Living Local on a bad day

I enjoy shopping locally but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard at times and today was one of those times. I am beyond tired, I feel sick, i'm craving high fat carbs like pizza or chips, pies that sort of thing...and it is raining! What would have been ideal would be to load the boy into the car, drive to Sainsbury's, park in the very convenient parent and child spaces, have all the items I need in one place and be out in less than an hour or better yet sit at home on my sofa, in my PJ's, eating a bacon and egg sandwich and do all my ordering online and have it delivered to my door this afternoon. Instead Bear and I trundled out in our raincoats, wellies and pushchair and walked into town. Friday is the best day to go to the market as all the good stalls are there without the hustle and bustle of a Saturday. We firstly stopped at the cash machine because we can't pay with card, we then went to the greengrocers stall and bought our fruit and veg for the week and had a nice chat with the man about strawberries. Next we went to the dried food stall where we bought our porridge oats (bear and I love porridge in the morning and as he wasn't there last week we had to buy ready break from the garage...it isn't the same). Then we went to the biscuit stall and bought some cheesy crackers for snack, bear started to kick up a fuss because he wanted chocolate, I tried to tell him that we can only eat chocolate in moderation and he eats a lot of chocolate already then I thought, who am I kidding this is MY son! So I bought us a small packet of chocolate biscuits too. At this point I was drenched from top to toe and bear was getting tired of not being able to see out of the rain cover, so I thought it best that we just get the mince for dinner tonight and head home to dry off.

After all this I had to remind myself of why I am bothering to trapes around town in the rain when I could have made life so much easier for myself today. So I pulled up the shop online page of my local supermarket to compare the prices of the items I had bought and I did in fact save money. Today I learnt that strawberries last longer from Belgium than England and Scotland and I by shopping independently I am supporting my local businesses and putting money straight back into the local economy.

Strawberry and Banana Ice Lolly Recipe

Since we started shopping local, there have been a few our favourite treats that we have been unable to get from independent retailers. So I have been making them myself which has a number of benefits. Firstly I know what is in it, I know where the ingredients have come from and I know there are no additives! Secondly it's really satisfying watching Bear enjoy something I have made myself. So here is a recipe for Strawberry and Banana Ice Lollies which Bear LOVES and I know he's eating lots of yummy fresh fruit!

Strawberry and Banana Ice Lollies 

1 ripe banana (good way to use up those bananas)

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 cup milk

1/2 cup double cream

1 tbsp sugar (use a little more if the strawberries aren't too sweet)

Put all the ingredients into a jug. Blend for a minute or two. Pour into molds and stick them in the freezer for a few hours or if you don't have any of these, pour the mixture into disposable paper cups  and put in the freezer, once they have started to freeze 

(but not completely) pop a lolly stick in and leave in the freezer for a few more hours.

Enjoy!

Reviewed and approved by Bear

Living Local Day 7

Well today was the last day of our Living Local Experiment. Although I have thoroughly enjoyed shopping Independent there have been a few down sides too and there were a few items on my shopping list which I had trouble finding. For example, In our little town of Otley we do not have a Delicatessen so picking up cheese and deli meats can be a bit of a challenge especially if I needed something in particular and branded items which we enjoy are tricky to find although we do have an independent garage which has a little shop selling basic foods (good for cereal, tea, coffee etc).

Clothing can also be a problem when shopping locally although we do have a few nice shops for ladies wear, the choice is limited and  if i wanted something for Bear or D, I would have to head into Harrogate or Leeds and therefore pay a lot more. I can also appreciate that for someone who works full time, shopping independent could be quite challenging as it requires more time and the shops are not open after normal working hours.

However with all that being said, D and I have discussed the benefits of Living Local and have come to the conclusion that the pro's out way the con's. In the last week, we have felt much a part of this community, when I go into a shop to purchase something, I feel as though the retailers enjoy what they do and are happy to see us and they offer advise about the products they sell and suggest items they think I might like. As a family we are eating healthier, I am making meals from scratch instead of resorting to whatever is in the freezer section in Sainsbury's. It also gives me a reason to get out of the house and interact with members of the community. Lastly we feel as though we are putting money straight back into our economy and helping our little town of Otley prosper and stay the lovely market town that we love.

