Farmer's Market Fridays - 7/26/13

Yes, it's almost August and this is my first Farmer's Market post of the summer.  Why the delay?  Let me explain.  I could say I've been out of town on Fridays this summer and haven't gone to the market.  Which is mostly true.  However, the real reason is that the Dearborn Farmer's and Artisan Market has been a real disappointment this year.  It is under new management and many of the vendors from previous years are not back.  I went about a month ago and there was only one produce vendor.  ONE.  If you ask me, a farmer's market needs to have more than bread, cookies, jams, soap, and crafty items.  Those things are fine to have (you know I LOVE my soap!) but they have to be in addition to fresh fruits and vegetables.  After that I didn't go back. 

Today I decided to give it another chance.  Well, mostly I wanted to buy soap (shocking, I know) but I figured I'd take a look around and see what else was there.  It was better than last month but still not good.  In total there were 5 produce vendors - 3 selling vegetables, 1 selling fruit, and 1 selling both vegetables and fruit.  The rest were artisans with bread and cookies, pies, plates, candles, jewelery, wooden boxes, jams, and wired art.  The Dearborn Animal Shelter had dog cookies and Oakwood Hospital was doing free blood pressure screening.  Binell Bros. were sharpening knives.  All that is fine and good but only 5 produce vendors?  Seriously?  And my favorite, Farmer Glen, didn't come back this year with his "no spray" carrots and parsnips.  He's been a stand-by since year one. 

I did pick up some cherries, a bunch of kale, and one cucumber.  And my Cellar Door Soaps, of course.  Today's selections were Patchouli Bergamot, Cherries Jubilee, and Jaguar Fever. 

The Dearborn Farmer's Market has always been small but it had been growing from year to year.  Until this year.  Now there are significantly fewer vendors and with that you inevitably have fewer customers.  There are extended market hours - until 3pm instead of 1pm - but it doesn't sound like that's helping to swell the crowds.  Or bring in the vendors.

I'm not sure what's going to happen to our market next year.  Unless they can get more produce vendors, I don't see how they will be sustainable as a farmer's market.  I'd love to see Dearborn turn it around and make a go of it.  Sadly, I think they may have lost this season but my hope is that next season will be better.  

What do you love about your local farmers market? 

Summer Soaps from Cellar Door Soap & Skin

Seriously, where is the summer going?!  I know I've been delinquent in general here on the blog, but this post specifically is one that I've been wanting to do since May.  Yes, MAY.  So yeah, it's a little late and some of these soaps might be gone.  But if so, worry not because they have so many to choose from!  I honestly cannot keep up with all the soaps that Cellar Door has been putting out.  Every time I turn around there's another amazing new scent.  And you know how I have a hard time exercising restraint when it comes to soap!  Especially new soap.  And limited edition soap?  Uh oh.

Here are a few really great ones from the summer collection (that I haven't used and/or given away yet):

And this is obviously my FAVORITE from the summer collection.  But I didn't have to tell you that, did I?  (wink, wink)

I also really liked Grass Stain and Tomato Vine.  Both were fresh, clean outdoorsy scents.

Some other great soaps I want to hoard in my closet are Yuzu (grapefruit), Patchouli Bergamot (smells more bergamot than patchouli), and Lemon Verbena.  Just to name a few, of course!

Check out Cellar Door on Facebook to find your favorite soap!  You can also order online.  But I recommend going to the market and getting your nose right up to the soap.  That's what I do!

What is your favorite summer scent?

Vegan-Friendly Holiday Soaps

Even though it's only November 5th, you can't fight the fact that the holidays are bearing down upon us and will be here before we know it.  Thanksgiving is early this year and I just heard on the radio that it's only 49 days until Christmas!  

If you ask me, it's still too soon.  I'm not ready to think about the holidays!  But when it comes to soap - especially the just-released limited-edition Holiday Collection from Cellar Door Soap Co. - it can never be too early to bring on the holiday cheer.  We're past farmers' market season so I've been worrying for weeks about how I was going to get my hands on the holiday soaps.  (What?  Doesn't everyone lose a little sleep over soap now and again?)  I needn't have worried, however, because it's craft fair season and this Saturday Cellar Door was at not one but two fairs for the big release of the new soaps.  And I made sure I was at one of them.

