It's May!

This weekend promises to be busy. Despite the rain last week we traveled to Kansas City to visit the Brookside market. It was full of plants and good things to purchase. I found less diversity than Lawrence but still a nice market. Also, on the way home I noticed 3-4 thrift stores that will take us back that direction again this weekend. The plan is to hit up the Lawrence Market, thrift shops, and then the Brookside Market. All of this with two children and only a few hours. Will they succeed? I keep meaning to take some lovely pictures to share and keep forgetting. I have a friend coming along this week who is a great photographer so maybe she can get some shots for me.
An email from the Lawrence Farmers Market informed me that the weekday markets will open this coming week. We plan to at least attend the Thursday one on the west side. It is only fitting that we represent our side of town.

Earth Day Parade

We are planning to attend both the Lawrence Farmers Market and the Earth Day Parade tomorrow. It should be a fun yet long day. Please join us! We will purchase a chicken and possibly some cilantro. Here is the list of what should be available tomorrow:
Produce
Green onions, cilantro, radishes, spinach, salad mix, greens

Meats
Lamb, emu, elk, summer sausage, pasture-raised chicken, goat

Eggs
Farm-fresh chicken eggs, emu eggs

Baked Goods
Tortes, pies, herb and regular breads, muffins, pies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, biscotti, cupcakes, and a whole range of gluten-free, and vegan baked goods

Prepared Foods
Coffees, teas, hummus, baba ghannouj, lebanese beans and baklawa, turkey pie, Spanish pie, cheese pie, sausage biscuits, tamales, breakfast burritos, polish sausage, spring rolls

More Goodies
Goat cheese, salsa, jellies, olive tampenade,

Plants
Herbs, perennials, vegetable plants, asparagus crowns

Worm Products
Worm casting tea

Honey Bee Products
Honey, honey sticks, lip balms and lotions, and Bar BEE Que sauce

Sheep Products
A selection of wool products including sheep skins

Value-added Products
Herbal soaps, lotions and creams, emu oils and products, pet food and treats, blown emu eggs

Sunshine makes me happy

The opening day at the market was amazing. Weather was perfect, the girls were great, had a friend to enjoy the time with. The only problem is that I have had little time to write since Saturday. The baby developed a fever later in the day and I have been swamped since. I still do not have time for a full post but I thought I would give a sneak preview of what is to come:

• New merchants at the Market this year
• A new location for Thursdays (the west side!)
• Going local (Iwig makes cream!)
• Our half share of Mellowfields Farm

Stay tuned as these are all wonderful subjects that I want to share. I can share one other quick piece of information: we purchased mixed greens, honey, and a traveling bar this past Saturday. Next week we are hoping to get some chicken and maybe a few more greens.

Opening Morning Tomorrow

I received an email today from the Lawrence Farmers Market and along with it a list of what to expect right now. Here is the list:

ProduceGreen onions, cilantro, arugula, radishes, spinach, salad mix
Meats
Grass-fed beef, lamb, emu, elk, summer sausage, pasture-raised chicken, goat

EggsFarm-fresh eggs

Baked GoodsTortes, pies, herb and regular breads, muffins, pies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, biscotti, cupcakes, and a whole range of gluten-free, and vegan baked goods

Prepared Foods
Coffees, teas, hummus, baba ghannouj, lebanese beans and baklawa, turkey pie, Spanish pie, cheese pie, sausage biscuits, tamales, breakfast burritos, polish sausage

More Goodies
Goat cheese, salsa, jellies, olive tampenade,

Flowers
Geraniums, calendula, and other ornamentals

Plants
Herbs, perennials, vegetable plants, asparagus crowns

Worm Products
Worm casting tea
Honey Bee Products
Honey, honey sticks, lip balms and lotions, and Bar BEE Que sauce

Sheep Products
A selection of wool products including machine washable sheep skins
Value-added Products
Herbal soaps, lotions and creams, emu oils and products, pet food and treats, blown emu eggs

The first thing I noticed was that there was no asparagus listed. So did I get that information erroneously or are the seasons out of whack from weather issues? I believe I will have to ask a few merchants tomorrow and see what I find out. Regardless, we are heading out around 8:30 to meet up for a walk and then shop after. Hope to see you there.

Asparagus here I come

With the opening day of the Downtown Market just days away I have begun to plan. I am planning what to buy like a child anticipating a trip to a toy store. I know that asparagus is in season so that is what I have been fixating on, mostly. When I think about it I have been looking for good asparagus recipes, like the one on my blog and one found on Foodista. Saturday will be here soon enough and I will have my treasured purchases. When I bring them home I will share the recipe I decide on and pictures. Please share if you have a good asparagus recipe.
Want to join me downtown? I plan to head out between 8:30 and 9:30 AM and we (the babies will be with me) should last a good hour downtown before we head home. If I find a friend to have coffee with we may just stay until nap time. Look for my tweets @krisadair.

Farmer's Market Countdown

The Farmer's Market in Downtown Lawrence, Kansas is the oldest growers market in the state. Started in 1976 it had between three and five vendors for its May through September season. Today the market begins in mid-April and runs through mid-November with more than 80 vendors selling locally produced items. I plan to attend opening day and hopefully be there for the last Saturday of the season. My daughter and I love getting out to see all of the dogs, babies, locals, and music at the market every Saturday. This year we plan to attend with more of an eye for picking up good food. It is a goal of our family to eat healthier and more local. What better place to do that than the local market? We might also check out markets in some of the surrounding communities to see what make the Lawrence market so special. Check back to see what we buy and how we consume it.

baby steps

i am always looking for ways to reduce the amount of stuff i use and throw away. that said, i am a product of the american marketing machine so i have a lot of garbage. to help me make those small steps to better ecology my friend larissa came over yesterday to make baby wipes. she took t-shirt scraps from a quilt i am making and cut 4x6 pieces. with two pieces together i serged the edges. then i placed them in a plastic baby wipes container half full of water with a little baby soap. this morning was my first trial with the new wipes so of course the baby filled her pants for me. they did better than expected. i was going to be happy with as good as the throw away kind but the cloth is thicker and easier to handle. i am sold. thanks larissa.