It’s only fair that I admit it up front. I’m very picky about the food I buy and I guess I’m somewhat of a food snob. I have a real problem with fake food and I’ve decided not to buy anything with ingredients I can’t pronounce. I have a thing about using real ingredients. Farm fresh eggs, organic butter and dairy, fresh vegetables. I’m determined to stay out of the center aisles of the grocery store. I I turn my back on rice-a-roni and cake mix in a box!
“Food” I don’t use:
1. Egg whites in a carton. I want whole eggs and whole eggs only. I refuse to be biased against egg yolks. A whole egg has only 70 calories for Pete’s sake!
2. Those plastic lemons in the grocery store. I don’t want the extra preservatives!
3. I refuse to give in to potato flakes in a box. Really, how hard is it to boil a few potatoes, smash ‘em up with a little butter and milk, salt and pepper and serve them? You don’t even have to peel them. Leave the skin on!
4. Parmesan cheese in a shake can. Call it what you like but don’t call it cheese!!!! Ditto for Velveeta. If you don’t have to refrigerate it, is it really cheese?
5. Hamburger helper. If I want to help my hamburger, I’ll dice a little onion , throw in a little Worcestershire and mustard, maybe a clove of garlic and some bread crumbs!
6. Fake butter. I don’t care if it’s “heart healthy.” It doesn’t melt right and it doesn’t smell right.
7. Fake syrup. I’m sure Mrs. Butterworth is perfectly nice but I’ll take 100% pure maple syrup on my homemade buttermilk blueberry pancakes.
8. Canned gravy. Yes, there is a learning curve with gravy but it isn’t steep and it is oh so much better when you scrape up all those lovely brown bits from your roast, add a little flour and some broth, maybe a little wine and some herbs, and present a wonderful, savory dish to your friends and family.
9. Garlic in a jar. Buy a garlic press and throw out those little jars of chopped garlic.
10. Artificial sweeteners of any kind except Stevia. Those chemicals do way too much damage and there is no proof they help you lose weight. In fact, they have been shown to actually cause you to gain it!
I have discovered Agave Nectar this year and I love it! It’s liquid like honey but it doesn’t raise your blood sugar level the way honey and sugar can. Wonderful stuff!!
11. Cool Whip. Don’t even get me started. I know it’s low calorie but whipped air and sugar isn’t going on MY dessert! Real whipped cream with a little vanilla and a touch of sugar never hurt anyone. Unless you’re lactose intolerant in which case, skip the whipped cream and make frosting!
In the spirit of full disclosure, there is one item I do use. Refrigerated pie crusts. They are so much better than my sorry attempts at pie crust but now that I have admitted that right here in public, I am determined to conquer my fear of pastry and learn to make my own!
I understand being pressed for time but some shortcuts just aren’t worth it. A little planning will go a long way in helping you to get rid of processed foods. You CAN make things from scratch most of the time and you can make a great meal with simple, whole foods. I have eliminated most processed foods mainly because I started reading the labels and seeing way to much salt, sugar and chemicals I couldn’t pronounce. Not to mention High Fructose Corn Syrup. If that’s in there, I ain’t eating it!
Kate, I am so glad that you are doing the Kitchen Princess! After my three sons married and moved out I was a bit down in the kitchen and lost my desire to cook. It took me a while to learn how to buy small quantities of food and think that Howie and I were worth going to the trouble of creatively cooking. This past year I have recovered and and now I love to cook more than ever. I have more time and really enjoy trying all kinds of recipes. I am blessed to have a hungry husband who will eat anything and and appreciates my efforts. Still the best is when the kids and grandkids come over. Can’t wait to try your recipes!
God bless you!
Thanks Ginger, so glad you enjoy it! Let me know how the marinade turns out!
Amen! I love your kitchen standards! I have yet to make a decent GF/DF pie crust. I tend to just make crustless pies instead!
Thank you Katrina! Maybe Crisco instead of butter. Not that it’s healthy but at least it would be dairy free!
I agree refrigerated pie crust are easy but with a little practice you can make one as fast as you can roll the other kind out. When I use the box ones I roll it out enough for two pies…in 8 inch pans. My recipe for pie crust:
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup (little less)crisco
1/2 tea salt
4/5 tabs cold water
I use a hand blender to blend flour, salt,and shortening until it in small pieces. Add water 3 or 4 tabs and mix into a ball. I put half on floured surface.. flatten and sprinkle flour on top and roll out. I put enough flour so it won’t stick to rolling pin.
What a great recipe Emily! I will try it and let you know how it comes out!
Kate,
I just love your new website! Dying to try your delicious recipes! Mike brought in the sardine toast recipe yesterday, but he says it’s “so much better with Kate’s little special touches,” so…share! I know you added garlic. Anything else?
And you should know that Mrs. Emily Norton is the foremost authority on yumminess (along with her BFF, my mom!) in the Jacksonville, FL area, so you can be sure whatever she sends your way will tingle your tastebuds!
Keep cookin’, princess! Glad you’re sharing with the world!!
jenni “not too proud to eat your leftovers” smith
p.s. Any favorite Mila recipes to share? Would love to get them up on our website
Sorry–shameless plug for Lifemax but the President would be so proud!
Thank you Jenni and I am so looking forward to meeting you! Mila recipes are on the way!
i’m with you Kate, give me the real stuff! And I love the Agave Nectar too, it’s great in coffee and tea!
Love it! This blog and your desire to share it, well, it’s so timely! I am learning more about the “real stuff” we need to be putting in our bodies. Finding that now that I am learning, I have to change our thinking about the way we eat. So, this is great! Love, love, love your jams. I was one of the blessed recipients of your Blood Orange jam and your Pink Grapefruit Marmalade! By the way, even your jars look good – the labels are great! Bring on more recipes Kate! Lookin for more “real stuff”.
Renee-I am so glad you are enjoying the blog (and the jams!) A passion for real food simply done is something I want to share. Folks need to know it’s not about how fancy it is but how can you let the real flavor of fresh ingredients shine through. There is enough in our day to day world to stress us out! We need options in our food that will nourish us and make us as healthy as we can be yet still bring joy to our lives. Simple food, simple faith!
i used Stevia extract as a sugar substitute because i am diabetic. Stevia is really sweeter than sucrose.;,-
I agree Mary. I use Stevia too, it’s much safer than all the chemical sugar substitutes.
Always have to post a comment, I can’t help it ! Thanks Ashley
Hey, don’t be hatin’ on my Smart Balance! Actually, we’ve never used anything but real butter for 25 years, but someone suggested we try it. It isn’t bad, but it does melt funny. I must admit tho, I’m not sure calcium disodium EDTA is something I want in my body.
Don’t eat that stuff Don! Butter is so much better for you and good fats don’t make you fat. You are right about the calcium disodium EDTA!
Glad it was helpful for you!