I got this amazing message on Facebook this morning from a friend of mine back in Bolton, Ontario, a wonderful place I lived in for 12 years. Moving to Guelph, Ontario in July 2014 – made no difference to our friendships that largely in part to social media!
So Candace, not gonna lie you’ve kinda got me thinking about this non stop lol.
Is this the set you would recommend for us virgins?
And is it best to try and find a local rep rather than ordering online?
Also any other words of wisdom? Re Tupperware I’m missing out on and just life in general? I’m not even being sarcastic….you have always been one smart cookie, a trendsetter and worth listening to!!
One more question, what if anything is your way of eating called? Organic? Vegetarian?
Thanks Candace!!!
Ps I’ll meet you at the Garden foods Mecca anytime (once I get my fridge smarts of course)
This wonderful message from Lori Howard (owner of Hope Designs) made me realize that I have indeed started a food journey yet again.
Pinterest has been a total game changer for me – and I realize that as I get older – I respond more to visual. We are visual, and seeing ideas, leads us to do them.
The comment on this entry was talking about Fridgesmart – and largely inspired by Pinterest Mason Jar Salads.
This was the impetus for a HUGE Food journey that re-inspired me to go back to the way I used to eat.
Just looking at all the colours, and fresh bursting with life food, made me crave eating like this again.
When I say eating like this again, I am not referring to a labelled practice of eating, which I find restrictive. ( Vegan, Vegetarian, Organic etc… )
I mean – eating – FRESH, RAW, Made from Scratch, variety from ALL types of cultures, and dietary opti0ns.
I TRY TO AVOID:
- Refined Sugar (Which means a LOT of label reading)
- Wheat (Which again – means a LOT of label reading… and leads to a whole OTHER subject about Canadian Labelling laws – which should be for another blog)
- Goitrogenic Foods – I have a thyroid condition – so these foods in their RAW form – can influence my thyroid. I eat LOTS of them – but cooked , which reduces the intake for ME. Goitrogenic Foods
I TRY TO MODERATE
Dairy, Meats, Legumes and fruits.
Vegetables are more preferred than fruit – as fruit is full of natural sugars, and need to be in moderation – and fruit juice is a no no for me.
*** I had this wonderful family doctor in Mississauga, when I was 19 – named Dr. Gus Pristupa – who changed my world by telling me that drinking fruit juice was NOT a healthy habit as it was FULL of (natural) sugar and would to weight gain, and diabetes. NO ONE would eat 12 oranges in one sitting – so WHY would you drink the equivalent in a glass of juice? Not to mentioned you have stripped out the fibre, and other important nutrients of the fruit, including the enzymes. I was that horrible mother who wouldn’t buy fruit juice for my boys. If I did – it was the organic, healthy stuff- and they were allowed 1/2 cup with breakfast… they were not allowed to guzzle it… FINALLY in 2014 – the studies caught up with Dr. Pristupa and my practices… here in an article by the Huffington post responding to medical studies CONFIRMING THIS
So when I got excited about the layered salads in the mason jars, I drove back to Bolton for Garden Foods Markets. I often state that Guelph does not have anything comparable to Garden Foods. Local Guelph residents, would bristle I am sure as would the local stores. This blog explains why I miss Garden Foods Markets.. Click to read it here.
I bought all the ingredients needed, and brought them home. I quickly realized that I had to find a storage solution for the items that did not go into the Mason jars. I remembered my Fridgesmart items from Tupperware. Years ago, in a past life, I sold Tupperware and of course accumulated a pretty substantial inventory.
Fridgesmart
Hands down one of the BEST Tupperware products out there. Regardless of your refrigerator – your produce just doesn’t last for long periods of time. UNLESS You have FridgeSmart. If you bring your produce home and prep it (trimming and chopping it to be ready to use) and place it in the containers according to the directions, you will be amazed at how long and fresh your produce lasts. You can buy it online OR through a Tupperware rep. I personally prefer the online part, as my party days are done. The reps are truly wonderful, and attentive – (IF you have one you will agree) however, they make the majority of their income doing group sales (Party) and I am just not going to have one.. and don’t feel it fair to take their time. You can still have Tupperware parties and I know that their are a number of available options for people who want to save a few bucks, or have access to unique exclusive Tupperware Products.
Containers
This brings me to another thought, about containers. While I appreciate the Tupperware containers, I am finding myself moving away from the Modular Mates in the cupboards to Mason jars. Granted nothing looks better than a Tupperware Modular cupboard with all dry ingredients organized into matching containers, however, it doesn’t eliminate the need to look at all the dry ingredients and try to imagine what I need to make with it. I would rather take all the dry ingredients and layered them into ready to mix meals. Layered Soups, Muffins, Chilis, etc. SO much easier to grab a mason jar and have everything premeasured and ready to go – rather than look through the modular mates and try to figure out what to do with all those lentils I bought :)
Here is a Pinterest Board listing out ALL the options available with layered dry good in Mason jars. Imagine opening your cupboards and seeing all off THESE ready to go, instead of containers full of the separate ingredients.
SO my friend Lori..
My next project is going to be pulling out all the dry ingredients in the cupboards, and pre mixing them into mason jars so they are ready for meals!
I already did this with the Oatmeal :) It looks pretty amazing.