You may recall my Fall and Halloween soap-buying extravaganza when I bought ten bars of soap at once.  I just couldn't decide!  This time I exercised a little restraint and didn't buy every new soap in the Holiday Collection.  I did, however, buy multiple bars of my favorites so I still left with ten bars.  Plus the two I picked up for Katie.  That doesn't really count as "exercising restraint" now, does it?  ha ha!

  

Hands down, Christmas Cookies is my absolute favorite.  It smells exactly as you'd think it would smell.  I've been waiting for a vegan sugar cookie soap and was super excited to see this in the Holiday Collection.  I bought two bars but now I'm regretting not buying more.  This one is almost out of stock already!  Chestnuts Roasting is a close second favorite.  It smells like a delicious dessert made with chestnuts, brown sugar, and caramel.  I also bought two bars of this one.  The one hiding in the back is Pumpkin Pie.  Mmmmm...

 

Santa's Pipe is another one that I bought two bars of.  It reminds me of Once Bitten from the Halloween Collection because of the cherry and vanilla but it also has raspberry and a hint of tobacco.  Not that I'm a fan of tobacco but it really works here.  As for Krampus, it has a fabulous scent of lemon, mint, vanilla, and menthol, but I would have bought it for the name alone.  Krampus is a mythical creature who goes along with St. Nicholas and punishes the bad children, sometimes even taking away those who are especially naughty!  How had I never heard of Krampus before??

 

I picked out North Pole Forest and Sugared Spruce with Brian in mind.  He loves Christmas trees so I thought he'd like them.  Both of them smell like a walk through the woods!

Here's the full Holiday Collection, including the 3 soaps I did not buy - Bayberry, Frost Bite, and Peppermint Mocha.  If you want to get your hands on some of these, you can order online but you better hurry.  They won't be around for long . . . and don't expect to come shopping in my closet!  (Unless you want a good deal on some Lush soap.  Ha ha!)

What is your favorite holiday scent?

Fall & Halloween Soaps from Cellar Door

Last Saturday I ran my fastest 10k ever.  As I mentioned in my post about the race, my initial motivation to run fast was the new Fall and Halloween soaps waiting for me from Cellar Door Soap Co.  Yes, I was pouring on the speed for soap!  (And for a 1st place medal, if possible.  But that would be icing on cake!)

So, without further ado, here they are!  First off, let me tell you about the Fall Collection.  As you can see there are 5 - Apple Jack, Apple Wood, Pumpkin Butter, Lavender Pumpkin and Chai Latte.  Although it's pretty hard to choose a favorite, if I had to pick one I think I'd say the Apple Jack.  It's has a very strong apple scent with a hint of orange and spice to it.  The Apple Wood, on the other hand, is a little more subtle and sweeter.  

My second favorite is probably the Pumpkin Butter, which has both pumpkin and apple scents.  The Lavender Pumpkin surprised me.  I am not a big fan of lavender so I wasn't sure how I would like it but this one is amazing!  Smell it and you'll agree.  I think this will be the first hand soap for us.  Last but certainly not least is the Chai Latte.  I'm sure you've had a chai latte drink so I don't have to describe how this one smells.  Wait a minute - I've never had a chai latte!  So in case you're wondering, this one has cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, and (since it's Fall) pumpkin.  Mmmmm!

Next up is the Halloween Collection, which also has 5 - Once Bitten, Zombie Repellent, Pumpkin Head, Witches Brew, and Wolfsbane.   My favorite BY FAR is Once Bitten.  I'm surprised that I like this as much as I do because it's a cherry-vanilla soap and I am generally not a fan of cherry-scented things.  But oh my is this amazing!  Does the vampire theme make me love it too?  Maybe a little.  

I can't decide if I like Zombie Repellent or Pumpkin Head better.  I think they tie for second favorite.  Pumpkin Head mixes pumpkin and cinnamon so it's spicier than the Fall pumpkin soaps.  I really like this one!  Zombie Repellent has a musky woodsy scent but it's not overwhelmingly spicy.  I would consider it pretty neutral.  Just a great soap with a kick-ass name.  Last up are Witches Brew and Wolfsbane, which I think are both a little more gentlemanly.  Witches Brew has balsam and patchouli and Wolfsbane has anise and herbs, giving it a subtle licorice scent.  Brian will smell very nice.

There you have it - 10 new soaps added to my collection!  (Yes, I bought 10 bars in one day.  No judgment, please.)  I can't wait to use each and every one of them.  If you have a chance, check out Cellar Door Soap Co. and see what Fall and Halloween soaps are left.  They're going fast!

