Do what you can with what you have!

Most who know me know I am pretty fussy about the meats/fish I eat. On the homepage are links to those companies I frequent.

I thought it might be helpful to provide some of the reasons (from their specific websites) so you'll know why I do what I do. Am I right? Who knows, but we love good food and there is a difference between big box store meats and local (or not so local) providers.

Wild Pastures


US Wellness Meats
Regarding their pasture-raised Heritage pork: "All of our pasture-raised heritage pork is from like-minded, sustainable family farms. Our animals forage for food in open pastures while being supplemented with non-GMO feed. They aren't given any antibiotics, GMOs, or added hormones. We even offer sugar-free pork products like our top-selling pork bacon made with only pork and sea salt! Whatever US Wellness Meat pastured pork product you choose, you can rest assured that you are eating the cleanest, tastiest, and most sustainable pork available in the United States. Enjoy." For the record, we love their bacon!!

Re: Pastured Poultry: "Better pastures. Better birds. Better taste. Our pastured poultry are raised on family farms based right here in the United States, where they roam in open pastures pecking insects, worms, grasses, seeds, and whatever else nature intended. Nothing about their lives is rushed or forced, so our chickens, turkeys, and ducks all mature at their natural pace — just as it should be. We never use antibiotics or added growth hormones and only use natural, non-GMO supplemental grains. We never compromise on that, and we are very proud of our sustainable partnerships with USA poultry farmers. As soon as you take your first bite, you will understand exactly why we go through all of the trouble it takes to raise poultry and duck as naturally as possible. Enjoy the incredible flavor of our pastured chicken, turkey, and duck, and don't forget to try our soy-free options as well. Happy cooking!"

Re: Grassfed, Grass-Finished Beef: "US Wellness Meats has been selling grass-fed beef sourced from the best 100% grass-fed and grass-finished cattle for twenty years and counting. While some companies claim to sell grass-fed beef, they actually finish with grain, which defeats the purpose. We exclusively use grass and operate using regenerative agriculture on sustainable farms with thousands of acres of pastures to graze. We also never use GMO-feed, antibiotics, or growth hormones, and we never compromise on quality. We only use natural, thick grass — just like mother nature intended it. Why does this matter? Because cows are what they eat. By not compromising on our sustainability standards, we can be better to our planet, better to our cattle, better to our bodies, and give our taste buds something they'll never forget. Pick up any of our amazing grass-fed beef options and see for yourself what real care tastes like. You won't believe the difference."

Cooks Venture / CONSCIENTIOUS MEAT IS POSSIBLE
Practicing our values isn’t about patting ourselves on the back. It’s actually what makes our chicken and beef delicious; because every step of the process affects the health and taste of the meat. These are the standards we hold ourselves to and we ask them to be upheld by our farmers and ranchers.

• Healthy chickens and beef raised without antibiotics
• Ample space to roam and forage on natural pasture
• Creating biodiverse, fertile soil through regenerative rotational grazing

Wild Alaskan Company (this is a subscription)
What's in the Box? We proudly ship a wide variety of wild-caught species from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest including sockeye salmon, coho salmon, pacific cod, pacific halibut and wild Alaska pollock.

•  12 or 24 Individually-Sealed Packs
•  Ready-to-Cook
•  Sustainably Harvested
•  Caught & Processed in the USA
•  Wild Caught
•  Never Farmed or Genetically Modified
•  No Antibiotics
•  Flash Frozen & Shipped With Dry Ice
•  Free Shipping

All in all, yes, it is more expensive than other options. If you don't know the difference check this out:

• Between farmed and wild-caught salmon read THIS and decide for yourself and your family.
• Grassfed & Grass-Finished Beef

We all do the best we can with what we have available ... and you and your family are worth it. As a stay-at-home mother for years, I believed part of my 'job' was to make my husband's income work hard by limiting waste, shopping in bulk, planning meals and using shopping lists. That has always worked well for me.

When I returned to work it was a bit more challenging, but we managed to maintain a no-waste policy. Do we always succeed? No, but fortunately, we make our own dog food so much of what would have been composted finds its way into the freezer in the dog's bucket... spinach, lettuce, carrots, celery, etc.

​Happy cooking!