Food, Health, Little Bit of Academia

So, school's back... Second week, done.

Though my (only) class is from 12 to 12:50, I still went in early. Grabbed coffee with a friend (if you've heard about the person I know with the leech for a boyfriend - her...) and then hit the studio for a while to finish up a mold. My hands now smell somewhat strongly of silicone, but I can at least get a few waxes next week, if I'm so inclined. I say that, as I'm pretty damned sure I was going to be making something else for the project.


So, like everyone else on my flist: I'm getting in shape/better health/the usual. Yes, I know this has come up before, and those who know me have heard it all before...

I'm biking to school, which is about two miles, and then to work, another three or four. After work, I head to the bus station, which is a mile or two. So, six miles a day. Not too shabby at all. Plus, domnall is biking at least a few days a week, so the car is getting used less.

Yes, I am well aware I'm starting to sound like one of those people... those neo-hippies...

The other big thing I (we) are doing is changing eating habits. Mind you, processed food (besides cheese, and tortilla chips for me) hasn't really been entering our kitchen for a very long while. We've been trying to eat more fruits/veggies/etc, and it's slowly working.

I've had a mind to at least get almost entirely rid of it for a while. I know it's not all that good, and the switch just requires a little hunting. We'd discussed it on and off, and made small steps in the direction, and now it's picking up momentum. Today is the first day for our pick-up at Tucson Community Supported Agriculture. CSA is something I've wanted to try for a long while - I like the idea of supporting local agriculture, getting to know one's supplier of food and all that jazz. It's actually not all that expensive, and just means I've got to to make a minor detour on the way home from work. We also got a share of goat cheese for this session, which starts next week. The meat we recently picked up all came from the 17th Street Farmer's market. (No, that doesn't mean it's all local, but I rather like supporting them. Plus, it's about the only fish I'll trust here. Anyone have other good suggestions?) Added bonus: they make their own sausage, which includes a damned good andouille. (We'll probably be trying to make our own sausages soon.)

In addition to the various fiction, I've been reading some stuff talking about food in general. Namely, I gave in and god Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma (TOD) and In Defense of Food (IDOF). Both of them I highly recommend. They're not books telling you what to eat, but more guidelines for being aware of your food. The cover of In Defense of Food says "Eat Food, not too much, and mostly plants." And damn it, I really like it. Yes, I want to/am trying to loose weight and get into better shape. And I know at least a bit of it is because of the one medication I'm on. But it's not right to only accuse that, since I know I'm also lazy.

Both books are readable, very much so. And I highly recommend them. TOD talks about commercial farming practices and why it's better to know where your food comes from. The last part is a little preachy, but not too much. I will shamelessly admit: this book made me more conscious about my food than Fast-Food Nation (and Super-size Me). Commercial organic farming isn't the best thing ever, but it is better than the alternative. Also, I like corn: but damn it, I didn't realize exactly how much of it goes into the food in supermarkets. It's kind of scary. IDOF builds on TOD. It discusses how our view of food has changed over time, and how lobbying, science, etc have influenced it. And moved us away from the ingredients to the finished, and/or processed, product.

I like food, I really do. And I love cooking and baking - more's the pity that I have less time with school and work. Right now, I feel like my universe is falling into place. domnall has taken to cooking (and making ice cream like a duck to water... I swear). We're both eating better (and it's much easier when the one you live with is happy to eat whatever you cook), and it's easier when you've got the good stuff in your fridge. "Quick" meals lately have involved sausage (from 17th street), leftover lamb curry (brown the lamb, cook with Maya Kumal curry, add peas, enjoy with rice), and stiry fry. Damn it, I'm enjoying this.

If nothing else, I'm feeling better. Sure, I'm still sweaty and tired when I get to school/work/home, but I am noticing small changes. By no means are things 100%, but they're slowly heading there. And I like the result. It's looking like we'll probably be spending a bit more time getting food. For now, just CSA and 17th street primarily. Safeway for some stuff. We're also looking at spending more time in the kitchen (the agony! *grin*). I'm probably going to put in a King Arthur Flour order soon - they've got a few speciality flours I want to try.

We won't be hitting Crown this weekend - domnall's birthday is tomorrow, and there shall be fun. With luck, since at least one part of life is coming together, we can starting hitting events more regularly. I feel a little odd that we've not been going lately, and he's not been fighting. But then, I think about other things we've been getting in order, and realizing that it probably won't be all that long before we're back in the full swing of things. I'm currently insane and plotting some things for next year's Baronial A&S. I've got a few minor projects I want to do and all that jazz.

I know, I know, this could be argued as a poor excuse for not coming out much. But really, I think it's probably going to work out very nicely. Besides, we've not dropped off the face of the earth!