Dip Dyed Reusable Canvas Bags

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. We all recognize the three "R"s that we learned in grade school. Earth Day is around the corner and its time to get thinking about reducing, reusing, and recycling. Using recycled cotton canvas bags while shopping is a great way to reduce our waste while doing routine activities. These bags are sturdy enough for the heaviest groceries, and are 100% reusable and machine washable. I dip-dyed a few of my favorite canvas totes to add a little color and fun into my shopping routine, and today I'm sharing them with you.

 

Canvas bags don't have to be boring. Being made from 100% cotton means that these bags can be dyed, decorated, and otherwise customized to fit your personality. I chose to dip-dye my bags with an ombre effect in two different colors. These fun, vibrant bags are great for taking along to the grocery store, to the Farmer's Market, or even packing up to take to a picnic in the park.

I started shopping with reusable bags because I was sick of the waste from one-time use plastic bags.  Shopping with reusable bags is becoming a way of life for many Californians. While the state can't agree on a unified plastic bag ban, many cities in California have adopted bans on plastic grocery bags. My town adopted a plastic bag ban in January 2014, meaning they stopped providing plastic bags to customers and charge 10 cents per paper bag and offer reusable bags at most registers for a fee.

Who wants to pay more at the grocery store? I sure don't!

Green Bean and Tomato Salad

Here in the Bay Area, we have over 75 Farmer's Markets open to the public throughout the week. That gives locals plenty of opportunities to shop locally and seasonally. In the summertime, the number of markets are at their peak, and so are the fruits and vegetables. I partnered up with some other local food bloggers to create a Dinner Party filled with finds from our local Farmer's Markets, and I offered to bring the salad. Take a look at what I made and don't forget to check out the other courses!

When it comes to summer, I have salads on the brain. I don't want to be cooking heavy meals when the temperature spikes. Fresh vegetables and lean proteins tossed with a tangy dressing keep you cool and comfortable, and looking good in your swimsuit. This salad is fast to whip together, and can be made ahead of time, making it perfect for your next potluck.

I took a combination of farm-fresh green beans and tomatoes, and paired it with a tangy shallot vinaigrette. For added protein I tossed in some chickpeas, making it perfect for lunch or dinner. Dress this salad ahead of time and let marinate for up to 4 hours ahead of time, or enjoy right away!

Green Bean and Tomato Salad

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound green beans
• 1/2 pound tomatoes
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• Dijon Shallot Vinaigrette, recipe below

Directions

1. Trim stem end of green beans. Blanch in salted boiling water for 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Shock in ice water to stop the cooking, and drain well.
2. Slice tomatoes into wedges. Drain garbanzo beans and rinse well.
3. Toss green beans, tomatoes, and garbanzo beans together with vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Dijon Shallot Vinaigrette

• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine minced shallot, mustard, lemon juice, and vinegar. Whisk in olive oil to emulsify. Season to taste.

Curious to see how the rest of our dinner party goes?

The Heritage Cook starting out our party with appetizers! See her Caprese Skewers.

Onto the main course: Crazy Foodie Stunts created a fabulous Roast Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Nosh My Way brought her Loaded Mashed Cauliflower.

And don't forget dessert! Fearless Dining didn't take any shortcuts when she wowed us with her Vanilla Bean Infused Cheesecake with Peaches in Dark Rum Sauce.

Farmer's Market Friday #9

Welcome back to Farmer's Market Friday! I hope all of you had a fabulous and safe Fourth of July holiday and are enjoying the summer. So far we have had a hot, dry summer, typical of northern California. My tomatoes are starting to come in, and I have put in a few pumpkin plants in hopes of a fall harvest. My basil has been growing marvelously, despite being ravaged by earwigs twice earlier this spring.

Summer at the Farmer's Market means lots of squash, stone fruits, and berries, plus plenty of tomatoes, corn, and more! Besides the plum jam we've been enjoying, I made a half-dozen jars of pickles to get us through the summer. The Farmer's Markets are bustling and busy this time of year, so be sure to get out and enjoy the local harvest where you live, and thank the farmers that grow the wonderful bounty!

