Sustainable Eats

Did you know that by the end of world war II 40% of American produce came from home gardens?  That just goes to show you that we can do whatever it is we put their minds to doing. 

This blog is a natural extension of my journey in living more sustainably, beginning with food.   I am learning all of these things.  A long-time city girl from way back, I have no mother or grandmother to learn from.  If I can research all the resources and give them to you, along with recipes and directions, hopefully you can do it too if you choose to.  If not, perhaps this will be an interesting read for you. 

The challenge for me – ditch the grocery store without suffering a family mutiny. My small children are becoming painfully aware that goldfish crackers don’t come from ponds and the grocery store is now off limits. I’m learning to replace this with that, where that is a healthier, more sustainable option that I create from my larder just like Ma Kettle would have.

I have big plans for this spring.  I began this journey in January – a time when hardly anyone attempts to grow much food save for a handful of salty farmers.  I picked January on purpose because it would give me time to learn the ropes while purchasing seasonal, organic food from local farmers without having to rush to preserve a harvest of my own. 

Right now I am learning and scheming and plotting ways to eventually feed my family from most of our own means.

I have plans to blog about:

• Replacing processed foods with house made versions that still please a crowd.
• Fermented foods such as kimchi, saurkraut and crock pickles that require no refrigeration or canning
• Homemade vinegar
• Garage – grown mushrooms
• Home cheeses, especially parmeson and gruyere because I cannot find them made closer than Wisconsin
• Growing your own chickens – both for eggs and for meat
• Canning, freezing and pickling things that cannot be cellared or otherwise “put up” without electricity
• Smoking and dehydrating foods
• Keeping an intensive orchard
• Beekeeping in the city
• Growing your own Victory Garden – in other words, growing your own groceries
• Herb gardening
• Growing berries – raspberry, strawberry, blueberry and lingon berry
• Goats milk and herb soapmaking – just because I’ve always wanted to
• Eating seasonally from all of this bounty
• Sustainable supplements – is it possible to find US high quality ones?
• Sugar, oil and citrus options
• Sprouting and soaking grains and legumes

If any of these topics interest you please add the RSS feed so you will get updates.  I welcome all comments and suggestions along my journey – I’m going to need a village and you are invited to join it!