Local for the Holidays

The Green Team

This is the Christmas I couldn't go home because I couldn't purchase a flight and when I didn't go shopping on boxing day. It is the Christmas I didn't put up a tree and the time I didn't send anything as I didn't want to use mail. This is also the Christmas I spent with the loveliest of people in the best of places. Instead of a flight home I found friends to share rides and open their doors to me. Instead of buying in to the holiday sales, I hit the thrift stores for my sweet deals. Instead of a tree I bought a hand made wreath from my friends and crafters at Natural Wreaths. And instead of buying gifts I made cards and purchased micro-loans for my family to be able to 're-gift' to someone who needed it more (through Kiva.org). Overall being local this holiday season did not make me feel as if I was missing out but allowed me to be more connected with the things and people that matter most to me.

Christmas with the Kehler's

 After two weeks away we came home to an empty house, and an empty fridge. We stopped shopping the week before we left in an attempt to not waste anything we had already bought. This meant when we got back we hadn't been shopping in over three weeks. What do you do when you come home to an empty fridge? Usually you go to the nearest grocery store, even stop at the corner store and maybe order take out from any number of popular brand names on your speed dial. But imagine they were all gone. That's what we did this time, instead of filling my fridge right back up the day we got back to Prince George we had to wait until our local grocer's would re-open and the next farmers market, a week away. In my fridge I had:
-1 purple cabbage, that upon peeling off the first few layers was still good inside despite being 2 months old
- an onion
- 4 sprouting potatoes
- 2 wrinkly apples
- eggs that I had to individually test in water to check they were still alright to consume.

Hope, BC

That and the various canned goods (mainly pickled) and condiments in my fridge were what I planned to get through the week with. Angela baked some homemade millet bread with flower she got as a Christmas present from very considerate friends and together we created a meal with what we had that turned out pretty good if I do say so my self. I can say that I have had quite a bit of cabbage this week but at this point I need to resign myself to the fact that I will most likely be eating cabbage all winter and should just get used to it. The home made chutney's, jams and pickles that I have really add to the basic ingredients and make them more edible (like the PG enchilada's I just made with, you guessed it, more cabbage!)
After hitting the farmers market and Home Sweet Home this week I have a few more things in my fridge like cheese and butter and carrots but those staples of potatoes and cabbage are still going to be around for months... and months so time to keep experimenting!

-24 in Prince George 

This is also the year I toasted New Years with newly discovered local spirits ;) After week's of holidays it is finally time to return to school and work and the daily grind they ensue. Living even locally, rests for no one!

Happy Holidays,

Melanie

"An idealist is one who, on noticing that roses smell better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make a better soup." H.L. Mencken