Eat Local Project Update

My how time flies! It doesn't seem as though a month has passed since I started this project. It's been very interesting. I certainly didn't get out of it all I'd hoped but I believe my goals were set a bit high for such a short test run. I plan on continuing and taking more notes on what I've learned and how I've adjusted.

What surprised me the most was the produce I hadn't expected to see grown in Michigan. Peaches? In Michigan? Sure is!!! I never knew this. What I did know about was the abundance of cherries, grapes and berries grown here. As a matter of fact, in the city where I live there is a big Strawberry festival every year. I've come across squash, peppers, green beans, potatoes, green leaf vegetables, lettuce, carrots, corn, egg plant, broccoli, cauliflower, green onions, cucumbers, melons and a host of herbs. This is all from just ONE produce market. And there are so many other markets to choose from.

One thing I did notice is that I enjoy coming up with or trying new recipes. I'd fallen into a slump when it came to preparing daily meals. Having this fresh produce was kind of a motivator to make meals that were different but that everyone would still enjoy. If I remember I'll take pics and post them here. Next stop...canning...LOL!

Since fall is approaching I am readying my family for a trip to an apple orchard. I have such fond memories of going apple picking, climbing the trees and pulling a juicy red delicious right from the branch, polishing it off & taking a bite (hey I was a kid and dirt didn't matter lol), drinking cider and eating warm fresh donuts, then falling asleep on the ride home happy and full.

For anyone interested:

Block's Stand & Greenhouse, LLC

29160 Eureka Rd, Romulus, MI 48174

Detroit Eastern Market

2934 Russell, Detroit, MI 48207

Ann Arbor Farmers Market

315 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

People's Food Co-op

216 N. Fourth Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

http://www.peoplesfood.coop

10 Reasons To Eat Locally Grown Food (pdf file)

And so I continue...:)

Where Do I Start?

Celebrate With Style

I recently participated in a blog comment contest on Celebrate With Style . Celebrate With Style is a wonderful resource for tips on planning events, such as parties and fundraisers. The winner would receive several beautiful items donated by awesome shops, on and off Etsy. I was so surprised to learn that I was the winner! So many great items, I was just taken aback. The picture doesn't do them justice. A great big THANK YOU to the Celebrate With Style team and to the designers that participated/donated their wonderful wares. Please stop by Celebrate With Style. There is a wealth of information there that can help ease the stress of planning your next big event.

This is what I received:

Your FlipFlops


Forever Flowers

1. Pretty Pear Designs

2. Get Happy Goat Soap

3. Flying Needle Gallery

1. Colie Art

2. Broken Teepee Designs

3. & 4. Estancia Designs

5. Purple Cloud Studio

6. Cyndie Smith Designs

7. Liebling Art Crafts

8. Hot Rocks Glass Jewels

Eat Local Project

Just a brief update on how my project is coming along. So far I have been able to switch to Michigan potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, yellow squash, zucchini and apples. Well the apples aren't new to the list.:) Michigan apples have long been my preference ever since I first went to an apple orchard as a kid and pulled them right from the tree. I have basil, dill and rosemary from my garden, as well as, lemon verbena and several mints. My banana peppers have bloomed so it won't be long before I can use them.

Blossoming Tree Newsletter

The newsletter that was supposed to go out in July was postponed because of several changes being made with Blossoming Tree Bodycare. All new information will be shared in the August newsletter. If you haven't signed up yet you can do so using the form on the right sidebar.

More Etsy Goodness

I received these packages this week as well.

3 Jumbo Caffe Mocha Coffee Espresso Glass Magnets from myrockart.etsy.com purchased for me by my Secret Pal from The Soap Dish forum.:) Aren't they cute?

Nicotiana Fragrant Delight seeds from fluffnflowers.etsy.com (not pictured)
Blackberry plant from fluffnflowers.etsy.com

These two were purchased from my Etsy Organic teammate fluffnflowers. I'm so excited about these. I hope they are resistant to my "thumb of death" LOL. I try hard to do right by my plants. I'm very impressed by those that survive my care.:D

And For Good Measure More Wildflower Photos

Local Produce

I took a little trip to a local produce market trying to get a heads-up on my experiment. This is what I found. I also located a couple u-pick farms close by. I hope to go to one of them sometime next week.

Support Local Farming Project Part 2

Here's my plan. I want to try this starting August 1 through 31.

1. Weekly shopping at local farmer's and produce markets
2. Purchase only what is grown locally
3. Track my purchases and compare to what is found (that I'd normally buy) in supermarkets
4. Track savings
5. Post weekly updates and maybe a photo of dishes I prepared (that is if it's photo-worthy lol)

Pretty simple really. Of course I'm sure I'll be limited in what I can get but that's all part of this experiment. Also I live in Michigan so I also would like to know what I can preserve for the winter months.

What I have on hand that I'm growing myself:

• basil
• rosemary
• dill
• peppermint
• spearmint
• chocolate mint
• ginger mint
• strawberries
• lemon verbena
• lemon balm
• pineapple sage

That's it really. I started late with my planting this year so I'm really low in choices. But that's OK. There are several farms around and some are U-pick.

If you'd like to join and have me to post your update I'd be happy to. Should be interesting!:)

Diary 2009 Project - Deadline Extended

There are still a few dates left for fantazya's project. It's a great promotional tool. Check out her blog for full details and contact information. The deadline is now set for July 25, 2008.

Diary 2009 Project

This is such a neat project run by fantazya. It's a great promotional tool. It looks as if there are still a few spots available. Check out her blog for full details and contact information. The deadline is set for July 15, 2008.