Farmer's Market Friday #9

Features from last week

 

1. Fresh Fruit Sorbets by Gluten Free A-Z

 

2. Easy 5-Step Window Box Tutorial by The Little Farm Diary

 

3. Fresh Peach Sorbet by To Work With My Hands

 

4. Strawberry Rhubarb Blondies by From Scratch 

 

Now it's your turn to add your links for a chance to be featured on next week's Farmer's Market Friday! Each week I will feature the top two clicked posts, plus a few that catch my fancy. If you would like to help co-host Farmer's Market Friday, for just one week or a whole month, let me know! If you we featured, grab a button in the sidebar, or if you would like to add this party to your link-up page, there is a party button in the side bar as well!

 



An InLinkz Link-up

Farmer's Market Friday #8

Welcome to the last Farmer's Market Friday for the month of June! I want to thank all of you that added links to the party for the past 8 weeks. I hope you found some great new recipes and crafts over these past 8 weeks, and met a few new bloggers to follow.

Summer is an full swing here, and for the first time in many months, I have not visited my farmer's market this week. Preposterous, you say? Maybe. Until I tell you this:

My plum tree has graced up with at least 20 pounds of plums that I have been trying to find ways to use them up.

I made my first batch of plum jam this past weekend, plus I used some of the leftover plum puree in a barbeque sauce (which was excellent, by the way). I have a cobbler and a tart I plan to make over the weekend to utilize more plums. I am having a plum and stone party over on my Facebook page though the weekend, to find more excellent recipes to use these gorgeous jewels that I paid absolutely nothing for.

Now, onto the link-up!

Features from Last Week

 

Most Viewed

 

Homemade Yoghurt Ice Pops

Snapshots and Snippets

 

My kids love helping me make our own popsicles over the summer months! I love the idea of adding yogurt and fresh fruit, to get a whole lot of nutrition into the kiddos disguised as a fun treat.

 

Blueberry Granola Yogurt Cups

To Work with My Hands

 

Yogurt seems to be the theme of the week! Karen took a trip to the blueberry farm and came back with 6 gallons of fresh blueberries. These blueberry granola yogurt cups look like a fabulous breakfast or late night snack.

 





An InLinkz Link-up

Cherry Season Recipe Roundup

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, drinks and desserts, cherries are a perfect sweet and tart addition to your summer. Here I have collected up a baker's dozen of cherry recipes to excite your taste buds and keep you satisfied. All of these recipes offer a unique twist on cherries that is sure to delight! Packed with antioxidants, melatonin, and essential vitamins, cherries are said to aid muscle recovery, help you sleep, and can even reduce gout.

 

Here in Northern California, our local cherry season is relatively short, from the end of spring to mid-summer, so we try to get as many cherries in as possible in those 6-10 weeks. With something this good, can anyone blame you for eating the whole bag?

1. Almond Crusted Chicken with Cherry Balsamic Sauce by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

2. Flatbread Pizza with Cherries by Healing Tomato

3. Roasted Duck Legs with Cherry Porter Sauce by The Beeroness

4. Cauliflower Steaks with Cherry, Fennel and Caper Slaw by Finger, Fork, and Knife

5. Cherry-Mint Spritzer by Almost Bananas

6. The Cherry Fling by Putney Farm

7. Cherry Pie Smoothie by Jonesin' for Taste

8. Cherry Limeade by Laylita's Recipes

9. Cherry and Coconut Chia Pudding by Fearless Dining

10. Roasted Cherry and Pistachio Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream by Real Food Girl: Unmodified

11. Cherry Bomb Cake from Food is Love Recipes

12. Honey Ginger Ice Cream with Balsamic Roasted Cherries by Carrington Lane Bakery

13. Sweet Cherry Empanadas from Cassandra Monroe

Of course, don't forget about my Sweet and Spicy Pickled Cherries, with hints of star anise, ginger, and spice. These things pack a bit of a wallop!

