Turning a new leaf...literally

Hi, I'm Deb, a foodie in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. In the last 6 months I have been trying to eat as locally as I can. It has been a real challenge, especially when so many of my favorite items come from thousands of miles away.



I've decided to start this blog in order to help others to think more locally for global benefits.

I am not going to get on a huge soapbox with environmental whacko this and that...but I do think that supporting your local farmers and economy will help us all in the long run.



Due to my fiance's job as a pilot, our carbon footprint is VERY large. He was dubbed a "tree hugger" long before me, and we do our best to reduce our impact.



I started by recycling as much waste as I could and composting kitchen waste. We have a large garden that we get veggies and herbs from all year long. The next step was to start driving a hybrid or clean diesel automobile (I loooooove my clean diesel VW Jetta!)....and finally, I'm changing my diet to not only lose weight but to eat fresh, local ingredients as often as I can.



My yearly doctor's visit today was very encouraging. I have lost 17 pounds since October 2008, and I credit most of it to eating more non-processed local foods. I have by no means become a vegetarian.....



I have found quite a few places to get excellent local (and organic) food here in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. From Barnwell to Charleston, Hilton Head Island to Myrtle Beach....the foods here are truly "nothing fresher...nothing finer."



I hope to weekly post resource information that will help others in South Carolina to eat locally.



Here is just a start:



Bluffton Farmer's Market

http://www.farmersmarketbluffton.com/



Certified South Carolina Grown

http://www.certifiedscgrown.com/



Charleston Tea Plantation

http://www.bigelowtea.com/plantation.aspx



Sweetgrass Dairy

http://www.sweetgrassdairy.com/



Here's what I ate today that was local...and it was almost all of what I ate today!



Breakfast: Local beet, parsley and cucumber juice, steel cut oatmeal with frozen local blueberries, local lowfat cows milk, Charleston Breakfast tea and local honey.



Lunch: Local romaine lettuce and baby spinach, local free-range hardboiled egg, basil and garlic infused olive oil (California olive oil), golden flax seeds, local cucumber, Pink lady apple from the Upstate of South Carolina.



Dinner: Chicken burgers (Claxton, GA) with herbs and red peppers from my own garden, on homemade whole wheat flatbread, with local green onion, Sweetgrass Dairy goat cheese (south Georgia), local romaine lettuce.

Dessert: baked Granny smith apples (Upstate) with local honey, California fresh dates, toasted pecans gathered from my front yard and Sweetgrass Dairy brie cheese.



Tune in next week for more local food adventures....especially going into the winter!