Stonyfield Organic Yogurt Pouches #MC

“I participated in a Blogger Activation on behalf of Mom Consulting for Stonyfield. I received coupons to facilitate my shopping trip and a promotional item to thank me for participating.”

Stonyfield Yogurt products have been a staple in our house ever since our first son started eating dairy around 15 months old. It is important for me to know that the ingredients in the yogurt my kids eat are organic. Trying another yogurt brand has never ever crossed my mind and we have been a strictly Stonyfield house ever since that first taste. Over the years we have progressed through YoBaby to YoToddler and now YoKids for the three oldest ones, and they have loved them all.

Recently, Stonyfield has launched a line of organic Yogurt pouches, which I think is pretty genius. This is the first refrigerated organic yogurt pouch available and they all contain pure organic ingredients and no high fructose corn syrup or artificial flavors.

The first time we tried these pouches was on our recent trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. When we got down there, our first stop before the rental house was hitting a Super Target for food. My kids eat their Stonyfield yogurt every day so I needed some to put in our cooler to bring to the park. When I saw the YoKids yogurt pouches I was thrilled because that is so much easier than the cups and spoons. And the kids loved them - blueberry seems to be the favorite. Now that we are home, the pouches are great to bring to the baseball fields when we are stuck there for 4 hours or even for an evening snack when we get home after a game.

YoKids Yogurt Pouch Evening Snack

I also recently tried some of the YoToddler pouches for my four year old. Now granted he isn't technically a toddler anymore, but the YoToddler line has veggies in them and so this is a great way for me to sneak some veggies into his diet. We tried the Strawberry Beet Raspberry pouch and he gobbled it up, finishing with a "that was yummy mommy!" Look, he won't even put it down while he stabs some fruit with his fork. So yeah, those are a big winner for me.

YoToddler Pouch with Lunch

With summer just around the corner, we are going to be spending 4 afternoons a week at the local lake. When I pack our cooler with lunches and snacks, I can guarantee that there will be some Stonyfield Yogurt Pouches in there. These are just perfect for a family on the go. Easy, yummy and healthy. My kids love the taste and I love that they are organic and free of any artificial junk and from a brand that I trust.

Connect with Stonyfield
Facebook: www.facebook.com/>stonyfield
Twitter: @Stonyfield
Instagram: @Stonyfield
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/stonyfield

Cascadian Farm & Parents Magazine #Giveaway

Cascadian Farm products are a staple in my house. We've tried so many of their items over the years, but are favorites for sure are the Cinnamon Crunch cereal and their chewy granola bars. Those granola bars usually end up going to school with my boys for their afternoons snacks. They love the taste and I love that everything is organic.

This month (March 2014), Cascadian Farm is featured in Parent Magazine so we though this was cause for a little celebration. I have a pretty sweet prize package to giveaway to one lucky reader. Be sure to check out the details below and enter on the Rafflecopter form.

Connect with Cascadian Farm
Website: www.cascadianfarm.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cascadianfarm
Twitter: @cascadianfarm
Pinterest: pinterest.com/cascadianfarm
Instagram: instagram.com/cascadianfarm

One (1) winner will receive a prize pack  that includes the following:

• Current edition of Parents Magazine (March Issue)
• (1) one-year subscription to Parents Magazine
• Cascadian Farm prize package including (1) box of Oats & Honey Crunchy Bars, (2) boxes of Chewy Bars with Organic Pea Protein and other swag items.

Giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on March 28 at 12:00am EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stonyfield Food Superhero Campaign Giveaway plus Pinterest Sweepstakes

Who doesn't love a superhero? The Avengers, Wonder Woman, Batman...they are all pretty awesome. If you are a regular reader here, then you know how much my boys and I enjoy all things superhero. Well, how would YOU like to be a superhero? A Food Superhero, that is.

As part of their "Know Your Food" campaign, Stonyfield has launched the Stonyfield Food Superheroes, an interactive campaign inviting food lovers to transform themselves into Food Superheroes by showing off their superpowers to support a healthy, sustainable food system through their every day actions. For every Food Superhero profile created, Stonyfield will donate $1.00 to FoodCorps. FoodCorps is a national nonprofit organization that addresses childhood health through food by working directly in schools in limited-resource communities.

So this is me as my Food Superhero alter ego: The Green Cultivator! My power is the ability to see right through food labels! It took me just a few minutes, it was fun and it helps a good cause. Visit www.iWillKnowMyFood.com to create your own Food Superhero persona with superpowers and names to fit.

What do you think are some of your food superpowers?

Pinterest Sweepstakes
Stonyfield wants you to share what inspires you to be a food superhero for a chance to win one of five $200 gift cards to Whole Foods Market! Check out the Official Rules and then head over to Stonyfield's Be A Food Superhero Pinboard to get started.You can also visit my own Food Superhero Pinboard to see what I pinned. The Pinterest Sweepstakes end June 30, 2012, so get started today!

Giveaway
One (1) winner will receive a $50 Whole Foods Market gift card plus a "Food Superhero" cape, a coupon for a free 6oz Stonyfield Yogurt and a couple of temporary tattoos. Giveaway is open to US residents only and will end on July 6, 2012. Please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2012 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

While buying organic produce and foods is important to me and definitely a priority, buying everything organic is just not financially possible for us at this time.I wish organic produce wasn't so expensive!  The Environmental Working Group's Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce has been a great help for me in showing me which items I should buy organic and which it is OK to skip on

The guide is broken up into two lists: Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. The Dirty Dozen list shows the twelve produce items that contain the highest amount of pesticides, like apples and bell peppers. At the other end of the spectrum, the Clean Fifteen list has the produce items that contain the least amount of pesticides. For these, it is OK to buy conventional rather than organic.

The 2012 guide was recently released and I highly recommend that you check it out and download it for your reference. You can print the PDF to keep in your purse or wallet or even better, download the free apps that are available for iPhone/iPad, Android and windows phones. Visit www.ewg.org/foodnews/guide to download today.

2011 Muir Glen Organic Reserve Gift Basket

Well the holiday shopping insanity is about to wind down in the next few days. That is almost exciting as Christmas itself! I always have a few people to buy for that I don't see till after the holiday and of course that means I can procrastinate a little longer. The 2011 Muir Glen Organic Reserve Gift Basket can a perfect, inexpensive gift for a foodie friend, co-worker, teacher, etc and for any occasion, not just holiday time.

"Muir Glen long-time partner farmers cultivate 1,000 acres of organic soil in Northern California’s Yolo County. In late spring of this year, 13 of those acres were planted with our Reserve tomato seedlings. Chosen specifically for their exceptional sweetness, the Harvest Sunset™ Reserve--a blend of yellow and red tomatoes, offer unique but complimentary textures, colors and flavor profiles.

Grown exclusively for Muir Glen under certified organic practices, and after months of thoughtful planning, constant attention and careful nurturing, the 2011 Reserve Tomatoes were hand-harvested at the peak of ripeness to guarantee the exceptional quality and taste you’ve come to expect from Muir Glen."

This gift basket is sold for $10 (plus $5 shipping) and can make a really nice thank you gift or even a nice gesture for the New Year. Or even better - you have spent the past months shopping for everyone else, it could even make a nice gift for YOURSELF.

The Reserve Kit includes:

• One 14.5 oz can Reserve Harvest Sunset Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
• One 14.5 oz can Reserve Harvest Sunset Organic Diced Tomatoes
• One 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies
• One 14.5 oz can Muir Glen Organic No-Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
• A recipe booklet featuring a variety of recipes created by award-winning chefs from around the country made with the 2011 Reserve Tomatoes

Buy
To order visit MuirGlen.com.

I received free product in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cascadian Farm Organic Trail Mix Chewy Granola Bars Review & Giveaway

Earlier this year I tried out some Cascadian Farm cereals and granola bars. Ever since that review my kids have been hooked. We go through about two boxes of the Cinnamon Crunch cereal per week and I always have some of the kids sized granola bars on hand, especially for a quick snack after hockey practice. So I jumped at the chance to try the Cascadian Farm Trail Mix Chewy Granola Bars.

I am always looking for healthy snacks for my family, it is nice to have a variety so the kiddos don't get tired of the same things over and over again. Sadly, the kids did not even get to try out any of these. Why? Because I. Ate. Them. All. Yes, that's right, of the four boxes I received, I ate every single one. Not all in one shot, mind you but over several weeks. They were so good that I didn't even want to share. I feel slightly guilty about it. OK, not really.

