Living Naturally (and a wee bit obsessively) Through Food

I am obsessed with food.

Some people buy shoes with abandon. Others jump when they hear the words "sample sale". And still others know when new music is released and scoop up the tunes that same day.

Me? I prefer to spend my money on creamy organic yogurt, just-picked strawberries, and meat from a local farm.

Since I've become a parent, especially with one child allergic to milk, I have tried to live more naturally than I did in my days as a single workaholic. I've become much more aware of where our food comes from, how it's grown or raised and the best ways to prepare it so that it's more likely that my kids will eat it. I check the labels of everything to avoid the words "high-fructose corn syrup" and to try to limit the amount of sugar and salt in prepared foods.

Oh, and because money doesn't grow on trees (the last time I checked), I try to keep myself within a budget so that we have money for things like our mortgage and heat.

But, living naturally through food does not have to be as expensive as many think.

In a few months, I'll start my third year with a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and, once a week, will pick up my bounty from a local organic farm. I'll start off with greens before moving into the beans, peas, tomatoes and zucchini of high summer, only to end in the fall with more greens and winter squashes. Is it expensive? Well, yes and no---since I pay for the season upfront, there is one large check to write several months in advance of any produce. But, once the vegetables start rolling in, the cost seems reasonable. It just takes flexibility and a willingness to "eat with the season".

Another low-cost but highly satisfying way to get fresh, organic veggies is to start a container garden. I plant herbs in the big containers on my front steps--the one spot in my yard that gets great sunlight most of the day. There will be basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, sage, rosemary, oregano, chives and even a few tomato plants for months.

Once a month from June to November, I drive to a farm to pick up 20 pounds of grass-fed beef and naturally raised chicken and pork. The meat is vacuum-sealed and frozen solid. The meat ranges from $7-$8 a pound, is locally and humanely raised, and teaches the kids a little about our food chain.

I buy my eggs from a friend. My children have even collected eggs from these chickens. The cost per dozen is more than what I'd pay for the cheapest eggs in the supermarket, but it's worth it when you taste the eggs.

Another idea is to pick strawberries, blueberries and then apples. The kids love to do this and, while we always pick more than we can eat, we freeze the extras for use in pies, breads and cakes later in the season. I've also planted my own blueberry, blackberry and raspberry bushes in the hopes of producing my own fruit some year.

In the future, I hope to learn how to can foods, make pickles and jams, bake bread from scratch and make my own pasta which should be both frugal and delicious ways to enjoy the food we eat. This means I may become even more obsessed with food, but, hey, it's cheaper than most of the other obsessions out there.

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