Today, after leaving a meeting with the Executive Director of
Greenville Organic Foods Organization
(GOFO), I raced home to prepare for Kristen and Michael's “Fall Harvest” celebrations tomorrow. (We can't call them parties, and heaven forbid we actually call them Halloween parties.)
I love school parties.
After taking a quick look at my happily growing, all natural organic garden, I went to the computer to make a few notes about my meeting with GOFO, reminders and suggestions to help the teachers who are in charge of the organic school gardens. The gardens are part of GOFO's Grow Healthy Kids program.
It's an excellent program. Grow Healthy Kids encourages students to connect to their food sources through a 12-lesson classroom curriculum and hands-on gardening activities. The semester culminates in a harvest celebration—eating the foods grown in the garden. I'm writing a document that we hope will help the teachers and volunteers recognize pests and control them—organically--before much damage occurs. I'm also providing some guidelines about when to harvest. Since we're dealing with cool weather crops, many people aren't as familiar about when and what to harvest. Whole plants? Outer leaves? How big should the radishes grow?
So, since I knew I had four dozen cupcakes to bake, plus treat bags to fill, crafts to prepare, and games to gather, I decided to start with the baking.
That's when it hit me.
I pulled my lovely brown, free-range, organic eggs from happy chickens from the refrigerator.
And this from the pantry.
I know, I know. I'm ashamed.
It gets worse.
When I was in college, one of my girlfriends and I would eat icing straight from the tub with a spoon. Who needed cake underneath? It was particularly good when refrigerated.
And here's the topper...
So, while the Greenville schools are growing beautiful, healthy, organic lettuce and brassicas for a true Harvest Celebration in November, my kids and their friends will be eating sugar-laden, gooey, not-even-made-from-scratch cupcakes.
But at least the eggs were organic. Does that count?
I'm such a hypocrite.
(I fear I may lose my sustainably grown certification due to this...)
Happy “Harvest Celebration,” friends!