We’re over half way! Is it just me, or does time fly when you’re having fun?

Okay, maybe it hasn’t all been fun, but all told, I think I’m enjoying this challenge more than I had anticipated. My favourite things thus far include my clean and tidy (read empty) cupboards, our food box from LOFT, my herb garden (which I have had for a few years, but am finally using) , freezing and canning (again, always meant to, but now I’m actually doing it), and the simplicity of our meals. We know where every bite of our food comes from, and pureness of creating everything from scratch simply feels good for us.

I’ll admit, I’ve also found it tough at times. I feel a lack of quick foods, and when we’re on the go, I miss convenience. I tend to need food NOW when I’m hungry, and find that I’m often looking for quick carbs and settling on a bowl of yogurt. I have yet to perfect home-made spelt sourdough bread. However, we recently made 100-mile granola (works great with spelt flakes). That’s been a treat, but in our house, granola never lasts very long.

I also find visiting tricky and do find myself eating non-locally when a guest in someone else’s home. I struggled with it for a bit, but have decided that when in Rome…. At the same time, I have been incredibly impressed by the creativity and enthusiasm of non-participating friends and family members. My mother-in-law serves 100-mile meats and produce whenever we visit (and often when we’re not visiting too). It’s just the condiments that come from afar. My friends have eagerly sought out local flours to whip up a batch of muffins when we come for tea. I’m encouraged by this enthusiasm, and see it a small example of the profound ripple effect that we are creating in our community.

I tried to survey my family members to see what they have thought so far. My husband misses coffee and orange juice, but says otherwise it’s fine. Our 2-year is indifferent, and our 5-year claims that he’s not actually doing the 100-mile diet. When pressed a little further, he says that his favourite part so far is the tarts he enjoyed at the last potluck. He misses 1,000-mile food, and is planning a trip to the rainforest where he plans to harvest “local chocolate chips”.

With 43 days to go, I’m curious how I’ll feel at the end of all. I like to think that I’ll continue eating pretty much locally anyway, but then I start to think the foods I would want to re-introduce: hummus, olives, green and black teas, chocolate, almonds, avacados….. We’ll have to wait and see. Until then, I’m (for the most part) loving local eating, and am going to help myself to the last little bit of granola.