Sunshine and 99 Degree Weather

This post is coming a little late because of pictures having to be transferred but better late than never! Last week we had a great turnout for such a hot, hot day. The high was up in the 90's with a heat index in the 100's. Things were heating up. Literally.

Five of our farmers came out last week and brought lots of variety for their customers. They had beautiful produce, cut flowers, herbs, honey, eggs, and much more! Watermelons, peaches, cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash were just a few of the items being purchased.

    

Our food sample last week was corn and black bean dip which called for fresh corn, fresh tomatoes, and fresh peppers along with a few other simple ingredients. Dips can be a great addition to a summer barbecue or a family reunion or church event. They can also be used as an easy summer lunch. The problem with dips is when we start adding to much of the unhealthy stuff and not enough of the healthier stuff. I like to use the rule - the more colorful the dip the better. That way you know you've probably added more veggies and plant-based foods than all the other stuff. The recipe we used for Thursday did not originally use bell peppers and tomatoes or fresh corn but we thought it would taste even better with fresh corn and we could get more veggies in by adding the peppers and tomatoes. It definitely added color too! Adding vegetables to dips helps make the dip more filling so we eat less of it and most veggies are practically "free" calories. We also substituted the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. So we want to challenge you! The next time you find a recipe for a delicious dip - or even make one you've made for years - try to add 1 or 2 veggie additions and substitute out 1 or 2 of the other "less healthy" options. You'd be surprised at how much better it tastes and how much more filling it is! 

This weeks raffle was an awesome yoga bundle that included a yoga mat, yoga dvd, and a core strength yoga exercise band. The winner was very excited to try some at home workouts as she is very busy working a full time job plus a job on the weekends! We are happy she got this great prize and are looking forward to hearing how she enjoys using it. We also gave away reusable shopping totes to everyone who completed our survey and if you didn't get a chance to do the survey and get a free bag make sure you stop by this week!

We are looking forward to another great week with even better weather and a great turnout of farmers! See you Thursday!