I mentioned in my Eco-Chic Events post that I've had a busy week...add in a broken laptop and hanging on to my health with all of my might...it was just too much and it all resulted in major writer's block. Between all of my sneezes and meetings, my poor little blog was neglected...and so was my social life!
So here's a rather long recap of my weekend...The eco-chic treats, deals, and even a puppy!
Friday afternoon turned into a mini-shopping event when I only meant to go to Target to pick up some Seventh Generation laundry detergent. A quick trip to Big Lots turned in to a potential blog post with all the eco-chic deals! Kashi, Seventh Generation, Nature's Gate...all at great prices! I love when natural products are cheap...it leaves few excuses to clean with synthetic, petroleum-based products and eat foods full of nasty stuff.
But my HUGE find at Big Lots was completely unexpected. My mouth literally dropped open and I had to contain a squeal. I even tried to call Paul even though he was at work (luckily he didn't answer...this was a huge find for me but he might have been a teensy bit annoyed...just a smidge). Nielson-Massey Vanilla for $4.80. Yes, that vanilla. THE vanilla. The $10 for 4 ounces touted as a great gift item and raved about by the Pioneer Woman. She also makes me squeal. Oh my. *squeal* Sorry, it couldn't be contained.
- THE vanilla. I can't wait to do some serious baking!
Saturday morning turned in to a trip to the Countryside Conservancy Farmers Market in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Also, a great trip. A bit far from Kent so I will probably stick with the Kent Farmers Market on most weekend but it was a great treat. Around 30 vendors selling everything from jam, honey, and soap (all my purchases) to lettuce, meat, eggs, and baked goods. All natural. Some organic. But all raised/grown/created with your health and the earth in mind. LOVE IT. I swooned. I made gooey-eyes at the many, many treats and booths but I managed to pull it together to actually talk to some of the fantastic people behind these products. The woman who created Lazy Bee shared some stories about raising bees and harvesting honey. Another twenty-something woman with Brunty Farms told me how her and her husband started their farm with passion twinkling in her eyes. She might be my local farming hero. I only snagged a few photos but here they are...
- Locally made honey! Did you know it helps with allergies because of the pollen?
[caption id="attachment_327" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Lazy Bee from Hiram, OH "]
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[caption id="attachment_328" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="these are a few of my favorite things..."]
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SO on my way to the Countryside Conservancy Farmers Market, I passed the best thrift store that I've found so far in NEO - the Village Discount. I'm biased because Village Discount is ALWAYS my favorite no matter where I'm at but it's good. A little far from Kent but, hey, I was driving past it anyways. And I again had a mouth-dropping, swooning moment. Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day was waiting for me. Just sitting there on a shelf waiting for me to walk in and swoop it up. This cookbook is the sequel to Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day which I reviewed here and it has been on my Amazon wish list for a few months. And then I found it used for $3. Score! I also picked up some stemless red wine glasses and tiny parfait glasses for smaller-sized treats.
Saturday night included a charity burlesque show put on by Le Femme Mystique and a trip to the House of Blues Foundation Room in Cleveland. A VIP kind of night!
Paul and I made a quick trip down to Columbus on Sunday for some family time that, of course, included a very delicious trip to Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. I PROMISE that you will swoon and maybe even moan when you try Jeni's ice cream...salty caramel, Thai chili, and don't even get me started on the new Bake Shop flavors! Jeni focuses on using locally made products (did you KNOW that there is a vodka AND whiskey distillery in Central Ohio? There is. And it makes delicious ice cream.) Here's a quick peek at my delicious and eco-chic treat...
[caption id="attachment_330" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Corn Syrup Custard w/ Whiskey & Pecans, Bananas & Honey, and Goat Cheese w/ Cognac Fig Sauce! "]
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Oh, and here's the puppy! My brother is in the Army and our Aunt is so graciously taking care of this rambunctious fellow.
He loves it when I squeeze him like that. Can't you tell? His name is Dexter but he will always be my Pudding Pop!
I hope your weekend was full of squeals and swoons just like mine!
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