Is it better to buy local or organic?

Friends and family often ask me, "which is better: organic or local?" It seems like just about every one's awareness of farming practices and the politics of our food industry has been elevated nowadays. Which is wonderful. But at the same time it opens up a new conversation about which food is better for you, local or organic?

To me, your food decision really comes down to pesticides vs. food miles. Food that's not local travels an average of 1,500 miles to your plate losing nutrients and wasting fuel in the process; while conventionally grown produce contains pesticides and fewer antioxidants.

To get your hands on local AND organic food (cha ching!), head over to your local farmer's market and ask the vendors about their farming practices. Be aware that you may not see the USDA organic seal on the produce at the market, so ask the farmers if they use chemicals, growth hormones or antibiotics.

Because local farming is just that -- local -- consumers have a unique opportunity to ask the farmers first hand about their agricultural practices. Many local farmers actually encourage questions from their customers. And with over 4,000 farmers' markets currently open in the United States, you're sure to find one close to home.

To find a market near you, check out http://www.localharvest.org/

♥♥ Cheers to your health

"Local is always the priority, but the organic label really does mean something. If you can't buy local, buy organic -- coffees, teas, jams, olive oils, honey, nuts, raisins, oatmeal, beans, grains. There's so much available across the country now." -- ALICE WATERS, chef and authors

Watermelon Slush

Nothing says the start of summer like a sweet, slushy and fruity Italian ice. For me the best summer memories of my childhood include sprinklers, bare feet, and playing with the neighborhood friends only to come home and enjoy something cool and icy from our freezer. So when I bought a behemoth sized watermelon at the farmer's market last week that I wasn't able to finish, I decided to freeze it and turn it into a homemade treat rather than let it go to waste. What I ended up making was a fun summer icy recipe that can be used in a few different ways.

Here's how I did it:

1. Cut watermelon into chunks, discard the rind.

2. Pick out as many seeds as you can and puree the watermelon in a blender until it's smooth.

3. In a small saucepan add sugar, lime juice and lime zest until the sugar melts.

4. Pull lime and sugar juice off the stove, allow it to cool and then add it to the pureed watermelon.

5. You can pour the puree either into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. Or if you have freezer pop molds, you could use this recipe with those as well.

6. To serve, either drop a few ice cubes into seltzer or pop them into a blender and/or food processor and pulse until you have a nice slushie consistency.

Ratios:

About 5 cups of diced watermelon pulp -- seeded

1/3 cup raw sugar

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

The watermelon ice cubes would be a great addition to a drink for an outdoor summer party. You could also add some chopped up mint leaves to your puree for a nice added flavor.

The slushie is so refreshing while the ice cubes would go well with any drink you want to liven up.

♥♥ Cheers to your health

A summer smoothie with a twist!

Here's a recipe I've been using lately for a tangy and fresh summer smoothie. I like my smoothies with something green blended into them. The celery does the trick here and it adds a nice, unexpected twist to the drink's flavor.

Recipe:

2-3 stalks of celery

1-2 frozen bananas (depending on size)

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup of almond milk

add filtered water or ice cubes if smoothie needs additional liquid

optional add ins: flax seed oil, coconut oil, 1 T. chia seeds, 1 T. maca powder and/or 1 scoop of Sun Warrior Protein powder

Put everything in the blender and blend until its smooth and creamy. Go bananas with this one :)

♥♥ Cheers to your health