Sharing is caring!

 

 

Farmer's Market Friday #7

Welcome back to another week of Farmer's Market Friday! I hope you are enjoying your summer as much as I am despite the fridge trying to make my life difficult. Father's Day and my husband's birthday within a week of one another makes this time of year very busy for us. I did get to the Farmer's market on Saturday morning, before celebrating Father's Day with my parents and grandparents. I picked up cherries, corn, nectarines and tomatoes. Since we were having fish tacos, I made some fresh fruit salsas to top them. We made a warm cherry compote for dessert to pour on top of vanilla ice cream and my Dad's apple pie.

For this week, I decided to celebrate grilling season and feature posts that celebrate the summertime! Thank you to those that linked up, tweeted and shared the party. I share all your links via Twitter, and pin your links to my Farmer's Market Friday Pinterest board. 

Bar-be-cue Skewer Recipes by Snapshots and Snippets

Celebrate grilling with these fabulous kabob ideas. What says summer more than eating outdoors with food on a stick? I am excited to try her beef and Guinness skewers, I think my husband and my brothers-in-law would love them!

Strawberry Lemonade by To Work With My Hands

Karen added some great links last week, but I picked her Strawberry Lemonade to feature because it is such an iconic drink of summer! Will you try it this weekend?

Spicy Homemade Salsa by The Kolb Corner

Tomato season is starting, and what is better than fresh salsa? See how easy making salsa at home can be, and I guarantee you won't be buying your salsa out of a jar ever again!

An InLinkz Link-up

Farmer's Market Friday #6

It's finally Friday again, and you know what that means: Farmer's Market Friday link party time, yay! I love being inspired from your recipes, crafts, and ideas each week, and seeing what you have been up to. Summer such a great time of year for being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air, so why not head to your local farmer's market or farm stand and admire some of the freshest produce you have seen? While you are there, pick some of it up and take it home for dinner. Make that dessert that you've been waiting to try, and top it with the freshest berries you have ever tasted. And most importantly, remember to thank the farmers that grew the food. The farmers that I have met at the farmer's markets have been some of the friendliest, down-to-earth people I have had the pleasure in talking with, and in this fast-paced age, I would hate to lose them to "big food".

I rushed to the farmer's market this week to shop before having to rush back to pick up my son from his last day of junior high. I shopped for a few things, but didn't stop to track how much I spent, but I know it was under $30 because I had cash on me when I left. I picked up a flat of organic eggs, organic zucchini and summer squash, two types of cherries and a loaf of artisanal olive bread.

Cherry season is coming to a close, so I wanted to pick up enough cherries to make my Cherry-Cardamom Ice Cream for you guys (post coming soon). I am still taking submissions for my Cherry Recipe Round-Up for the end of the month. Please submit any recipes that feature cherries by June 19th via email (email button in the sidebar). I would love to have a few recipes on there that utilize cherries in any savory or unique ways. I will be borrowing one picture and posting the link to your recipe on my round-up, with proper credit to you.

Features From Last Week

Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits

from Melissa over at How Does Your Garden Grow?

 

Melissa's family runs Russo's Fruit and Vegetable Farm in New Jersey and has been featured on Farmer's Market Friday before. She got me this time with these strawberry cheesecake parfaits. A no-fuss dessert with all the cheesecake flavor without all the work of making an actual cheesecake, and a perfect use of the season's finest strawberries! How delicious do these look?

 

Trying Something New: Swiss Chard

by To Work With My Hands

 

You are never to old to learn and you are never too old to try something new! Like me, Swiss Chard was a vegetable she never ate growing up. Cooked greens were just something we didn't eat growing up. Karen took the plunge and not only cooked Swiss Chard for the first time, but cooked her own chard that she grew in her garden. How awesome is that?

 

I hope you enjoyed the features I picked this week, and hope you link up some of your great posts again this week. If you were featured, please grab a button in the sidebar! You can also add my party button to your link party page to help spread the word!





