A garden medley to satisfy any vegetable lovers’ tastes.  This can be served on a bed of rice and served as a main meal or used as a side dish.

These vegetables are available year round in grocery stores but we are embarking on summer’s production of an abundance of fresh green zucchinis, deep purple eggplants, colorful peppers, and a variety of tomatoes.  Whether you have your own backyard garden or exploring local farmer’s markets, summer is about ready to explode with fresh pickings.

This is the time of year when graduations are in full swing. Everybody is happy and celebrating their special occassion with sweet treats. The daughter of my long-time friend Shelly, recently graduated from high school. Such a great time in one’s life. The feeling of satisfaction, knowing you’re finished with high school. Young, bright eyes filled with wonders of what lies ahead.

This grain-like seed has become quite the talk for some time now. It comes in a variety of colors but is most known for the translucent yellow seed. It’s a delicate flavor and is light and fluffy.  It’s time I jump on board already to see what all the hoopla is about. I’ve seen recipes on other blogs but just haven’t made the time to learn and explore this little gem. As a mom of three kids involved in sports, it’s important that I feed their bodies to keep up with their energy levels. It’s also a complete protein.  Quinoa is packed with nutrients! This is one well-rounded grain-like seed! You can read here to learn more about this little powerhouse.

Growing up I was surrounded by ample amounts of fruit trees, bushes, and plants.  I can remember standing outside for what seemed like hours picking the plump blue purple colored fruit.  Papa (Grandpa pictured in the photo) would hand us kids a bucket and lead the way.  My sisters, cousin and I would always find the bush with the most berries on it, then race to see who could fill their bucket first.  A few berries for the bucket, then a few in our mouths, eventually we always picked enough to bring  Baba (grandma) to make into pies.  Of course we had moments of spilling buckets of fruit while waving our arms like maniacs shooing away those biting torpedo flies, but we always managed to still get buckets upon buckets of blueberries.

Soccer weekends with my daughter can provide quality mother-daughter time and the opportunity to experience the area’s local grocery stores’ produce section.  Do others find it exciting to touch, feel and smell things in the produce section?

This past trip away we stopped at Meijers up in the Toledo area.  We were wowed by the variety of fresh fruits ready for our picking.  With this being Spring, the rhubarb stood out the most.  It was sitting there on the shelf looking amazingly fresh!  Long, firm, deep red stalks just screaming at me to buy.