Becoming a Collector

I suddenly have a very nice little collection of handmade pottery...it has appeared out of nowhere. Okay...not nowhere...it is from the Becknells and the pieces were bought over the last 5 years from their trips to Tennessee. They are all BEAUTIFUL and totally things that I would have bought for myself.

Right now I have a Alewine Pottery Blue glazed Vase with leaf pattery, two green & tan glazed mugs with the leaf pattery, & a green & tan glazed plate that matches the mugs. I also have Judy Jones Pottery Chip & Dip bowl with plate & a casserole Dish in the Earth Tones glaze.

The vase is on the mantle & looks great. But Mark & I are working on finding a location to properly display the other artwork. We are thinking that we will buy some dish holder thingee to prop them up on the top of our kitchen cabinets. They are just to pretty to be in boxes. I do use them, but because no one ever comes over to our house anymore for parties, they don't see sunlight enough. But I totally love them and maybe will have to make a pilgrimage to Gatlinburg to visit these craftsmen.

Kris

Great Local Resource

So Mark & I went up to Jungle Jim's last night for some more "recon" to find local foods.
We found a bounty of local food very well labeled by origin. Cheese, Roll Butter (which we are addicted to), Milk, Free Range Eggs & Chicken, etc. Very happy! I wish it wasn't in Fairfield, but at least it is fairly close by and we can stock up when needed.

They also have a lot of organic veggies that also list state origin...which is helpful to avoid veggies from out of the country off season.

All in all a good trip.

Kris

The Mother Lode!!!

I think I may have just figured out how to completely go local...and never have to go to Biggs or Kroger again:

http://www.cincinnati.farmfreshdelivery.com/

This company, based out of Indiana, coordinates with local IN, OH, & KY farmers, cheesemakers, bakers, pasta makers, etc to run a "CSA" like business for more than just veggies.

You sign up online to get a weekly basket (based on # of people in family) of seasonal local vegetables & fruits and they deliver to your house every Wednesday. You can add bread, eggs, grass-fed beef, pesto, milk, bulk local dried beans, pickles, free-trade local roasted coffee, etc to your weekly delivery. And it is ALL LOCAL and seasonal!!

They basically do all the hard work of researching and gathering these products from around the area and BRING THEM TO YOU!! How awesome is that!!

You sign up, create a "Standing Order" - minimum of $35 a week (or every other week or once a month...whatever you pick), modify the order as needed, and are able to suspend the order as needed.

I sort of wish I had found this before buying the side of beef & the new CSA, but perhaps I will just use their website as a resource for local companies and see if I can get as good of a deal.

The best thing that I found on the website is a local mill that produces locally grown Organic, non-bleached wheat flour!!! SO EXCITED!!! That basically means that I can make my own bread & pasta with local flour...that was a big hurdle to overcome...yeah!!!

Check it out!
Kris

Local Foods Pledge

So Mark and I have been talking..."How far are we going to take this local eating thing..." So I thought it might be good to lay down some ground rules or goals. I feel very confident that we can be a whole lot more concious of what we are eating for sure!

Here goes:

Choose local over non-local when offered

Learn what produce is in season when

Switch to local honey & maple syrup

Switch to pastured eggs

Visit a farmers' market once a week (Northside FM goes all winter now every Wed 4:30-7:30)

Add more seasonal recipes to my collection

Freeze a frequently-used item during the season (tomatoes, corn, onions, peppers)

Can or Freeze a frequently-used item during the season (tomato sauce, tomato paste, enchilada sauce, chile sauce, pickles)

Join a CSA again (Eaton Farm begins May 2010 - $375 for 1/2 share for 22 weeks
...includes 1/2 dozen pasatured eggs per week!!)

Purchase a side of grass-fed beef (McKinney & Sons Farm - Delivering in January = $189 to split with Mark's parents & The Hinsons)

Purchase local pastured chickens, turkey & pork (Red Sun Farm or Tewes Farm)

Use milk & cream from Snowville Creamery (at Biggs)

When eating out...try to eat at a locally sourced restaurant or at least a locally owned one

Try to drastically reduce the amount we eat out at restaurants ($$ too)



Kris