Buying Local

I just started a book by one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver. Many of her books take place in the souhwest, but this one is a grand departure. The book is called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," and already it's got me thinking. Kingsolver moved her family to Appalacia a few years ago, and tried for one year to grow her own food, raise her own animals, and what she couldn't do herself, buy from local farmers' markets. I am already inspired. No, I don't think I can do what she and her family did, but I can a least make a dent in the carbon footprint I am creating. So I did a little research and want to share my findings with you, and hopefully inspire you to take the challenge.

The challenge is this. Buy at least $10 worth of your fruits, vegetables, and protein each week from local farmers. That means food that has travelled less than 57 miles to get to the consumer. It also means eating one day's worth of meals from food that has been locally grown. Why is this so important ? So many reasons, so little time. I will tell you about the important reasons buy local and reduce your carbon footprint.

• buy fruits and veggies from farmers' markets or natural food stores. This reduces wasteful packaging, long truck rides for the food which produces tons of CO2, and the need for preservatives to maintain freshness. Local produce is trucked less than 57 miles to it's final destination, where the average supermarket carrot travels 1800 miles to reach the consumer. Also, the need for less or no packaging saves paper and plastic, and the fact that produce reaches the consumer in less than 24 hours means there is no need for preservatives, in many cases.
• Go vegetarian one day a week. This is a tremendous savings, when you think about what is involved in getting an animal to market. The carbon footprint to produce animal protein is eight times greater than to produce fruits and vegetables. Animals also produce methane while digesting food. One vegetarian day per week can reduce your carbon footprint significantly. However, if you must eat meat, go for free range grazing animals which have the least impact on the environment.
• Buy produce that is in season. Don't buy apples from New Zealand when we grow apples here in California. When you buy in season there are no CO2 emissions from greenhouses.
• Plant your own garden. For some this is not practical, but for most a pot of tomatoes or a small plot in the backyard will produce months of wonderful veggies, with very little work. The satisfaction from growing something yourself cannot be measured.
• Finally, and I think very impotantly, buying from local growers helps support small farms and businesses that are vital to our economy. All things being equal, I would always choose to support small business.

So get with the program. Try to make one small change. Just buying $10 worth of produce from the local farmers' market will make a difference, and once you get into it, you will find many more ways to help the environment and maintain a healthy diet.

Some Restaurant Specials

Restaurants are fighting for their lives these days, as food costs rise and people have less money to spend. So what's a restaurant to do? Cut prices, of course. Many restaurants have found new and creative ways to keep old customers coming back and attract new customers as well. Here are a few I have found that offer good food and great value.

The Old Spaghetti Factory (http://www.osf.com/) has two locations, one in San Diego and one in San Marcos. This is a kid friendly restaurant that is very consistant. It is their 40th anniversary, and to celebrate they are offering 40% off pasta dishes on Tuesdays, for lunch and dinner. This special continues through May, and will drastically reduce the price of your total bill.

Vincents (http://www.vincentsongrand.com/) is one of my favorite restaurants in all of San Diego, but I usually go there only during restaurant week. Well, Vincents offers restaurant week prices every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Here are the details. You must be seated by 6pm, and you order from a special menu which changes weekly. For $30, a three course meal at Vincents is great value. Recently the menu included a choice of moules marinere, onion tart, or cold watercress soup to start. The entree choices were petit filet, sole a la meuniere, or veal prosciutto raviolis in cognac peppercorn sauce. The dessert choices were pavlova with mixed berries, creme brulee, or dessert du jour. Truly a great meal.

Blue Fire Grill (http://www.dinebluefire.com/) is located within the grounds of La Costa Resort and Spa. It is a very upscale restaurant, beautifully appointed, a wonderful place to take out of towners for a special meal. They are offering a three course meal on Wednesday and Thursday for $35. You can be seated any time, and their menu offers something for everyone. Recent menus are not printed, but you can look at their regular menu online to see what they offer.

There are many other restaurants out there with great deals for us to enjoy. So if you know of anything exceptional, please leave a comment and I will write more about other restaurants soon again. Happy eating.

What Birthdays Are All About

So many of my friends seem to be having a BIG birthday this year,and everyone seems to find their own way to celebrate. Here are some creative ways my friends have celebrated their big day. One friend of mine had a face lift for her 65th birthday. It was something she wanted very much, and decided to treat herself. Another friend took a trip to Africa for her 60th, something she had been talking about for years. A third friend of mine had a huge casino party to celebrate her big day. Finally, my friend Joan had a party at the park.

The park party was so much fun. Everyone met at a beautiful park, on a beautiful, sunny Southern California day, to celebrate Joan's induction into the Medicare ranks. Each person brought a delicious salad, Joan provided the drinks and dessert. Instead of traditional gifts, Joan wanted each person to bring a favorite doctor recommendation, as she was now free to choose her own doctors. What a great idea!! After a wonderful meal, the group headed to the beach, just a block away, for an afternoon beachwalk. What a perfect way to spend a birthday. Eating, drinking, walking and talking with the people you love the most. Just another way to keep costs under control and concentrate on what's really important, relationships.

Road Rallies Rule

I had never been on a road rally until last weekend. Was it a race? Was it a scavenger hunt? I wasn't sure, but being a lover of The Amazing Race I had to give it a try. It was everything I thought it was and more.

