Eat and drink local

So this morning the DH ("dear husband" for those not in the know) and I are on a mission to be kid free for at least an hour or two. We hadn't had breakfast or even a morning cup of coffee, but we did have the midtown farmers market in mind so we headed in that direction. Eating local has been a huge topic in our home, around the city, and on the news for some time now. I am inspired to buy as much locally as possible by purchasing from vendors at the various farmers markets, the co-ops around town, as well as our small neighborhood grocery store Oxendale's Market.  At any of these locations you can find information regarding their efforts to either buy, sale, or grow local products you want to buy. Having sold my own jellies and jams at a local farmers market in the past I learned the importance of buying close to home and how it can improve the quality and appeal of my own products as well as support a neighboring vendor in their farming efforts.

Having a child with allergies and various family members with diabetes and high blood pressure has also fueled my efforts to find wholesome food that hasn't been contaminated with pesticides, artificial dyes and sweeteners. I always get the "poor you" looks from people after asking them for an ingredient list. They ask what allergen I'm looking for, and when I say dye and sweeteners they think I'm crazy to think I can actually find "good" food without it. If you follow this blog you know I do a lot of cooking and baking for my family as well as gardening to support these two past times. I don't find it a bother or an inconvenience to provide good wholesome food for myself or them. That's what grandmothers did for our parents generation when they were kids right? Sure we have come a long way as a society with our tools and gadgets and "easy" fixes. However adding pesticides and poisons to the mix has set us back a long long way gastronomically speaking.  Is it really that hard to choose beet or carrot juice to color your frosting or easter eggs versus a petroleum or bug based colorant? I think so! It's always best to know exactly where your food is coming from.

So as I started out saying, the DH and I headed out to the market and we tried the tacos al pastor and carne asada. This didn't quite hit the spot like we thought it would. What a bummer..... And we still hadn't had a cup of joe. So on the way home we remembered that Peace Coffee had set up shop in the neighborhood and we had yet to check out their newest location since visting their display at the State Fair and the local CSA fair. I wish I had been of the mind to show you the delicious blueberry danish and decadent mocha before I all but inhaled them. I can tell you now that they were AWESOME!!! The perfect not to sweet pastry and fair trade rich bold blended drink made my day. You see what's left don't you? Narely a crumb! Oh well, I hope you'll come and check them out for yourself. As for my plans for the rest of the day... I will be hidng from the kids a little longer to see what other mayhem or deliciousness the hub and I can find. Happy Planting Fussing and Finding!