Long Local Weekend

Welcome back after a long weekend!  Got my CSA on Saturday.

My cousin Anna came to the market with me! She's been saying all summer she would come, and I even made her a farmers market bag just like mine as a little incentive to come visit me.

It was fun to look at everything and go down every little street of the market.  I usually just get my stuff and get out.  But I definitely found some gems like this homemade granola.  Not as good as Paul's Grains... but it makes a fantastic addition to my yogurt in the morning.

I actually had to work on Saturday and Sunday, but my usual day off falls on Monday, so I took advantage of the fantastic weather and talked my friend Elizabeth into inviting me over.  :)
It wasn't hard... I asked what she was doing and she said, "Got a freezer full of Iowa beef, so I thought I'd thaw and eat it all."

I took that as my cue to come over.
We grilled her awesome Iowa beef patties and put them on some Gateway garlic focaccia rolls.  Elizabeth and her husband are now big fans.  My absolute favorite way to eat those rolls is to just dip them in some green goddess dressing.  They have it right on the salad bar and you can just pack up a little dressing sized container to go.
While I was at Gateway I picked up some popcorn I had been eyeing all week.  I passed it up 2 or 3 times, and I talked myself into getting it this time.  Let me just say, I literally ate half the bag before I got to Elizabeth's house!  SO worth getting.  It's in a display over by the bakery counter.
Made in Story City.

I also brought over some potatoes I got at the farmers market that I had tossed with a little oil and salt and pepper and some chopped spring garlic and green onions.  Put all that in an aluminum foil pocket and grill it for 20 minutes.  Perfect potato side.
Elizabeth also whipped up a side that had chocolate pasta that she got at the farmers market! The smell of it boiling was SO WEIRD.  But yummy.

We spent the rest of the day chilling in the front yard  enjoying the shade and beautiful weather.

Couldn't have asked for a more relaxing day.  Thanks Elizabeth!

I'm wearing shorts... don't worry.  

I've been so blessed by all my friends and family that have gone out of their way to participate in my 100 days of eating local.  I thought it might be a lonely 100 days, but my friends and family have been more than happy to eat at local restaurants, and my mom has taken me on two different trips to Wheatsfield to get food for me while I was staying in Ames.
My grandma even dug up some green onions and found some frozen strawberries she picked at the Strawberry Patch last summer.  She also noticed her eggs were from Iowa!  Great find, Grandma!

My next few blogs are already shaping up to be pretty exciting! I made some fresh ricotta today after a major struggle to find buttermilk.  I also went fishing with my gpa and my cousin, but I can't get the pictures off my phone for some reason.  So you will have to wait in anticipation to see if I caught anything!  Finally, tomorrow I'm going to the Strawberry Patch, so stick around.  Many fun, local adventures to follow.

One last little tidbit, if you've ever wondered why I'm so kooky, you might understand now... I was talking to my mom today while I was making the cheese and she said, "I made wine Popsicles." I couldn't help but giggle.