No really, what about lunch?

If there are two things that feel rather silly to do in Austin, in August, it is a) knitting a wool sweater and b) starting a fall garden in almost 100 degrees.  Especially since this year, the little of winter that we have will not be spent in this hemisphere.  Yet, I visited the local farmers' market today, and came back determined to do it myself, and do it better.  I know, that is incredibly arrogant.  However, I have (once) grown peppers that looked much better than theirs.  They sold mostly herbs, and I cannot believe people buy herbs at a farmers' market - it is the only thing I can keep alive two seasons in a row.

Last month I had money to buy the book, this month (I could not wait for the 1st!), I went and bought some Garrett Juice, and one or two other things Dr Garrett recommends to keep a garden healthy and organic.

I have also been reading One Bite at a Time, (all about organizing) which led me to read Whole Foods on a Budget (the link is to her blog, all about healthy eating), and I am now pretty organized, and hungry.

I must emphasize that I am not a foodie, and that no one has ever called me a hippie.  Also, please do not call me crunchy, because I will shock you moments later with the contents of my freezer... So I really do not want to complain, but I do feel that the food is different here (in the US, and I can only speak for Texas). Vegetables and fruit do not taste the way I remember.  Bread is something completely different from what I recall, and I bake most of our bread, now.  Unfortunately, the cost of escaping from what is readily available is prohibitive.  I cannot buy produce at Whole Foods for my family of 6.  I went to the farm today, and bought: 4 pork chops, two cucumbers, one jar of pickles, and one small tub of feta cheese.  $55.  Honestly, it cannot be that healthy.  Also, when the lady asked me if she should put the chops in a plastic bag, I said "no thanks, it is in a plastic bag", since it was vacuum packed.  She just glared at me, and said that she knew it was in a plastic bag. I think she was hungry too. I really did not mean anything, I just blurted out my thought process, so I felt slightly hurt that she took it so personally.

Well, long story short, that is why I have decided to get my fall garden started, and why I am dreaming about having our own little farm , where we will possibly have to be vegetarian. See, I cannot contemplate raising anything for food, and I definitely cannot see Jacques slaughtering a pig. (I am also paging through Back to Basics, where they describe in far too much detail what has to be done.)

The sweater is coming along nicely.  It is a Fisherman's Pullover, for Martinus, and this time I knit a gauge swatch or two. I like the yarn as well, and now that I know that wool stays warm even if it is wet, I understand why one should really not knit a fisherman's sweater in cotton.

I am joining Ginny again for the Wednesday yarn along, a wonderful inspiration to keep me knitting and reading!