BTW, my niece now calls me "Auntie Soap!"

What is your favorite Fall scent?

Farmer's Market Fridays - 8/24/12

All summer long I knew this day would come but there is still no way I could be prepared for it.  How could I be prepared for my last summer Friday?  How could I be ready for the last Friday where I get to wake up and go to yoga, then leisurely stroll over to Starbucks for my coffee and oatmeal (which, BTW, I don't even have to order anymore because my ladies know me so well), and then go hang out at the farmer's market with all my favorite vendors - nay - friends?  There's no way to be ready for that.  No way.

But alas, ready or not, today was that day.  The weather was gorgeous so I really took my time at the market, chatting it up at all my favorite booths - Perkins Pickles, The Granola Tree, and Cellar Door Soap Co.  (In fact, I talked for so long that my mom finally left me at the market and went home!)  

I was most excited about Perkins Pickles because I used up my chow chow a few weeks ago and have been craving it ever since.  Although it was quite tempting to buy more, I limited myself to two jars.  Oh, and look!  It matches my hair!

At The Granola Tree I bought two more jars of Carrot Cake Jam and one of Cranberry Orange Marmalade.  You know how I love to make my Carrot Cake Jam Oatmeal!  I also found that the Cranberry Orange Marmalade, with slivered almonds and dried cranberries, makes a fantastic oatmeal, as well.

Believe it or not, I managed to walk away from Cellar Door without buying any soap.  It wasn't easy but I managed.  It helped that Brandon told me I couldn't buy any.  Repeatedly.  I'm glad he intervened because I need to save my soap money for next weekend when the Fall and Halloween soaps come out.  There are going to be TEN of them!!  And you know that I won't be able to pick and choose so I'll be coming home with TEN new soaps next week.  Brandon has been previewing one new soap each day on Facebook and will continue to do so up until the September 1st release date.  So far we've seen "Witches Brew," "Zombie Repellent," "Chai Latte," and "Apple Wood."  I can't wait to see the rest - and buy them all!  Muhahahahaha!

There was a new vendor this week at the market - Motor City Munchies.  They sell energy bars made with medjool dates, nuts, and hemp or chia seeds.  (Similar to Larabars but local, fresher, and more flavorful.)  In addition to the base ingredients, some also have vanilla, cinnamon, coconut, or cacao nibs.  They are all organic, gluten free, raw, and vegan.  There are 3 flavors - Raw Energy, Raw Vitality, and Raw Indulgence.  I sampled all three.  While all of the bars were delicious, I ended up buying the Raw Indulgence Bar, which has dates, cashews, cacao nibs, coconut, hemp seeds, vanilla, and cinnamon.  (Definitely the most indulgent of the three!)  While the bars are not cheap - $3 each - I wanted to support this new local business and figured it would be a nice treat.

I also finally bought some of Matt's Mix all-purpose seasoning.  Matt has been at the market for years.  I was talking to him last week about different vegetarian/vegan restaurants (his wife is vegan) and it occurred to me that I've never tried his mix!  So today I made sure to buy some.  It's a blend of Kosher salt, garlic, herbs, and spices that he claims is "great on everything!"  And I really don't think he would say it was if it wasn't.  I plan on using it on grilled veggies, kale chips, and popcorn with nutritional yeast.  There are recipes on his website; he specifically recommended I try the Black Bean Roasted Corn and Avocado Salad with Red Quinoa.  Thanks, Matt.  I think I will! 

Oh, and I bought some produce.  I picked up 4 huge red tomatoes and a massive bunch of curly kale.  Gotta make my kale chips - with Matt's Mix, of course!

So, that was my last summer Farmer's Market Friday.  But even though it was MY last day, the market still goes until the end of October.  Although who knows, perhaps I'll manage to sneak off work and get in one more trip before the season is over . . .

Happy weekend everyone!

Farmer's Market Fridays - 8/17/12

Today has been the most perfect day.  Which I have to say I really needed because it has not been all that great of a week for me.  (I'll spare you the "Debbie Downer" wah-wah details.  In hindsight, maybe starting my week with reading the Rachel Dratch memoir was a bad idea.)  I woke up feeling pretty positive, though, and was thankful I had yoga to start my day.  I met my mom and Callie at Sattva for a pretty challenging practice.  Although I felt really stiff at the beginning, after what seemed like 20 sun salutes I was a bit more loosened up!

