A new day!

Well friends and followers (which at this point I am pretty sure is just my mother, HI Mom!), this post will not contain a recipe. It is to explain that there will be a bit of a shift in the blog. My love of cooking first manifested itself in a desire to experiment with recipes my mother taught me while I was growing up. That love has now evolved into creating recipes of my own from scratch.

So, what is different, you ask? Me. I am different. During the period of time since I have posted (2.5 years!), my life went through a bit of a shift. I decided to try to do less things that are bad for me and more things that are good for me. Now, that sounds very non-specific... I know. It was and is non-specific. This shift started with valuing myself. Something I had forgotten how to do. That is not what I am here to talk about though; I am here to talk about FOOD!

Part of treating myself poorly, was eating whatever was easiest and or cheapest. So, I started paying more attention to what I was eating. I am not going to get in to all the worrisome "food" that makes it into our diets... It is almost unavoidable to consume these questionable products, unless one goes to arguably extreme measures. Now, my long term plan may seem extreme to many, but in the short term, the plan is simply to make better food choices. Try new things, with an open mind. Try things I tried before and "didn't like," with an open mind. So far, it's going great! I now regularly eat many healthier foods that were not a part of my diet before.

I also started growing my own herbs. I loved being able to walk out on to the back patio, cut some fresh thyme and rosemary for use in my next meal. My partner and I are currently in the process of renovating our back yard. We intend to grow much more than just herbs. In addition to the herbs and fruit trees we started growing last year, this year we've have started: cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes, bell peppers, canary melon, onions, garlic and many others are on the way! All of that is to say, in addition to putting my recipes on this blog, I may also post about what we are growing and how our permaculture-type garden is going. I feel it is a part of the process of cooking, truly from scratch.

Another change that will affect the blog is a recent discover of mine... A few weeks ago I came across SWFL Produce Co-Op. I was very intrigued, as I have been doing a lot of research on CSA (community supported agriculture). While SWFL Produce isn't a CSA, they are providing (mostly) local, organic produce to the community on a subscription-like basis. They don't grow everything themselves and consumers aren't providing funds up front for the promise of food later, but they are providing a wonderful service by obtaining and organizing delicious fresh produce into boxes available for weekly pick-up. Fresh local produce without the risk of a CSA-- That sounds like a win-win to me. Each Monday the contents of the following Saturdays boxes are posted. Then, if you want a box (or several) you let them know which box(es) you want and then you go pick it up on Saturday. Simple.

Let me tell you, when I went and got my first $25 "combo" box, I was blown away. They also have a $20 veggie box and a $20 fruit box, which I have gotten in the subsequent weeks. So much awesome food for such a great price! As a matter of fact, someone in the co-op did a price comparison. How much would the contents of each box cost if you purchased it at Publix? It turns out that we're saving an average $9 a box by purchasing the produce from SWFL Produce instead. On top of that, the money I do spend, supports local businesses and local farmers.

The picture to the right was the first box I got. Everything was fresh and delicious. I came home and immediately went to work cooking. That night I made refrigerator dill pickles and fire roasted pepper oil (will post the recipes when I get around to it). We had the Sweet Corn with dinner and it was delicious! I was hooked. This week was my 4th week and I will be getting the boxes for the foreseeable future.

In addition to saving money and allowing me to conveniently "shop locally", these produce boxes inspire me to create, try new things, and eat healthier. So, I have decided to share the recipes I am creating with the world and maybe inspire some other people too!

If you live in Charlotte or Lee County in Florida, I strongly suggest trying SWFL Produce. If you live elsewhere, look to see if there is something similar in your area. I bet you'll love it!

~Sarah