A little comparison shopping on the 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!   Nothing screams summer like a fourth of July celebration.  You can smell the cookouts walking down the street in my neighborhood.  You can hear all the kids running around in a game of tag.  Today, we are fortunate to celebrate our freedom in the great nation that is the United States of America.  To celebrate, we decided to make an American Flag Cake.  I think this might become a tradition in our household.

FYI: I rarely ever bake, so anytime I do the girls usually take over the decoration detail.  The girls just had so much fun placing the fruit on top of the cake!  In order to make the cake I had to run to our local grocery store to pick up blueberries.  I’d also forgotten to pick up veggies for a veggie tray for today’s cookout.

A quick trip to the grocery store to pick up mushrooms, bananas, baby carrots, bell peppers, blueberries, grape tomatoes, radishes, broccoli and celery.  Grand total $19.07.  Customers often tell us how our prices are so great and while picking out the veggies, I couldn’t help but think about the prices at our market.  Those same veggies would have cost $11.99 at our market!  But I think the biggest shock was the bunch of radishes.  There were about 8 or 10 radishes in that bunch for $1.49.  We sell the radishes in a quart size ziploc bag with about double the radishes for 99 cents!

I hope you enjoy today with your family and friends.  We surely did!

 

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What’s next?

Three weeks ago I completed the Dunedin Triathlon on June 10th.  The week immediately after the triathlon I took a break from all running/spinning/swimming activities.  Sorta wanted to recharge the batteries and figure out what to do next.  The following Sunday, I joined some runners from the YMCA in Plant City at the entrance of Walden Lake.  They meet every Sunday at 6 am and usually run 5-6 miles.  Anyone is welcome.   It’s a very diverse group of all ages and all speeds.

Then there was Debbie Downer Tropical Storm Debbie, the storm that would not leave.  During those days, I had to give in to the dreadmill treadmill at the YMCA.  Luckily, their equipment is very nice.  Some of the treadmills even have tv screens attached to them.  Reruns of Will and Grace?  Don’t mind if I do!

I even made it to a spinning class with John this past Friday at the Y.  And boy was it good.  I left there drenched and energized.  If you haven’t tried a spinning class, I recommend you do.  Two great things about it: 1) you can go at your own speed and 2)the music.  The instructors will tell you, this is “your” class.  You can make it tougher or take a break whenever you like.  John always jokes that we just go to his class for the music.  Truth is, whether the instructors are playing 80s Rock music or today’s party music, the music is very engaging.  It will keep you going!

I’m not really sure what event to complete next.  There are some great races coming up like the 33rd Annual Kiwanis Morton Plant Mease Midnight Run in Dunedin.    As the name implies, the 10K race begins at 12:15 am and with my work schedule this is actually doable because the market is closed on July 4th.  Two years ago my running goals included finishing a 10K race.  This was a great race to do for my first 10K.  The Dunedin Kiwanis really know how to organize an event and make it enjoyable for every one involved.  I’m still pondering whether to run it again this year or not.  My longest run as of late has been 5 miles, so surely I should be able to complete one more mile!

 

 

 

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House and Bedding Plants

Tuesdays at the market are always very special.  And that’s because we receive a truckload full of flowers for our garden.  There’s always the regulars such as Peace Lilly and Zebra.  Peace Lilly is a very versatile plant.  It works great inside your home or outside in the shade.  Another great quality of the Peace Lilly is that it doesn’t need much attention.  The Zebra plants require a little more hands on care, but the rewards are worth it.  Zebra plants thrive in bright, filtered light, high humidity and never allowing the soil to completely dry.  Here’s a great video on keeping your Zebra plants alive.

And then, there’s the show stoppers: Celosia and Mona Lavender.  Celosias have a very bright showy color which makes them perfect for annual beds or edging in your garden.  They love full sun, so they do great in our Florida weather!  Mona Lavender is also a Florida Friendly Plant because it can tolerate our heat, rain and humidity.  They flower year around and they work great in the garden as a bush or in a container as the “thriller”.

Are you planning any gardening for your house this Summer?


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