delicious string beans!

is it "string beans" or "stringed beans"? i'm not too sure. either way, this recipe is an absolutely delicious and easy one that i stumbled upon one day while frustrated with canned beans, and finding a lone pack of frozen beans in the back of the freezer just waiting to be experimented with. after this, i will NEVER go back to eating ANY string/ed beans out of a can again! these are so tasty that i'll make up a batch every now and again just to munch on when i'm hungry.  they are that good (and healthy for you too!) you will need:

1 bag of frozen string/ed beans

2 tbsp butter

salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

in a sautee pan, OR a regular frying pan (which i use cus i'm not fancy) simply thaw out the beans over high heat and once the water is mostly evaporated, add butter. stir well to coat the beans with butter, and then add the seasonings to taste. cook until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes over high heat. serve immediately.

you can always cook the beans longer to make them crispier, or shorter to make them softer. i like a really crisp bite to mine so i actually cook mine until a few of them are overcooked (about 7 minutes in all on high heat), then i just blend them all well and serve. delicious!

it looked so good i had to take a picture!

today's lunch was a veggie burger with mozzarella cheese on a 100 calorie bun with a dab of ketchup, romaine lettuce, tomato and onion. i also had a drop of italian dressing on the side to sop up with my veggies. it was delicious. my only regret is that i didn't have another--altogether the entire meal was only 250 calories and after about 2 hours, i was hungry again. LOL. but it was good. i really love the morningstar farms veggie burgers simply because at bj's they are very affordable (9.99 for a box of i believe 20 burgers). i eat them for lunch maybe three times per week, and they are satisfying, even if digested pretty quickly. and for only 100 calories per patty, i don't feel cheated.

good news to report! i'm down 8 pounds in 2 months, 6 of those pounds can be attributed to me following the carbohydrate addict's diet (which i have tweaked some and it really works well for me). i refuse to sit around starting any new habits that are uncomfortable for me or long term "undoable", and this "diet" has proven to be the first one i've ever been on that does not feel like a diet AT ALL. so needless to say, i am very happy to have been blessed by learning about the diet.

now i just have to incorporate more exercise into my regimin and i believe i will be good to go. i have been searching but so far have not been able to find a dance video that is easy to do and fun on my cable network. i'll definitely keep looking though...i'm on a roll and don't want to stop!

the carbohydrate addicts diet.

so, i picked up from my freecycle list, the book "the carbohydrate addicts diet", upon the recommendation of the freecycler that it may help me in my weight loss journey, as her husband has been able to keep 50 pounds off his frame for well over two years with it. so i thought i'd read it, and if it sounded feasible for me, give it a shot. why not?

the basis of the diet is changing around your eating habits so that you consume all carbs at night, therefore curbing hunger, overeating and fat storage by preventing carbohydrates from triggering the release of the hunger signaling chemical insulin. eventually the benefits of the diet lead to insulin being properly produced and used, less sugars in the blood, and weight loss and better health. i've read over 100 reviews about the diet and it seems possible and sound for many people, especially those who like me, have a dependency on carbs. it makes sense to me.

today was my second complete day of following the diet. i will admit, already the idea of no carbs for breakfast and lunch was a huge turnoff...which is probably just a testament to how utterly addicted to carbs i truly am. both days i had a bacon and egg breakfast with a cup of coffee (ok i cheated and added 1 tsp of sugar to my coffee) and a bottle of water to wash everything down with. the meal filled me for about two hours, and then i was getting really hungry again. but since i eat breakfast around 10am...i only had an extra hour to go until lunch, and it passed quickly.

at lunch today, i had a HUGE salad of lettuce, olives, red beets and 1/2 a tomato sliced. i added my usual amount of dressing (which was the standard serving size). i know cottage cheese has carbs, and the book says that as long as the carb amount is below 4g per meal, we can wing it. so wing it i did. i had about 1/3 a cup of cottage cheese with my salad, which was about 3g of carbs. and i topped it off with deli ham. it was delicious and actually filled me up. or maybe i was just that hungry (when im hungry liver tastes delicious). i drunk 2 more cups of water and felt pretty good. i was thinking of adding tuna to the mix, but since i had tuna and asparagus YESTERDAY, i didnt want to eat it again. too much tuna is really no good for anyone, with all the chemicals in the waters these days.

