52. The 10-Day Update
We’re 11 days into our 100-mile diet challenge, and I have a few observations:
Moving “local” to the front of mind for all eating decisions happened pretty quick. Somehow I pictured myself accidentally munching on off-limits stuff out of latent habits, but that really hasn’t happened. I did put one sunflower seed in my mouth that I found in the bottom of my backpack, but I didn’t crack the shell before I remembered our rules and spit it out.
I’ve heard artists and musicians say that rules and restrictions on their work can be a gateway to creativity. When we box ourselves in, our minds work to color and decorate the walls of that box. The same dynamic is at work in out kitchen right now, as we push the limits of butter as a cooking oil. We’re dipping our toes into cookery we’ve never tried before, too: I’ll be rendering fat for the first time this week, and Chloe is pumped about the pork cracklin’!
I’ve always been the type of eater who values variety, and I intentionally avoid eating the same thing twice in a day. But that sort of assumption of assortment is a display of immense privilege, and I actually haven’t minded double-dipping. I’ve tried to be as grateful as possible that we have fine nutritious ingredients and competent hands to prepare them with.
It’s really nice to have a local creamery that makes excellent ice cream, because Chloe and I are dessert fiends.
The generosity from friends who grow and make food has been heart-warming. I’ve felt so plugged-in to my local food network these last 10 days, and the figurative hug of our community feels quite nice.
Grocery stores are a real struggle right now; some more than others. The big chains make platitudes and signage about carrying Virginia-grown products and such, but it feels like dishonest pandering when the single “local” shelf is ¾ empty. Mostly we are only going there for cleaning products, trash bags and the aforementioned Homestead Creamery ice cream.