Happy Summer! Summer is the best time of year to embrace the outdoors, move your body and support our local farmers. I recently spent an amazing afternoon visiting our local farms in the Sierra Foothills. This time of year is magical! The birds are chirping, berry farms are busy and our local lavender farm is blooming and buzzing with local bees.
I spent the afternoon picking blueberries at Pine-O-Mine farm and chatting with the farmer. I then spent time visiting a local winery (Grace Patriot Winery) and stopped for a chilled glass of rose (80/20 motto!).
After traveling past multiple farms I stumbled upon a local lavender farm (Blue Stone Meadow) that was distilling lavender oil. I spent some time chatting with the local distiller and was amazed how much lavender it takes to fill one bottle of lavender oil. You can watch the video here.
Try to visit your local farms not only at the Farmers Market but at the actual farm. I guarantee you will learn something new, save money on your fresh produce and have a lovely adventure. I am using my blueberries for smoothies, chia pudding, protein balls, salads, iced sorbet and more! The benefits are priceless too! Enjoy this recipe called Sunbutter Warrior. 🙂
Protein balls with blueberry surprise:
Serves 8-10 (can double recipe)
- 3 dates, soaked
- 1/3 cup sunbutter (unsalted)
- dash of cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
- 1/3 cup of fresh blueberries
- shredded coconut for rolling (optional: mix some in batter too)
Add all ingredients into a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add in shredded coconut and process for another 30 seconds. Use a large spoon to scoop the mixture and too them into balls. This is when you ADD 1 blueberry in the middle for the extra surprise! Cover balls with shredded coconut. Serve fresh or refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Love supporting local farmers! And the produce tastes so much better. 🙂 We have yet to visit a local farm. I definitely need to put that on the list!
Just hop in your car and go Lisa!
Hahaha…so true! I could do that!
Yum
Fun idea!
I’m so glad there’s a farmers market near me in Chicago that I can go to weekly during the summer months to support them. Love the idea of Breakfast in a Martini Glass!