This carnival will replace our usual Pennywise Carnival, which will resume next week. I will be keeping this carnival open for this whole week.
I hope that everyone has had a wonderful new year so far (five days into it). We just got back from my brother in law’s wedding. It was wonderful. Our three year old was a flower girl, which was a fun, exciting, and crazy adventure. I will have to tell you all about it soon. And I am leaving again tomorrow! After that life will settle down a little bit more.
Meanwhile, I didn’t want to lose the opportunity to do a New Year’s Resolution carnival. I did this last year and it was so fun to see everyone’s goals. It can be so easy for all of us to start not eating as well as we would like, losing traditional methods of preparations, or just plain not cooking as much as we want too! I find that overtime I can allow lazy habits to creep in. That’s why I think it’s important to set aside a few minutes to evaluate what I want for our food habits and how close I am to meeting those goals. And what better time than the beginning of the new year?
So I think it’s time to have a slightly belated carnival sharing our nourishing resolutions for the new year. What new things we want to learn about and incorporate, old good habits we want to resurrect and new habits we want to form. I will share my goals in a minute, but first let me share a few tips I shared last year for goal making. And then I will put a Mr. Linky in for you all to use.
5 Tips for Making Resolutions
As an addicted goal maker, I know that there are downfalls to making resolutions, so I thought I would share a few little tips that help me make resolutions that are doable.
1. Don’t make your goal too big. Keep your goals honest. It may sound good to be able to write out grandiose resolutions, but the largeness of them will paralyze you from making any steps. Don’t aim for the impossible.
2. Instead, make doable goals that are simple for you to accomplish. For example, instead of making the goal, “Convert all old family recipes to become more nourishing”, make your goal to “Convert 3 favorite family recipes to use nourishing ingredients”. Instead of making the goal, “Mastering All Nourishing Practices”, make the goal of adding in one technique, such as soaking grains, or using natural sweeteners, or taking out prepackaged food.
This is really the most important tip I can give, as I have personally found it so helpful. For example last year, I had very specific small goals, such as “Learn how to make three new nourishing snack recipes” or “Try out three new lacto-fermented recipes”, or “Incorporate more bone broths into our diet”. With my goals printed out (see tip four), I was able to keep track of my progress. This gave me more motivation to meet the next goal as I tracked the progress I was making with each check I made.
I have found it much more productive to make many small goals, then just a few big goals. Keeping my goals in the “baby steps” form helped me to meet all of my goals without feeling overwhelmed.
3. Making a loose timeline to accomplish those resolutions can be helpful as well. Perhaps you can make one small baby step towards better nutrition each month, so that there is a pace to meeting your resolutions. The better planned out your steps are towards meeting your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.
4. Print out your resolutions and put them somewhere you can see them so that you will be reminded to keep working on those resolutions. Make yourself review your resolutions, and don’t let them gather dust. But also remember that they aren’t set in stone. If you find one really impossible, or if you find that your goals are very easy to meet, adjust as needed.
5. Finally, let your goals inspire you to improve, but not condemn you for where you currently are. There should be a feeling of excitement in meeting goals, not depression over unmet goals. Keeping the goals small enough to accomplish easily (tip 2) helps you feel a sense of accomplishment as you are able move on to the next one.
Kimi’s Nourishing Goals for the New Year
1) Start being stricter with my food budget!
Last month, with extra special meals and traveling, we didn’t even try very hard to stay within our normal food budget. I need to tighten my food budget belt again.
My goal for this month is to effectively use my pantry and freezer to cut back on spending so that I can order a few expensive pantry items I need (coconut oil from Mountain Rose Herbs and extra virgin olive oil from Chaffin Orchards, for example).
My long term goal for this year is to start, once again, tracking my expenses more deliberately so that I can see what I spend the most on and evaluating my spending habits.
2) Continue Bringing in Seafood
Last year my personal goal was to eat more seafood. I was very happy with the result because I was able to bring in seafood into our diet about once a week without raising our budget at all. I want to continue that good pattern and make it more consistent. My goal is to eat seafood first once a week consistently this month, and then up it to two days a week in February.