After yoga we walked over to Starbucks for the usual post-yoga breakfast - Perfect Oatmeal with all the toppings and a Venti coffee.  The weather is gorgeous - temps in the low 70's and sunny with blue skies and fluffy white clouds - so we sat outside while we ate and sipped our coffee.  It was the kind of morning where we probably could have sat there for hours because it was so beautiful outside!

But we had to move on.  There were jams to be tasted and soaps to be smelled!  So off to the farmer's market we went.  From The Granola Tree I bought more Carrot Cake Jam (I went through nearly a whole jar in my oatmeal last week!) and a new flavor this week - Cranberry Orange Marmalade.  Mmm, super delish!  I'll be trying that in my oatmeal with some almonds for sure!

My current stash - Carrot Cake, Cranberry Orange, and Strawberry Coconut

Next stop, why Cellar Door Soap Co., of course!  Today I was on a mission for some gentlemanly soaps.  I really want Brian to start using Cellar Door Soaps.  He's been testing out my "Turkish Mocha" and has liked it well enough but I think he would really settle into it if he had his own gentlemanly bar.  (Not that they aren't ALL manly enough but well, you know.)  So anyway, there are a few different scents of the gentlemanly variety and I wanted to make sure to get one that was moisturizing enough for his skin.  Brandon's sister was running the booth today and she suggested either Sex Panther or Blackbeard's Delight.  You probably want to know, "Which one smells better?"  Tough to say.  They both smell pretty awesome.  That's not the question I asked myself, though.  The real question was, "WWNPHD?"  (That's, "What would Neil Patrick Harris do?")  If you read my post a few weeks ago, then you know which soap I bought for Brian.  

I also bought one of the Cellar Door soap wooden soap dishes (pictured below).  I've always used the soap exclusively in the shower but now I'm going to start using it for hand soap.  Uh oh, looks like I'll be going through soap a bit quicker now!

lively Lemon Verbena and sultry Sex Panther

Besides soap, I bought Brian some of his favorite Traffic Jam cookies. I also bought two kinds of heirloom cherry tomatoes - one container of red and one of yellow.  They will be perfect for roasting with just a little salt and pepper and fresh basil.  Our favorite!

Oh, and then I got a pedicure.  I had my toenails painted purple to match the purple streaks in my hair.  What did I tell you?  A perfect day!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Farmer's Market Fridays - 8/10/12

I know it's been two weeks since my last farmer's market post.  It's not that I didn't go last week - I just didn't get anything that seemed exciting enough to write about.  And I have to admit that last Friday I was feeling a little lazy when it came to blogging.  Ah well.  It happens.

Today is a dreary day.  A good day to sit at the computer.  It's cloudy, rainy, and only about 65 degrees.  Quite a change from last week when it was in the upper 90's and sunny! 

Callie - my new sister-in-law (yay!) - joined my mom and me for our Friday morning routine of yoga, Starbucks, and the Farmer's Market.  Since it was raining there weren't as many vendors at the market but there was still a decent turn-out.  I bought 4 big red tomatoes as well as a container of sweet purple cherry tomatoes.

We also visited Cellar Door so Callie could pick up a few bars of soap.  Since there weren't any new scents today I didn't get any for myself but I think I smelled every single bar!  Brandon was telling me about the Halloween soaps he was working on recently.  I can't wait for those!

Well, today seems like a good day to curl up on the couch with the cats and a book.  And probably take a nap.

Happy Friday!

Farmer's Market Fridays - 7/27/12

Friday already?  This week has flown by!  I know I haven't posted much lately but It's been a busy week around here for this Lady of Leisure.  Brian's younger brother is getting married tomorrow so I did a lot of running around earlier in the week hunting down shoes and accessories for my outfit.  And yesterday I was in Ann Arbor all day for a free Mayer Hawthorne concert, which turned out to be possibly the best show I've ever been to.  I went by myself, met some cool people to sit with in the SIXTH ROW, and sang and danced along with Mayer for over an hour.  If you don't know Mayer Hawthorne, do yourself a favor and check him out.  

Okay, on to the real reason you're reading this post.  The farmer's market.  I actually didn't buy very much today.  With the wedding this weekend we won't be home for dinner tonight or tomorrow and I very much doubt I'll feel like cooking on Sunday.  The only produce I bought was some zucchini and yellow squash from Farmer Glen to put on the grill later in the week.

