La Chasse Au Bonheur - The Farmers Market

#2 Going to the Farmers Market & Cooking with Farmers Market Produce

Week 1 Produce

Week 2 Produce

Previously, Ross and I had been shopping at Aldi for groceries. They have great prices but recently we've been very disappointed with their produce. It was all going bad just ONE day after we went shopping. That is just not right. 


I had been wanting to go to the Peoria Farmers Market all summer. Our bad luck at Aldi provided the encouragement I needed.  The farmers market had the most delicious and affordable produce I've ever seen! Not to mention, it feels great to support local farmers. The selection and variety were wonderful. Organically grown produce was also available.

Hummus and Pepper Wraps

Sweet Iced Tea and the best nectarines I've EVER had.

These nectarines completely sold me on farmers market produce. I'm not kidding you.... Farmers market produce is so much more delicious than anything store bought. I have never tasted anything so sweet and delicious in my life. 


Why does farmers market produce taste so good? I'm sure it has a lot to do with the way they farm, but it also has to do with the fact that they are selling what is in season. Often, food is shipped across the world to the U.S. so that we can have fruit and vegetables all year round. For that, I am grateful. BUT, food (especially fruit) tastes SO much better when it's fresh, just picked from a local farm. 

Patty Pan Squash and Purple Sweet Bell Peppers

Patty Pan Squash: This squash looked so quirky I had to buy it. I got it home and thought to myself, "Now how do I cook this thing?!" I of course whipped out my iPhone and found THIS link to give me some guidance. 

I ended up slicing the squash through the diameter. The scalloped edges are so much fun. Then I just heated the rounds up in a frying pan with a bit of cooking spray. I like my veggies a little undercooked so it didn't take long at all to warm up these bad boys. 

I learned early in life that squash can easily be over-cooked because it continues to soften after you take it off the stove. I always try to remove it just before I think its ready. By the time I sit down to eat its the perfect texture. 

As far as flavor goes, my mouth was watering over the delicious-ness of the patty pan squash. I seasoned mine with just a bit of garlic salt, but the natural flavor of the squash was unmistakable. 

Purple Sweet Bell Peppers: These purple peppers caught my eye from 10 feet away. Their purple color is so vibrant! I've never seen anything like it. The sign said "extra-sweet peppers" and I was hooked. Not to mention it was 5 for $1!

These peppers, although shaped like a normal bell pepper, are smaller in size and have a thinner flesh. The inner color is light green (you can see this in the image above that has a plate of sliced peppers).  

La Chasse Au Bonheur - The Hunt for Happiness

La Chasse Au Bonheur - Sunsets

The Hunt for Happiness!


I came across this French quote in the book I'm currently reading, "The Geography of Bliss" by Eric Weiner. I'm only 42 pages in and I already love it!


I've said it before and I'll say it again.... For me, it's the little things in life that bring the most joy.


Stay tuned this week for a series of posts about my hunt for (& success finding) happiness lately.

#1 Sunsets - There's just nothing better than a sunset walk with the man you love

The End

La Chasse Au Bonheur - The Hunt for Happiness

50th Blog Post

Today marks my 50th blog post! I honesty wasn't sure if I would stick with blogging this long... I'm happily surprised :)

The blog hasn't turned into a sad sappy diary and it definitely has not gained an international audience of thousands. But that's just OK with me.

Every day, I read other blogs with authors who are insanely awesome writers. I am willing to admit that I am not one of those insanely awesome writers. First of all, I'm inconsistent with my posting. I'll go weeks without a single post and then blog for five days straight! Second, I haven't quite found my niche  for blog content. I usually just post about whatever is on my mind or the pictures I find on my iPhone.

And once again, that's just OK with me.

This is a place for me to exercise a bit of creativity. I aspire to write with the wit of Joy the Baker or to be as interesting as Joanna at A Cup of Jo.  I may never get to their level, and that's just fine with me!



Stick around if you'd like. I'd love to have you!

Lake Shore Drive - Chicago, IL

Top Five

A list of my top five finds in blog world as of lately....

1. An inspiring story... found HERE at Tea & Cookies

2. For the love of cheese!

3. THIS HOME is a dream come true....

4. Cabbies in England - Just Here's Fine.com

5. 20 of the most beautiful, quirky and awe inspiring bookstores in the world. CLICK HERE

This bookstore makes me swoon...

Oh Wait! There's more.....

A few helpful articles about finances

• How to Cut Your Spending by $400 a Month!
• Did you know Illinois is a "deregulated" state and therefore you can shop for the lowest prices on  electricity?! [SOURCE]
• When is the best time of the year to buy a new washer and dryer? CLICK HERE to see a buyers guide of "The Best Time to Buy" 

Fresh Perspective

   

I could make excuses as to why I haven't made time to blog.
I could tell you I wish there was more time in the day.
I could write about how busy I've been.

I could tell you all of these things, but I won't.


I seem to sound like a broken record most days. My posts are constantly peppered with "I'm Sorry" and "I'm so busy". Yes, life is busy, but I know that I am not the only person who has a lot going on in life. Sometimes, I let myself become overwhelmed in the world of busy that I created.

Ross wrote me a beautiful letter the other day and he so eloquently wrote about how we ought to stop wanting more. To do more, to be more, to own more. Instead, we should want less. Less stress, less worry and less energy spent on the superfluous.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." Psalm 23

In light of this fresh perspective, I resolve to focus more on the countless blessings, deep gratitude and pure joy that I already have. Please enjoy the following pictures and links of happiness, positivity, creativity, and humor... the true fabric of life. It sounds so cliché, but it really is the little things in life.

Egg Carton Morning Inspiration

Thrift Store Finds: Antique Foreign Edition of Scrabble!

Family, Sangria and Father's Day

   

   

I have travel to Chicago a lot lately for my new job... I loved this mural I saw on the train ride in! Where the Wild Things Are is a classic! I'm learning to navigate downtown with my trusty iPhone.

Look at that view of Lake Michigan!
This is the view from the family center

Watching the storm roll in from 20 stories up.
This is the view from my unit!

I epically failed at making cake in a jar :(
I love the neon food coloring, though.

Reading has regained its rightful place in my daily life!

The joy of a good beer or glass of wine. Even better when enjoyed with the company of a good friend :)








 

Joy the Baker says: "YOU’RE ALLOWED a maximum of one freak-out per month.  After said freak-out, get it together… call your mom, text your sister, walk it off, dance it out, massage it away, buy a new lipstick, fax your accountant, write your grandmother, and eat as many Tootsie Rolls as necessary. Exceptions include:  the nine months of pregnancy, tax season, and any month that contains one or more days of jury duty."
[Source: CLICK HERE]

I totally need to try this dip dye look...

Tips, directions and more can be found by CLICKING HERE  to visit the blog called Take a Megabite.

"No one looks stupid when they're having fun." 
-- Amy Poehler
[Image and quote via Cup of Joe. CLICK HERE.]

Did YOU know this?! -------------->



















Oh wait, there's more!!!

1. CLICK HERE or HERE to see what I look like when I wake up for work at 5 pm.
2. Can you say GORGEOUS?!  CLICK HERE to see the most beautiful family photographed by Alea Lovely.
3. The Quiet Revolution... Yes it's a real thing. CLICK HERE to learn more about it.
4. CLICK HERE to read 17 tips and tricks to make life easier.
5. To bring things full circle... An article about being busy. CLICK HERE