Welcome!!!

Welcome to my blog! This is the first of many entries that I will be making. This blog will be a journal of my adventures of learning how to shop for and prepare healthy, fresh meals for my friends and family. I have absolutely no experience in the kitchen whatsoever, but have been finding myself more and more convicted of the food I eat.

Part of my new revelation stems from becoming a "stay-at-home-mom", as I have ample time to prepare meals, the desire to learn to cook and eat well, and want to be able to pass this onto my daughter. It was one thing to fill my body full of Taco Bell and ice-cream, but it would be selfish and unethical to pass on that lifestyle to my child, who relies solely on me for her nutritional health.

Other factors that have influenced me lately, as I have begun looking deeper into issues surrounding food, have been movies, media, and television. Did you know there have been several documentaries about the food industry that will inform you about the disgusting reality of the food we eat? So disgusting, in fact, that once you begin finding out the truth, it is impossible to go back to the way you used to eat (which is a good thing). By far, the most amazing source of inspiration for me has been Jamie Oliver. He has been the famous "naked chef" for quite some time, starring in t.v. shows and specials in the U.K. for quite some time, but has recently come to the U.S. to start a Food Revolution. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution television show will conclude after 6 episodes, but after one, my heart was changed for good. I knew that I had to be a part of the revolution. Even if all I ever do is cook healthy meals for my children, I know that I will have done something huge.

I am the third generation of people in this country who has not cooked regularly at home. My grandmother's generation was delighted to take full advantage of the modern conveniences of it's time. My mother's generation was dramatically more reliant on these conveniences as more and more households consisted of two parents who worked full-time. T.V. dinners made in the microwave, boxed, canned, frozen, pre-made meals, etc. became the welcomed norm for every meal. Since then, these convenience foods have gotten even worse, being packed full with toxic preservatives and artificial ingredients. What the average person in America is eating on a regular basis no longer resembles food, but is more like a product of man-made "stuff" that passes as food.

If I can learn the truth about food, and learn to buy food that is real, made of real ingredients, and learn to prepare the food in my tiny, outdated kitchen, with a result of meals that actually taste good, on a consistent basis, then anybody can do it! My hope is that my blog might influence just one other person to try to change, to make better choices, to face their fears in the kitchen and have the courage to give the finger to the large corporations that are killing us with their poisonous convenience foods and to eat well.

Viva La Food Revolution!!!!