Real Food Confession: Katie of Kitchen Stewardship

Today we have Katie from Kitchen Stewardship joining us to share her real food confessions!

How “into” real food are you?  (how long have you been doing it, how many different foods do you make from scratch, etc.)

Although by most standards, my mother cooked from scratch a lot, and I even made things like homemade chicken stock and homemade spaghetti sauce (although with Campbell’s tomato soup as the base) in college, my transition to “true” real food has been happening since my first pregnancy eight years ago.

I always tell people, when food comes up, that I make everything from scratch, and in case they don’t believe me, I list things like homemade yogurt, homemade crackers, and even homemade salad dressings.

What is one food you just can’t make yourself? (even if you’ve tried a lot…!)

I don’t do pasta (did it once, just TOO much work for me!) and I don’t do tortilla chips, for pretty much the same reason. I know I could make tasty ones, but I haven’t nixtamalized my own corn yet either, so the organic tortilla chips from the store are probably only slightly worse for me than homemade would be (although I would use a healthier fat, which is a big deal, I suppose).

How much of what your family eats is *really* homemade? (vs. storebought, restaurants, etc.)

Hmmmm…good question. Probably 60-80%, depending on what’s going on around here! And it depends on if you count things like butter, which I can’t make enough homemade for all my recipes.

What is one junk food or processed food your family still eats?

Tortilla chips (and ice cream – no room in the freezer for an ice cream maker bucket!)

What is the worst thing your family’s eaten in the last few months?  Why?

Probably the one-quarter of a doughnut I let my kids have after church on Sunday! Ugh, white flour, sugar, and trans fats, the trifecta of food evils.

What’s one area where you won’t compromise, no matter why?  Why?

Artificial sweeteners. Because I have to have ONE line that I’m a total jerk about, right? These guys have no purpose whatsoever and should be easy to avoid. I wish I could say “trans fats” too, but I’m just not there yet, sadly. I won’t make anything with trans fats, but they sneak into things so easily….

What’s your best tip for eating real food in the real world?

Focus on fruits, vegetables and meat when you’re eating out. At home, just find great recipes and do your best, and don’t beat yourself up about the times you fudge it.

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