Thursday, June 25, 2015

Time for the Let's Get REAL Weekly Linkup

Let's Get Real Friday Party Let's get this Friday started. Let's Get Real is all about Healthy Living. That's right! It's all about Real Food, fitness, health and wellness, and home life tips and tricks from Real people. That's you! I encourage you to take a few moments just for you.  Grab a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy getting to know some of the best bloggers I know.




 

 

Farmer's Market Inspired Pizza

So many people think that you can only make salads from the fresh items found at the farmer's market! I am here to tell you, that those people are wrong! Yes, you can make an amazing salad (Check out my Farmer's Market Spinach Salad) but you can also make some amazing creations - like fresh pasta, homemade body scrubs, and you won't believe the types of PIZZA you can create!

When I say pizza...your head probably goes to the stuff that comes to you in a cardboard box. It typically is a basic pizza with a tomato base, blended cheeses, maybe some veggies and most likely a pepperoni or two. I am here to tell you that the most amazing pizza cam be made with ingredients sourced locally from your neighbors and cooked right in your very own oven!


 Not only are you going to support your local vendors and create an amazing dinner BUT you are also going to avoid tons of the chemicals and additives found in frozen and mass produced pizzas. I know that I can always find safe produce at my favorite local Farmer's Market in West Chester, Ohio.  It is held every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm in the square! One of my favorite vendors who shares my passion for natural foods is Just Farmin'! Check them out on their facebook page HERE. I love them because they grow their produce  "without using specific conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering, or GMO seeds. We utilize Heirloom verities when practical; in some cases we use Hybrid verities to combat plant viruses/disease. We utilize sustainable agriculture methods throughout the growing season, which is 11 months out of the year." THIS IS AMAZING!!!!

BACK TO THE PIZZA!


THE CRUST:To make a great pizza, you have to start with a CRUST. I love making this at home because you can add spices, herbs and flavors - like local beer to the crust! If you are looking for an easy Yeast Free Pizza Crust Recipe - click here. If you are looking or something more traditional, you will need the following:

Ingredients:                       
  • 1 package active dry yeast                                                     
  • Feel free to add fresh herbs found at the Farmers Market
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let this sit for about 10 minutes, you may notice the mixture doubling in size.
  3. Stir in remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
  4. Place dough on greased pizza pan or cookie sheet and press out until dough covers to the edge.
  5. Bake the dough until golden brown then top with desired topping and complete until the toppings and cheese are bubbly! You can also roll this into breadsticks or into balls and top with garlic butter!
The O-O Mushetta Pizza
OKAY - That was the boring part... NOW, IT's TIME TO HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FARMER's MARKET PIZZA!

Here is one of my FAVORITE recipes for My O-O-Mushetta Pizza - here! YOU CAN GET EVERYTHING FROM YOUR LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET and it is inspired by one of  my favorite pizzas from Mellow Mushroom!





SAUCES
Let's talk sauces! There are so many things that you can do to change up your sauce!  Try some of the following on your next pizza instead of that storebought "pizza sauce"! You are going to find TONS of flavor, less added junk, and creations that you never could have dreamed of:
  • Locally sourced bar-b-que sauce
  • Locally made salsa
  • Hot sauces found at the farmer's market
  • Chunky marinara - you guessed it- from the market
  • Garlic oil (get the garlic locally!)
TOPPINGS
Yeah yeah....I know you have some favorite toppings but this is your chance to branch out and try something new! At the market, you can find the following:
  • Spicy local sausages, bacon, ham, cured meats
  • Spinach, mushrooms, onions, pineapples, tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, spicy or sweet peppers, olives, herbs
  • specialty cheeses
  • Homemade BALSAMIC GLAZE
 LOAD UP YOUR PIZZA CRUST AND PLACE IN THE OVEN FOR 5-7 MINUTES! WATCH UNTIL THE CHEESE TURNS GOLDEN- BROWN-AND BUBBLY!

Your family will absolutely love your new creation and you will probably think twice before picking up the phone and ordering that boxed pizza again!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and take some inspiration and head to your local farmer's market to SHOP  LOCAL, SUPPORT YOUR NEIGHBORS, and find your new Flavor!
http://www.frugalfitfamily.com/2015/03/farmers-market-spinach-salad.html
http://www.frugalfitfamily.com/2015/06/homemade-organic-strawberry-mojito-body.html

http://www.frugalfitfamily.com/2015/03/farmers-market-spinach-salad.html
 

Friday, June 19, 2015

Lets Get REAL Weekly Linkup!

Let's Get Real Friday PartyWoot! Woot! Let's get this Friday started. Let's Get Real is all about Healthy Living. That's right! It's all about Real Food, fitness, health and wellness, and home life tips and tricks from Real people. That's you! I encourage you to take a few moments just for you.  Grab a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy getting to know some of the best bloggers I know.

