The Transition Begins!

I have always been interested in eating healthy, wholesome foods (for the most part...everything in moderation, right, Mom?) and have recently become very interested in Organics. After reading Skinny Bitch a few years ago, I immediately was disgusted by all dairy and meats. My vegan phase lasted for about a month (I found it way too difficult to keep up with in South Louisiana), so I then gave up all meat and bought organic dairy products. I felt much better knowing that I was not getting any of the antibiotics/steroids/pesticides found in these products. I was a happy vegetarian for about a year and half and then while pregnant, began to eat meat again. I know, I know- bad timing, huh? I didn't want to ingest the awful things found in meat and dairy, yet I passed them right to my unborn baby! It just goes to show what those pregnancy hormones can do to a girl's thinking!
So, this leads us to present day- my sweet baby boy is nine months old. He is breastfed and has been eating organic foods since he could say "grrbuduhjuh." I recently started to wonder why I don't take the same care for myself as I do for my baby. I also happened to see an ad for Maria Rodale's book Organic Manifesto. After a quick google search I knew this book was for me and immediately ordered it. The book basically expanded upon many things I already knew and opened my eyes to new things in the food industry that just really grossed me out. I'll save all of the how and why's for another post, but for now just know that after reading the book I was changed. It was sort of what I needed- a little kick in the butt if you will. So this is where the transition begins: I donated/threw out all of the non-organic/conventional/toxic foods in my pantry and refrigerator and vowed from that point on my family would only purchase organic or local foods and certainly not anything with ingredients I can't even begin to pronounce.
I have included before and after pictures of my pantry. I will say that after I threw everything out I did have an "oh s*it" moment- like what have I done?! Can we afford this?! But YES, it is worth it, and we will find a way to fit it in our tiny budget!!! ( And when I say tiny, I mean tiny- so if we can afford it, you can too!)