When I lived in Brooklyn, we had several fruit and vegetable stands within a couple minutes’ walk.  Most weeks we would swing by on our walk home from the subway, pick up whatever we needed for that night or the next day.   It was super convenient and we always had fresh veggies.  I still like doing that even if it means driving to the grocery store every other day.  Granted, I’m a classically trained chef and my wife is a pastry chef, so maybe I’m a little more sensitive to the quality and freshness of my ingredients.  I also have a vast amount of skills and knowledge to draw on when I cook so I can use pretty much any ingredient anytime without a lot of hassle.  But I don’t think my training or experience is necessary for someone to do this as a style of living. 

I started thinking about this because The Bread Chic is moving in a few doors down (I’ve heard they’ll be open mid-May, but don’t quote me).  On the other side is Sprouts, which always has great produce.  So, it’s easy to walk through the plaza and get everything you need for a meal in just a few minutes, and for the most part, you’re supporting small, local businesses.  I watched a video about how walking through a giant parking lot and then a warehouse-esque supermarket was the same, if not more distance than walking through a small downtown area with local shops.  I like how that comparison parallels the same things I always talk about, shopping with local small businesses that keeps our money in the community, and I wanted to expand on this idea a little. 

There’s an urban planning concept called “15-Minute Cities” where residents can access daily needs like work, shops, and healthcare within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or public transit from their homes. This goal is to promote sustainable living, reduce car dependence, and improve quality of life.  That sounds great, but we all know that it’s not generally feasible for a lot of us.   There are aspects of this idea I think can help reduce the stress of life and the daily shopping experience is a part of that. 

My kids are 6 and 3.  They’re extremely picky eaters.  Meatball (the 6-year-old) doesn’t even eat meat.  I know.  …  I know.  But that’s his life to live.  I still make sure he has good food and all the nutrients he needs to be healthy.  I had to write a weekly menu that appeased both of them and allowed me to only cook one meal.  So here it is

Monday: Asian Night –ramen noodles or rainbow rice (rice with veggies), edamame, and sweet and sour chicken for the parents (or stir fried beef or whatever I feel like)

Tuesday: Taco Night – who am I to buck traditions – The kids eat chips and sour cream, sometimes quesadillas and some pico de gallo, and the Ms. and I have chicken or beef tacos

Wednesday: BBQ night – Baked chicken thighs with onions and bell peppers, baked (microwaved) potato, mac and cheese

Thursday: Spaghetti and tomato sauce with garlic bread

Friday: Pizza night (my wife makes fantastic pizza)

Saturday: Fish sticks and baked veggies, baked fish for the grownups

Sunday: Cheeseburgers and fries

The only meat the Meatball will eat is “Old McDonald’s” burgers, but if I make them with the same toppings as Mc D’s, he’ll enjoy some. 

These are super simple dinners.  All of it I can put together and make from scratch in about 30 min.  There are not a lot of processed foods (fish sticks aside, and maybe the mac and cheese depending on how I feel) and most of it is just a sauté pan or a pan in the oven.  We do make bulk tomato sauce and bulk pizza dough to make that night easier to assemble.  My goal for my kids is to get them comfortable with the same thing and then slowly start adding little twists to make it more interesting for me.  Believe me, there are weeks I want to rip my tongue out because I’m so bored with this.  But for our discussion, it’s not a bad jumping off point for meal prepping.  And that’s kind of my point. 

Being able to get everything you need in a 15-minute world, having a set menu that makes shopping easy, and taking 30 to 45 minutes to make a meal for your family; that’s not an impossible task, even in today’s world.  I love cooking, so I’ll come home, crack a beer, spin a record, and enjoy the process.  I’ll get the boys involved if I can.  It makes memories for them and only doubles my cleaning time.  It also keeps them away from screens and teaches them life skills. 

One of the biggest reasons I can do this, is we keep a pretty well stocked pantry.  We bulk up on essentials, especially if they’re on sale.  Then I only have to buy some fruit, veggies, and meat a few times a week.  Once we settled into the routine and stocked the pantry, we only spend about $150 a week to feed the 4 of us.  And I included what I would pay for meat if I didn’t have a good connection.  I also don’t need to buy a lot of processed foods and there are a lot of benefits to that.  Fresh food is healthier, it’s better for the environment, and if it’s grown locally then it has a shorter supply chain and is more resilient to economic forces.  The way things are going, I don’t know if you’re going to find pocky sticks or Stouffer’s much longer.  (A lot of Stouffer’s is made in Canada, fyi.)  I’m not exactly sure how bad supply chains might get in the coming weeks, but I know growing the local businesses can make those supply chains stronger.  I know my supply chains are solid because I did this 5 years ago.  So if you have a solid pantry, then I wouldn’t be too worried.  The link below is a basic pantry set up. 

I think that’s where I’ll start to end my rambling today.  I would love to see the grids between the main roads in Fort Collins have more mixed-use buildings.  Small intersections with a vegetable stand, a convenience store, a small bar or restaurant, or some retail shops.  And apartments above those.  It would be cool for each neighborhood to have its own little ambiance instead of just big box stores along a main drag.  50 to 100 15-minute cities all over town.  Those kinds of communities tend to be more tight knit and resilient.  I’ll keep my wishing hand open even though the other one is getting pretty full.  I guess I just wanted to share my thoughts and give you some ideas on how to navigate life when store shelves start looking emptier.  And if you need my fish stick recipe… it’s on the back of the box.  My pico de gallo, that one stays with me. 

Basic Pantry Stocking Checklist:

 https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/cooking-from-the-pantry/pantry-essentials-checklist

p.s.  There’s tons of CSA’s and small farms around here for fresh veggies if you’re willing to make the effort.