So, I did something last night that I swore to you I wouldn't do. I made up my own recipe. For a little background, the last time I tried this, Shane took two bites before saying, "I'm making my own dinner." And I really couldn't blame him. It was pretty bad. Not awful, just not tasty. But it was my turn to cook last night, and we didn't have the ingredients for any of my recipes. So I decided to try it again. Here's what I came up with:
Chicken
Couscous
Boullion or chicken stock (to cook the couscous in)
Garlic
Green onions
Carrots
Basil
Dash of Allspice
I can't give you exact amounts, because I didn't use any measuring. About 2-3 halves of chicken breast, all the couscous we had left, 4 carrots, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 bunch of green onions, and basil and allspice to taste. (Not a lot of allspice--a little goes a long way.) This made enough for me and Shane to each have two bowls and Drew (who claims that couscous is "weird") had one. I liked it, but I was so nervous that Shane wouldn't. I asked him about eight times if he was sure he liked it, until he got his second bowl and I relaxed. He'd finish what he had to make me feel better, but he wouldn't take seconds if he didn't really like it.
With my focus on local, I have to talk about one of my favorite local bands. We saw them at the Pub last night. Steve Brown and the Bailers are AWESOME. Especially in a crowded Pub, dancing with your sweetie. Anyway, I really wanted to get some of their music but I hate buying CDs. Who actually uses the CD anymore? It just becomes another Thing in my house. So I figured I'd ask a friend whom I know owns their stuff, and then I'd just pay the band some money next time I saw them. For a lark, I looked on iTunes this morning and, ta-da! So check out Steve Brown and the Bailers. They're wonderful. Only one of their albums is on iTunes, but I'm hoping the second one will be up soon.
This morning for breakfast, I wanted pancakes. So I made this recipe for Zucchini Pancakes. So good! I substituted honey for the sugar. Shane was wary ("Zucchini bread pancakes? All right, but I'm making bacon, too.") but even he liked them. And it's a really good way of getting rid of our frozen, shredded zucchini. We also used the last of our maple syrup. From now on I'm getting birch syrup, our local version. Drew asked, "What's the difference?" My answer: one is made from birch, the other from maple. He rolled his eyes at me. Silly little brothers. The truth is, I've had some birch syrup, but not enough to be able to explain the taste difference.
Today was also a momentous day because it's the first time I've been able to bike this year. Yes, bike! Other than one large patch of ice and a bit of slush, most of the sidewalks were clear. It helps that it's sunny and gorgeous (37 degrees right now--I wore a tank top and light jacket). So I biked to HG Market. I've been so scared of the grain room, but I used the last of our whole wheat flour on the pancakes this morning and made myself go in there. I jammed the grinder on my first try and had to get help. Those guys who work there are so nice. Anyway, my total shopping there was a big jar of local honey ($35!!), 2 lbs of bulgar wheat, carrots, and asparagus! Shane and I both love asparagus, so the fact that it's in season here (at least for greenhouse growers) made me super happy. We'll have that tonight with the only meat I bought today: kebabs. My mouth is already watering.
The market didn't have milk today, or eggs. We've got 2 eggs left and 2 gallons of milk left. (We usually go through about 3 gallons/week.) So I'm sure I'll end up going back soon.
Also, I only have about $67 left of my budget to spend for this week, and we only have 2 meals planned (tonight and tomorrow). This could get rather interesting. I think we'll be raiding the freezer quite a bit and getting creative.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Good planets are hard to find.
I talked with Shane last night about my blog and the challenge I'm setting before us. For the most part, he was really supportive. When I mentioned the budget, his first comment was, "Not possible. Not with Alaska prices." It's true, food costs a lot up here. I mean a lot. And when I dug a little deeper, I found out that his main concern was beer. A 12-pack of beer he actually likes to drink (the Alaskan brewery just rolled out their summer variety, his favorite) is around $12-15. When you're looking at a $125/week food budget, that makes beer extremely expensive. So I exempted beer. Well, most beer. I don't drink beer, for one, so that's purely his expense. But I say "most" because I do use it for bread. Mmmm...beer bread. So that will be part of the budget.
He also made me think of how I'm going to budget this out. I think I'll just make a spreadsheet and enter our food expenses every week, then add it all up at the end of one year (so April 14th next year) and get the average. Some weeks we go to the store several times and spend a lot of money, other weeks we go once and spend less than $50. But knowing that I have this budget means that I'll be far more careful when I shop, too.
The final thing Shane was concerned about, since it truly affects him, was my waste reduction campaign. So I figure I should define what, exactly, I want to do. I should start by saying that Fairbanks is far behind the rest of the country when it comes to recycling. The University is the main place for people to recycle things, and for those not on campus that takes a serious effort. At our house I keep a box where we put our recyclable plastics (only #1) and cans. When it starts to get full, I drag them to work with me and toss them in the proper recycling bins. Plastic bags can be recycled at Fred Meyer's, but I'd much rather not use plastic in the first place.
In my mind, not all waste was created equal. If I can, I would love to completely eliminate plastic from our garbage can, and from most of our house too. It's unnatural and the plastic we've already put in the environment has done and will continue to do immeasurable damage to the planet. The toxins it will be leaching into the environment for years to come is our legacy to future generations, and it's despicable. I really don't think they'll thank us for it. So getting rid of plastic whenever possible is goal #1. I'll need Shane's help since he uses plastic bags for the kitty litter. I do have some biodegradable bags that I use in the bathroom trash bin, but I've heard mixed opinions about those and I'm not sure I want to use them so much. We do keep our old bags from things such as pet food (they're covered in plastic--so I need to figure out a good alternative to them, too) and the bulk flour I buy (paper bags, thankfully). Perhaps we can use those for kitty litter, and leave them in the garage until they get full.
Metals and paper are natural resources, so I don't see them as being as bad as plastic. This does not mean, however, that I'm not doing what I can to reduce them. I'm trying to reduce the amount of paper I get for things like bills (yay for online bill paying!) and junk mail. Even in packaging. I look at things now by how much waste they will produce, and then decide if it's something I really need. As I said above, I recycle our cans and whatever plastics are possible, but I feel that I could do better in reducing the amount of waste I purchase.
