A Year of Eating Local

No:

• This isn’t a cooking blog.
• I’m not starting yet another business, writing challenge or holy experiment (today).

However:

• I have been writing a lot about cooking lately, haven’t I?
• All this thinking about food has started a lot of interesting conversations with a lot of interesting people.
• I have also been reading cooking blogs.

All this THINKING and TALKING and READING about food has, obviously, made me more mindful of what I consume and how.  I have always been one to shop local, but I’m starting to realize the huge benefit of eating local as well.  It’s not just about our economy (although that’s a biggie).  It’s about our health.  It’s about caring for our neighbours.  It’s about literally and figuratively feeding the things you’d love to see grow.

Critical Update on Turtles

It would seem that my instructions for the turtles weren’t as easy as the 23 words would suggest.

Lisa posted this message on my Facebook wall that you should all be privy to:

** Critical Update on the Rolo Pretzel Turtles! We had used a no name Rolo from Walmart first time=yummy! (though some thought they looked like worms, with the ridges ;P). Legit Rolos only seem to come in Minis, unless i find a single strip pkg somewhere? Yesterday I made them with PC version of Rolos- no good! WELL- they were yummy! But the chocolate layer is thinner, so the Carmel goozed out everywhere :/

I’d attempted them on my own this weekend as well, with real Rolos, and had a similar problem: the chocolate cracked, instead of smooshed and the caramel spilled out.  I went to that dark place where I thought I was no good – why am I kidding myself thinking I can bake??  Lisa’s “spidey sense” kicked in and I received her critical update in time to realize it wasn’t just me.

The other critical danger is that when baking is still yummy, but not aesthetically pleasing, it becomes a PERSONAL SNACK.  The delight you feel when you realize SOMEONE has to eat these turtles, and that someone is you… is not worth the guilt and despair 10 turtles later. Trust me.

If I’ve learned anything from Lisa, it’s that baking is meant to be given.  Save yourselves a boat-load of turtle guilt and avoid the mistake of ugly baking!

I have a personal conviction not to shop at Wal-Mart, so I’ll have to look for a good Rolo substitute and PC has been eliminated.  I’ll keep you posted. If you have had any success with making these pretty enough to give away, let me know.

Pickier than she thought – Part II

Who is this woman?

I have never met anyone like Lisa, with multi-tasking super powers.  She can think of a million things at once and doesn’t get stressed out. In fact, she seems to thrive in the middle of lots of different activities going on all around her.  I don’t even see her keep lists.  If she does, I don’t want to know.  She has energy to rival my tween, whom I might even say resembles Lisa more than she resembles me, strangely enough.  Maybe it’s all the enthusiasm they emit when they’re being creative.  Maybe it’s that they’re both ectomorphs and look really great in skinny jeans.

Pickier than she thought – Part I

The Idea

It was at the end of summer, my husband and I were enjoying some late afternoon rays with our friends, Bob and Lisa, at their lakeside home, having a relaxing, casual conversation.  I said to Lisa, “So… I’ve got this crazy idea.”