The Whitlock Family Resolves

While pondering on the economic situation of this country, after attending a home-party of all things, I wondered what on earth I could do to help strengthen my local, state and national economies and put my dollar to the best use. I recalled an article in our local borough gazette which stated reasons why we should buy locally instead of shopping at Big Box stores. One of the most compelling reason the article stated was that as much as .60 of every dollar spent at locally owned businesses goes back into the community compared to just .06 for Big Box stores and .20 for chain stores (this information is according to the Susquehanna Sustainable Business Network). With that in mind, Andrew and I discussed and we came to a resolution:

For 2010 it is resolved that the Whitlock Family will:

1. No longer shop at Big Box retailers unless absolutely necessary, excepting Costco for food storage purposes.
2. Strive to buy only US made goods and if we cannot, buy fair-trade items.
   
3. Buy as many used/handmade items as possible sourcing Etsy and local consignment/thrift shops.
   
4. Eat at locally owned restaurants instead of restaurant chains.
5. Grow a small garden and purchase a seasonal share in a CSA farm.
6. Support our borough by attending borough events and fundraisers.
7. (Dare I share this one since past experience was...eh?) Become involved in a community group.
   

We have not shopped at Walmart since September so cutting out all big box stores seemed like a logical next step. Can we do this and maintain our budget and build our food storage? I really hope so and I will keep you updated on our progress. All the resolutions may not be about money necessarily but we are all about building our community. After all, Andrew's paycheck comes mainly from local tax revenue; the very least we can do is to do our best to keep that money in our community and give back a little service. Wish us luck!

Oh, ho ho, my CSA is lovely!

I am ever so delighted by my CSA farm. Going there is always so much fun and it is really neat to know that all the proceeds are going to a really great cause. This week is week 7 out of 20ish and I am really starting to love the variety of organic goodness that we are getting.

CSA Week 7:
2 large walla walla sweet onions
1 1/2 lbs. Red Norland potatoes
2 beets, red and white
1/3 lb. Swiss chard
1 lb. beans, green and yellow wax
1/4 pint of mixed red raspberries and blueberries (it is a transition time; blueberries are going out and raspberries are coming in)
1 clove garlic
3 HUGE scallions (seriously! How do these things get so big?!)
2 cucumbers
1 eggplant
1 handful of basil

I love bringing home my share from the farm and trying to figure out what to do with it. Tonight I am going to make spaghetti with a pasta sauce made with tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, zucchini and onions, all organic and almost all local! Even the pasta is organic, now that I come to think about it. With the Swiss chard I think that I am going to take the advice of the farmer at the CSA and make a curry out of it and put it over rice.

Another great thing about the CSA, that I haven't really taken advantage of yet, is the Pick Your Own patch. There they have a variety of herbs and flowers that you can pick in moderation. This last week we had the choice of zinnias, snapdragons, basil, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers and some others. I just haven't gotten the courage to go for it other than picking some mint for iced tea. Next week I think I will just have to go for it!

Water Fun

I do realize that posting pictures of my daughter in her "natural state" is probably a faux-pas but I promise that all you will see is cuteness and nothing of an obscene nature.

As for this weeks CSA, everything was pretty much the same. I didn't get Greens this week because I have serious doubts as to whether or not I will ever develop a taste for them. The berries were fantastic, again, and we were also able to mix in a few red raspberries that had come in early. From our backyard garden this week we were able to harvest our first cucumbers and even more zucchini. Summer is wonderful!

Ever wonder what to do with fresh mint? It grows like a weed and yet, other than garnish, what do you do with it? My friend Shannon gave me a great recipe for a refreshing summer drink: heat a gallon of water to nearly boiling, throw in a heaping handful of fresh mint, remove from heat and let steep for at least 10 minutes (I did it for 30). Strain and refrigerate. You can add honey or sugar to sweeten. This reminds me of a mint julip so I will probably try to add some lime next time I drink it.

Here is a challenge: send me your favorite summer recipes using ONLY seasonal ingredients. It shouldn't be too hard but it will get you thinking about what produce is best to buy now.