One thing I've started doing a lot more of is buying in bulk. I've always bought our white flour in bulk from the Alaska Feed Company (although not wheat flour--it has a much shorter shelf life), and things like dried cherries. But now cereals, all of our other dried fruits (which tends to be how we make it through the winter--you cannot imagine our joy when summer comes and we get fresh fruit!), nuts, and even pastas come out of the bulk area at Fred Meyer's. (Even better, HGMarket just announced that they now have local pasta! I'll check it out this weekend.) Instead of grabbing new plastic bags every time, I simply bring the ones I already had at home and reuse them. At the zero waste home, they have glass jars that they've had the market weigh and put a label with that weight on, but I don't have so many jars. At least not yet. Mostly I've been using mason jars from stuff Shane's mom has given us (canned salmon, cherries and pears she canned years ago) and other glass jars I've saved from products I've bought.
Bea from the ZWH also uses jars for buying meat, and I might actually buy some jars for that. We're not going to store all of our moose meat and salmon in jars (currently it's in plastic and paper), but for bought meat I don't see why it wouldn't work.
One thing we use far too much of are Ziploc bags. The way I've been reducing our wastefulness on that front so far is by washing them out and reusing them at least a couple of times. (The only time I don't do this is when they've had raw meat in them--another reason to switch to jars!) On average, they get used about 3-4 times before getting holes or just falling apart. But I'm hoping that we can even reduce the number of them that we use. I want to get a bread box soon (I found a beautiful bamboo one), and I keep mentioning those jars I need to get for meat. There's also a local business that sells stainless steel sandwich boxes, and I have a coupon for 15% off. I'll go there soon and get one or two of those.
One little thing I've done recently was found a place that sells loose-leaf tea. I'm addicted to tea. Generally I have at least three cups each work day. I've been dissatisfied with the little plastic packets my favorite black tea comes in, so I found a local business that sells organic, free-trade loose leaf tea. And it comes in a stainless steel container! I'll see if the woman who owns the store will buy those back for a few cents so that it gets re-used. If she can't buy them back (or even take them back), maybe she could just refill mine? I'll see. It's good tea, too. Speaking of which, I think I'll go have another cup. :)
He also made me think of how I'm going to budget this out. I think I'll just make a spreadsheet and enter our food expenses every week, then add it all up at the end of one year (so April 14th next year) and get the average. Some weeks we go to the store several times and spend a lot of money, other weeks we go once and spend less than $50. But knowing that I have this budget means that I'll be far more careful when I shop, too.
The final thing Shane was concerned about, since it truly affects him, was my waste reduction campaign. So I figure I should define what, exactly, I want to do. I should start by saying that Fairbanks is far behind the rest of the country when it comes to recycling. The University is the main place for people to recycle things, and for those not on campus that takes a serious effort. At our house I keep a box where we put our recyclable plastics (only #1) and cans. When it starts to get full, I drag them to work with me and toss them in the proper recycling bins. Plastic bags can be recycled at Fred Meyer's, but I'd much rather not use plastic in the first place.
In my mind, not all waste was created equal. If I can, I would love to completely eliminate plastic from our garbage can, and from most of our house too. It's unnatural and the plastic we've already put in the environment has done and will continue to do immeasurable damage to the planet. The toxins it will be leaching into the environment for years to come is our legacy to future generations, and it's despicable. I really don't think they'll thank us for it. So getting rid of plastic whenever possible is goal #1. I'll need Shane's help since he uses plastic bags for the kitty litter. I do have some biodegradable bags that I use in the bathroom trash bin, but I've heard mixed opinions about those and I'm not sure I want to use them so much. We do keep our old bags from things such as pet food (they're covered in plastic--so I need to figure out a good alternative to them, too) and the bulk flour I buy (paper bags, thankfully). Perhaps we can use those for kitty litter, and leave them in the garage until they get full.
Metals and paper are natural resources, so I don't see them as being as bad as plastic. This does not mean, however, that I'm not doing what I can to reduce them. I'm trying to reduce the amount of paper I get for things like bills (yay for online bill paying!) and junk mail. Even in packaging. I look at things now by how much waste they will produce, and then decide if it's something I really need. As I said above, I recycle our cans and whatever plastics are possible, but I feel that I could do better in reducing the amount of waste I purchase.
One thing I've started doing a lot more of is buying in bulk. I've always bought our white flour in bulk from the Alaska Feed Company (although not wheat flour--it has a much shorter shelf life), and things like dried cherries. But now cereals, all of our other dried fruits (which tends to be how we make it through the winter--you cannot imagine our joy when summer comes and we get fresh fruit!), nuts, and even pastas come out of the bulk area at Fred Meyer's. (Even better, HGMarket just announced that they now have local pasta! I'll check it out this weekend.) Instead of grabbing new plastic bags every time, I simply bring the ones I already had at home and reuse them. At the zero waste home, they have glass jars that they've had the market weigh and put a label with that weight on, but I don't have so many jars. At least not yet. Mostly I've been using mason jars from stuff Shane's mom has given us (canned salmon, cherries and pears she canned years ago) and other glass jars I've saved from products I've bought.
Bea from the ZWH also uses jars for buying meat, and I might actually buy some jars for that. We're not going to store all of our moose meat and salmon in jars (currently it's in plastic and paper), but for bought meat I don't see why it wouldn't work.
One thing we use far too much of are Ziploc bags. The way I've been reducing our wastefulness on that front so far is by washing them out and reusing them at least a couple of times. (The only time I don't do this is when they've had raw meat in them--another reason to switch to jars!) On average, they get used about 3-4 times before getting holes or just falling apart. But I'm hoping that we can even reduce the number of them that we use. I want to get a bread box soon (I found a beautiful bamboo one), and I keep mentioning those jars I need to get for meat. There's also a local business that sells stainless steel sandwich boxes, and I have a coupon for 15% off. I'll go there soon and get one or two of those.
One little thing I've done recently was found a place that sells loose-leaf tea. I'm addicted to tea. Generally I have at least three cups each work day. I've been dissatisfied with the little plastic packets my favorite black tea comes in, so I found a local business that sells organic, free-trade loose leaf tea. And it comes in a stainless steel container! I'll see if the woman who owns the store will buy those back for a few cents so that it gets re-used. If she can't buy them back (or even take them back), maybe she could just refill mine? I'll see. It's good tea, too. Speaking of which, I think I'll go have another cup. :)
Thursday, April 14, 2011
How to get started?
