Slow Down for Slow Food

Whether you are a big family or a single person, I believe a myriad of problems can be solved by simply slowing down, cooking a meal at home and enjoying it at the table. And that sentence is far easier said than done. My husband and I both work and I know how hard it is to find the energy to cook when you get home late (and if you are me, are in pain too). But this excuse will suffice no longer. My husband and I have been living off of bought lunches and pre-made meals from the grocery store for weeks now; and though it has been a timesaver the novelty of it has worn off. Eating this way strains our purse strings and encourages unhealthy eating habits. There has been more fried chicken, Chinese food, frozen meals and cookies in this house in the last month than in the last year.

I have read about the Slow Food Movement before and took great interest in it. But today I decided that it is time to implement such an idea into our daily lives. So I am joining the Slow Food Movement. It's about being more than just a consumer of food. The main principles of the SFM is to have a relationship with your food, know where it comes from, and to buy local, organic and fair trade when you can. It's about preparing and sharing your food; have friends over and cook together, or just sit at the table, light some candles and spend an evening with your husband lingering over a home cooked meal.

Now with everything that is going on in my life jumping into this fully may be a bit much for us right now; so I am going to ease into this lifestyle. I am pledging to prepare lunch for my husband and myself every day. I also intend to cook one homemade, from scratch, meal a week. Quick frozen veggie skillet creations don't count. I am talking about cutting, chopping and cooking. And once this has become routine and my health is better or my work situation has improved, I intend on increasing the number of 'from scratch' dinners. I also pledge to post these dinners in my blog, so that I can share with all of you.