so anyway...i made it for another 2 hours or so, and then i was really getting hungry again. it's interesting how i can be really full, and then the food just seems to burn off instantaneously, leaving me feeling REALLY hungry. anyway...after another hour, i felt as if i hadn't eaten all day, so i made another salad...same exact way. so yeah, that gave me 6g of carbs for lunch. not too bad, it still only amounts to about 2% of the daily recommended intake. another 2 glasses of water...and i was held over just fine until dinner.

i have to interject here. technically, by eating the second salad, i broke the rule of strictly 3 meals a day. but reading the thyroid diet (you can purchase it here), i learned that (and tried and find that it works for me) people with hypothyroidism (me), should always eat at least 5, preferably 6, small meals per day. so i did not feel bad for tweaking that part of the book and eating the second salad.

so dinner came, and because my husband was late coming home today, dinner was not made. it was supposed to be fried fish, green salad and spanish rice, a dish that we absolutely love. since i cannot fry fish, it was up to him to do it...he came in too late so dinner plans crashed. tomorrow ill just bake the fish. anyway, that left me getting really hungry. so i decided to just make my favorite immediate fix--a good ole bowl of frosted flakes. i had the normal amount i eat, one full bowl. i topped it off with 2 cookies and a half glass of milk. because i didn't eat any fruit, i also chomped into a big ole wedge of delicious pineapple.

now, for those who dont know, i have a steel plated stomach. i can eat a myriad of foods in one sitting and not get sick. so pineapple, cereal, cookies, milk, seltzer water and olives all on the same plate is right up my alley.

i felt stuffed afterwards. this was at about 8pm. since the diet said to make sure to finish everything from the last meal within the hour, i did that, and felt pretty ok.

now, i'm slowly starting to feel myself get hungry again. eek! i know im going to break the one hour rule, just because i can't go to bed hungry.

as i see, im the person that cuts corners. due to my thyroid illness, i have to be careful with the way i eat. so i figured maybe (as many of the reviews i read suggest), that i could tweak the diet to fit my individual needs. instead of eating meat and fat all day, the idea is to eat my meat and eggs for breakfast, and once every few days, have a slice of low carb bread with it, and some butter, and maybe a touch of low sugar jelly. then to eat a huge thing of veggies for lunch, with lean meat, or seafood. this way, i am not depriving myself of my veggies for the day. then, when the evening comes, have my dinner early (this is easy because its summer), flesh it out really well, add at least 4 servings of fruit to it, have my regular meal and whatever goodies i want without the guilt. despite switching the meals so that carbs are always saved for the end of the day, i have to make sure i eat veggies and fruits too.

someone in one of the reviews said that she could not go absolutely with no carbs all day long, so she tweaked it to have a small serving of carbs for breakfast some days, and then none for lunch, and only a small serving for dinner on the days she had them for breakfast. on the days she has no carbs for breakfast, she treats herself liberally for dinner. she said this satisfies her way more and she's still maintaining her weight loss. so it can be an idea that if this works for me, i can have some tweaking too, with strict moderation, just to keep my thyroid at a healthy place. since there are some limitations to what i can eat anyway with thyroid issues, a menu is paramount daily.

also, the book has recipes for low carb breads, which are just fine to eat during the day. i find that in general, it's a great idea to REALLY start experimenting with recipes on this sort of lifestyle change. there are TONS of recipes that are low carb that people can eat for breakfast and lunch. and considering that most americans eat no fruits and veggies daily, it wont exactly kill them to hold off with eating certain veggies and some fruits until dinner.

i know two people personally (not including the freecycler who gave me the book) who have been on similar menu plans and it has worked for them. one person is an old college teacher, who lost 190 pounds on this exact diet, and has kept it off going on maybe 15 years now. the second person is my neighbor, who says she follows the diet and she feels alot better, at the recommendation of her doctor (who did not recommend the book, but recommended a similar style of eating--limiting carbs to 1 meal per day). she admitted to falling off the 1 carbie meal per day bandwagon, but is now considering trying it again).

