Low on the Food Chain

We were hoping we could find one goal for the year....we all liked that "Buy Nothing new" was a year long doable challenge. So far we haven't found one that our whole family can agree to. So just to keep things going...for January we are increasing the number of times we eat lower on the food chain.

Our goal is to eat beans and grains...or total veggie meals at least twice a week. This means no meat or dairy. I have to say this isn't exactly a popular challenge for the whole family. Nate and Ben have some serious concerns..they love meat and cheese. So we'll see how this goes.

So far, I made a big pot of black beans and we had bean and corn soup and a layered tortilla Cassandre ( like Mexican lasagna..though this did have cheese in it.) Mark made dal for tonight ( Indian lential stew)

For each dish we are rating it as a family...and they we will write in the cookbook if we would make it again. No four star meals...yet!


Photo Source: Daniel Gies

Eating our Values

For the Greener Faster Challenge we are still focused on eating local/organic.

This is the area that we have made the most changes and are settling into a routine.

Willy Street West has made this part of the challenge a "piece of cake."

Mark shops at Willy St once a week. It means he gets to take the car to work which is a treat for him and means no big shop on the weekends.

The boys and I stop at Bagels Forever ( for 2 dozen bagels...I have to growing boys remember) on the way to church on Saturday. And if we have forgotten anything we can stop at Whole Foods on the way home.

We are eating at least 1-2 meals with root crops and most weeks at least one meal bean/grain. This weeks menu is potpie ( turnip, parsnips, celaric, yellow and orange carrots and potatoes...a family favorite with some new veggies thrown in) and split pea soup.

We are experimenting with one big cook on Sundays making two dishes which will each serve two meals...that way we are pretty much done cooking for the week. Loved it last week.

Our national association for our church published our Statement of Conscience for Ethical Eating.

It's a little long ( OK a lot) but that is pretty typical of Unitarian Universalists...but if you scroll to the end you can see the part where there is a list for what families can do.

We are living up to our part of bargain!

Shopping for food has become easier...and even more enjoyable! And we don't have to do any other shopping for a whole year...so life's pretty good.

Unexpected Blessings

This is Ben making dinner. We have been meaning to have the boys start making one dinner a week ..and this month seemed to be a good time to start.

Rather than moan../Ben opened a restaurant...Nesslarino's Pizzaria.

He made the pizza dough from scratch (local toppings included: three cheeses, basil, tomatoe, onion, pesto and organic pepperoni). He also had an antipasto plate, desserts and drinks. He set the table and served wearing a suit coat.

He thought of all of this on his own ( we just asked him to think of one dinner to make). I now know the best restaurant in town!!

Inspired

I heard Will Allen speak at First Unitarian Church...talk about being inspired.
He started Growing Power He is a farmer who started out by hiring teens from Milwaukee to help him farm. Now they are a national organization.

Here are a few things I remember from his talk:
The key is soil. If you don't have good soil you can't grow anything. And we have lost soil ( to erosion) and polluted soil with chemicals..so they make compost...a LOT of compost. He has worked out deals with grocery stores around Milwaukee to get any produce they are going to throw out. They use the compost in gardens..and sell it.

Make use of what you have...for instance...they vermipost ( use worms to compost)...and the compost piles get really hot (150') so they put compost piles in the green houses to heat them in the winter ( they also put compost along the outside walls.) They don't need any additional heat all winter.

Access to healthy food is important. They have been experimently with ways to grow food all year round ( even in WI winters). In their green houses..they grow things on 7 different levels..so no space is wasted.

They have expanded into raising fish, chickens and bees. And even as he expands he has continued to hire and train young people.

This is truly a hero story..one person making an incredible difference in many, many lives. Check them out at Growing Power Sice their headquarters is in Milwaukee..we plan to take the kids and go for a visit.

October is about Eating!

Peppers at the Farmers Market
Originally uploaded by alltrain43

Our focus this month is on ethical eating. I read Michel Pollen's book "In Defense of Food" and got to hear him speak at the end of September ( along with 7000 others!) There was an article in the Isthmus too.

To sum up, straight from Pollen,

1. Eat Food
2. Not too Much
3. Mostly Plants

Of the three, my kids are most supportive of the first. So we will start there. :)