"neighbors" news and stories

One of the things I've always wished for was to live someplace (be it apartment building or neighborhood) where I really knew my neighbors. I'd love to have people in close proximity with whom I could have dinner, or drop by with a baking project gone right. Unfortunately, I've yet to find that.

Craig LaBan, the restaurant critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer lives on a close, friendly block (just like the one I would like to find for myself). In yesterday's food section, he writes about how his family has teamed up with two other families on the street to take turns cooking dinner once a week. It started because they all had kids on the same swim team and would arrive home on Monday nights exhausted and with nothing on the stove. They determined that each week, one family would make enough for all three, so that the parents would get a break from cooking two out of every three weeks.

The project has had benefits beyond simply providing dinner. It has exposed their kids to a variety of foods that are not typically found in their home kitchens and has brought the families even closer together. While they don't eat the meal together (I imagine no one has room for three families to sit down to dinner together), they all acknowledge that they shared meal experience has made them less like neighbors and more like family.

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In 2002, the state legislature of Pennsylvania passed a resolution, declaring that the second Saturday in January was to be known as "Invite your neighbor to dinner day." That just happens to be this upcoming Saturday. And no, I am not kidding. Their intention was to foster goodwill among people who live within close proximity of one another and to encourage people to reach out to the neighbors that they might not know well. They chose the second Saturday in January because they couldn't find any major holidays that would conflict with it and thought that it might also be a way for people to beat the post-holiday blues.

As a big proponent of communal eating, I love this idea and so thought I'd pass the word around. It's a great idea, even if you don't happen to live in the Keystone State (as I do). There's also a website that offers tips on ways to make dinner with a neighbor doable for you as well as a little history about how this movement got started. Even if you can't do it this Saturday, why not make a plan to get together with some neighbors for a meal. Keep it easy on yourself and make it potluck (this pasta bake makes a great potluck dish, if you need a little inspiration). Just have a meal with a neighbor and make your community a little closer.

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You don't have to be gregarious or adventurous to start or be part of a community garden. If you're lucky enough to live in a neighborhood with an available spot of ground, say 80'x80', you have the beginnings of a great social experiment. Here in Boulder, this was inclusive to the development plans in my neighborhood so procuring growing space wasn't a problem. I thought getting people to sign up and rent plots (this wasn't my job) would be an issue. Not so. It was what should be grown that got thorny. Most wanted veggies and flowers. Some wanted only flowers and vice versa. In the end it was an even mix. We even had edible flowers: I ate carnation petals right from the plant, and later steeped in sherry. The point is, a typical 9-5 person doesn't have time to tend a large garden. When folks come together and each grow their specialty, we all get to cook the many varieties of squash, cabbages, onions, roots and shoots. I never cared for Zucchini but my neighbor three houses down traded me some zukes for a futures claim on my pumpkins. The zucchini bread was eaten in one sitting; she plans to make pumpkin bread next month. It may sound corney, so to speak, but growing food with people you didn't know really brings food into focus. At least that's been my experience.

Our garden's first year was a success. Nothing was poached and there was a healthy competitive nature to the venture. The only "failure" was the tomatoes. Hard to grow at altitude with minimal care. Other than that, if you have the opportunity, you might start here.

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Dreyer's (a.k.a. Edy's for you east-coasters) wants to know why you and your friends like ice cream. And if you express yourself well enough, proving that you are deserving by declaring your love for cold, creamy treat,  you might win a free ice cream party for your entire neighborhood. The Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute Contest offers up 1500 free ice cream parties to neighborhoods around the country. For each party, the company will deliver enough party supplies and Dreyer's (Edy's) Slow Churned Light Ice Cream for 100 people - you and all your ice-cream-loving friends and neighbors. To enter, you must be over the age of 13 and a legal US resident. You must also describe, in 350 words or less, why your neighborhood deserves a "Slow Churned Neighborhood Salute." Judging will be based on originality/creativity (50%), enthusiasm (25%) and what makes your neighborhood special (25%).

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