 

Thank you to all who entered links last week, without you this party wouldn't be possible! Keep sending those tweets and sharing the party over social media! Within a month, this party sees over 100 views per week, and we are getting more contributors each week. Do you want to help this party grow even faster? Ask me how you can be a guest co-host for a week or a month, completely free of charge!

 

Be sure to not link and run! Blogging works for everyone when the "link juice" gets spread around, so visit, comment, and share the posts that catch your eye!

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Farmer's Market Friday #5

Welcome back to the first June edition of Farmer's Market Friday. May breezed past and we are in the middle of finishing up the school year for the kids. My stepdaughter is already out and my stepson graduated from 8th grade on Tuesday. I can't believe he will be going into high school next year, oh my! I know I often share a bunch of mouth-watering photos of fresh produce, but with everything going on, it totally skipped my mind! I'll still breakdown my finds for you though.

The Breakdown
Corn $3
The first of the season at the market! I picked up 9 ears for $3. Yup, 3 ears for a dollar, best deal around!
Green Beans $2
Picked up a pound and a half for this price from the same stand as the corn!
Rainbow Chard $2
*Broccoli $3
*Green Onions $0.50
*Yellow Nectarines $4.50
So sweet and delicious! Picked up about a pound and a half.
*Eggs $7
My trusted egg vendor was so close to being out when I got there, but still nabbed the best deal in town for organic eggs!

Produce marked with an asterisk (*) was certified organic. While I try to provide my family with organic produce, local produce is more important to me, as is buying it directly from the farmers who grow it!

 

I posted my meal plan on Monday for those interested. Check it out!

Features From Last Week

  

The Ultimate Round-Up of Summer Sewing Projects

from Felt With Love Designs
 

 Get ready for summer with these sewing projects perfect for heading to the beach or pool, or just out to the park for a picnic. Most of these have tutorials or patterns, to help you out!

 

The 30 Day Routine (with free printable Housework Organizers)

from Eliza Ellis
 

 If your like me, you need help organizing your cleaning routine so it actually gets done! She outlines her methods for keeping a clean house, and offers printable organizers in purple and green! This weekend I will be on a mission to map out a cleaning schedule. That way the teenagers will know exactly what is expected of them each day (and hopefully that will reduce the amount of chore-fights we have!).

 

Father's Day Fun Facts and Gift Ideas

from My Pinterventures

If you are like me, you haven't thought about Father's Day yet, even though it is right around the corner. And when your husband's birthday falls in the same week as Father's Day, you need to plan double! She has put together a great list of gifts that Dad just might enjoy, especially if he is hard to shop for, like most men I know!

 

Fantastic Fish Pie

from Snapshots and Snippets

 

Amber over at Snapshots and Snippets is always sharing great recipes on Farmer's Market Friday! This week, her fish pie is no exception! A comforting casserole of flaky fish and vegetables, topped with a golden brown layer of mashed potatoes would warm up anyone's soul! For the pescatarians in my life, this will be a perfect swap for that other well-known dish topped with potatoes!

 

If you like this new format, and want to see more of it, let me know! Make sure to add your links, share the party, and don't forget to visit the other bloggers links in the link-up. I know new comments on my blog can make my day, and I'm sure these other ladies are the same way! Farmer's Market Friday Link-Ups will be going strong all summer. I would love to have one or two co-hosts per party this summer, to help promote the party, and share the links on Pinterest, Twitter, and any other social media. Let me know if you are interested in co-hosting!
 

 

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Give 'em the McVicker! Learning the basics of pickling at Maker Faire

A few week's ago, our family headed to the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Mateo, California. This was our second year going, first year for our teenage son, and we already knew a little about what to expect. Maker Faire's tag line is "The Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth" and it really is that! They have everything from robotic toys, flying drones, pyrotechnic displays, and even a Tesla Coil stage. While my husband went for the open source hardware, DIY drones, and 3D printers, I was much more interested in heading over to the Homegrown Village, where they hosted lectures and workshops on various culinary topics.