Then I went to Cellar Door Soap Co.  I had already warned Brian that I would be buying soap today.  (He pretended he didn't hear me.  He can't say I didn't warn him.)  Now, before I get to the soap that I bought, let me tell you a little story.  A little story about NPH.  (That's Neil Patrick Harris, but you already knew that.)  This is the story told to me by Brandon from Cellar Door, who was oh so lucky to meet Dr. Horrible in the flesh.  (He's keeping his fingers crossed that he meets Nathan Fillion next.)

It was an especially busy Sunday at the Canton Farmer's Market, when who should happen upon the Cellar Door Soap booth but NPH himself (quite incognito in sunglasses, a baseball hat, and a striped tank top - I got to see a pic!).  He was on his own at the time, just sort of doing his thing, smelling the soaps.  (FYI - I asked about his soap-smelling technique.  It sounds like he's a bit of a dainty sniffer.  Unlike yours truly!)  Brandon was otherwise occupied and didn't recognize him.  Eventually NPH moved on to some other booths. Fortunately, his girlfriend had a keen eye and did recognize him so she scooted over with a bar of Sex Panther (their best-selling soap, BTW).  They were quite discreet and very cool about not making a scene for NPH, which I'm sure he appreciated.  He ended up going back to their booth and buying a bar of Pineapple Grove.  When I found out about this on Facebook I was so excited because I, too, had used Pineapple Grove just that morning!  My reaction to the news went something like this (and you'll note I brought out his full name because this was serious):

"Oh my God Neil Patrick Harris bought Pineapple Grove!  (pause)

I use the same soap as Neil Patrick Harris!!  (wait for it . . .)

I might smell just like Neil Patrick Harris!!!"

Unfortunately for Brian we were in the car so his ears were really ringing after that one.  Then I had to wait all week to hear the full story of NPH going to Cellar Door at the Canton Farmer's Market.  Oh, and for those of you who don't know why he might have been in Canton in the first place, his fiancé is from the area and has family in Canton.  So there are NPH sightings around here from time to time.  I'm still hoping for one myself. Until then I live vicariously through others.

Pictured below are the soaps I bought today.  My mom bought Orange Clove for herself and a couple of bars of Sex Panther to send to some of my guy cousins.  Inappropriate? Perhaps.  But in my family?  Nah.

I also stopped, of course, at The Granola Tree and bought a jar of jam.  This is one that I tried a few weeks ago and made a mental note to buy another day.  Today was that day. This would be delicious made into a dressing to serve over a spinach salad with strawberries, walnuts, and mandarin oranges.  Or just spread over a hearty whole-grain piece of toast.  

Tomorrow night is the wedding.  It's going to be at the Rattlesnake Club in Detroit and it's going to be very swanky.  I'm even going to get a vegan meal!  You'll be getting a full report next week, plus notes on the rehearsal dinner, which will be tonight at Mudgie's Deli (stellar vegan sandwiches included).  

Happy weekend!

Farmer's Market Fridays - 6/29/12

Hi.  My name is Amanda.  And I'm a soapaholic.  (Add that to the dictionary, spell check!)  I just can't stop buying soap!!  Hey, there are worse things to be obsessed with than soap, right?  And showering?  And being clean?  And supporting super awesome local businesses?  Definitely.

So today I made my second trip this summer to the Dearborn Farmer's and Artisan Market.  The last time I went was the first day it opened and I wasn't going to buy any soap from Cellar Door Soap Co.  I bought 3 bars.  Today I definitely wasn't going to buy any soap.  I bought 4 bars.  In my defense, I filled up my punch card so I got one free.  And they're 3/$15 so it would be silly not to get 3 more.  Plus there were three new ones that I hadn't smelled yet and one - Orange Clove - that is a leftover seasonal soap and almost sold out.  (Although it turns out I actually bought this last time so now I have two - oops!)  So there ya go - 4 bars of soap.  sigh.  Like I said, people struggle with far worse addictions.

Two light refreshing summer scents.

Don't let the name fool you - there's no honey in Tupelo Honey.  All their soaps are vegan!  It has a nice subtle honey/vanilla/coconut smell.  mmmmm!

There was more produce today than last month, so that was definitely nice to see!  I saw some delicious-looking berries and cherries.  I even saw the first of the peaches today.  I am definitely buying some fruit next week! 

