Archive for the ‘Healthy Living’ Category
Fresh & Local: 2012 Summer Guide to OKC+ Farmers’ Markets
Can you believe it!? It’s that time of year where the tomatoes grow just so perfect in the summer sun and the taste is unlike anything else in the entire season! We love out little garden but we realize that not anyone can afford the time, money, and energy it takes to maintain a garden. With the idea of fresh and local becoming such a popular term these days it’s making it easier for the not so green thumbs to still cash in on some wonderful homegrown vegetables! We like to attend Farmers’ Markets simply because we can purchase fillers that we didn’t plant in our garden and it makes a wonderful Saturday morning for the kids. We’ve also found that even on a small budget you can always find a few cheap veggies AND their shelf life is 2-3x longer than the stuff you buy at the store! Totally worth the extra $0.15 cents if you ask us!
It’s time to officially welcome in the summer by attending a Farmers’ Market near you. Enjoy! 
NORTH OKC
Edmond Farmer’s Market:
Date: (June 6th – August 15th) Wednesdays – includes Jr. Market
(April– October) Saturdays
Time: 8am to 1pm
Location: Downtown Edmond on 1st street, west of Broadway
Payment: Cash and some vendors accept checks & credit/debit cardsNWIAA’s (National Women in Agriculture Association) Community Farmers’ Market :
Date: (June 19th – August 24th) Fridays
Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Where: YMCA; 1701 N Martin Luther King, Oklahoma City, OK
Payment: CashOSU-OKC Farmers’ Market #2:
Date: Every Wednesday, Starting May 9th, 2012
Time: 11 pm to 3 pm
Location: Whole Foods Market Parking Lot, 6001 N. Western Ave.
Payment: Cash or Check.Vendor List; Product List; OK Seasonal Produce Availability Calendar
* All produce is 100% Oklahoma Grown! See what vendors are certified organic here.
(Yukon) Molly’s Garden
*Closed this season*
EAST OKC:
(Choctaw) Eastern Oklahoma County Farmers’ Market:
Date: (June 2nd – October) Saturdays
Time: 8am – 12pm
Location: Choctaw Creek Park located at 2001 N. Harper Road
Payment: Cash Only* All products are 100% Oklahoma Grown and Made!
(Midwest City/Del City)Mid Del Farmers’ Market:
* Still waiting on updated information?
OSDH Wellness Farmers’ Market
Date: (June 7th – August) Thursdays
Time: 7am – 1pm
Location: 1000 NE 10th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Payment: Cash Only* This is a very small community market that is looking for farmers. If you are interested in selling your produce this is a great place to start! Email wellness@health.ok.gov for info!
**Includes Oklahoma Grown only!
SOUTH OKC:
(Moore) Old Town Farmers’ Market:
Date: (May 24th – September 1st) Thursday/Saturday
Time: 4pm-7:30pm/8am-12pm
Location: Next door to the Moore Community Center at 301 S. Howard
Payment: Cash* The first 1000 shoppers at the Old Town Farmer’s Market will receive a free re-useable shopping bag!
Norman Farm Market:
Date: (April–October) Wednesdays/Saturdays
Time: 8 am–12 pm
Location: Cleveland County Fairgrounds; 615 E. Robinson, Norman, OK (3/4 miles East of I-35)
Payment: Cash, check and there is an ATM machine down in the Market. Select vendors accept Access Oklahoma (food stamps), WIC, Chickasaw vouchers, and Senior Nutrition Cards.Vendor List; Seasonal Product List
* See what vendors are 15%-100% homegrown here.
WEST OKC:
OSU-OKC Farmers’ Market #1:
Date: Every Saturday Year Around!
Time: 8am – 1pm
Location: OSU-OKC Campus in the Horticulture Pavilion; 10th & 400 N. Portland Avenue
Payment: Cash or CheckVendor List; Product List; OK Seasonal Produce Availability Calendar
DOWNTOWN OKC:
MidTown Market:
Date: (May 11th – Thru October) Fridays
Time: 1-6 pm
Location: At the SW corner of 9th & Walker
Payment: Centralized checkout with acceptance of credit/debit cards, cash, check, or payroll deduct for St. Anthony employees.Producer List; Order Online & Schedule a Pickup through Urban Agrarian
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Farmers’ Market:
Date: (April – October) Thursdays
Time: 12pm-5:30pm
Location: 28th N. Lincoln Blvd. (ODA’s Parking Lot)
Payment: cash, check, credit/debit cards* Features Oklahoma Grown/Made items only and specialty BBQ sauces, local cheeses (18 different flavors), table and wine grapes, salsa, etc.
Urban Agrarian:
Date: Year Around/Sundays
Time: 11am – 3pm
Location: Outside of Cheever’s (23rd & Hudson)
Payment: Cashfacebook; twitter; Order Online & Schedule a Pickup through Urban Agrarian
OKLAHOMA STATE & BEYOND:
OK-Grown: Farmers’ Markets in all of Oklahoma (General).