Before I forget...

Today was a crazy day. I got lost taking Ravenna to her appointment for her birthday portraits (better late than never, right?) which I arrived 20 minutes late for so what was supposed to take an hour ended up taking twice that. Darn you Lancaster with your weird street names and illogical city planning!

When I arrived home with my grumpy toddler who refused to nap, I remembered that I was making the evening meal, and it was something that required a significant amount of prep time. Needless to say the rest of my afternoon and evening was spent in meal preparation. The food was good, but next time I will skip the lettuce wraps and just put it over brown rice. I also made a Napa Cabbage salad and a side of fresh pineapple.

The rest of the evening was a bit more relaxed. For Family Home Evening, Ravenna had the lesson, but was asleep, so I showed everyone the Baby Signing Time video so that we can all be on board with helping her learn signs. I really like the program; Jeff thinks that the narrators cheerfulness put Nettie to shame, if that is even possible. We finished with caramel popcorn and a game of 10,000.

Without further ado...CSA Week 4:

1 head of Napa Cabbage
1 head of green leaf lettuce
1/2 pint blueberries (oh so super delicious!)
1/2 pint black raspberries (ditto the above)
1 box of winter peas
1/3 lb. mix of collard greens and colorful swiss chard
2 red beets
3 HUGE green onions (these were like 3 feet tall, no joke)
1 head of bok choi
3 garlic scapes
1 beautiful head of broccoli

Quite a plentiful harvest this week and we have already gone through the onions, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli and the berries! Oh, and this last weekend we started our first harvest from our backyard garden: zucchini, and soon some cucumbers and in a few more weeks TOMATOES!!! I just love the summer.

Happy Fathers Day!

Andrew loves being a daddy

Yay for Father's Day! I can't believe that we are already working our way to the end of June and we have been in Pennsylvania for almost two weeks. Two rainy weeks, but they have still been full of fun. For Father's Day Andrew talked me into getting him a Nintendo Wii. "But why get a Wii when you have no job?" you might rightly be wondering. Well, all I can say for myself is that Andrew is so wonderful and has worked really hard so I think that he deserved to get something special.

Lest you think I have forgotten, CSA Week 3:

1 head of Green Leaf Lettuce (gorgeous!)
1 head of Red Bok Choi
1/2 lb. miscellaneous Greens (collard, kale etc.)
1 box of winter peas (these are so yummy!)
1 box strawberries
1 bunch of radishes
2 scallions
1/4 leaf lettuce mix
2 red beets

I may be forgetting something, but that seems to be all. We had an enjoyable time on the farm picking stawberries and peas and even made a friend. I tried out a recipe for greens this last week and it turned out nasty. Anyone have any suggestions?

We have arrived!

Actually, we arrived on VERY early in the morning on the 9th and we have been enjoying the spring here enormously. On Tuesday we went to the Central Market where we were able to pick up some lovely produce and some Whoopie pies! On our way back we stumbled upon an Amish farm where they were selling milk and free-range eggs. The prices were great, the farmers kind, and since it is just around the corner, we will be going back soon. I also got to inspect my the first harvest from my CSA and actually go to the farm to pick up my second order yesterday.

CSA Week 1:
1 lb. Lettuce mix
1 lb. spinach
2 garlic scapes
1 bunch of cilantro
2 boxes of strawberries

CSA Week 2:
1/2 lb. Lettuce mix
1/4 lb. Kale & Asian greens
2 beets
3 garlic scapes
1 bunch of cilantro
1 head of bok choi
2 boxes of strawberries
1 bunch of mint from the "pick your own" patch (we could also get chives)

We are rolling in strawberries right now both with the CSA and Nettie and Jeff's patch. We have 3 boxes in the fridge and a couple pounds in the freezer, plus I made strawberry pie and we had a strawberry spinach salad yesterday. I think I will make jam! The bok choi is already gone. I was so curious to try it that I sauteed some with peanut butter. Yum! Anyone have some great recipes for strawberries or greens?