With my tips for where to find affordable local, seasonal, and organic foods, I should emphasize that one of THE most important things you can do to reduce your food bill is to simply reduce your food waste! The New York Times said in 2008 that "an estimated 27 percent of the food available for consumption" is wasted. That comes to about 1 POUND of food each day for each American. To me, that figure is appalling. Another study on a medical news website states that each American household wastes 14% of their food annually. So, if that is true, then you should be able to trim 14% of your food budget just by reducing the amount of food you waste.
Not really as simple as it sounds, but I've been trying really hard to get to a near 0% waste level in our house. How? First, I go shopping MORE often. Yes, I know, most of the recent news about how to lower food related costs tell you to shop less often and to plan furthur in advance for meals. Some articles have even suggested that monthly shopping is better than the average weekly shopping most families do. I tried this for a while. My per pound cost of food, I am sure, was reduced...but we wasted food by the trash can fulls. Planning ahead was a nice idea, but as a working mom (who works evenings), dinner didn't always happen as planned, and the food purchased for that meal was often wasted. I typically shop twice a week now. I base my purchases on what is in season and what looks fresh and appetizing in the stores.
This has another added benefit. By not buying foods that are shipped in from across the world, our food TASTES better. We don't have as much food waste when the family is happy to eat leftovers!
Food grown in season is usually cheaper anyway, because there are not as many added costs from the shipping...and it doesn't waste as quickly because it is closer to harvest time when you are buying it.
Another key point to reducing food waste is to learn how to properly store food items. This year, when we were deep in the growing season, I asked our CSA farmer at Old Path Farms to include in her weekly newsletter how to store the wonderful veggies we were getting in our weekly box. I learned a lot! For instance, winter squash can be wiped down with a vinegar solution and stored in a humid, dark cellar all winter long (hence, the name WINTER squash). Garlic and onions are best left out on the counter where they can "breathe" and basil should NOT be stored in the refrigerator but in a small glass of water used as a vase for the aromatic leaves and left on the counter. Fresh bread goes stale quickly in the refrigerator, but stays fresh if frozen and then thawed before use. I could go on and on, but the point is, what I THOUGHT were good storage practices were often just subtracting precious days from the freshness of some of our foods.
I also try to plan our meals around the finds of the day. Yes, it is more difficult to plan your meals around what you find that day, rather than planning your meals and then hunting for the foods you need. But, I think you will agree that your food will taste better and you will waste less this way. I have had to do a lot of research into this way of cooking, but I have found a wealth of books on how to cook with local, seasonal foods. I am listing my favorites here for you...and of course, if you have questions about the storability of a food, good cooking techniques, or how to reduce it's waste potential, I'd be happy to assist!
Local Flavors, by Deborah Madison
Clean Food, by Terry Walters
The Harvest Cookbook, by Keith Snow
anything by the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten
Yes, we DO still have food waste in our house, but it has been reduced to a minimum. We try to store it in the way nature intended, and if we want to store for future use, we learn how to process it to keep it tasting its best. Some veggies are fine chopped and stored in large plastic bags. Fruit, too, can usually be laid out in single layers in the freezer and then bagged. But, some veggies, like kale, needs to be blanched in boiling water first to stop the enzymes than can turn the flavor bitter. Blanching takes only a few minutes and leaves you with fresh tasting veggies all winter long! I haven't ventured into the process of canning yet, but hopefully this summer I can put away tomato sauce and pickles for later use.
And finally, when buying foods out of the natural growing season, it is best to buy them preserved. Again, I know this really goes against the grain of the lastest encouragements of "fresh is always best," but really, what would you rather have...a tasteless, droopy salad in winter, or a side dish of properly frozen zucchini and yellow squash, which has retained more nutrients and flavor than it's fresh counterpart? In the winter and early spring , I usually reach for frozen fruits and veggies, and I never buy those pale looking tomatoes for my salads. I have found locally grown herb salad mixes, grown in greenhouses, but if I want a tomato, I'll go for the canned or dried variety, added to my soup or casserole rather than my salad.
