So I'm smack dab in the midst of January and I've been so busy reading other blogs that I've somehow neglected to keep up with mine. Seems fitting to talk about my food resolutions for the New Year here, but let's face it - writing a cookbook has proven to be quite the struggle with weight loss. So this year I'm going to take on a new Mantra - Get Out. Find Out. Hang Out.
You may be a food-wise consumer and you're on top of all the latest and greatest about health and nutrition. Or you may be wanting to learn more because life is throwing you some curve balls and those curves are not working with your new skinny jeans. Maybe you just made a resolution to be more informed about what your eating. Whatever your flavor is, here are some common-sense ideas that I'm using to guide me through this New Year that may help you too.
Get Out. Know where your food comes from. Okay, so I don't mean to go ask your grocer's produce person if he knows what part of Chili that pear just came in from. Instead, I mean that you should get on your bike or get in your car and go check out your local Farmer's Markets. But please don't stop there. Each of those farmers most likely live where they work and I find that they love to talk about their farms and what they're growing. So...
Find Out. Since you're at the Farmer's Market, now is the time to ask questions! If you've started a conversation with the owner of those fantastic heirloom veggies, why not ask them if their farm is open to the public? What, no Farmer's Markets in your area you say? Run a search on google to see if there are any local farms in your area. I'm fortunate enough to not only be sitting on a plethora of local farmers in Austin but I also have the pleasure of knowing many local food bloggers that truly walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk of living off of organic local food. This is the best reference list of all. Which brings me right up to the last one...
Hang Out! Once you are loaded down with all that amazing local food, invite some friends over to try it. Open up and share what you've learned from the farmers. Information is vital to knowing what's going into your body. Play some games like "Chopped" and give each of your guests a local treasure and ask them how they would use it, or start your own supper club. I hear they are all the rage these days. Make a point to buy at least one local item once a week. Start a small garden in a pot on your deck. The point is to get involved because, in the end, you can do diet after diet and watch your weight go up and down like a yo-yo and feel like you've accomplished nothing. Or, you can go right to the food source, eat healthy and live your life to its fullest - not to mention that walking around a farm is good exercise - I'm jus' sayin'!
If your local to Austin, check out some of these blogs with related info:
http://feteandfeast.com/2010/03/08/blogger-guide/
http://sfcfarmersmarketsunsetvalley.org/
http://www.austinfarmtotable.com/
http://austinurbangardens.wordpress.com/
http://www.boggycreekfarm.com/
http://www.farmhousedelivery.com/
If your not in Austin but want to find local farmers in your area, check out this site.
http://www.localharvest.org/
Local Beet & Brussels Sprouts Salad
It's simply layered stacks of steamed, sliced beets, shaved-thin raw brussels sprouts, a slice of fresh mozzerella, fresh cracked pepper and a dressing I made out of dijon, lingonberry vinegar, olive oil and a few drops of creme fraiche drizzled in. (You can use any vinegar you like)
Farm stands will beckon me with colors and flavors of crisp apples and buttery squashes. Crimson pears will beg to be matched with a ripe blue cheese in a salad of Autumn greens. Pots will be bubbling with soups, stews and chowders. I will exchange ice tea for a pot of hot cider. I'll bake cobblers and pies and take warm cookies from the oven. My kitchen will be filled with the smells of vanilla and cinnamon. Warm blankets will make their return and I'll drape them on our couches or comfy chairs. Candles will again burn as the sun sets earlier each night, filling our house with a sweet aroma and warm glow. I will take trips to the farmer's markets and trips to the pumpkin patches. I'll clean up my garden and get it ready for winter. I will adorn our front door with chrysanthemums in hues of gold, hay bales and spooky ghosts. Pumpkins, too, wait to be carved and lit for all passersby to see. I will watch kids jump in a pile of leaves and ponder to myself if I should jump too. I will curl up to the ones I love and slowly watch the flames in the fireplace dance to an Autumn tune that says "Welcome cool weather... come stay for a while!" I will help my daughter create a costume that comes from her whimsical mind. We will try to slow down because we know this is our resting spot before the busy holidays take over. We will take off those flip flops and put on those boots. We will feel the comfort of those warm, bulky sweaters. We will replace ham sandwiches in the lunch box with chicken soup to warm our souls. And decorate our hearths with gourds and all things orange, brown, and green. I will do all these things not because I am pressured by "Martha" but because deep down inside, I love how warm they make me feel. Enjoy this month and take the time to pause and remember those little things - the ones that trigger a special memory. Without those memories, how are we suppose to create new ones? I'm jus sayin'...