The Greenberg Family Food Adventure: The Contract
Titles
Saul: Stunning Sauerkraut
Dione: Radical Raspberry
Mollie: Magnificent Mango
The Adventure
A year-long experience in which the Greenberg family (Dione, Saul, and Mollie) will prepare, eat, and learn about all different kinds of foods.
How It Works
Each month focuses on a different theme – this may pertain to the type of food itself, the manner in which it is prepared, the ethnic or historical origin, the time of year the food is eaten or produced, etc. Each member of the family shall have a delegated Role. Each member of the family shall take part in the documentation of this Adventure by participating in the writing of a blog.
The Roles
As preparing and sometimes gathering their own food, especially a kind that may be unfamiliar to them, will take more time than the usual meal, and since (due to the suggestion of the Young One) they also want to learn about the food, the Family has seen it fit to delegate roles. Each person must fully live up to the responsibilities of their position, unless detained by debilitating (otherwise known as sniffling, sleepy, or spending-all-day-watching-movies) illness, priority engagements that have already been cleared as justifiable excuses by the Family, or if it is advised by the Family to give up one’s duties. The positions are as follows:
Researcher, who will find out facts about the Theme of the Month and present them to the Family as she sees fit, preferably at mealtimes while eating the food. (Note: If these facts might in any way cause the Family to lose their appetite, they should not be revealed directly before, during, or after mealtimes.) [ Mollie ]
Food Acquisitioner, who will find and supply the Family with the food or other supplies needed. (Note: The Family should not send the Food Acquisitioner out to get something that does not apply to the Food Adventure.) [ Saul ]
The Cook, who will be the head of the kitchen unless this position is relinquished fittingly to another member of the Family, or due to a special occasion. (Note: The Cook cannot establish a totalitarian regime, and this statement does in no way suggest that she was suspected of attempting to.) [ Dione ]
If, for whatever reason, a member of the Family does not fulfill the requirements of their assigned job for a month, they shall have to clean the kitchen floor, walls, and appliances to make up for their shirking.
Note: It is highly recommended that the Family make it a routine to have weekly, all-participatory cleanup days.
Blogging
It is required that each member of the family contribute one blog post, entirely of their own creation, every month. This post must exceed the length of 150 words.
Mealtimes
The family will share meals at least three times a week, once during the week, once on Friday night and once again during the weekend. If the family does not eat together three times a week, each will be subject to cleaning at least one part of a bathroom.
The Continuous Themes
The Continuous Themes are things that the Family will attempt to experiment with to the best of their ability throughout the duration of the experience, are: raw, local, homegrown, fermented, organic, vegan, gluten-free, low-fat, and seasonal food, smoothies, and healthy desserts.
The Monthly Themes
August: Non-packaged, non-processed foods*, a month in which the Family will not purchase, acquire, or consume foods that are packaged or have not been made by their own hands. (Exceptions: flour and other products used to bake, items needed for health such as protein powder and vitamins.)
September: Raw foods*
October: Indian food
November: Thanksgiving, harvest, and “American” foods
December: Christmas foods from around the world
January: Chinese food (to coincide with the Chinese New Year)
February: Soups (because the month of February is typically cold and soups are typically warm, and there are so many varieties of delicious soups out there)
March: African food
April: Spring and Passover food
May: European and Mediterranean food
June: Salads
July: Free month, to leave the family time for vacation, reflection, and extra time for the completion of the Adventure if needed
*These two months should also focus on fermented foods, to give the Family a chance to get the process started so as to have fermented foods at their disposal as the Adventure continues.
The Rules, A Summary
The Family will, to the best of their ability, adhere to the Continuous Themes when making their food. Each member of the family will, to the best of their ability, fulfill their delegated role during the Adventure unless excused by the rest of the Family. The Family will follow the prepared monthly schedule of themes, which will not be changed unless unanimous (without convincing or manipulation) agreement is reached to change it, or unless outside circumstances get in the way. Lastly, the Family will maintain a positive attitude throughout the Adventure, regardless of the taste of the Food or the busy-ness of the Family.
Oath, to be administered by the next oldest in the line of the Family (Mollie will give it to Saul), with the sayer’s right hand on a cookbook of their choice:
“I, [insert full name here], do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of [insert Role here], and will to the best of my ability, follow, preserve, protect, and defend the Contract of the Family Food Adventure.”
By signing and dating the space below, each member of the family promises to abide by the Rules of this Contract, therefore completing the Contract and allowing the Adventure to officially begin.
