Saturday, January 26, 2008

Isn't It Ironic?

Pin It Now! So, I am driving all around town yesterday with 3 kids in tow to run various errands.

First stop, Target. Had to return a quilt.

Second stop, Wal-mart.

Third stop, Dollar Store. We have a "house point" system in our home, and after earning 100 points they can spend $1.00 at this store.

Next door is Sprouts, the health food store. Going to this store and the next store is really why I wanted to get out in the first place. Unfortunately it isn't very conveniently located. Takes about 40-45 min. to drive there from our house. But, they have the most yummy, healthy bread there! Plus, I had a few other items that I needed. Glad I went because they had the most beautiful cherries on sale!!!

On my way back to the car, I realize that it is almost 11:30. My kids eat every day at 11am. Every day. I still have one more stop to make before going home, and it is to a place that I have never been. I am thinking, "Oh great, it'll be 1:00 before I can get home, they will be starving and it will be nap time!"

What is a mother to do who needs to feed her hungry kids while out and about on a very tight budget?? Exactly. McDonald's. As we pull into a parking space, I gently warn my children, who by the way have behaved wonderfully the entire morning, that we don't have enough $ to buy happy meals, or enough time to play on the really cool playground. Once we sat down with our food, I told them to eat fast so we could get to our next stop before 1:00 since that was this particular place's closing time. My kids were absolute angels!

Okay now for our last errand. A farm. A farm that sells raw cow's milk. This was my very first time ever to buy raw milk. For years I have bought organic cow's milk, goat's milk, and soy milk, but I am ready to move on to something that may even be a healthier choice. My kids thought is was neat going to this farm to buy milk, and they even got to see a few sweet, little, baby cows. I will let you know how the milk tastes after I open it.

Isn't it ironic that I am out driving all over town to buy healthy food for my family, then swing by McDonald's to quickly and cheaply fill my kids' bellies?!! I am still questioning why b/c every time I eat there, my body immediately recognizes that what I just put into my mouth is not food.(Obviously I didn't order a salad.) Thankfully my body is working properly and can quickly purge the poison from my intestines. Yum. Hopefully my kids won't be scarred for life from eating there every once in a while. There were lots of customers at McDonald's that looked like they ate there quite a bit, and they were still kickin'. Brad or Catie, this would be a great time for you to comment and tell your Happy Meal story. I would tell it myself, but it has been a while since I have heard it and I don't want to botch the details.

Happy eating, especially if you're going to McDonald's. :)

15 comments:

Staci said...

I don't know Brad or Catie, but I am VERY eagerly awaiting the Happy Meal story!!!

And just so you don't feel bad, I have a weakness for something very evil. Subway cookies. Fresh out of the "oven". It's so horrible, since they are about a 20-second stroll from work.

We do what we can, right? And don't worry about the rest!

AJ said...

Yeah, a Big Mac every now and then won't kill ya! Might make your stomach do a few flip-flops later on, but it will quell the hunger pangs long enough to get ya home.

AJ said...

By the way, I would assume that you already did some careful research on raw milk, since you usually do that kind of stuff (research). If you have not already done at least a 'wikipedia' search on it, there is a very informative and unbiased article there, giving facts and links regarding those facts. Of course, as with everything else, there are always at least two 'schools of thought' on the subject, so just give consideration to both. The truth is, raw milk can be and is a potential carrier of e coli, salmonella and other bacterias, which pasteurization kills. The truth is also that many people drink it without ill effects. Only 28 states allow the sale of raw milk and those are under varying restrictions and all must contain a 'warning label.'
The following paragraph from the CDC website would make me think twice ...
"Proponents of drinking raw milk often claim that raw milk is more nutritious than pasteurized milk and that raw milk is inherently antimicrobial, thus making pasteurization unnecessary. Research has shown that these claims are myths. There is no meaningful nutritional difference between pasteurized and raw milk, and raw milk does not contain compounds that will kill harmful bacteria. In fact, raw milk, no matter how carefully produced, may be unsafe." If interested, the rest of the story is at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01576.html Of course, some people don't give much stock to anything put out by government entities, regardless of what the 'findings' are, so this may be irrelevant to some.
Just an opinion here.

Brad said...

