Food Guilt!

No, not 'loosen-the-top-button-I-ate-too-much' guilt,  I am talking about something else entirely!  I am talking about Responsible Grocery Shopping - read this:

"Do you take home the certified organic, cage-free dozen from California, or the non-organic but vegetarian-fed eggs from the family farm nearby?  Do you spring for the Omega-3 eggs at a dollar more a dozen, or wait for your next trip to the Feed & Seed, where you can by 9-year-old Nathan's mismatched rainbow of uncleaned eggs packed into re-used cartons?  Not to mention large or extra large, Grade A or Grade AA.  Is the notion that brown eggs are healthier real, or is the difference from their white counterparts only shell deep?

So here's my question: does a quick trip to buy eggs turn into a "nerve-wracking test of your personal belief system"? 

When I first read this passage from 'Organic, Local and Everything Else' written by Zoe Bradbury I honestly felt she was inside my head, writing from my very own experiences.  I have these debates with myself all - the - time, and not only standing in front of the array of choices at the egg fridge but at the fish counter (is it farmed or wild caught?  loaded with mercury?  from local waters or far off seas? how much energy was consumed in capturing, processing and transporting?), looking for a steak (organic from the other side of the US, or local? pasture raised or grass fed or grass finished - and what's the difference? what about antibiotics?  hormones?  how many cows are in this one packet of ground beef?)  and then there is chicken, milk, produce, bread, cooking oil . . . sometimes I think I might spontaneously combust from all the friction caused by the to and fro of the constant debate as I wrestle with . . . myself!

Who knew grocery shopping would become an anxiety laden two-hour event as we try to make socially and environmentally conscientious choices?  All the while food corporations are working harder than ever to convince us that what they put in front of us is exactly what we want - even when it's not!  Product messaging cleverly targets our desire to make good choices, for instance, I picked up a bottle of milk the other day that was labelled 'no added hormones' and thought I had made a good decision.  It was only as I was standing in the check out line mulling over my bounty that I realized they just guaranteed no hormones were added to the milk, but they never said they didn't give them to the cows!  I had been duped and I was so ANNOYED! 

After more and more of these experiences I am thankful to have my fresh produce and egg dilemma resolved, and it makes me happy to be able to extend the peace of mind to others through South Shore Organics, and I feel collectively we will address meat, fish, cheese, bread and butter dilemma's too in time to come.  In the meantime, just make the best choice you can using the following guidelines:

• first choice: local, sustainable, conscientious, humane, organic
• second choice: from further afield and certified organic
• third choice: from further afield and sustainable practices
• everything else

And then quiet that relentless voice in your head, you have made the best choice you can -  besides, the last thing we need is people bursting into flames throughout the store! 

The New Family Cook Book

When we moved into our new home, I took a moment over a hot cup of tea and a view of our homestead to rest my tired feet and reflect what it means to move - all the change, excitement, hope . . . glancing around at all that still had to be done, my eyes rested on this cookbook lying near the top of an open yet-to-be-unpacked box.  It was a gift from my grandmother, a well used and loved book that I have seen her use on many occasion.  I used it now and then for shortbread, but hadn't taken time to really look at it, consider all its undiscovered treasures, and appreciate the true value of this gift.

And it was over that cup of tea, one hot July afternoon, as I took stock of the heavy books' contents that I learned the true depth of words like 'heritage', 'legacy' and 'heirloom'.  Everything I think the younger generation has forgotten about cooking, is contained within these precious pages - from where different cuts of meat are taken, and what they are best suited to, to canning, preserving, freezing, cooking temperatures, how to tell if something is fresh and where to store it to keep it that way.  And it is not just about cooking, I got a glimpse too of what it meant to host a luncheon in the 50's on pages 53 - 130, how to set the table, what to choose for the menu, and how to be a gracious hostess.  These are all skills I feel are largely lost, and sadly so - I think our children would greatly benefit (as would we) from learning and remembering these graces. 

When my own daughter breezed into the kitchen, it occured to me that four generations were represented right there in my kitchen, with another cookbook my mom had made me with recipes for all the meals I loved to eat while growing up, a recipe book I often leaned on for family favorites, and a recipe book my daughter had received (her first one) for Christmas.  What a wonderful gift, and a special heritage these books would become for the younger members of our family one day.

Occasionally, I will be including experiences of our meals from my 'New Family Cook Book' in my blog, and tips too so I hope you visit often.  Let us make it a family affair as we teach our children that being a conscientious adult means knowing the source of the food we eat, what sustains it, and how to cook it and not how to recycle the cardboard box it came in.