this may not be such a bad idea for me.

my results are especially promising. between yesterday and today...ive lost 1.4 pounds. today was the lowest weight reading ive had in WEEKS. and i had to lose the weight because i weigh myself wearing the same thing daily, and the scale has never been so low. also, i immediately noticed that i have more energy. im not sluggish and i dont need naps during the day anymore. also, i know this is tmi...but im going to say it anyway. today my bowels moved the best they have in months. this is an immediate change.

the only downside is that i have to break up the strict 3 meals per day rule. i simply have been advised NOT to go that long between meals, it can wreak havoc on my metabolism. so i will not. still losing 1.5 pounds and cutting all of the corners i did yesterday sounds as if i can definitely tweak this diet.

i'm going to shop later this week for the ingredients to make the low carb bread, and im definitely going to search around for low carb recipes. i have to flesh out my breakfast and lunch more if this is something that may help me out. funny, but ive been praying for God to help me find the encouragement to cook and dibble dabble with recipes more. welp, here it is--the perfect reason to do just that.

i would have NEVER thought my carb intake could've been the cause of alot of my ill. here i am blaming my thyroid for the difficulties losing weight. but the more i think about it, the more i AM recognizing a correlation between my carb intake and weight gain, exhaustion after eating and yes, being hungry relatively quickly after eating.

i will definitely be reporting my progress with this dietary change regularly. with the way i'm going, i may even add a new label LOL. "dieting101" or something LOL. anyway, i'm just thankful to God for allowing freecycle to once again be the way to a blessing. even if this isnt exactly for me (and ill know within a few weeks if it is or not), ill never look at carbs the same, simply because of how good i feel.

any feedback about this diet, or others like that is appreciated....i'm definitely going to see where this road takes me!

just call me martha...

...stewart! or raechel rae. or better yet, call me emeril! because that's who i am...the next emeril! i'm not like a professional chef, i am a professional chef! i'm a cooking extraordinaire. i'm a master of culinary arts...

or at least i'm on my way!

hehe. i decided to go on and give making yogurt a try since i find making homemade baby food so easy and enjoyable. it really is amazing how simple it is to make some of the best stuff on earth. thanks to WholesomeBabyFood and A Year of Slowcooking for these great and awesome recipes! although i follow the baby food website to a t because i don't want to botch up the food my precious ecobaby has to eat, i changed up the directions for my yogurt recipe. instead of heating the milk in the crockpot, i simply scalded it on the stove, poured it into my preheated crockpot, let it cool to a temperature of 110 degrees, and then mixed in my yogurt. so in essence, all the recipe calls for is hot milk, plain yogurt, and a place to keep the milk warm while the cultures reproduce. simply let the milk cool down before adding the yogurt because the cultures will die if the milk is too hot.

i have to say, both ecobaby's food AND the yogurt are DELICIOUS! because ecobaby has no teeth and hasn't developed her chewing motions, i thin out her baby food so it has NO chunks in it, just a tad thicker than soup. and because i love my yogurt thick, i seperate the whey from it until it's a thick consistency, like sour cream or greek yogurt. it's easy to seperate the whey as well. simply line a colander with cheesecloth, add the yogurt and let the whey drip out from the colander. make sure to put the colander into a larger bowl so the whey can be collected (and don't throw it out--there are tons of other uses for it: making cheese from it, watering your plants, incorporating it into baking recipes and shakes, drinking it straight--although i hear it's nasty--or giving it to your pets for added nutrition).

i don't know what i'm gonna make next for ecobaby--so far she eats carrots, applesauce and applejuice, peas, sweet potatoes, bananas and rice. i was thinking about summer squash, but i believe that's a bit too mature for her stomach to digest. i also want to wait to start beans. i'm thinking maybe pears and avocado?

as for the yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and cheerios all the way baby!

i did it!!!

i cooked!!! and i did it from scratch!!!

