Muskegon Farmers Market

Muskegon's Farmers Market

700 Yuba Street, Muskegon MI, 49442

(231) 722-3251 

I recently attended a field trip the farmer's market with my son's Young Five's Class from Whitehall. 

I knew the farmers market existed, I just had never been before last week.

I was sincerely impressed with all that there was to choose from. 

The Farmers Market is open on Thursday's and Saturdays.

http://www.muskegonfarmersmarket.com/

The Produce was AMAZING! The prices are much better than the local grocery stores! The trip was very well worth it. The one recommendation I have is, if you get a chance to go, go with someone who ussually attends. They will show the best prices, the nicest people and the best produce.

When I first attended, I went with my son's school, the following weekend I went with my husband and inlaws and I found some AMAZING deals!

Not only do they have produce, there are TONS of flower and fall decorations to choose from during the Harvest/ Fall Fest that they have every year. (Make sure to get there early otherwise parking can be a pain)

(Strawberries were super sweat)

These are so AWESOME! I almost bought one just so I could hang it in my kitchen, but then I realized I had NO WHERE to this.

My Mother in law buys peaches and cans them every year!

Thought this would be super neat to buy for bean soup!

Check out the website for more info!

Tie Dye Bags

We celebrated my oldest sons 5th Birthday on the 30th of September this year. One of the presents he received was this super neat tie dye bag.

They come personalized and unpersonalized. This one as you can see is personalized with my son's name and an alien. He absolutely loves it and we even swapped out his backpack for this one today.

Lindsey is just starting her business and so far so good. I thought I would take some time to give her a happy review! 

 

I borrowed some of her images off of her facebook page. To the left is another personalized bag in two shades.

To the right is an example of some of the purses that she has made.

The bags are made from Canvas and are offered in many different colors. She has some bags pre-made that she sells at art fairs but she also personalizes to what you would like and want.

 

Below is a picture of someone wearing one of her purses. 

They are the perfect size for evenings when you are going out and do not want to take your whole purse along, just the necessities.

 

  

Check out Lindsey's facebook page, Tie Dye Bags!

http://www.facebook.com/TieDyefun

Mushrooms on a stump??? What!?

Actually, these are technically called the "Honey Mushroom". They are called this due to the yellow and brown hues. 

Within the last couple of years I have started eating these mushrooms on a regular basis. I did not even really know that they existed until I met my husband. We live in Muskegon, Michigan out by Lake Michigan on 20 acres and there are a ton a old oak stumps out in the woods. 

The first time he took me out mushroom hunting I was extremely skeptical of eating these bad boys. I have only ever ate Morel Mushrooms, as far as I had been told most other fungi could be poisonous. Well to my surprise my husband had been eating them for years along with all of his family and they were by no means poisonous, they are actually delicious! 

They usually start sprouting up around mid September, depending on how much rain we have received. The more rain the better the batch of mushrooms. They grow on old dead oak stumps. 
One thing with these mushrooms, when you cut them at the stem you need to check for bugs, if the mushrooms stem is black or darker brown then you know it has bugs. The stems should be a tanish-brown color.
The scientific name is Armillaria mellea - 


In the above picture is a comparison of some of the sizes, there are some larger versions also that looks similar to large portobellos. 
After we pick the mushrooms we bring them in the house and check the stems one more time for bug infestations. If all is well I fill the sink with water and throw the mushrooms in. I generally let them soak for 2 hours minimum, sometimes as long as overnight if we pick them in the evening. Also, depending on how dirty the mushrooms are, I will switch the water out multiple times and start with fresh. 

After they have soaked for multiple hours we go ahead and throw them in a large pot and turn the heat up to high. Once they start boiling I will start a timer. We boil them for a minimum of ten minutes and sometimes longer depending on the size of the batch we are cooking. You will know when they are done by the color they become (as seen below). 
 
The most important thing when eating any wild mushroom is to cook them until they are completely cooked, without a doubt.

After they are cooked we throw them in a strainer to drain. After the mushrooms have cooled we measure out a cup of mushrooms and pour them on into a freezer bag and freeze just like that. I never buy caned mushrooms anymore, we ALWAYS use these babies in everything from beef roasts to spaghetti. We even love frying them up with onions to throw on steak. They are delicious!

While researching this mushroom online I did find a very useful site. On this site it states that there is a look alike mushroom out there that is known as the "Deadly Galerina" that is indeed poisonous. I am posting the site below. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will see a picture of this mushroom so you can compare and differentiate between the two.  
 
Happy Mushroom Hunting! 

"If in doubt, don't put it in your mouth"

http://www.sierrapotomac.org/W_Needham/HoneyMushroom_071120.htm

How to make ..... YOUR OWN BABY WIPES :)

While I was pregnant I was informed by a cousin that there was this amazing recipe for home made baby wipes... She insisted that her daughter had a horrendous diaper rash and after she started using the wipes the rash disappeared. I was very skeptical but due to the price difference in making your own wipes and purchasing pre made wipes, I opted to start stocking up on supplies to make my own.

My adorable baby was born on June 23rd of this year and while he was in the hospital they provided us with Pampers Sensitive Wipes (which are supposed to be the best wipes around!). Needless to say my son got a diaper rash and had some sores on his little tush. Thinking back to what my cousin told me months before... I pulled out the recipe... the supplies... and made my own wipes. WITHIN 24 HOURS OF USING THESE HOT CAKES.... believe it or not, my son's red tush was non existent.
I SWEAR BY THESE THINGS! They are a ton cheaper than pre made baby wipes and they work GREAT!

