Good (and local) Eats

I've mentioned a couple of times that I'm not big into buying "organic." I don't think it's good enough to justify the expense. In fact, I don't necessarily think it is any better at all, either for the eater or the environment. I would venture to state that most of the time, buying organic is a feel-good step - you feel like your are eating healthier or saving the earth without really doing much other than emptying your wallet faster. [Also, one of my pet peeves is how some people are terrified of chemicals in their food as if all "chemicals" are cancer causing or toxic....ackk, there are -OH's in my beer, I'm going to die..." ]

But I do think we need to be good stewards of the earth and I'm all about nutritious food. Sidenote: I realize I have been talking about healthy food a lot lately but I get on kicks and right now, healthy food is my flavor of the month (no pun intended) ...you should just hope next month it isn't fungus [although mycology is fascinating].

One actually helpful way to do this is to eat local foods. Prices are normally reasonable if not cheaper, taste is great and it's often more nutritious. I still don't think you should take this to the extreme, I love bananas and am not ready to give them up, but I do buy locally when it is reasonable to do so. Here are some of the things we buy locally most of the time:

1. Cheese - We buy our cheese at a local factory. Not really any healthier than far-away cheese, but it is the cheapest in town and so much tastier. A couple weeks ago when we were without our car for the week, I had to buy cheese at our grocery store and it tasted like plastic. I have been so spoiled.

2. Bread - I used to love Sara Lee Soft and Smooth Whole Wheat but Sam's Club stopped carrying it and the price has jumped to $3 or more per loaf. But one week I noticed the loaves at the bakery. I had always assumed that they would be expensive but I can get a loaf there for $1-$1.50. And they don't have any preservatives. They are sweetened with the dreaded high fructose corn syrup so it isn't as healthy as homemade but it's still pretty good.

3. Eggs - One of Craig's co-workers has chickens so we buy fresh eggs from him. They used to be a $1 which was cheaper than the grocery store but even with a price increase to $2 per dozen, it is worth it. They taste so yummy. The first time I broke one open I was a little freaked out by the bright yellow-orange color but now that I'm used to it, I can't live without them. Except this summer I have to; Craig's co-worker is in the National Guard and is gone for the next 8 weeks. Back to grocery eggs :-( When we own a house, I would love to have my own chickens but I'm not sure I can convince Craig it would be fun.

4. Honey - We buy it at the local honey store where they have so many options, I love the mountain kind - it knocks the socks off of generic clover honey. They also have creamed honey which is great for toast. We have also gotten honey from the egg guy as he raises bees too.

5. Summer Fruits and Veggies - Last summer we got tons of squash and zucchinis from the generous gardeners at church whose plants got away from them. They were giving away so much every Sunday that we couldn't eat it fast enough. It was great - the benefits of gardening without the work. We also get berries, peaches, and corn at the gardeners' market.

What type of food do you try and get locally? And feel free to argue against me and my view of organics, I realize my love of chemicals is higher than the average persons.