How bad is it?

In preparation for tomorrow night's first cooking post, I decided to take a look at the fridge, freezer, and pantry to see just how bad our dependence on processed foods is. The results are pretty sad, really. We REALLY need some help here.

So, just how bad is it?

Well, let's look at Exhibit 1.Notice the oh so healthy homemade snack she's eating? Yeah, I don't see it either. Pop Tarts. 2 of 'em. And she ate them both. But, surely, this must be just a once in a while thing, right?

Well, let's move on to Exhibit 2 and find out - the pantry.


Notice the 4 boxes of pop tarts, the 4 jugs of shake & pour bisquick, the many, many boxes of hamburger helper, pasta-roni, scalloped potatoes, and mac & cheese? The entire shelf of snack foods that are nowhere near healthy (aside from the single lonely jar of applesauce?) And, you can't really see it, but down among the never-used cans of veggies on the bottom shelf is a HUGE can of pork 'n beans, just waiting for "chili" night.

So, the pantry is in pretty bad shape, but even with canned ingredients, the right seasonings can make a world of difference. How about the spice cupboard?
I give you... Exhibit 3.

Our lovely cupboard contains.... Cooking spray, oil, macaroni (used to make hamburger helper mixes stretch), baking soda, rice, hot cocoa mix & tea, bisquick, flour, pancake mix, sugar... And a variety of spices, most of which are over a year old - with some even older than Chickie herself! This is a sad, sad house so far...

But what about the fridge & freezer? Surely there must be something in there that's can make up for all of this!
Moving on to Exhibit 4...

Now, we see things getting a little better... Sure, there's lunch meat and margerine and a half-used can of bean w/bacon soup... But there's leftovers from real meals (seriously - homemade leftovers!) and fresh salsa, some apples, cheese (though that does include american 'cheese food'), eggs... and 3 gallons of milk. It looks tolerable... until you open up the freezer.

Let's start with the good... There's a half-used bag of frozen chicken breasts, a lb of ground turkey, a lb of ground beef, a jar of yeast, and waaaay in the back... A bit of homemade pasta sauce from when we visited last summer's farmer's market and brought home some yummy fresh veggies. But what REALLY gets used and replaced semi-weekly? Chicken strips, fish sticks, frozen mac & cheese, hot pockets, frozen pancakes, ice cream... Tons of convenience foods loaded with preservatives and fillers and all that fun stuff.

Now, I'd go on about the bags of Cheetos and unending boxes of sugary breakfast cereals, but I think I've made my point. We eat WAY too much processed junk here, and not enough good, homemade food.

So, what does Chickie herself have to say about the foods we eat? Let's ask her.

mac and cheese it taste yummy!

And when asked what would happen if we couldn't eat anything that came in a box, in a can, or in the freezer....

wed be hungry!

So there you have it... Our diet consists of boxes, cans, and frozen items... And macaroni & cheese is one of the most important foods in this place. (Seriously - she would be very, very upset if she couldn't have it at least 2-3 times a week.)

Here's to changing this family's 'convenience' habit!