Bring It On Home

Oh, oh, bring it to me…
Bring your sweet loving…
Bring it on home to me…
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)…
(Bring It On Home To Me-Sam Cooke)

A short opening, tonight, to tell you that the market is open, we had another great market, this past week, and we love our customers, more than we could ever say!!

Go ahead…show us some sweet loving by throwing us your weekly orders. We’ll bring it on home to you…

It’s all about the LOVE, little local market of love customers…ALL about the love…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Keep It Trippy!! Vote For The Hippie!!

Keep it Trippy!! Vote for the Hippie!!

Let’s get this done!!!

Another reminder that…

It’s time to vote!!! Bread Heads unite!!! It’s the Bad Art By Good People Fundraiser for the Champaign County Arts Council!! Go to the link in this post, click on the 2016 artists, and vote for the hippie bakestress!!
Remember…a vote for the hippie is kind of trippy!! Let’s all fall down the rabbit hole, together!!
http://www.champaigncountyartscouncil.org/bad_art.php

Your market manager will be so ever Grateful!!

To make it even easier, you can cast your vote to me, tonight, at market pick up!!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

I Think I Love You!!

I think I love you…
I think I love you…
I think I love you…
(I Think I Love You-The Partridge Family)

So, I don’t just think I love you, and this little local market of love…I really, really DO love this local lovefest!!

The market is growing and growing, this week!! Put your own love into it…place your orders before 10pm, this evening!!

And, while you are ordering, go ahead and pull out that old Partridge Family album…you know you want to!!

See you at 10pm! Show us some love…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Helpful Happy Herbal News

If you are looking to reduce or eliminate the salt in your diet and eating plan, Swisher Hill Herbs has provided a chart for substituting herbs in place of salt!! Also, Charlene has included useful information!!

See, not just your local market of love with lovely products. We really, really love you, and your health, as we celebrate the month of all things love…

Thanks, Charlene!!

Use Herbs to minimize the use of Salt in Your Cooking
You can minimize the use of salt in your food by substituting herbs and spices in your cooking. Dried herbs, herb seasoning blends as herbal salt substitutes are readily available to you for flavoring your favorite dishes. Fresh herbs are readily available in the summer (or you can grow your own in your kitchen) and capture their fresh wonderful flavor. Use three times as much of a fresh herb as you would of its dried counterpart.
You can experiment with your own combinations of flavors. Start with small amount of herbs in the beginning; taste the dish as you cook it and add more as you like. A dash of lime or lemon juice enlivens virtually any dish. Here is a suggested list of herbs you can use in your cooking. You are only limited by your imagination.

Food Suggested Herbs
Beef Allspice, basil, bay leaf, chili powder, cumin, curry powder, garlic, ginger, marjoram, oregano, thyme
Pork Caraway seeds, chili powder, coriander, cumin, curry powder, dill, garlic, ginger, rosemary, sage, thyme
Lamb Curry powder, dill, garlic, mint, oregano, rosemary, thyme
Veal Bay leaf, coriander, dill, garlic, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme
Eggs Chili powder, chives, cumin, curry powder, savory, tarragon
Chicken and Turkey Basil, bay leaf, chives, coriander, curry powder, garlic, ginger, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme
Fish Bay leaf, chives, coriander, dill, nutmeg, sage, tarragon, thyme
Shellfish Bay leaf, basil, chervil, coriander, curry powder, cloves, dill, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme
Asparagus Basil, chives, dill, nutmeg, sesame seeds, tarragon
Dried Beans Allspice, chili powder, coriander, cumin, garlic, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme
Green Beans Basil, bay leaf, dill, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, savory, tarragon
Lima Beans Basil, chives, dill, marjoram, sage, savory, tarragon
Beets Allspice, caraway seeds, chives, dill, ginger, horseradish
Broccoli, cauliflower Basil, caraway seeds, curry powder, garlic, ginger, marjoram
Cabbage, Brussels sprouts Oregano, tarragon, thyme
Carrots Caraway seeds, chives, cumin, ginger, marjoram, nutmeg, tarragon
Corn Chives, coriander, cumin, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme Eggplant Allspice, basil, garlic, marjoram, oregano, sage, thyme
Mushrooms Basil, chives, dill, garlic, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, tarragon
Peas Basil, chives, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, savory, tarragon
Sweet Peppers Chives, coriander, garlic, marjoram, oregano, thyme
Potatoes Caraway seeds, bay leaf, chives, coriander, curry powder, dill, garlic, mint, oregano, tarragon, thyme
Rice Chives, cumin, curry powder, garlic, sage, tarragon Spinach Basil, garlic, nutmeg, tarragon
Yellow and Zucchini Squash Basil, chives, coriander, dill, garlic, ginger, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, savory, tarragon
Winter Squash Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, curry powder, ginger, mace, nutmeg
Sweet potatoes Allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg
Tomatoes Basil, chives, coriander, dill, garlic, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme
Turnips Allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg

What is the daily recommended amount of sodium for adults?
A. The amount of salt in a food is listed as “sodium” on the Nutrition Facts label that appears on food packaging. The Dietary Guidelines recommend that the general population consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (about a teaspoon of table salt). Most food labels shorten the word “milligrams” to “mg.” Dietary recommendations and food labels use sodium rather than salt since it is the sodium component of salt that is most relevant for human health. Always follow your doctor’s recommendation about how much sodium you can have daily.

Q. How can I tell if a food is low in sodium or high in sodium?
A. The Nutrition Facts label that appears on food packaging also lists the “% Daily Value” for sodium. Look for the abbreviation “%DV” to find it. Foods listed as 5% or less for sodium are low in sodium. Anything above 20% for sodium is considered high. Try to select foods that provide 5% or less for sodium, per serving.

Local Love!

And, a perfect kick off to the week, our month of LOVE, AND our Local Love series, brought to you by each of our vendors…

Today, we get Mandy, from our new addition of, Ella Bella’s Gluten Free mixes!!

To me local is supporting my neighbor, my friend, my community. It is showing that I care and love them through my purchases. It is showing my family that I love them by giving them the best from our community. It is teaching my children that the money we spend buying eggs goes to people we know; people we can see.

I grew up with my mom composting, growing herbs, and a vegetable garden; having fresh milk and eggs delivered, my mom making bread, cookies, and even making mayonnaise. She did all of this in the suburbs as a single mom to two wild girls. I did not like it as a kid, I had the “different stuff,” nothing was pre-packaged in my lunch like all the other kids. I would rejoice when I got to go to Gramma and Grandpa’s and have Little Debbie cakes and Lucky Charms for breakfast. As I got older I realized that I didn’t feel as good when I ate all that processed food, I felt better when I made food. When I started cooking for myself in college it was simple, but lots of whole foods.

When my kids moved to eating solid foods I made all of it, many of the veggies coming from farmer’s markets. Now all of my kids love their veggies and fruits. They are happy when I go to the local market and pick up fresh sweet corn (“heaven corn” as it is known in our house). They can taste the difference that comes with local.

I started Ella Bella in 2011 after we discovered out 2nd child was gluten intolerant. I did not want to make 2 sets of meals and desserts for my family, so I started experimenting with gluten free flours. By the fall of 2011 I knew I had a good product and I wanted to share it with others. Continuing my love for local to my business I buy all ingredients from local vendors. I love Ella Bella and am honored that I can sell something I have made. I think that you can taste a little bit of the local love when you make the mixes, or use the flour.

Good Lovin'

I was feeling, so bad…
I asked my family doctor just what I had…
I said Dr…
Mr. M.D…
Now can you tell me what’s ailing me…
He said yeah,yeah,yeah,yeah,yeah..
Yes indeed, all I, I really need…
(Good love) Now gimme that good good lovin’…
(Good love) All I need is love…
(Good love) Good good lovin’ baby…
(Good Lovin’-Young Rascals)

Good Lovin’, baby!! Soooooo, it’s February!! The month of LOVE, the month of Amour, all about shining your Lovelight, being LOVE, showing LOVE…well, you get the meaning!

So, on this first day of the month of LOVE, your little local market of LOVE, wants you to know how much we truly appreciate the love that you show us, weekly!!

Make this ALL about the month of LOVE…let’s all give each other some good lovin’ in ordering, the loveliness of and easy order pick up, lovely products, and letting your own lovelight shine when you get the satisfaction of keeping it all real, keeping in all local, making it all about the love…

The market is open…show us how much you love us! We’ll show you, right back…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Young Girl Sunday Blues

One side of me is filled with brightness…
no matter what I might say…
The days are made with waterfall colors…
(Young Girl Sunday Blues-Jefferson Airplane)

Another ode to Jefferson Airplane…and, it’s Sunday…and, I am always filled with brightness, rarely the blues, and, I really do view things in watercolor vibes…

I am just enjoying the ending to a fun weekend that was filled with old friends who descended on me, Friday night. A great weekend of amazing Bread Heads who flooded my shop, and an all around, feel good kind of couple of days.

