Rain.

The rain has messed up my grocery shopping this week. Honestly, I should just be happy that our markets are still open. Freezer/pantry cooking this week. It's a little um um um motivating to see my convenience food (pre-local endeavor) getting used up. Boxed pasta, jarred sauce. I did shop Calandros this week and got some John Folse yogurt and some Camellia beans. I also saw the Sal and Judys tomato sauces, kind of pricy but to keep 'jic' will be good in the future. As for whether the items are local, I plan to email to find out, but at least they are processed, packaged, and close to home shipping wise.

Going to the market

Trying to get on our way to the market on Perkins today. OHHHHHH.....

They have alot of great items but certainly not the variety of the Saturday Market. I am learning that traveling really throws a wrench in local buying. It can only last so long, but I want to have enough variety.

I will notify regarding the loot.

Not taking a break: FYI

It's been a few days. I HAD to hurry up and finish Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It became my goal outside of all of the other obligations I have to tend to like cooking, cleaning, working, and dealing with the two girls. I also have been busy trying to put somethings up for later.

Updates:
Satsuma Marmalade-Check
8 pint bags of lemon juice-Check (Thanks to my client whose citrus tree we put in last year)
ChowChow-NONE: tomatoes were bad b/c we picked them after the frost, boo hoo.
Pork-My wonderful FIL has sent one to Jarred's uncle to be butchered. So great. Our cow will be done next month AFTER deer season (that way it is not mixed by accident).
We did get about 75lbs of venison, BUT I gave it to my guys. It will be there if needed. I plan to feed some of it to Vada and Deuce for dog food. I sort of feel bad about that, but oh well. Dog food is expensive (for two big dogs) and certainly not local.
Cheese making Kit: Is on my counter waiting for milk products.

Difficulty Numero Uno. I have a feeling this will be a common issue. Not as bad as it seemed. We went out of town last weekend so I missed the market in BR AND Zachary. Very upsetting to 'my plan'. I have used most of my fresh root veg left and have one chicken and 2 lbs of shrimp in the freezer with misc. veg. I need milk for drinking/cooking and making cheese. I feel lucky that I have the shrimp man on Plank Road everyday. SO, regardless, we can boil shrimp.

Garden progress:

The rain has been horrible. We havent gotten much done besides cleaning out the frosted tomatoes and beans. I did get some more lettuce, spinach and snow peas planted. I am trying to get the leeks/celery and fennel started out in the seriously snow damaged greenhouse. I need to get more herbs going in there. The cilantro and kale seem to be growing well. The fall planted broccoli is sort of coming to an end, so I need to get those started in the green house for next month. Jarred and I just havent had time to make a plan, so we are just putting things in as it is dry enough. The alium beds (garlic, shallots, onions) are coming along quite well. The carrots are non-existent. I suspect Jarred planted them too deep. I will replant asap. I havent seen any carrots or cauliflower at the farmers market, so maybe my cauliflower isnt too behind. The brussel sprouts and cabbages are putsing along with the artichokes. All of it should be side dressed BUT.....oh the rain.

Chickens:
Lost one Araucauna. No idea way, could be the temperature change, could be that they are dumb and flew into the walls. Negative of having a huge chicken coop. I cant wait to get my spring biddies in. They are laying (at least 2 are). I am getting about 2 eggs a day, should be getting 20. I figure the lack of 14 hr day light is effecting them. I still get eggs from MIL so that is good. That one little buff speckled sussex is getting beat up on. The older black leghorns are not laying, so I am thinking of putting those three out in the yard to eat the catepillars in the garden (yes, we had catepillars onthe cabbage last week). Jarred insists it will mean certain death......uh oh.

Jarred got a price on hog panels, not so expensive. So, we will work on that as soon as weather and work allow.

To Do:
GET TO THE MARKET FOR GROCERIES!
Decide what to make/take for Christmas gifts.

Grocery Shopping?

I have to admit that shopping local/fresh can be somewhat hindered by the schedule that must be adhered to....rain/cold/other plans. The farmers market is when it is. Hopefully, I will build some pantry staples and freezer full, so that I wont be so controlled by preset community market dates. For example, it is going to be COLD on Saturday morning with the potential for 'wintery mix'. So, I am going to try and find out when/if there is a market today in BR. I think there is over off of Perkins. Good Luck to me.

Jarred worked out in the onion patch last night. It seems to be doing really well. Hopefully the garden will hold up to the cold coming. The greenhouse was repaired yesterday via 'the army' and so many plants were moved up. I am very thankful for that.

My next project aside from all the canning/preserving to be done asap, I will order some mozzarella kits from the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, so I can try to make our own cheese. How fun!

Livin' La Vida Local

Just another day, trying to figure out what we will eat with what I have on my counter. I froze up the rest of the green beans, so they are in what I will call 'access purgatory'. Available, but I am trying to save for that desperate moment. Why use them when I have so much other great stuff on the counter, literaly dying to be used?

Breakfast menu:
My farm eggs fried up in the center of a locally baked (at LeBlancs, pardon, locally baked is as good as I have gotten so far) french loaf. Butter was Walmart. I am working through that stash and have local Smith Creamery in waiting.

Lunch:
Definitely left over yellow tomato/green onion tops salad and probably thawed cream of pot/spin/green bean soup.

Dinner:
Some sort of sofrito based (using farm grown tomatoes/pepers) sauce and left over 'rooster' from the soup stock. We will eat them with left over store bought corn tortillas (how can I get local tortillas?)

