There are three things which distinguish our kitchen habits: the practices of the Church, traditional preparation techniques and a very bad habit of mine – poor planning, which often leads us astray on the dietary front.
With regard to the first, we eat vegan through roughly half of the year, for which reason Indian, Thai and other cuisines that adapt easily to a meat- and dairyless format are popular here at home.
With respect to the second item, having read a bit of Dr. Weston Price’s work from early in the 20th century with regard to health among indigenous (read: non-modernized) peoples in relation to their diet, I am sold on traditional foods. What is meant by traditional foods is a combination of pasture-fed meats and dairy, organ meats, fermented foods and sprouted grains.
The work of Weston A. Price has found a groundswell of support since the publication of Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. Clubs across the country and around the world meet regularly and Price’s devotees discuss techniques and swap recipes. Alas, I am not one of these people.
While I am a supporter of the work of both the Weston A. Price Foundation and the Price-Pottenger 
Foundation, my approach is a bit less rigorous. My chief interest is in how the preparation of traditional foods changes our home life: more time in the kitchen, smaller grocery bills and slow-cooked, wholesome food on the table at regular intervals. The health aspects are, to me, of no greater importance than the overall return to greater self-sufficiency, reduced environmental impact and stronger family bonds from time spent in daily gardening and food preparation activities.
To save on groceries, I have begun to buy our grains, honey and meat in large quantities directly from local organic producers. I plan to buy enough grain this fall to last for a year and nearly that much meat, as well. We’re still drinking organic pasteurized (non-homogenized) milk from the grocery store, only because the cooperative that sells raw milk is a bit of a drive from where we presently live. I buy organically produced unprocessed tropical oils (palm and coconut) from Tropical Traditions for use during our vegan days. We’re currently rearing young chicks who will eventually become egg producers; we look forward to fresh eggs every morning from the coop behind the house.
There’s a great deal for me to learn; what I learn, I’ll share here. Thanks for reading!
