Pretty things and strippers

I like pretty things. I have a healthy appreciation for things that are handmade, useful, basic, sturdy, and locally produced. If it is in a canning jar, chances are, I want it.

Hello, My name** is Daffodil Campbell, and I am addicted to Etsy and farmers markets.

There, that is out of the way. I feel so much better. Thanks for being here for me. Moving on......

I am reading this book called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver - don't worry, this isn't going to turn into a book review, but it is important for the rest of this post to make sense. The book speaks to me. I love supporting local business, local artisans, local farmers (and farmers offer a unique blend of business and art, in my opinion, so it's a two-fer in my book).

My point (and I am getting to it, it's just taking a while....) is that I have been trying over the past few months to be more aware, in my consumption, in my purchases and in my food choices. So this book was like the holy grail - part inspiration, part challenge, part guilt trip. It speaks of a modern family living off of their land for one year, with some supplementation from other local farms at the beginning, and for meat and other items they might not be able to grow in their Virginia valley. It is all part of the Slow Food Movement, an idea that is so simple, so basic, such a historically core value, that we all should at least try to honor it in some way. It means buying local, eating fresh, supporting the economy in your area, and living a better and more connected life. Connected with the earth, the community, and yourself. Even if it is just buying veggies at the farmers market instead of Safeway, you have taken a huge step forward, slow food style.

Last night, as I lay in bed reading this Kingsolver book, soaking up all of the fabulous ideas and inspiring thoughts ("Yes ! Yes I WILL have chickens this year !") I was suddenly hit with this overwhelming craving. It was so strong, so primal, so desperate, that I had to fill it. It couldn't - nay, wouldn't - be ignored or put off for later.

So my husband got in the car and went to the gas station to buy me a package of Hostess DingDongs. I love that man. He actually bought me TWO packages, just to be safe. I have one saved for later.

Clearly, I still have a long way to go in living up to my slow food potential.

But, hey, it's good to have goals, right ? As a first step, I am going to begin documenting our meals here - I cook almost every meal at home, we eat out less often then we used to, and we try to sit down to dinner together every night. It is a step in the right direction. I am hoping that by documenting our food choices and consumption, I will be more aware of how much I am buying that is imported, unecessary, or just plain unhealthy. Living on an island, you would think this would be more of a challenge, but actually, it's not so bad - the only real difficulty is milk, as it all comes from California. I am not getting a cow, so I may need to just acquiece on this one staple item. Other then that, we can get almost everything we need produced locally. Even sugar ! This is not about losing weight, or denying myself a Hostess treat from time to time...it's just about awareness, and effort to do the right thing more often then not. Slowly but surely, our family will move away from fast food, and embrace slow food. Because slow food may not be in a pretty package, but it is far more beautiful in it's stripped down reality.

**As for the stripper name I utilize in this blog, the formula is as follows: Name of the first street you lived on, name of your first pet. This means my brothers and I all have the same stripper name, but I am the one who uses it every day, so they can suck it as far as I am concerned. Plus *little known fact alert* I used to work in a strip club. HA ! In any court of law, the judge would totally give me rights to the name.

And now, the very first installment of the Mmm Mmm Good Campbell family menus.

Locally grown items are bold
Items purchased at independently owned businesses or farmers markets are italicized
"Organic" is hard to quantify, so my focus is local.

Menu:

Breakfast -
poached egg
asparagus

Lunch -
pizza bites
grapes
clementines

Dinner -
Swedish meatballs (a desperate attempt to clean out my freezer, usually the meatballs ARE local - just not this time. And they were coated with sauce made from a packet I bought at IKEA this summer. This exercise is embarrassing. See, it's working already !)
noodles
broccoli

Dessert -
Strawberry Rhubarb mixed berry pie
Ice Cups made by the guy next door - don't get me started. He's not getting a bold font, I'll tell you that.