The last two weeks...

Here's the low down... I have worked at an outdoor education centre for the last 6 years where all of my meals are provided for me. The food is good, and tastes even better with me not having to cook it! So it might be an understatement to tell you that this has been tough the last couple of weeks. However, I have not faltered, and have yet to sneak into the back of the kitchen to devour those delicious chocolate chip cookies. (Besides, the kitchen ladies are watching my every move!) I can't really say that I've been eating a lot... in fact, I've been eating a lot less, which is good... in some ways! I have unfortunately skipped a lot of breakfasts, but have been snacking throughout the day instead of big meals. I think most nutritionists actually agree that eating smaller amounts 6 times a day is much better for our bodies than our standard 3 meals a day. Maybe that's just my way of justifying eating more often! So at the market, I picked up local chicken breasts, cheese, veg and some other stuff that's slipping my mind. I survived the first two weeks, albeit I was hungry quite a bit!

This past weekend, I made the trip to Meaford, Ontario and went to the 100 Mile Store, just off Main Street. Barb and Jan welcomed me and showed me around. I felt like I was 9 again, and had just walked into a giant toy store... I was so excited! There was fresh bread with local Ontario wheat (hard to find!), local pancake mix, smoked rainbow trout from Georgian Bay, free range chickens, beef, lamb, preserves, grains and a whole lot more. I filled two baskets, and Barb topped me off with two bags of elk pepperottes, which they grew and produced on their farm. I had a huge smile on my face as I drove home that evening, and couldn't wait to share some of my experience with some friends.
Now, if you know Ontario, you'll know that Meaford is quite a distance from Haliburton, but think about this... my round trip was approximately 500 kilometres; still a far cry from the 2400 average! And my car was probably a little more fuel friendly than those 18 wheelers!
Granted, the trip was far and I wouldn't want to make it all the time. But as I chatted with Barb and Jan, it turns out they have a cottage within a half hour of Haliburton, and offered to bring up groceries for me next time they were up!
So, over the weekend, I enjoyed farm fresh eggs and homemade local bread... delicious!
For lunch, I had the best grilled cheese and tomato sandwich I've ever had... for real!
I even found a local bottle of red wine, made right in the Kawarthas.
I am no longer hungry, and although my menu is still not extensive at this point (primarily due to the hectic pace of work), I am enjoying my food. I can only hope that my creativity with the ingredients I have will improve dramatically over the course of the next few months!