Introduction...

Food. Everyone loves good food. While some people might spend countless hours shopping and preparing multi-course dinner to the delight of their dinner guests and themselves, others find it more enjoyable to trust a professional chef (and the helpful waiters) at a gourmet restaurant to do all the preparation so they can simply enjoy friends and family instead. Whichever path you choose, what’s most important is that it all ends in delicious food and a satisfied belly and soul. 

I guess I could say that I was born a foodie *smile* and I have both my parents to thank for my diverse palate. I’ve always had a healthy relationship with cooking and baking. Growing up, I fondly remember having girlfriends over and having ‘baking parties’ where we would first score cookbooks and magazines for yummy pictures and corresponding recipes, shop for the ingredients and finally whip up a storm of cupcakes, cakes and cookies. I remember the whole process always being very enjoyable; and while I still continue to enjoy good food, my interests have slightly formed into a new obsession, seasonal, local and organic foods. A few years back I watched Food Inc., a documentary filmed in 2008 that examines and explains corporate farming in the United States. At first sight, this documentary seemed boring, but once I began to watch it I couldn’t stop! I encourage everyone to watch it as well, as it shows us where our food comes from, who profits from the industrial productions of food, and who has to make the ultimate sacrifice for us to support our current lifestyle. If food is so important to us shouldn’t we at least know more about it?

The front of the movie cover states that, “You’ll never look at dinner the same way again.” And I haven’t. Now, I find myself more interested in supporting local farmers and trying to locate more ingredients from local sources as well as trying to make everything that I possibly can at home. This translates to me delving into a new obsession of bread and pastry making. To date, I have successfully made whole wheat rolls french bread for breakfast, strawberry and rosemary scones, sandwich bread and my latest accomplishment, croissants! I’ve managed to make the BEST croissants I have every bought or thought was possible to make! Yes, it took me 2 days of patience but I made it and boy was it delicious with a pat of butter and strawberry jam! My dream would be to one day have a backyard garden (notice that I said dream here…my thumb isn’t any shade of green by any means!) Where I can grow the freshest juiciest wild strawberries I can find on this side of the mountains before making into strawberry jam.

I would say that I’m approaching this new lifestyle in baby steps. I’m not the kind of person who could do a total 360 change on anything (it would prove to be too overwhelming!) This blog is going to be a combination of all things that go on in my life and are important to me, it’s going to be part food blog, part local food education, and yet another part that chronicles my journey through the maze of it all while slowly starting to implement the locavore lifestyle into my life…so sit back in your favorite chair (or bed!), put your feet up, grab you’re morning cuppa’ joe (hopefully one that was sustainably grown and ground and brewed by yourself) and enjoy!

- Miss Sunshine