Fast and Furious

It's no less than an addiction - the sugar, the processed foods, the packaged convenience.  Impossible to get away from completely because we are surrounded by it - even bombarded by it in our daily lives.  Getting off the convenient food habit is like chewing off an arm or a leg - you're left feeling disabled once you've jettisoned the offending appendage.  There's a huge hole left in my normal habits - my instinct of reaching into the cabinet as opposed to into the garden or fridge.  Besides that, I forgot to make dinner last night.  What?!?  Yes.  I truly forgot to make dinner last night and roused my 8 year old out of bed at 9:30 to fork down some quickly boiled pasta with jarred sauce.  We spent the day browsing locations and properties for our new home.  A quick breakfast in the morning, then lunch on the run which was surprisingly yummy and healthy.  In our travels we found an adorable little cafe/market that had fresh homemade, organic soups and sandwiches not a stone's throw from our new potential domicile.  A long drive home had us scurrying to finish up the end of day tasks, feeding pets, watering plants, checking gardens and consulting the plan for the next day.  After that, the computer drew my attention away from the moment for more house hunting research until I suddenly realized it was bed time - packed up the kid with a swish of the toothbrush, a moment on the potty and into bed it was.  90 minutes later to my horror I realized why I felt so hungry.  Now what?  I've got plenty of fresh, organic produce and other ingredients available but what can I make fast.  The answer was frozen ravioli furiously boiled and a splash of Prego.  Oy.  Back to square one - again??  What is this like the third or - gulp - the fourth time I find myself back at the starting gate?  They're not kidding when they say old habits are hard to break.  The answer is staying vigilant.  There will never be a moment when it runs like a machine.  Sourcing and providing good nutrition to myself and my family will always be a daily focus - forever.  I can't let my guard down or suspend my attention to it for even a moment because there will always be another meal on the horizon - and then another and another.  Eating to live and living to eat are the same thing.  Keep it nutritious and toxin free but also keep it interesting and delicious.  I'll admit I'm tired of the planning, the prepping, the cooking, the cleaning. 

This, however, is the moment that separates the men from the boys, the culinary enlightened from the food zombies.  I will continue to make the grade and build my foundation - I will keep rising from the ashes of my failures - I will do the work.  But seriously, can someone else make dinner for once?