Preservation in progress:
Spicy green beans-2 qrts done
ChowChow-ingredients just waiting on me
Satsuma Marmalade-idea/recipe found, in process of collecting ingredients

What I've learned so far and Questions?

What I've learned:

I have obtained the following from local farmers markets:
-yellow grits (grown and milled in Zachary)
-Dairy (milk/cream cheese/goat yogurt and cheese/butter): from Smith creamery and a place that comes to BR farmers market from Tylertown, MS (not LA, but close)
-Rice from Kinder (grown and milled)
-Pecans from Waterproof
-Satsumas from Houma
-Sweet Potatoes from Opelousas
-Whole Chickens from Lena's Farm in Clinton
-Pickled Quail Eggs (which Lucie loves) from EFP
-Honey from BR
-Sugarcane syrup from White Castle
-Tomatoes, Turnips, Bell Peppers, Potatoes, Greens, Radishes from variety of local farms
-Broccoli, Greens, Peppers, Eggs from my own garden and a chicken from my coop

Probably so many other items. My favs so far outside of basic veg is definitely the goat's milk cheese, pecans, and honey, and butter......and grits, and satsumas...

Bread is still sort of an issue. I am buying all locally baked. I am trying to find locally grown/milled wheat. I'm not so confident, but honestly, with all the grits, rice and potatoes, bread isnt needed so much.

Still looking for local dry beans, pork (to be put into production here), and oatmeal (which I have a lead on).

Posted in my other blog: Nov 17th, 2009

So.....I have been reading and hearing about all of the 'local food' movements and really tossing around the idea of getting my own farmers market stand to sell some of my extras (mainly eggs). It is really reasonating with me. It is partly easy b/c LA is a freaking mecca of local food. REALLY. I thought of so many items that I can get local within LA that most people cannot. Beer, Wine, Dairy, Meat, Sugar products, veg's, citrus, various oils (pecan oil in particular), nuts, not coffee beans but we do import, process, and package many brands of coffee (and thank God, CC's) in Nola and BR.

Dont get me wrong I love the Whole Foods movement, and I love the idea of eating organic. BUT really, how 'organic' is it to have 'organic' cauliflower shipped to you from CA to LA in January. Seriously. This is a HUGE issue.

I am currently reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Kingsolver. It is so great. We are definitely going to pursue keeping our own shoats, and I am certainly putting up a broiler or 'Cornish Cross' pen in the spring. I am getting more chicks. The chicks are more about selling the eggs than anything. The 25 hens or however many I have are more than enough to provide my 2-3 dozens a week.

So, I wish I could be like the Planet Earth people and just straight up give up my non-local food. Me, not so much. I am going to gradually remove (via eating) my non-local food and replace with a much better awareness of local product. I am going to have to start with the milk in Hammond (via AL Coop) and making myself a regular visitor of the Farmers Markets. Reality is though, I have no intention of goingto the market every Saturday. I am going to have to be able to go to the farmers and get my stuff.

Even more so, I am going to have to improve my ability to produce my own stuff. Tonight with my conventional dinner, I had a green salad with my own red lettuce and bunching onions (with olive oil and balsamic) and green beans from my garden.

Some of my notes:

--Make and freeze/dry homemade pasta in bulk
--Freeze homemade soup rather than buying cans
--Freeze my own chicken stock rather than buying
--No more canned food
--No more trans fat
--No more HFCS
--NO more soda (Good bye Diet Coke)
--Stockup and preserve in-season foods (like blueberries or apples while in IN)

Foods I can get grown in LA:
--Rice
--Sugar
--I am going to have to check on the beer/wine (where does Abita get it's hops, etc)
--Pecans
--Steens
--Meat
--Dairy
--Veg
--Fruit
--What about salt-we have a salt dome.
--Local bread from Clinton
--Grits
--SEAFOOD
--Cheese

Foods I grow/produce:
--Eggs
--Veg (Lots)
--Potatoes (spring)
--Limited Fruit (blueberries, pears); This I need to improve. I have to think about what would be best. Blueberries are easy but very locally available as are strawberries and citrus....I do still want to add citrus. I think I will work toward peaches (which do great in Ruston) and plums.???
--Jelly
--Pickles
--Herbs
--Dried/Canned Tomatoes
--Peppers
--Chickens/Pigs; We will be added piglets hopefully by Christmas. I will buy the broilers for around first of Feb or so. They will be ready to butcher around end of March before it gets too hot. I plan to get five piglets. A breeding trio, one for 'roasting party', and one for putting up. Maybe 8-9, that way we could put up two and share a couple. Once we butcher the animals we can vac pack and freeze for future use. Homemade sausage and maybe even Pancetta is on the drawing board. A smoke house may be needed.
--I already get my beef once a year from Deddy. Local, Grass fed, corn finished beef. It is amazing.

Foods I will be looking for:
--Oils
--Flour
--Vinegars
--Supplemental fruit and veg
--Salt
--I will add more to this list. I feel so empowered and ready, but know that I will have so many issues. What about baking powder/soda, etc. SO many items to come.

I have to say that the resolve of my faith in this movement is because of my faith in God and that He would not want us to live on this earth without regard for how our food consumption is affecting not just our own waistlines, but the health of the earth. I need to have more respect for my own body and respect for the world we live in. I have said about organic gardening.....I garden the way God would. I need to start living that more. Maybe it will make up for the Nursery Select I use on my ornamentals.