Hi All, As you may remember I am traveling this week to Virginia for work and have gathered up a pretty cool guest post from James Kim. James writes for Food on the Table.com and has a post that definitely hits close to home. No matter where you live whether US or Canada, Europe, Middle East or Asia – eating close to home is a good thing.

James provides some pretty good tips on how to achieve this and really put things into perspective on where your food comes from.

A regional diet can help the environment by minimizing oil consumption as well as help the local economy by supporting local business. Bring fresher food to your table by integrating local food into your meal planning. You can easily cash in to the “100 mile diet” by following these simple tips.

Take a Field Trip

Take your family or a date to visit a farm in your area. You can buy local food while becoming educated on where your food is coming from. Find local farms in your area on the Eat Wild website. U-Pick farms are another great way to explore the world of local food. Pass a day in an orchard picking peaches and pay for the peaches when you are done. Try the Pick Your Own website to find a U-Pick farm near you.

Find Out What’s in Season

While the global market gives us access to almost any food at any time, buying foods in season cuts miles out of your food’s travel. Smart Living has a search engine which allows you to figure the seasonal food for each state.

Farmers’ Markets

The most common way to eat local? Go to a farmers’ market. Here, you can buy your food straight from the person who harvested it. You can find these markets by visiting the USDA website, which has a farmers’ market search engine.  You can also see the Farmers Market Canada website and get a taste of the markets in your area.

Locally-Owned Food Producers

Let’s face it, while it’s expensive, a loaf of bread from the local bakery tastes so much better than the store-bought loaves. Support local foods by buying from artisans like butchers and bakers.

Go Local at Home

Start small and work your way up. Grow herbs on the windowsill, then plant some veggies in the backyard, and maybe you can even work your way up to a chicken coop. While this is a lot of work, it is the least expensive and most fun way to go local. With your extra produce, you can sell to friends or neighbors.

Preserve

Avoid wasting your food by freezing, drying, canning, and pickling. This allows you to keep your local food for as long as possible. Eat Local provides a list of websites that can help you educate yourself on preservation methods.

Get involved with your community, minimize food waste, and put fresher, nutrient rich food into your body by eating local. Follow these easy tips and you’ll be a full participant in the 100 mile diet society in no time.

James Kim is a writer for foodonthetable.com. Food on the Table is a company that provides online budget meal planning services. Their goal is to help families eat better and save money.
Thanks James!  I will see you all back here on Wednesday for some more food and fun.  have a great Monday and enjoy the weather.

Take care

zesty

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Hollar!  One heck of a weekend over here… it flew by but lots of fun was had for sure.  Cookie baking activity on Saturday, pumpkin decorating on Sunday for the kiddos, an new side dish recipe that I am sure we will talk about in the days to come and the weather has been super warm.  I love warm weather…. Did you know that?

Wanna know something else I love?  Chips.  Chips of any kind, any type, any shape with dip or without – it doesn’t matter.  I am a CHIP Lover/Addict.  Today i want to share with you a fun little recipe that was well received at a recent House gathering.  These are simple pita chips with a couple of twists.  Super easy to make and very fun to eat… CCCCRUNCH!

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 3/4 Tsp. Ground cumin
• 1/4 Tsp. Ground red pepper
• 5 Large whole wheat or white pitas with pockets
• 1/2 Cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In cup, with fork, mix oil, cumin, and ground red pepper.
2. With knife or kitchen shears, cut each pita in half. Brush 1 side of pita halves with oil mixture. Cut each half into 8 wedges.
3. Arrange wedges, oiled-side up, in non greased sheet pans.
4. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and salt if you like.
5. Place pans on oven racks and bake crisps 12 to 15 minutes or until golden, rotating pans from upper to lower racks halfway through baking for even browning.
6. Cool chips in pans on wire racks.
7. Dip with your favorite Hummus or Bean Dip
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If there are any leftovers, store chips in tightly covered container or large self-sealing plastic bag up to 1 week.  They will stay crunchy – I tested out 2 batches!

The cumin flavored combined with the slight heat of the red pepper was a fantastic combination.  I feel the simple oil mixture elevated a somewhat boring piece of Pita Bread into an exciting bite for the guests.

Kick start your week with a super day today.  Let’s see if we can do something fun.  As you know I am not a huge user of twitter but when I squeeze in a minute or two I try to hop on and give something a tweet.  With that said, whoever has twitter and reads this post – give it a re-tweet and than let me know.   I will start the tweeting off in a minute.  Do you think I could make it to 100 tweets?  I am not sure a post of mine ever made it to 100.

Have a super Monday and do note that I will be going back to my normal schedule of posting Monday, Wednesday and Fridays not that Help the Students event is complete.  I will talk to you on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Well the zoo was amazing and the vacation has been a ton of fun so far. It feels like we have been going non stop day and night and by the time I get to bed I am exhausted. I am not complaining as the kids are having a ball!

We are slated to head over to Halifax, NS today and tonight and stay in a Jungle Theme Room that I booked last night ( the kids don’t know yet).  I think they will be super excited as it is a SUITE with bunk beds.  Before we get moving along, I wanted to share a fun summer salad with you.