Oklahoma Food Cooperative: Can’t make it to a market? Place a monthly order online and pickup at any one of their 32 sites across the state!
Local Harvest: Brief overview of various Farmers’ Markets in other states.
* A lot of these sites have individuals post information themselves regarding these markets. Because of that I have no idea when this information was last updated. Make sure that you are looking at a current schedule or contact the market specific to your location to ensure that the information is updated.
EXTRA CREDIT & OTHER FUN STUFF (For the kids!):
Oklahoma Agritourism: Find weekend getaways & day trips to local farms, ranches & vineyards!
OSU-OK Seasonal Produce Availability Calendar: Tired of cooking the same meals? Schedule your cooking around what is in season. This not only changes things up, but provides a way for you and your family to eat local year around!
The Kerr Center: Download a FREE “Buy Fresh Buy Local” guide that connects consumers directly to Oklahoma Farmers (way cool)!
Edmond Junior Market Days: Growing stuff in your garden with your kids? This market encourages kids to not only get active in making or growing a product for sale, but introduces them to the basics of business and customer relations. Help your child build his/her garden empire and make a little extra summer spending cash!
YOU HAVE NO EXCUSES! We’ve done ALL the leg work for you so grab a cute tote to collect your favorite veggies in and re-introduce your kids to some good ole down to earth family time! This summer, discover all the agricultural adventures that our grand state has to offer!
From the Farm 
* Please let us know if any information changes throughout the summer, or if we have missed any local markets, by posting a comment or sending us an email: megan@greencouchdesign.net. We want to make sure we are providing you with the most accurate and up-to-date information.
** Every market in the Green Couch Design 2012 OKC+ Summer Farmers’ Market Guide has been called personally and/or confirmed online for their summer 2012 schedule.
*** When clearly stated we’ve marked which markets are Certified Organic and/or 100% Locally Grown at the bottom of each listing. Feel free to contact individual markets specifically if you need further clarification or refer to their individual vendor list.
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Date on a Dime: Hunting for Lights
A fun, almost free sentimental date to help Grinches like me get over themselves & into the Christmas spirit, is a Christmas lights tour around the houses of those who REALLY buy in to the Christmas theme of things.
A Christmas date isn’t complete of course, without Christmas music… so I’m told. Step up Pandora. A veritable feast of Christmas tunes, absolutely free. If you have a smart phone, apologize to it, then go ahead & play Pandora’s Christmas Music station. If you don’t have a smart phone, you can still enjoy this festive tradition of auditory abuse on your local radio station.
Don’t stress, we’ve got FREE shipping & local gift guides! :)
It’s getting to be that time of year where things are starting to pile up and you remember that one person you forgot to get something for?! We’ll, no worries, we’ve got you covered! We’ve got great gifts for those hard to buy for neighbors or office mates. Try one of our tea towels, can’t go wrong, or aprons. Their a guaranteed hit for even the scroogiest of types.
We’re offering FREE shipping this weekend only. If you order in the next three days we can guarantee Christmas delivery!
Date on a Dime: Thankful for…
As you are probably more than aware, we are in that season of giving thanks. Though there was an attempt to not “go with the flow”, and to come up with something that wasn’t completely season-dependent, the attempt fell short and we gave in to the overwhelming desire to join in with the thankful festivities. Besides, there’s nothing better to kindle that flame than to sit down together on a cold day with a cup of hot cocoa, and reminisce on all the things we’re thankful for. And as a bonus, we made our “Thankful List” a beautifully adorned one. We first went in search for the best leaves in the neighborhood and, since it was a little rainy, enjoyed a walking cuddle under our umbrella. Once our selection was made we started the process of flattening our leaves, placing them inside a large book and using a few extra as weight. Then commenced our sipping and thanking. When our list was complete… our leaves were not yet flat!! There would be no laminating tonight. =/ We laughed and figured that we’ll have to have another short date in the near future to add our adornments, and complete our beautiful creation.
Date on a Dime: Time Capsule
Recently, with a scratching record sound effect, the idea struck my wife and I that there’s one day going to be a little one and her doey eyed look questioning what life was like just 11 years from the turn of the millennium. In a whirl of activity to try and push the other consequences of this idea aside, we decided to make a time capsule together, with a mix of things which we treasure and some information about things at this current time in history. (Now, should those beseeching eyes start looking our way, we can simply hand them a shovel & a treasure map, and teach them the valuable lesson of digging out their own answers.)
STUFF: Glamping?
A friend of mine mentioned this on a recent hiking trip I took. Glamping he said is something he wants to get into with his family. At first I was giving him a hard time, because he is usually the one that wants a fire, and marshmallows and all that “stuff” on a camping trip. I on the other hand have gotten more and more adamant about truly roughing it…I had been until I google’ed this.