Of course, even with the new places to shop, and the better storage, there is still one more aspect to consider...how to actually cook all this wonderful food! Coming up next!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Affordable organic...shopping!
The question I get asked the most (aside from "how do you have the time?") is "how can you afford to eat the way you do?". But, honestly, I am spending the same amount of money, or in some cases, less that what we were spending before on food. So, how do we do it? Read on...
Most importantly, my definition of organic has changed. In the past, especially during my years of kickboxing and weight lifting, organic to me meant rows of processed nutrition bars, boxes of cereal, and all sorts of products made with soy. It also meant trips to specialty stores, or at the very least, a health food store smelling of protein powders. Now, my idea of organic is food in it's original form, grown without the use of chemicals or artificial means. It also means avoiding processed foods, especially those with high fructose corn syrup in them.
It is important to give up traditional ways of shopping for food and look to the conventional supermarket as a back-up plan, not as a primary means of locating and purchasing food. We do often buy our milk from the supermarket, as the closest farm with raw milk is a good driving distance at the moment. And, sometimes we buy our non-perishables there, too, but mostly we have hunted for alternatives.
So, where do we get our food from? In the summer, we shop at the weekly farmer's markets. Local, just-picked foods are abundant here, and the ability to ask a farmer about growing techniques, storage, and cooking tips can't be beat. There are often great deals to be had on slightly misshapen fruits and veggies, and some farmers will start tossing "just a little something" in your bag each week once they get to know you well.
We also joined a community-supported agriculture program, or CSA. For one up-front sum, we get a fresh box of veggies every week (enough to feed my family of 4 and both my parents). My kids love to visit the farm and talk to the farmers about what they see. We usually walk away with a few extra treasures here, too. Fresh picked flowers, a few of the overabundant beans, or some of the rapidly growing kale at the end of season are some of the wonderful give-aways.
Another great option is to join a co-op or buying club. Ours is the foodshed buying club, and for a very small fee ($15 per year!), we are able to order local meats, cheeses, yogurt, eggs, produce, organic fresh baked bread, honey, maple syrup, and more. Our weekly order is then brought to a central location near our home every Friday. The prices are the same as for high quality foods in the supermarket, but the taste can't be beat. we don't have to drive to all the separate farms, and we are able to walk away with a huge bag of groceries without all the temptations of the checkout line.
Another great money saver is bulk buying. This can be done with seasonal foods, such as fresh picked berries in spring and summer. It takes a little research to discover the best, tastiest ways to store them for future use, but the rewards are amazing. Our non-perishables are also bought in bulk at our local big box store. Most carry organic products now such as chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and other products for the shelf or freezer. If you really want to get adventuresome, you can even buy a whole cow...cut to your liking and frozen. I have yet to go this far, but still an option.
Of course, the best way to get local foods on the cheap is to learn to grow your own. It takes research, and a good deal of dirty work (pun intended) to get a garden started, but if you do it right, the payoff is immense and the workload through the following seasons is minimal. Learn what grows best in your climate, and if you don't have a lot of land, what grows best in pots. My blog will turn mostly to this aspect in the coming weeks as we start to grow our veggie plants from seed.
Of course, mix and match all these ideas to create the plan best for your family. And start small. Buy the items your family uses most or go organic with those items that are most risky if exposed to chemicals or hormones. Or, like my family did, start with those products that just taste better when local and fresh (like eggs and produce).
Of course, this just hits the tip of the iceberg of savings. The best way to cut costs in is the preparation and storage areas...more on that later!
I should also add that most of my bagged pantry staples come from a small, local grocer (the Olde Kountry Store) where big bulk items are split and sold in very affordable smaller bags. We buy flour, sugar, and such at about half the cost of supermarket prices. They also have great prices on snacks (like the bag of alphabet pretzels for a couple dollars) and lunch meats and cheeses (we buy maple smoked ham at $3.99/ pound). Deals are out there, it just takes looking.
For ideas on where to find CSA farms, co-ops or buying clubs, and farmers markets in your area, the best resource I have used is localharvest.org .
Most importantly, my definition of organic has changed. In the past, especially during my years of kickboxing and weight lifting, organic to me meant rows of processed nutrition bars, boxes of cereal, and all sorts of products made with soy. It also meant trips to specialty stores, or at the very least, a health food store smelling of protein powders. Now, my idea of organic is food in it's original form, grown without the use of chemicals or artificial means. It also means avoiding processed foods, especially those with high fructose corn syrup in them.
It is important to give up traditional ways of shopping for food and look to the conventional supermarket as a back-up plan, not as a primary means of locating and purchasing food. We do often buy our milk from the supermarket, as the closest farm with raw milk is a good driving distance at the moment. And, sometimes we buy our non-perishables there, too, but mostly we have hunted for alternatives.
So, where do we get our food from? In the summer, we shop at the weekly farmer's markets. Local, just-picked foods are abundant here, and the ability to ask a farmer about growing techniques, storage, and cooking tips can't be beat. There are often great deals to be had on slightly misshapen fruits and veggies, and some farmers will start tossing "just a little something" in your bag each week once they get to know you well.
We also joined a community-supported agriculture program, or CSA. For one up-front sum, we get a fresh box of veggies every week (enough to feed my family of 4 and both my parents). My kids love to visit the farm and talk to the farmers about what they see. We usually walk away with a few extra treasures here, too. Fresh picked flowers, a few of the overabundant beans, or some of the rapidly growing kale at the end of season are some of the wonderful give-aways.
Another great option is to join a co-op or buying club. Ours is the foodshed buying club, and for a very small fee ($15 per year!), we are able to order local meats, cheeses, yogurt, eggs, produce, organic fresh baked bread, honey, maple syrup, and more. Our weekly order is then brought to a central location near our home every Friday. The prices are the same as for high quality foods in the supermarket, but the taste can't be beat. we don't have to drive to all the separate farms, and we are able to walk away with a huge bag of groceries without all the temptations of the checkout line.
Another great money saver is bulk buying. This can be done with seasonal foods, such as fresh picked berries in spring and summer. It takes a little research to discover the best, tastiest ways to store them for future use, but the rewards are amazing. Our non-perishables are also bought in bulk at our local big box store. Most carry organic products now such as chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and other products for the shelf or freezer. If you really want to get adventuresome, you can even buy a whole cow...cut to your liking and frozen. I have yet to go this far, but still an option.
Of course, the best way to get local foods on the cheap is to learn to grow your own. It takes research, and a good deal of dirty work (pun intended) to get a garden started, but if you do it right, the payoff is immense and the workload through the following seasons is minimal. Learn what grows best in your climate, and if you don't have a lot of land, what grows best in pots. My blog will turn mostly to this aspect in the coming weeks as we start to grow our veggie plants from seed.
Of course, mix and match all these ideas to create the plan best for your family. And start small. Buy the items your family uses most or go organic with those items that are most risky if exposed to chemicals or hormones. Or, like my family did, start with those products that just taste better when local and fresh (like eggs and produce).
Of course, this just hits the tip of the iceberg of savings. The best way to cut costs in is the preparation and storage areas...more on that later!
I should also add that most of my bagged pantry staples come from a small, local grocer (the Olde Kountry Store) where big bulk items are split and sold in very affordable smaller bags. We buy flour, sugar, and such at about half the cost of supermarket prices. They also have great prices on snacks (like the bag of alphabet pretzels for a couple dollars) and lunch meats and cheeses (we buy maple smoked ham at $3.99/ pound). Deals are out there, it just takes looking.
For ideas on where to find CSA farms, co-ops or buying clubs, and farmers markets in your area, the best resource I have used is localharvest.org .
Saturday, February 13, 2010
My recipe for chicken soup...
The best way to make chicken soup, I found, is to start the day before. We usually eat chicken at some point in the week, and the cheapest way to buy it is whole...I roast it and cut off the meat we will eat for dinner, sometimes save a little white meat for a chicken salad lunch, and then the rest of the chicken goes into a big pot of water. I boil it for about 2 hours and then dump the whole thing (slowly) into a strainer set over a very large bowl. The next part gets you the meat. Go through the mess of chicken in the strainer, looking for chunks of meat. It should slide right off the bone at this point. I go for both dark and white meat. Put the meat back into the bowl of liquid drained off and cover it. Chill in the refigerator overnight. At this point, I can usually strain the fat right off the top. Depending on the fat in the chicken, the liquid may be creamy and thick, so add enough water to make it more like soup again. Back onto the stove it goes, and set it to boiling. Start adding veggies here. The rule is to only add what is in season or you have on hand in the freezer. So, your summer soup will be different from fall. Tonight we are having chicken, carrots, (frozen) green beans, kale, golden potatoes, baby bella mushrooms and a little chopped celery. Onions and garlic are always in our soups! I added a few egg noodles for thickness, since the girls aren't big soup fans.
Don't forget a side of healthy bread and real butter (no hydrogenated fats for us!)...I made two loaves of honey oatmeal bread today. Mmmmmmmmm.......
Don't forget a side of healthy bread and real butter (no hydrogenated fats for us!)...I made two loaves of honey oatmeal bread today. Mmmmmmmmm.......
Excuse me, but are those PEEPs in your cart?
It's the beginning of a new season...yes, I know there is still thick, icy snow on the ground here in upstate NY, but the seed catalogs have been arriving and the planning has begun. I took some time away from the blog to re-evaluate what I was really trying to accomplish and decided when the bulk of the "work" began, I would head back to share my efforts. And here we are...only a couple of weeks away from the day when I put my precious seeds in their growing cells and coax them out of hibernation into the warm indoor air of our home. They will spend a few weeks alternating between the cool, artificially lit basement and the warmer sunny windows of the back bedroom in our home. All the while, I will be dreaming of their new homes in the outdoor backyard garden. But, more on that later...
This winter, as I hit numerous challenges in my "eat mostly local foods" plan, I began to think more about what it really was I was looking for. Reduction of food miles? Organic certification on the label? Better taste and food quality? Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I just want to get back to the roots of my food. I want to know where it comes from and who is involved in the raising and producing of it. I want to avoid the food that have a negative impact on my health and the environment. And, I want better tasting, fresher food without all the artificial preservatives on most food labels today. Does that mean I am going to go cold turkey on my favorite processed foods? Not a chance. As much as I admire Barbara Kingsolver and her family, as they journey through a year of locally grown and raised foods (www.animalvegetablemiracle.com ), it takes a lot more planning and restraint than I currently have.
What I have discovered is that, while I have always hated the dreaded weekly trip to the grocery store, I look forward to my many trips to area farmer's markets, local food stores, and my newly discovered foodshed buying club (www.foodshedbuyingclub.com ). I love the socialization and the ability to ask specific questions about food's origins and the best ways of storing and cooking these foods. I like to meet the people and know that the people raising and growing my food know my name and my family. I also like the hunt, or most often, the discovery of a seasonal, local food that will soon grace our table.
I have had to really adjust my cooking habits, as I have always been a planner....to the extreme. Each month, I would plan our menus for the whole month, hit the supermarket for all the non-perishables at once and just go in weekly for those items that stock the fresh portions of the meal. Of course, this resulted in a mostly processed diet full of fat and sugar...and not to mention the expense. Yes, I had a low food budget in respect to other processed shopping strategies, but for lack of flavor and a lot of food waste. Now, I plan our meals as they come. Relying on whatever is in season right now and is fresh and local. We add non-perishables as we need them with a quick trip into a local grocery store.
I have stocked my cookbook shelves with interesting titles and glorious pictures of food...Local Flavors, The Harvest Cookbook, and a nice stash of books from the Barefoot Contessa. Each and every meal has been delicious and full of flavor. I have read many books on local growing, cooking, and eating with each one adding to my thoughts and goals. But, mostly, I have discovered that by including these seasonal, local foods, we have had tastier meals, reduced food budgets (yes, even with organic food in our cart), and happier trips for food pickup.
However, I am not perfect, and occasionally, even I tend to slip a few unnecessary items into the cart. Most often, it is some treat or another. My kids love seasonal PEEPs. We are a marketer's dream as we hunt for the once a year sugary marshmallow treats shaped like ghosts, hearts, bears, or bunnies. We float them in our hot chocolate and dip them in chocolate coating. And I have wondered, on more than one occasion, if anyone in the grocery store muses over the cart stocked with organic, grass-fed beef and milk, local apples, dried beans, cold pressed olive oil, and marshmallow PEEPs.
As much as I would like to eliminate all processed foods from our diet, I have decided that a gradual decrease is more likely to avoid opposition from my American cheese loving kids and salad-dressing-from-a-bottle husband. So, PEEPs are still in my cart, but surrounded by the goodness of whole, local, or pasture raised foods.
What am I really looking for? Ease of shopping and cooking. Better taste and freshness. Knowing where my food comes from and that it has been minimally processed and mostly in it's original form. Meeting the people involved in getting food to my table. Knowing that we are making healthy choices.
It doesn't come down to organic vs. non-organic, especially knowing that the cost of certification often prevents small farms from obtaining it. It does come down to food grown without pesticides, hormones, and under kind living conditions. I always choose local and/or seasonal when I have the choice. And when we can visit the farm or grow our own, that food will always be the first on our table. Nothing beats food eaten fresh from the garden or farm, eaten in the season in which nature intended...
And with that said, I have a stack of seed catalogs, a calendar to schedule planting and harvesting dates, and a few more books I want to read...
This winter, as I hit numerous challenges in my "eat mostly local foods" plan, I began to think more about what it really was I was looking for. Reduction of food miles? Organic certification on the label? Better taste and food quality? Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I just want to get back to the roots of my food. I want to know where it comes from and who is involved in the raising and producing of it. I want to avoid the food that have a negative impact on my health and the environment. And, I want better tasting, fresher food without all the artificial preservatives on most food labels today. Does that mean I am going to go cold turkey on my favorite processed foods? Not a chance. As much as I admire Barbara Kingsolver and her family, as they journey through a year of locally grown and raised foods (www.animalvegetablemiracle.com ), it takes a lot more planning and restraint than I currently have.
What I have discovered is that, while I have always hated the dreaded weekly trip to the grocery store, I look forward to my many trips to area farmer's markets, local food stores, and my newly discovered foodshed buying club (www.foodshedbuyingclub.com ). I love the socialization and the ability to ask specific questions about food's origins and the best ways of storing and cooking these foods. I like to meet the people and know that the people raising and growing my food know my name and my family. I also like the hunt, or most often, the discovery of a seasonal, local food that will soon grace our table.
I have had to really adjust my cooking habits, as I have always been a planner....to the extreme. Each month, I would plan our menus for the whole month, hit the supermarket for all the non-perishables at once and just go in weekly for those items that stock the fresh portions of the meal. Of course, this resulted in a mostly processed diet full of fat and sugar...and not to mention the expense. Yes, I had a low food budget in respect to other processed shopping strategies, but for lack of flavor and a lot of food waste. Now, I plan our meals as they come. Relying on whatever is in season right now and is fresh and local. We add non-perishables as we need them with a quick trip into a local grocery store.
I have stocked my cookbook shelves with interesting titles and glorious pictures of food...Local Flavors, The Harvest Cookbook, and a nice stash of books from the Barefoot Contessa. Each and every meal has been delicious and full of flavor. I have read many books on local growing, cooking, and eating with each one adding to my thoughts and goals. But, mostly, I have discovered that by including these seasonal, local foods, we have had tastier meals, reduced food budgets (yes, even with organic food in our cart), and happier trips for food pickup.
However, I am not perfect, and occasionally, even I tend to slip a few unnecessary items into the cart. Most often, it is some treat or another. My kids love seasonal PEEPs. We are a marketer's dream as we hunt for the once a year sugary marshmallow treats shaped like ghosts, hearts, bears, or bunnies. We float them in our hot chocolate and dip them in chocolate coating. And I have wondered, on more than one occasion, if anyone in the grocery store muses over the cart stocked with organic, grass-fed beef and milk, local apples, dried beans, cold pressed olive oil, and marshmallow PEEPs.
As much as I would like to eliminate all processed foods from our diet, I have decided that a gradual decrease is more likely to avoid opposition from my American cheese loving kids and salad-dressing-from-a-bottle husband. So, PEEPs are still in my cart, but surrounded by the goodness of whole, local, or pasture raised foods.
What am I really looking for? Ease of shopping and cooking. Better taste and freshness. Knowing where my food comes from and that it has been minimally processed and mostly in it's original form. Meeting the people involved in getting food to my table. Knowing that we are making healthy choices.
It doesn't come down to organic vs. non-organic, especially knowing that the cost of certification often prevents small farms from obtaining it. It does come down to food grown without pesticides, hormones, and under kind living conditions. I always choose local and/or seasonal when I have the choice. And when we can visit the farm or grow our own, that food will always be the first on our table. Nothing beats food eaten fresh from the garden or farm, eaten in the season in which nature intended...
And with that said, I have a stack of seed catalogs, a calendar to schedule planting and harvesting dates, and a few more books I want to read...
Friday, January 8, 2010
Foodshed Local Food Buying Club
I am really thankful that today was my first local food pickup day from the newly organized foodshed buying club, as it was a rotten day otherwise. And, for those in the Northeast with me, you know why it would have been a terrible day to drive around in the blowing snow to several farms to pick up food. I would have just gone to the grocery store like most everyone else. But, the wonderful people who organized the foodshed buying club did all the legwork for me. It was super easy...I can't think of any possible way it could have been easier, in fact.
Orders can be place online, anytime of the week, and orders placed by Sunday night at midnight will be ready the following Friday afternoon. I chose a small sample of items from different farmers...local cheese (one cheddar and one feta), yogurt, fresh eggs, and some ground and stew beef. I had ordered a quart of raw whole milk, but the demand was more than the farm had anticipated (yay local shoppers!) and I was one of the last people to place an order...so goes the biggest drawback of shopping locally. You get what is available and you don't get what isn't.
I am very excited about our pickup, and the farm who ran out of milk gave me a special tub of orange flavored yogurt to try for free! The site we picked up from was large and well organized and we were able to meet some of the farmers who are involved in the organization. Everyone was more than friendly and made an effort to get to know us. Kira said it the best after we left: "mom, do we really have to go to the grocery store now? It's so boring compared to the farm and that shed with the food!" Buying locally is worth it just for the education I am giving my children, but the food...SO delicious.
I'd say, as far as the financial risk, a $15 annual fee for this is better than great! What a bargain! And, as far as the risk of getting what I've ordered? I just treat it like I do the farmer's market in the summer...wait and go to the grocery store after to pick up anything that might be missing or just readjust meal plans for the week! It's always an adventure! And who can beat the value of someone else doing the driving and the sorting for you? I did bring my own bag to bring home the produce, but everything was nicely sorted and in boxes in the walk in cooler before we got there!
My only problem with the whole process is...what to order next week!?!
Visit the site! Join in the club!
http://www.foodshedbuyingclub.com/
Orders can be place online, anytime of the week, and orders placed by Sunday night at midnight will be ready the following Friday afternoon. I chose a small sample of items from different farmers...local cheese (one cheddar and one feta), yogurt, fresh eggs, and some ground and stew beef. I had ordered a quart of raw whole milk, but the demand was more than the farm had anticipated (yay local shoppers!) and I was one of the last people to place an order...so goes the biggest drawback of shopping locally. You get what is available and you don't get what isn't.