Do you like watermelon? How about fresh basil and mint?  The colors and fresh flavor really make people happy.  This salad is really fresh and will definitely make you and your guests happy.  The combination of juicy watermelon and crisp cucumbers along with the nice sharp flavor of feta – this is a HIT.  The citrus dressing just screams summer so eat up and enjoy!

Super Summer Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

• 2 Cups seeded and diced ripe watermelon
• 2 Cups seeded and diced cucumber
• Quartered green and red tomatoes
• Fresh Basil and mint
• Citrus dressing (see below)
• 1/4 Cup crumbled feta cheese

Citrus Dressing

• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp.fresh lime juice
• 2 Tsp honey
• 1/3 Cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• Pinch of cayenne
• Salt (to taste)

Method

1. It couldn’t be easier. Toss all the ingredients in a big bowl.
2. For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a jar with a lid.
3. Screw on the lid, and shake until well-blended.
4. Divide among four plates
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For this one, I wait until just before serving before dressing it.  You do not want the fresh basil and mint to become limp and wilted.  You can make the dressing up ahead of time in the jar just be sure to give it a good shake before pouring over the salad.

OK, so we got home around 8:30 last night and I looked out onto the deck and saw some of this action…. isn’t this gorgeous?

Around 8:25pm

Around 8:35pm

Around 8:45pm

Have a super Wednesday – we are off in the car for a fun filled couple of days yet again.  Talk to you Friday morning before we hit the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

I am a big fan of salads but I tend not to eat them enough!  With that being said, I am here enlisting some of my favorite tips for making a great salad.  Some people say that a great salad is all in the dressing – well I am not sure I buy that statement.

I am a big advocate that fresh ingredients will deliver top notch results.  Salads are meant to be simple, yet flavorful and can be created without any stress or time constraints.

Salad Tips

1.  Add Dark Greens to the Mix.

Romaine, arugula or spinach will add a whole host of vitamins and nutrients to your salad, including vitamin A, vitamin C and folate.

2.  Watch the Dressing.

Control exactly how much dressing goes into your salad by referring to the serving suggestion on the label. It’s also a good idea to keep the dressing on the side so you can add a little at a time without overdoing it.

3.  Include Fruit in Green Salads.

Fruit like orange sections, cubed mango or dried, unsweetened cranberries will add not only more flavor and color but also vitamins and antioxidants.

4.  Pack in the Protein.

When eating a salad as your main meal, make sure it provides at least 10 to 15 grams of protein per serving. To meet this requirement, add 3/4 cup of chickpeas or
lentils, two hard boiled eggs or 1/4 cup of nuts.

5.  Dress Simple and Late.

Salad dressings do not have to be anything complex.  A simple dash of olive oil, vinegar and some grainy mustard makes for a great dressing.  Another tip I noted from Michael Smith is to dress the salad just before serving.  He often puts the dressing in the bottom of the bowl and tosses once you are ready to eat.

So next time you make a salad let me know what you think of the salad tips.  I listed a few salads I made in the past so be sure to check them out.  I like to keep it simple so you will not see anything extravagant.

Other Zesty Salads

Fresh Crisp Salad with Feta

Pesto Salad

Asparagus Bacon Salad

Summer Chicken Salad in the Winter

I hope you have a great Thursday.  House plans are moving along quite well and we should have the new plans finalized soon.  We are moving forward with lot preparation and than the breaking of the ground.  I will keep you posted.

I am heading on the road for a week in the first week in June.  With that said – I am making a call out for guest posts!  Let me know if you are interested by contacting me.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Yes you read the title right, Zesty made beer bread!  I had a few requests for this recipe so I thought that I would share it with you.  No yeast, No rising, simply dump in the ingredients – give it a mix and drop it in the pan. Can you really get any easier than that?

I was thinking about making this all day long at work. As soon as I got home, I ran in the house, dropped my stuff and got right to it.  Oh so simple, I could not wait to share.

This bread would be ideal to go along with a nice hearty stew or even along side a nice pasta dish.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups White Flour
• 1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 4 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Butter (Melted)
• 12 Oz. Beer (you can use whatever kind you like)

Method

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together.







3. Add beer and mix thoroughly until dough is still.



4. Place dough in a lightly greased loaf pan.



5. Drizzle the melted butter over the top



6. Bake until golden brown (approx. 60 minutes).
7. Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes.





8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Sifting flour for bread recipes is a must. Most people just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a “hard biscuit”.  If you do not have a sifter, use a spoon to place the flour into the 1 cup measure.

So there it is… possibly the easiest loaf of bread I have ever made.

Comments that were said as teeth sunk into this morsel of goodness were “WOW, this is amazing”, “The crust on top and bottom are so good”,  “I love it”.

I pass this recipe on to you as one to try in your kitchen in the near future.

I hope you have a great Tuesday!  If you are new to zesty and have not entered in the giveaway contest, be sure to get your name in the draw.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty