Nichole’s Thought for Food
The process of preparing, sharing, and consuming food is an integral and fundamental part of human existence. Eating is perhaps the most basic and quintessential social behavior of our odd species. The childhood moments we spend chowing down on Mom's Spaghetti become part of our identity, our personal history. As adults, when we share those recipes with others, we are transported both inside of ourselves and outward, into a world of connection and companionship. Individuals shape, and are shaped by, their experience with food.
I hope that this blog can provide a space to discuss a way of eating that is kind, mindful, and healthy, both physically and psychologically. Such a space is often lacking in the conversations of our diet-crazed, weight obsessed culture. To this effect, Veggie Horizons is not, and will never be, a weight loss blog.
The context of Veggie Horizons is simple: there are many people in our communities and around the world that are not blessed with daily access to fresh, safe food. As writers and as activists, Carrie and I believe that we should seek to be as close to the source of our food as possible. Food is a blessing, and we strive to remember this truth as we craft our light-hearted and well-meaning recipes and posts. Eating should not be an act that invokes guilt, shame, or ambivalence. Food offers a way to connect to the other creatures of the world, provides a source of great joy, and allows for rare moments of communion.
Carrie and I know there are many serious cultural and economic constraints upon those who would wish to enter the world of providing or procuring sustenance. Though I certainly have unanswered questions about the most ethical way to be a consumer of food products in the modern American landscape, I'm willing to make my journey a public one.
In Peace and Love,
Nichole
Carrie's Foodosophy
Food is necessary. It is, as Nichole said, an essential part of life. At the most primal level, we eat to survive. But as our society has advanced, our attitude towards food has become less and less healthy. Eating is no longer mostly about survival but is mostly about eating for the sake of eating. And as our culture has consumed more, food's quality has plummeted.
When I look at photos of my grandparents and their parents, I wonder how they looked so good. I know what they ate--hearty pot roasts and chicken and gravy, dense rolls and rich cakes. And of course, they weren't 21st century supermodel thin, but they were thin and (mostly) healthy. I think it's because their food was free of hormones, preservatives, dyes, and synthetic sugars. Though they overcooked vegetables, their vegetables weren't sprayed with industrial pesticides.
It's a pipe dream to think that we can live an entirely organic existence. You have to be really rich or own a farm and have ways to charm insects away in order to ensure that all of your food is organic. But I want to work towards consuming food that most closely resembles my grandmother's food.
I also want to work towards having a healthy relationship with food. Like Nichole wrote, this will NEVER be a weight loss blog. The reason to include calorie and nutritional information is to help you make informed decisions that lead towards a healthier lifestyle. Our relationship with food should be one of balance. But it should also be enjoyable! Which is where our blog comes in. We hope you enjoy and keep reading :-)
Love and recipes,
Carrie
