I’ve been learning more about food and thinking carefully about the meals I serve my family. Everything I read about good farming practices reminds me of the working farm and fields of crops at my summer camp. Campers who go blueberry picking before breakfast can tell you that nothing compares to walking among the rows of bushes, popping a sweet blueberry into your mouth for every few that you toss into the bucket. Camp meals consisted of fresh vegetables from the garden with help from campers snapping green beans and shelling peas. We even ate watermelon from the farm while playing in the river’s rapids. At the camp farm, I gained an overall respect for the land, the bounty it provides, and an appreciation for a sustainable, healthy food source.
I’ve recently read Michael Polan’s In Defense of Food and Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals, and I realize how easy it is to ignore where our food comes from, what impacts it has on the environment and animal welfare, and what’s really in food you can buy at the grocery store and restaurants. I’ve been inspired by Lisa Leake at 100 Days of Real Food to take a much closer look and challenge my family to avoid processed foods. We’re going to kick off our new awareness and healthy eating with her 10-Day Pledge. We’re starting the 10 days on October 2, and I plan to share recipes, resources, and my observations of trying to eat real food.
It’s difficult to change habits, and any challenge like this is more fun with friends. So I’ve rallied some buddies to take the challenge along with us. Would you like to join us too? Go read the Rules of Real Food, sign up for the 10-Day Pledge, and leave me a comment that you want to join in! In addition to community support, I may have a few goodies to share with you in the next few days. So join in!
Camp-Counselor Mom 
We’re on board! Can’t wait to document a working mom’s spin on the challenge (bit nervous)!
Yes, that’s going to be a great perspective! I’m so glad you’re joining us!
Great Blog! I can now proudly say that I know someone that has a real Blog.
Can’t wait to read more.
Thanks, Pops 😉
Love your new blog kristen and can wait to read about your journey! I could definitely take on this challenge but my husband might need some convincing?! Looking forward to reading your about your journey!
I thought Jim would be hesitant too since he has trouble eating fruit and vegetables. He has surprised me by being much more enthusiastic than I expected. He’s all for the “real food” pledge! (So you never know?!)
This is a great idea, and I’m with you on being more sensitive to food and where it comes from once you start feeding it to your family. Have you started a garden of your own yet? We have really enjoyed produce out of ours, and the kids love getting involved. The boys just helped me plant beet, carrot and cabbage seeds and reminded me how much they liked pulling up the carrots last year. I can’t believe they remember that (since they are 3!).
TXGardenMom!!! I love that they help plant, harvest, and then eat the veggies! Getting that LOCAL should be the next phase of my journey, but I need to learn more about gardening (and get creative since we don’t have much yard). I wish I had gone to the garden with you on those early camp mornings so I would know what I was doing! Any chance you have a garden blog?! (Recognize the scene in my banner photo?)
We should definitely talk about gardening! All those early mornings contributed to what is now a passion. No space, no problem. We have terrible soil so we do raised beds, which are actually great for small space gardens. This summer we had bumper crops of tomatoes, peppers, and cantaloupes. The boys loved eating the tomatoes right off the vines. And the cantaloupes … I didn’t really like them before this summer. When you eat them the day they are picked it’s a totally different flavor. Delicious. No garden blog yet, though. Maybe you will be my inspiration on that.
Btw, is that by chance a pic from the counselor bed in Cabin 0? The best cabin in the world? 🙂 I
Thanks for the gardening encouragement. I think raised beds sounds like a great project! I’ll target it for early spring, if that makes sense?
YES, Cabin 0. Best. Cabin. 🙂
Further recommended reading: Animal Vegetable Miracle, by my favorite novelist Barbara Kingsolver. It is a non-fictional account of her family’s journey to becoming 100% Localvores. It includes exerpts written by her husband (more facts & figures type stuff) and by her college-aged daughter (recipes). It is a very easy read and I actually reread it at least once a year in order to become newly inspired. Looking forward to following your journey, as well. Good luck!
I’ve heard I need to read AVM next. Thanks for the tip! Do you grow any food in that gorgeous yard of yours?
Absolutely! This year we had zucchini, tomatoes, chili peppers, potatoes, asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, and just about every herb you can think of. This fall I’m planning to plant a bunch of garlic around all my roses to see if that slows down the beetles any.
I’m going to join you on this, Kristin. Probably not for October 2nd (I have a few projects going right now) but I think I can get started by the following week. I think I just won’t give my husband a choice on the matter! I doubt he will follow the rules during lunch time, but we will see! Thanks for bringing this up.
Yay, I’m glad you’re with us, Tammy!