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Yummy Summer!

Life had been busy around here lately. Things have finally slowed back down as the school year is winding down. I have been thinking a lot about summer and all of the farmer’s markets and the opportunity we in the Midwest have to enjoy fresh local produce. I am even doing my part this year and have our garden ready, we have even been able harvest some of our strawberries. This was the perfect opportunity to have my daughters do a taste test as we had some store bought strawberries in the fridge. They both overwhelmingly agreed that our berries that were grown organically (probably not certified as I can’t attest to the ingredients in the pot, but organic soil and fertilizer) tasted much sweeter than the store bought berries. One of the reasons organic veggies and fruits taste better is that they are allowed to grow at their own pace, usually in a very nutrient rich soil. They also tend to be sweeter, brighter in color, and higher in vital nutrients and antioxidants. Summer is the perfect time to try eating locally from our local farmers or even growing some produce in your own garden. Not only will you be supporting local farmers, eating fresher food, you will be helping the environment by saving the resources needed to ship food cross country. I will be posting some of my favorite recipes to help us start enjoying all that summer has to offer.

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