This question always seems to be the problem; people want to make changes but starting can seem so daunting. I guess in my case it's a little easier because I've been starting to slowly make changes in my lifestyle for the last several years.
From the time I was 12 until last year, I didn't eat beef or pork. This started out as kind of a fad (I had friends who were doing the same thing), but as I grew older there were so many reasons (health and the environment being the two biggest) that I kept it going. When I read the book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, that was what made me decide that eating meat again wouldn't be such a bad idea. As long as it's local, without hormones, and pasture raised, I don't have a problem with it. (So many locavores and others will be apologetic about their meat eating, but I will stand firmly by my decision to eat meat.) Reading Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" took away any doubts I had about the ethics of eating meat. (No matter what I eat, it's an act of killing. So I might as well not be so selective about what I kill and instead be thankful that I have food and for the life that was given to sustain mine.)
But the question of where to find locally raised meat in Fairbanks, of all places, stymied me. It was purely by chance that a friend on Facebook mentioned HomeGrown Market. So I looked at their FB page, and finally went to the store. I explained my recent decision in favor of meat to the man behind the counter, and how long it had been since I'd had a steak (over half my life!). He very kindly wrapped up a small portion of New York cut steak and gave it to me for free to try. (I also bought some chicken for dinner on that trip.)
Well, it was amazing and I haven't looked back since. We get almost all of our meat and eggs from them, which is based on availability and in some ways that's really nice. I'll see something in the counter or hear someone else ask for something and think, I haven't eaten that in a long time! What could I make with it? (This is why I made pot roast last week--it was amazing!) And by watching the FB sales, we can stock up on things while they're cheap.
The one thing I'm trying to convince Shane we absolutely need to start buying there is bacon. That's the one meat product we consistently get from the grocery store and it has to stop. It doesn't even taste as good! But HG bacon is expensive. So today, what's their sale item? Bacon. Shane's going to stock up for us. And if I can save money in other ways, I can convince Shane good bacon is worth the price.
I've been gardening for the last couple of summers, since we moved into our current apartment, and it's been hit or miss for me. The summer before last I had zucchini practically growing out of my ears. (Not uncommon for zucchini.) Last summer, not so much. (Luckily, I've shredded and frozen it so I still haven't had to buy zucchini for over 2 years now.) This year, for the first time, I started my own plants from seeds. Of course, all I got was squash (btw, I love squash) and promptly forgot to label any of them. So somewhere in my army of squash starts, I have 8 zucchini plants, at least 5 yellow summer squash, 6 pumpkins, and any number of winter squashes (I got a mix packet). I still need to start my tomatoes, because I really would like to can as much of my own tomato sauce as possible. I've never done that before, so you'll get to hear all about my adventures in canning. (The only thing I've canned, plum jam, I burnt my face with boiling water. This year, I'm getting actual canning tools.)
So, I said in my last post that my first thought was about everything that I don't have. So I want to make a list of some things that I do have. The first is meat. Lots and lots and lots of meat. Moose, to be more specific. We have a chest freezer for all the moose that we get each fall. Shane's family goes hunting and whoever gets moose shares it around. It's in steaks, roasts, sausage, and ground up so we use it in place of beef most of the time. (I was even eating moose before I decided to eat beef again.) We also have another resource most people would love to get their hands on: wild Alaskan salmon. And it's free. In fact, we give leftovers to the dog. (She gets really excited when we pull a fillet out of the freezer, because she knows it means she'll at least get the skin.) Salmon, here, is so plentiful that one type (pinks) are even known as dog fish because it's oilier and "fit only for the dogs". (If you ever buy canned salmon, that's what you're getting.)
I also have my garden, as I mentioned, and a soon-to-be-mother-in-law who gardens. The kindergartners in Soldotna go to her house to plant or dig potatoes, depending on the time of year. So we rarely buy potatoes. (And that practice will stop soon.) Or rhubarb (which I still need to bake up, since we have plenty of leftovers from two summers ago....)
Things I want to do: can and freeze more of our grown and local veggies and fruits for winter. I went through our blueberries way too fast this last winter, and a lot of things I never froze. I could easily freeze things like broccoli.
I need to rearrange my recipes (I say that as if they're in some kind of order right now; so not true) so that they're more seasonally friendly. Shane made salmon chowder the other night, which is both hearty and yummy, but we ended up buying potatoes because the ones in our garage have grown huge roots (I'll plant them) and we didn't want to deal with them. It would be a recipe much better for autumn and winter, when we have a ton of potatoes and no idea what to do with all of them. Other recipes are better for spring and I need to dig those out. Of course, I'm always looking for new recipes.
And I bake. A lot. Who needs boxed cake mixes, chalky cookies, and cardboard-y bread? I made four loaves of bread just last night, and had both of the guys hovering until the white bread was out of the oven. (I make wheat bread for myself.)
One last thing I don't have: I'm not a great cook. I bake really well, not so much with cooking. Most women on these blogs say that, and then come out with amazing recipes that they've created using only what's on hand. And I'm getting a little better about being able to do that (or at least stocking up on things that can be used in multiple dishes and then making all of them) but I have to have a base recipe. I don't create my own. So don't expect that from me. I'll pass along great recipes that I've found, and send you to the source. Probably, a lot of them will have to do with squash. :)
Oh, as one final strike to me, I have a picky eater. Shane loves some things, and is willing to try just about anything once, but he doesn't like a lot of the same things as me. I love butternut squash soup, and he says it's like eating baby food. I love sweets, he loves salt. He's so adventurous in so many ways, such a risk-taker, who would've thought I'm the more adventurous eater?
The farmer's market here opens May 7th and I'll be totally ready by then to see what they have to offer. Usually not much the first week, but probably I could at least stock up on some more plants, like herbs. I think I'll even get my own rhubarb plant this year.
From the time I was 12 until last year, I didn't eat beef or pork. This started out as kind of a fad (I had friends who were doing the same thing), but as I grew older there were so many reasons (health and the environment being the two biggest) that I kept it going. When I read the book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, that was what made me decide that eating meat again wouldn't be such a bad idea. As long as it's local, without hormones, and pasture raised, I don't have a problem with it. (So many locavores and others will be apologetic about their meat eating, but I will stand firmly by my decision to eat meat.) Reading Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma" took away any doubts I had about the ethics of eating meat. (No matter what I eat, it's an act of killing. So I might as well not be so selective about what I kill and instead be thankful that I have food and for the life that was given to sustain mine.)
