Ask the Housewife: Round Five

Jaime says:  Do you eat peanut butter? If so, what kind? Or do you use nutella or something different like that…and have you talked about this before? I have that baby-brain-lack-of-sleep-thing going on and I just can’t remember!  I’m also anxious to hear about your opinion on sugar substitutes like Stevia.  You have made me look at everything I buy in a new light.   Do you still visit Starbucks?

Peanut butter, oh yes!  We love the peanut butter around here.  Sometimes I buy the organic store brand.  Sometimes I buy Crazy Richard’s because there is nothing added, but it’s still creamy.  Sometimes I buy the No Stir Creamy Organic by MaraNatha, if I can get it on sale.

I have not tried those sugar substitutes, although I recently received a box full of NuStevia products to try, as well as a bottle of Xagave (Agave Nectar).  I need to do more research on these before I can speak about them intelligently, but my instincts tell me that I’d rather stick to Sucanat (unrefined sugar), raw honey and pure maple syrup to accommodate my sweet tooth.

And I most certainly still visit Starbucks.  I ask for whole milk in my mocha latte and try to forget about the refined sugars I’m consuming. 

Michelle asks:  How did your kids adjust to you changing their diet? Your husband? Has it changed your kids’s moods/behaviour since switching?  What’s one or two non-whole foods that you indulge in?

My kids have been surprisingly receptive.  One child would prefer store bought bread, but the others like my homemade better.  They miss boxed cereals, but as long as I make pancakes or French toast a few times a week, they don’t complain.  Fortunately they like my whole grain pancakes and French toast made with homemade bread.  Lunches and dinners don’t look that different than they used to.  They love fruit, so as long as I keep plenty of that around, they are happy to snack on that.  And they also love popcorn cooked on the stove top for a snack.

It’s hard to say about their moods and behavior, but it may be helping the one child who was having potential attention issues in school.  Last year the teacher had concerns, and this year the teacher does not.  We do see some improvement around the house too.  Of course, it could be that the child is maturing, or that the teachers have different expectations, of course, so it’s hard to say.

Non-whole foods I indulge in?  I buy crackers because I like them with cheese.  I usually buy Kashi, but not always.  And we keep tortilla chips and salsa around because it’s pretty easy to find them with only wholesome ingredients and we all like them.

Sara says:  What do you use for mayo? Every one I have found is made of canola oil. I have trouble finding subs for oils in recipes. Not everything is going to taste right with olive oil or coconut oil. What do you do?

I use Kraft.  I haven’t started making my own.  You may want to try Kelly’s recipe.  It sounds like she has it down to a science.  In fact, I might get ambitious enough to try it one of these days.

Okay, one more.

Stephanie has three questions:

1. What do you eat/serve for breakfast on most mornings?

I usually eat homemade granola with raw milk on it (and coffee, of course.)  For the kids, I make eggs or oatmeal or toast on homemade bread.  Sometimes I make pancakes or waffles or French toast.

2. What are your 5 favorite, go-to snacks for your kids – and yourself?

Snacks are harder.  Let’s see.  1) Fruit is always available – apples, bananas, grapes, and oranges are our favorites.  In the summer we like raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and peaches.  2) Popcorn.  I pop it in coconut oil on the stovetop.  The whole house smells like a movie theater.  3) Chips and salsa is easy to keep around.  4) Yogurt.  I don’t make my own, but I buy it from a local farm.  5) Cheese and crackers.  As I said above, I usually buy Kashi’s crackers.  And I buy a variety of different cheeses, but always real cheese.  I try to avoid processed American cheese slices and even those yummy spreads.

3. How many nights per week do you eat meatless meals?

Almost never.  We like our meat around here.