I love Spring. I mean really, who doesn’t? Everything is blooming, flowers and trees of the like. The mood and the air changes from the darker, heavier days of winter and we begin to shed our layers, external and internal. There’s a palpable shift in energy in our relationships, often our jobs, and of course the most glaringly obvious place (at least to me!), the farmer’s market.
With warmer temperatures comes a bevy of some very special seasonal produce. These items have a tiny window of life – they thrive at their peak and then they’re off again until next Spring.
Before I know it these guys are gone from the markets, so this year I wanted myself, and my Bella Beauties, to be prepared for these vegetable gems to show up on weekend shopping trips. (more…) read more →
There’s so much hype about organic, local and whole foods that your weekly grocery-shopping trip can get seriously confusing. It’s pretty obvious that local, organic, whole foods – like the veggies, eggs, meat and fruit found at your local farmers’ market – are best for your body and our earth. But, if we don’t have access to a market or co-op or prefer to shop in a grocery store, what should we be looking for? What’s best for our bellies, families and earth?
1. Go local. First and foremost choose local items if available. Buying locally grown produce and meat supports the local community, reduces the amount of shipping need to get the foods to you, and also, local farms typically use organic and ethical practices. Also, local foods are seasonal foods, meaning the environment in which they are grown is not altered to create artificial conditions to help them grow. (more…) read more →