Sanford Farmer's Market 1/30/10

The rain held off until it was time to pack up and leave! Great day, great people, great vendors. It's the little market with a big heart! Thanks to Jeff and Michelle for all the hard work and to my great neighbors today, Bill from Pampered Chef and Pat who is a living double-edged sword with a whole bunch of black belts for a kick.
These are some of the canines that stopped by-thank you!

Mia's YouTube Video

Yes, Mia is a rescue dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taiOxwdVdUU

Walking on Sunshine!

So I ventured to City Hall to buy my first license today. I. Am. So. Excited! I've worked in the field of special education for such a long time that to venture out and do something on my own is the best roller coaster ride *ever*! I know, I know...it sounds silly but I can't help but be excited to officially call my self an entrepreneur.

Farmer's Market, here I come!

What's going to be on the menu this weekend for Sanford:

Fleafalloff Biscuits

Milk Bones

Organic Oat Rings

Trainer Treats

Loosie Goosie

Pepita Palms

Purine Pups

The Purine Pups are for dogs who have a tendency to develop urinary stones. Everything smells absolutely amazing. I can't wait to share the Mia Love this weekend at the Sanford Farmer's Market!

A Little Help in the Kitchen Today

This is my niece and she supervised the baking today while eating her spaghetti.

Kuranda Beds are great for doggies (and exploring babies too!)

Reflections from Sanford

Well, it was a slow day at the market in Sanford. That's what my neighbors, who make the most amazing soaps, said about Saturday. Floridians are so funny! It takes a while for us to thaw out and trust Mother Nature again after such a long cold spell. Plus it was cloudy and people were afraid that it might rain. Honestly it was a gorgeous overcast day with temperatures in the mid 70's but no rain! At one point I looked around and was reminded of my visit to Seattle. The brick-lined streets lined with the shine of moisture from the atmosphere, the historic buildings, a fountain trickling amidst little cafe tables for two, and last but not least AND without bias, fantastic artisans that truly care about their craft. I barely made enough to cover my rental fee but the experience was priceless. My first market experience will be one that I will always treasure.

A special thanks to Elizabeth & Alexander's Creations for being the best neighbor's ever!

www.elizabethandalexanderscreations.com

And to Amy, the freelancing queen for her support and purchasing my products!

www.contententcomestolife.com

Sanford Pictures

Basic Packaging

Until I get my packaging supplies from Nashville Wraps, here's what I'm going to use for Mia Love Eco Treats for dogs and cats.

I'm wrestling with what is most reusable, recyclable, and something that biodegrades easily. I went to the store last night and brought my own bags in for my groceries. The bag boy was ticked! I asked him why he didn't care for the canvas, reusable bags and he said he loved plastic bags. This truly was a "kid"...maybe 17 or 18 and he's our future. What have we done? Maybe it was the plastic baby bottles for this young teenager? He truly thought that canvas was bad and plastic was good. Sweet bagger boy pointed to the large, empty plastic bag recycling bin and said "that's what those things are for". Okay. Good point. But how many folks actually make it back to the store with the intention of recycling their plastic bags? Why don't they just use the plastic bags again and again? My Dad takes his plastic bags back to the store but he's the only one I have ever seen do this. So, if it's just me reusing my crappy canvas bags because I think I might make a difference, I can live with that. One person at a time and maybe it will make a difference but at least it will make a difference to me.

Ranting over.

Haiti

I wish I was more established so that I could send my proceeds to Haiti. The pictures are so telling of the magnitude of the poverty that existed and then the horrors of natural disaster. To have shelter, to have clothing, to have an education...I am so fortunate. To some my situation could seem dire (budget re-allocation at the school I taught at=loss of my job, living in the good graces of family). These are all hurdles to maneuver in the throws of life. I truly can't imagine having nothing to start with then having an earthquake shake what little was there into absolute nothing.

I do hope that Mia Love can help Haiti in the very near future. I'm counting on it.

Excited!

