food sustainability - a budding interest

Happy 2-plus-weeks-into-the New Year everyone! I hope everyone's year started off wonderfully. Now, I want to begin this year with a short discussion about something that I've begun to develop an interest in sometime towards the end of last year: food sustainability, sustainable eating, and food security.

So are you guys still here? Yeah? Whew...I'm glad I haven't lost your ever undivided attention. Please stay with me here!

stretch of peruvian farmland in the valley

2011 christmas dessert - pumpkin spice bundt cake

In a continuation of the Christmas cookies, I also made dessert for my family Christmas Eve potluck that we had. This will also be a quick post...I do apologize!

I was really glad that everyone enjoyed the Bundt cake, considering that most members of my family do not enjoy the taste or smell of cinnamon. (The spice isn't that strong in the cake. A lovely light aroma, really.) According to my aunt, she thinks cinnamon smells like...well, maybe I shouldn't write it here, because I honestly don't know where she got that idea. She's such a silly joker, all the time.

2011 christmas cookies

I sure do have "impeccable" timing, don't I? It's taken me nearly a week after Christmas to share the cookies I made before the holidays. It really doesn't help that I haven't been feeling well all of last week and the start of this week. Oh, but I do apologize, as that is a mediocre excuse.

I am just overall glad that I managed to get my baking done despite a mini crisis at the start of last week.

But my aunt so graciously lent her hand mixer so that I may finish making all of my Christmas desserts.

Alright, enough rambling about some nonsense. Well, 2 years ago I gave away a medley of cookies for Christmas. This year I will be doing the same, and am looking to make this a tradition. You really can't go wrong with cookies, or just food gifts in general.

2009 Christmas, L to R: Hazelnut Crinkle, Andes® Crème de Menthe, Oatmeal Raisin, Snickerdoodle