Tonight for dinner, as part of the Penny-Wise Eat Local Challenge, I ate two grilled cheese sandwiches and some beer. The cheese was organic cheddar from Spring Hill in Petaluma and the beer was a Lagunitas IPA — also from Petaluma. The bread I used was from Alvarado Street Bakery which is very close by. They use organic grains, although I do not know where the grains come from. I’m really surprised so far how difficult it has been to eat within a 100 mile radius of where I live. Our economy and our lives are so divorced from place that even here in the progressive land of plenty (Bay Area, CA) I’m finding it a bit problematic. If I denied myself the nourishment I require (or at least desire) it would be easy to not break any rules of this challenge. But again, for me the challenge is to see how I can eat like I want within the parameters. Not be on a depravation diet or any special diet that in any way resembles fasting. Eating local should not mean doing without! I also used some local Strauss butter with the meal. Since the beer is on a special budget ($8.00 per week extra) , I won’t include it’s price.
The rest of the meal I estimate cost at $3.00. I can’t believe my delicious meal was that cheap. I am still a bit hungry, though, and probably will eat some dessert soon — Strauss ice cream! The majority of the ingredients in the ice cream come from local sources, but the sugar, etc of course does not. The amount of ice cream I’ll eat tonight adds up to be about $1. So that puts me at $4.00 for the evening. It’s interesting to me that ice cream (especially real ice cream) gets such a bad health reputation. If you look at the label, it’s loaded with calcium and vitamin A, and the type of fat to help you asborb it. I eat it not as a decadent pleasure, but as part of my important daily nutrition.
local food