My team, The Mean Machines, was really into the rally. We arrived at the departure spot early, dressed to kill, with tattoes, head bands, and motorcycle garb, thanks to our costume designer, Fran. Did I mention the M and M bribes we brought for the judges? Didn't work. They only wanted money.

A road rally is NOT a race. In fact, the idea is to maintain the proper speed throughout, otherwise points are deducted for finishing too fast. We received a four page packet, containing directions to follow and 50 questions to answer. The organizers of the race did a fantastic job of plotting out the course and coming up with creative questions. Everyone finished the course without too much trouble, and got a chance to see parts of San Diego they had not seen before.

We finished second, but everyone who participated felt like a winner. The final destination was a Mexican restaurant in Escondido where we shared a drink, some great food, and stories. I call them "coulda, woulda, shoulda stories." We coulda won if we hadn't made a wrong turn, we woulda won if a train hadn't crossed our path and blocked our view and caused us to miss the clue. You get the picture. The same kind of stories you'll be hearing at Del Mar Racetrack in a few months.

This turned out to be a free afternoon in San Diego (except for lunch) that was absolutely priceless. Thanks to Debbie and Vivian and their boy toys for all their hard work and making our first annual road rally a great success.

AFew Travel Tidbits

From time to time I come across a few travel specials some of you may want to hear about. I keep up on travel industry, as I still work part time as a travel agent. So here are a few tips to save you lots of money.

Cars rentals have been creeping higher and higher. Finally, there is some relief. Hotwire(http://www.hotwire.com/) is renting cars for as little as $15 a day. I checked Denver ($30), Miami ($20), and San Francisco ($18). Apparently what they do is take the overstock of various rental companies and offer them at vastly reduced rates.

Want to try something new and luxurious in Las Vegas? Steve Wynn's latest hotel, The Encore Las Vegas, can be booked thru Travelocity for as little as $149. I hear it is spectacular.

Finally, as the temperature in the Carribbean rises, hotel prices drop dramatically. For everyone who loves heat and humidity (yes, there are some that love it), try Jamaica. Breezes Montego Bay and Breezes Runaway Bay, both beautiful luxury properties, are under $150 per room per night (not per person). All the Carribbean Islands are on sale from May-September, and if you like the warm weather, that is the place to go. I will continue to keep you posted on travel specials as I run across them, and wish you happy travels, wherever you go.

Going Organic

For years I have been fighting the urge to buy organic fruits, vegetables, meat and eggs, saying it was much more expensive and a waste of money. A bit of knowledge has taught me I was wrong. Yes, organic is more expensive, the food isn't always as appealing to look at, but the positives far outweigh the negatives. Certified organic foods adhere to strict USDA guidlines to get their certification. No pesticides, toxins, or other chemicals are used in the production of organic food. Additionally, organic farmers emphasize the use of renewable resources and conservation of soil and water. The best way to save money on organic fruits and veggies is to shop at the farmers markets. Here you will be buying produce that was just picked, and helping small farmers stay in business.

This month many businesses are focusing on what consumers can do to reduce their carbon footprint. A few easy suggestions follow.

• Recycle bags. This means always having a canvas bag with you and using it for all your groceries, drugstore items, even places like Costco. I know this creates a problem for dog owners, but many communities have doggie poop bags. Many stores give a small rebate for bringing your own bag.
• Buy from the bulk containers. This means no wasteful packaging.
• Buy local. Food that travels a short distance is fresher and usually less expensive
• Buy organic whenever possible

I am excited to challenge myself to create less waste, to reuse whenever possible, to grow my own food, in other words, to go green. I'll keep you posted on my garden as it progresses. My goal is to produce all my own vegetables from June-September. We'll see.

Tips You Probably Already Know

I thought I would share with you a few tips for saving money that I use regularly. You probably already do many of these things, but here they are anyway.

Are you meeting someone at an outdoor location for coffee or lunch? The Lumberyard, Del Mar Plaza, and the Forum come immediately to mind. Bring your own coffee, tea or water instead of buying it there. These are public spaces, and you can bring your own food or drink if you choose. This could save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. I remember many years ago when I would go to Century City for lunch, and I would see literally dozens of seniors who had brought their own bag lunches enjoying their friends and dining with them for free! I often like to get together with friends, but don't necessarily want to spend $10-$15 for lunch, and would often prefer to bring my own food. However, I rarely do it. Now that I have reminded you, and myself to do this, I will follow my own advice.

My Monday morning weight management group began bringing our own reusable cups to the meeting. The purpose was twofold. One, we were saving cups by not having to use a throwaway cup, and two, the coffee house where we meet, Java Depot in Solana Beach, gives us free refills, so you only have to buy the small size. I know this sounds like very little savings, but this is saving money and saving paper cups. Every little bit helps.

I usually have one day of the week when I do most of my errands. In the past, when gas was cheap and no one thought about driving all over town, I would go helter skelter from one place to another, in no particular order. Now, I actually have a plan. I plot out where I have to go, and try to proceed in a circle. This can save a great deal of time and gas. Simple, you probably already do this, but a little reminder sometimes gets you back to saving.

I'd love to hear some of your comments on money saving tips, so please leave them in the comments section. I share with you, you share with me, and we'll all save money.