Day 1

Eating local shouldn't be all that hard, right? So far, it's not too bad. Then again, we're only in day 1 of our local food challenge for Lent. I'm rather glad that I froze all that winter squash and that I still have several drawers in my refrigerator with beets and rutabagas, not to mention the hoop house full of kale, salad mix, and spinach out on the farm. With ample supply of flours from West Wind Milling half an hour north and plenty of meat from Turtlebee's, as well as eggs from Joannee's chickens, I think I may just make it.

I'm certainly not hungry now after a lunch of ribs (from Turtlebee's) and winter squash from this past season on the farm. That will be my dinner, too, as I'm busy tonight with activities at church and won't have time to cook anything else. There's bread rising in the plant room (it's the warmest room in the house) that I'm only 50% certain will actually turn out. It's made with my own sourdough starter and graham milled bread flour from West Wind. Tomorrow will tell if I'm going to have a nice loaf of wheat bread or if I'll have to deal with a dense, doughy mess that is edible but not particularly tasty. Next week we'll have to make a trip out to the farmer's market in Ann Arbor and see what sort of produce is available during these lean times of late winter.

The Rules of my Local Food Challenge:
- All main food products (meat, dairy, eggs, produce, grains) must come from a source within one hundred miles. Organic/sustainable sources are preferred but not required.
- Salt and herbs/spices are an exception to the rule, but use as much locally sourced of these products as possible. I am using only what I currently have available in my spice drawer. If I run out, tough luck.
- Though there is a local source of refined sugar, the sugar beets are GMO (as they are in nearly the entire country), so I will refrain from consuming any refined sugar. Honey and maple syrup as sweeteners only.
- At the moment I am drinking only water, but am hoping to find some local teas at the A2 farmer's market.

My food today (and where it came from)
Breakfast
Steel cut oats with dried apples, salt, and honey (oats from West Wind Milling, apples from Erwin Orchards, honey from Turtlebee Farms)

Lunch
Ribs rubbed with sage, garlic, salt, and pepper (ribs from Turtlebee's, sage from my herbs, garlic from Stone Coop Farm)
Mixed winter squash (Stone Coop Farm)


Dinner
Same as lunch

Hopefully tomorrow will be more exciting in terms of what I'm eating! As time goes on, I'll be working on getting this blog looking better and get some pictures up. Thanks for reading!

-Shannon