My ABCs of Eating [and an eating-related GIVEAWAY!]

First I saw this on Lisa’s blog, which linked back to Janetha’s blog, and when I read through their answers, I thought this would be fun.

Filling out food surveys like this are atypical of me, which is exactly why I wanted to try this one. Many of you have asked to learn more about me…so here you go! Going to try keep my answers short and sweet.

A is for Apple, what’s your favorite variety?

Macintosh [organic, of course]. I love the crunch, the sweet and sour flavor, and that they’re almost always available in the grocery store.

B: is for Bread, regardless of nutrition, calories, or whole grains what is your favorite type to have a nice big piece of?

Sourdough, especially from Hawthorne Valley Farm. I really need to try making my own sourdough starter.

C: is for Cereal what is your favorite kind currently (just one!) Currently-

Maple granola. It’s really good – you should try it.

D: is for Doughnuts, you might not currently be eating them but what kind do you fancy?

Apple cider donuts, hot and freshly made at a farm stand or apple orchard.

E: is for Eggs, how would you like yours prepared?

Hard-boiled or fried.

F: is for Fat Free, what is your favorite fat free product?

I don’t like fat free foods, unless they’re naturally fat free, like fruits and veggies. Otherwise I find stuff that’s processed to be fat free to taste too sweet or salty, and it never fills me up. Bring on the fat!

G: is for Groceries, where do you purchase yours at?

Stop and Shop, Berkshire Co-op Market, and Guido’s.

H: is for Hot Beverages, what is your favorite hot drink?

Peppermint tea. It’s perfect to soothe my stomach after a big meal.

I: is for Ice Cream, pick a favorite flavor and add a fun topping.

I love plain banana ice cream, which is hard to come by. [Dad, you understand.] But at home I love a bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with peanut butter and sliced bananas.

J: is for Jams or Jellies, do you eat them, and if so what kind and flavor?

Jams or preserves, please. I love to make blackberry jamwhich I freeze and eat all winter.

K: is for Kashi, name your favorite Kashi product?

Organic Autumn Wheat cereal. Steve’s been eating it for breakfast lately, so I add a few biscuits to my cereal mix.

L: is for Lunch, what was yours today?

Two slices of leftover homemade pizza that I made for our friends last night. A smoothie made with banana, avocado, and spinach. A mocha made with some instant organic coffee from the food show.

M: is for microwave, what is your favorite microwave meal/snack?

A quesadilla with black beans, cheese, and spinach. Yes, they taste better when cooked in a frying pan, but you can’t beat a two-minute dinner.

N: is for nutrients, do you likes carbs, fats, or proteins best?

I love fatty proteins like nuts and cheeses the best, especially cashew butter and Swiss cheese, ricotta, and goat’s cheeses.

O: is for oil, what kind do you like to use?

Olive oil for cooking. Organic canola or sunflower for baking.

P: is for protein, how do you get yours?

My favorite protein sources are hard-boiled eggs, local cheeses, and nut butter [just not almond butter; it makes my mouth itchy].

Q: is for Quaker, how do you like your oats?

In muesli or granola.

R: is for roasting, what is your favorite thing to roast?

Brussels sprouts. I think they’re delicious this way.

S: is for sandwich, what’s your favorite kind?

Cashew butter and banana on whole wheat or sourdough.

T: is for travel, how do you handle eating while traveling?

Unless I’m going to be camping or making my own breakfast while traveling, I don’t bring any “emergency foods” with me. I’d much rather try the local cuisine, and if it’s hard for me to find vegetarian food, I eat fish. I love to travel.

U: is for unique, what is one of your weirdest food combos?

Steve thinks a lot of my food combinations are strange. A favorite is a sandwich with ricotta cheese and avocado.

V: is for vitamins, what kind do you take?

Garlic, vitamin C, and a multi-vitamin, but I generally only take these during allergy season.

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W: is for wasabi, yay or nay?

Yay! Wasabi yes, soy sauce no.

X: is for XRAY. if we xrayed your belly right now, what food would we see?

My lunch from today: leftover homemade pizza, a smoothie, and a mocha. And lots of water swishing around.

Y: is for youth, what food reminds you of your childhood?

Kasha varnishkes, potato pancakes, and challah bread. Hmm…funny that it’s all Jewish food.

Z: is for zucchini, how do you prepare it?

Steamed, and well-done. Yes, I like my zucchini mushy. It just tastes better that way.

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Speaking of foods and eating…

I was contacted a few weeks ago by Vega to see if I’d like a copy of the new book Must Have Been Something I Ate, by Peggy Kotsopoulous, along with some samples of Vega’s products.

Yes, please! As someone who loves to read new books, and who’s enjoyed working with Vega in the past, I knew I had to check it out.

Peggy’s approach to health is a comprehensive one. She looks at all of the possibilities to why we may feel tired, or don’t sleep well, or are having stomach issues, and then looks at the foods that can help us heal.

Broken down into the various connections [like the food-mind connection, food-health connection, and more] we have with food, Peggy explores and teaches about amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that our bodies and minds need every day in order to feel our best.

It made me think a lot about my own health issues, and whether I can improve my energy levels, my digestion, and my moods.

There are three things I loved about Peggy’s book:

• Learning about new foods. Have you ever heard of sacha inchi, bilberries, or yacon syrup? Neither had I.
• Understanding digestive health. And why I decided to add apple cider vinegar to my shopping list.
• The recipes! The Lemon Berry Tart is calling my name.

For a chance to win your own copy of Must Have Been Something I Ate, you can do any or all of the following [just leave a comment for each entry]:

1. Write a comment about what aspect of your own health you’d like to improve.
2. Follow me on Twitter.
3. Tweet about this giveaway: “Enter to win the new book Must Have Been Something I Ate from @lisasfoods http://wp.me/pRmU6-X4“
4. Like Lisa’s Foods on Facebook.
5. Add me as a friend on Facebook.
6. Subscribe to Lisa’s Foods via RSS feed or Google Reader.

You have until Monday at 11pm EST to enter this giveaway. I’ll announce the winner in my post on Tuesday.