. Publix has a great store brand line of organic products, but it is still frustrating to not be able to find things such as organic cheese, dried beans, canned Pumpkin, etc. I refuse to shop 5 different places for groceries, so I guess I will take what is available. 
     I was able to find J.T. organic cereal (that only has 4 ingredients!) for $1.96 a box. I know, I know, I have said before that you should not pay more than $1.50 for a box of cereal, but my logic has changed recently. According to Robyn O' Brien, author of Inspired Bites for Prevention Magazine, organic "standards include a national list of approved synthetic and prohibited non-synthetic substances for organic production which means that organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of:

• Antibiotics
• artificial growth hormones
• high fructose corn syrup
• artificial dyes (made from coal tar and petrochemicals)
• artificial sweeteners
• synthetically created chemical pesticide and fertilizers
• genetically engineered proteins and ingredients
• sewage sludge
• irradiation"

The second to last point - sewage sludge - really got me. Why would I pay more for organic food? The 9 reasons listed above, along with the desire to reduce future medical expenses, serve as my motivation. That is enough about organic food for now. I spent a total of $57.12 on groceries this week and even managed to scrounge up a few coupons!

• Dairy
  • (1) gallon Publix Greenwise 2% Organic Milk @ $5.99
  • (1) 6 oz. container Fage 2% Greek Yogurt @ $1.50
  • (1) block Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheese @ $2.50
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.50
  • (1) ½ gallon Almond Breeze Almond Milk @ $2.50
• Grocery
  • (1) container Publix Greenwise Organic Oats @ $1.99
  • (3) boxes Kashi Simply Maize Organic Corn Cereal @ $8.97
    • (3) $0.70/1 manufacturer coupon & $1.00/3 Target coupon - $5.87 or $1.96 each
  • (1) bag Publix Greenwise Organic Coffee @ $5.99
  • (1) can Publix Pumpkin Puree @ $1.49
  • 1 lb. dried Black Beans @ $1.69
  • (1) can Publix Greenwise Organic Diced Tomatoes @ $1.49
  • (1) can Giorgio Organic Mushrooms @ $0.95
  • (2) cans Bumble Bee White Albacore Tuna @ $3.00
    • $1.00/2 manufacturer coupon - $2.00 or $1.00 each
  • (2) Blue Diamond Whole Natural Almonds (BOGO)@ $3.39
    • $1.00/2 manufacturer coupon - $2.39 or $1.20 each
  • (1) container Publix Greenwise Organic sunflower seeds @ 20% off - $2.15
  • (1) 2 lb. bag King Arthur Organic Whole Wheat Flour @ $2.79
• Meat
  • 1 lb. white shrimp @ $6.99/lb.
• Frozen
  • (1) 16 oz. package Publix frozen peas @ $1.59
• Produce
  • Organic bananas @ $0.99/lb. - $2.34
  • 1 lb. Organic peaches @ $1.65
  • 1 lemon @ $0.67
  • 1 lb. Publix Greenwise Organic Carrots @ $1.29/lb.
  • 2 onions @ $0.89
  • 1 bunch scallions @ $0.60
  • 1 garlic bulb @ $0.36
   
  $5.00 off $25.00 purchase Save-A-Lot competitor coupon
  
  Total before coupons         $68.22
  Less: coupons used            (11.10)
  Total with Tax                   $57.12

Spinach and Chickpeas

     When I originally started this blog, I didn't want to write.  I simply wanted to share recipes and food - pictures of the food and text for the recipe.  A few months ago, I started making weekly posts about my trips to the grocery store - by far my favorite blog to write each week! Writing has become somewhat therapeutic for me and I enjoy giving others a glimpse of what is going on inside my head.  My plan is to actually write something with each post I make, not just pictures and recipe text.  

     Spinach and chickpeas is such a simple dish.  I made this  for J.T. and I when we first began dating, back in the "Forest Trail" apartment days.  Only recently did I realize that I have never blogged about it.  For those of you who read my previous post about kicking processed food out of my diet, I made this before I decided to make that change  - hence the canned tomato sauce and dry cereal crumbs.  Many times I do not blog about a particular dish that we ate until a few weeks (or sometimes months) later.  Speaking of processed foods, we still have many of them in our pantry - Worcestershire sauce, Lipton onion soup mix, sugar-free jello - just to name a few.  I am on the fence about what to do with these items.  Do I use all my processed foods first, so I am not wasteful or should I just give them away?  

     Back to spinach and chickpeas - take the time to toast the  breadcrumbs and make the breadcrumb paste.  It makes a huge difference and gives the recipe it's distinct flavor.  I served this along side green beans, J.T.'s favorite vegetable (besides potatoes, which do not count!).  For my leftovers at lunch the next day, I spooned the spinach and chickpeas on top of a cornmeal griddle cake.  Very yummy! 