So now I’m interested… Glamping huh? According to Glamping Girl
“Glamping truly originated in the early 1900′s, with the popularization of the safari, The word safari is an Arabic verb meaning “to make a journey” and an entire industry was created to cater to the needs of the demanding European and American travellers, looking to bag a trophy and experience adventure in the wilds of Africa. Naturally, the wealthy travellers weren’t eager to part with the creature comforts of home, and instead stayed in luxurious canvas tent lodgings. These tents were fully furnished with beds, luxurious bedding, Persian rugs, antiques and fully staffed with chefs, guides, porters and butlers.
A new trend of glamping has emerged with luxury camping resorts, safari camps, eco-resorts and campgrounds offering every amenity imaginable, from 5 star dining to spas. Manufacturers are catching on, offering designer gadgets and gear to bring style to the wilderness. Regardless of budget, you can enjoy the great outdoors without sacrificing luxury.”
Date on a Dime: Weekend Getaway (i.e. Camping)
This Date on a Dime is a little unique. Since it’s fall, and we just got back from California, we definitely have the adventure bug. We thought it would be fun to give you some basic tips from our “expert campers”, The Parrs, and a few tricks we’ve learned along the way. Keep in mind, these are not hoity toity camping rules, these are for the few and the proud that would dare to venture out into the wildnerness with nothing more than a thin plastic lining separating them from bears, raccoons, hail, falling tree limbs and any other kind of disaster nature might throw your way.
Sounds pretty romantic if you ask me! Ok, Ok… honestly, I’m a little weird when it comes to “romance” cause as much as I love the snuggles and flowers, I also LOVE adventure. I don’t know what it is but there is something that just trips my trigger when I see our truck all loaded down with camping gear! Or when Cale get’s back from a weekend of camping with the guys (which he’s going on THIS weekend) and he’s all dirty and manly. I don’t know what it is but I like it!
So, here’s to roughin it together, snuggling up to a warm fire and reconnecting to nature and your mate even if that is out of fear from the sounds of creepy animals in the middle of the night!
STEP 1: Location:
Developed Tent Camping: $10-$25.00 a night depending on location and other amenities. The more primitive camp sites are the cheapest and less touristy. They usually do not have running water or showers but are typically toward the $10.00 per night range. Sites like KOA’s and other private camp grounds will charge you closer to $25.00 a night for showers, laundry, etc.
Dispersed Camping: If you are near a National Forest Land (not park) you can camp for FREE! This is very rugged camping since you basically are camping in the forest at your leisure. Unlike developed sites there are not designated camp sites, toilets or water. Simply put you walk into the forest and pick a place to stake your tent as long as it is a certain distance from the road, water source, and/or developed campground. Rules for this change per forest so make sure you check on your location specifics.
See what parks and campsites are near you by looking up your destination:
- National Forests & Campgrounds
- Oklahoma Camping & State Parks
- Top 10 Oklahoma State Parks
- Rand McNally Atlas - Find any National Forest/Park in green.
STEP 2: Shelter:
Tents: You can purchase great tents from anywhere between $35.00-$300. The cheaper ones are very basic but they are a great starter tent and allow you to find out what type of tent you want before you go a out and buy something really expensive. I’d also look for tents on Craig’s list or just borrow one from a friend if you are not an avid camper. A lot of local college student unions will allow you to rent camping equipment super cheap so check with your recreation center as another option instead of purchasing your own.
Hammocks: For comfort and minimal packing space a hammock is a great solution. Fold the sides over your body and you’ll be as snug as a cocoon. For only $10.00 a person you can find these at any local Wal-Mart or outdoor store. Just make sure you plan to camp around trees and that you bring plenty of warm clothes/blankets since you’ll be hanging free!
Fresh and Local: Eclair Bakery (Arroyo Grande, CA)
I know, I know you are probably tired of us sharing about our Cali trip but we simply had such a wonderful time that we want to share every detail! So… with that comes one of our favorite random stops that seriously kept us coming back for more!
Introducing the loveliest little local bakery; Eclair Bakery in Arroyo Grande, California!
We we’re greeted by the nicest tattooed baker I’ve ever met (except for my friend Tom who lives in Portland)! I think it might have had something to do with the fact that he has family in Okemah, OK (represent OK!) but regardless we visited this bakery everyday that we were in Arroyo Grande! Each day we were served by the happiest, most sincere people… the kind that you just wish could be your friends!
Vintage Illustrations from Grandma’s Stuff: Part 3
And finally the last piece (but certainly not the LEAST) in our series of illustrations found in Grandma’s stuff is all about BBQ! I’m excited about these since fall is nearly here and the summer has been to hot to enjoy grilling outside. I definitely plan on scheduling a few fall parties to get my grilling/bonfire fix.
Vintage Illustrations from Grandma’s Stuff: Part 1
Remember a while back when I went through Grandma’s stuff? We’ll, I’ve been stashing a few items away to share! I’ve got a series of three different vintage illustration styles I found in her old cookbooks and collection of recipes.
I’ve been really excited about sharing these with you all! Some of them are more “playful” than others but to start us out, I thought the illustrations about canning were a great way to finish up our summer canning for 2011 and start off this new series of illustrations.
Enjoy!
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