Buying the cow . . .

So I guess it all really started when I read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," about three years ago. I went from not really thinking about the food we ate at all to thinking a lot about it, and how I wanted to feed my family. Since then, dear husband and I have dabbled in vegetarianism--organic food--buying local--farmer's markets--cooking from scratch--baking bread with a wild yeast starter--and now, milk delivery.

Over the course of several years, I have learned a lot of terminology: Grams of sugar. High fructose corn syrup. Cage free eggs versus certified humane. The prevalence of corn products in the American food supply. Feed lots. Factory farming. The difference between grass fed versus grass finished beef. Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store.

Some of the above activities were compulsory, a part of living in Romania. In Bucharest, if you wanted good vegetables, you bought them at the market. If we wanted to make an "American" apple pie, we had to make it from scratch. This new-found self-sufficiency has had such an impact on our lives, however, that we bought our house in America within walking distance of a farmer's market. I have learned a lot of things. Sure, you can buy canned pumpkin at the grocery store. It tastes fine. When I'm feeling lazy, that's what I do. However, it does not have the depth of flavor of the cheese pumpkin I bought at the farmer's market, baked in the oven, and pureed in my food processor.

Mainstream America would read the above sentence and roll its eyes in disbelief. I think most people would scoff at my refusal to buy Poptarts and laugh at my "Little House on the Prairie" pantry stocking tendencies. That's okay. And you know, I will eat at McDonalds once in a while, but in the full knowledge that most of my meal is some sort of corn by-product. We do buy some premade items, like veggie burgers, for the nights when we are feeling too lazy to cook much. We eat out and at friends and family's houses without worrying about where they buy their products or the ethics behind the meat that we're being served. (Because really, we are just ecstatic for anyone else to be doing the cooking!)

But so I actually wanted to write about our milk delivery service. There is a small dairy in Maryland called South Mountain Creamery that delivers milk, orange juice (from an amazing farm in Florida), yogurt, cheese, eggs, meat, bread, and even some pre-made dinners. The milk is incredible. It even comes in glass bottles (you return them to the company when empty.) You sign up to participate through their website and within a few weeks you house is added to a delivery route. On delivery day, you have to leave out a cooler with ice so that the products don't spoil. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy this service. It's a worthwhile splurge. I am grateful to be able to feed my family well and hopefully raise adventurous eaters in my daughters!