Farmer's Market

It was a good morning to hit the Waverly Farmer's Market. It wasn't too hot, it was overcast and I think that helped in keeping some people away. It was very easy to maneuver the midway, I remembered to bring my reusable shopping bags (Go Green!) and the fruits and vegetables were ripe for the picking! A few weeks ago, I made it a goal to buy something new every week. Two weeks ago, I bought a green called Purslane and last week I bought cute little Twilight Eggplants and Asian Stir-fry Greens. Husband D was not impressed with the greens selection ("Too Bitter"! he exclaimed), so today I asked him to come along with me and my good friend (and fellow gourmand) E to help me make my selections and, of course, carry the bags! After purchasing the "regular" weekly summer staples: peaches, peppers and coffee beans, we went searching for new goodies. We settled on Green and Red Zebra Tomatoes and fresh red beets. Now, I have always eaten pickled red beets, but it is my hope to grill them tomorrow as a side dish with dinner, so I am classifying them as a new find. If things turn out as delicious as I hope they do, I promise to post the recipe! Yum!

I Need to Add More Photos to my Blog...

Here is a photo of my husband D and me on our most recent vacation. We went to Alaska in July and, as a East Coast gal who loves to head anywhere "up the Atlantic" but particularly to Jamestown/Newport, Rhode Island, I was a little leery about spending my precious downtime in the damp and chilly Northwest. It turned out to be a terrific trip and I will post more about it later, but in the meantime, here is a photo of us sporting our "Lilly" during cocktail hour on the ship.

SWAP!

I follow the cutest blog - Monograms and Manicures. The author, Hopsy, has almost 900 followers and her daily posts are quite amusing and sometimes informative (I got a great cakeball recipe, found a cute website, "Not Soap Radio," etc.). Last month, she posted a opportunity to participate in a "swap" and I eagerly signed up. It is my first one. There were 128 other followers who also signed up and she did a great job of randomly pairing us up. The theme was "Fall into Prep." My "Swap Partner" lives in White Oak, Texas. She is a fellow blogger but unfortunately she is a Duke Basketball fan (ugh! I am a Maryland fan and Duke is our biggest rival). I had lots of fun shopping for her and even added a little something for her daughter and her dog. We mailed our packages to each other the beginning of this week. I can't wait for the mailman to come!

Talbot's Outlet

Do you have a Talbot's Outlet where you live? There is one near me, on the outskirts of Baltimore, about 35 miles from my house, and if I hit it in on the right day...it can be PAY DIRT! I visit the outlet about three or four times a year -- and last week I got $721 retail of Spring and Summer duds for $140! 80% off the original prices! Checkout the Talbot's website at www.talbots.com and click on the outlet link. You won't be sorry!

Book Thing!!

I took a trip the the Baltimore Book Thing in the Waverly section of Baltimore City this morning with my niece, L. L is a freshly minted high school graduate who is starting at the University of Baltimore in a few weeks (on a full four-year scholarship). The "Book Thing" is a unique book store of sorts -- all of its books are donated by individuals, groups and even libraries, and the best part -- ALL OF THE BOOKS AT THE BOOK THING ARE FREE! In fact, the volunteers encourage you to take as many books as you can carry, or haul in my case, as many times as you want! The Book Thing is a Baltimore treasure and something that should not be missed. I donated a box and left with a box, so I am not sure how that helps me weed out my book collection, but...... Today's catch was 16 books, ranging from a 1958 Mary Margaret McBride cookbook to a 2006 copy of The Devil in the Junior League, a book that many of my gal pals have read. I almost bought it on Amazon last week for $24, so I think my morning at the Book Thing was one well spent.
Right after the Book Thing, I headed over to the Waverly Farmer's Market to check out all the goodies. I bought purslane, a salad green, that was featured in one of my health magazines last month...full of lots of anti-oxidants, so I'll give it at try. I also got three little twilight eggplants and some homemade ginger chutney. Looks like tonight's dinner is going to be a pretty yummy experiment!

Running Again!

After a nine hiatus, I am back in the running game again! I can't believe I let myself slip ( oh yes, I can - who am I kidding?), but after celebrating my 47th birthday last Friday and trying on some cute summer things I picked up at the end of the season in 2008 that are, shall I say, a "bit tight," right now, I am back on the program. I ran four miles this morning - it was tough and slow, but I was determined to not stop and take a break. I did OK and I know with practice my time will improve. I have a great pair of Saucony shoes that I just love and they really alleviate the pressure on my knees. Am I really middle-aged? I just don't want to believe it.