But the question of where to find locally raised meat in Fairbanks, of all places, stymied me. It was purely by chance that a friend on Facebook mentioned HomeGrown Market. So I looked at their FB page, and finally went to the store. I explained my recent decision in favor of meat to the man behind the counter, and how long it had been since I'd had a steak (over half my life!). He very kindly wrapped up a small portion of New York cut steak and gave it to me for free to try. (I also bought some chicken for dinner on that trip.)
Well, it was amazing and I haven't looked back since. We get almost all of our meat and eggs from them, which is based on availability and in some ways that's really nice. I'll see something in the counter or hear someone else ask for something and think, I haven't eaten that in a long time! What could I make with it? (This is why I made pot roast last week--it was amazing!) And by watching the FB sales, we can stock up on things while they're cheap.
The one thing I'm trying to convince Shane we absolutely need to start buying there is bacon. That's the one meat product we consistently get from the grocery store and it has to stop. It doesn't even taste as good! But HG bacon is expensive. So today, what's their sale item? Bacon. Shane's going to stock up for us. And if I can save money in other ways, I can convince Shane good bacon is worth the price.
I've been gardening for the last couple of summers, since we moved into our current apartment, and it's been hit or miss for me. The summer before last I had zucchini practically growing out of my ears. (Not uncommon for zucchini.) Last summer, not so much. (Luckily, I've shredded and frozen it so I still haven't had to buy zucchini for over 2 years now.) This year, for the first time, I started my own plants from seeds. Of course, all I got was squash (btw, I love squash) and promptly forgot to label any of them. So somewhere in my army of squash starts, I have 8 zucchini plants, at least 5 yellow summer squash, 6 pumpkins, and any number of winter squashes (I got a mix packet). I still need to start my tomatoes, because I really would like to can as much of my own tomato sauce as possible. I've never done that before, so you'll get to hear all about my adventures in canning. (The only thing I've canned, plum jam, I burnt my face with boiling water. This year, I'm getting actual canning tools.)
So, I said in my last post that my first thought was about everything that I don't have. So I want to make a list of some things that I do have. The first is meat. Lots and lots and lots of meat. Moose, to be more specific. We have a chest freezer for all the moose that we get each fall. Shane's family goes hunting and whoever gets moose shares it around. It's in steaks, roasts, sausage, and ground up so we use it in place of beef most of the time. (I was even eating moose before I decided to eat beef again.) We also have another resource most people would love to get their hands on: wild Alaskan salmon. And it's free. In fact, we give leftovers to the dog. (She gets really excited when we pull a fillet out of the freezer, because she knows it means she'll at least get the skin.) Salmon, here, is so plentiful that one type (pinks) are even known as dog fish because it's oilier and "fit only for the dogs". (If you ever buy canned salmon, that's what you're getting.)
I also have my garden, as I mentioned, and a soon-to-be-mother-in-law who gardens. The kindergartners in Soldotna go to her house to plant or dig potatoes, depending on the time of year. So we rarely buy potatoes. (And that practice will stop soon.) Or rhubarb (which I still need to bake up, since we have plenty of leftovers from two summers ago....)
Things I want to do: can and freeze more of our grown and local veggies and fruits for winter. I went through our blueberries way too fast this last winter, and a lot of things I never froze. I could easily freeze things like broccoli.
I need to rearrange my recipes (I say that as if they're in some kind of order right now; so not true) so that they're more seasonally friendly. Shane made salmon chowder the other night, which is both hearty and yummy, but we ended up buying potatoes because the ones in our garage have grown huge roots (I'll plant them) and we didn't want to deal with them. It would be a recipe much better for autumn and winter, when we have a ton of potatoes and no idea what to do with all of them. Other recipes are better for spring and I need to dig those out. Of course, I'm always looking for new recipes.
And I bake. A lot. Who needs boxed cake mixes, chalky cookies, and cardboard-y bread? I made four loaves of bread just last night, and had both of the guys hovering until the white bread was out of the oven. (I make wheat bread for myself.)
One last thing I don't have: I'm not a great cook. I bake really well, not so much with cooking. Most women on these blogs say that, and then come out with amazing recipes that they've created using only what's on hand. And I'm getting a little better about being able to do that (or at least stocking up on things that can be used in multiple dishes and then making all of them) but I have to have a base recipe. I don't create my own. So don't expect that from me. I'll pass along great recipes that I've found, and send you to the source. Probably, a lot of them will have to do with squash. :)
Oh, as one final strike to me, I have a picky eater. Shane loves some things, and is willing to try just about anything once, but he doesn't like a lot of the same things as me. I love butternut squash soup, and he says it's like eating baby food. I love sweets, he loves salt. He's so adventurous in so many ways, such a risk-taker, who would've thought I'm the more adventurous eater?
The farmer's market here opens May 7th and I'll be totally ready by then to see what they have to offer. Usually not much the first week, but probably I could at least stock up on some more plants, like herbs. I think I'll even get my own rhubarb plant this year.
Re-vamp
Ok, so I stopped posting a while ago because, well, I figure my blog was pretty boring. It was like an excessively boring online diary and who really wants to read that? All the blogs I love to read tend to have some sort of focus and I decided to change this one to better reflect one of my biggest interests: sustainability. There are so many blogs out there that will talk about sustainable practices, but I see several major faults with these. 1)They look at only one issue. There's the Zerowastehome.com, which I love but really only focuses on trash. There are all sorts of locavore blogs, of which my two favorite recent discoveries are Diary of a Locavore and The Seasonal Family. But these last mostly focus on food, and not on trash or any other sustainable efforts. I think that we truly need to take all of these ideas and bring them together. (And yes, I realize that eating local tends to produce less waste, since you're not also buying all that packaging. But as little waste as the zero waste family? Probably not, since the only focus is food.)