So Living Local has been extended for one whole year!! We will purchase all of our grocery items from local retailers and will avoid supermarkets. Clothing and shoes we will buy from our usual high street shops unless we can buy independent first.  Let the adventure begin!

Kirsty x

Living Local - Day 5 Market Day

You can get just about anything you could ever want from our little market town of Otley. D, Bear and I had a little potter around the market for some fresh fruit, veg and some sausages for tea.

 

We also found some pavement chalk which we played with this afternoon in our sunny garden.

We made up a really fun game to help Bear learn colours. I would shout out a colour and he would have to jump on the right one, He loved it!

Living Local - Day 4

Today was Bears 2nd Birthday! I can't believe how quickly time has gone. We didn't plan a party but I did take him and his cousins to a local soft play centre with his cousins, he had such a good time!

I had decided a few weeks ago I would make him a birthday cake as last year I was working full time and didn't have the time to make him one myself. So I had a plan, it was going to be a number 2, all green with a train track and Thomas sitting on top. Everything started off well, cake baked and i had the shape of the 2...perfect. Until it came time for the green icing...no matter how much green food dye I put in, the butter cream icing would not turn green!!!! Arg, what was I going to do?? In a mad hurry I ran into town to  Dodgshons Kitchen Ware shop to buy some green fondant icing. I must add that I have never used fondant icing before, absolutely no idea what to do! So upon entering the shop the lovely lady asked what I was planning to do, I told her my problem and suggested I stick to the butter cream rather than starting again with fondant and use a food dye designed especially for butter cream, Excellent. She then asked what I planned to use for the track *Panic*. I hadn't even thought about it!!! "urm...writing icing?" I replied. Yes, writing icing would have been great except she didn't sell it and the only place in town I could buy it was...Sainsbury's (insert sad face here). "Not to worry" she said after I gave her my long explanation as to why I couldn't pop into the super market. "Why don't you use Licorice Laces" So off I ran to the Traditional Sweet Sweet Shop. Again I was greeted by a lovely, smiley shop assistant who was more than happy to help me find the perfect thing to decorate my cake.  

Here are the results:

So yes I did have to run around town like a crazy lady trying to find what I needed but I felt really comforted knowing that local retailers are happy to help and share their expertise. 

Grace x

Living Local - Day 3

On a mission to find decent cheese, I popped into The Local Pantry in Pool-In-Wharfedale. The Local Pantry is a farm shop selling locally sourced fresh produce. I have passed this place a thousand times on my drive to Harrogate and always thought of stopping by to take a look. The shop is very well laid out with sections for dried pasta, rice, dried fruit and dairy products as well as frozen foods, preserves, cakes, fresh meat, cakes, fruit and veg. In addition to all this they also have a little cafe with beautiful views of the Chevin and surrounding wildlife in the perfect location for meeting friends and family for a coffee and a catchup. Best of all though (with my mission in mind) They sell cheese!! Different kinds of cheese all made locally! Perfect! I purchased a small block of Ribblesdale Parmesan, Risotto Rice, Butter, Eggs and  a yogurt for The Bear.

Very happy with my purchases today!

Kirsty  x

Images curtsey of  http://www.thelocalpantry.co.uk

Living Local - Day 2

The most common thing people have said when I have told them I intend to shop with Independent Retailers is "ooh that will be expensive" and as a family of three living on a relatively low income this was a big concern. However I am determined and when I say I will do something, I don't back down. So off I went in the rain with Bear in the buggy to begin our first shop. We managed to find everything we needed with the exception of Cheese! The one thing our little town of Otley is missing is a Deli. Eventually we stumbled upon a little sandwich shop that sold small blocks of Red Cheddar so we bought the biggest block they had and went on our way. I was very keen when we returned home to compare the prices of the items I had bought with Sainsbury's, our nearest supermarket. What I found really surprised me...Sainsbury's was a whole £5 more expensive!!! Plus there were items on my list which I were not available in the supermarkets so I would have needed to go into town anyway.

