You've got Fruit on Your Face

Fresh fruit is fabulous. It's one of the reasons I can't wait for spring and summer. Strawberries, peaches, apples, cherries, watermelon, bananas - I'm starting to drool a little. Most of these fruits are available year round now, but local and fresh if at all possible, is the best.

Not only is fruit yummy and good for your insides, many fruits are good for your skin on the outside as well. Here of some of my favorite face fruits.

Whenever I'm cutting these up, I don't wash the juice off my hands - I just rub it on my face. Instant facial! Not only do they make your face feel fabulous, you smell fantastic too.

Pineapple - We don't grow pineapples here in NJ, but I still love them and will pick them up occasionally from the market. Pineapples contain bromelain and alpha-hydroxy acid. These help reduce wrinkles and remove dead skin cells, helping to give skin a smoother and gentle glow. They are also high in Vitamin C and A which are anti-oxidant free radical fighters. I like to just rub the juice on my face, let it dry a bit, and then rinse with cool water. Makes my skin feel all tingly and just a little tighter. And I love the way it smells!

Great face fruits.

Strawberry - Strawberries can help reduce acne and oily skin, reduce puffiness under your eyes, and remove dead skin cells. They also contain alpha-hydroxy acid and Vitamin C. They also contain ellagic acid, which help protect the skin from UV rays.  Use in the same way as pineapple, or just cut a berry in half and rub it on your face. Just divine. But do be cautious if you have allergies.

Banana - Banana's have lots of Vitamin C and soothing properties for worn skin. They reduce skin inflammation. Mash up a nicely ripe banana and put into your face. Let sit a bit and then wipe off gently and rinse. Sometimes I'll just rub the inside of the banana peel on spots on my arms or skin that are really dry. I'll also use it to rub on my teeth to help clean and whiten them. 

Watermelon - Have you ever gotten cool, refreshing watermelon all over your face when you're eating it on a hot summer day? Then you rinse it off and your face feels wonderful! That's because watermelon is another antioxidant moisturizer that is a fruity fabulous face treatment. It contains Vitamins C, A and B6. It will help tighten up your pores and refresh your skin.

Next time you're looking for a quick skin pick me up, just look to your fridge and get some fruit on your face.

Heritage and Beach Plums - Where we'll be - and won't be - this Weekend

It seems Hurricane Hana has had her way with Lavallette already. The Heritage Day Festival, which is typically a wonderful day, has been cancelled for this Saturday, September 6. With an 90% of rain and thunderstorms, the committee wisely chose to not have the event. There's nothing worse than a soggy Mummer. Sad, but wise decision.

However, Sunday, September 7th, promises to be much better - maybe even sunny. And what better way to finish up the summer season than with the Friends of Island Beach State Park Beach Plum Festival! This even is always fun, festive, educational and entertaining.

If you've never had the chance to attend, you should take the opportunity this year. There are kayak tours available, beach plum picking, a wide variety of educational opportunities, dozens of handcrafted items, and the best view of the beach you could have.

Island Beach State Park is an amazing resource, and probably one of the most beautiful spots in New Jersey. There are 10 miles of beautiful beaches, swathed in a gentle, inviting, natural maritime park. It's like stepping into another world. Definitely a spot worth investigating.

The Beach Plum Festival runs from 9 am to 4 pm at the Ocean Beach Bathing Area #1. We hope to see you there!

Have a Little Honey, Honey, it's National Honey Month!

As you may have gathered from our previous post about honey - which you can find here
- we're a little sweet on honey. What's not to love!? Honey is a natural sweet treat that's nourishing for your outside as well as your inside.

In celebration of National Honey Month, here are two honey based recipes to get you venturing into the wonderful world of honey.

For your outside:

Honey Hair Shine
Honey's softening power will keep your hair soft and shiny.

5 cups of warm water
2 teaspoons of light honey
Optional: a squeeze of lemon juice, strawberry, or a few teaspoons of chamomile tea

Stir the honey into the warm water. Add option of your choice. After shampooing, pour the mixture through your hair. Don't rinse, just dry and style as usual. Not only will your hair be soft and shiny, it will smell wonderful, too!