2)Not one of these efforts is in Alaska, with all of our unique challenges and our climate. 7 months of winter can really take its toll on a pantry, even a very well-stocked one like ours. One of my friends posted to Facebook yesterday, "Fairbanks, it's April and I'm still wearing long underwear. WTF?" When most gardeners around the country are starting to see buds from their new plants, or at least to plant them outside, we're still clinging to the tail end of winter. When the planting and growing season starts, 24 hours of sunlight (well, ok, 23) helps, but the short growing season (and my lack of a greenhouse, since I rent) means that a lot of plants simply don't grow around here.
When I thought about starting this adventure yesterday, and embarking on a challenge to really eat as locally and sustainably as possible, the first thing that came to mind was everything that I'd have to give up. Most fruits, for instance. The only ones that grow locally are berries: strawberries (only if you garden, none wild), blueberries (both wild and cultivated), raspberries (wild, mostly), and cranberries (wild). Shane's mom planted an apple tree a couple of summers ago, a Canadian variety that's supposed to be able to survive down to -40, but it's not mature enough to grow fruit yet (if it ever will). Even if it does produce fruit, they live in Soldotna (about three hours beyond Anchorage) and we live in Fairbanks. It's a 10-14 hour drive to get down there, depending on the season.
Which brings me to 3)What is local in Alaska? In a state this large, it's harder to define. For most locavores, that means within a 100 mile radius. But here, one of our most productive centers of food production, the Matanuska Valley, is just outside of Anchorage. In other words, over 300 miles from where I live. When I buy something from Alaska Grown, that's generally where it's coming from. And even then, a lot of things can't be found under that label. And I'm not talking mangos and bananas. Most farmers up here don't grow grains, for instance. "Local" for things like flour could mean Washington State. To get from there to here is about as far as food travels for most of the continental U.S. (an average of 1500 miles from farm to plate). Not exactly sustainable or local. Still, it's better than buying from California or South America. And I should ask around to see if I can get find some local sources for grains. (Until now, that hasn't been as high on my list of priorities.) Perhaps if enough of us ask someone will start growing grains here? The University of Alaska Fairbanks (as a land grant school) does have a large field (I think it's wheat?) and I need to find out what happens to that product. Considering the other sustainability efforts the U is undertaking, and the push to grow more of our own food, probably it gets served to students throughout the year.
On top of all of this, I'm adding one more challenge to myself: work with as small a budget as possible. Like so many other people at the moment, Shane is jobless. He finished his last classes in December (no longer eligible for his student job, in other words) and graduates in just a few weeks. He's been applying to pretty much every job in his field (biology), and has gotten nothing but rejection so far. (Very disheartening.) So we're on one rather small salary, also partially supporting my little brother while he's in school (although I'm trying to wean him away from depending on us so much) and a dog and a cat. As of 2005, the average couple with only one wage earner spent roughly $121 per week on groceries. So that is my target. Feed all of us on $125/week or less, as locally as possible, and while producing as little trash as possible.
The final part of this is my goal to simply consume less. And I'm not talking about food (although that would certainly help with the budget...), I'm talking resources. Clothing, gasoline, paper, etc. We all use or have too much of it. There is the minimalist movement where people only have 100 items in their homes, but that's a little extreme for me. (Just as I will never, ever give up my toilet paper in the name of zero waste.) I have more than 100 items just in my kitchen, and they all get used on a regular basis. I also read prolifically, and while I do get a lot of books from the library, I own more than 300 just in my apartment. (Probably well over 400 if you count the ones still at my parents' house--Shane claims I have way too many, but still bought me a book for my birthday this year.) And I don't consider them junk or a waste of space and resources as so many people do. So they're staying.
But I do make it a habit to regularly clean out my closet and donate the clothes I never wear (sorry, Mom, I just don't like turtlenecks). We've also been consciously reducing the amount we drive. I know, I know, with the gas prices this high (I think around $4.00/gallon around here, although the last time we filled up was in March) who isn't cutting back on that? Still, it's not just about the money to me. When we searched for apartments last time, we found one that is in walking distance to the University so that Shane and I don't need to drive...or spend over $300 on a parking pass. Since a lot of our friends are students, grad students, staff, or alumni, a lot of our activities are at the University, too. (Hello, Pub!) So we walk. Or bike, depending on the season. (Shane bikes all winter, but my bike has hybrid tires that don't do so well on the snow and ice. I didn't feel like spending a lot of money on new tires, rims, etc., to get my bike winterized. I walk or bus to and from work in the winter. Even around here that's considered a bit odd, when someone's walking at -40.)
The biking is excellent here, too. Not so much because the roads and paths are excellent (winter is so hard on them) but just because most of the places we need to get to can easily be biked to. Fairbanks is small. "Across town" is about a ten minute drive, and then what's the point of driving? The farmer's market, several of our friends' houses, the grocery stores and our favorite HomeGrown Market (I'll talk about them a lot, I'm sure) are all within a 20 minute bike ride. Our favorite summertime date is to walk the dog to Hot Licks Ice Cream (a local company) and get cones, then walk home. Such an easy way to connect with each other and make the dog super happy at the same time. No car necessary.
This is getting too long, so I'll post another one about current efforts and goals.
2)Not one of these efforts is in Alaska, with all of our unique challenges and our climate. 7 months of winter can really take its toll on a pantry, even a very well-stocked one like ours. One of my friends posted to Facebook yesterday, "Fairbanks, it's April and I'm still wearing long underwear. WTF?" When most gardeners around the country are starting to see buds from their new plants, or at least to plant them outside, we're still clinging to the tail end of winter. When the planting and growing season starts, 24 hours of sunlight (well, ok, 23) helps, but the short growing season (and my lack of a greenhouse, since I rent) means that a lot of plants simply don't grow around here.
When I thought about starting this adventure yesterday, and embarking on a challenge to really eat as locally and sustainably as possible, the first thing that came to mind was everything that I'd have to give up. Most fruits, for instance. The only ones that grow locally are berries: strawberries (only if you garden, none wild), blueberries (both wild and cultivated), raspberries (wild, mostly), and cranberries (wild). Shane's mom planted an apple tree a couple of summers ago, a Canadian variety that's supposed to be able to survive down to -40, but it's not mature enough to grow fruit yet (if it ever will). Even if it does produce fruit, they live in Soldotna (about three hours beyond Anchorage) and we live in Fairbanks. It's a 10-14 hour drive to get down there, depending on the season.
