Week Four--All about meat!

Here is this weeks challenge--All meat consumed this week will be locally raised (within 100-miles of your hometown). Meat consumption will also be limited to 3 – 4 servings this week, and when it is eaten meat will not be presented as the “focal point” of the meal. Instead meat will be treated as a side item or simply used to help flavor a dish.

Didn't think would be all that hard except one thing I learned, finding local meat is really really hard unless you want to A. either buy part of a cow, or B. spend $12-$18 a pound.  YIKES!!  I can't afford to feed my family that.  So, what to do.  This is what I decided.  I did my research and asked meat people at certain grocery stores where there meat comes from.  I will stay away from big brand meat products.   Harmon's chicken is raised locally and humanly and does not contain antibiotics or growth hormones.  It also does not break the bank in price.  Costco sells organic whole chickens for a reasonable price so I could get those and cut them up or just use them and roast them whole. They are also from a local farm and organic so ok to eat.  I will not buy meat from Wal-Mart as there's is all about price so it comes from big manufactures that do not treat the animals right and inject them with things we should not be eating to make a larger profit.  I also will not buy meat from any grocery store that can not tell me where it comes from.  I am hoping to be able to get part of a cow from a place here locally soon but in doing my research on that I learned that they usually only sell it from April-October.  Until then I will just be careful as to what I buy a the stores.  

So I will spend a lot of time focusing on making meat more of a side dish and less of a main dish.  I will also plan 2 meals a week that do not have meat in them.  Liking this idea because it will also save me money.  

I already planned two meals this week without meat so we will see how the family is about those as they are used to having meat with every meal.  I have found one good one is soup as it is filling but doesn't have to have meat in it to be that way.  Include a yummy grilled cheese sandwich and you have a great meal.