I was given a copy of Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” for my birthday, and although I haven’t started it yet, I know from friends who have read it that it’s an incredible book, well researched, well written and with a wealth of information (although not about New Zealand of course).
I think it was from Kingsolver’s family’s year of eating local that I heard the idea of nominating one thing from outside the local area that would be your special treat. Selena and I talked about this as we were planning our challenge, and reminded each other that it doesn’t have to be hard. Selena was finding it hard to choose between ginger and kombucha, but it was pretty clear to me that I would choose …. chocolate. Mmmm.
So I have let myself continue eating chocolate and chosen to buy the most local chocolate possible: Whittakers single origin Samoan dark chocolate or She Chocolat Fijian chocolate covered cacao beans.
This week has been a good week for reminding me that I am not perfect, my life is not perfect, in fact nothing is perfect, and that it is still possible to be filled with gratitude and joy for life and all it has to offer.
To make it go a bit further, I like to make hot chocolate with full milk and real chocolate (rather than powder or syrup).
And the joy of the day today was having it with Laura’s milk.
Laura has a herd of cows on a small farm at Orton Bradley Park in Charteris Bay and offers the most delicious (and nutritious) raw milk from her farm gate.
After the cow’s were dried off over winter, I haven’t had milk from Laura’s Dairy for a while, and I had forgotten how much more rich and flavoursome it is, even than the best milk available elsewhere.
If we are lucky, this farm will become a Community Supported Agriculture farm, with chickens, eggs, veges in the future. There is so much to be grateful for!
Lyttelton Locavore Project 