Unusual Location

Here's part of a story by Kathy Stephenson that was in the Salt Lake Tribune this morning:

The Broadway Pharmacy and Market in downtown Salt Lake City has long offered filo dough, grape leaves, feta and other imported Greek goods. But now the shop has upgraded to include fresh local produce and Utah products. The walk-in cooler that once was used for beer is now filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. The market shelves also carry 20 new Utah-made products including My Dough Girl Cookies, Clifford Farm eggs, Butcher's Bunches jams, Amano Chocolate and more. The Market, 242E. 300 South, is open every day but Sunday. Call 801-363-3939 for details. END ARTICLE

Farmers' markets are showing up everywhere! Or at least parts of them are showing up in many places. People want fresh food, they want products that come from local growers and vendors. It's a good trend.

Hawaii Market

Following is a link (well, an address to copy and paste at least) to a video about a market in Hilo, on the big island of Hawaii. I am continually reminded that it is the market vendors who make them so spectacular. You will find this fascinating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG96rrB_sFc&feature=channel

Paige

Comments

So, when I signed in to the blog today, a bunch of comments showed up -- comments I hadn't seen before, comments from earlier posts. Either there was a hiccup in blogger or I was doing something wrong when I signed in. I really want to blame blogger, but I know me well enough to know chances are it was operator error. Sigh.

Thanks for the comments everyone! How nice to talk to old friends and meet some new ones.

Have a great day!

Paige

"Spring" Break

Let's see, in Salt Lake City we started off this Spring Break week with a crazy blizzard that left about four inches of snow on the lawn. Fortunately, the driveway snow melted quickly. The skiers and snowboarders were very happy. Today, the snow is all melted and I have a couple windows open. I am feeling the full force of Spring Fever. It will be cold by this evening, but I'm enjoying the fresh air while I can.

Building my favorite to do list:
- Hummingbird feeders need to get hung.
- I probably should have already started some pumpkin seeds, but I'll get that done this weekend.
- Exchange short-sleeved shirts with sweats.
- Get the dirt in my small garden ready for planting.

So glad warm weather is almost here.

New Market

For part of the day yesterday I stopped by some local Salt Lake City bookstores and asked to sign their in-store copies of FARM FRESH MURDER. It was fun -- and I really have to comment on how wonderful all the Barnes and Noble people were. They knew I'd never done that sort of thing before and they really made me feel welcome. Thanks for that.

Anyway, as I was driving down State Street, across from Fashion Place Mall, I noticed something I'd never seen before. Sunflower Farmers' Market. It's an indoor market, that is like a grocery store, but kind of not.



I only had a few minutes, but I ran in and looked around quickly. Everything seemed pretty fresh and at first glance, the prices looked pretty good too. I need to explore it further. Apparently, they are a chain -- locations only in the western United States at this point. Here's their web site: http://www.sfmarkets.com/

It's a trip from my house, but I'll definitely give it a second look.

Anyone know anything about it?

Yay!

FARM FRESH MURDER hits the stores today. Yay! Really, yay!

I'm a guest blogger on my agent's web site today. "How to Do Almost Everything Wrong and Still Get Published . . . Someday."

http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/

Thanks, everybody!

One Day - Countdown

Today's Market: Bailey's Farmers' Market in Monson, South Carolina -- the market in FARM FRESH MURDER

Bailey's is the fictional market I created and placed in the fictional town of Monson, South Carolina, though South Carolina is a very real and wonderful place.

Bailey's is a long, u-shaped market full of all the things good farmers' markets have: fresh foods, creative art, beautiful flowers, and a many creative and hardworking vendors. Becca Robins, the protagonist of the farmers' market mysteries, makes and sells jams and preserves. She also grows strawberries and pumpkins, has had some trouble with relationships in the past, and when one of her good friends is accused of killing a fellow Bailey's vendor, she springs into action to help solve the crime. Though she runs into her fair share of trouble on the way, she turns out to be a pretty good investigator in her own rights.

I've loved getting to know these characters.

Thanks to everyone for their kind words of encouragement regarding FARM FRESH MURDER.I appreciate all your support.


Today's recipe: Easy Chocolate Covered Strawberries -- they're not as difficult to make as you might think.

Ingredients:
16 ounces milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
1 pound fresh strawberries - keep the leaves on but rinse and dry the berries.
wax paper


Directions:

1. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding the strawberries by their leaves, dip the them 1/2 to 3/4 of the way into the chocolate mixture. Let some of the excess chocolate drip back into the mixture.
3.Place them on a sheet of wax paper to cool.