CSA! CSA!

We joined a CSA for the coming summer. I am excited beyond words. It's probably not normal to be so giddy about fresh produce, but I am. Fruits and veggies freshly picked from local farms on a weekly basis! I often balk at the prices at grocery stores because the offerings don't even look appealing. $2.99/lb for limp lettuce...really? Not sure what we'll be getting in our shares, but fresh trumps price, I think. Plus, it's local, so there's less fuel involved in us getting food. Planned goodies include heirloom and regular tomatoes, corn, blueberries, potatoes, eggplant, garlic, various herbs, lettuces, and a ton of other delicious beauties. Ever since I grew tomatoes at our old house, I've shunned store and restaurant tomatoes. The aroma and texture of a real vine-ripened tomato is nothing like the sad little red orbs we usually see. My love for life begins May 21.

Went to Harris Teeters. Canned "organic" beans from China and Turkey. Somehow I am skeptical that either country is producing organic anything. $.99 for a can of "organic" beans compared to $.50 for a can of conventional. In this case, I opted for the latter because I didn't believe the organic label.

I finished my mittens and am almost finished with my shawl. I will start the kangaroo and joey from Frap's toy book tomorrow.

We brought our own shopping bags to Target. One of them is the green Whole Foods bag made from recycled something or another. What I found interesting is that the bag was made in China. Why would a $.99 bag need to be made in China for a company that is all about recycling, conservation, environment, etc.? It just seems counterintuitive to me. I think most of us bag buyers would be willing to pay $5 for a bag all in the name of tree hugging. Heck there are bags that cost $15 and even $100 out there. So, why would a pro-environment store sell bags made halfway around the world? The transportation costs to ship the bags here must cost more than a dollar. I should probably look at my TJ bags and see where they were made. BTW, Trader Joe's is owned by Aldi, a German company that has a small presence in the US. They sell unlabeled or generic grocery items. So is TJs really owned by the German equivalent of Wal-Mart?

My guess is that many companies outsource their goods because they don't want to pay higher wages and have to deal with unions. Yes, labor costs are significantly higher in the US and consumers are only willing to pay so much for any given good. Timbuk2, All-Clad, Kitchen-Aid all succumbed to pressure. I am willing to pay $80 for a tote bag made in the US, not made in Vietnam. $300+ retail (I only paid about $150 thanks to a sale, rebate, and coupon combined) for a Professional 600 series stand mixer (oh what a beauty...) made in Korea. The parts are made in the US then shipped to Korea for assembly. Many of All-Clad's cookware are still made in the US (mine is), but the stuff available on Amazon are not--those are made in China. $20 for measuring cups, $100+ for a pot/pan, $300 for a roasting pan. Very reasonable prices given how heavy and sturdy All-Clad stuff is, IF it was made in the US.

What brought on my frustration? A Rosle whisk that cost me $18. Rosle is a German brand that I consider luxury or high-end. Heck, $18 for a whisk is a splurge for me! I used this beauty to make brownies for Frap and her posse. Melt butter and cocoa in a pan, add flour and other stuff. My whisk wires bent. Luckily, Sur La Table took it back. They too were surprised about the whisk's lackluster performance. I'd expect it from a crappy $5 tool from Wal-Mart (not that I ever shop there--last time was probably about 18 months ago), not something that cost me $18. That's two Chipotle bowls with two sodas AND chips and guac! Yes, all prices are indexed to Chipotle bowls. :)