from NPR: more supermarkets selling local produce

To follow up on my previous post "number of farmers markets more than doubles", I'm posting a link to a great NPR segment I heard this morning. Their story, "Supermarkets Tout Fresh, Local Offerings," outlines how some large grocery chains are sourcing more of their produce locally, from smaller producers.

This is great news for everyone, and especially for people who don't live close to a farmers' market. I wonder what the cost difference is between local produce sold at grocery stores versus farmers' markets? I would bet that, on average, most produce at farmers' markets costs less per pound than what they're selling at the big stores. I hope stories like this can help more people consider their local greenmarket as a viable, economical alternative to grocery stores (at least for meat and produce), rather than just a quaint diversion during the summer months. For us, the local markets have been critical in helping us stay within our $60 per week grocery budget.

helpful site for reviewing skin/cosmetic products

Stay-At-Home-Mom would like to pass along a great link for anyone concerned with the toxicity of everyday skin care products and cosmetics. The Skin Deep database is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products brought to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization.

According to their site, "Skin Deep pairs ingredients in nearly 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind."

This isn't exactly a resource specific to single-income families, but the information contained in this database will definitely help you evaluate whether or not you should be using certain products, which could save you money.

the cost of staying home? $1 million, but don't worry - it's worth it

Good morning. MSN Money recently posted a fairly balanced article about the economic costs of being a stay at home mom. Here's an excerpt:

Now, can you afford this? Your initial response, and the response of many two-income couples, might be no. But two incomes can be deceiving. You earn more, but you also probably spend more. When you look at what many SAHM Web sites call “the cost of work” -- what you pay in travel, wardrobe and eating out more frequently, plus the cost of child care -- your salary may not be the big asset you thought it was. Add to that the fact that your income is taxed at a higher rate thanks to that marriage penalty, and you might be dismayed to see what your second income (or his, if it's the smaller one) boils down to.

number of farmers markets more than doubles

A friend recently told me that the present number of farmers markets in the US is more than double the number in the early 1990s. I did a brief search and found a great chart from the USDA detailing the growth of markets from 1994 to 2006. It's quite impressive. I was at our local market this morning and it was absolutely packed, so the growth is definitely believable.

This trend is very reassuring. Once you've started shopping at the farmer's market, it's hard to imagine buying meat and produce from anywhere else - at least during the summer.

The USDA site also has page where you can find a market in your state and city.

recipe: steamed potatoes with butter and green onions

This is so easy it's a joke.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of baby potatoes (yukon gold or red)
• 4 green onions (or 3 spring onions), thinly sliced
  
• 4 tbsp quality butter
• kosher salt
• black pepper

Preparation:

1. Wash potatoes and, using a steamer insert or other contraption, steam them in a large pot for 8-10 minutes until tender (don't overcook, they should still be firm and the skins intact).

2. Drain potatoes and place in the now empty/dry pot. Slice them in half and toss with the butter to evenly coat each piece of potato. Mix in the green onions and salt/pepper. Serve hot, luke warm or room temperature.

*They reheat well, so feel free to make enough to have leftovers.

*No recipe source? Nope. This is a HOUSEKEPT original, sucka. Who cares if it only contains 3 ingredients? I don't. And you'll love us for it.