tonight were having stir fry with white rice for dinner (i can't get down with the brown rice quite yet). it came out pretty good for a first try. i even made the sauce from scratch and adjusted the ingredients a bit it came out really good! I've never been much of a cook and as we all know, i have an anxiety about botching up the recipes thus wasting food. but i put on my big girl undies, brought all of the ingredients, and gave it a shot. and the best part is (besides the fact that there is none left over) is that i didn't ruin it on my first shot.

i can even see how some people grow to love cooking. its a more relaxing and enjoyable experience than i thought.

next up on my cooking tryout list: coconut bars. sounds great. hopefully they come out tasting great.

bid me well!

good eating...

requires good cooking. now i have to admit, eating a healthier diet not only is better for you, but it actually tastes better too. however, i'm still having issues with wanting to cook.

i've never been suzy homemaker in the kitchen, and that hasn't changed, even though i probably have more of a desire now than ever before to eat better. but unfortunately, i'm as allergic to cooking now as i've ever been. just the thought of being in the kitchen gives me the heebie jeebies. measuring ingredients, adding spices, watching cooking times and temperatures, blahhhhhh! if only i could find somebody to cook for my family, id be in healthy heaven.

or maybe i could just get up and try to cook.

i have to admit, i haven't actually tried to cook anything new and/or especially healthy. i just toy and play around with the idea. but thats as far as i get because i get freaked out.

i wonder, are there other people with a phobia of cooking? or am i the only one?

well, at least i did learn how to bake fish and make mashed potatoes, and we eat salad at least 3 times per week (as shown in my picture yay). and i am learning how to saute veggies since i got some great quality saute pans from freecycle.

i'm getting there. just pray for me lol.

me, cook?!

anyone who knows me knows automatically that cooking was always my vice. i mean, it was more than a vice. it was my archenemy, my archnemesis. i just could not stand to coook. i mean, all that measuring, patience, watching the food, making sure it doesn't burn, heat, timing, all of those odd ingredients and let's not forget the fact that you MUST season to perfection or the whole thing is botched.

i'da rather get locked in a barn full of dirty laundry with only a mini washer and dryer.

but oddly enough, as much as i can't stand cooking, i love to eat.

it "just so happens" that over these past few weeks, i have been going through some health changes that need my immediate attention if i don't want them to worsen. namely, my thyroid and my blood pressure, which has been steadily rising.

in addition to all of this, i have been also struggling with anxiety brought on by a worsening economy, my lack of a regular income, and the ill treatment of people towards each other in general. i have been praying over this, and some days are better than others in my journey towards peace over it all.

so a few weeks ago, when my anxiety was way worse, it led me to ask my mom, "what are we going to do when there is absolutely no way to work and take care of our families?" and she, in turn, brought the question to God.

to which He gave her an answer, and she reported it back to me. "Go back to the land", she says He told her.

now my next question obviously was, "well what land do we go back to?! we don't own any land! or any farm animals! or anything natural that can sustain us!" *and by now i was talking in clipped sentences and more than a bit agitated at God for giving me that answer. i had wanted this earth shattering, profound answer that would set all my doubt free, not an answer that actually seemed to be worse than the question*.

but, me being diligent in knowing that God makes no mistakes, decided to take that answer and work with it as best i could. which meant praying over it, mediatating over it, and letting God clarify it for me *which He has no issues doing for most things i believe*.

fast forward to a few days later. i realized that my blood pressure isn't doing well, and this is during a time when i NEED it to do well. so as i was praying over my health, God told me..."take your health back to the land, because you're going to have to do that anyway!" and like a LIGHTBULB, i understood. in my mind i saw the huge garden that we had when i was smaller, the garden that served many purposes. not only did that garden feed us because we couldn't afford to buy food, but it helped my mom develop a relationship with God, it helped to relax her during difficult times, and it helped to foster my love for animals and insects, as well as a healthy respect for nature. and as much as i never thought it'd be me, my heart's desire quickly became to do the same for my kids. to show them that there is more to living than what we have out here commercially, what the secular world feeds us, both literally and figuratively.