For more on Maker Faire, along with the list of locations and dates head to their

Website // Facebook // Twitter // Instagram

On Sunday afternoon, I headed over to the Hands-On Homegrown Workshops to attend Kelly McVicker's workshop highlighting the basics of pickling. Kelly is the owner of McVicker Pickles based in San Francisco. She sells pickles, mustards, and a bacon jam, and also offers workshops on a regular basis. Through her craft, she channels her grandmother's spirit. When teaching, she wears her grandmother's homemade apron. Her pickles are innovative and delicious, she carries varieties from dill pickles to spicy dilly beans to pickled beets, grapes, and more!

McVicker Pickles // Facebook // Instagram

McVicker taught the basics of both vinegar pickling and fermentation pickling. Both of the pickles she made were refrigerator pickles, not intended to be stored on the shelf. She started with the vinegar method, pickling grapes in a brine of apple cider vinegar, garlic, chili peppers, and spices. She then moved onto the fermentation method, pickling carrot slices with dill, chili peppers, garlic, and pickling spice.

 

The workshop at Maker Faire was a perfect introduction course for pickling first timers, and also a great learning opportunity for those that had experience in the culinary field. Sitting at my work station was a boy of maybe 8 with his father, and 2 lovely women who were first time picklers. I came home with my carrot slices fermenting away and a jar of McVicker's Spicy Dilly Beans, perfect for a Bloody Mary. A few days later, my carrot pickles were ready to store in the refrigerator.
 

Since I didn't get a chance to vinegar brine grapes, I chose to test my new knowledge on some cherries I picked up at the farmer's market. Using McVicker's ratio for the vinegar brine, I spiced my cherries with ginger, star anise, mustard and peppercorns. To see my full recipe, ingredient amounts, and method, please head over to my Sweet and Spicy Pickled Cherries recipe.

 

Farmer's Market Friday #4

It's cherry season! My favorite time of year, when cherries are ripe and juicy and red, and we can sit and eat them all day long. Ok, not all day long because that will give you a stomach ache, but we sure have eaten our fair share this past week. I bought 3 pounds on Saturday, and they were practically gone by Tuesday, so I picked up another 3 pounds, which by Friday have already been eaten up or allotted for recipes. I will be doing a Cherry Recipe Round-Up at the end of June, if you would like to submit a recipe featuring cherries, send me an e-mail with a note and your link to personalchefbyrenee[at]gmail[dot]com.

The Breakdown
Cherries $12.00 (I got 3 baskets for $4.00 each, just under 3 pounds)
Beets $4.00 ($2.00 per bunch, First Generation Farmers)
Baby Bok Choy $1.00 a bunch
White Nectarines $3.25 per pound (organic, Allard Farms)
*Splurge Item: extra pound of white nectarines (picked these up for my mom)
*Spurge Item: Brentwood Cherry Jam from 3 French Hens


Minda and Julie (the owner's of 3 French Hens) are wonderful women who take so much care and pride into their artisanal jams and jellies. They support local farmers and use local ingredients as much as possible to give back to their community. Their jams and jellies are made in small batches seasonally, and can be purchased from their website. They also have baking mixes and rubs for sale. I, in no way, am being paid commission for promoting these ladies, I just want to share a great product and company with you.

My Meal Plan for this week includes

Sweet and Sour Meatballs from Jonesin' for Taste

Sautéed Bok Choy

 

Beet and Blueberry Salad

with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

 

Pork Loin with Cherry Red Wine Sauce

 

plus

Two more cherry recipes

 

Yes, I'm keeping these last two cherry recipes secret until they are up on the blog. Check back to see what I create.

 

Farmer's Market Friday #4

There was such a variety of posts to chose from this week, from tips for gardening with kids, recipes (straight from one reader's garden, I may add) and crafts that inspire and delight! Be sure you visit a few links and let them know you were there. These link-ups work best if we are spreading the blog love around. Have you added this link-up to your linky list yet?

