Healthy Eating and the State of the Universe!

Dear Market Goers,

This past week, I’ve noticed a plethora of articles about healthy eating and it seems that everywhere I go, I hear people talking about it.  This makes my little heart go pitter-patter because, as you know, that is part of our mission at PCM: “To provide Purcellville and the surrounding community a place to buy healthy, nutritious, fresh, local food; to enable farmers to obtain fair prices for their products; to educate the public about food nutrition and preparation; and to create a figurative “Town Square” where people in the community reconnect with their neighbors as well as people who work the land and produce food. 

It personally makes me feel really good inside and gives me hope for the future when I hear about people talking about taking better care of themselves.  I believe caring enough about ourselves to put healthy food in our bodies is a sign that our minds are healthy.  And when our minds and bodies are healthy, our actions and reactions are healthier.  Our actions and reactions reverberate around the universe as they touch everyone around us.  I firmly believe that one of the ways to accomplish our goals of making the world a better place for all, starts with the food we put in your bodies….

I was sitting next to Staci LaRue, owner of LaRue Wellness, at The Wine Kitchen yesterday, while savoring the earthy taste of their uber comforting lamb stew (btw…their lunch specials are only $8..can you dig it?).  I love talking with her because she is such a kind, positive soul whose job is helping people change their lives for the better by offering them holistic nutrition and health counseling as well as personal fitness training and pilates.  She has a food blog through the Loudoun Times-Mirror and I happened upon one of her postings on eggs.  That’s right, I haven’t lectured y’all enough about the health benefits of fresh eggs.  If you need more convincing, read about it here http://loudountimes.com/index.php/blogs/larue/.  And don’t forget we have fresh, non-gmo eggs!

just had to rub it in...

While I was in Puerto Rico last week at my favorite neighborhood restaurant, sipping my morning cup of cafe con leche, contemplating whether I should go to the gorgeous beach 90 steps from where I was staying or to ride the bus to a different gorgeous beach, I came upon a food blog on an online magazine called Slate.  This section is called “clean plate:  Outlandish experiments in sensible eating.” http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/cleanplate/default.aspx.  It chronicles Ellen Tarlin’s six week quest to improve her eating,  “I identified the five biggest obstacles to eating sensibly – information overload, money, time, external influences and inertia – and put myself through a series of experiments to confront one issue each week.”

I found it interesting to hear about her struggles each week…and especially how she focusing on a different issue each week like:  eating slowly and performing eating meditation, increasing awareness of temptations and their effects on her, experimenting with new foods.  She also photoblogs her meals!  I found it inspiring and informational.

Thanks to our musicians last week…so bumbed I missed them all.  Seamus and his Da and Friends, the Burtones, and Ellen James.  Ellen got a gig to do a wedding from the market.  Imagine the sounds of her beautiful Celtic Harp at somebody’s wedding.  Check out the Burtones’ facebook page.  I posted a five minute video of the market with the Burtones in the background on on the Purcellville Community Market facebook page.

Mucho Gusto’s Sam and Tabby will be joined by renowned singer and guitarist Pat Egan , originally from County Tipperary, Ireland.  The trio of Morgan, Egan & Finch stir genuine Irish music into their zesty blend, getting a jump start on St. Patrick’s Day….. I. Can’t. Wait!

Here’s who’s at the market this week….

Joey, of Cornerstone Bakery, has a message:

NEW FLAVORS!   NEW FLAVORS!  I always have trouble picking which flavors to remove but it is always fun to make new flavors of cupcakes.  This week we will have three new flavors which include Double Chocolate (dark chocolate cake with white chocolate buttercream), Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese and Sticky Toffee Pudding (dense dark toffee soaked cake with sweet whipped cream topping).  I will also have Vanilla Vanilla, Espresso and  Pancakes & Bacon.  You can always pre-order cupcakes, donuts or dog treats by e-mailing me at joey@cornerstonebakedgoods.com.  I also have free local delivery during the week so if you ever have an office function or want to treat your co-workers with cupcakes or donuts just let me know.

I will have donuts at the market this week.  They are baked cake donuts and the flavors include plain chocolate, plain vanilla, cinnamon sugar, chocolate covered vanilla, chocolate glazed and chocolate chocolate.  They are delicious, filling and addictive (in a good way!).

We will have our all-natural sugar free Doggie Delicious Cookies and Pupcakes at the market this week.  Our pets give us so much love they deserve a treat.

As always, she take custom orders for your party needs.  Just e-mail her at joey@cornerstonebakedgoods.com and let her know what you need. You can pick up your order at the next market or she can deliver them to you during the week.