I am very excited about our pickup, and the farm who ran out of milk gave me a special tub of orange flavored yogurt to try for free! The site we picked up from was large and well organized and we were able to meet some of the farmers who are involved in the organization. Everyone was more than friendly and made an effort to get to know us. Kira said it the best after we left: "mom, do we really have to go to the grocery store now? It's so boring compared to the farm and that shed with the food!" Buying locally is worth it just for the education I am giving my children, but the food...SO delicious.
I'd say, as far as the financial risk, a $15 annual fee for this is better than great! What a bargain! And, as far as the risk of getting what I've ordered? I just treat it like I do the farmer's market in the summer...wait and go to the grocery store after to pick up anything that might be missing or just readjust meal plans for the week! It's always an adventure! And who can beat the value of someone else doing the driving and the sorting for you? I did bring my own bag to bring home the produce, but everything was nicely sorted and in boxes in the walk in cooler before we got there!
My only problem with the whole process is...what to order next week!?!
Visit the site! Join in the club!
http://www.foodshedbuyingclub.com/
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Local food...and losing weight?
This past summer, I noticed that as I ate more food out of my garden and from the local farmer's market, I began to lose weight. Naturally. Without effort. Of course, I suppose this is to be expected when you eat less meat and more veggies. The kind of veggies and fruit that are filled with fiber and water. Yummy!
Of course, with my research on eating seasonally, I have found that most of the seasonal winter foods are traditionally meant to "fatten us up" for winter. Vegetables are more starchy and more meat is usually consumed. Cheeses with longer storage possibilities are eaten. The fat brings us better insulation for winter.
So, what now? Tonight, I weigh in for a weight loss competition that my friends and I are starting...my motivation for joining comes in three parts. (1) I don't fit into my clothes anymore! A problem, since I'm broke and don't want to buy new ones! (2) I don't feel healthy. I used to be in great shape when I lifted weights daily and was a speed walker (often topping 4.7 mph just walking!). Now, I just feel sluggish and tired. (3) I want my children to learn healthy habits, meaning I need to get out there and be a good role model.
I suppose this will only be a small bump in the road for my eating habits. I don't see a lot of overweight people who say they live locally and seasonally. It's just finding the right balance for me. So, I'll continue to blog here for those who are following my simplify your life blog. But, I'll also be weighing in with a new blog on my journey to regain my healthy spirit...and don't be surprised if you see a lot of crossover!
Of course, with my research on eating seasonally, I have found that most of the seasonal winter foods are traditionally meant to "fatten us up" for winter. Vegetables are more starchy and more meat is usually consumed. Cheeses with longer storage possibilities are eaten. The fat brings us better insulation for winter.
So, what now? Tonight, I weigh in for a weight loss competition that my friends and I are starting...my motivation for joining comes in three parts. (1) I don't fit into my clothes anymore! A problem, since I'm broke and don't want to buy new ones! (2) I don't feel healthy. I used to be in great shape when I lifted weights daily and was a speed walker (often topping 4.7 mph just walking!). Now, I just feel sluggish and tired. (3) I want my children to learn healthy habits, meaning I need to get out there and be a good role model.
I suppose this will only be a small bump in the road for my eating habits. I don't see a lot of overweight people who say they live locally and seasonally. It's just finding the right balance for me. So, I'll continue to blog here for those who are following my simplify your life blog. But, I'll also be weighing in with a new blog on my journey to regain my healthy spirit...and don't be surprised if you see a lot of crossover!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Simplify Your Life!
After taking a good long look at my current state of disorganization, I have come to realize that if I really want to simplify my diet I may have to take a good long look at the rest of my life. This past holiday season was my most stressful yet. I was trying so hard to stick to my local food plan, but just plain ran out of time...for anything. It wasn't the holiday planning slowing me down...it was the clutter that I can feel closing in on me. Our attic is full to the brim with who-knows-what. Really, I have no idea what we have up there...it is being "saved" for that garage sale that never happens. And the downstairs is just as bad. I keep collecting more and more "things" to fill up the small space that we call home. And I just plain don't have the room. I feel constantly overwhelmed by the sheer number of things around me and I know that there really isn't the time to clean it all up.
