Growing Up Organic

How else? The Galena Dad, the marathoner, actually tried to make ice cream out of the next best thing to sugar and milk…oatmeal!, so you know this is not normal.  One never forgets the spirits and smells of fermenting oatmeal in a small garage apartment. (actually most people from Bayonne have given up the ability to smell as a self-defense mechanism, email me for details).  But this wasn't just a one time thing. We always had Mung Bean Sprouts of alfalfa sprouts in various stages of growth, we'd culture our own yogurt, substitute carob for chocolate. White-flour-anything was considered traif in the Galena household.

One day in first grade the "boys" came home practically in tears "We feel so sorry for Yossie." Why? "He eats sugar!" 

OK-maybe we went a little overboard with our warnings.  Do you think it was over the edge to call ahead at birthday parties and have to beg the birthday mom to scrape the icing off the cake before serving the Galena boys or girls?  It was after Sarah's sixth birthday party that one of her little friends informed me that carrot sticks have no place in a goody bag. Who knew?

So now all you former psych majors have a little insight into why the boys push Dougies on the website; why white challah tastes like cake to them, and why it's so difficult to pass an ice cream store without thinking of a favorite flavor. These are little kids who would bypass the candies and ask permission to eat grapes. 

You know how the Yeshiva moms would send food after school with their kids saying they were "allergic" in case our kashrut wasn't up to par? Well I did the same thing when the kids went to their houses-only it was all about whole foods.

OK-you might have heard the story that on a truly bad day I sent Seth to school with a plastic bag of Tums in his lunch bag, but to my defense, they were fruit flavored and full of calcium.  No one traded. I couldn't understand it. I actually counted on the librarian who had peanut butter and jelly for those kids who forgot lunch. 

Just builds character, and good stories for them to tell on dates. 

The Galena dad still makes the most delicious brown rice stir fry and I make a mean lentil soup-we're the ying plus the yang