What can Honey do you for you?

Who knew all those bees were working hard for us? The honey they create doesn't just taste good, it has health benefits that you might not know about...Here's 5 great reasons to take honey each and every day!Honey is a natural source of carbohydrates which provide strength and energy to our bodies. It has natural fruit sugars that play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise.

1. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost, while the fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy.
   
2. It is known that honey has also been found to keep levels of blood sugar fairly constant compared to other types of sugar.
3. Honey can be a powerful immune system booster. The antioxidant & anti-bacterial properties can help improve digestive system and help you stay healthy and fight disease.
4. Honey not only soothes throats but can also kill certain bacteria that causes the throat infection.

Are you ready to improve your health? Visit Pure & Simple Honey at the Farmers Market on Congress Street...Starting May 7, 2011 through October 8, 2011...every Saturday from 8 a.m. to Noon!

The Benefits of Tomatoes

There are so many health benefits to eating tomatoes. They are in fact, a highly versatile health product and due to their equally versatile preparation options, there's really no reason to neglect the tomato as part of a healthy diet.

Lycopene is a vital anti-oxidant that helps fight against cancer and other kinds of diseases. Free radicals in the body can be flushed out with high levels of Lycopene. And the tomato is loaded with this nutrient.

Tomatoes are by far the healthiest of the fruits and vegetables with the power to ward off some of the worst known diseases to man. With the vast variety of tomato products on the market, it really shouldn't be difficult to get the full health benefit of tomatoes.

Did you know that it only takes as little as 540 milliliters of liquid tomato product to get the full benefits of Lycopene. This means that a daily glass of tomato juice has the potential to keep a person healthy for life.

So have a glass of tomato juice, or a tomato sandwich or soup...eat it raw or cooked...enjoy it by itself or in a recipe...whatever and however you do it...just do it...have a tomato...and get healthy....

Are homemade dog treats good for your dog & cat?

Do you have a cat or dog? Are they a pet or part of the family? My little furbabies are definitely part of my family. This is why I decided to cook for them and why I decided to make their homemade treats...

I know what is in the food that I make for them...Have you ever read the ingredients on the back of your furbaby's food?

So what are some other benefits of homemade food over store bought?

1. Homemade taste better...doesn't homemade lasagna, chicken, etc taste better than what you can buy at the store? It's the same for your furbaby. When you don't have all those chemicals in your food, you can taste the actual food, and so can your cat and/or dog...
2. They are healthier...you can make them meals that are low fat, you can use healthier choices to flavor the food. Plus, a lot of furbabies are starting to get allergies to foods because of the ingredients in the store bought brands, so this allows you to make foods that don't have the foods they are allergic to...
   
3. They are safer...We all remember the contaminated foods from a few years ago. If you are making these meals for your furbabies then, again, you know what is going into them and you don't have to worry about contamination.
4. Cost effective...believe it or not, making your pets food can be cheaper than buying it. Buy your meats on sale, make a batch & freeze for later...adding rice, pasta, potatoes and other ingredients can make it stretch out for several meals.

Well guess what? This year at the Farmers Market, we will not only be sharing recipes for homemade meals for your furbaby, but we will also have homemade treats for sale. There will be some for dogs and cats...And Koda says, your furbaby will love them!

Fast Food vs Fresh Food

We all love the convenience of fast food, but you know...Fresh food can be fast food too...How you ask? There are all kinds of recipes that are 5 ingredients or less and crock pots can cook anything (okay, so crock pots take all day to cook your dinner, but you don't have to do anything but toss the items in the crock and it does the rest) So with a couple ingredients from your local Farmers Market, you can have Fresh Fast Food... Here's a recipe to try when you get your tomatoes and honey:



Honey Baked Tomatoes

Ingredients (I know 7 ingredients not 5, but who counts salt & pepper these days as an extra ingredient...grin)

• 8 medium-size ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch slices
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 2 white bread slices
• 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
• 4 teaspoons butter

Preparation

Place ripe tomato slices in a single layer in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan. Drizzle with honey, spreading honey into hollows.

Process bread in a food processor or blender until finely chopped.

Stir together breadcrumbs and next 3 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over tomato slices. Dot with butter.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until tomato skins begin to wrinkle.

Broil 5 inches from heat 5 minutes or until tops are golden. Serve warm.

We will also have Wildtree products at the Farmers Market...these products are not only healthy, but also have easy recipes...Here's one for you to try...

Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil 1 1/2 cup shrimp, shelled and deveined 1 1/2 cup frozen stir fry vegetables 1/3 cup Wildtree Kickin’ Asian Stir-Fry Sauce 1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti, cooked
PREPARATION: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and sauté until cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside. Add the stir fry vegetables and cook until heated through. Add Stir Fry Sauce, whole wheat pasta and shrimp. Toss until pasta and shrimp are coated.

So...Don't give up on Fresh food...it's healthier...it's less expensive...and it can be just as easy as Fast Food!

See Ya at the Market!

What do YOU think makes a good Farmers Markets?

A few days back we posted some reasons why you should go to a Farmers Market, but what we would really love to know is...

What do YOU think makes a good Farmers Market?

Only TWO More Months!

I can't believe that it is almost that time of the year again...The Farmers Market on Congress Street will be open in just two short months!!!

That's right...May 7, 2011 we will be open for our new season...

New Location! Same Great Vendors!

We are planning a great opening day (more details on that to come later on)...

Can't wait to see our customers from last season and to meet our new customers this season! Hugs!

So Why Go to a Farmers Market?

For the Consumers

• They provide direct contact and feedback between customers and producers, so you can be sure how your vegetables are grown and meat produced.
• They help to improve diet and nutrition by providing access to fresh food.
• They play an important role in educating the consumer as to the production and origin of their food.
• They can be a source of information and inspiration on how to cook and prepare fresh ingredients.

For the Environment

• They help reduce food miles, thus vehicle pollution, noise, and fossil fuel use.
• They help to reduce packaging.
• They encourage more environmental production practices, such as organic or pesticide free.
• They encourage farm diversification and hence bio-diversity.

For the Community & Local Economy

• They help bring life into towns and cities aiding regeneration.
• They encourage social interaction particularly between rural and urban communities.
• They stimulate local economic development by increasing employment, encouraging consumers to support local business, and thus keeping the money within the local community.
• They attract business to retailers in the vicinity.

So visit your local Farmers Market and enjoy the locally grown, locally made items...