Thoughts on Dark Days

I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about the Dark Days Challenge that is posted on (not so) Urban Hennery. I love the idea of cooking one fully local meal every week throughout the winter, but I realize that is an unpractical challenge for me right now. I did preserve some food from this summer (Potatoes, Carrots, Kale, Green Beans, Leeks, Blueberries, and Strawberries), but this, plus what I can get throughout the winter (mostly dairy, eggs and meat), really provides for a limited number of meals. With two small boys in the house, the fights that would ensue from forcing my family to eat what I concoct to fulfill this challenge simply is not worth the effort. With that said, I still want to use local ingredients throughout the winter AND use up what I have preserved. So here is my personal Dark days challenge:

• Use local ingredients as the primary ingredients in 2 - 3 meals every week (until they run out)

Also, next summer I will definitely do a better job preserving so I can participate in the 4th anual challenge, but this is the most practical way for me to proceed. I'll keep you posted.