To Market To Market...

'This is insane', declared Polyglott as we left our shoebox at 5.15am this morning with Miss M (17 months) in tow. This was quickly followed by the somewhat desperate assertion: 'we need to stop for coffee'.


Ordinarily if we are catching a flight to some exotic location, Polyglott is raring to go. He loves an international adventure. Unfortunately, today we weren't heading to Sydney Airport. Instead, we were heading to the Sydney Markets to purchase fruit and vegetables on behalf of our newly joined fruit and vegetable co-op.


Armed with $200 for the 8 member families, I was a little excited and terrified at the responsibility. Ordinarily I suffer from the need to please as well as be perfect in all I do. I was afraid that my pregnant brain would rule and I would spend the money on something I was craving, eg tropical fruit.


I won't bore you with the details with the ins and outs of market purchasing, but suffice to say, we felt powerful, proud and overwhelmed by the selection available. I may have become a little crazed in the process. People stepped aside as I strode through with my bloated pregnant belly and Miss M perched high in the backpack on my back. I was on a mission to save these families from the perils of mega-corporations. Suffice to say, it was worth the effort, the produce was fresh and terrifyingly so much cheaper than at one of Sydney's major grocery retailers. In support for my argument, one might notes that  Woolworths Home Shop is today listing bananas at $1.47 PER BANANA. I was able to purchase a whole kilo for $1.50. Get the drift?


We divided the spoils as best we could and set off to deliver to the other co-op members. That part may have felt a little arduous as the glow of financial victory was starting to wear off and the coffee had only put a bandaid on the sleep deprivation wound. But we did it, secure in the knowledge that at the very least these families would have a ridiculous number of carrots to consume throughout the week! 

Polyglott and I want to challenge the traditional belief that having a mere few dollars in one's bank account means that one needs to eat a diet comprised of highly processed and nutrient deficient food. 


What's your food philosophy when the dollars are tight? No judgement here... just curiosity. If you feed your family hot chips every night, I want to know. If you eat only russian caviar even when the dollars are tight, that I want to know too! Basically, I like to know everything about everyone. Over to you.