as God continued to work with me, i realized also that i had to learn to like to eat good food, cook good food, and eventually grow good food. and not worry about the literal land, because God would provide it. what i need to work on doing right now is actually LIKING food, LIKING cooking, and LIKING to eat right. because let's be honest, it's not exactly the most fun for me to pick out some corny old vegetables, put them in a pot and boil them down to crapola that i'm then forced to suck down with a straw. but maybe if i put in the effort, and allow God to show me what Goodness He has in the world in the form of food, i will actually grow to not only like cooking, but maybe even to love it.

today, just a few short weeks later, i wholeheartedly understand BETTER what God has in store for me in the future of an uncertain world. i won't say that i understand it all, because i don't, but i trust His way. and i also know that doing this *the whole food thing* will not only help me to have better health, but it may just be what saves my children from feeling the FULL effects of a crashing america later on in life, something that has really provoked my anxiety. and knowing this is actually enough to not only ebb my anxiety, but to make me INTERESTED in cooking GOOD food without SALT and CHEMICALS in it to the point that i'm actually flipping through recipe books. so don't be surprised when you see me blabbing off about how i actually cooked such and such from scratch, and how economically savvy i was while doing it, and what great blessings and revelations were revealed from the whole activity, haha.

leave it up to God to work out the messes in my life for His glory and my good! i am feeling better.

organic, continued!

well i'm still enjoying the switch over to organic...alot. after shopping organic about 60% i realize that it's actually only about a 10% increase in price. it's most often like buying foods are either their regular price or at a sale price for certain items. here's a small list of prices compared for organic foods that I purchased at shoprite last week (the first price is the organic price the second price is the non organic price at the same store):

gala apples: 1.49lb/1.99lb

1% milk (shoprite brand): 4.99/4.29

purple seeded grapes: 1.99/1.49

kiwi fruit 4@2.00/4@1.00

pasta sauce 2.39/2.29

applesauce 1.99/1.99

tomatoes 2.39/2.19

cranberry juice 2.49/2.49

so the prices really aren't all that different, and there were actually some foods where the prices were cheaper for organic!

right now i'm reading up more on big companies and organic lies...thats an interesting read. thus far the only company i've blacklisted are kraft, morning star (we don't do soy foods anyway) and horizon milk...which allegations are their cows are cramped in pens and fed feed that has been sprayed with pesticides.

i know the list goes on but overall we can definitely see and taste the difference in organic and the girls and i love it. i'm not noticing any physical changes other than i feel much better overall, but i'm watching!

organic is great!

a few days ago i blogged about organic foods being organic but we don't know exactly what constitutes organic according to their standards. that whatever they consider *organic* may not be truly organic at all.

well either way it goes, i'm hooked. i didn't have money for my regular organic 1% milk (which is delicious like whole milk) that i purchase from organic valley, so i had to settle for the regular old store brand 1% milk.

ugh. my children haven't drank any of the milk really, and this is going on day three. i'm going to have to give it to my father (along with the chicken feet and kidney organ meat that my dog Baby won't eat since starting her cooked food diet lol).

i really didn't expect there to be SUCH a difference in the taste of organic versus non organic--for sure, most of what i'm purhcasing is at least filled with WAY less chemical and antibacterial components than what i used to buy.

not only that, but i have to oddest (well what are odd to me) cravings for fresh fruit and veggies now, and cheeses and breads...instead of the typical mcdonalds and wendys. this isn't to say that i never crave those things still, because i do. but i sure enough crave alot of healthy things now too. i crave raw basil. come on...who does that except the uber healthy?!

wow. for personal reasons, this isn't only a physical change, but also a spiritual change. i'm so happy that i was able to get into changing my diet and my children's diet. not only do i feel better about myself in every way, but i've been pleasantly surprised by the tastes of foods as they are SUPPOSED to taste!

i really recommend everyone try to add at least three organic foods to their diets on a regular basis. and no matter what, strive to purchase those three foods organically from now on. that's how i started, and now i'm about to go full fledged shopping organic style for me and the girls!

hubby is gonna have to get used to this, but i'm positive he'll adapt justttt fine!

