We all know that eating seasonally and locally  benefits the environment (less trucking, less forced growing, less pesticides), but it also benefits our taste buds AND our pocket books. Eating what is in season simply tastes better and is often much cheaper than buying something out of season. The fruits are juicier, sweeter and down right tastier, the veggies are crisper and more flavorful…and our entire community benefits when we buy local, in season produce. So, whats holding you back? Perhaps its the knowledge of what exactly is in season in your area during any particular time of the year. Well we pulled together some resources to help guide you…Bon Apetite!

Fruits and Veggies, More Matters. org has a comprehensive list of fruits and veggies by season. Click here for full lists.

The CUSEA (Center for Urban Education about sustainable agriculture) publishes a seasonal chart for fruit and vegetables. Click here for full chart information.

So what’s fresh now?? Here is a sneak peek…

VEGGIES: Brussel Sprouts, Burdock, Corn, Eggplant, Okra, Ginger, Sweet Potatoes, and Tomatoes

FRUITS: Asian Pears, Figs, Grapes, Kiwi, Melon, Mulberry, Nectarines, Pears, Pomegranates and a few other more rare fruits.

Real Simple Published a Spring guide to what’s fresh (we are just getting to the end of spring, but most of these yummy fruits and veggies are still ripe and delicious!). A sneak peak at one of their highlighted veggie…

Eating Well published a great article with recipes for seasonal fruits and veggies for spring! Check out these yummy ideas, click here for full article…our favorite…Avocado Corn Salsa!

As a southern CA girl, born and raised at the beach, I have always admired the strength, athleticism and pure guts that surfers posses. I played around on the small waves at Old Man’s Beach (Tourmaline) when I was little, and was even convinced to ride with my dad at Blacks once or twice, but by no means do I consider myself a surfer…as much as I would like to. So when my husband told me about an entry from Laird Hamilton’s blog, I was seriously interested. That man is a legend, after all, probably the best big wave surfer of all time, and an incredible athlete all around. I started reading through the blog, and this particular entry- which happens to be the one my husband told me about- is pure genius if you ask me. Laird follows some simple, but disciplined, rules when it comes to eating. All of which play a huge roll in his insanely fit body. Here is a link to the entire entry, LairdHamilton.com but just to get you hooked, here are a few of my favorite rules…

Rule #4- Eat Real Foods

Be wary of any food that has been created by humans rather than nature. The ingredients on the labels of processed foods, such as the average cracker or potato chip, are mind-boggling. If I don’t know what it is, it’s not going into my body.

Rule #7 Listen to Your Body

Cravings have a bad reputation because they’re often related to sweets, but I think they’re the body’s way of indicating that it’s looking for something. Listen to your body to figure out what the craving really means. If my body wants sugar, I eat fruit, such as papaya or pineapple, instead of candy or doughnuts.

Rule #8- Dont be Thrifty.

People say that buying quality food is too expensive, but then they’ll go out and buy giant plasma TVs. So you’re eating like crap but you’re staring at a nice screen? I don’t understand that logic. Instead, budget so that you can spend a little more money for better food. In particular, be sure to upgrade anything you eat on a regular basis. If you have coffee every morning, for instance, buy the best beans you can find. Or, even better, drink espresso. It contains less caffeine than drip coffee, delivers more antioxidants, and isn’t as acidic.

Looking to fill your lil one’s easter basket with something other than candy this year? Here are some great ideas for adorable, useful and all natural “treats” to make Easter more than just a precursor to cavities….oh and they are all under $15!

Organic Carrot by Under the Nile.

Organic Knit Teething Rattle by Miyim.

Bunny Stroller Toy

Its been a tradition for as long as we all can remember- dipping those hard boiled eggs into the vinegar smelling, hand staining dye to get just the color or tie-dye effect you wanted. The problem is, most kids like to lick their fingers- especially when there are fun colors all over them…and most egg dyes are FULL of toxins…
Here are some alternative options to the traditional dyes, which are all made from natural pigments and wont harm your lil one as they continue to “taste” each color.

Eco Kids eco-eggs coloring kit. Made using natural plant, fruit and vegetable extracts. This kit includes three natural dyes (orange, blue and purple), a color chart for creating 6 colors and instructions for coloring eggs. Bonus - printable activity sheets, eco-eggs creature cutouts and how-to video available on our website.

Martha Stewart tells us how to make our own dyes from fruits and veggies!