My Starting Block

In some aspects of our lives my husband and I are kicking ass. We have been growing food using the square foot garden technique the last four summers. We walk to our local farmers' market when it is in season (May through December), and try to rely on just the foods purchased there. Through our local farmers' market we have a share in a CSA. I've started making our own deodorant (dude, super easy and produces way less plastic!) And I'm loving the bar of shampoo soap I buy through Etsy.

However, since our market is closed during the winter (well, there is a renegade market, but let's face it, they offer little in terms of food to eat on during the week), Chris and I have been making poor choices in food. We have been eating out far too much and only some of the restaurants we frequent are locally owned. Gasp, in fact too many that we've eaten at this winter are chain restaurants! And it doesn't help that we have been doing this while relying on one income! Then, when we do go to the store, we buy prepackaged food, such as cooked chicken breasts, in plastic containers. Our trash is getting way out of hand. For the two of us this past summer, a trash bag would last a week, now we throw away about 2-3 bags a week.

One of the ways to alleviate this problem is to keep the clutter out of the kitchen; which will in turn inspire me to cook. Another factor is to begin meal planning. I started doing this at the beginning of the year and it worked great. . . for three weeks. Then it fell apart. I would like to blame at least part of the demise on my husband's lack of interest and his indecision about what he will want to eat four days into the future. But, I know that's not the main reason it fell apart. I stopped doing it because it became a chore. I would have to search for recipes and then compose a list for the store, and then, horrors of horrors! I'd have to go to the store! Finally, each night I would have to prepare and cook the food. After 8 hours at work. Well, the prep/cook time for most of my recipes probably equals the time spent getting to a restaurant, getting seated, looking over the menu, ordering, waiting, eating, waiting, paying the bill, leaving, and driving home from a restaurant. Wow, put it that way, and I probably would spend less time cooking.

My goal is to plan my meals for today (Thursday through Sunday), and go to the store to purchase the ingredients. And then, Saturday or Sunday I will do it over again. Also, I think it is important that at the end of each week I provide a post listing the amount of money I spent the week before, the meals I intend to eat for the week, the number of times I drive my car, and any other improvements/setbacks I experience.

I can't wait for the next post to kick it off!