Red spinach

Blueberries and cherries

I visited a new vendor called The Granola Tree.  They sell natural peanut butter, almond butter, jam, granola, oatmeal, and coconut.  (Not all of their products are vegan so check the labels.)  I bought a carrot cake jam that is absolutely amazing.  You would not believe how much it tastes like carrot cake!  I can't wait to try it out on toast and maybe even to stir it into some oatmeal.  They have some other interesting flavors of jams and some unique peanut butter flavors, as well.  (Again, a few have milk so check.)

It was such a beautiful morning to stroll through the market and talk to vendors.  I was feeling pretty good after yoga and my Venti iced coffee and oatmeal from Starbucks.  I even stopped to get my blood pressure checked.  (The nurse looked rather lonely and seemed to want some company so I figured I'd pay her a visit.)  She was laughing at how excited I was to have it checked.  When she checked it she knew why - 100/76.  Wahoo!  Then I got a free tote bag.  Bonus!  You know how teachers love free tote bags!  

And here's the produce I bought today:

squash, kohlrabi, and asparagus

massive bunch of kale

So that's been my morning.  It's going to be another hot one so I better get outside now for a little yard work before it gets too much hotter.  After that I'll certainly need to take a shower.  Hmmm . . . which soap will I use today???

Are you as obsessed with handmade soap as I am?

 

Farmer's Market Fridays - 5/25/12

Yesterday was opening day at the Dearborn Farmer's and Artisan Market.  I had the day off work for the holiday weekend so I made a quick stop.  (I didn't stay long because I was sandwiching it between my morning run and a pedicure appointment.)  It was a beautiful day and although it was a little sparse in terms of both vendors and visitors, everyone seemed quite happy to be out in the sunshine.

Because it's still early, there weren't many vegetables.  I saw a lot of asparagus, some of which I bought from Farmer Glen.  There was also a lot of fresh herb plants, as well as plenty of beautiful annual flowers.  It's definitely too early in the season for any fruit.

Farmer Glen's fresh asparagus

Before I got to the market, I promised myself I wouldn't buy any soap.  If you remember my Lush binge at Christmas time, you know I have enough soap to last me into the next century.  However, when I found myself at Cellar Door Soap Co., I quickly forgot my promise.  And I can't just buy one soap.  Not when they're 3/$15.  So I left with 3 new soaps.  I bought the last bar of Turkish Mocha.  SOOOOO yummy!  I also bought Orange Clove and Peach Bellini.  

Cellar Door Soap Co.

There's also a new soap maker in town - Union Street Soapworks.  Not all of these soaps are vegan (some use goat milk or honey) so read the labels carefully.  I love that they use avocado and coconut; also essential oils.   I'll definitely try out some of these later in the summer.  (Note - you may want to try out "Dirt" or "Beer Soap" for the man in your life.  Intriguing, right?)

Did you go to a Farmer's Market this weekend?

Farmer's Market Fridays - 10/7/11

Bet you thought you wouldn't see another one of these posts til next summer.  Well, an unfortunate circumstance led me to the farmer's market on Friday.  

I know that 1st grade germs are brutal.  Turns out they're even worse than I thought!  I was sick for over a week with a pretty bad cold.  I was taking cold medicine and resting but wasn't feeling better.  As time went on and it actually seemed to get worse, I figured it was a sinus infection and I should see a doctor.  It didn't explain the persistent smoker's cough that was keeping me up all night long but I didn't think it was a big deal.  That would go away.

So I went to the doctor.  Sinus infection?  Check.  Oh, and pneumonia on one side.  What?!?  Obviously it isn't the worst case of it but it's there.  Who'da thunk?  So my doctor recommended a few days of rest, gave me some medication including an inhaler, and said NO RUNNING.  I had the Big House Big Heart 10K planned tomorrow, which I obviously won't be doing.  And wouldn't you know that we're having the most beautiful October weather ever?  It's absolutely perfect weather for running!  Very frustrating!  I just hope that I'll be better by next Sunday to do the Detroit Free Press 1/2 marathon. 