 

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

 

 

  

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried bread crumbs 
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, defrosted
• ½ pound dried chickpeas, cooked, drained, and rinsed (or 2 – 15 ounce cans)
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and stir to coat them with the oil. Let them toast for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir and toast for an additional minute or until brown and crispy. Remove from the heat. Pour the toasted crumbs into a mortar and pestle (or a food processor). Smash the bread crumbs with the red wine vinegar until it forms into a thick paste (or pulse if using a food processor). Set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the spinach, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Sauté the spinach for about 5 minutes. Then add the chickpeas, tomato sauce, bread crumb paste, and ¼ cup of water. Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and paprika. Stir, cover with a lid, and cook over very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serves 4 as a main dish.

* You may notice that my bread crumbs look funny.  I actually used crushed rice Chex cereal because I was out of my gluten-free bread crumbs.  For this recipe, use bread crumbs if you have them, but a crushed unsweetened corn or rice cereal is just as delicious.  

My Story & Publix – September 7, 2012

     I love reading blogs, especially blogs that discuss food. Currently, my favorite blog is 100daysofrealfood.com. This blog chronicles a family of four who cut processed food out of their diet for 100 days. Over the past few weeks I have learned more about the scary food industry in America. In particular, processed foods and how they can affect our health. I can no longer continue to purchase groceries as I once did. In the past I kept cereal, chips, crackers, cookies, and other processed goodies stocked in our pantry. While I have always maintained a fairly healthy kitchen, I kept certain processed food that could serve as quick snacks for me and J. T. I am by no means vowing that I will never purchase anything processed again (you will see a few processed items in this post), but I am choosing to be very selective of the processed foods I bring into my kitchen. I am aiming to only purchase processed foods that have five ingredients or less.
     
     For me, this change will mean more time spent in the kitchen – one thing I will never complain about. Instead of buying crackers, fruit bars, etc., I am going to try my hand at making them myself. Yesterday, I made my first batch of granola cereal and it turned out quite tasty. I will continue to purchase cereal for J.T. because I cannot think of a decent breakfast alternative for him (he does not eat oats, so oatmeal and granola are out of the question). Many of you who know me are probably thinking, gosh, that girl is obsessed with healthy food! I am normally a very private person when it comes to my health, but I thought it was time to share why I am so interested and protective of what foods enter my body.
     
     My interest in nutrition began when I was a sophomore in college – even taking one semester of nutrition classes before settling on accounting as my major. I have struggled with my digestive health for many years now. In the 10^th grade I was diagnosed with clostridium difficile colitis. This is an infection in your large intestine that causes bacteria and toxins to be released. C. diff (as it is referred to in the medical world) is normally caused by antibiotics. At the time I was diagnosed with C.diff, I was taking the antibiotic tetracycline for my acne, a medicine that had been prescribed by my dermatologist. In order to kill the bacteria and toxins that had accumulated in my intestine, I was prescribed two rounds of the very strong antibiotic vancomycin. After taking this medication, I still did not feel better. I could not eat food without having diarrhea or severe stomach pains. As you can imagine, this was a nightmare for someone in the 10^th grade. All my teachers gave me special permission to run to the bathroom as needed during class time. I cringed every time I had to get up in leave – it was embarrassing and humiliating. I missed over 30 days of school that year. From that point forward, I would not go anywhere if I did not have access to a bathroom. I never fully recovered from C. diff., even being diagnosed with lactose intolerance as a result of the infection. After numerous tests and doctor visits, the doctors diagnosed me with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This syndrome is basically the catch-all category disease at the gastroenterologist office, meaning the doctors are not really sure what is wrong.
     
     Fast forward four years later and I was entering my sophomore year in college. The summer of my freshmen year I started exercising and making healthier eating choices. As a child I was always overweight, but after my freshmen year of college I had put on even more weight – weighing in at 175 pounds. I knew something had to change. My clothes were very snug and I refused to buy a bigger size. It was my brother who encouraged me to start exercising and his plan worked. I slowly changed the way I ate, but exercise was my main priority. By December of my sophomore year I was down 45 pounds. I was feeling great about myself, but I knew something was wrong. Up until this point I had always battled with diarrhea, but now I was struggling with constipation. Other symptoms included severe muscle aches, extreme sensitivity to cold temperatures, weight gain, and excessive fatigue. I distinctly remember calling my mother from the couch and telling her I was so tired that I could not get up – something very unusual for me. Luckily, my yearly check-up with my general doctor was coming up. After a blood test, it was confirmed that I had hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid gland. As soon as I starting taking the proper medication, I immediately felt better. The weight that I had tried so hard to lose seemed to fall right off. While I felt better, I was still dealing with some of the same stomach problems – alternating diarrhea and constipation, bloating, and stomach cramps. These were problems that kept me from leading a normal life.
     
