What about a sprinkle doughnut?

One of my favorite things about the weekend is Saturday mornings at Top Pot. Jake lives just around the corner from a Top Pot coffee shop, so ever since we started dating, we've been spending almost every Saturday morning eating doughnuts and drinking chai (a local treat!). The pink sprinkle doughnut is my absolute favorite - not just for the taste, but for how beautiful it looks. Each one's like a little festive pastel water color. I even took a picture of it to use as the wall paper on my phone. I know you must be thinking, damn, she must really love doughnuts. But, it's more than the doughnut itself. It's always been about the experience. Every time I open my phone, it reminds me of lazy, cozy Saturday mornings with Jake. The whole thing makes me feel comfortable and warm.

So why do I look so guilty in this picture if I love the sprinkle doughnut experience so much? Because being thoughtful about the food you eat means you have to make choices. Now that I've started this project, I'm engaged in an on-going mental debate, asking myself questions like these: What food counts and what doesn't? How local is local? Does this mean no more mangoes, coconuts, and avocados? Can eating local mean supporting a local business? If a chocolate truffle is hand-crafted in Seattle, but the cocoa beans come from some far away country, is that considered a local food? What is the whole point of this thing anyway?

Lately, my response has been that if I can make it, I'm going to make it (especially things like home-made bread). If I can grow it, I'm going to grow it and if I can't, I'm going to buy it from someone around here who can. Going to the farmers market means I may even get a chance to talk to the person who did. If it's a product that is made in Washington or Oregon, that's the one I'm going to get. And if it's an experience I enjoy, like sippin' on a chai and eating a delicious doughnut from a hip, local joint, I'm doing it. So here's to that! Cheers!