Organic Food

Many years back (gosh, I'm actually old enough to say that!) I used to only buy organic.  The older two children were only babies still so didn't eat much, which is what you need to be able to feed a family organic food on a budget.  Not only is it more expensive, but the portions are much smaller.  I had to get used to not being able to afford it as they got older and other things took priority financially.  But it has never been far from my mind - every time I watch a program about how our chickens/pigs/eggs/milk are made/treated I start to calculate how I could afford to feed my family of four (now five) a diet of higher welfare, if not organic, food, before giving up when I realise that my shopping bill would increase by almost double.

So, I started to look recently, at how I could introduce organic elements into our diets and have decided that our meat, poultry and dairy should be the first to be 'converted'. And I have finally found a company that I am happy to give over my hard earned cash to provide us with local, organic or higher welfare meat and dairy, as well as vegetables.  Now, I have done veg box schemes before when I lived in Leicester.  And when we first moved to Oxfordshire I did one again for a short while.  My downfall is that I like to cook such a variety of food, that there isn't a box out there that can provide everything I need for a week that would be anywhere near affordable.  So I end up going to the supermarket for the rest - and then I spend more money on other things that happen to look good.... or are on offer.  And my hard earned cash dwindles yet further..... I am going to have to be very strict with myself, therefore, and plan my week's meals around the contents of the veg box.  The only things I will just have to buy extra are staples like garlic, ginger, chillies and onions if they aren't in that week's box. I will still buy our fruit from the local market or supermarket though.

Blog of note: I love the idea of food 'cycles' as mentioned in these blog posts.  It's something that I have done for years, but never to that extent.....I shall be definitely looking to find new ways of eeking out as many meals from the food I buy from A&C.

But, I am going to give it another go.  This time I will use Abel & Cole.  Not only because their boxes seem to offer the best value and quality for money, but also because they offer meat and poultry that, whilst not strictly organic (in that they don't have the official certification), are reared to the same standard as organic meat and are free range.   Their chickens also come with giblets - something which has all but completely disappeared from the supermarkets.  No more little bag inside the cavity that you could roast and use to make wonderfully rich, delicious gravy..... I want giblets!  I am already envisioning the lovely stocks I'm going to make :-)
I'm also going to try some of their buffalo mince and a large veg box.  If I commit to at least 4 boxes, the 4th will be free - I do love a freebie!