{"id":60726,"date":"2016-10-13T00:09:15","date_gmt":"2016-10-13T07:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/?p=60726"},"modified":"2016-10-13T00:09:15","modified_gmt":"2016-10-13T07:09:15","slug":"young-cultivators-merit-badge-grow-forth-beginner-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/60726","title":{"rendered":"Young Cultivators Merit Badge: Grow Forth, Beginner Level"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\tThe adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our<\/span> Sisterhood Merit Badge program<\/span><\/span><\/a>, now with\u00a07,130 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far\u201410,150 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! ~MaryJane\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Wondering who I am? I\u2019m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my <\/span>former life<\/span><\/span><\/a> \u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

For this week\u2019s Garden Gate\/Grow Forth Beginner Level Young Cultivator Merit Badge<\/u><\/a>, I kidnapped <\/span>borrowed Piper from next door and we sat down with a basket of applesauce muffins to make a list of five local eateries that make her life easier and more fun.<\/p>\n

Turns out, ever since the Spaghetti in Her Hair Episode of 2011, Piper\u2019s mom doesn\u2019t frequent restaurants much these days.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t imagine why \u2026<\/p>\n

Anyway, despite my reassurances that there is not<\/em> a big poster of Piper\u2019s face with a slash through it on every door in town, Mom decided not to come on our little Tour of Delight (as we called it).<\/p>\n

An excuse to wander downtown and sample wares? Why, yes, please! The two of us set off with stars in our eyes and a rumbling in our tummies.<\/p>\n

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postcard, Boston Public Library via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

We ducked into a delicatessen, where Piper was shocked and awed to find she actually enjoyed a good sauerkraut; a cookie bakery that was giving out samples of mini snickerdoodles; an organic smoothie shop where we shared a mango and pineapple concoction that was quite delish; a diner that specialized in hand-cut French fries with a special and secret sauce; and a coffee bar that served up a spicy and thick hot chocolate that nearly made me swear off coffee, it was so good.<\/p>\n

I confess, it had been a while for me as far as eating out goes. I had gotten so into growing and cooking my own grub, I\u2019d forgotten the tiny luxury of a sandwich made by someone else, and the feeling of satisfaction I get when I know my money has gone to a local business.<\/p>\n

I was fairly sick with remorse over my lack of attention to my town\u2019s eateries, so I bought a dozen more snickerdoodles to calm my fretful heart. (Yup. Totally did the trick. But just in case the icky feeling came back, I purchased another basket of French fries.)<\/p>\n

Then, our consciences abated, we made another list. This time it was for ideas for our own, imaginary food business. Well, imaginary as of right now anyway \u2026 but you never know.<\/p>\n

Piper and Jane\u2019s Business Ideas (Food Edition)<\/strong><\/p>\n