I know it’s trendy right now to be environmentally conscious. But, it’s the way I grew up. Long before it was cool, my parents were asking us to take out the compost and the recycling. They often bought things at the Farmers’ Market, and have had a garden for as long as I can remember. They still do all these things. Husband grew up in a similar household. So it’s probably not surprising that he and I do these things too.

It started with making the change to buying organic when possible. Like my parents and composting, I was getting into it before it was cool. I liked the idea of it. I still do.

Then we moved to trying to buy local. We liked the idea of supporting the local farmers who were selling produce at our farmers’ markets. Eating locally grown food allows us to eat seasonally. The produce is picked when it’s ripe and at it’s nutritional peak. By buying locally grown food, it cuts down on transportation, eliminating the need for such long trips from farm to store.

From the farm right to our table!

We’re able to do this last part because of an alliance of small family farmers, from the Central Valley of California, called Abundant Harvest Organics. AHO delivers fresh, delicious, organic produce, that’s been picked shortly before it’s in our hands!

It started small with being better for our bodies. It moved to supporting our community and local economy. It expanded to being environmentally friendly. For us, these have been good changes. Be it Earth Week, or anytime throughout the year, this is something that’s important, that I’m happy to be involved with.

Here’s a recipe that I made using many of the fresh veggies from our box last week. I hope you enjoy it!

Beef Stir Fry

Last modified on 2012-12-01 02:21:35 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

To sign up with Abundant Harvest Organics, click here!

(We still love farmers’ markets, don’t worry! Many of the farmers who provide produce for AHO also sell at the markets. To find a farmers’ market near you, visit this site!)

When I was first married, I’d just moved to a new town. I left dear friends behind and didn’t have any that lived close by. Every once in a while I’d remark that I wished I had a friend to go have coffee with. My new husband and I joked about this. It was fine. I didn’t mind that I didn’t have friends. I was a newlywed. I didn’t mind spending all my time with Husband. Eventually I did make friends. Then four years later we moved 4 hours away from those friends. Sigh. I had to make new friends again.

It’s hard to make friends. You know, real friends that you can have a conversation with that goes beyond the surface stuff. Friends where there’s a connection, where time just flies and you’re bummed when you have to leave. As I’ve gotten to know people where we live, I’m so blessed to have those friends. I don’t mean this to sound braggy, like “look at me and all my friends”. Just a simple heartfelt statement of gratitude.

(Side note, maybe you didn’t come here for an essay on me… it’s OK if you skip to the end, there’s a yummy recipe.)

What you may not know about me is that I’m kinda shy. I’m an introvert. It may not look like it when you watch my episodes. But, what you see is my weird, “I’m comfortable around you” side (incidentally, I still don’t understand why I’m OK with putting that on the internet… maybe because you’re not here watching in person… then I’d be awkward… I get awkward if Husband comes home from work and I’m still filming, even though I’m normally plenty weird around him). All of that to say, it’s not easy for me to make good friends. And, I’m not one with hordes of friends… is that an appropriate word? It kinda makes it sound like I said “whores for friends”. That’s not what I meant. I mean I don’t have a bazillion close friends. I prefer a smaller group of close-knit friends.

Anyhoo, I’m rambling about all this because every Thursday a few friends and I get together and have lunch or coffee together. We sit and chat and then go back to work, or kids, or whatever the day holds. I’m so blessed by this time together. Today I hosted. I neglected to plan out what I wanted to make, so I was left to use the things I had on hand. We got together a bit earlier, so we had brunch. I had eggs and veggies in the fridge, and a few herbs and greens growing in my garden. So I thought I’d make some sort of egg and veggie dish – I thought it would be like a frittata. And to go with it, I had some Paska left from Easter!

It was simple, yet yummy. If you need something to make for brunch (or breakfast, lunch, or dinner… I think it’d be good anytime), give this a try. And feel free to swap out the veggies I’ve used for what you have on hand. Maybe some asparagus, bell pepper, squash, leftover roasted or mashed potatoes, you could even add some leftover ham from Easter (no, I’m not including that in the veggies category)! You could serve it alongside Paska, like I did, or toast, french toast, Stuffed French Toast, pancakes, fruit salad, bacon… the list could go on and on. Ooh, and you could use the leftovers and make a sandwich. You could use a croissant or thick slices of crusty bread, with a slice of ham, a dab of mustard and mayo, and some lettuce. Oh man, my stomach is grumbling. Didn’t I just eat?!

Mushroom Frittata

Last modified on 2012-12-01 02:21:56 GMT. 0 comments. Top.