"Necessity is the mother of Invention"
We started this blog for several reasons. There's no denying that times are little tough right now. Money is tight for most of us. This blog serves to keep our family accountable to the goals we put forth for our grocery/food budget every month. It also let's us share with you good, cheap recipes we've found and allows you to give us suggestions as well. I mean, besides cat videos, that's what the internet is for right? We also believe in a balance when it comes to food, and really buying in general. Buying cheap doesn't mean you have to get super-processed prepackaged meals every night. You can still get things that are nutritious, but taste better than bran. Every crunchy hippie wants you to be FairTrade, organic and local these days, but the reality is buying these kinds of groceries are more expensive right now than the standard. That's why most big businesses don't do it. Businesses also pay lobbyists to influence congress so though we should definitely vote and present these issues to our senators and representatives, the best influence we have on business is how we spend our paycheck. Voting with your dollar tells businesses what kind of product you want more or less of.
What do those words mean?
Fair Trade - Fair Trade certified foods and goods mean that the farmers or producers were given a fair wage and good working conditions. It means big companies didn't use sweatshops, slaves or rip off naive people in other countries to get you your product.
Local - Buying local means you are supporting small business and your local economy. The availability of local produce depends on where you live. Buying local also puts you somewhat subject to the weather, but it's fun to meet the people that grow your food and see what it really looks like, not what shows up at the grocery store. Most areas have some sort of farmer's market, and some bigger grocery stores actually support local farmers.
Organic - Organic means there aren't added hormones, chemical pesticides or artificial preservatives. The idea is that you don't put things into your body that don't belong there, or into animals or plants more than nature would.
Free Range - This term applies to animals that are not kept in a small pen and more or less force fed. They are allowed to walk around and get the food themselves. These animals are generally healthier, though to what extent is debatable.
The Balance
On this blog we try to balance supporting these causes with the reality that sometimes we can't afford to. So you need to decide what cause is most important for your family. For us the most important is not supporting malicious business practices such as indentured servitude, slavery, sweatshops and child labor. Buying local also generally insures this and so when it is feasible we like to buy locally. Organic/Free Range is last on the list because frankly, sometimes it doesn't make a difference if a food is organic or not. Foods with thick skins or rinds that get thrown away won't transfer pesticides to your body. Some of the "terrible hormones added" have no effect on humans. They might affect the animals, and if we can affordably avoid that we do. But this is usually the first place that we cut from because it affects people the least.
Hopefully you will find our recipes and tidbits of information helpful and educational. Happy eating!
