Sunday, December 4, 2011

Dark Days

The way I eat has changed a lot in the last 10 years. First, I graduated from college. Then I got married. Then I bought a house. Then I got pregnant. Then I had a baby.

Each change brought a big shift in my life, and in how I eat.

Now, with a 17-month old, I'm as conscious as food as I've ever been, yet I have less time than ever to actually make good food.

For this year's Dark Days Challenge, I'm keeping that in mind. Around here, with a busy toddler and two parents working full time and strange hours, simply cooking can be a challenge that requires a lot of planning. So, I'm giving myself permission to eat simply, as long as I can eat locally.

With that in mind, I'm starting off simply, with breakfast. This is one of my favorite breakfasts, and one that Hazel and I agree 100 percent on.

I start with Grace Harbors yogurt, the plain kind, with a generous spoonful of my own jam stirred in. Grace Harbos makes the most fabulous yogurt. It's rich, creamy and glorious.

Yup, that's it. Yogurt and jam. I did say simple. Still, the jam I'm rather proud of. My mother, Hazel and I picked the strawberries locally at a small organic farm. We ate many of them, but the rest we turned into freezer jam.

Local strawberries are a glorious thing. Picking them yourself is best. They are so delicate, that usually the stem comes right off as you pick. When you process them, it's a snap. Even if the stem is still attached, you can simply scoop it off with the edge of your thumb. These are no hard, sturdy store-bought strawberries, these are delicate and a thousand times more delicious.

So, a simple start to Dark Days, but a delicious start.

My very simple rules:
  • Find one new source for local food each week
  • 200 mile radius for local foods (excluding spices)





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