Click here to get to the Party!

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Homemade Organic Strawberry Mojito Body Scrub - inspired by the West Chester Farmer's Market

I absolutely LOVE heading to the farmers market because you just never know what you are going to find! Not only will you find tons of local vendors selling fruits and veggies, you may be surprised to know that you can also find things like homemade goods for your home AND you body!

Yes, that's right...I SAID THAT THEY HAVE MORE THAN PRODUCE!

The best part about the farmers market is that you can support your neighbors and spend your money locally. The dollars spent local tend to stay local.


We are so fortunate that in West Chester, Ohio we have our very own Farmers Market that meets every Saturday right by the library. You can follow the market on facebook by clicking HERE. The website http://westchesterohiofarmersmarket.org/ has more information and details about dates and vendors! This market is for the WHOLE FAMILY! They even do activities for the kids that are both educational and fun!

One of my FAVORITE VENDORS is the TREEHUGGER COMPANY! Treehugger is an amazing company based in Cincinnati who is are committed to crafting their products with all natural and organic ingredients. They make everything from personal bath and body products to pet care items - All of which  are never made with synthetic ingredients, colors, fragrances, etc.

Check them out on facebook HERE and their shop HERE

You may wonder why you should choose products that are all natural and organic for your skin and there is a very simple answer. Your skin is NOT a barrier to the elements, it is a CONDUCTOR! Your skin is actually the largest organ in your body and anything put onto your skin is absorbed into the body. There are even studies that show traces of chemicals in new born babies that were only found in the mother's cosmetics! That will make you think twice about what you put onto your skin!

When I first started my organic journey, I was so concerned with what I put into my body but neglected what I put onto it UNTIL I went to buy a jar of chocolate mocha body scrub at the mall that had more ingredients than I could count and NONE of them were chocolate....Check out my recipe for the organic version HERE. I then found that the organic versions were so pricey that I began learning to make them myself!

So....what do you do when you are inspired by an amazing vendor at the Farmer's Market AND are standing in the midst of tons of local vendors....GET INSPIRED! You would not believe the many combinations you can put together just by walking around!

Here is an amazing body scrub recipe inspired by the good people at Treehuggers Company LLC and created with goods found from the other vendors. This scrub contains coconut oil which is so nourishing and healing for your skin (read more here for the why and 8 other beauty tips for coconut oil) and smashed strawberries which are better for your skin than you probably know. They clear up acne & oiliness, make skin younger and smoother,  even reduce under-eye puffiness. Strawberries are key to this scrub because they contain alpha-hydroxy acid, which helps us slough off dead skin cells leaving fresh and renewed skin!


ORGANIC STRAWBERRY MOJITO BODY SCRUB
 

Ingredients:
1/3 cup of Organic Coconut Oil (or olive oil)
1/4 cup Organic Sugar or Salt
5-10 drops of mint essential oil (or a tablespoon of finely minced mint)
5-10 drops of lime essential oil  (or the juice of 1 lime and some grated peel)
4 or 5 smashed strawberries (remove the stem)

Directions:
1) add all ingredients into a bowl
2) smash and blend (if you prefer a more pureed version, simply blend the berries in a blender but they are beautiful when left hand smashed)
3) Store in an airtight jar in the fridge.

Use:
1) use this scrub before or in the shower. It will exfoliate your skin and leave your new skin soft,  nourished, and glowing.

ENJOY!


I hope you enjoyed this recipe and will continue to follow my site Frugal Fit Family! You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to the minute with my favorite recipes, organic living tips, and DIY green beauty potions!

Homemade Tomato Basil Panzanella

 
My kids will NOT eat the crusts of bread so when I began my frugal-organic mission, I wasn't about to waste anything! So, I decided to start removing the crusts of the bread BEFORE making the sandwiches! I ended up with lots of bags of crusts in the fridge so I had  to come up with TONS of ways to use them - Check out 10 ways to use bread crusts -they were all pretty good but my favorite has to be the Panzeanella! It is a crowd pleaser and looks so refined that no one would guess that it was actually something that would have been discarded!
 

Monday, June 8, 2015

12 Easy and ALL Natural ways to detox your body!

Are you feeling a bit run down lately?
 Looking for a mood adjustment? 
Been sick and ready to feel better?
Ready to jump start a diet?

If you answered yes to any of these...you may be ready for a detox!

Click here to get to some easy ways to get the process started!



Thursday, June 4, 2015

Lets Get Real Weekly Link Party!

Let's Get Real Friday PartyWoot! Woot! Let's get this Friday started. Let's Get Real is all about Healthy Living. That's right! It's all about Real Food, fitness, health and wellness, and home life tips and tricks from Real people. That's you! I encourage you to take a few moments just for you.  Grab a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy getting to know some of the best bloggers I know.
 
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