     During the fall of my junior year, I began interviewing for accounting internships. I accepted a three-month tax internship with Reznick Group, P.C. in Atlanta, GA. This was a HUGE step for a girl who had never been away from home for longer than a week! I realized that I needed to get my stomach issues under control. With this internship, I would be expected to be at work every day, sick or not. Matt Rouse, a man that I worked with at church, suggested that I try a gluten-free diet (Matt and I shared similar digestive issues and would frequently discuss different foods, etc. that we had tried). I began an elimination diet, which included a gluten free diet, in October of 2009. This elimination diet prohibited gluten, dairy, corn, soy, oats (MY BELOVED OATMEAL!) peas, beans, nuts and soft drinks, because all of these foods are not easily digested by the human body. I followed this strict diet throughout my internship and it gave my intestines time to heal. All of a sudden my diarrhea went away. I can only recall one instance of being sick during my internship. Before starting this diet, being sick three to five days a week was not uncommon. Following such a strict diet was not easy! I almost cried after I left the grocery store for the first time, because I was so frustrated with my limited options. My love of cooking was born after this trip. If the grocery store didn't sell it, I decided I would create it. I refused to eat mediocre food because of my dietary limitations. The elimination diet involves slowly reintroducing the foods that you had eliminated back into your diet. I have gradually reintroduced peas, beans, nuts, corn, and oats. I cannot tolerate corn in its whole state, but I have been able to handle items made with corn meal and grits. Just a month or so ago I was finally able to have oats again for the first time and I now eat them on a daily basis. Sadly, dairy and gluten will never be something I can tolerate. Throughout numerous doctor appointments, not a single doctor mentioned a gluten free diet or an elimination diet. This is something I had to figure out myself with Matt's help (Thanks Matt!). The food we put in our bodies has a huge impact on our health and the LONG story I have written above is truly why food is so important to me. Food dictates the way I feel and how I function on a daily basis. Most days I am fine, but I still have days where I feel sick. By reducing the amount of processed food I eat, I am hoping to improve my health.
     
     Congratulations to you if you made it through this entire post! My new quest for unprocessed food will probably decrease the amount of coupons I use, but I will try my best to use them as effectively as possible. I am also considering an increase in the grocery budget to $60 a week. We are not spending $100 a month on toiletries, so I may pull excess money from that budget. I know you have been anxiously awaiting the budget numbers for the week! The total spent on groceries this week was $45.77 and the total spent on toiletry items was $3.15.

   

• Dairy
  • (1) Publix Greenwise Organic Milk @ $5.99
  • (1) Silk Almond Milk @ $3.49
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $2.49
  • Davidson's Safest Choice eggs @ $3.49
    • $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon - $2.74
• Grocery
  • (2) Publix Greenwise Organic Oats @ $3.98 or $1.99 each
  • 1 lb. Publix Navy Beans @ $1.79
  • 1 lb. Publix Pinto Beans @ $1.79
  • (4) Dole canned crushed pineapple (8 ounce) @ $3.00
    • (2) $1.00/2 manufacturer coupons - $1.00 or $0.25 each
  • (1) General Mills Original Cheerios (BOGO) - $2.50
    • $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.50
  • (2) Materne GOGO Squeeze applesauce (BOGO) @ $2.59
    • (2) $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $0.59 or $0.30 each
  • (1) Publix Pure Clover honey @ $2.99
• Meat
  • 1 ½ lbs. Publix Greenwise Chicken Drumsticks @ $3.69
  • 1 ½ lbs. Publix Greenwise Chicken Thighs @ $4.30
• Frozen
  • (1) Cascadian Farm Organic frozen spinach @ $2.69
    • $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.94
  • (1) Cascadian Farm Organic frozen broccoli @ $2.49
    • $0.75/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.74
  • (1) Van's Gluten free/Wheat free waffles (BOGO) @ $1.58
    • (1) $1.00/1 manufacturer coupons - $0.58
• Produce
  • Organic bananas @ $0.99/lb. - $2.05
  • Publix Greenwise Organic Baby Arugula @ $2.50
  • 1 lb. Publix Greenwise Organic Carrots @ $1.29/lb.
  • 2 lbs. Onions @ $2.00
  • 1 garlic bulb @ $0.30
• Other
  • (2) Right Guard deodorant (BOGO) - $3.89
    • (2) $1.00/1 manufacturer coupon - $1.89 or $0.95 each
  • (2) Chapstick medicated lip balm @ $2.00
    • $1.00/2 manufacturer coupon - $1.00 or $0.50 each
  
   
  $5.00 off $25.00 purchase Save-A-Lot competitor coupon
  
   
  Total before coupons         $65.17
  Less: coupons used            (16.25)
  Total with Tax                   $48.92