Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Happy Mediums

 The last couple of days have been a bit indecisive for me.

Yesterday morning, I held my first interview for next year's internship, at the county Department of Social Services "Intensive Foster Care and Clinical Services" division. I'm not sure how much I will like that one, it seems like it would be better as a "back-up plan". The lady I interviewed with said they don't get interns very often, and she seemed a little flustered as to the internship acceptance process, as well as what kinds of responsibilities we as interns would actually have. My second interview, on Friday, is on the developmental pediatrics unit of a local very prominent hospital, which would look very good on my resume. I think I may hope for that one, and repeat the spell I did on the 19th to give it a little "extra" push. I'm still not *totally* optimistic though - when I first moved to South Carolina, I interviewed for a job there, with the same woman that I'll be interviewing with for the internship, and she never called back. Guess we'll see.

After the interview, I stopped by Bi-Lo to get a box of these Spaghetti Classics from Bi-Lo. They come with noodles, a pack of seasoning, and parmesan cheese. You boil the noodles, and boil some tomato paste and the seasoning together, then eat. It's perfect for if you're in the mood for pasta, but don't have an entire family to cook for. Yet this one particular Bi-Lo is the only one I've ever been able to find it in, so I don't get it very often, as I don't want to use a whole can of pasta sauce or a whole box of noodles, when I'm the only one who would be eating it.

I don't know if I'm only noticing it more now because I'm becoming more food-conscious, but I've noticed since embarking on this Flexitarian diet (abstaining from meat one day a week) that I eat more when I do eat, and I seem to get hungry more. The last couple of days, even though I eat at least two meals a day ( usually sleep through breakfast) and of course have snacks at varying times, I wake up in the middle of the night hungry. Now, I'm a whopping 107 pounds, so I'm not concerned or anything - if anything, it's probably a good thing. Perhaps it's my body adjusting to some of the more healthy foods I've been sort of trying to eat.

Speaking of healthy foods, I've been debating on switching my choice of regular grocery store. On the one hand, there's Bi-Lo, which I pass every Saturday as I go home from school (Saturday is my usual grocery day). Then, there's Publix, which has more organic, vegetarian, and overall healthy food options to buy, but still kind of limited, depending on which specific store location you go to - they all have MorningStar Farms, for example, but as far as a wider variety of foods is concerned, that's not necessarily the case. Then, there's Earth Fare . Now, I absolutely love Earth Fare. All the produce they sell is locally grown (within 100 miles), they sell some of the teas I like (such as sage and valerian root), they have all kinds of herbal products, home remedies, and such that can be used in home health or even spellwork. All their meat is free-range and/or organic (not that I cook meat), they have lots of vegetarian/vegan options, and they're overall a utopia for the health conscious food shopper. But, they're farther away and much more expensive. 3 days' worth of snacks and foods there cost about as much as a week's worth of food and snacks at my current regular places. So it's kind of a balance: closer, cheaper, yet less healthy, or farther, more expensive, yet healthier? I think while I'm trying to decide on a permanent place, I'll rotate around - go one place one week, another the next, etc. Now that the weather is sort of getting warmer, I'm sure I'll be going to the beach after class a little more often, and Earth Fare is right there on my way back.


In a perfect end to yesterday, even though it was cold and cloudy, after my visits with my foster kids for the day, I went to a local park and took some more pictures. Photography is quickly becoming a hobby, and is actually quite therapeutic and meditative. I should've done this years ago!

8 comments:

JeniMac said...

You do know that you don't have to boil an entire box of pasta or use a whole jar of sauce, right? They can be saved for other meals, even if opened. We do that all the time.

If you haven't yet sign up for EarthFare's mailing list. They actually have some really good coupons. Usually they'll offer a product free with a $5 purchase. Just a thought.

Chadly said...

Yes, I know that lol. Well, as far as the jar of sauce, I would be a little unsure as to how much to use, in any case. And I do currently have a habit about forgetting I have things and letting them expire. :/

I signed up for Earthfare's mailing list a couple of days ago, the email list. So far, the coupons have mostly been things I don't like and wouldn't actually buy.

JeniMac said...

Good coupons will come. One time we got a pound of pork chops free with a $5 purchase. Another time it was a free bag of organic apples.

Both of our Earth Fares have coupons when you walk in, where they'd keep the weekly flyers. They're in little booklets. You can also print coupons online directly from company websites. A lot of organic brands offer coupons that way.

Chadly said...

Yeah, I printed out some coupons today for my next time going. Found some online.

Do you go to EarthFare often?

JeniMac said...

We go maybe once every two weeks or so. I only get things from there I can't find anywhere else like some meat subs, special produce, and our brand of deodorant.

Some of the best produce around here actually comes from a big flea market. There are even tailgate markets every weekend at various places around Asheville. Does your area have anything like that? Granted, we don't always buy organic. It's more important to choose healthy options like fruit and veggies and not worry right away whether or not they're organic.

Chadly said...

We do have several flea markets in the Charleston region, one of which I think is in Goose Creek near where I live. Currently they're only on Saturdays, though, while I'm in class :(

It's my understanding that organic fruit and veggies have less pesticides, etc., and therefore *would* be healthier and more environmentally friendly. :)

JeniMac said...

Of course you're right, but if your budget is the issue you don't have to buy all organic. You can find lists online of which fruits and veggies you should buy organic if possible:

http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/slowfoodorganiclocal/a/organicproduce_2.htm

I rarely buy organic onions or avocados simply because their skins protect them. But something like strawberries you should always buy organic.

My point about not worrying so much about buying organic is that some people won't eat fruits and veggies because they can't afford organic. That shouldn't be the point. If you can afford conventional produce it's still a healthier choice than boxed mac and cheese.

Chadly said...

Ah, I see what you're saying. For now, I admittedly don't buy produce much, except apples on occasion. Hopefully this cookbook will change that, once I decide what to try out :)I do hope to go to local farmers' markets more often once my school schedule frees up.