So far my weekend has played out exactly how I wanted it to. A good mix of fun while still getting things done. Last night after I closed the gym I met two girlfriends for a glass of wine. I arrived home at 9:45 famished.
It was tempting to stop and grab something on the way home but I was determined to stick to my clean eating and knew I had many dinner options at home. In about 15 minutes the following was ready – sautéed brussels sprouts, microwaved sweet potato and a Trader Joe’s turkey burger that I cooked quickly in the skillet.
I was absolutely exhausted from the week and after dinner I crashed hard. A good night’s sleep was all I needed to get me back to normal. I was up and ready to take a yoga class at 7:30 a.m. 90 minutes and lots of sweat later, it was time for breakfast.
TJ’s plain goat milk yogurt, diced banana, Hungry & Co.’s Hungrynola, chia seeds and sunflower seed butter. And then it was farmers market time!
I ventured out to the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market today and got some amazing deals. I was so excited to see North Carolina strawberries and picked up a beautiful and sweet quart of them.
I also bought basil and parsley for my herb garden. My rosemary, oregano and thyme all survived the winter.
Here’s a look at the final haul. Believe it or not, I got all of this for $18.
– Zucchini
– Okra
– Baby eggplant
– Plantain
– Strawberries
– Rainbow Swiss chard
– Potted basil
– Potted parsley
– Free-range eggs
One of my favorite Saturday activities is going to the farmers market. I love supporting local businesses and farmers and the values are incredible.
Do you frequent the farmers market? What are your favorite things to get?
It was a gorgeous day so I ran a few miles when I got home and then made lunch. I sautéed spinach, cherry tomatoes and a portobello mushroom with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I served them open faced with hummus and goat cheddar. Awesome new combo.
The remainder of my afternoon was devoted to cleaning the house, a Homegoods shopping trip (where of course I had to buy Sullie a new toy) and buying new makeup at the mall. Now I’m off to whip up dinner and prepare to teach my Sunday morning hot class.
Sullie says happy weekend!
What a great Saturday! I love the Farmer’s market, Its always a relaxing experience.
I’ve never tried goats milk yogurt…How does it taste in comparison to regular and greek yogurt?
Wow, Sullie is so well behaved. Thats wonderful! My dogs are so cute but they never listen LOL!
Enjoy your weekend 🙂
hi tiffany – i just bought plain goat yogurt and i love it! it doesn’t have as much protein as greek but the flavor is good. not quite as tangy and easy to eat plain with some fruit.
sullie is such a good listener, it’s crazy!
I love the Farmer’s Market. I go to the Market in Concord and Davidson. The best thing I love about the market is talking to the farmers about how they grow their food. Ii love anything in season. What is funny is that I love the Farmer’s Market in the winter. Th market becomes so popular in the summer, but farmers are growing in the winter–kale, collards, sweet potatoes, turnips, spaghetti squash, butternut squash– We do our bodies a favor when we eat seasonally.
i love talking to the farmers too! and picking their brains on how they like to prepare things. i love the winter market too and went all winter this year for the first time.
I love farmers markets! Right now the strawberries are just perfect!
yes! they’re so good!
North Carolina strawberries are the best. I live in Raleigh (and go to school in Boone) and I look forward to April/May every year for the best strawberries. Me and my mom buy buckets of the at a time. Sooo good. I’m looking forward to melon/berry season too. Summer fruits are my favorite!
yes, they’re so much better than the california strawberries at the store. sweet and flavorful!
Sullie is so incredibly cute!! Love her wagging tail in that video – thank you so much for sharing. Hope your Sunday is just as fun and productive!
thanks! she is a cutie but i’m biased. i love giving her new toys!
I love farmers markets, too! I live in Eugene (Oregon) and we’re definitely spoiled here (seriously, Jen, you would be in heaven with all the local food – we have incredible local companies that turn out handmade & fresh tofu, tempeh, yogurt and froyo made from small batches of locally made kefir. Seriously, we have gas stations with microbrew kombucha on tap!) While I love markets, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs have been the best match for me most of the year. I’ve been a member with two farms for the last five years or so and it’s an incredible way to make a personal connection to the people who grow my food. I pay up front for 20ish weeks and receive a big box of produce weekly with farm newsletters, recipes, etc. It also comes with discounts at the market and cool farm events. I’m curious if there are any CSAs in Charlotte? Your weekend sounds fab so far 🙂
ally – i am dying to visit the pacific northwest for the scenery and the food! all of that sounds amazing! i haven’t joined a CSA yet but i’ve looked into it. we have several around here.
Love the Farmer’s Market! We have one here year round on Tuesday mornings in a parking lot. And another on Saturday mornings during the warmer months. That one is on a blocked off street downtown.
I love the whole vibe of the Farmer’s Market, everyone is relaxed and a supporter of fresh, local food. I have so many memories of the Farmer’s Market as a child. Strawberries always been to be a great deal at the market. I also love peaches…you can smell that they are perfectly ripe.
it’s hard to say whether peach or strawberry season is my favorite…both so good!
I love the farmers market!
Ditto the poster from Eugene here in Asheville. We have many tailgate markets and many CSAs, both of which I take full advantage of. There are no fewer than 5 area tailgate markets running on Saturdays, and quite a few others open on various weekday afternoons. The Montford tailgate market is literally right around the corner from our house and runs Wednesdays from 2-6 PM. We are so lucky. Ever since reading the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle about three years ago, I have really made huge efforts to eat locally and seasonally, even before organically (although most of our local stuff is organic and just not “certified” b/c it’s so expensive for small farm operations). Our major grocery stores also make efforts to support our local farmers when possible and always have local produce marked. I too love talking to the farmers about what they’re growing and how. So interesting and such a unique connection to sit down to a meal knowing where it all came from. 🙂
oh i LOVE asheville food. that sounds amazing. i haven’t read that book but i think i should.
I am so impressed that you got all of that for only $18! I feel like that would have easily cost twice as much as my local farmer’s market. 🙁 Maybe I should make the drive from DC to North Carolina for the farmer’s markets, haha. Have a great rest of your weekend!
Your turkey burger/sweet potato/brussels sprouts dinner looks so good. Definitely going to have to try that combo.
it was really good. trying to eat more lean protein and the turkey burgers are tasty and easy.
I love the farmers market, it makes me so happy when I can finally go food shopping there in the spring! You did a good job at getting home and making something quick and healthy! Have a great sunday!