After my dear friend Amy told me about the Sanford Market on Saturdays, I checked on it today and they are by far the most responsive and friendly market folks. Love that it's easy and green. Did I mention they were very friendly too?

So my first venue will be....

At the Sanford Market this coming Saturday!

Carob Cakes ROCK

Oh my...they are delicious and thanks to Mrs. Stose for the fabulous silicon bone-shaped baking sheet. Now I have to decide what to ice them with.

Did I share that my dog is thrilled to be an official taster??? Mia is so smart. She waits like the expert she is outside the kitchen so that she can be readily available to critique the treats.

I had a snafu with melting carob chips last night. They were quite a challenge and very persnickety for a vegan product. Needless to say that I iced the cookies with white chocolate. Mia strongly approved them as outstanding.

Besides the carob challenge, I'm trying to get all my venues lined up. Here's what I'm projecting:

Thursday, Ormond Beach Farmer's Market

Friday: Flagler Beach Farmer's Market

Saturday: Sanford Farmer's Market

Enticing e-mails have been sent, voice mails have been left and I anxiously await and bake my little heart out.

As soon as I hear anything it will be posted here first!

Yum and an Uh Oh

Here's my uh oh turned yum. It's the Healthy Jack Snack and it's the human equivalent to healthy vanilla biscotti with walnuts, sesame seeds, vanilla, and a hint of lemon. You and your dog can flip for these treats to see who can get to them first!

I made cat treats and the dog was beside herself! Here's a picture of the process and yes, each individual Cody Cat Treat are hand-rolled out. Yes they take some time and my little house smells like tuna but I love kitties and kitties must have treats too.

Monday Morning Reflection

Mmm coffee yum. I used the last of my non-dairy creamer today and had a thought. I've been going round and round about how to package Eco Treats. So...what about all the empty containers we use? I could go to the dollar store and buy some cheap, not made in the USA containers but that defeats my purpose here.

I want to use what currently exists in order to decrease the demand for oversea needs.

Oh I know it sounds hokey pokey and pie-in-the-sky but I can't help it. I'm just one person so I'll try to make a difference where I can and maybe it'll help, maybe it won't. Is it going to be cheaper to recycle existing products? Yes. Should I go out and buy containers so that everything is uniform and pretty? No. So this Eco Treat thing isn't going to be cute, uniform, and perfect. It's going to be like you and me: unique!

I'm sure I'll make tons of mistakes and as much as I would love to be perfectly eco-friendly, I'm just one person making one product, one at a time, trying to make a difference in my local community.

Milk Bones, Large and Small

These are awesome! Mia and I both love them.

Carrot Cake Bones

Inventory so Far

I'm thinking about all the yummies I have so far for Mia Love Eco Treats. Here's what I have currently:

• Little Milk Bones
• Large Milk Bones
• Carrot Cake Bones with White Chocolate Frosting
• Loosie Goosie Pumpkin Bones

What I want to have on hand by Thursday:

• Brownie Bites (carob)
• Cody Cat Treats
• Doggone Hands (for humans)
• Veggie O Biscuits
• Healthy Jack Snack
• Trainer Treats

There might even be more...stay tuned!

Looosie Goosie

I made Loosie Goosie treats for dogs that are well, a little loose in the stool area. They are made of organic pumpkin, organic rolled oats, eggs, fresh garlic, wheat germ, and white rice flour. Super crunchy too!

Of course Mia thinks they are a hit. I tried them and they taste pretty good too. Dogs will appreciate them much more than humans!

I do believe I will be tackling the cat treats later today.

My first 7 Batches

Finally! The last batch of 7 is almost done in the oven. They are carrot/garlic biscuits for dogs. The homemade milk bones are *awesome*! Ooops, they're for the dogs but they are super tasty for humans too. That's what I wanted though. If I can eat it and not die then my dog can have it. That's why I started this little project.

And Mia LOVES the fact she's the honorary taste tester.

Tomorrow I'm getting all the stuff to go to the market on Thursday.

Stay tuned!