3) Bring three new fermented vegetable recipes into rotation with sauerkraut. Starting with one this month.
4) Concentrate on bringing in more calcium rich foods
I need to find a good source for goat’s milk and continue making bone broths. I want to make sure that Elena has plenty of calcium every single day. I will follow through on goat’s milk today or tomorrow.
5) Desserts Once a Week
With Christmas behind us, I am looking forward to only having dessert once a week or less. Saves money and time and is good for our health too. It also makes is super special when we do have dessert. Effective immediately.
And now it’s your turn! To participate, either leave a comment with your resolutions, or blog about it on your own blog, link to this post, and then leave a link below. Happy New Year to everyone!
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Lisa Z
How and where do you buy your seafood? What are your top choices for seafood? I’m never quite sure whether to be getting shellfish, fish, oysters and what type (fresh are not very good here in our small city in Minnesota–are tinned, smoked oysters okay?), etc. I’d like to add more seafood to our diet, too, but beyond salmon and other fish am not sure what has the most value.
KimiHarris
That’s a great question! I will do a Q and A post on that next week I think! This time it may be a written out one though. 🙂
Kara
The monterey bay aquarium has an awesome pocket guide to seafood:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/download.aspx
Katy@ThoughtForFood
I’m ditto-ing the question on seafood. This one has me totally stumped — how to incorporate it into our diet without breaking the bank. What’s your go-to, tried-and-true, baseline way to get your seafood?
Katy@ThoughtForFood
Oh, and my resolutions:
1) Acquire a dehydrator so I can start properly soaking all nuts and grains.
2) Learn to master sourdough, and make it regularly.
3) Keep my newly-acquired kombucha scoby alive and well, and make lots of kombucha (loving it so far!).
4) Once I can get more raw milk from my source, start making our yogurt from raw rather than organic commercial milk.
Peggy
I don’t really make resolutions because I like to be ready to learn and implement on the fly. I’d like to become more involved in the local food economy, reduce fast food and processed food even further, and try some new fermentation methods. I would have really missed a lot and probably not achieved as much if I had “resolved” last year’s changes!
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best
These are very good and doable resolutions to have!
Lori
I would like to:
Purchase raw milk regularly. This will take some effort as our county has it completely outlawed.
Use fish stock more regularly.
Incoporate organ meat more…
All while sticking to our food budget, somehow.
Jessie
My main food goal for the year is to source more meat from pastured sources (or wild if seafood). To keep costs down, this will likely mean buying in bulk – which also means buying a freezer.
I also want to lacto-ferment regularly so that we can have something fermented at every meal.
We are unable to participate in 1 CSA from last year due to logistics / transportation. I would like to find a good replacement for this food.
My “bonus” goal would be to can tomatoes this summer.
Jessie
Oh – one other goal I have is to learn some Indian lentil recipes. If I’m buying all pastured meat, I’ll need to learn some tricks to do some cheaper meals, and I think it would be fun to do Indian.
Raine Saunders
My post is about embracing sustainability as a way to make changes in the new year. Thanks for this carnvial, Kimi! Happy new year!
Nanci Garon
When my daughter was visiting, we set up a system for stock and soup. We saved all the trim from the soup to use in the stock. The 4 pounds of chicken soup bones cost $3.46. We had a huge pot of stock to make two pots of soup.
We were doing the GAPS intro. This time of year, soup is great!!!
Nanci Garon
Soup is a great way to use cheaper cuts of meat…..
Lindsay
Great goals!
I will make a goal to try raw milk or goat’s milk begin purchasing local eggs. I am surrounded by these things locally and haven’t yet tried them!! I also would like to study Nourishing Traditions more and perhaps find some of the research she refers to and read it myself –that would be responsible I think. I am seriously considering taking hunter’s safety also and joining my husband in his hobby. He told me that a cow elk tag is only $40.00! THAT is economical!