I am ending my weekend with dinner in the oven, and a glass of wine in my hand. I am ordering from the market, and smiling at how good it feels to be able to order, locally, to know that I am getting the best of the best, and to know that I am shopping at my leisure, with an emphasis on nutrition and affordability.

Let us take you on an ordering adventure. You won’t be sorry. You will enjoy the ease and the products, AND, you can feel good about all of your choices!

See…nothing to feel blue about, here. Only watercolors and rainbows…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Go Ask Alice!

Good Morning, little local market of love customers!!

This morning, I come to you as your market manager AND as one of the local non-artist celebrities participating in the yearly fundraiser for the Champaign County Arts Council!! I am one of the artists in the Bad Art By Good People fundraiser!!

My art project comes from the heart, and it’s very, very, well…me! The voting is now open! If you would like to participate in this amazing fundraiser, feel free to cast a vote, or two or a hundred my way!!

Just a tiny bit about my project…but you can also go to the link I will provide, here, to see my project, and to vote! Or, you can vote for me at the YMCA during market pick up times!! Or stop in the Arts Council OR come to my Cosmic Breads and Threads shop, right downtown, and cast your vote! It’s only 1.00/vote…and the money goes to so many of their projects for the arts!! There is also a PayPal button on the Arts Council’s link. It’s that time of year, again, and it’s time to be all arty, and groovy…

A bit about my bad art….
My art project is a journey, and the tumbling pictures are all verses of, White Rabbit, which also serves at Cosmic Charlie’s catch phrase…Feed Your Head. But, not just with food…with as much stuff as you can possibly think to do, read, listen to, and explode in life.

There is top hat, in the center of the board, which is always my signature, but in this case, it acts as the rabbit hole, of Alice In Wonderland.

The hippie chick comes to life in her life’s journey, down the rabbit hole, and finding herself, in her second part of life…

A vote for the hippie keeps it trippy!

http://www.champaigncountyartscouncil.org/bad_art.php

Go Ask Alice!

Hey, while you’re at it, place your market order!! Be super groovy!!

Somebody To Love

When the garden flowers baby are dead, yes and…
Your mind, your mind is so full of red…
Don’t you want somebody to love, don’t you…
Need somebody to love, wouldn’t you
Love somebody to love, you better
Find somebody to love…
(Jefferson Airplane-Somebody To Love)

This little market is always about the love…about showing the love, being the love, rockin’ the love of local.

I picked this song, tonight, to honor the passing of yet another great musician, in a matter of weeks. As you know, your market manager takes her music, the musicians, and the love of the vibe, very seriously. So, I am left with great sadness, tonight, over the passing Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane.

Our little local market of love thrives on the love of it’s customers, it’s vendors, the YMCA, and it’s community. We can only hope to continue the love fest that continues to grow, become stronger, and is ready to take us into our fifth year.

Get to know us. Find out what we are about. Know that the love we feel for you is real. Know that we continue to make sure that we bring you the best of the best of the rock stars of local, each and every week.

Tonight, I open the market with nothing but love. Take a look, and maybe you will find something about us to fall in love with.

Don’t you want somebody to love…well, we have a whole lot of something to love…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Try It Tuesday!

Hello, little market of love customers!!

Today has been a hectic whirlwind for me ever since an 8:00am meeting, this morning!! I am just now sitting down to a glass of wine, and a look at the market rundown for the week!!

We close the market, tonight, for the week. There is still plenty of time to show us that local love!!

I wanted to write this Weblog, this morning, but time, baking, a meeting, and my shop hours took control of my day!! Here is what I would like to present to you before we close out, tonight!!

Place an order! Either your first order, your 10th, or your 1,000th!! I challenge vendors AND customers!! One item. One order. As many items as you like! I would like tonight to be, Try It Tuesday!!

If you you try us, I promise you that you will fall in love with the ease, the satisfaction that we bring you all local, the affordability, and the friendliness that comes with this market!! Amazing products, nutrition, helping out your rock stars of local…come on, take the challenge!!

Try It Tuesday!! And, just to give you more time, I will leave the market open until 10:30. Let’s Go! Take the challenge!! Make that one order!!!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam