Today we’re lucky enough to feature TWO bloggers: Kristen of The Frugal Girl, and Faith of Storm Stories. You can also find Faith contributing at Modern Alternative Kitchen.
Kristen of The Frugal Girl
How “into” real food are you? (how long have you been doing it, how many different foods do you make from scratch, etc.)
I’d rate myself maybe a 7/10! I’ve been cooking and baking from scratch since I was a teenager and I’m kind of a homemade food snob. I just think it tastes better.
What is one food you just can’t make yourself? (even if you’ve tried a lot…!)
I’d say tortillas! I’ve tried a few different recipes, and mine have always been kind of tough.
How much of what your family eats is *really* homemade? (vs. storebought, restaurants, etc.)
Probably around 75%, though that’s a very not-scientific guess on my part.
What is one junk food or processed food your family still eats?
Cold cereal. We don’t eat it every single morning, but we always have a few boxes in the house for quick breakfasts.
What is the worst thing your family’s eaten in the last few months? Why?
Probably a meal of takeout pizza, potato chips, and soda. It was an impromptu get-together with friends, so I didn’t have time to plan and cook a healthier meal. But I’m not worried about it. The important thing is how we eat from day to day. The occasional junk food meal won’t kill us.
What’s one area where you won’t compromise, no matter what? Why?
I will not buy factory-farmed beef, and rarely will buy factory-farmed chicken. I also hardly ever buy foods with high-fructose corn syrup in them.
What’s your best tip for eating real food in the real world?
Plan, plan, plan. Cooking and preparing real food doesn’t take tons of extra time if you set aside a half hour or so each week to plan out the meals and make a grocery list.
Kristen writes about cheerfully living on less on her blog, The Frugal Girl. She works hard to create a happy life on a budget for her husband and four kids, and is passionate about simplicity, photography, homeschooling, eco-friendly living, and Jesus.
Faith of Storm Stories
How “into” real food are you? (how long have you been doing it, how many different foods do you make from scratch, etc.)
I have been feeding my family real food for about a year now. I make just about all of it from scratch…everything from mayo to pancakes. However…
What is one food you just can’t make yourself? (even if you’ve tried a lot…!)
I can’t make yogurt! I am lactose intolerant and can only tolerate Greek yogurt. I made homemade yogurt once and it turned out great! But, when I took my 10 cups of yogurt and strained it through cheesecloth to remove the whey and get Greek yogurt, I ended up with a measly 3 cups of Greek yogurt. I decided that is not worth my time, money and effort, so I am back to buying yogurt from the store. I also can’t seem to get the hang of making bread, so we just don’t eat it anymore!
How much of what your family eats is *really* homemade? (vs. storebought, restaurants, etc.)
Unless we are eating out with family for a special occasion, we NEVER eat out. There is just simply no room for it in our budget, so we don’t do it. When we do go out with family, I steer everyone towards the select few restaurants in the area that serve food I am comfortable with eating and offering to my husband and son. I do not purchase “convenience” food at the store anymore. My husband jokes that I don’t buy food at the store, I buy ingredients to make food!
What is one junk food or processed food your family still eats?
Honestly, the only processed food we still eat is the storebought yogurt.
What is the worst thing your family’s eaten in the last few months? Why?
My husband works for his dad’s insurance company a few days a week. Part of this job is being a presence in the community and supporting local businesses. This translates into eating lunch out on the company dime almost every day. My husband has eaten everything from fried chicken at the local greasy spoon to pre-made ham sandwiches from the community owned grocery store. There is a fine line between making healthy choices and hurting business, so my husband saddles up and eats the bad-for-him food.
What’s one area where you won’t compromise, no matter why? Why?
I will not compromise on soy. Once upon a time, I drank, cooked and baked with soy milk. *shudder* I wish I knew then what I knew now. GMO infested, estrogen mimicking…the list goes on. I can only pray that my son will not be affected by the large amounts of soy I ingested while pregnant with him.
What’s your best tip for eating real food in the real world?
It depends on where you are in your real food journey, but my best tip for newbies is to begin reading labels. You will be shocked at what is in the supposedly “healthy” foods you are feeding your family.
Faith is first a daughter of the King, second a wife to Kerry and third a mommy to Julian. She took her family on a real food journey starting in June of 2011 and, although they have come a LONG way since then, there is still so much more she wants to learn. She is blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home mom, which was always her answer to the “what do you want to be when you grow up” question as a little girl. In addition to being passionate about real food, she has a heart for orphans and looks forward to the day that she and her husband can become forever parents to a child in need. Check out her blog,Storms Stories, to read more about faith, food and family!
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TESTING!