I would like to recommend purebreadsourdough.com for anyone with a sourdough goal. I am not and have never been a great breadmaker but this sourdough works and is so easy for me –even with four children. No kneading!
Thanks for helping me make these resolutions Kimi!
Lindsay
NancyO
One of my favorite “Sally passages” seems just right here….
“It [broth/gelatin] is a necessity in cultures that do not use milk because only stock made from bones and dairy products provides calcium in a form that the body can easily assimilate. It is also a necessity when meat is a luxury item, because gelatin in properly made broth helps the body use protein in an efficient way.” “Broth is Beautiful” by Sally Fallon (westonaprice.org/Broth-is-Beautiful.htm)
More bone broth was my 09 goal. I’m happy to report I rarely missed a week without a pot simmering, and it was, for the most part, a painless addition that has made our meals richer and more satisfying. My goal this year is to find more and more ways to use it to stretch our grass-fed, pastured, and wild meats. May God bless our efforts to nourish our families and use our resources wisely!
Andrea
Kimi,
I really enjoy your blog with all of its great information and pictures! Do you have an email that I can send questions to?
Ann Marie @ CHEESESLAVE
Wonderful goals, Kimi! You are an inspiration.
Thanks so much for posting this carnival. I’m going to get the toddler and myself into our jams, get a glass of warm raw milk, and make my list of resolutions. Thanks for the motivation to do so!
xoxo
tina
I plan to try my hand at making beef jerky. I’d also like to make fermented alcoholic drinks. My husband likes his beer and rather than nag him to stop drinking, I’ll make something that he’ll enjoy and that might actually be good for him.
Jenn
I’m trying to get myself going on the things I know I should be doing, but am dragging my heals on! They aren’t difficult, I just need to do them!
So, here’s my list. There are quite a few things on the list, but I do have 12 months to get it going! I’m trying not to get discouraged by the amount, and just put on paper the things that speak to my heart:
Add fermented foods to the lineup; Eat once a day
Learn to prepare tasty organ meats; Add 1-2 times a week
Stay positive; Don’t give in to emotional (not physical) cravings and sadness/frustration
Can tomatoes this summer
Find raw milk
Find new ways to add broth to a meal a day
Shop at the farmers market when possible
Find a local source of pastured meats
mckenna
#1 Enroll in a whole foods, science-based, nutrition educator certificate program
#2 Learn more about fermented and raw foods, incorporate them in my diet
#3 Find a CSA and grass-fed meat source in our new location, Monterey, CA.
#4 Learn how to can/preserve things
#5 Stick to a budget!
Kimi, I am a first time commenter but I read your blog daily. I enjoy it very much. Thanks for the attention that you put into it. Its motivated me to do a blog as well!
scarlet
My main nourishing resolution? Find neighbours with coconut trees and start making my own coconut oil and milk. I also want to start making networks with local farmers to see if I can get some grass-fed meat on the black market (it’s illegal here, although raw milk is readily available. Oh, french beaurocracy…)
By the way, several people have said they want to eat more organ meats. I am a chicken liver addict, and have a fab recipe if anyone’s interested.
Stephanie@OneBigAdventure
Oh Scarlet, PLEASE share your chicken liver recipe! We have LOTS of chicken livers (we do pastured poultry in GA) and we really want to find a way to like them!
scarlet
Ok here goes, although it’s not very exact! It’s a dish my hungarian grandmother always made, and something I make quite often. The trick is to use lots of onions, which give the livers a sweetness that masks their strong flavour.
Start off slicing about 3 onions, plus as much garlic as you can handle.
Cook the onions nice and slowly in a big cast iron pan if you have it, so they get soft and sweet. You’ll need quite a bit of fat like lard or olive oil to get the flavour right. Add the garlic, plus a couple of tablespoons of hungarian paprika (not smoked or spicy or any of those other ones) and cook another couple of minutes. Add some salt and pepper as well. Turn up the heat a bit, and add the chicken livers (maybe 2 cups?), cooking until they’re lightly browned. Now add some wine (red if you’re eating as is, white if you want to add some cream later) and simmer for maybe 15 minutes until nice and tender.
