I miss my mom's kitchen.

Since I've moved to Berkeley, I'm made a lot of food changes. Since it's so easy here, my selective omnivorism is really flourishing. I'm eating vegetarian as well as occasionally eating responsibly farmed chicken. I decided to make some lasagna at some point this week, and I have all kinds of beautiful but I couldn't resist buying some ground beef. It's grass fed, free-range, and organic, from just around the bend in Marin. So happy.

That's not the point of this post, though, haha. I just baked pumpkin muffins, because it's fall and therefore pumpkin things need to be baked. But I miss my mom's kitchen so badly. My counter space is like, umm, zero. And I don't have a stand mixer, and my mixing bowls are so small (because my cupboards are so small) that I can never make a double batch of anything. All my mom's recipes are double batches, so I'm doing awkward math all the time. And the sink is small and dumb and so doing dishes is harder.

The best (worst) part is that my oven is so miniature, I have to put my cupcake pans in at an angle. And I had to buy mini baking sheets, as well. The pizza I made the other night hardly fit. It's pretty obnoxious.

It is so ironic (or coincidental or something) that the time I'm expanding my cooking repertoire by like pretty much infinity, I'm also doing it in the smallest, worst laid-out kitchen of all time. It's so great. Hahaha.

But I'm still having a good time and still creating delicious food! I just wish I was doing it in my mom's giant kitchen with two giant ovens.

Not a great first.

My mom made turkey meatballs for dinner tonight. One of my all-time favorite things that she cooks. Yum yum yum.

But I didn't eat a single one.

Why is this? Mom made the meatballs with Foster Farms ground turkey. And we all know that in the fight against factory farms, Foster Farms is one of our greatest enemies. So, while my parents and brother ate their fill of one of my favorite foods, I ate leftover organic, grain-fed, free range, happy chicken from last night. This was the first time I ever opted out of something that was being cooked at home for something more responsible. Not that I usually just eat the morally questionable meat in question -- that's certainly not the case. This is just the first time that my mom chose to make turkey meatballs for dinner even though Costco was out of organic turkey.

All summer we have been buying organic and local and I really thought my parents were beginning to get this movement. That they were beginning to care about what they were eating and where it was coming from. I swear, every item that we regularly use and "O" organics makes, my mother has purchased. Our pantry is like an "O" mini-mart. The other night, we made chocolate chip cookies from all-organic ingredients (except the chocolate chips. Nestle Tollhouse reigns supreme at Chez Kloehn). Mom wasn't sold on them being as good as "regular," though Dad, the official taste-tester, had about four. I guess she's just been letting me play this sustainable game, and followed along with the demands (for the most part) all summer. I thought I could move nine days from now and know that she and Dad were sitting down to a mostly organic, local dinner.

Apparently I am deluded. This is very disappointing.

Ah, sustainability. And beer. Duh.

Last night, we all went out to dinner at Ladyface Alehouse & Brasserie, a sustainable restaurant and brewery! It was so lovely. We sat out on the patio, ordered a bunch of different beers, and I ate a hamburger! It was my first hamburger in months and it was absolutely delicious. I also had potato cheddar soup, some of Bobby's grilled asparagus, and some of Sarah's chicken and spaghetti squash. Oh, and did I mention that all of it was organic, free-range, local, family farmed -- they grow their herbs and some veggies on site!! -- and all other sorts of happy? So delicious and so sustainable! I really think it tasted better. And even though it had been months since I'd eaten red meat, it barely upset my stomach. I'm pretty sure that the amount of food and beer is really what did, haha.

I can't believe we didn't know about this restaurant ALL of college. I would have gone so often! Taken my parents there, had a senior social there, had my graduation party there, even! It makes me so happy that there are people who think sustainable food is important. And everyone who goes to Ladyface hears about their philosophy, as it's on the front of their menu! This is it:

At Ladyface, we believe in hand-crafted and artisanal products. We strive to provide dishes with 100% natural ingredients, prepared at their peak of freshness. In an effort to assure freshness, and be environmentally responsibile by reducing transportation distances, we try to offer only in-season, locally available, or California-grown produce, which is why you may notice slight menu changes throughout the year. We choose meats that are free-range, raised without hormones or antibiotics. Our to-go packaging is made from recycled or compostable materials. Little things like this keep us all healthier and happier.

I am certainly healthier and happier from having eaten dinner there last night. The combination of food and friends was delicious.