Funny you should mention the happy meal. We were just talking about it on Saturday. The Happy Meal celebrated its 11th birthday recently in my Mother in Law's closet. That's right, your eyes are not tricking you that is what you really read. See, in an experiment just to see, my Mother in Law 11 years ago purchased a happy meal. The experiment was to see what happens to a Happy Meal when it is just left to sit out. Most "real" food you might think would just spoil and rot but not a Happy Meal. The Happy Meal is still completely in tact, Burger, Buns, Fries. They have been sitting in a dark closet for 11 years in the original paper wrapping. There has never been 1 bug or any smell. The burger has shrunk alittle bit but the buns never molded, the meat never rotted and the fries, well they look like you just put them in the sack, they haven't changed a bit. The paper that holds the fries and the burger is deteriorating but not the food. To answer the question some of you may have as to why would you do this I think my Mother in Law was working for Shaklee or some place healthy and wanted to see How differnt foods break down and what your body is actually able to use and all that good stuff. I think the point basically is that if this food can sit in a closet for 11 years and still be in tact, how long can it sit in your body?

Brandi said...

That is absolutely amazing!!!! She should go on Oprah or something!!!!!

Brandi said...

AJ thank you for the info. I am still in the process of researching the raw milk thing. I have some friends who have been drinking this milk from the same farm for 3 years and love it. But I do have some concerns, so thanks.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, she has concerns.

So, she uses her family as guinea pigs.

Knit-Wit said...

I am not a fan of McDonalds!

We try to eat healthy - but it is so expensive! It's hard to feed a family of six with organic products and work our way out of debt at the same time. So... I buy when I can and trust that God protects us when I can't.

Staci said...

Okay. So the Happy Meal story makes me sick. Absolutely disgusting. How can they still be in business?????

Monkey Giggles said...

Thank you for entering my giveaway. I hope to throw a stone at ya--wink*.

Come back and visit me again

Smiles
Hope

not up to code said...

mmmmm..... I love McDonalds.

HONEY said...

My only experience with "raw" milk was as follows: I spent the week with my aunt in AR. The neighbors on the farm across the road the "Smiths" had cows. My aunt, thinking this city girl needed to learn how to milk a cow, took me over to the Smith's farm, had Mr & Mrs Smith take me out to the barn & yes, they had me milk the cow. Which grossed me out to say the least. Then I had to carry the bucket to the house, strain it, and "have a taste". Yep, warm milk, freshly gathered, strained & promptly barfed up...
Raw milk?...no thanks...I'd rather eat at McDonald's...& anyone who knows me knows that happens only under desperate circumstances.

AJ said...

HOW FUNNY that you have the EXACT SAME memory of raw milk that I do!! I, too, had an aunt that lived in AR and took us across the road to the "Smiths" (yes, real name, not a pseudonym!) and gave us the 'pleasure' of tasting "real (i.e. raw) milk!" What a coincidence! I didn't remember who got the privilege of milking ol' Bessie or carrying the bucket, but I'll never forget the "tasting" as long as I live! It was a greenish/gray lukewarm liquid, to the best of my recollection, and some of the "awful-est" stuff I've ever put in my mouth! It must've scarred me for life, as I do not drink milk TO THIS DAY!!!! (With the exception of very rich, very chocolatey, very cold whole milk on rare occasions.) Seriously, sit'a*, I think we just had an "isolated bad experience" and surely all raw milk is not what we were subjected to, or people would not ever drink it more than once! (* - totally insider/family joke, don't even ask). Maybe the cow in question ate some "bad grass" that day and flavored the milk in a horrible way, who knows!!
And AF, you may very well enjoy the raw milk experience and having friends who can attest to no bad experiences with stomach ailments with milk from this farm is a good start. I'm sure there are farm folks who have lived their lives on raw milk without a problem! As with anything else, caution and common sense go a long way - let us know how it goes! (Not that I will ever try raw milk, since I don't even like any milk, but would be nice to be able to pass on information from someone who has really tried it and has firsthand knowledge about it, whenever the subject of unpasteurized milk ever comes up, as it does in our safety meetings when food safety is the subject.)

Brandi said...

Cold, raw milk tastes just like milk to me. I wouldn't want it warm!!!

Katy said...

Too funny and yes, ironic! LOL We have had the raw cow's milk. It is apparently MUCH better for your kids! :) I hope it works well for you! :)

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