Supplies Dwindle

Charlie ran out of dry cereal today. And flatly stated, "the adventure begins" in a less-than-adventurous tone. We still have some far-flung foods that we're using up and really haven't had to sacrifice much yet. We have some tea and a little coffee that won't last long. You might want to steer clear of our house in about a week and a half, when the caffeine runs out. And we still have bits of herbs and spices. Not much sugar, which is concerning. We have a solid honey supplier, though and while it's not as easy to bake with as sugar but it's completely local. I have a real affinity for baked goods (a real problem on many levels) so I'll either have to figure out how to make the honey work in recipes or learn to live without muffins, scones, and cookies (horror!).

I've done a bit of research on where to get some Oregon grown necessities. I'll post my resources on this page, as they come up. Last year I searched and searched and searched for Oregon grown wheat and/or flour. I know what you Oregonians are thinking. Exactly what I was thinking: "Wheat is grown all over this state, so what's the big deal. Go down the road and buy some." Well most of Oregon's wheat farmers grow a particular type of wheat that is more tasty to foreign consumers so most of it gets shipped overseas. Bob's Red Mill is an Oregon company that sells all sorts of flours and grains, but it gets it's stuff from Montana and elsewhere. We suffered several bread-less weeks until I discovered Azure Farms. They are a dry land farm/ranch outside of Dufur, Oregon (just south of the Columbia River Gorge) that grows, mills and sells local wheat. They also traffic lots of other local and non-local natural foods. I highly recommend checking these guys out. I think they're fab. www.azurestandard.com

I also need to mention a Baker City grocery that will be invaluable to us over the next 39 days. Bella Main Street Market (Beverly Calder, purveyor) is the best wine shop/gift shop/gourmet grocery in the Pacific Northwest. And that's not just loyal hyperbole. If you you're traveling on I-84 it's worth a stop into downtown Baker City to check out Bella's selection of ports, Italian pastas, local meats, and high-end bakeware. Bella also stocks produce from local farms and more Oregon products than anywhere else in town. And Beverly e-mailed me personally to let me know that she now is carrying canned Oregon peaches. I love this place. www.bellabakercity.com