If I’ve used white wine, I like to stir in some cream and heat it up for a couple of minutes before I serve. Serve with a thick pasta like penne or fettucine, or with lots of yummy bread for the sauce. Enjoy!
emily- www.mplsrealfoodlover.com
wow, this sounds simple and very yum!
emily- www.mplsrealfoodlover.com
weird, grass-fed beef is illegal? but raw milk is not?
scarlet
Yep, and unfortunately I eat meat but no dairy! So I don’t really benefit from the raw milk 🙁
Lori
My two areas of focus this year are:
1. Expand my knowledge of herbs, herbalism, and foraging. Make a salve. Make a tincture.
2. Rework my food budget to allow one grass-fed beef meal or one pastured chicken meal every week. Commit to at least one beans-based meal a week to support the meat goal.
Kara
One of my last year’s New Year’s resolution was to eat homemade pudding every day! This year I had a few more practical, kitchen basic ones. Not on the list, is to start soaking my grains and give sprouting a try.
Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free
I so enjoyed reading your goals. I didn’t add the ‘more seafood’ to my list although it’s something that I’ve been doing for the last few weeks. It’s been more of an effort on my part to get to the store the day I want to cook the fish, but it’s worth it in terms of health benefits. It’s also been fun learning about the different sustainable fish available and how to cook them.
I also agree with your tips, especially about doable goals! I hear from people regularly that set themselves up for failure by setting goals that are so unrealistic.
carrie @ Deliciously Organic
Great post! Thanks for sharing!
1. Perfect whole wheat sourdough.
2. Incorporate kefir into our diet more as a family.
Rebekah
Thank you for your post, Kimi. I am very new to all of these “nourishing traditions, but my husband and I have been trying to incorporate a few at at time the last two years we’ve been married. However, I find with all the emphasis on the “new,” I am so very worried about the old. I am eight months pregnant with our first child, and often, I fear that the damage is already done. I attended the Weston Price conference earlier this year, and there they stressed the importance of abstaining from the western diet for two years before conceiving. How is this even possible, when switching is such learning curve, and our baby is already almost here?
Janet Reynolds
It is natural to be worried about things while you are pregnant – your hormones almost set you up for it. However, truly, if you spend your life *worried* about nutrition, you will do more harm to yourself and your children through stress and inconsistent ricochets between programs than through mistakes you can do nothing about now. And anyone who speaks to you about your nutrition in such urgent tones as to convince you that you should have waited two years before getting pregnant should be ashamed of themselves. Your baby is probably going to be just as perfect as s/he can be in this fallen world, and if there are serious problems I assure you it wasn’t because you didn’t drink raw milk. The real battles of the flesh are spiritual, honey. Follow your conscience as to what you eat, but keep your eyes on the Lord. His mercies are new every morning!
Jen
Hi Rebekah. Iwant to encourage you not to worry about your previous diet, and focus on the joy of your pregnancy and new baby!
I had the most atrocious diet while pregnant with my 2 yo son. It wasn’t until he was a few months old that I discovered nourishing foods. Even worse, I was unable to breast feed past 2 months, and had to use formula.
Once I discovered Nourishing Traditions, I committed to change our diet one thing at a time, so that by the time he began eating solids, our food would be real food. He is a very intelligent, happy, healthy, thriving toddler who is rarely sick. In fact he’s only been sick twice, and the last time was over a year ago. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and incorporate new things as you can. The healing nature of real foods is great!
Best wishes to your family!