Below you will find the recipe along with directions on how to make these AWESOME, AMAZING, GREAT Baby Wipes! :)


Things you need:

• Serrated Kitchen Knife
• Roll of Paper Towel (I use Viva because it is so soft and thick)
•  Scissors 
•  Container for the wipes (I found this container at our local Meijer's store and have found that it works great!)
• "2 cup" measure
• "1 tbs." measure
• Spoon
• Water (2 cups)
• 2 tbs. Baby Wash (any kind works, generic or Johnsons, etc.)
• 2 tbs. Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil or Baby Oil (I have tried all three and prefer the Vegetable Oil, works the same as the rest but is the best priced)

 Directions:

1. Start by taking the serrated knife and cut the roll of paper towel in half. 
2. After cutting the paper towel the ends will be messy, use scissors to trim up bits of paper towel that may be shredded.
3. Place half of the roll in the container with the cut end down. 
4. Take the "2 cup" measuring cup (do not add water yet).
5. Take the TBS measure and add 2 tbs of baby soap to the "2 cup" measure.
6. Take the TBS measure and add 2 tbs of your Oil of choice to the "2 cup" container. 
7. Now, add warm/hot water into the measuring cup, going just past the 2 cup line. 
8. Stir the mixture with a spoon until well mixed.
9. Pour the mixture over the wipes in the container. 
10. Put the lid on the container and wait 5 minutes. 
11. Take off the lid and you can now easily pull the cardboard center out of the roll of paper towel. 
12. After removing the center, reach in and you can now pull the wipes from the center of the roll.
13.  You are done! Enjoy! :)

Making your own Laundry Soap

Being a Pinterest finatic I have found many DIY - Make your Own Cleaner Recipes. One that I have to share is the Laundry Detergent, I have made some modifications to fit my personal preferences but they all are pretty much the same.

After just having a baby I was very concerned about the reaction our little Louis's skin might have from the detergent. I have always been told to use "free and clear" products for babies. After much debate while I was pregnant my husband and I opted to wash a couple of baby outfits using our DIY detergent. 

Once Louis arrived we immediately put him in one of the outfits and much to our satisfaction, he has had no problems to date. I am sure the lack of multiple chemicals and the fact that the ingredients have minimal dyes might have something to do with the outcome.

We have found it to be safe and EXTREMELY cost efficient. 

It is very simple to make.

Below you will find a step by step guide on how to throw this together. 

I find all of the ingredients right in the laundry soap isle at our local Meijer store.

• Fels Naptha Bar - at the store I shop at the Fels Naptha is located with the bar soap. (I recommend purchasing an extra bar to use as a "spot shot". I have been told that this works especially well on shirt collar stains. 
• Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda) -  this is ussually found right next to the powdered detergents.
• Borax Powder - this is also usually located right next to the powdered detergents. 

All of this can normally be obtained for under $12.00 depending on where you purchase the items. (This price also normally includes a 5 gallon bucket)

Things you Need

• Fels Naptha Bar (1 whole bar)
• Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (1 cup)
• Borax Powder (1/2 cup)
• Cheese Grater
• Medium Sauce Pan
• 5 gallon bucket with lid (these can be purchased at home improvement stores)
• Large Spoon
• Hot water
• 1/2 cup measure (I recommend purchasing a separate measuring cup to use specifically for measuring out your laundry soap).

1.  Using the cheese grater, grate the whole Fels Naptha Bar and set aside in a bowl.
2. Measure out 1 cup of Washing Soda, set aside.
3. Measure out 1/2 cup of Borax and set aside.
4. In the sauce pan, add 4 -5 cups of water, bring to a boil. 
5. Add the grated Fels Naptha Bar to the boiling water, turn down to medium heat. Stir continuously (making sure not to let the mixture boil over). Make sure all of the soap is melted into the water, the mixture will be frothy. Set aside.
6. Take your 5 gallon bucket and fill it half way with hot water. 
7. Dump the Washing Soda and Borax into the 5 gallon bucket, using a large spoon stir the mixture until the powders are dissolved.
8. Take the Fels Naptha mixture and pour it into the 5 gallon bucket, stir well, making sure all of the ingredients are mixed together well.
9. Add more hot water to the mixture, coming up to 2 inches from the rim of the bucket. 
10. Stir mixture again, making sure the mixture is well blended.
11. Put the lid on the bucket and let it sit for 8 hours. (I usually make it after dinner and let it sit overnight)
12. In the morning, remove the lid and stir mixture (a gel will be formed on the top). I prefer to use my hands to break up the gel. 
13. YOU ARE DONE! Enjoy the use! - p.s. the mixture does not foam in the wash. 

*Use 1/2 cup of the mixture per load.

My 1st Entry

Hey everyone!

I am starting this blog as a new hobby. Being at home so much has left me with a lot of spare time and I have found that throughout the last few months I have thought more and more and about starting one of these things :) I am off work for at-least another month so I should have plenty of time to post, or so I hope.

I am the wife of a great man (Mike) and the mother of an incredible four year old boy (Easton Paul) and a little baby bundle of joy (Louis Steven, who is 1 month old). 

On my blog you might find anything from venting, discussing news, DIY projects, kid crafts.... and much much more. There really is no ryhme or reason to what I might post... just whatever the day brings I guess.

I hope that you enjoy what you may find here and I  would love love love to get some followers! Thanks everyone!