Healthy Eating

I'm very pleased to say I've discovered some organic grocery stores in Christchurch. For the first 8 weeks we lived here, I relied on the local "Countdown", which is actually the nicer of the two chain grocery stores. Nevertheless, finding local, organic, or gluten-free items proved to be a challenge. It took me 6 weeks to find steel cut oats (hidden in the "health food" section...?) and the same to find black beans (in the gluten-free aisle, with the raw almonds...?). Their organizational logic amuses me.

Anyways, I don't know why it didn't occur to me sooner, but I'm glad it did at all. Google. Google: Organic Grocery Shopping Christchurch. Low and behold, not one, but two stores. 

I went to both, my favorite being Liberty Market. Both are small, and a lot of things are pricey. But the good stuff (organic non-spray produce, raw nuts and seeds, alternative flour options) actually wasn't much more expensive than the Countdown. And some of it, the same as in California. This is both a relief, and detrimental to the pocketbook. Now full-boar cooking has once again commenced.

One thing brought a huge smile to my face... I'm not a huge juice drinker, but the Knutson's juice  pictured below is produced in my "hometown" of Chico, California. We used to drink it by the gallon- Morning Blend aided many a hangover- and we drove by the factory frequently. A little piece of home... 5,000 miles away. Cool. (Actually the Santa Cruz apple sauce bears a misleading name, as it is also made in Chico!!)

Never mind that I looked like a creep taking a photo in the grocery store

In other news, this weekend is the enduro race in Craigieburn, which I am mostly (so not) ready for. I have been running and riding regularly, and eating well thanks to Liberty Market... so hopefully this race treats me better than the last. Either way, it will be fun, which is why I do it.

I also started a tab up at the top, next to About Me and My Daily Reading. On my new Christchurch Recommendations page, I'll post links to restaurants and sights that I think are must see, must do, and must taste experiences in Christchurch. Hopefully visitors and expats can find this page useful, and the rest of you will be swayed into coming for a visit! All of my recommendations are, of course, unsolicited. 

Last... the view from my house as I type this very second. It never gets old.