If we ever make it home forever

I have greatly appreciated my time away from "the Lope"- but Sacramento is still home. Always has been, always will be. I have dreams of travel to even further off countries- but I do want to settle down soon. And so much more so when I think of all the fresh produce I could be buying in California.

On the journey to perfect mothering in this day and age, I am bombarded with news articles, blogs, and emails mostly pertaining to one of my favorite subjects: Food! I have one email address solely devoted to "junk" mail containing recipes and food articles. Specifically the healthy stuff. The horror stories of how our food is raised, salmonella outbreaks and other contaminants are enough to push any mother to go organic. And it's precisely what I wish I could do.

The commissary is not my favorite place to get food, but it is the most convenient (especially considering the fact that we live in a foreign country). It takes so much work to go anywhere else. If I were home I would be able to read labels and know exactly what I was purchasing at the farmer's market. I would find someone raising chickens locally and purchase my eggs from them (or live in Elverta and have my own coop). I would have a vegetable garden and grow my own perfect big red tomatoes and delicious cucumbers. I am fed up with purchasing produce that rots the next day.

I used to not really care about the whole better food movement. I thought the moms who bought only organic were pretentious and self-righteous. And then I really started to pay attention to the food I was buying, and the money we wasted every week tossing vegetables. It seems it would be more worth a few trips to different local markets to make sure our bodies are getting the best.

So if we ever make it home forever...if we can buy our house and settle down, I want to start my vegetable garden knowing that we won't have to uproot along with the carrots. I want to find out "what's new at Denio's Farmers Market and Auction..." and I've always wanted to shop Whole Foods, Fresh & Easy, and Trader Joe's. I don't even know if Trader Joes specializes in natural foods, but it's a trip I'm willing to take.

Anything beats this crud from the commissary.

(I do love the military life though)