Okay, back to the market.  Since I hadn't planned on taking the day off, I went in to work early to leave sub plans.  On my way home, I stopped at the market to pick up my share from Living Stones.

dinosaur kale and the last tomatoes of the season

mixed greens

golden beets

leeks and baby bok choy

eggplant and peppers

butternut and delicata squash

I also bought some of the limited edition Halloween and Fall soaps from Cellar Door Soap Co.  I'm a sucker for limited edition bath products.  There were a few others that were very tempting but I restrained myself and only bought 3 bars (I still have 3 in my closet plus the one I'm currently using).  You should definitely check them out for yourself before they're all gone.

I also got some carrots from Farmer Glen.  I was so glad to get to see him one last time before the year was out.  

That was it.  I didn't linger long, figuring no one wanted me coughing all over their produce.  Avalon wasn't there so I couldn't even treat myself to a date bar.  Tomorrow's my birthday so I think Brian and I might make a trip downtown to the bakery to get one.  I'll let you know if we do.

Have a great weekend!

Farmer's Market Fridays - 6/17/11

Friday is my favorite day of the week, even in the summer when I'm not working and waiting for the weekend.  My mom and I spend the morning together.  We start with a 7:45 yoga session at Sattva Yoga Center, which was particularly challenging for me today due to the fact that it has been months since I've done yoga and I haven't been very good about stretching after my workouts.  Touch my toes?  I could barely touch my knees!  Hopefully next week will be a little easier.

Our next stop after yoga is the Dearborn Farmer's and Artisan Market.  Today is a gorgeous, sunny day - perfect for strolling around looking at all the beautiful flowers and plants, fresh greens, and ripe red Michigan strawberries.  I of course made a beeline straight to Avalon, as I do every week, for my date bar.  (Read my previous post for more about Avalon and my date bar obsession.)  Today they had a lot of their vegan goodies but I exercised restraint and only bought the date bar.  Although the 2-pack of Dequindre Cut Trail Mix cookies was awfully tempting...

The carrot cake, granola bars, and date bars are all vegan.  I can vouch for all of them - they are delicious!

Once I'd secured my date bar, we headed over to Living Stones Farm so we could pick up our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares.  My mom gets half a share and my friend and I are sharing a full.  Living Stones is great because they help people with training and skills after they have been incarcerated.  They are wonderful people and their produce has never been anything but fresh and delicious.  Today our share included collards, salad mix, radishes, kale, lettuce, and sunflower shoots. We love having Amy as our personal farmer!

Next we went to visit our other favorite farmer - Farmer Glen.  He's there every week, rain or shine, always in his overalls and with a big smile on his face.  If you want some really delicious carrots, parsnips, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts, you have to get them from Farmer Glen.  Since I'd gotten so much from our CSA, however, I only bought a basil plant.  I think it's about time I plant my herb garden and you can't have an herb garden without basil.  My mom bought asparagus and Romain lettuce.

I love the handmade "no spray" signs he puts on everything!

We also went to Traffic Jam and Snug, where I bought Brian a package of Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip cookies - 5/$5 and they are huge!  Unfortunately, Traffic Jam is not quite as vegan-friendly as Avalon so I don't ever get anything there for myself.


New to the market this year is Cellar Door Soap Co., which has a large selection of eco-friendly handmade soaps that are ALL VEGAN!  Even the Oatmeal Milk and Honey soap, which contains neither milk nor honey, is vegan.  Of course I had to buy it.  Each bar is $6 or you can buy 3/$15.  Along with the Oatmeal Milk and Honey I bought Vanilla Almond and Lime in the Coconut.  I see myself making several return trips to Cellar Door in the coming months to try the other scents.

Although I had already spent quite enough money as it was, I couldn't resist buying a quart of Michigan strawberries.  There's really no comparison between Michigan berries straight from a local farm and the California berries I usually buy at Kroger.  They are well-worth the higher price tag.

Fresh berries from Prochaska Farms

After we're done at the market we always walk over to the Panera Cares Cafe where we have coffee and I eat my date bar.  THIS is the best part of the morning!  (If you are unfamiliar with how Panera Cares Cafe differs from the regular Panera Cafes, please read  this article.  It's wonderful that they chose to open one in Dearborn and I support them whenever I can.)

So there you have it - all the reasons I love my summer Fridays.  Now I'd say it's time for a quick run and a refreshing Banana Chamomile Smoothie.  Happy Friday!

NOTE: Check back next week for more pictures.  I was trying to juggle my purse, produce, and baked goods (all while protecting my precious date bar) and in the process dropped my iPhone on the ground.  Thankfully it's okay but I was a little hesitant to take photos after that!