Which brings me to 3)What is local in Alaska? In a state this large, it's harder to define. For most locavores, that means within a 100 mile radius. But here, one of our most productive centers of food production, the Matanuska Valley, is just outside of Anchorage. In other words, over 300 miles from where I live. When I buy something from Alaska Grown, that's generally where it's coming from. And even then, a lot of things can't be found under that label. And I'm not talking mangos and bananas. Most farmers up here don't grow grains, for instance. "Local" for things like flour could mean Washington State. To get from there to here is about as far as food travels for most of the continental U.S. (an average of 1500 miles from farm to plate). Not exactly sustainable or local. Still, it's better than buying from California or South America. And I should ask around to see if I can get find some local sources for grains. (Until now, that hasn't been as high on my list of priorities.) Perhaps if enough of us ask someone will start growing grains here? The University of Alaska Fairbanks (as a land grant school) does have a large field (I think it's wheat?) and I need to find out what happens to that product. Considering the other sustainability efforts the U is undertaking, and the push to grow more of our own food, probably it gets served to students throughout the year.
On top of all of this, I'm adding one more challenge to myself: work with as small a budget as possible. Like so many other people at the moment, Shane is jobless. He finished his last classes in December (no longer eligible for his student job, in other words) and graduates in just a few weeks. He's been applying to pretty much every job in his field (biology), and has gotten nothing but rejection so far. (Very disheartening.) So we're on one rather small salary, also partially supporting my little brother while he's in school (although I'm trying to wean him away from depending on us so much) and a dog and a cat. As of 2005, the average couple with only one wage earner spent roughly $121 per week on groceries. So that is my target. Feed all of us on $125/week or less, as locally as possible, and while producing as little trash as possible.
The final part of this is my goal to simply consume less. And I'm not talking about food (although that would certainly help with the budget...), I'm talking resources. Clothing, gasoline, paper, etc. We all use or have too much of it. There is the minimalist movement where people only have 100 items in their homes, but that's a little extreme for me. (Just as I will never, ever give up my toilet paper in the name of zero waste.) I have more than 100 items just in my kitchen, and they all get used on a regular basis. I also read prolifically, and while I do get a lot of books from the library, I own more than 300 just in my apartment. (Probably well over 400 if you count the ones still at my parents' house--Shane claims I have way too many, but still bought me a book for my birthday this year.) And I don't consider them junk or a waste of space and resources as so many people do. So they're staying.
But I do make it a habit to regularly clean out my closet and donate the clothes I never wear (sorry, Mom, I just don't like turtlenecks). We've also been consciously reducing the amount we drive. I know, I know, with the gas prices this high (I think around $4.00/gallon around here, although the last time we filled up was in March) who isn't cutting back on that? Still, it's not just about the money to me. When we searched for apartments last time, we found one that is in walking distance to the University so that Shane and I don't need to drive...or spend over $300 on a parking pass. Since a lot of our friends are students, grad students, staff, or alumni, a lot of our activities are at the University, too. (Hello, Pub!) So we walk. Or bike, depending on the season. (Shane bikes all winter, but my bike has hybrid tires that don't do so well on the snow and ice. I didn't feel like spending a lot of money on new tires, rims, etc., to get my bike winterized. I walk or bus to and from work in the winter. Even around here that's considered a bit odd, when someone's walking at -40.)
The biking is excellent here, too. Not so much because the roads and paths are excellent (winter is so hard on them) but just because most of the places we need to get to can easily be biked to. Fairbanks is small. "Across town" is about a ten minute drive, and then what's the point of driving? The farmer's market, several of our friends' houses, the grocery stores and our favorite HomeGrown Market (I'll talk about them a lot, I'm sure) are all within a 20 minute bike ride. Our favorite summertime date is to walk the dog to Hot Licks Ice Cream (a local company) and get cones, then walk home. Such an easy way to connect with each other and make the dog super happy at the same time. No car necessary.
This is getting too long, so I'll post another one about current efforts and goals.
Monday, November 8, 2010
"Here's Johnny!"
Ok, I titled this blog post after "The Shining" in part because I watched that movie last night, but also partly because I want to rant about something that's been driving me nuts lately.
I seem to see/meet/hear about a lot of people who seem to think that ignorance makes them better Christian. Anyone who believes in such things as logic and science is deemed not as good a Christian, because naturally you have to reject some parts of the Bible if you're logical and science-minded. And you know what? I don't care. Willful ignorance DOES NOT equal better faith. My faith is strong enough that I CAN reject some of the Bible without it undermining my faith in God. It is through science and my better understanding of how the world works that I deepen my faith in God. Beginning to understand the universe means understanding a bit more about God.
God gave me a thinking, reasoning, intelligent brain and free will for a reason. And yet there are many, many people who see an understanding of the world and the universe as an "attack" on their faith. Why should this be so? Are you so insecure in your faith that the Bible HAS to be true, or none of it is? These people reject facts of all kinds because they don't "believe" them to be true. Whether you believe it or not doesn't change that it's fact. Get over it.
What I find even more insulting than this is that these people, if you disagree with them, will tell you that they'll "pray for you to find the way", or something to that effect. Do they not hear how pompous and conceited that is? The implicit and arrogant idea that their faith in God is somehow better than mine because I actually think about these things, rather than having my faith come from outside of myself, is irritating beyond belief. I want to tell these people to pray for those who actually need it, like the sick and the poor. You know, those people that Jesus urged us to look after, take care of, and pray for. The ones many of these "Christians" look down upon.
So many of these religious people become totally confused when I say that I believe in God, not religion. I've rejected having any major religion in my life not because I think they don't do some good and not because I don't think they perform some services that are necessary in society, but because I don't think they have anything for me. My faith won't be made any stronger if I go to church every Sunday or not. In fact, in many ways I pray more now than I did when I was a regular church-goer, because I don't confine it to Sundays.
I also don't believe in the Bible. At least not totally. I believe in the things Jesus said. Not to judge, but to love. I believe that's what I need to do to lead a good life, and that's what I strive for every day. It's incredible to me how many people who claim to be Christian don't understand that THAT is what it means to be Christian. The Bible is inconsistent, but Jesus never was. And I'll take His word over the rest of the Bible any day.
