Ye Ol' Farmer's Market.

Do you ever discover something in your own community that you didn’t know was there and then you think, “How did we live without this?” I am so lucky because that just happened to me. We have a farmers market. One with eggs, cheese, produce, hormone free meat, maple syrup, bread. This place is so amazing! I hate grocery shopping but this, this is something else. It’s like living in the English country side and stopping at the market and... Well, you get the idea.

One of the things I hate most when it comes to cooking is figuring out what to feed us. And, it really bothers me that when I shop the produce most of it’s coming from Mexico and California even if it’s stuff we totally grow in Michigan, and I never actually know what’s in season since they always have everything. This solves all the problems. I go on Saturday before I’ve made my list and I buy what they have which is what’s in season and it’s so fun and inspiring I don’t have any problems filling in the rest of the grocery list.

Last week I bought free range, grass fed, hormone free blah blah blah Italian sausages. Sauteed up some peppers and onions and added spicy mustard. For desert we had rhubarb, strawberry crumble with home made ice cream (I’ve never used rhubarb before and it was so cool). It was such a simple, delicious meal. So wonderful! Any way I’m not sure how I cooked or ate before I found this delightful market. It’s quick too, even though it’s further away then the grocery store it takes me half the time to get what I need and I can chat up the vendors (one is bringing me, wait for it, raw milk to try!!!)

potatoes, eggs, zucchini, squash, onions, hamburger, bacon,
corn on the cob, maple syrup, and blueberries.
I spent $20 that seems reasonable for all that
local goodness.

What about you, do you have something awesome like this in your town? What’s your favorite thing to buy local (this week I bought something called yellow zucchini). If your in the BC area it’s the Sprinfield farmer’s market at the park (you know the one by the military base where we had the church picnic that one time).

Station 66.

There is this really cool place just outside of town called Station 66. People kept telling me I would really like it. We finally tried it out with my parents and just recently went back. If you know me or my blog at all the following pictures will show you why this place is so me. On top of the atmosphere, however, is the fact that it's a local business AND every thing they sell is from/ made/ grown in Michigan! How cool is that? The produce is local and changes with the seasons. They have old car shows in the parking lot, they sell hard serve ice cream (which always reminds me of my Papa who took us out for ice cream almost every evening in the summer!) and they have amazing cake donuts, amazing! This place is cool!

On the History channel show "American Restoration" Brian and I saw them restore a cooler just like this. It was originally made to have water running through it. That is just so neat, isn't it? You can see the water in the above pics. On the show they said that it makes your sodas extra cold.  And, (can you tell I'm excited) all the sodas are made with cane sugar and not HFCS (which I have an allergy to) so I can have sodas there, and there are so many kinds!! Don't you love the bottle cap opener?

The food is good but there's not a huge variety. Even the hotdogs and chips are from MI.

I bought Spys, the best apples for baking according to my Grammy, and Cider.

See the sewing machine, so cute! Next to very fragrant natural soaps... good stocking stuffers.

So yes, I'm loving this place and if you live in the area or are passing through on M-66 then stop. The prices are good it's local and it's so cool.