Go Bananas!

I was so excited to enjoy an early morning shopping trip to Giant Eagle this week. Have you ever stumbled upon the shopping carriage of discounted bananas? We bought 11 bananas for .99! The bananas were surprisingly not bruised or over-ripened. 

After I returned home I forgot that we had recently purchased a bundle at our warehouse grocer... oops! Ideas that I embarked upon with the extra bananas include:

1. Chocolate chip, whole wheat, banana bread... yummy!
2. Smoothie preparations. You could purchase a few ounces of these frozen bagged products of various fruits but we saved a lot of money creating our own pre-smoothie blend, or cut into smaller sizes are perfect summer treats for toddlers!

After they froze on the cookie sheets, we placed in freezer plastic baggies for storage.

What are your fruit tips for bargain buys that help your family eat healthier?

Making Meals

Perhaps you have heard several offers while being pregnant, to receive meals postpartum? A quick search online yielded these, organizational sites.

• Meal Train
  
• Meal Baby
• Take Them A Meal

Joining one of these websites could help lessen the load of coordinating meals... both on the receiving and giving sides. 

I thought of meal options to give a family:

• Pot pie
• Soup or stew
• Casserole
• Salad
• Quiche
• Pasta
• Healthy, fresh sides of fruits and/or vegetables 

How were your experiences using websites to coordinate meals? What other meals do you suggest giving?

Summertime... Fresh Produce

Interested in supporting local growers and feasting upon delicious produce? Check out the markets listed below...

I spy... growing melon!

So Dill-i-cious : )

• Farmers at Phipps sell local & organic products on Wednesdays from June until October. This is the 3rd Annual market at Phipps Conservatory. 
• Citiparks Farmer's Markets occur through out the city on different weekdays, from May until November.
• The East End Food Coop has locally supplied produce and is open daily from 8am - 9pm.
• Though produce is not grown locally, this business in the Strip District promises that they put they are the "freshness profesionals that put the PRO in produce!" Consumer's Produce at the Strip District.
• I wish we could contribute to a local produce stand to sell our extra, 

  

  organic bounty

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  ! 

Check out the interactive map for more markets!

  

Where are our garden's stepping stones?!

What farmers' markets do you suggest?