So far, so good

It's time for some reflection. I've been wanting to write this post for a while. I was trying to wait until the official half-way point, but I don't think that's actually necessary. By half-way point, I mean half way through my year of local, home-grown, organic living, which I started in December. As I'm sure you remember, in December, I set a goal for myself to begin eating as locally and seasonally as I could. 

Here is what I have accomplished so far (the positives) :

1. I have gone to the farmer's market (the U District market is open year round) every Saturday to buy my produce for the week instead of buying produce at the grocery store. Case is point: a while ago, when I went into my local Safeway for some toilet paper, the check out guy, who knew me from previous shopping trips, asked me where I had been. 

2. As a result of my trips to the farmer's market, I discovered I love Brussel sprouts and asparagus.

3. I have not purchased a loaf of bread or any other processed food other than vegan bouillon cubes. I have been making my bread for the week every weekend. 

4. Any time I go into PCC or Whole Foods for anything, I pay attention to where things come from and try not to buy anything that comes from farther away than California. 

5. I finally put the space behind my backyard fence to good use by building three raised veggie beds. Square foot gardening rocks my world!

6. In February, I successfully started seeds inside, which are now growing like crazy in my amazing new beds. 

7. I started growing spinach (I know! Why didn't I get on that last year?) and it is amazing. It grows like a weed. 

8. In addition to spinach, I planted the following fruits and vegetables in my garden: 2 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, 2 cherry tomato plants, cucumbers, zucchini, delicata squash, butternut squash, peas, 3 varieties of lettuce, broccoli, dinosaur kale, Swiss chard, onions, red kale, bok choy, purple potatoes, carrots, yellow beans, green beans, fresh herbs, raspberries, rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, and nasturtiums (an edible flower).  Having so many veggies growing around my house is like having a farmer's market or grocery store in my yard. 

9. I love to cook again. Before Jake and I started cooking Sunday dinners together, I was really not inspired to cook. Now, the thrill and challenge of putting so many delicious vegetables to use, both from my garden and the farmer's market, inspires me to cook every night and I actually have fun doing it. 

10. I don't eat dairy anymore because I'm finally trying to get a hold on my pesky seasonal allergies. At first, I thought giving up cheese was going to be devastating, but as it turns out, veggies and lots of other food for that matter, taste great without it - especially if it is fresh. I haven't really missed the cheese, really. 

Now for the things that I am working on (my goals) :

1. Once my outside garden started booming, I lost my connection to the indoor seed set-up routine. Next year, I am going to try to grow a second round of seeds inside instead of just one, like I did this year. I plan to get my own heirloom tomato seeds and basil seeds started indoors earlier so that they're ready to go out in late May and early June. Also, in order to do that, I may need to break down and buy a seed germinating heat mat. Having the house heat on in February, really got my seeds going. The basil and tomato seeds I tried to start later missed out on that heat they needed to get started. 

2. I'm going to try to plan for a winter harvest. My super friend, Radhi, gave me a Seattle Tilth class for my birthday, so I'm now signed up for a class titled, Winter Gardening. 

3. My next health/culinary goal is to start cutting back on salt a bit. I don't know if that will be as easy as the cheese-thing, but we'll just have to see how that goes. 

I'm already fantasizing about where I can put more veggie beds. I love thinking about what to have for dinner and then walking outside to my backyard to get the ingredients I need. My garden is a tranquil and beautiful space and just thinking about it puts my mind at ease.