Michael Pollan

We were lucky to have Michael Pollan speak in our community last night on the importance of our health. Americans are so obsessed with weight control and nutrition and yet we are one of the unhealthiest nations on earth. Why is this? This was one of the main discussion points in Michael Pollan's lecture last night. Author of "The Omnivores Dilema" and "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto", he has a great understanding of the importance of eating wholesome, locally grown foods, that support our health and our communities. Why is it that we think imitation food is better then the real thing? Why do we think we get better nutrition out of a vitamin then the real source of vitamins/minerals in the food themselves?

He had some good words of advice when confronting choices of what to eat:

• Quality is better then quantity. You get more nutrition (& taste) out of an organic tomato then you would out of a commercially grown tomato that is filled with pesticides/chemicals to make it bigger and grow faster. The price might be more for the organic tomato but it's likely going back into your community instead of a corporations pocket.

• 5 ingredients- Anything more is probably not food

• Do you know what all the ingredients are? Can you pronounce them?

• Food is perishable. If it doesn't mold or rot it probably isn't good for you, i.e. Twinkies

• Eat around the perimeter of the grocery store. This is where the produce, dairy, whole grains live.

• Sit down to a meal. Eating on the run causes us to eat more of things that are not good for us.

• Would your great-grandmother recognize that as food?

• And finally, enjoy eating- eat with friends, family, and neighbors. Make it the social and cultural experience that is suppose to be and you will find you eat smaller proportions and slower, while enjoying the company of those you love. Isn't this why Europeans are so skinny?

I appreciated hearing Michael Pollan speak and am encouraged to support our health and well-being in our own community through co-ops like Idaho's Bounty and starting a garden next summer!

Well Wishes to Wanda

I found out this morning that my sister Erin & her husband, Gabe's dog, Wanda, was in a horrible fight with another dog. Wanda is an Australian cattle dog and only about 30 lbs. Sweet natured and once a professional frisbee dog. The other dog was a 60lb pitbull and belonged to their roommate. When Gabe found Wanda in their home she was lying in a puddle of her own blood barely alive. He rushed her to the vet and after some grueling decisions and a night of agony, Wanda is luckily on the road to recovery. I'm so saddened for their family and know that their dogs are like children. We are wishing Wanda a speedy recovery! xoxo

Bright Future

I am elated that our new president elect is Barak Obama! After a moving acceptance speech I found myself in tears, relieved that our future leader of the United States is someone I believe in, support, and admire. I am so grateful that the majority of US citizens feel the same.

Hooray for the United States! Here is to a bright future ahead!

VOTE!

Halloooweeeennn!

I have to admit I was not really into Halloween this year until...about one hour before when Zach and I decided to dress up and we started getting trick-or-treater's. 30 kids in about 20 minutes! I didn't realize how many little tot's where in our neighborhood until they started showing up in swarms. Knowing most of their parents it was funny to see them watching the action in the background, enjoying their little monsters and princesses racing around for little pieces of candy. Zach and I recycled our costumes from last year that we used on our Grand Canyon trip down the Colorado. We spiced them up a little but managed to make "Napoleon & Dynamite" look pretty good. Our friends- Sarah, Jenna, and Willie where a skit from Saturday Night Live (Celebrity Jeopardy- Turd Furgason, Alex Trabeck, and Sean Connery).

I have found memories of being a kid in Reno, racing around on rollerblades trying to get the most candy. And I'll never forget when I got kidneystones one year and couldn't go trick-or-treating. Luckily, my sister Erin shared her candy with me.

I didn't have enough time to snap pictures of all the little kiddies at the door but did receive some adorable pictures from my sister, Addie, and her little ones dressed up! Avery was "Daisy LaDuke" and Callie was a "Yale cheerleader and Ariel".