October #Unprocessed

We are getting back into the groove of fall after our big spurt of late summer activity.  This week began October #Unprocessed from the Eating Rules website.  I stumbled across this a little over a month ago, and jumped on board with it.  Part of growing so much of our own food has involved becoming increasingly aware of what we are purchasing.  I began more intently reading labels and trying to make good choices in staples that we did not grow, and those things that we treat ourselves to.  We slowly began to eliminate highly processed and edible food-like items.  Like many things on this journey of ours, it is not all or nothing, we are gradually finding balance and peace with our food choices.

We have been moving in this direction for quite a while and much of what we eat we try to make from scratch with simple and flavorful ingredients.  When we purchase we look for organic, grass fed, hormone free, non-GMO items.   My focus for this month, aside from being even more conscious of our meals, is to begin to experiment and transition to more pure forms of sugar and wheat.  So far I have made a few items using only honey, pure maple syrup, and/or molasses as sweeteners, and they have worked quite successfully.  I am also playing around some with turbinado.  In my baking I am using primarily 100% whole wheat flour and learning how to manage recipes with it. 

The October #Unprocessed philosophy is not militant or unattainable.  It simply asks that you eliminate things that you could not create on your own at home with the ingredients listed on the package.  For example, I purchased soba noodles yesterday.  The ingredients listed were:  100% buckwheat flour & water.  Something I could easily make on my own, in my kitchen, if I had time.  You would be surprised at the number of things that you could make on your own based on the ingredient list on the side of a box (another good one I found was triscuits :) You may also be surprised at the length of ingredient lists on boxes full of words that you cannot pronounce or blanket words like 'natural flavor'.  It is all in the marketing.  Just do not fall prey to it.  Because it says it is 'natural' does not mean that is so, check the label, you might be very surprised!  A group of us on facebook have created a page where we are sharing not only the days recipes, but any challenges that we may be facing as we move through the month.   It also is about improvement, and learning.  So even if you can not commit to being 'all in', maybe you can focus on one thing.  For example try eliminating high fructose corn syrup this month.   Care to join in?  It is not too late!  Click on the link above and check it out!!