The Maker's Diet.

this book is an excellent read, even for those who are not neccessarily religious but want to change the way they view their food and eating habits, and for those who want to change their way of life and eat healther, get in shape and be better for it.

i got so excited towards the end of The Maker's Diet that i went on a binge and threw away half of my kitchen. i don't really regret it--one read and you'll feel bad for eating non-organic, and feeding it to your kids, if you have any.

this book also made me revamp my mindset that i had about food before, as viewed in this post. not that i was wrong before, but i'd say more ignorant. there was a response given also to my post that i didn't quite "get" back then, but i get it now--thanks to the person that wrote me that post! now i see why pork is bad for you as well as other foods, and i understand that God's rules concerning food did not change. the only thing that did change is that now, eating whatever you want isn't a sin, but the bad for you foods still remain bad for you. you just won't go to hell for eating them.

i've decided to switch us over to a 50% minimum organic diet. this includes all dairy, fruits and vegetables. i'm aiming for all organic meats, but thus far those are expensive. for now i just try to get meats raised and prepared in the most natural, humane ways.

but what an excellent read it is...i got my copy for 99 cents off ebay *now you really didn't think i'd purchase this sucker for 15.00 new right?!* however, i've read in various places online that the author of this book, Jordan Rubin, offers free copies to those who are in financial straights but wish to obtain the information he provides.

i personally love the book. it's not gimmicky or weird and the rules really are simple and common sensical. of course those who aren't spiritually inclined will scoff at the more spiritual side of the book. and that's just fine. the rest of us appreciate his words and his relationship with God--i personally cried during a few pages.

we are making the transition to a naturally healthy lifestyle with this book and a few other resources i've obtained over time, and to be honest it's much easier than i imagined it'd be. i'm happy i'm doing it--my kids love organic 1% milk just as much as regular whole milk and the prices (which i'll blog about after my first full organic shopping experience coming up) thus far don't seem to be abnormally out of range. i paid 4.19-4.59 for a gallon of hormone/antibiotic laced milk, and now i pay 4.99 for a gallon of certified organic milk. well worth the extra few cents for the better health and piece of mind. now i feel guilty if i even think about getting my kids non-organic milk--like i'm purposefully giving them hormones and antibiotics in every cup of milk. we've even started on organic sugar (2.50 for 1.5 pounds). and that's not any fault at all of The Maker's Diet, i've been feeling this guilt trip rising in the back of my throat for a few weeks now!

i'm going to complete the book again and then just start the diet (which comes in three different phases and levels), but i'm already eating better after the first read. now i know that there's a possibility that what we eat isn't as organic as it could be, even if it's stamped by the usda as organic, but i can taste the difference in the milk that we drink now, and i can taste the difference in the sugar and the vegetables. the flavors are smoother, more robust. i noticed the milk tastes creamier and lighter. the vegetables have a sweeter, stronger taste. so i don't know if it's psychological or what, but so far we're enjoying it and i figure it has to have LESS chemicals in it than non-organic, which is always a start.

wow! the hillbilly housewife isn't all that bad...

...and actually it's great! i just found this link and i'm so excited i had to share! with my health being what it is, and my weight being what it is, i've decided to-day that i have to do SOMETHING to lower both my weight and the amount of money i spend on unhealthy foods. the hillbilly housewife is a really great site for helping with food prep and meals on a budget. lots of already written lists for you to use so you just print and go too! i love it!

www.hillbillyhousewife.com

an easy rice recipe.

i made this haphazardly and it came out great...the kids and i ate the whole pot (my cousin helped us). i also liked it because it reminds me of my hubby and his family as well (his aunt made this for me first).

1 part rice

2 parts water

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

salt to taste

2 packets of goya adobo (the orange packet that seasons and colors food--this is to make the rice yellow)

if you prefer, you can just buy yellow rice already packaged and ready to cook. that's more expensive than just making your own yellow rice from scratch.

next comes the veggies and meats. i just cut up whatever i had on hand, like my hubby's aunt told me to do.

