ChowBaby

as we all know, the price of milk last year reached an all time high. so high, it cost $3.89 per gallon last july. ouch! but the faltering global economy is changing all that. it's driving the demand for dairy products way down even as supply increases. and while consumers are saying yay! farmers (who are also consumers, don't forget) are saying nay!

and just as the government stepped in to rescue banks and car companies, they are now stepping in to help farmers. critics of farm subsidies argue that they allow farmers to continue producing even when the economics don't add up. that means that, ultimately, taxpayers (like you, me, and stacie) pay the price. and while i'd rather see government funds go to struggling farmers instead of poorly managed banks, the whole thing still makes me uneasy. read the details in  new york times article here.  

 
—m

i'm not exaggerating when i say that kitchen shears are the most indispensable tool in my kitchen. and i've got a LOT of kitchen tools. every parent must have a pair. if you don't, put it on your holiday wish list.

because i feed isaac the same foods that i make for me and my husband, his meals don't come out of the pot in the appropriate bite size. and they haven't for a long time. (i've been exclusively making single family meals that can feed all three of us since isaac was around 12-months-old. if you want to do the same, just remember to season with your youngest eater in mind. once you set aside their portion, you can add more seasoning for the older folks.) once you've made an entire meal, the last thing you want to do is whip out a clean cutting board (which you have to do so that your raw ingredient shizz doesn't contaminate your meal) to chop up food for the baby. the genius of kitchen shears is that you can just spoon the food into a bowl and start snipping away until you get an age-appropriate bite size. done and done. works for everything from pasta, to stew, to chick pea masala, or even meat.

kitchen shears aren't expensive and i PROMISE you will get value out of them. even the super shmancy brands are relatively affordable. these by wusthof will only set you back $19.99. target is selling this pair (as in two!) by kitchen aid for $9.99!

-S

a quick friday post about getting local fruits and veggies.

this Michelle Slatalla article in the NY Times was published this summer. but i missed it. if you did, too, it's a great resource for finding local veggies online. well, at least if you live in CA, WA, TX, IL, OR or NY.

the sites that she (and, now, i) list are delivery services that bring organic, local fruits and veggies to your door. as a brooklynite, i'm used to getting groceries delivered from fresh direct. it's not without complication... or guilt. the scheduling. the extra packaging. and the extra gas and food miles that home delivery adds to the equation. but i'll stand by my decision to get groceries home delivered for as long as it enables more home cooked meals and better eating (fresh direct has a good organic selection from which we do most of our shopping).

if services like these empower families to eat better and support their local farms, then i'm all for it. and maybe, if they haven't already, these services will get creative about lessening the impact of individual home delivery so that, at the very least, the upside of creating a support system for local farmers balances the downside.

eat your veggies. have a great weekend.

-S

it had to happen. the New York Times today reports that the sorry state of our economy is affecting organic food purchases. except those healthy foods marketed to kids. proof positive that parents everywhere will scrimp on themselves way before they'll scrimp on their kids. Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/business/01organic.html?hp -m