For your inside:

JP's Glazed Carrots
This is a family favorite - particularly my son's. He started making them with his grandmother when he was about 5 (he's now 25).

Carrots:
2 pounds baby carrots
water to cover

Glaze:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup pineapple juice
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
Optional: just a pinch of hot pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce.

Directions

Carrots:
Cook to carrots in the water until just fork tender but still firm. Don't over cook them or they'll be mushy. Drain carrots and return to put.

Glaze:
Set heat to low and add the butter to the carrots, . Add honey, brown sugar, and pineapple juice. Stir until well combined. Turn up the heat to medium when sugar has dissolved. Let simmer in the glaze until the liquid cooks down and thickens (usually about 5 to 7 minutes).

Place into a bowl, toss the option of your choice, if you'd like. The glaze with thicken slightly as it cools. Yum!

For the best in local honey, check out Herbertsville Honey or E&M Gold. They have wonderful information, terrific products, and are great people.

Have a little honey every day and celebrate the sweetness of National Honey Month.

Farmers Market discoveries are more than just Food

I told you about the wonderful Farmers Market at Rutgers Garden. The handmade kielbasi is killer when grilled! But the best part of this market is that everything is local. And the nice thing about New Jersey is that local covers just about the whole state!

While I was at the farmers market this past week, I came across an interesting looking magazine. I freely admit that I'm one of those folks who collects all the papers and business cards from fairs and expo's and conferences. So, naturally, I picked up this magazine, called edibleJersey. After I brought my collection of cheeses, fruits and veggies home, I pulled out edibleJersey. I was enthralled from the cover all the way through to the last page. Informative and entrancing articles are partnered with wonderful photographs to create the perfect picture of the charm and enchantment that

the farms and restaurants of New Jersey hold.

I happened to pick up the summer issue. The style is charming and inviting, with stories of successful vineyards next to information about basil and enticing recipes for its use. This is a true magazine reflecting all the great things in the Garden State.

I could go on and on, but I encourage you to take a look for yourself. edibleJersey is a delight and much needed publication that boasts the good and has something for everyone all over our state.

Fresh From the Farm is the Way to Go

I love summer. I love the hot summer sun, gardening, going to the beach, barbecuing, warm sultry nights, walking in the woods, and - most of all - the lovely, fresh fruits and vegetables found at farms and farm markets.

The gardener in me loves to pick fresh tomatoes off the vine, the never ending supply of zucchini, and bright tasting blackberries nibbled from the the bushes. This year we're trying for cucumbers again - if we can keep that rascally gopher out of the yard. He seems to have a true passion for my cucumbers.

But my very favorite thing is to go to a farm or one of the local farm markets to

gather those sweet fruits and essential vegetables that I don't have the room (or patience) to grow at home.

And New Jersey is still packed with great farms and markets to satisfy any whim or craving. Interestingly, farms are making a come back, thanks in large part to the return to green we all seem to be feeling. Bouts of bacteria tainted produce that's been shipped in have heightened the desire to return to local choices for our produce. It's a nice thing - for the farmers, the economy, and our tables.

Two of my favorite spots are the Rutgers Garden Farm Market on Ryders Lane in East Brunswick. Nestled in a field among the trees, this market offers a wide selection of goods - not just produce either. I picked up some terrific Kielbasi from Stefan's Pure Blends while I was there, although I was too late for the bread from the Village Bakery - he had sold out already. You can bet I'll be there earlier this week! There were some amazing sheep cheeses from Valley Shepherd Creamery. I didn't even know New Jersey had any place that made cheese! It was a wonderful adventure that I look forward to attending again this week.

My other favorite stop for fresh and fabulous is Terhune Orchards. They have an amazing selection of pick-your-own fruits and veggies. Cindy and I always run down for apple picking in September, but there are some outstanding picks early in the season - including blueberries! Not always having time for the thrill of the hunt, their farm market offers a full selection of the farms finest. The staff is always wonderfully helpful and knowledgeable. It's a wonderful place to visit and learn and spend a sunny summer day.

I hope you'll make it a point to go local when you can. Maybe I'll see you at one of the hot farm spots this summer. Feel free to share any of your favorites in the comments section below. Right now, I'm going to go grab a Jersey Fresh Peach and have a healthy, summer munch!