This is a really interesting article. I was never all that much of a fan of ER. I do love Grey’s Anatomy, but that has more to do with vanity and sugary television than the fact that it takes place in a hospital. So while, at first glance, the gist of the article might make you say “no way,” when you read through and do a full inhalation of the concept of the article, it makes perfect sense. I’d be very curious to hear similar opinions from cops on cop shows, lawyers on law shows, etc.

A few weeks ago I made mention of Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal Vegetable Miracle” book and how, after Steph and I read it, we decided that our family is going to make a more concerted effort to buy, eat and plan our dinners more locally. A few days after that, I ran across this piece on Salon where a New Haven, CT husband and wife did this experiment for a month:

My husband and I would eat conscientiously for a month, not just on our regular grocery allotment but on the government-defined, food-stamp minimum: $248 for two people in our hometown of New Haven, Conn. We would choose the SOLE-est products available — that is, the sustainable, organic, local or ethical alternative. We would start from a bare pantry, shop only at places that took food stamps and could be reached on foot, and use only basic appliances. The test would mean some painful changes; gone was my husband’s customary breakfast of Honey Nut Cheerios and our favorite dinner of pepperoni pizza. But it would answer that nagging question: When shopping for food, did I have to choose between my budget and my beliefs?

The results (and the article) were very cool and interesting. It will be fun to check Quicken at the end of the year and see how much we spend this summer on groceries and especially fruit and vegetables. If I have time, I will set up categories for fruit and veggies in Quicken and track it. We shopped pretty much every week last summer/fall at the local farmers market, but this year we’re stepping it up…..