I seem to see/meet/hear about a lot of people who seem to think that ignorance makes them better Christian. Anyone who believes in such things as logic and science is deemed not as good a Christian, because naturally you have to reject some parts of the Bible if you're logical and science-minded. And you know what? I don't care. Willful ignorance DOES NOT equal better faith. My faith is strong enough that I CAN reject some of the Bible without it undermining my faith in God. It is through science and my better understanding of how the world works that I deepen my faith in God. Beginning to understand the universe means understanding a bit more about God.
God gave me a thinking, reasoning, intelligent brain and free will for a reason. And yet there are many, many people who see an understanding of the world and the universe as an "attack" on their faith. Why should this be so? Are you so insecure in your faith that the Bible HAS to be true, or none of it is? These people reject facts of all kinds because they don't "believe" them to be true. Whether you believe it or not doesn't change that it's fact. Get over it.
What I find even more insulting than this is that these people, if you disagree with them, will tell you that they'll "pray for you to find the way", or something to that effect. Do they not hear how pompous and conceited that is? The implicit and arrogant idea that their faith in God is somehow better than mine because I actually think about these things, rather than having my faith come from outside of myself, is irritating beyond belief. I want to tell these people to pray for those who actually need it, like the sick and the poor. You know, those people that Jesus urged us to look after, take care of, and pray for. The ones many of these "Christians" look down upon.
So many of these religious people become totally confused when I say that I believe in God, not religion. I've rejected having any major religion in my life not because I think they don't do some good and not because I don't think they perform some services that are necessary in society, but because I don't think they have anything for me. My faith won't be made any stronger if I go to church every Sunday or not. In fact, in many ways I pray more now than I did when I was a regular church-goer, because I don't confine it to Sundays.
I also don't believe in the Bible. At least not totally. I believe in the things Jesus said. Not to judge, but to love. I believe that's what I need to do to lead a good life, and that's what I strive for every day. It's incredible to me how many people who claim to be Christian don't understand that THAT is what it means to be Christian. The Bible is inconsistent, but Jesus never was. And I'll take His word over the rest of the Bible any day.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
"He's one bad experiment away from becoming a super villain!"
Well, I had a crazier weekend than I would have liked. Last Thursday night, the cat ran off. Shane was at the Marlin with friends, and I was at home just hanging out. So I had the door open so that the animals could come and go. Zap was outside by himself for less than ten minutes, and when I went to check on him he was gone. No cat in our yard, or in the neighbors' yards or anything. So I thought, oh well. He'll be home soon. By morning at the latest. He's never been gone for longer than a couple hours so I didn't think it was a big deal. I did send a text to Shane, though, and went to bed.
The next morning, Shane hadn't gone to bed. And Zap wasn't home yet. That made me really nervous. Our kitty is a terrible hunter, and not exactly equipped with the skills to live on his own. I told Shane to let me know if he came home while I was at work. He didn't.
I was in a really bad mood at softball that night. And the thing is, I actually batted pretty well, but the other teams defended a little better. On one of my hits, the only reason it wasn't at least a base hit is because their short stop was about eight feet tall. I hit the ball right over second base, but he was just tall enough to run, leap, and catch it in the tip of his glove. It sucked. The next game, I had another great hit, but the second basewoman happened to be a little bit to the right of where she should have been and caught it. Grr! I did field a ball nicely when I was in the outfield, and thankfully Simon put me back as catcher for the last half of the second game. I made the game ending catch there, with a pop up foul. That felt pretty good. But I was so stressed out and worried during the entire evening that I couldn't really enjoy anything. All I wanted was for my kitty to come home. Shane was feeling the same way.
We had a quiet Friday night because neither of us felt like doing much. Plus, most of our friends were busy. So we hung out and watched "The Big Bang Theory" on Shane's computer. That show is hilarious!
Saturday morning, still no kitty. Saturday night I went out to the Marlin with Lucy and some of her coworkers, because Shane and James were having a lan party (all night gaming) at James's house. The Marlin was fun, except for how worried I still was. But several of the girls from Lucy's work have cats, so they were comforting. One girl said she had a cat come back home after three months. That almost gave me a heart attack. Three months?! I can't imagine the wreck I'd be if it took Zap three months to get home to me!
Lucy and one of the girls went home early because they were tired and had to work early Sunday morning. One girl, Nicole, was still there so even though I was tired I said I'd stay with her until some of her other friends showed up. Soon after, Donald, Mitch and Chris showed up. It was Chris's birthday, but they'd partied hard the night before so they weren't really in a drinking mood. So we listened to the bands, and talked. It was fun. The bands were great.
Sunday morning, I woke up alone. Shane was still at James and Lucy's, with the truck, and I needed to get downtown to Ellie's place because we were going floating down the Chena. So I called Shane, woke him up, and started getting ready to go. Shane got home, and it turned out that he needed to get to Adam and Ellie's, too, because the guys were going to play some Star Wars game. Just before we left, I went to the bathroom since there aren't really bathrooms in the middle of the river. While I was in there Shane said, "Um, you should come out here." "Yeah, hold on." When I opened the door, he was holding Zap. "Look who just wandered back in!" Instant relief. Now we just want to know where he went. I don't think he managed to hunt anything because he was super hungry.
I was able to really enjoy the float down the Chena. It was so relaxing. And I'm so tan now! I actually have really funny tan lines on my legs, because I was wearing long shorts (I couldn't find the bottoms to my swimsuit) and I got ever so slightly burned on only the front of my legs. So now I have lines on the front of my legs about halfway down my thighs. I showed Shane that night and he laughed pretty hard.
It's amazing how tiring it is to lie out in the sun all day. Of course, I did kind of get a workout paddling sometimes. It's not easy to paddle while lying on your back. My stomach muscles got their exercise that day, which was good because I didn't feel like doing Insanity that night. (I've finished it, but I'm trying to still do the workouts, at least until we leave for Las Vegas. I don't want to gain any weight back, and it would be nice to lose some more.)
Less than a week and a half before we go! I'm so excited!!
The next morning, Shane hadn't gone to bed. And Zap wasn't home yet. That made me really nervous. Our kitty is a terrible hunter, and not exactly equipped with the skills to live on his own. I told Shane to let me know if he came home while I was at work. He didn't.
