Pink Saturday Goes to the Autumn Farmer's Market

 

It's finally fall, and I am so excited.

 

Summer seemed as though it was going to last forever and last week we got a quick taste of early winter, but happily today was a true fall day.  I had planned a quiet relaxing weekend, but out of town visitors and last minute plans to spend time with close friends, made it less quiet. I found myself running around Manhattan -- and my running around included a trip to the Farmer's Market at Columbia University.

 

  There was a wonderful apple selection, including this assortment from Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, NY, in Columbia County. I was pleased to find my favorite variety, the tart and tasty Macoun.

 

After buying a few apples, I noticed the pie section, especially the big cherry pie in the right corner. I was tempted, very tempted. But I've had lots of indulgences during October, especially during my visit to Tennessee. It took a lot of will power to resist the call of the cherry pie, but somehow I did. I think it would be a great choice to bring to Thanksgiving dinner. I'm not sure, however, that I could buy it earlier in the week and that it would still be whole by Thursday, especially if there just happened to be vanilla ice cream in the freezer. 

 

 It wasn't just pies that caught my attention. Two Guys from Woodbridge had some of the nicest produce I've seen in a long time. The assorted lettuce and herbs are grown in Hamden, CT, a suburb of New Haven. I commented to the young woman who was working at the stand that it wasn't farm country. She explained that the produce is grown in green houses without soil, or hydroponically. In a relatively small space a lot can be grown. I spent some time tonight exploring the website and was fascinated by the hydroponic process. Everything grown there is organic, too. Connecticut friends, you can find produce from Two Guys from Woodbridge in Guilford, Fairfield, New Haven and Hamden. 

 

   I enjoyed seeing the one of the green houses in Hamden.

 

Three busy days ahead and then my last adventure out of town -- that's planned! -- for 2018. I've got the usual collection of errands, yoga and my Weight Watchers meeting. My schedule also includes voting on Tuesday. It's a right, a privilege and a responsibility and I have missed very few opportunities to vote in the last 46 years.

 

As ever, thanks for visiting. Happy to link up with some of my favorite blog friends at Pink Saturday. Wishes to all for happy autumn days. 

Pink Saturday Celebrates Sunflower Sunday

 

A salute to Sunflower Sunday, postcard filter courtesy of Snapseed. 

A picture is worth a thousand words and four photographs of the flowers of mid-summer should be worth an entire book. Even in the land of pavement of New York City flowers surround us. It takes a little work to find them, but really very little. All four of these photographs were taken within a half mile of where I live. The weather has been beautiful the last few days and I've been out flower scouting. The reward has been more than enough to last me through the short days when November turns to December and it seems as though spring is a lot more than months away.

 

My project of the day was a walk to the farmers market, where I found these bouquets and zinnias in the picture below. I thought of buying a bouquet -- or two -- but I had plans to venture to Macy's before I got sidetracked listening to music in the park next to the farmers market.

 

I discovered these roses at a school program for green careers. These beauties were totally unexpected and a great surprise as I walked along Amsterdam Avenue this morning.

I love these summer days. There 's still lots of light, no jackets are needed and I can find flowers just about around every corner. I also found the first local apples of the season at the farmers market. Not quite sweet yet, but I'm always excited to see the first fruits.

I'm joining my friends at Pink Saturday for more summer fun. Please stop by and visit.

As ever, thanks for visiting. Hope your weekend was fun!

Farmers Market Time

  

One of the pleasures of BlogHer was meeting and getting to know bloggers from throughout the country. I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with Lucy Hendry, blogger at Lucy's in the Kitchen. We had a great time talking and discovered our mutual love of healthy eating and vegetables. Lucy graciously offered a copy of her terrific cookbook, The Farmer's Market Cookbook -- a link is on her blog page -- for a giveaway for the citizens of Buttercupland. 

It's an easy peasy giveaway. Please be a follower of Buttercupland -- via Google+, Bloglovin or directly on the blog and leave a comment mentioning your favorite purchase from a farmers market. This month I'm looking for stone fruits. Love all the peaches, nectarines and plums of this time of the summer. There's an extra entry for Instagram followers  -- just mention you're following Buttercup in your comment. I will choose a winner next Thursday, August 10, so please be sure to leave your comment by Wednesday, August 9.   

I live near three different farmers markets and I pass by at least one every week. I visited the 97th Street market last week and found lots of goodies. The organizers were featuring summer squash and shared cooking tips and recipes.
 

I'm not a beet fan -- though I keep trying to learn to love eating them -- except when it comes to photographs. I love the look of beets using a Snapseed postcard filter. 

I am a radish and lettuce fan, especially when they are freshly picked.

My August calendar is very uncrowded. Top of the list is reading -- so many books are calling me -- decluttering, catching up on medical appointments and finding a few new iced coffee places. I've neglected my coffee explorations and I plan to change that in August.

 

What are your August plans?

 

As ever, thanks for visiting and have a fabulous Friday!

 

 

Farmer's Market

Our one adventure was a visit to the Farmer's Market. It was a perfect summer day and it seemed the world was in a good mood. Maybe it was just that my mood was so good that things that might have bothered me today -- a less perfect summer day at work -- just didn't upset me at all. Or maybe we just had a perfect summer day.

There were flowers...

Dancing children...

The bounty of the earth...

Some of the most beautiful yarn I've ever seen. 

It was eighty degrees, there was sunlight and I was in the company of one of my dearest friends. A day to enjoy, to treasure and to share!

Wishing you days to enjoy, to treasure and to share!

P.S. I became so taken with the yarn and the lovely women spinning it (!) that it will be the subject of another post later this week.