Saturday, November 12, 2011

I've got to get over my aversion to kale

I follow a local news reporter on Twitter, and around a week ago she tweeted a story about a relatively new business in the area, called NeighborGood Foods.

I was like, this is what I have been waiting for my entire life.  Organic, (mainly) local produce, delivered right to my doorstep.  It sounded too good to be true.  I thought, there's got be a catch.  This can't really be so many ways of perfect.

I decided to take a chance.  I ordered the smallest box ($25).  I figured, there will be like a piece of wilted kale in it and maybe a mealy apple.  But whatever.  I just wanted to see.

I didn't even have to talk to anybody.  I placed the order online, and then texted with the guy to narrow down a delivery time.  That part was pretty easy, since Rob works at home so he is pretty much always here to go and answer the door.

So they came yesterday afternoon.  When I got home from work there was a gigantic box of produce waiting for me.

Produce-11-11.jpg

 

Are you ready for a list of what was in the box?

Here goes:

1 Bunch carrots

1 Green pepper

1 Purple pepper

1 Onion

4 Potatoes

3 giant radishes

1 bunch curly mustard grees

1 bunch Russian kale

Several bunches of Spinach

2 tomatoes

1 head Red leaf lettuce

3 giant turnips

Head cauliflower

Bunch broccoli

1 Spaghetti squash

Large bag of Green beans

3 apples

1 orange

Parsley

Sage

Thyme

Mint

 

Seriously!!  If I had bought all of that at the grocery store-- even if I'd gone with conventional produce and not organic or local-- it would have probably cost at least $40.  Okay, actually, I don't really know how much it would cost, but I'm just sort of estimating how much I think each item would cost and adding it up. And I think I'm lowballing the estimate in most cases.  Plus, if I'd gone out and bought all that stuff on my own, it would have taken time and energy that I don't have.

This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.

Besides William.

And Rob.

And my NSF grant.

We ate salads last night (made from this produce) with our dinner (leftover quinoa and beans).  Will wasn't too excited about any of it, but he did take a a few bites out of one of the apples:

 

I am in vegan heaven. Believe it or not, I have never actually worked with turnips before, so I am trying to figure out what to do with them for dinner tonight.

And I am actively trying to forget what it is like to repeatedly throw up kale. In defense of this kale, it is a lot more delicate than the kale that I have previously thrown up. I figure, worse case scenario, I can drizzle it with olive oil and bake it in the oven to make kale chips. I think I could keep those down.

Feeling a tiny bit more at home in St. Louis.

Dear William (27 months)

Dear William

Today you are 27 months old!

You've had quite a month of ups and downs.

We went camping.

Zipped

Hug. Mom.

You dressed like your dad sometimes.

Union suits

We had Halloween.  You were a chef.

Chef William

Candy bag

You rode your scooter and climbed over things.

Kick

Just. A. Few. More. Inches.

You had a visit from your friend A.  We think this will be the cover of your album when you start a boy-band.

Boy Band.jpg

 

Looking forward to another month of fun with you!

Love,

Your mama