Things I Think My Rats Believe

As a pet owner, you probably wonder what your little animal children are thinking. I've pondered this as well and have come up with a list describing how my rats must see the world.

A Few Things My Rats Believe
1) All pet rats are spoiled. In other words, you have a rat in order to kiss him, cuddle him, talk to him, and give him cookies.
2) All wild rats are just rats with bad manners. Sadly, they have no one to teach them how to be cute and nice.
3) My poop is pretty amazing. Everyday my momma comes and gathers my poop and puts it in a special place.
4) I love being on my favorite shelf with my brother/sister, my best friends, and my favorite stuff.
5)  If I can reach it, it's part of my stuff.
6) Sniffing, climbing, touching, and chewing are all important ways to explore.
7) Rats are not 'fat'. They can be regular, round, or extra-round.
8) When my momma talks to me, all is right with the world.

Processed Foods I Am Willing to Eat

I eat unprocessed foods. That means meat, fruit, and vegetables that I buy WHOLE from the farmer's market/rancher/store. I also try to make sure it is grown/raised locally if possible. A lot of folks can't wrap their minds around this, because eating this way means no fast food. No frozen foods. No boxed food. No canned food. A "quick and easy" meal still means choppin' up stuff and cookin' it (unless it's salad).

Well, that said I will admit to you all that there are some processed foods I am willing to eat. I understand that my definition of a "processed food" may differ from yours.

So, here it is--

Processed Foods I Will Eat

1) Kelp noodles- sometimes I just gotta have noodles
2) Ketchup- I only buy ketchup once or twice a year. I get organic ketchup w/o the high fructose corn syrup
3) Tomato sauce- at least it's organic
4) Coconut aminos- ditto
5) CHOCOLATE- man, I should've topped the list with this one! I buy the 72% or more cocoa
6) Hearts of palm- well, it does come in a can
7) Applegate Organic Hot Dogs- because sometimes a girl just wants a big weiner XD
8) Mustard- again, organic and w/o a lot of strange words I can't even pronounce
9) WINE-again, should've topped the list :) And, it's fermented but since I don't do gluten (ie: no beer) I have become more of a wine drinker.
10) OMG- Diet Coke! I give you up for weeks or months, only to fall off the wagon. 


What about sauerkraut? What about balsamic vinegar? What about olives? Yeah, I buy them but they are fermented or brined so I'm not sure if they belong on this list or not.

Why share this list? Because I've run into some folks who hear that I avoid wheat and gluten and so try to be helpful by suggesting gluten-free this and gluten-free that. I smile and say I'll look into it, but usually these have a lot of added fats, chemicals, or sugar I can do without. It's important that I eat as much unprocessed foods as possible AND as little processed foods as possible.

But, I will have a gluten-free beer once in a while. :)