As a stay at home mum there are times when I can go a whole day not having an adult conversation, this can be very frustrating. Today I had conversations with shop owners, market traders, ladies waiting in line for market stalls and I even bumped into one of our neighbours who offered to lend me any items I wasn't able to find. All of this made me realise how lucky I am to live here in Otley.

Here are a few pictures of todays adventures.

The lovely lads from D.A.D. These guys are here every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday without fail, whatever the weather selling their locally grown fruit and veg.

Otley Pharmacy, the only Independent Pharmacy in town and open till 11pm!  

Our Friendly Local Butchers Geo. Middlemiss and Son.

Kirsty x

Living Local - Day 1

So on reflection, a bank holiday is not the best time to start Living Local as all the shops are closed except of course Sainsbury's. After spending an hour or so walking round town hoping to find at least one store open, D said "Why don't we just start this whole buying from Independent shops thing tomorrow and go buy something from Sainsburys for tea?", "NO!" was my response. "This is all part of the experience" So in the end we went to the garage, which is independently owned and bought some frozen chicken nuggets, chips and a tin of baked beans. Not quite what I had in mind but I did not back down, I am determined to do this right! On the plus side we had a lovely conversation with the owner of the garage and I bought milk...in a glass bottle! I didn't know they even did those anymore. This has however given me the opportunity to make a proper list of things we need and...tomorrow is Market Day!! #Excited.

 In other news today, I have been meaning to tackle our front garden for the longest time and the longer I left it, the worse it became. I suppose part of the problem was that I knew it was too big a job for me and D isn't the green fingered type so I avoided it and used the back entrance to the house. It It was massively overgrown with dead Ivy still stuck to the house (that had been there when we moved in), Trailing Jenny was covering most of the paved area the bushes were so overgrown that you could barely see out the front window and and  was only when I noticed the Postman struggling with his heavy bag past the biggest dandelions I have ever seen that I thought I need to do something about this.

 So when I next saw our Tree Surgeon/Garden Guru next door neighbour I asked for his advice. This morning he popped round to help cut back the bushes and by midday he had chopped everything down leaving us with a blank canvas while D and I stood by awkwardly watching, offering to make a cup of tea, occasionally offering to help sweep or pull out roots. Here are the results...

I am so pleased with this garden, I have been complaining for ages that I wanted outdoor space and we already had it but it was too covered in weeds and bushes that we couldn't see it. I plan to put a Peony in the part next to the dog some lovely, colourful trailing plans in the border to the left and a  Hydrangea in that bit that you can't quite see in the picture.

We have a step! I can't tell you how delighted I am that we found this!

We also unearthed this beautiful bird bath, it's no use to birds but I like it anyway.

Happy Bank Holiday Monday!!

Kirsty x

Living Local

I get a little feeling of sadness when I see a once bustling high street now dotted with empty shops that were once a big part of the community. This is usually followed by nostalgia of how things used to be, not in my lifetime of course but I imagine my lovely Grandma pottering around the shops, picking out her fresh produce and chatting to the locals as she went on her way. I also can't help but think of the local business owners who are struggling to make a living in this current economic climate. With all of the convenience of supermarkets, have we lost our sense of community?

So I have decided that we as a family will only shop in local independent retailers for one week starting tomorrow. After the week is over I shall make a decision whether or not to go a whole year avoiding Chain Stores and Supermarkets. This means EVERYTHING we buy including nappies, toiletries, food and drink and entertainment must be bought from Independent Retailers and in support of local businesses. I am really excited by this challenge but this does mean that I need to be more prepared and...ORGANISED!!

I should also add that we have not done a "Big shop" for a while and just to prove my point here is a picture of my very empty fridge.

As you can see, we have only a little milk, a couple of half eaten jars of something, left over pie, a random bottle of beer and half a tin of Hot Dogs. So we need to buy most things that will get a family of three (+ cat, dog and fish) through the week.

Stay tuned for daily updates!

Kirsty

Happy Sunday