Our "Home-Grown" supper.....

As a bunch of you, I know, are really into the home-grown/locally-grown food movement, I've been looking at your blogs and seeing the lovely meals you're producing from what is locally produced in your areas. Unfortunately, it seems most of my meals have, at most, one item on the plate that is locally produced/grown/raised/caught. Tonight I had two: the salmon is a red, caught by my husband (or FIL or hubby's best buddy, we're not ENTIRELY sure) a couple of weeks ago, down on the Klutina. The lettuce in the salad was from my FIL's garden (it's in FIL's back yard, and he does most of the watering and weeding because he lives there, though DH and I did most of the planting). The pasta came from a box (sorry, as far as I know, the only "starch" produced in Alaska are Yukon Gold potatoes), and the tomatoes and avacados came from a grocery store. As did the croutons, the salad dressings used, the seasonings on the salmon, and the milk, garlic and olive-oil in the pasta. So, this wasn't a primarily home-grown meal, but at this point in my life, it's the best I can do.

I think I've come to the conclusion that at this point in my life it's maybe not so much about how much is produced local to me, but is it as healthy as I can make it. Am I using what IS available to me (at a price I can afford), while still getting plenty of veggies and fruits. Going lighter on the starches than I have in the past, and heavier on the veggies. This is going to mean, ESPECIALLY during the winter, using a lot of mass-produced and frozen veggies. Or veggies that have been shipped great distances. But in Alaska, ANY distance is a great distance. We're over 350 miles away from the only other "big town" in Alaska: Anchorage. Even Delta Jct, the local "bread-basket" is about 100 miles away. The MatSu valley is almost as far away from me as Anchorage, and that is the true "bread-basket" of Alaska. And even the salmon, halibut, shark, caribou, and moose we eat is not something that is usually found less than 50 miles away. The halibut, shark and most of our salmon come from Valdez: farther away than Anchorage. The Caribou and moose, as a rule, come from at least 75 miles away. For those of you who are looking at maps, think from Fairbanks, half-way to Prudhoe Bay. That's a good 300+- miles, as well, for caribou. It's as "local" to Alaska as you can get, and it's still not "local" in the sense that so many in the "states" talk about. Just to give you some idea of distances in Alaska, that's all.

I know it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted.... It's been either too busy here for me to find the time, or I've not had anything to really show off or talk about. And I didn't want the next post to be a rant. Crafting wise it's starting to look like a very busy next couple of months as I've got to make a baby-afghan, hat, mits & booties for a friend who's about to have her 4th daughter (her older 3 all have something made by me); and I've got a Samhain exchange I'm taking part in. I've no idea what to make for the Samhain exchange. Really. I should. The two "requirements" (not that we're that strict, really) are that it be a decoration for the house (preferably) and that it be hand-made (preferably). I know I could get away with something bought, or something to wear (or both), but I prefer to make something for my exchange partner's home, with Samhain as the theme. Now I'm just wracking my brain as to WHAT. The first year's project was a filet-crochet owl wall-hanging. Last year's was a spider-web doily. I'd like to do something with a pumpkin, this year, but am at a loss what. Most of the crocheted pumpkins I've seen are little crocheted orange balls with a brown crocheted stem. Kinda thinking something a little more... elaborate than that. Ah well..... I'll figure it out. I always do.

Anyway, this is the Sunday I go to church with my Dad, so I've gotta go ahead and sign off. After lunch at my dad's DH, DD, and I will be going to the fair!!!!! Yippee!!!!! Some seriously yummy food to eat, lots of seriously lovely goodies offered up for my purchasing pleasure, and a definite Once-A-Year event. With tickets being 8$ per adult ($5 per child), each "meal" being about 10$, and lots of expensive shtuff to buy.... The average person can only AFFORD one visit a year. Unless, of course, you're like my sister who has a Military fiancee sending her rent money, then spending her own money on season tickets so she and my niece can go EVERY night after work. But, most of us have more responsibilities than that. So we only get to go once (maybe twice) in a year. We're going to go twice this year, actually.... Tuesday is the Daryl Worley concert. This'll be Tay's first concert, and I've got to remember to take my camera so I can get pictures of her enjoying the music. ;-) So, we're scraping up the money for tickets to that. But that'll be it, on Tuesday. Tonight's when we go and browse. Ok, really signing off now.

Have a Blessed Day!