life

A cool day at the Virginia Beach Farmers Market

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Did you ever have a fun experience and afterwards think, Man…I should’ve taken more photos! ? That was me today, so I don’t have any photos of the actual market to show you. I just have photos of what we bought.

According to the Virginia Beach Farmers Market Web site, their special events (and I’m guessing the most prolific time of year) is between April and October. We were definitely there during the off-season today. There were only a few vendors, and they appeared to have permanent stalls. We still had a great time! The weather was fantastic…in the upper 60s, clear sky and sunny.

Hubby, Baby J, and I met several of our friends there, and we had a good time chatting and rummaging through the fresh produce, most of which was local to Virginia. Besides the produce, there was a seafood market, butcher shop, bakery, dairy and ice cream shop, restaurant, wild bird store, and more.

Click on Photos to Enlarge:

Look at this hilarious and cute swan neck gourd Hubby spotted!

Swan Neck Gourd

I also wanted to mention a small stand called “Vy’s Pies.” Seriously, it was the best pecan pie I’ve ever tasted! I also tried a sample of the coconut cream and carrot cake pie, and bought a slice of apple. They take special orders for Thanksgiving, and we’re planning on purchasing at least one!

Some of the produce we bought today:

Fresh cranberry beans- We watched them being shelled!
Locally-grown broccoli, picked yesterday
Fresh, locally-grown spinach
We used the cabbage we bought to make a slaw this afternoon!

They also had lovely jams, jellies, preserves, molasses, honey, etc. by local makers for sale.

We’ll definitely be going back, and I’m looking forward to the Spring when there are more vendors and products for sale!

Does your city/town have a farmers market? What’s your favorite product to buy?

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cooking

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

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We’re well into Autumn, and with all the pumpkin pancakes, bread, cookies, and other recipes I’ve seen on the Internet, I decided it was time I got on board. I made pumpkin bars (it was really like a pumpkin cake) with cream cheese frosting. My oven isn’t great, since it doesn’t stay hot very well, so baking doesn’t always go as planned. But they turned out! I had lots of compliments from Hubby and friends.

 Ingredients:
  • 4 eggs
  • 1-2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

I substituted vegetable oil for canola oil, since that’s all I had. I also used 3 teaspoons of baking powder total, since I was out of baking soda. It worked! I’m not sure how it changed the texture of the bars, since I’ve never made them before, but they were delicious.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Mix the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, and oil together.

Mix the pumpkin, eggs, sugar, and oil together.

Add in the dry ingredients and mix together.

I used extra baking powder, since I was out of baking soda.

Pour the mixture in a greased baking pan and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Check to make sure the middle is set before removing. My oven takes longer to bake things, so it was over an hour before the bars were set!

After removing from the oven, let cool, then cover with frosting. I still haven’t bought a hand mixer, so I just used store-bought cream cheese frosting. I covered the pan with plastic wrap to serve later.

These bars tasted great fresh and even the next day!

They were very easy to make, and a big hit, so I’ll be making them again soon! You can view the original recipe here along with a cream cheese frosting recipe.

What’s your favorite pumpkin food to make?
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cooking

Italian Polenta Cheese Bake

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Traditionally, polenta is Italian peasant food. It’s extremely inexpensive to make, since all you really need for basic polenta is water, cornmeal, a pot, and a heating source. I love polenta because it’s so versatile. You can bake, fry, or grill polenta in a variety of shapes with different complementary ingredients. It can also be served soft.

This polenta cheese bake is derived from several different recipes around the Web. For this recipe, you will need:

  • 6 cups of water
  • 1 3/4 cup of corn meal
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 3 cups of shredded cheese
  • 3 cups of ground hamburger or Italian sausage
  • 1/2 jar of pasta sauce
Except for the water and cornmeal, all the measurements above are approximate, and you can add or delete as you like.

Preheat oven to 350. Bring water and salt to a boil in a large pot. Whisk in corn meal, a little at a time. It’s very important to not add it all at once, or it will get lumpy. Turn heat down to low.

Whisk in cornmeal, a little at a time

Let polenta cook until it thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir often to remove lumps. Once thickened, remove from heat. Add butter and cheese.

Remove from heat, add butter and cheese

Mix polenta with meat and spoon into baking dish. Since it’s just the two of us, I actually only used half the polenta and a smaller dish. The rest I’ll freeze as cakes for a meal at a later date (see instructions at bottom of this post).

Mix polenta with meat and spoon into baking dish

Pour pasta sauce over polenta and meat mixture.

Place pan in oven until sauce is bubbling (approximately 15 minutes).

Remove from oven, let cool, and serve!

Recipe adaptations:

  • Use milk or cream instead of water
  • Add caramelized onions
  • Add garlic
  • Add mushrooms
  • Add mixed veggies
  • Substitute ground chicken or turkey for beef
Polenta freezing instructions:
To save polenta as cakes for a later date, after removing polenta from heat, pour into a square baking dish. Let cool, then cover and place in fridge over night. Cut hardened polenta into square pieces. Place pieces into freezer-safe container and place in freezer.
 What are your favorite polenta dishes?
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