1/2 large bell pepper

1/2 large red onion

1/4 lb of salami cubes (ham also works, so does pepperoni. yesterday i used chiorzio (sp)...a type of spanish meat)

2 large eggs, scrambled

cook the rice as you normally would, and when it is done, mix in all of the above ingredients, cover it tightly, and allow the steam to cook the extra ingredients for 10 minutes. it will soften the veggies and meat, and bring out the flavor in the eggs.

you can serve the rice with another meat or vegetable or eat it plain (that's how we do!).

you can add or subtract as much of the ingredients as you like to suit your taste. you can also experiment with different ingredients, such as yellow onions, bean sprouts, luncheon meats, peas, garlic, red peppers, etc.).

God and meat, an age old argument.

well, today i was writing hubby a letter and i came across the question, "what kind of meats should we refrain from eating, what kind are acceptable in a healthy diet that follows Biblical principles?"

i grew up always thinking that you shouldn't eat pork, any domestic animals, or anything that crawls on the ground and scavenges (i.e. crabs, lobster, shrimp), as eating these animals was against "the commandments of God". let's just say these thoughts stuck with me throughout the years and i always held steadfast to my beliefs that bacon was of the devil, beef stayed in the intestines for years, and seafood was out of the question if it wasn't fish because all sea creatures that were not fish were the wastebaskets of the ocean. now hubby and i often have Bible studies via letter, and one of my favorite websites to answer questions of the world Bible style is http://www.gotquestions.org/. so i went there and typed in, "meat and the Bible" and voila...this is one of the question and answer sessions that i got:

"Question: "Was Jesus a vegetarian? Should a Christian be a vegetarian?"

Answer: First, no, Jesus was not a vegetarian. The Bible records Jesus eating fish (Luke 24:42-43) and lamb (Luke 22:8-15). Jesus miraculously fed the crowds fish and bread, a strange thing for Him to do if He was a vegetarian (Matthew 14:17-21). In a vision to the Apostle Peter Jesus declared all foods to be clean, including animals (Acts 10:10-15). After the Flood in Noah's time, God gave humanity permission to eat meat (Genesis 9:2-3). God has never taken this permission back.With all that said, there is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian. The Bible does not command us to eat meat. There is nothing wrong with eating meat. There is nothing wrong with abstaining from eating meat. What the Bible tells us is that we should not force our convictions on this issue onto other people. Romans 14:2-3 tells us, "One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him."Again, God gave humanity permission to eat meat after the Flood (Genesis 9:3). In the Old Testament law, the nation of Israel was commanded to not eat certain foods (Leviticus 11:1-47), but never commanded against eating meat. Jesus declared all foods, including all kinds of meat, to be clean (Mark 7:19). As with anything, each and every Christian should pray for guidance as to what God would have them eat. Whatever a person decides to eat is acceptable to God as long as we thank Him for providing (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 1 Corinthians 10:31 declares, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." ~gotquestions.org

i am happy with this answer. i do not have to banish pork, seafood, or any other animal from our diets to be healthy and following along in the Word of God (i think we'll keep away from domestic animals though). i think moderation is key. so...we will try to limit, instead of eliminate, the amount of meat that we eat in our diets. i am also thinking of limiting certain meats to no more than say 4 times per month, such as beef and pork.

i am learning how to cook fish. i am not a domestic goddess in the kitchen, and thank God my hubby is...or we would starve when he comes home. i am barely getting by cooking 1,2,3 minute meals as it is! but i am practicing cooking fish, and so far i do really well with whiting. other fish is way too expensive for me to ruin trying to cook. but i did buy an entire uhm...karp, carp, (sp) to try to and cook next week. it's in the freezer just waiting to be experimented on. the girls seem to like the whiting i make, and my hubby never fails to coo, "aw baby, i'm gonna eat your fish even if it's as black as the bottom of my SHOE!" into the phone reciever in a well recieved attempt to make me beam from ear to ear (it never fails), despite the fire alarm blaring in the background, as i am trying NOT to burn the thin and fragile fillets to a crisp.

well, now i can back off the fish since it's ok to eat ALL other types of meat. thank God i can keep my crabs, lobster, and pork chops LOL. hubby will be happy to know that when he comes home, he can continue on with his quest to be the world's greatest chef, and not be limited to WHAT he should cook.

*deep inhale and exhale* ah yes, the beauty of moving from a world of ignorance to one of knowledge, one step at a time.