So today is Earth Day and in honor of that, I am starting my week-long commitment to a cause that covers not only the Earth, but more specifically, each of our home towns. I was absolutely humbled when I was asked last week to take part in a joint Austin Food Bank/Austin Food Blogger project. Mission impossible? Not quite.
Our introduction to the project officially took place last night, where I met with a group of new (to me) and amazing people here in Austin at our local food bank. We toured the facility and learned more about how our local food banks support the community. We learned about "the face of hunger" and that each one has their own personal story. We got a hands-on at the programs that supply food pantries all around town from this warehouse. We walked through the organic gardens set up on the premises that are used to educate future supporters in starting their own gardens to help provide fresh produce. I, like the rest of my fellow bloggers, was humbled by the statistics of hunger, the effects it has on our nation, and the simple-yet-effective ways that we can all help out.
So I've initially chosen to go about this as if my husband (the main bread winner) were to have lost his job and we were depending on my part time job to make ends meet. Here is the interesting part to me - more than half of the clients at these pantries fall into this category. So how will it feel to have a job, insurance, a car and a roof over our head, but possibly not enough food at the end of the day to sit down with our family to a good meal? That's a good question and what I'm about to find out. Follow me and other Austin bloggers as we journal our perspectives on the face of hunger and try to uncover ways to bring more awareness to your table. Maybe then, we can all find a way to change the face of hunger. I'm jus' sayin'!
I was not aware that the LBJ Ranch had a working sustainable farm on the premises. Call it fate or the nasty weather that got us a one-on-one tour with the docents - either way it was quite memorable. I have been on working farms before where they function exactly the way a pioneer family would many years ago. I got the Hog & Calf Slaughter 101 class from a regular volunteer and was absolutely amazed at the way the animal was used, with absolutely no waste. I saw bowls of fresh crackling's used to flavor the canned veggies and I saw jars among jars of canned meats and produce and pickles and jams. If that was not enough, I was invited into the kitchen where the staff had already begun to settle down for lunch. I was amazed at the farm table and all of it's condiments. Fresh butter, fresh farmer's cheese, garden salad from their sustainable garden. Meatloaf made with a freshly butchered calf. Potatoes and bread, and of course, my favorite was this blueberry crumble dessert sitting on the table cooling, just about to be finished off with fresh churned buttermilk. Are you salivating yet? I sure was! I could not help but take in that aroma (of course my empty stomach did not help either). 
While the others in our group were out checking on all of the cute animals, my brother and I continued to ask questions about the farm and the "old" ways of doing things (a desire for food knowledge is something we share). We learned about how life on a farm could be altered by the severity of each passing season, as well as how each farm was generally a part of a local co-op. After seeing how much was done with the tools they had as a part of their "simple life", I thought about why I feel the desperate need to have all the latest cooking gadgets. After all, this farm kitchen was filled with delicious food and all made with the simplest tools. Okay, so I don't plan on butchering my own hog anytime soon or using their dried bellies for party balloons, however, I do think I need to take far more advantage of my 
Pour cream in jar. Shake vigorously. When you think your done (it will probably just be whipped cream) give it some more shakes until you hear a loud clunk and you see through the cloudy water a hunk of golden butter. Drain the liquid. Replace with clean water and shake and drain. Do this 3 times until the water is clear. This is called "washing the butter". When the last rinse is done it's ready to spread. If you prefer a bit of salt in your butter you can add a pinch in the first shaking.