I was in a really bad mood at softball that night. And the thing is, I actually batted pretty well, but the other teams defended a little better. On one of my hits, the only reason it wasn't at least a base hit is because their short stop was about eight feet tall. I hit the ball right over second base, but he was just tall enough to run, leap, and catch it in the tip of his glove. It sucked. The next game, I had another great hit, but the second basewoman happened to be a little bit to the right of where she should have been and caught it. Grr! I did field a ball nicely when I was in the outfield, and thankfully Simon put me back as catcher for the last half of the second game. I made the game ending catch there, with a pop up foul. That felt pretty good. But I was so stressed out and worried during the entire evening that I couldn't really enjoy anything. All I wanted was for my kitty to come home. Shane was feeling the same way.
We had a quiet Friday night because neither of us felt like doing much. Plus, most of our friends were busy. So we hung out and watched "The Big Bang Theory" on Shane's computer. That show is hilarious!
Saturday morning, still no kitty. Saturday night I went out to the Marlin with Lucy and some of her coworkers, because Shane and James were having a lan party (all night gaming) at James's house. The Marlin was fun, except for how worried I still was. But several of the girls from Lucy's work have cats, so they were comforting. One girl said she had a cat come back home after three months. That almost gave me a heart attack. Three months?! I can't imagine the wreck I'd be if it took Zap three months to get home to me!
Lucy and one of the girls went home early because they were tired and had to work early Sunday morning. One girl, Nicole, was still there so even though I was tired I said I'd stay with her until some of her other friends showed up. Soon after, Donald, Mitch and Chris showed up. It was Chris's birthday, but they'd partied hard the night before so they weren't really in a drinking mood. So we listened to the bands, and talked. It was fun. The bands were great.
Sunday morning, I woke up alone. Shane was still at James and Lucy's, with the truck, and I needed to get downtown to Ellie's place because we were going floating down the Chena. So I called Shane, woke him up, and started getting ready to go. Shane got home, and it turned out that he needed to get to Adam and Ellie's, too, because the guys were going to play some Star Wars game. Just before we left, I went to the bathroom since there aren't really bathrooms in the middle of the river. While I was in there Shane said, "Um, you should come out here." "Yeah, hold on." When I opened the door, he was holding Zap. "Look who just wandered back in!" Instant relief. Now we just want to know where he went. I don't think he managed to hunt anything because he was super hungry.
I was able to really enjoy the float down the Chena. It was so relaxing. And I'm so tan now! I actually have really funny tan lines on my legs, because I was wearing long shorts (I couldn't find the bottoms to my swimsuit) and I got ever so slightly burned on only the front of my legs. So now I have lines on the front of my legs about halfway down my thighs. I showed Shane that night and he laughed pretty hard.
It's amazing how tiring it is to lie out in the sun all day. Of course, I did kind of get a workout paddling sometimes. It's not easy to paddle while lying on your back. My stomach muscles got their exercise that day, which was good because I didn't feel like doing Insanity that night. (I've finished it, but I'm trying to still do the workouts, at least until we leave for Las Vegas. I don't want to gain any weight back, and it would be nice to lose some more.)
Less than a week and a half before we go! I'm so excited!!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
"You make him wish he'd never shown that ludicrous head of hair and that nice face of his."
We're leaving for Vegas two weeks from tomorrow, and I am bursting with excitement. I want to start packing already, but that would just freak our pets out. And we still need to find a sitter for them. James and Lucy have offered, but Lucy is so horribly allergic to both cats and dogs that I'd rather not have to make them do that if I can find someone else.
Today I was looking up stuff to do when we go to Vegas. It sounds like there are plenty of great things to do, and a lot of them are even free. Shane wants to go to the Bodies exhibit, and I really want to go to the Titanic museum. But beyond that, we haven't actually planned anything out. As much as anything else, I'm looking forward to sleeping in and being lazy. I totally need a vacation. 4th of July was really fun, but relaxing it was not. Two weeks Outside sounds amazing.
Shane and I have been getting progressively more and more lazy about household chores, and I think it's because of the looming vacation. The idea of not doing dishes is tantalizing. We haven't even wanted to cook! Two nights in a row we grilled bacon moose burgers (which are amazing!!) and last night we made sandwiches and homemade fries. Super good. And easy. The hardest part was my bike ride to the grocery store. (I'm trying to drive as little as possible. With as lazy as I've been feeling, that's kind of tough.)
Our Wednesday dinners are over, since several of the people involved are now a little cash-strapped. So instead, there's talk of having Wednesday bad action movie nights. That sounds great, too. I hope it happens.
Our one summer student has now left. Andrew moved to Washington, so work has picked up a little bit. I'm happy about that. It means I get to move around a bit more, taking care of the shelving and such. Our other student is graduating at the end of fall semester, and we're thinking of not hiring any more students. I'm hoping that if we do that, Katherine and I can negotiate for raises. After all, it's only fair if we're expected to take over all of the student tasks as well as our own. Shane said, "Would you whine about your job less if you were paid a little more?" I said that the extra work would help out with that.
Today I was looking up stuff to do when we go to Vegas. It sounds like there are plenty of great things to do, and a lot of them are even free. Shane wants to go to the Bodies exhibit, and I really want to go to the Titanic museum. But beyond that, we haven't actually planned anything out. As much as anything else, I'm looking forward to sleeping in and being lazy. I totally need a vacation. 4th of July was really fun, but relaxing it was not. Two weeks Outside sounds amazing.
Shane and I have been getting progressively more and more lazy about household chores, and I think it's because of the looming vacation. The idea of not doing dishes is tantalizing. We haven't even wanted to cook! Two nights in a row we grilled bacon moose burgers (which are amazing!!) and last night we made sandwiches and homemade fries. Super good. And easy. The hardest part was my bike ride to the grocery store. (I'm trying to drive as little as possible. With as lazy as I've been feeling, that's kind of tough.)
Our Wednesday dinners are over, since several of the people involved are now a little cash-strapped. So instead, there's talk of having Wednesday bad action movie nights. That sounds great, too. I hope it happens.
Our one summer student has now left. Andrew moved to Washington, so work has picked up a little bit. I'm happy about that. It means I get to move around a bit more, taking care of the shelving and such. Our other student is graduating at the end of fall semester, and we're thinking of not hiring any more students. I'm hoping that if we do that, Katherine and I can negotiate for raises. After all, it's only fair if we're expected to take over all of the student tasks as well as our own. Shane said, "Would you whine about your job less if you were paid a little more?" I said that the extra work would help out with that.
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