Quote Originally Posted by piperdbh View Post
Epicurean is the word.
A friend of mine used to have a magnet or bumper sticker or something with the slogan, "Settle for more." printed on it. If you're capable pf producing or acquiring the best, then go for, especially when choosing body fuel. Homemade is usually best, and if you're not a cook, barter with your neighbor across the street who is a good cook. Mow their yard in exchange for a loaf of bread or whatever. Raise the cucumbers in your garden and trade for X% of the pickles that someone else can make from them. Make their birthday cake for the next 15 years in exchange for the kilt you've been dreaming of. (I wish that one would work!)
You've hit on why I really want to get out of apartment living and get a house of my own. Somewhere gestap^H^H^H er, HOA free. I want a good veggie garden and a coop full of chickens. There's nothing like a good meal that you've raised 98% of it yourself. I, unfortunately haven't had a meal like that since my early teens. I sure miss it. I didn't realize how much until we found a store called Sunflower market that specializes in fresh produce. The difference in what they sell and the cardboard that the big box stores sell just really underlined for me how lucky I was to get raised how I did. I really think that people who don't like veggies these days are mostly folks who have never truly had veggies fresh from the garden.

At the risk of derailing this thread, one of my pipe dreams is to start a little cooperative venture where everyone gets a few acres next to each other and everyone invests some time and energy into raising wheat, veggies, fruits, and meats (and maybe dairy) for the co-op. It might seem like a lot of work, but it would sure bring everyone involved a much higher standard of living.