The hipmomsgogreen Kitchen

When you think “hip,” glamorous clubs and trendy restaurants with delicious foods and wonderful design can come to mind. For myself, I think of a perfectly thin mom in her perfect kitchen, beautifully dressed, handing out food that obviously took hours to prepare, yet not a hair out of place. I aspire to this woman, even though I know it will never happen. Every day, I’m racing against the setting sun, trying to get dinner on the table before the baby starves to death and my husband starts grazing through the fridge (coming out with, by the way, the strangest combinations of foods.) I am determined that the four of us will eat together. The older boy wanders into the kitchen with a hopeful “What’s for dinner?” and leaves disappointed more times than not. He is not interested in healthy. He is interested in fatty, fried deliciousness. We don’t serve that here. Well, sometimes we do, but our motto is truly “Everything in moderation.”

Here at the HipMomsGoGreen Kitchen, we want to give you ways to create delicious, decadent foods that are also nutrient dense, organic, gluten and dairy free if necessary, and loaded with flavor. In this section of the site, you’ll find recipes to help you green up your family and lifestyle, as well as ways to get your kids to eat those pesky veggies. You’ll find everything from menus for parties, to cookies that you just have to have, to quick fix dinners for weeknight meals; all created with nutrition and flavor driving the bus. I’ll even help you with what to do with the leftovers. You’ll also find articles relating to cooking, healthy eating, and environmental issues relating to food.

We cook as organically as we can, and encourage you to do so as well. Why organic? First, and foremost, we feel that what we put in our bodies should be free from chemicals and poisons and as close to their original genetic makeup as possible. Also, studies have shown that organics have higher levels of antioxidants in them due to the fact that the vegetables and fruits have to use their own defense systems to fight off pests and disease instead of relying on chemical pesticides to do it for them. We’ve all heard the expression “Garbage in, garbage out,” right? This is from the early days of computing, but why not apply it to ourselves? Why not put the best fuel into your body (fuel that, by the way, makes a smaller impact on our planet to boot) that you can find? Why not take just as good care of ourselves as some of us do our cars?

All the recipes in the Kitchen will be alterable. You’ll be able to add or omit certain ingredients as your dietary needs demand. Not all recipes will be gluten/dairy free, but all recipes will include notes for substitutions. Cooking is a science, but it’s a forgiving one. Your job is not only to follow the recipes, but also to experiment. Use your taste buds—they’re the ones that will tell you what’s good—don’t just do what it says and throw it on the table. Taste, taste, taste!

The HipMomsGoGreen Kitchen will provide you with creative, inventive and alternative recipes, and the skills and confidence to make them or use them as a guideline to craft your own. Trust yourself; you are creating here. Cooking should be a joy, not a chore. It should bring you closer to your family. It should be life affirming, laughter, hug and kiss inducing. Your friends should talk about your cooking skills, and clamor for an invitation to your table, and this should give you a sense of confidence and pride, not fear and stress. If the stars and planets are aligned just right, and a gentle breeze blows through your kitchen door, you can place one perfect meal after another on your table, sometimes even in time to enjoy the sunset. Start here: welcome to your Kitchen.

Kelly Polston
hmgg Contributing Writer