Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

I really think it is pertinent that I talk about the book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. There were mixed reviews on this book in our classroom, but I found there to be some good information within the pages. I truly think that any person (or family!) who can give up certain foods, and who try their hardest to live a sustainable lifestyle is someone to learn more about!

Barbara Kingsolver and her family, somewhat like the No Impact Project, decided to give up the industrialized food that we all hold so near and dear to our hearts, to only buy and grow local foods. If they could not buy or grow what they wanted locally – they simply did without.

There are three main components to this book.

1.       Barbara Kingsolver’s running narrative about their journey with food.

2.       Steven Hopp’s interjections on the more scientific side of what Barbara Kingsolver writes about. And,

3.       Camille Kingsolver’s personal outlook on food and what brought her family to this point, with a few delicious-sounding recipes piled in.

I was most interested in learning about what they did during the “hungry month” from February to March, because they had to eat food they had canned during the growing months and wait out the winter. Kingsolver writes, “January is widely held to be the bugbear of local food, but the hungriest month is March, if you plan to see this thing through” (Kingsolver 322). In the month of March, there is not much new being grown, but her family made it through. I wish there would have been more information on this topic, but alas, it wasn’t much touched upon.

Like I said earlier, Camille Kingsolver had a lot of delicious sounding recipes. One in particular that I am dying to try (from freshly grown vegetables, of course! Because there is nothing like a home-grown tomato) is her Summertime Salad. All it consists of is 2 large tomatoes, 1 ball of mozzarella, basil leaves, olive oil and salt to taste – but doesn’t that sound absolutely amazing?

In the end, although this was just meant to be a year-long endeavor, the Kingsolver’s continued to live this lifestyle. Kingsolver explains, “it was a deeply enjoyable conversion, so yes, it did stick.  We still organize our meals around what’s locally available, when it comes into season.  We don’t eat industrially-produced feedlot meats, and frankly can’t imagine it.  Our garden expands every year, and our local farmer’s market also keeps growing” (Kingsolver).

Overall, although I may talk the talk, I definitely don’t think I could walk the walk with the Kingsolver family. I definitely want to change my life for the better, but I know that I couldn’t do what they did, I don’t even think I could strive for it, but I still respect them for changing their lives in the ways that they have!

Have a great day!

Julia