CSA

I've been thinking more and more about where we get our vegetables.
There's a new Sunflower Market just down the street, and they have great produce. But as a kid growing up, my family had a HUGE garden. That I hated. I hate weeding. I dislike pickles and tomatoes and mushrooms and lots of things. Not because they're particularly nasty... I'm pretty sure it's just a lingering fear of really hard work in the hot hot Texas sun.
So I've been wishing I didn't live on the second floor... and have zero room to grow plants with very little daylight. However... I've been toying with the idea of a gutter garden/planter boxes. Maybe some herbs...

Okay. Back to reality now. We spend quite a bit of our monthly budget on food in this little household so I've been thinking more about CSA's. I know there are quite a few options in our area. I just have to pick one. I also have to remember that it's worth it.

Because I really do prefer super fresh veggies to store bought. They just ARE better.

Eating Local

So for Valentine's Day on Saturday (I know it's today, but the weekend is more convenient, dangit!) Peter and I decided to do the traditional standby of dinner and a movie. If you want to read about the whole thing, go here.
But as this is all about buying responsibly... I'm going to talk a bit more about the restaurant we chose.
The Copper Onion.
Now I've been dying to go ever since I saw it almost a year ago. And whether it was because of time, travel, $, or just plain forgetfulness we hadn't gone yet. And we eat out. A lot.
The restaurant is nestled in downtown Salt Lake. It's right next to a theater, a parking garage, and in the bottom of a business tower. With all that around it, they've still created an extremely homey and inviting ambiance.
I'm thinking we're going to have to go back and actually sample the dinner menu, as we were there for brunch. But the thing I'm actually trying to get to is this.
Their restaurant is not a chain. It's local. It is a small business and a small restaurant. It is supporting people here in my town and I really like that in a restaurant.
I also like that they tell you where they get most of their product. When they can they have locally sourced whole foods. They support local farmers and producers.
It is a little more expensive. The portions aren't huge and that helped us eat responsibly. We didn't need to eat our weight in pasta. Though I would have liked to!
Here's a review with some photos from a local food blog...
And next time we need a nice place to eat out... This is it.

Tapped out

Last night we watched Tapped. It's a documentary about bottled water. About how awful it is for the economy. How it's a terrible use of resources. And it's less healthy than tap water. In fact it IS tap water, but with the added leached cancer causing petrochemicals from the bottles. Styrene and BPA and all sorts of other crap. I already don't buy bottled water, because it's ridiculously expensive. Which, the movie points out a number of times. It's healthier and more economical to use the regulated municipal sources which you already pay for.
This just makes me think about how many other things that we buy packaged for convenience sake that we already have available for free.

Heat Conservation

Exercise, Cuddle, sleep with lots of blankets, warm and comfy pajamas, hot soup, fresh baked goods, hot chocolate.
Lots of cuddling and togetherness. It'll keep things nice and toasty when your windowpanes frost over.

Water Conservationist Extraordinaire

"I'm going to take a bath." Why don't more people say this? Usually the phrase is something more like, "I'm gonna jump in the shower." or, "I just wanna take a quick shower, I'll be fast." I suppose that showers are a bit speedier, but are we really saving that much time? I mean, unless you're really only spending 5 minutes in the shower, you're probably dumping enough water down the drain to fill 2 bathtubs, maybe more.

I typically spend about 20 minutes-ish in the shower. I decided this morning that, since I had the time, I wanted to take a bath. I realized that I maybe spent about 10 more minutes in the tub than I do in the shower... mostly because soaking in a bath is AMAZING.

Many people may argue that it takes too long to fill up the tub. Sillies. All you have to do is start filling the tub BEFORE you gather whatever else you need for the bath. For those of you who think that sitting in a tub is gross, you are m.i.s.s.i.n.g o.u.t. If you really have a problem with it, run the shower for a minute when you're ready to get out.

I'm telling you, baths are the way to go!

Take a Bath. Save the Planet.

Public Transportation

Last night we took the bus to go grocery shopping. The whole trip took less than an hour and 15 minutes, including waiting for the bus. We only picked up enough groceries for the week (how much we can carry...) and we did it quickly and efficiently! I like buying whole food. Ingredients. It makes me feel magical, transforming ingredients into meals.
Saving money makes me feel magical too. :)

Purchasing Fresh

I went shopping while recovering from the holiday madness, and I was amazed at how easily I picked up the fresh veggies I was craving. That's right. Craving!!! I don't usually crave veggies, but the bright colors seduced me into buying almost nothing else.
And while I'm proud of myself for buy vegetables instead of processed food, I find myself wishing I really could buy fresh food. Not food that had been shipped and picked days and days ago. But living here in Utah with my limited resources, at the moment... this is the best I can do. And right now, I'm looking forward to dinner. :)