Wordless Wednesday ~ A Trip to the Zoo

Farmers Markets Stress Me Out

As a self-proclaimed “natural foodie,” I should love farmers markets. And for the first 15 minutes upon arrival, I really do like them. Latte-fueled and brimming with anticipation, I arrive eager to fill my reusable tote with area’s best produce.

But by the time I pass by the sixth stall selling rainbow chard, I start to feel lost.

“Hmmm…,” I wonder. “Should I buy from the guy in the red hat or the lady with the long braid? What about that father and son duo? They seem nice. Ooooh, samples! Wait, did that customer seriously just try to haggle? Am I supposed to be doing that? I’m Scandinavian, for goodness sake! I’m not built for haggling. Hey, I haven’t been down that aisle yet! Oh, yep, more vegetables. No surprises there, huh? Will I look silly if I go back to buy something from the lady with the braid now? I mean, I walked by her stall like four times, looking lost. Wait, where was she even located again? Oh, forget it. Look! Another aisle!”

This year, I’m eliminating the choices and stress by purchasing a community supported agriculture share. Each week, we’ll receive a box full of veggies (and sometimes fruit) grown by a local farmer.

And the best part is that the farm we chose specializes in “normal veggies.” From the farm’s Web site (they also have a cool blog):

"As much as we like the ‘exotic’ vegetables like kohlrabi, pak choi, and arugula, we will not be growing them for the CSA. Instead we focus on heavy amounts of the staples you know and love. You can look forward to broccoli, kale, lettuce, carrots, and peas in the Spring. Summertime brings tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, melons, and more. Onions, potatoes, squash, carrots, cabbage, and other favorites come in the Fall."

I’m excited! And if we get overwhelmed by our weekly box of veggies, I have plenty of neighbors who I’m sure would take some off our hands.

Happy spring!

Ice Cream Weather

What do Minnesotans do when the weather rises above 50 degrees?

We toss off our coats.

We abandon our boots.

And — best of all — we indulge in...


ICE CREAM!

Yesterday, our local (OUTDOOR) ice cream stand opened for the first time since last fall. By the time we made it through the line, the sun was setting and the temperature was dropping. Still, we enjoyed every minute as we slurped and shivered away at our picnic table.

Spring is coming! It's really coming!