Friday, September 3, 2010

Local Living

DAY 158

Still new into this Challenge Month of using only "natural" cleaning products! Going to the store today to get stocked up - will keep you posted...

I am still wrapping up the Local Foods Month - need to finish the great read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and keep searching for local chicken...Made a list today of what I need from the Public Market tomorrow - this and the other good habits in place-hooray! Have not been to the store after a week away, so I finished up some of my non-local foods from before...pasta and tortilla chips from somewhere, canned pineapple, a lime (clearly not from NY) and agave nectar for my tea (really great taste, lower glycemic index than honey or sugar AND a product of Mexico)...I am sure I will find homemade local pasta and already have a honey source-nice! Picked some lettuce, lima beans and basil from my garden - will make another batch of pesto tonight and rhubarb sauce tomorrow. My life has been changed for good - Wicked good :)

I hope you are inspired to eat locally! I like bananas as much as the next person but now maybe as a treat or if I go to Columbia!? Eating food from your area is a "green" move - most of our food travels 1400 miles to get here...really? Trucked, refrigerated, stored then sold...Why not get yourself some local peaches - picked then sold - from 14 miles away instead (see below)?

Do what you can....try it for one month or even one week - even one local meal a week is more than most people do...Remember, it is not at all about deprivation, it is about taking advantage of what you have in your area! Allow yourself some goodies you love and let some others go OR only enjoy them seasonally or geographically if you travel :)

Check out these cool learnings and commitments from Shelby (Thank you!!)
MY COMMENTS IN CAPS :)

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* If you can (jar) a LOT of tomatoes and then tell your friends, they will trade you for things like their own home made pesto, peach jam, etc. NICE - WILL TRADE YOU SOME PESTO!

* If you make arrangements to go TO THE FARM to pick up cases of tomatoes, the farmer will cut you a big deal. $10/case for the best organic tomatoes in all of central PA. Normally at market they are about $10 for 8 tomatoes. NEED TO FIND THIS IN NY - I KNOW IT'S HERE!

* Delicata squash is really good. I have never had it before tonight. Saute in butter and rosemary. Fabulous! ON THE LIST

* The market I went to Saturday (Forks Market) had a sign reporting that the food at the market traveled an average of 14 miles to get there. That is a lot different than the national average of 1400 miles to the grocery store. LOVE IT - IT'S AMAZING REALLY - WE GET SO SPOILED TO HAVE GRAPES YEAR ROUND...

* Using a bread maker is just NOT THAT HARD. I've had one for YEARS and used it about twice. I've used it about six times this month. So easy. I WANT THAT - ANYONE SELLING A USED ONE????

* Dehydrating things is really easy and you can often get used dehydrators for $3 at thrift stores or garage sales. HMMMMM - INTERESTING...

Here are the things I've given myself permission to buy even though they are not local:
THIS IS A GREAT LIST SHELBY - I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM YOU!

* Coffee, tea
* Sugar
* Spices (although next summer I'm going to work on growing herbs and drying them myself)
* Olive oil
* Seafood - I still buy this from the fish store as opposed to the grocery store. They screen for responsible fishing which is helpful.
* Tofu
* Rice/Quinoa/Pasta
* Avocados
* Bananas (trying really hard to buy organic)
* The occasional pineapple
* Nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, and almonds)
* White Flour (though I've found a local miller of locally grown wheat flour, I have not yet found local white flour).
* Beer (though I stick to PA breweries as much as I can)
* Wine (though I am now trying to stay within the US)
* Citrus (in the winter only, when it's from FL or CA)
* Mushrooms (though my roommate is going foraging for some tomorrow, so who knows, maybe I won't need to do that either).

Happily, since Turkey Hill is from my home town, just 1 hour and 40 minutes away, I can consider my ice cream LOCAL! LUCKY YOU!!!
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So....What can YOU do?

More tomorrow - will report on "better living through baking soda"! - Have a Nothing New Day!

Kristin

1 comment:

  1. Wow! You really have learned a lot. So interesting to think about how far some of our foods have traveled before they reach our plates.

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