Really enjoyed the food conversation in the writing and podcast. There is such a tension. With a family of six and noticing how much less the margin is in our budget because of food costs, I find myself instantly going to thinking we need to buy less food. And less food for a big family doesn’t mix well.
This is a timely conversation to come across as a friend and I challenged each other last week to spend only $75 a week on groceries, buying only the essentials and just using what we have in our food storages (that doesn’t get used because it’s easier to go buy!) It seems like a bit of an impossibility, however, Im already gaining back perspectives that I’ve always been taught about the value of food, especially being raised by a generation of parents who remember the necessity of waste not, want not from the depression years. And the realization that in spending less at the store, I actually need to make so much more food.
The value of a freezer full of locally butchered meat, but requires time to thaw, prep and cook.
The value of heading out to the garden and seeing there are still cucumbers to go in children’s lunches, but requires the effort to get out there, pick, wash and cut.
The value of finding all the ready ingredients in cabinets to mix cookies or muffins, but requires the margin of time and energy to make.
So much more to talk about in an already long comment, but essentially as I begin to get back to making more food with what we have, leads to a desire to make more, which actually leads to abundant, good food for a family. And one of the hidden ‘costs’ of that is how much time is involved in that.
Disclaimer though, if I had to buy all the meat day to day, $75 wouldn’t go very far, and we’re going to be eating alot of beef.😆
Thank you for this very thoughtful comment, Christina! It really is such a tough position to be in. When I had a large family full of young kids I chronically overbought, mostly because they ate so unpredictably and because my hands were already so full just trying to get them all the places they had to be and provide all the OTHER things I felt I "had" to to keep up with modern life. Which is a whole other topic, isn't it? Much more attainable to waste not, make use of everything, garden, preserve, cook, and all those things if feeding your family is your sole or primary focus throughout the day. But when it's something we have to squeeze into the margins because there are so many other things that we feel we should value more highly (kids' enrichment activities, for example) it can feel impossible.
‘All the ‘other’ things I felt I had to do to keep up with modern life’…💯, that’s definitely a tea time type of conversation!! I will be listening to more of your podcasts on food.
oh how fun to open a pretty canister and discover a treasure trove of teas. all on a beautiful autumn day ...
I am really enjoying the podcast episodes and posts on food, meal planning, and what is happening in your kitchen lately!
I saw this on TikTok about the Comfort of Crows and I thought of this book club. 💙
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8dPNG9U/
I need to pick that book back up and enjoy it with an evening cup of tea.
Thanks April! I love that The Comfort of Crows got picked up by Reese's book club. I'm glad I jumped back in!
Really enjoyed the food conversation in the writing and podcast. There is such a tension. With a family of six and noticing how much less the margin is in our budget because of food costs, I find myself instantly going to thinking we need to buy less food. And less food for a big family doesn’t mix well.
This is a timely conversation to come across as a friend and I challenged each other last week to spend only $75 a week on groceries, buying only the essentials and just using what we have in our food storages (that doesn’t get used because it’s easier to go buy!) It seems like a bit of an impossibility, however, Im already gaining back perspectives that I’ve always been taught about the value of food, especially being raised by a generation of parents who remember the necessity of waste not, want not from the depression years. And the realization that in spending less at the store, I actually need to make so much more food.
The value of a freezer full of locally butchered meat, but requires time to thaw, prep and cook.
The value of heading out to the garden and seeing there are still cucumbers to go in children’s lunches, but requires the effort to get out there, pick, wash and cut.
The value of finding all the ready ingredients in cabinets to mix cookies or muffins, but requires the margin of time and energy to make.
So much more to talk about in an already long comment, but essentially as I begin to get back to making more food with what we have, leads to a desire to make more, which actually leads to abundant, good food for a family. And one of the hidden ‘costs’ of that is how much time is involved in that.
Disclaimer though, if I had to buy all the meat day to day, $75 wouldn’t go very far, and we’re going to be eating alot of beef.😆
Thank you for this very thoughtful comment, Christina! It really is such a tough position to be in. When I had a large family full of young kids I chronically overbought, mostly because they ate so unpredictably and because my hands were already so full just trying to get them all the places they had to be and provide all the OTHER things I felt I "had" to to keep up with modern life. Which is a whole other topic, isn't it? Much more attainable to waste not, make use of everything, garden, preserve, cook, and all those things if feeding your family is your sole or primary focus throughout the day. But when it's something we have to squeeze into the margins because there are so many other things that we feel we should value more highly (kids' enrichment activities, for example) it can feel impossible.
‘All the ‘other’ things I felt I had to do to keep up with modern life’…💯, that’s definitely a tea time type of conversation!! I will be listening to more of your podcasts on food.