Read more »

CSA Pickup: September 17, 2011

The cooler weather sure did hit fast here in Connecticut. I feel like it was just in the high 80s and now we are in the 60s. While I do enjoy a crisp Autumn morning, this time of year also means the harvests will be coming to an end soon. Our CSA runs till the very beginning of November so we have a few weeks left, but the goodies are already dwindling. I went from a crazy amount of food two weeks ago which included tomatoes, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, lettuce, etc. to just a basketful of veggies.

Here is this weekend's loot. Potatoes, acorn squash, salad  mix, carrots, red & yellow bell peppers, eggplant and kale. Last night I made sausage and peppers so those are all gone now. I will be making some mashed potatoes at some point for my hubby, who complains that I don't make them enough. And I think I will try making some kale chips again. I tried once last season and was not all that thrilled. But they are so nutrient dense and good for you that I figured it was worth another shot.

I have never cooked acorn squash before so I will have to find something yummy to make with these. Do you have any acorn squash recipes that you can share with me?

Costco Discontinues Organic Peanut Butter

We shop at Costco. A lot. When you have a large family, you kind of have to. Buying in bulk becomes a necessity. One of the things I love about Costco is their every growing selection of natural and organic foods. For years I have been buying their Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter and my kids eat PB&J sandwiches for lunch on almost a daily basis. We love the taste and mommy loves that there are only two ingredients: peanuts and salt. I think it is by far the best natural or organic peanut butter on the market. Other brands tend to add an oil and a sweetener to their versions and I don't like that.

So this week my hubby went to our local Costco to pick up some of our usual including the peanut butter We usually buy two of the 2-packs at a time. He calls me to tell me they are out of it and they only have almond butter. No thanks. The following day he goes to another Costco near his office and calls to say that it is the same thing there. Not only are both locations out of the peanut butter, but the spot has actually been filled in with the almond butter. Here is where I start to panic. What does this mean? Are they no longer carrying the peanut butter? How can they do that? GAH!!!

So I do what a blogger does best and I hit the web. First I went to the Costco site and used their contact form to send them an email asking if they are no longer carrying the peanut butter. What I received back was a form response that didn't even answer the question:

Dear Marianna, We appreciate you taking the time to email Costco Wholesale. Your product suggestion has been forwarded to our buying office for their review. Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with us, as we value our members input. Thank you, {name removed} Costco Wholesale Corporation

I didn't make a product suggestion, I am asking whether or not Costco stopped carrying this product. If they tell me yes, well THEN I will surely make a product suggestion.

Next I hit up the Costco Facebook page and left a comment on their wall asking about the peanut butter. They have not responded. So now here I am blogging about it, hoping I can find out what is going on with my beloved Kirkland peanut butter and try my best to get it back on the shelves.

Want to help me get Costco's attention? Head on over to the Costco Facebook page and tell them to keep carrying the Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter.

And in the meantime, please recommend to me your favorite brands of organic peanut butter so I can start searching for a suitable replacement just in case. There isn't a Whole Foods near here yet so Trader Joe's perhaps?

***UPDATE***
I sent another email to Costco this morning trying to see if I could get a real answer and sadly, my worst fear has been confirmed.

Dear Marianna, This product has been discontinued. The organic peanuts have become very difficult to source. Our hope is to be able to offer this again in the future. Please let us know if there is anything else we may assist you with. Thank you, {name removed} Costco Wholesale Corporation

***UPDATE #2***
Costco now carries an all natural Kirkland peanut butter, which tastes the same as their old organic one. While it is not organic, the only ingredients are peanuts and salt, so I see this as the best option for peanut butter out there. Well, other than grinding your own. So many of the organic peanut butters on the market seem to have some sort of sweetener in them, which I feel is very necessary.

Cascadian Farm Organic Food Review & Giveaway

With four young children comes four very picky palettes. Very. Picky. It is enough to drive this mom insane. We have three different types of cereal in the house to accommodate everyone, several varieties of crackers for snacks and so on. To be fair, the 19 month old is not quite as picky as his older brothers - he is probably my best all around eater. But I know that as he approaches that 2 - 3 year mark it will all change. So I take advantage of it while I can.

Needless to say finding foods that everyone enjoys is a challenge. But then, a box of Cascadian Farm organic goodies arrived on my doorstep and everything changed. Cascadian Farm makes a variety of  organic food from frozen vegetables and fruits to cereals.

"Since 1972, Cascadian Farm® has been providing products that reflect our commitment to organic foods and sustainable practices that enriches the lives of you, your family and the world we share."

So late last Friday we received 2 boxes of Cascadian Farm cereal and granola bars. When the kids saw the Cinnamon Crunch cereal they all wanted to try it. This is made with whole grains and since its organic, it is free of any artificial junk.  I filled three bowls for the three older boys and then watched. All three of them loved it. Then enter the toddler who saw his brothers enjoying something and demanded some for himself. This consisted of a lot of pointing and grunting. So he got in his chair and proceeded to devour it. If you are keeping score, that is all four children that liked this and one happy mommy! On Monday morning they finished he box. An entire box of cereal gone in 3 mornings. Guess who needs to the store this week to pick more up?

The one of the twins noticed the boxes of granola bars on the counter.

"Mommy!! That's my favorite!!"

Interesting since he has never eaten a granola bar before. I explained that later after lunch they could each taste a granola bar. We had a box each of the Oatmeal Raisin and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip granola bars. Right off the bat you can see on the box that these are marked as kid sized. These are the perfect size for children. I, on the other hand, could easily eat an entire box, but I won't. So I had 2 boys try one flavor while myself and the other 2 boys tried the other. Absolutely delicious. They are extremely moist and chewy and so much better than some of those hard as a rock granola bars out on the market. They are on the sticky side though so make sure they can clean up their hands when they are done.

I also received a box of Whole Grain Squares and I conviscated those for myself otherwise I wouldn't get any. Once again these are made with whole grains with just a slight hint of sweetness. I was definitely presently surprised because many of other brands of organic cereal I have tasted have been very cardboardesque. These are very good and I especially like them with some fresh fruit mixed in.

As my supply of the Carscadian Farm cereals and granola bars has dwindled so rapidly, I have already added them to my grocery list to replenish the pantry. I have a feeling that the Cinnamon Crunch cereal will be a breakfast staple in my house for a long time. The thought of not having to make 4 completely separate breakfasts even just a few days a week is really exciting for me. Especially once school gets rolling in a few weeks and the morning once again becomes an insane rush to get dressed, cleaned, fed and out the door to catch the bus.

Coupon
Join the Cascadian Farm community and receive a $1.00 off coupon.

Giveaway
One (1) winner will receive 1 box of granola and 1 box of granola bars.

Mandatory Entry
What is your favorite Cascadian Farm product or which do you want to try the most?

Extra Entries
- "Like" Cascadian Farm on Facebook and tell them I sent you. Please leave me your first name and last name initial to validate.
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- Follow Green Mama's Pad publicly on Google Friend Connect.
- Subscribe to my RSS feed in a reader or subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count.
- Follow @GreenMamasPad and @cascadianfarm on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. You can tweet once daily. Leave link to tweet in comment. You must have at least 50 followers. Please use the following when tweeting:
#Win @CascadianFarm #organic granola & granola bars via @GreenMamasPad. #Giveaway ends 8/23 http://bit.ly/os1EG3

This giveaway is open to legal US Residents 18+ only and will end on Tuesday, August 23 at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org and will be posted on the Winner's Announcement Page. Winner has 48 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. Please leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and based on my personal experience with the product and/or company. You may encounter a different experience with this than I did. Cascadian Farm provided me with free products to review.

Garlic Scape & Basil Pesto Sauce Recipe

Last year when we started with our CSA, I was introduced to a new plant called the garlic scape. The garlic WHAT? Exactly. Apparently, the garlic scape is the top part of the garlic plant. The garlic cloves themselves are bulbs that grow under ground and the scape is the green part the grows above the ground. The scape is cut off before the garlic is harvested to focus the plants energy on growing the bulb larger. These things are pretty interesting to look at as well.

Up until this point I had never heard of them and who'd have thought you can eat them too. After I got my first bunch I didn't know what to do with them. So my friend sent me a recipes that she found for Garlic Scape & Basil Pesto. If you like traditional pesto sauce then you will enjoy this as well. It is pretty similar, just with an extra kick to it.

Garlic Scape & Basil Pesto

adapted from Fort Hill Farm recipe

Ingredients
2 to 2.5 pounds of garlic scapes
2 cups basil leaves
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
3 tablespoon pine nuts
spoonful of pasta water

Directions

Remove "whips" from garlic scapes and discard (the whip is the thinner end after the blossom). Chop remaining into 1 inch pieces till you have 2 cups. Dump into food processor.

Add 2 cups of fresh basil leaves to the chopped garlic scapes.

Pour in 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil.

Cover and pulse until well blended, stopping to mix in what gets stuck on the sides.

Add 3 tablespoons of pine nuts to the mixture.

Side note: pine nuts or pignoli nuts taste very nice in your favorite salad! OK, back to the recipe...

Then add in 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese. At this point my mother told me that her traditional pesto recipe calls for some pasta water. So I poured in a small ladleful.

Pulse again until blended. This is what your finished mixture will look like. You can now add it to your favorite pasta or or even spread it on some grilled chicken.
 

I love pesto on cheese filled pasta like ravioli and tortellini. Delicious!

Applegate Organic & Natural Meats Review & Giveaway

Giving my family healthy food is something that is very important to me. Over the past 4 years I have worked very hard to move away from all of the processed junk, and believe me, we ate too much of it. We still eat some processed foods but the ones we do eat I try to keep them either natural or organic so that the ingredients are not horrific. One of the things we pretty much eliminated all together were lunch meats since it was nearly impossible for me to find nitrate-free options and studies have show nitrates linked to certain cancers.

Then I recently discovered Applegate Farms who makes quality organic & natural meats. Their range of natural meat products is actually quite extensive from more than 20 cold cut meats to hot dogs, sausages and bacon to frozen meat products like chicken nuggets and beef burgers. They even have cheese. Some of their products are certified organic and the rest are all-natural and antibiotic free. You will also not find any added nitrates or nitrates in any of the Applegate products.

When you pick up an Applegate Farms product, you can be assured that...
~ Our animals are never given antibiotics. Healthy animals don’t need medicine. Instead, we give them space, fresh air, and a healthy diet, which we’re certain beats the alternative.
~ Our livestock eat a completely vegetarian diet with no animal by-products. Cattle in our organic program are grass-fed. Hogs and poultry in our organic program are fed a grain diet that includes corn, soy, barley, and flax that are free from GMOs.
~ Our animals are never given hormones or artificial growth promotants. They grow at their natural rate.
~ All of our products are made with natural and organic ingredients. If you aren’t familiar with a particular ingredient, email us and we’ll tell you what it is.
~ Our products are all minimally processed, allowing for a wholesome texture and taste.
~ Our products never contain artificial nitrates or nitrites. Instead, we use celery juice and sea salt to preserve our products the natural and old fashioned way.
~ Our deli meat, hot dogs, burgers, and bacon are gluten and casein free.
~ Our products are made from natural and organic whole muscle meat. Yes, even our hot dogs! No mystery here.

Applegate Farms sent me a bunch of yummy food to try out and believe me I enjoyed it! From their cold cuts line I tasted the Natural Roasted Chicken Breast and Natural Pepperoni. Up until this point I had never had chicken in lunch meat form so this was totally new for me. The Applegate chicken breast was so good that it has now become a staple for me in my house. I don't like to eat lunch meat every day, but maybe two to three times a week I will have the chicken bread with lettuce, tomato and dried cranberries on toasted bread. It is delicious! Oh and smeared with mayonnaise which I realize negates anything healthy I was trying to do but I don't care. I am getting hungry from just typing that. now when I opened up the package of Applegate pepperoni my 6 year old came over to check it out and ask what it was. Then he asked to try it and most parents know that when a kid asks to try something new on his own, that is HUGE. So he tried a slice. And then another. And another. Yeah their pepperoni was a huge hit. I have to admit that it even made me a fan. I am not a fan of spicy foods and this was not overly spicy at all and had a really nice flavor. I found myself opening the fridge just to grab a few slices to snack on.



I was also sent some of Applegate's frozen breakfast sausages to try out. Now my husband will not touch any kind of bacon, sausage or burger made with turkey. I have no idea why because it doesn't make any sense to me since he does like turkey. So he ate the Natural Classic Pork Breakfast Sausage while I ate the Natural Savory Turkey Breakfast Sausage. He was so excited to have sausage with is eggs in the morning! The breakfast sausage can either be cooked in the microwave or in a pan on your stove top. The first morning we tried it in the microwave and I would not recommend that. It could just be the strength of ours, but they came out very tough. So on morning #2 I did it on the stove and they were so much better this way. My husband gobbled his up and definitely enjoyed them. A lot. What I found interesting is these sausages also had a little kick of pepper to them. It was very different and tasty.

I was so excited to see that our Big Y in town carried their products and just recently our Stop & Shop started carrying them as well. As I mentioned since receiving my samples of Applegate Farms meats I have been continuously buying the Roasted Chicken Breast lunch meat. Last week I picked up some of their bacon and no joke, the best bacon ever! I am dying to try their grass fed organic beef hot dogs, which have rave reviews on their website. I might have to pick up a package of those very soon.

Giveaway
Applegate Farms sent me a bunch of coupons to giveaway! So four (4) winners will each receive ten (10) $1.00 off coupons good for any Applegate Farms product.

Mandatory Entry
Leave me a comment telling me which Applegate Farms product you want to try the most.

Extra Entries
- If you already eat Applegate Farms products, tell me which one is your favorite.
- "Like" Applegate Farms on Facebook and tell them I sent you! Please leave me your first name and last name initial to validate. Worth 2 entries so leave 2 comments.
- "Like" Green Mama's Pad on Facebook. Please leave me your first name and last name initial to validate. Be sure to say hi to me!
- Share this giveaway with link on Facebook and be sure to "tag" Applegate Farms and Green Mama's Pad when you share it. You can do this once daily. Leave link in comment.
- Follow Green Mama's Pad publicly on Google Friend Connect.
- Subscribe to my RSS feed in a reader or subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count.
- Add my Green Mama's Pad button to your sidebar or add Green Mama's Pad to your blogroll. Leave your blog link.
- Follow @GreenMamasPad, and @ApplegateFarms on Twitter and and tweet this giveaway. Tweets are unlimited but must be at least 3 hours apart. Leave link to tweet in comment. You must have at least 50 followers. Please use the following when tweeting:
#Win 10 coupons for $1 off @ApplegateFarms products via @GreenMamaspad. 4 winners. #Giveaway ends 6/14 http://bit.ly/mvoe3c
- Follow Green Mama's Pad on StumbleUpon. Worth 3 entries so leave 3 comments plus your StumbleUpon ID.
- Stumble one of my non-giveaway posts and tell me which one. Worth 2 entries so leave 2 comments with your ID.

This giveaway is open to legal US Residents 18+ only and will end on Tuesday, June 14 at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org and will be posted on the Winner's Announcement Page. Winner has 48 hours to claim his/her prize otherwise a new winner will be picked. Please leave your e-mail address in all of your comment(s) so I can contact you. I will not share your e-mail address with anyone, it will strictly be used to notify you if you win. Good luck!

Please note that the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and based on my personal experience with the product and/or company. You may encounter a different experience with this than I did. I received a product free of charge for review.

I Am In Love With Our CSA

A few years ago, my sister-in-law found out from a friend that there is an organic CSA farm in our town. We both got so excited! It is expensive, so we agreed we would split the share and she put us down on the waiting list. It took 2 years but she finally got the email over this past winter saying we made it to the top of the list and we could get a share this year. YAY!

With our CSA, you pick up once a week so we have been alternating weeks. I went week 1, she went week 2, etc.  The first week that the farm was open they had Strawberry picking and my 5 year old had a blast. I swear they were the best tasting strawberries I have ever eaten.  That first week was mostly salad greens and other greens like spinach. As a bonus I also got a Dalia bulb to plant!

As the season has been moving on each week there is more and more food to choose from. A few weeks ago we got to pick our own Sugar Snap Peas and Basil. This past week was my 3rd pick up and I was in complete shock with how much they had out and how much we were allowed to take. I know we paid in advance but I swear I feel like I am robbing them. Just take a look at what I cam home with on Saturday.

I still can't believe how much food I got. My favorite part is going out into the fields and cutting my own herbs or picking my own veggies/fruit. I told my sister-in-law that just the experience alone is worth the money. I feel more connected to the land and the food, as silly as that may sound. And while I absolutely hate bugs like spiders, I find comfort in seeing them crawling over the plants as I am picking because it is a reminder that there are no pesticides being used.

Who else out there in the blogosphere is part of a CSA? I'd love to hear about your experience and why you enjoy it? Have a blog post about it? Share it!