FAQ

Have a question?  Looking for an answer?  Check here!!  I have been getting a lot of questions lately and just thought it would be easier to organize them on one page. 

I’ll put all of the questions at the top so you can browse through them easier [as the list expands].  Look for the answers below and keep asking questions!

Questions:

1. Where have you lived and for how long?
2. What is your degree in?
3. What is your real job?
4. What kind of camera and lens do you use?
5. When did you start cooking?
6. Do you eat ALL organic food?
7. What is your idea of the perfect job?
8. What’s your beef with soy?
9. Are you currently selling ota.bars?
10. What are your favorite books?
11. How many calories do you consume per day?
12. Where is the farmers market located in Denver, that runs all winter long?

Answers:

1. Where have you lived and for how long?  I lived in Marshall, MI until I was 7yrs old.  Then we moved to a suburb in Cleveland, OH [Highland Heights].  I lived there from 7-18 when I moved to Columbus, OH and attended The Ohio State University.  I lived in Columbus for 5 years and then moved to Charlotte, NC with my then b/f now husband, Chris.  We lived in Charlotte for 3 years and moved to Denver, CO this past September.  We don’t if or when we’ll move next, but we do know that we are currently loving Colorado!
2. What is your degree in?  At Ohio State, I got my BS in Architecture.  I was in school there for 4 years.  When we moved to Charlotte I got my Masters in Architecture in two years.  There is always the possibility of another degree in my future!  In what?  Not sure!
3. What is your real job?  I currently do not have a real job.  I worked at Perkins + Will in Charlotte for one full year before we moved to Colorado.  The 8-5 desk job is just not for me!  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life.
4. What kind of camera and lens do you use?  I use the Canon Rebel XTi.  The lens I use the most is the Cannon 50mm f1.8 fixed lens.  I also use a Tamron 28-75mm f2.8.
5. When did you start cooking? I have enjoyed cooking and baking since I can remember.  I cooked a lot during college but was still eating/using too much processed food. I started experimenting and cooking more seriously about 3 years ago when we moved to Charlotte. 
6. Do you eat ALL organic food?  No, but as much as possible.  I try to buy all of my produce in season and organic.  Also, when buying meat, I try to by organic as well.  If it’s not organic, it is at least grass-fed.  Some things I don’t always buy organic are: nuts, broccoli, onions, watermelon, pineapple, avocados and probably a few more.  I cannot always afford to buy organic cheese, but I will at least make sure it contains no rBGH.
7. What is your idea of the perfect job?  I am definitely still searching for this.  Check this post on my current dilemma in regards to what I want to do with my life. 
8. What’s your beef with soy?  First, I will start by saying that this is my opinion formulated on a lot of research I have done. I am not a medical professional or a licensed RD. On that note, a few reasons are: it is insanely over processed + overgrown [in the states], you can find it in almost any bagged/boxed product you buy in multiple forms [just like corn], it’s causing huge rainforest deforestation problems, is one of the top allergens that people have, hard to digest and can’t absorb all the nutrients it supposedly has, blocks absorption of nutrients from other foods, unhealthy for children because of the estrogen levels, can cause lowered sperm count in men [when eaten frequently], and has also been shown that it can cause hormonal problems in women. Again, this is all based on personal research I have done and I choose to keep it out of my diet as much as possible.  However, I have read articles stating that in its fermented form it is much more beneficial for the body [ie: tempeh, miso, and natto].  I have just started to introduce tempeh into my diet, in small amounts.  Here is an article talking about non-fermented and fermented soy.

   It was originally grown + eaten in Asian countries because of how cheaply + easily it could be cultivated.  However, they also consume it with a lot of seaweed, which has properties that counteract many of the negative effects it has on the body.  Also, you would be surprised to know that other countries consume MUCH less than Americans and do not eat it in its processed form nearly as much. Asian countries also do not use soy as a protein [meat] replacement, like many Americans do. 

   A lot of people think that you can find this type of negative information about any food, and that is somewhat true, but not quite to this controversial extent. That is just what has come to be with all of the industrialization and over-farming of cheap filler products [like corn + soy].

   A few sites I have found to be helpful on this topic:
   Soy Alert
   A few good Q+A questions

   There are many more and I know there are a lot of “SOY is the wonderfood” type website. This is just the [brief] opinion I have formulated after all of my research.

9. Are you currently selling ota.bars?  No!  I wish I still was.  I would like to start back up at some point and will keep everyone posted if anything changes on this front!
10. What are your favorite books?  The Omnivores Dilemma – Michael Pollan : In Defense of Food – Michael Pollan : Slow Food Nation – Carlo Petrini :  The Architect, The Cook, and Good Taste – Petra Hodgson + Rolf Toyka [editors] : Eating Architecture – Jamie Horwitz + Paulette Singley [editors] : Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer : Under the Banner of Heaven – Jon Krakauer
11. How many calories do you consume per day?  I don’t calorie count but did for a few months when I started working in fall of 2008.  I was gaining weight and needed to know where I was going wrong.  I figured out how many calories my body needed and counted only for a short time to make myself more away of what was going into my body.  I would say I currently average around 1700-1900/day.  [I think I have a somewhat high metabolism.]  Maybe I should count for the next two days so I can give a better estimate!  Right now, I just eat when I’m hungry.  I’m the type of person that is hungry every two hours even after one of my huge bowls of oats!
12. It’s called Denver Urban Homesteading and is located at 2nd + Santa Fe in Denver.  Check it out!!  So many great finds featured all winter long!  I love supporting local