Guest blogger Natalie here with a few thoughts on changing old habits…
Last Sunday, we had a big birthday party here at the house for our oldest daughter. It was a great chance for us to get together with a bunch of families we really like, and definitely provided as much fun for the grownups (about 10) as for the kids (about 20). But, as we finished setting up the buffet line, I realized that our spread of lunch food was not really all that healthy–and that we were about to serve it to some of the people most supportive of and inspiring to us in raising what?…healthy food!
I thought “Ugh! How inconsistent! I guess I’m showing my true colors here. I mean, what am I looking forward to the most from this feast? Sliced tomatoes? Nope, I want the cool-whip-marshmallow frosting and chocolate cake!” I was a little embarrassed as all the kids ran out back and lunged for the red Gatorade and Yoo-Hoo (though someone else brought that, so I can’t be held responsible).
But, pretty soon it occurred to me that we are doing this whole “natural and sustainable” thing gradually and taking much joy in it, and that we will have a million more opportunities to learn to throw a party without compromising on the quality of the food we celebrate with. Next time I’ll remember that happy children will run around in the yard like a bunch of puppies having the time of their lives even if there are no sugary drinks. And next time, I’ll plan ahead to make it pot-luck so we don’t end up needing to rely on so many handy-dandy processed foods to feed a crowd.
Gradually, Chris and I are learning to do things differently from the way we were raised. This whole sustainability thing doesn’t happen overnight for anyone, and there is always more that we could do. But rather than dwelling on the fact that we served corn chips that were most likely GMO corn at our party, we’ll continue down the path of “adding in” new stuff that we think is really great, like home-cured bacon, sweet-potato pie, and bulk quantities of wheat (from the Greens) as soon as we get a flour grinder.
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