the return

I know, I've been gone for a while. And I have so much to talk about. I had a whole blog written out already as well but it got erased and killed my motivation for a while. But enough about that...this is what I've been doing:

First off, I've been visiting the local farmer's market in Downtown Kissimmee. I've bought lettuce, tomatoes, tangelos, and some other vegetables for a really great price. I almost forgot my favorite buy: bread! One of the vendors sells freshly baked bread and it is de-lic-ious. The market is held every Thursday at Toho Square between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. I recommend getting their early or most of the really good produce will be gone.

I've also been getting most of my other cooking needs from Whole Foods. They're basically a supermarket for natural and organic groceries. I've got to say it's not the most inexpensive place but they have a large variety of healthy food. I'm often turned off by places like this. I don't like the assumption that you have to to be rich in order to eat healthy. Nevertheless, they come in handy for the items you can't get at a farmer's market. They sell meat free of antibiotics as well as bread, eggs, cheese, milk, butter, yogurt and even beer...all organic.

As you walk throughout the store you will find little tags that let you know that some products were produced locally. This is awesome for a number of reasons. First, you're supporting local growers and producers. Second, the food you purchase will be fresher. Most of the food we purchase today come from all over the country. In order to keep those items fresh, preservatives are added to prolong shelf life. Local food is usually free of preservatives and other additives that suppress a great, fresh taste. And thirdly, you're helping reduce carbon emissions from the thousands of trucks that haul food across the country every day.

Another pro for Whole Foods is that their website offers a recipe section with a lot of great dishes you can easily make at home. We'll be attempting to make soups and stews to further help save money and eat healthier. Our first try consisted of veggie chili. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. Edible it was but a little practice is probably necessary. It's also hard to find the time to plan any type of cooking since we're constantly away from home. Kind of a bummer but it's an obstacle we need to overcome.

We'll also be visiting some other farmer's markets in the area. Keep you posted.

Peace.