 

This week's features

Easy Peasy Strawberry Cream Pie by Snapshots and Snippets

We had a problem with Amber's link so I wanted to be sure to feature her for those that didn't get to see her link and wanted to. She used fresh strawberries from her garden in this recipe. I am looking forward to trying this recipe this summer!

 

DIY Painted Kitchen Plates by My Pinterventures

 I love this craft! My grandmother collected plates among other things, so this craft would have been right up her alley.

Congratulations on being featured! Make sure to grab a button to display:



An InLinkz Link-up

Beet and Blueberry Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

When I think about food, I think of flavor pairings. My recipes can start with one or two ingredients that I want to highlight, and then branch out with complementary or contrasting flavors. I first made this Beet and Blueberry Salad for Mother's Day brunch, and wanted to share the recipe with you. My original Mother's Day salad had beets straight from my garden, but I picked up beautiful baby beets from First Generation Farmers on my farmer's market run yesterday.

The dressing was a happy accident based on what I had in my fridge. I knew that dill and lemon would pair well with the beets (think borsht) as well as add a nice brightness and acidity to the salad. I rounded out the dressing with a bit of local honey and coarse grain mustard. If you like a sweeter dressing use more honey and less mustard, but I liked the tanginess of it because of the sweetness of the beets and blueberries.

Roasting the beets is as easy as tossing them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasting at 425 F for 30 to 40 minutes. When they are fork-tender, I place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam as they cool. The skins peel right off (I wear gloves when I do this to prevent red fingers) and they are ready to use or store in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Farmer's Market Friday #3

It's starting to feel like summer in the Bay Area! I am looking forward to a great three day weekend with some grilling and chilling. I don't plan on going anywhere for Memorial Day this year, especially since I have been running around the past two weekends having fun! A couple of cold beverages while barbequing on the porch is about as far as I want to go this weekend. That being said, I won't be grilling up boring burgers and hotdogs. I plan on grilling lamb kabobs and serving them with a Kale Waldorf salad, a recipe I got from First Generation Farmer's while shopping at the farmer's market. They are still raising funds to be able to farm their entire 50 acres organically. If you would like to donate, you can head to their IndieGoGo fundraising page.

There are some definite signs of summer at the farmer's market this time of year. I picked up a great selection of vegetables, and even had $3 left over for a bouquet of flowers for myself!

The Breakdown
Green Beans $2.00 per pound (organic, Enos Family Farms)
Golden Beets $2.00 per bunch (organic, Enos Family Farms)
Blueberries $5.00 (Alpine Blue Farms)
Tuscan Kale $2.00 per bunch (First Generation Farmers)
Yellow Swiss Chard $2.00 per bunch (First Generation Farmers)
Purple Carrots $1.50 per bunch (organic, Swank Farms)
Baby Zucchini and Squash $1.50 per pound (FT Fresh Farms)
Flowers $3.00 (Sunrise Nursery)

This Week's Meal Plan Includes

 

Roasted Chicken with Lemon Quinoa

Vegetable Medley with Carrots and Baby Squash

 

Curried Green Beans

 

Beet and Blueberry Salad with Citrus Dill Vinaigrette

 

Kale Waldorf Salad

 

Porcupine Meatballs with Warm Swiss Chard, Onion, and Bacon

 

Pasta Primavera

 

Check back as I will be adding recipes for some of these delicious dishes onto the blog in the upcoming week!

 

Farmer's Market Friday Link Up #3

Thank you again to those that added links to the link-up! I love reading about your recipes, crafts and tips and tricks. Be sure to share the party! More links mean more clicks, meaning more potential views for you! You can grab this banner and add a text link to your party page. (This weekend I will work towards making it clickable!)

 

Miss last week's party? Check out all the links here!

 

Features from Last Week

Tips For Attracting Hummingbirds

 Roasted Asparagus with Garlic and Parmasan

 

Both links got the most clicks and came from Melissa at How Does Your Garden Grow?. Make sure to grab a button below!



An InLinkz Link-up