Everona Dairy, from Rapidan Virginia, makes unpasteurized, sheep’s milk cheeses in the Piedmont of Virginia, as well as a killer olive tampenade, lamb summer sausage, and crackers.  Here’s a message from Pat, owner of Everona dairy and a Doctor to boot!

We have over 200 lambs already.  Young lambs are so cute and innocent looking!  Out new creamery is almost done, so don’t forget that spring is a good time for tours.  Check iour website for more info (www.everonadairy.com).

Betty, of Betty’s Salsa, will have her to-die-for corn chips, bean dip, salsa and enchiladas.  You gotta get there early to get somadem enchiladas!

Erica, of The Magnolia Girls, will be back with her delicious breads and cookies.  Can’t wait to get some of the best ginger cookies around!

Rob, of Community Gardens, will be back this week with limited amounts of his fantastic salad mixes.

What’s for Dinner Now will have their tasty, grass-fed, grain-finished beef.

Here’s a message from the Matich’s of Liberty Hill Farm:

We at Liberty Hill Farm desire abundance of life and health for you and your family.   We provide pastured-raised chicken, free-range eggs and freshly-ground ,whole-wheat breads to help you accomplish this goal.

Unlike the conventional store bought chicken, our pasture-raised chickens are raised on fresh grass and non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) feed.  Fresh grass is extremely good for chickens and contributes to good taste and nutrition to the consumer.  Crops such as corn and soy are being genetically modified by companies such as Monsanto to resist Roundup.  Roundup is used to kill any known living plant.  Not so with Roundup Ready Monsanto products.  Now you have to ask the question, “What has been done to Roundup Ready corn and soy that can withstand Roundup?”  It is certainly not good and not the way God created them.  GMOs have been proven to be detrimental to your health.  A good book to read concerning this issue is “Seeds of Deception”.

Free-range eggs are very healthy for you as they create the “perfect food”, providing a perfect balance of Omega 3 and 6.  Confined chickens have unbalanced Omegas and actually produce eggs that are not as healthy for you.   No wonder a few years ago, the news was reporting that consuming eggs raised your cholesterol and were not good for you.    What wasn’t looked into was the way the eggs were being produced.   A good book to read that describes the benefits of free range eggs is “Nourishing Traditions”.

Our organic, whole-wheat products include:  freshly-ground, whole-wheat bread, pizza crusts, apple cinnamon bread, cinnamon raisin bread and  delicious chocolate chip cookies.   We also provide apple cinnamon, cinnamon rolls and granola.

Our product provides a couple of characteristics that are beneficial to you:  organic and freshly ground.   Organic wheat can’t have pesticides used on them or in the ground where they grow.  The benefit to you is that you don’t have chemicals going into your organs; which is obviously not good for you.  We freshly grind our wheat before we bake–thus preserving the best nutrition for you.   Any type of flour found in packages in stores have been robbed of 25 to 30 vitamins/minerals in order to allow the flour to last for a very long time.   This is good for the flour business but is extremely bad for you.   Consuming flour from store packages have been documented to contribute to the following ailments/diseases:  constipation, appendicitis, diverticulitis, hiatal hernia, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, bowel cancer, and gallstones.

Visit our website at www.LibertyHillFarmVA.com to get more information about our products or to place orders for market pickup.   See you at the market!

The Matich Family

Ken, Andrea, Samuel, Treasure

Liberty Hill Farm

Message from the Soapmeister Judy:

Liz Handcrafted Soaps will be at the market this week with full trays of all of your favorite scents. Don’t forget to try the Goat’s Milk & Lemongrass, with its mild lemony aroma and fleeting grassy/earthy scent. Lemongrass is known for its strong antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, flea and tick repellent qualities, but you won’t pick up this strong antiseptic scent in our soap, and there is nothing like goat’s milk for a mild, creamy bar of soap for your bathing pleasure. We have a scent for just about everyone this week, including Chocolate, Almond Delight, Orange & Clove, Satsuma Orange with Vanilla Specks, Cucumber & Aloe, Oatmeal Milk & Honey (we also have these in a dog mold look), and many others. Oh, and we have restocked our White Ginger, Bergamot Mosaic, and Spicy Sandalwood, which we haven’t had for quite some time. We still have a few Spicy Lime Shaving Soap for men, too. See you at the market!

Hondo Coffee and Pickled Goods - He’s coming!!!

North Gate Vineyard. Check out their facebook page to see the progress on the construction of their new, LEED Certified tasting room.  They will be at the market with their selection of great Virginia wines.

Lothar’s Gourmet Sausages will be at the market this week.  The Stifler Family of What’s for Dinner Now will be bringing their delicous, all-natural, pasture-raised, grain-finished beef (www.whatsfordinnernow.com).

Chris Carey, of HarvestMarket, will have the following incredible prepared foods made with fresh, local ingredients whenever possible.

American red snapper in green curry broth  (meat)

Escarole, ham and potato soup  (meat)

Citrus cured Atlantic salmon  (meat)

Caramelized onion marmalade  (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free)

Limited quantities:

Medjool date and blue cheese tart  (vegetarian)

Creamed savoy cabbage with smoked salmon  (meat)

Braised red cabbage with apples and honey  (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free)

Hearts of escarole with blue cheese and walnuts  (vegetarian, gluten-free)

Grilled radicchio with aged red wine vinegar and pine nuts  (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free)

Check out his weekly cooking story on his new food blog, www.harvestmarketdc.blogspot.com.  He’s also on Facebook:   HarvestMarketDC, and Twitter:   HarvestMarketDC/Twitter.

Message from Micaela of Millstone Bakers:

This week I will have my old stand bys, baguettes, ciabatta, foccacia, whole wheat boule, 3-seeded country loaf and I finally have a sour dough mother starter that is beautiful… given to me by a friend who has had it for a few years. So with that whole wheat sourdough starter, I will have a whole wheat, walnut, rosemary plus a whole wheat rosemary, walnut, cranberry loaf.  If they turn out like they did the other day, WOW. Beautiful.  I probably just jinxed myself!  I will also have bags of homemade granola, loaded with nuts, and dried fruits with a touch of honey and cinnamon.

Samantha, of Holy Cow Delivery, will be selling her cousin’s (South Mountain Creamery) whole, cream top, 2%, skim, and chocolate milk, fantastic yogurt and yogurt drinks, to die-for cream cheeses, regular butter and honey butter. Here’s a message from Samantha:

Holy Cow!!!  We have lambchops, lamb stew meat, and lamb burger.  In addition to our fantastic lamb, we have some awesome dairy products.  Our chocolate milk makes the best hot cocoa!!!  You gotta try it pastedGraphic.pdf

TOATS, a wheat, egg, and dairy-free cookie made right here in Loudoun County!  They have 0 trans fats and even the box is organic.  Stop by and chat with Marisol about her journey creating this unique product and ask for a taste these delicious, healthy snacks (www.toatsorganic.com).

Herban Avenues will have their incredible teas, cold remedies, and skin care lotions as well as honey.

If you’re jonesin’ for one of  The Smoothie Guy’s (Mike Schreiber) fresh fruit smoothies, don’t forget he’s at the Purcellville Sports Pavilion in his Smoothie Hut.  Just walk in, even if you’re not a member, and order one of those fantastic smoothies…he’ll be back at the Best Little Market in Loudoun when the weather gets warmer..

Linna the Locavore

Whether you are looking to save some money this season, want a more sustainable option for fertilizing your garden, or are just interested in trying something new, making your own liquid fertilizers is free and easy to do. To get you started, check out my article outlining the basics!

If you are interested in bean teepees for supporting your tomatoes or beans, contact me at vafoodscaper@gmail.com

Happy Garden dreaming!
Be vocal.  Eat, think, and buy local!
www.foodscaper.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Loudoun_locavores

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We hope you stop by in all kinds of weather now.  If you’re coming from the east, it’s just the first right past the town hall and then up the block on your left.  Look for the signs.  Don’t forget, there is parking in the town lot down the street and also behind It’s Bazaar.  Don’t park in the little parking lot between Nichol’s Hardware and It’s Bazaar.  We want to be good neighbors to our favorite hardware store!!!

We really appreciate your support and hope that we have been a positive influence in your lives beyond providing great, healthy food for you and your families.  Check out our website at www.purcellvillecommunitymarket.com, our info on www.loudounfarms.org and on facebook, where we post pictures of happy customers and vendors almost every week! Check the market table for all kinds of info, cookbooks, recipes, community events, local businesses, and health information.

Don’t forget to try to remember to bring your Purcellville Green and Buy Fresh, Buy Local shopping bags…

So come out on Saturday, try all of our samples, purchase some GREAT, HEALTHY, LOCAL foods, have a chat with your faithful vendors, happy neighbors, and enlightened folks from other communities and sip some fresh coffee and have a bite to eat. We will be there from 10 am to 1 pm inside It’s Bazaar at 143 N. 21st Street in beautiful, old town Purcellville, VA.

Enjoy!

Juanita Tool

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