What’s playing in the kitchen: Milk by Kings of Leon.
Oh thank heavens. We have a milk man!!
I used to live in New Zealand for awhile. While in the tiny town of Te Anau, I had a milk man. I mean that in the most platonic sense.
Whenever I went grocery shopping I’d pick up a bunch of milk tokens. They looked a bit like bread tags. Each was a different color. Everyone’s mailbox had a mailbox on top and a shelf underneath. Whenever you wanted milk or cream, you hung a token on a hook above the shelf in the morning. A yellow tag meant to leave a litre of milk, I think a green token signified cream but I don’t remember. A milkman came by, took your tokens and set your glass milk bottles on the shelf.
In those days as a “roustabout”, every penny I earned meant something to me. Being able to buy those tokens and keep fresh milk in my fridge during the long stretches between paydays was a real treat.
And now, 25 years later, I finally have a dairy delivery service again!!!
We have a good friend who’s a milkman, he’s Pete of Pete’s Milk Delivery. You couldn’t meet a nicer guy (as a side note, he’s a mean skiing machine and has THE BEST fireworks of anyone, ever). When I found out that the milk delivery service was alive and well in the U.S. and coming soon to our little town, I couldn’t wait for it to reach our town.
I signed up for Columbia Basin Home Delivery Service about two weeks and have been like a kid waiting for Santa until my first delivery arrived today. They don’t deliver to my place, so I gave them my best-friend-since-forever’s street address and they delivered it there.
When I first signed up I figured I’d get some milk and butter from my favorite dairy in the world, Pure Eire Dairy.
Sweet Fancy Moses, the dairy is just the tip of the iceberg. Alki Bakery bread, Stumptown Coffee, Tillamook cheddar, greek yogurt, bison of all sorts, poultry, beef, pork, bacon (which I know is technically pork, but seriously, it’s a meat unto itself), organic eggs, OH MY!
My first order represented some seriously repressed emotions that I have around food — mostly that wonderful food is a wonderful treat and that having it delivered to my door (or a door nearby) bordered on a kind of indulgence akin to gold-plated jetted hot tubs that give you a pedi and fix your split ends (or whatever, I really don’t get too fancy beyond pedicures and the once-a-year massage).
To that indulgent end I ordered whole milk, eggs, cheese, bread, yogurts of varying types (YAMI — My favorite!!), and some fancy-pants granola. And I set up my order to be delivered every two weeks.
Cost, including deposit on the glass bottles (yes, really) for the milk and the delivery: $70.00.
By my calculations, that was equal to what I’d have spent if I’d gone to the store and bought the same. However, the real savings is that a) I wasn’t in a store where I’d undoubtedly buy random junk I don’t need (hello, avocado slicer or whatever the heck you are, you weird little tool occupying my utensil drawer) and b) I wasn’t spending my valuable time shopping in a store and c) I WASN’T IN A FRIGGIN’ STORE!!! You know, if you figure your time shopping is worth minimum wage, then technically I saved about $20.00.
A bonus is that I’ve had a hard time finding Yami yogurt here or Alki bakery bread, or Stumptown coffee. Just having those easily accessible is great. (Though, I’m anticipating them adding more local offerings — Roaster’s Coffee? Ethos bread? Frost Me Sweet cupcakes?)
Alright, so that’s what’s happening around the Chuckwagon tonight. I’d encourage you to check them out.
Also, if you’re in Benton City and want to coordinate a Benton City drop spot, let me know! I’ve emailed them at CBHD and they’re happy to do so!
