In the Kitchen: Garden Green, Local Grown | Made Stuff (Semi-Recipe Share)

Over the past year, I have been creating ways to appease my palette after making a leap in my health journey with the way that I eat and fuel my body. Also, I was tired of wasting food that I really didn't want to cook nor felt like eating. 

I was excited to consider a garden this year. Gardens, in my opinion are worth the effort and labor of love. However, I had to acknowledge that as much as I love the idea, I was not yet ready to commit to a garden. 

So, instead I decided to support my local farmers market and receive from the gardens of my friends! 

Besides, I have a whole pecan tree in the back yard that will drop pecans all over the back yard late Summer. I'll be harvesting pecans and that is enough!

Sharing a couple of the new things I have tried and made that I love. 

Fried Rice- in Coconut Oil

Not a local grown dish, but still, it's a light version of a traditional fried rice. I cheat my way through the making of this dish. I use a quick instant rice adding a little extra water and pop in the microwave for 5 minutes. Then added it to the pan of coconut oil, all of the green onion (chopped), soy sauce for additional flavor and then optionally add any other protein (meat) or make it meatless. This dish has finely diced crab meat (imitation). 

Scrambled Eggs w/ Green Onions & Tomato

Can't go wrong with scrambled eggs, chopped green onion and tomato. This buttery piece of toast was drizzled with honey that I purchased from my local farmers market from a beekeeper  (RVA Goats and Honey) of a nearby county. 

Bowtie Pasta & Side Mixed Green Salad

I am a huge fan of green olives! I can eat them as a snack alone! Add your own favorite sauce to your bowtie pasta, sprinkle with cheese. The garnish is a mint leaf plucked from a friend's home garden. 

Bonus: As a side, I revived a previous day of leftover biscuits by cutting off the bottom and putting aside, then cutting the biscuit again, this time in half. Butter and place in the oven until toasted. It becomes a crispy, wafer piece of toast. Never waist leftover biscuits again!

Hot Lemon Ginger Tea & Honey (add Ginger Beer)

Steeped my favorite lemon ginger tea, added honey, topped off with ginger beer for a spicier taste. Sliced lemon and a real sweet mint leaf. Shared this one with my daughter (she's my food experiment partner). 😉

Buttercrunch Salad w/ Strawberries and Sausage

After a week of mostly vegetable salads, I felt like I needed to switch it up.  So, I added strawberries and sliced Italian sausages to this one. Of course, Italian dressing.  Wine was the bonus!

Other items I picked up recently from my local farmer's market:

Tea from Savory Tea Blends Co.

Goat Milk Lotion and Soap by The Freckland Farms

Spring Floral Bouquet from Going For Green Farm

What kinds of foods have you tried or made this year?

Are you growing a garden?  

Have you considered your local farmers market? 

Let me know in the comments!