Rebekah
Thank you Janet and Jen. I think I just selfishly wanted a little reassurance! Some times this nourishing eating thing is so confusing and difficult, but we will keep doing the best we can. God is good 🙂 Blessings on you and your families!
emily- www.mplsrealfoodlover.com
my personal food goals are to go gluten, grain and… mostly sugar free. yikes!
susan
i would also like to know more about best types of seafood to eat. i know wpf recommends shellfish such as shrimp, but i’ve read elsewhere that shrimp and crab are “bottom feeders” so what they eat may not be very clean. i know about monterey bay aquarium’s list of sustainable fish but i’d like to see a list that also addresses where the cleanest waters are. susan
Katie
Thanks for doing this carnival Kimi! My goals this year are:
continue to purchase raw milk, pastured meat, pastured eggs, introduce sprouted beans and grains and join a csa. I would also like to try my hand at lacto fermentation, but that is a bonus goal 🙂
Ellen
It’s fun to read everyone’s goals!
I’m trying very hard this year to take 2 or 3 steps forward before taking 1 backwards where sugar consumption is concerned! My son and I crave it; my husband does much better. So, while we eat loads of good butter, cream and eggs, there’s still too much sweet stuff involved.
I’m also trying to use coconut oil as much as possible. We all like the taste of it, but I usually see it sitting on the counter long after I’ve cooked with olive oil or butter.
Thirdly, I hope to have more of a meal plan in place, so that we don’t fall back on going out to grab something as often. We usually get semi-healthy food when we go out, but it would be better cooked at home.
Thanks!
Jennifer S.
my 2010 goals are listed here on my blog
http://www.twiceshydesign.com/blog/2010/01/731/
January 6th, was my one year anniversary of going gluten free…and it has changed my young family’s lives so much…and we are so excited to see what 2010 brings!
Mrs. U
Hi!
Sorry to add this random comment to this post, but I couldn’t find an email address. It’s probably right in front of my eyes! HA!
Anyway, I’ve been reading The Maker’s Diet and he mentioned fermented sweet potatoes. Do you have any idea how to do this???
His,
Mrs. U
Mrs. U
Oops!! Disregard my previous comment!! LOL! I just thought “Hey, what don’t I look in my Nourishing Traditions” and, voila, there it was!!! HA!
So… never mind… 🙂
Thank you for your site! SO helpful!
His,
Mrs. U
Alisse
Kimi, I’ve heard that barley water is rich in calcium! The magazine Wise Traditions is my trustworthy source for that information. The recipe for barley water follows:
Here is how you can make barley water for yourself. Add 2 tablespoons of pearl barley to 1 pint of water and boil the mixture for 10 minutes. Strain, and then add the leftover barley to a fresh pint of water. Then boil this mixture for another 10 minutes. Strain the barley and serve the
water warm or cold, with lemon and honey to enhance the flavor.
I’m sure raw milk is important, but perhaps you could dilute it (or bone broth) with barley water. I like that it’s frugal and it’s sound so easy to make!
Alisse
Update (from the westonaprice website):
“Barley water: How do you make it? All you do is soak pearled barley, a cup full, in a milk bottle or quart bottle full of water in the icebox. In the old days they used to use boiling water and make a tea but now with iceboxes we don’t have to cook it to keep it from spoiling. You can soak it in the icebox for twenty-four hours, drain off the water, throw out your barley, and keep the water for drinking.”
AmandaonMaui
Create a gluten free sourdough bread recipe that is mostly whole grains and doesn’t use the alcohol fermentation process (yeast and sugar) to get it started.
Soak my grains, eat oatmeal most days of the week and smoothies with some greens added the other days. Soaked pancakes on some weekends. If they’re not soaked we will have eggs and sourdough toast.
Get my compost really turning into compost instead of just sitting there. Get my garden fully operational.
Unfortunately the only raw milk I can get my hands on is goats milk and my partner is allergic to it. But, we have switched the whole milk. That was a battle. I try to get just pasteurized most of the time, but the expiration date is so close most of the time I end up with the Ultra Pasteurized Organic. I’d like to only buy the local pasteurized milk (not organic though) and turn the extras into kefir.
I want to put fish into our meal plan each week, and to go for a hike at least once a week with treadmill use and yoga the rest of the week.
I’d also like to find a fermented vegetable that we’ll like and that we’ll eat regularly. It’s just hard doing some food pairing with the fermented vegetables. If anyone has ideas let me know.