Which leads me to the other problem I am having with my goals. In all the books I read about this great lifestyle of shopping locally, cooking seasonally, and keeping a clean homestead the primary instigator is female, and either childless, unemployed, or both. I know that it was a good thing for women that the women's lib movement happened...but did it really liberate us? How many women who work full time (like I do) have the time to cook every meal from scratch from local or homegrown food, keep a clean home, maintain a garden, and maybe do a little sewing on the side? I would guess not many! And I envy those women who are able to stay home and care for their children without holding a full time job...but I am not one of those women. I am the only working member of our family who qualifies for health insurance. I am unable to even cut back to part time work, because we would then pay unimaginable amounts for basic plans. So, I spend half my nights away from my family and half my mornings trying to sleep in (since I arrive home from work at 4am) and then go right back to doing it again.
And that leads me to a solution I wasn't even able to consider before. A new organization in our area just started called The Foodshed Buying Club. Look for them on the internet or catch up with them on facebook...they have pooled the resources of several local farms and will do the pickup for you! I have just placed my first order with them and I only have to make one stop on Friday to pick up all the goodies! Fresh, local meat and dairy heading my way! Yipee!
Although I have been disheartened by the time it can take to pursue my local and seasonal goals, I am trying to put a plan in place. First, to find good places that don't require a lot of time to travel to. Second, to get a plan in place for the upcoming year to store more local produce for longer usage. And third, to get the rest of my life (house, schedule, and body) simplified.
So, while this blog is still primarily about the food, you can expect it to be peppered with other aspects of the slowing down of the Painter life.
By the way, wish you could have all tasted my fabulous roasted pumpkin soup from last night, roasted right in the shell of a blue Jarrahdale Pumpkin that we picked up at the farmer's market last fall and saved for just the right blustery winter night (the night my husband said "can we cook this thing? it's really getting in the way!"). :)
Which leads me to the other problem I am having with my goals. In all the books I read about this great lifestyle of shopping locally, cooking seasonally, and keeping a clean homestead the primary instigator is female, and either childless, unemployed, or both. I know that it was a good thing for women that the women's lib movement happened...but did it really liberate us? How many women who work full time (like I do) have the time to cook every meal from scratch from local or homegrown food, keep a clean home, maintain a garden, and maybe do a little sewing on the side? I would guess not many! And I envy those women who are able to stay home and care for their children without holding a full time job...but I am not one of those women. I am the only working member of our family who qualifies for health insurance. I am unable to even cut back to part time work, because we would then pay unimaginable amounts for basic plans. So, I spend half my nights away from my family and half my mornings trying to sleep in (since I arrive home from work at 4am) and then go right back to doing it again.
And that leads me to a solution I wasn't even able to consider before. A new organization in our area just started called The Foodshed Buying Club. Look for them on the internet or catch up with them on facebook...they have pooled the resources of several local farms and will do the pickup for you! I have just placed my first order with them and I only have to make one stop on Friday to pick up all the goodies! Fresh, local meat and dairy heading my way! Yipee!
Although I have been disheartened by the time it can take to pursue my local and seasonal goals, I am trying to put a plan in place. First, to find good places that don't require a lot of time to travel to. Second, to get a plan in place for the upcoming year to store more local produce for longer usage. And third, to get the rest of my life (house, schedule, and body) simplified.
So, while this blog is still primarily about the food, you can expect it to be peppered with other aspects of the slowing down of the Painter life.
By the way, wish you could have all tasted my fabulous roasted pumpkin soup from last night, roasted right in the shell of a blue Jarrahdale Pumpkin that we picked up at the farmer's market last fall and saved for just the right blustery winter night (the night my husband said "can we cook this thing? it's really getting in the way!"). :)
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