Monday, September 20, 2010

Chicagoing: Daily Farmer's Markets and Peach Mojitos

While most people who live in Chicago don't have the space to grow their own gardens, we are lucky enough to have a Farmer's Markets every day spread throughout several Chicago neighborhoods. Since Miss M loves crowds and meeting new people, I loaded her up with Mr. B's Ruff Wear Palisades backpack to help carry the groceries. Not only does the backpack help me carry stuff, but it gave Miss M a job. This means she's more directed making it easier for her to ignore other dogs, food, and the chaos in the crowds. She took her job very seriously:
This particular market stretches nearly a half-mile with a huge array of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and fresh cheeses.
One of my main motivations is to get flowers for our house. I found that of all the markets, Bades Farm which is at the Lincoln Square, Hyde Park, and Clark/Division markets has the best flowers.
The farmer still remembers Miss M from when I first adopted her. Miss M made sure to lay nicely at each booth waiting for me to make purchases and load her backpack. This market actually had a ton of smaller dogs on retractable leashes that people let just wander under booths and go up to people. Several people remarked how patient and well-behaved Miss M was:
Miss M was able to haul peaches, apples, tomatoes, arugula,string cheese, and fresh mozzarella in her backpack while I carried the flowers. We keep our fruit and vegetable in bowls that double as decor, and reminders to eat well:
We chose an assortment of flowers:
To brighten up Mr. B's laying area:
E used the peaches to make fresh peach mojitos with mint from our garden. It's getting a bit cool, but they were still perfect to sip out on our porch:
While I made a salad with the arugula, tomatoes, and mozzarella and basil from our herb garden. Everything was delicious; though we kept having this little face popping up to see how everything was:

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, everything sounds so good! I especially envy the salad...making me hungry though it's only 9am. Glad to see Miss M was such a great helper.

jen said...

Everything is so beautiful!
I so enjoy reading how you go about daily living with your dogs and how you make the most of it!

Corbin said...

Omg, I love that last photo!
-Corbin

Anonymous said...

Miss M is such a great helper! That's a great idea making her use her backpack to help you. I also love the bowls as decorations. I wonder if Miles would get into ours if I did something like that.

Brooklyn Book Lover said...

That salad looks delicious! I just love this type of salad. My mouth is watering. I'll have to stop off on my way home from work and buy the ingredients to make one. :-)

Backcountry Brodie said...

Yay Miss M fur being such a trend-setting dog using her backpack fur carrying home the noms from the farmer's market! We is all about alternatives to icky plastic shopping bags. (That cheese looks furry nommy - drool.)

Rescued Pittie Family said...

We bought Greighson a backpack and we're going to try it out on Haleigh this weekend at See Spot Eat's birthday event.
I think giving them a "job" is really important too so hopefully it goes as well as Mazzy's day.

Premium city living has it's perks!
I wish we had a farmer's market like that. Everything looks wonderful.

The Daily Pip said...

I am quite impressed with Miss M's strength in carrying that pack! I love fresh flowers, too, but we can't have them around because the kitties like to eat them.

Your pal, Pip

P.S.: Those peppers look AMAZING

Kellee the Caffeinated said...

What a good girl Ms M is!!!!! Everything looks so yummy!

~The Monster Crew

Shauna (Fido and Wino) said...

That looks like fun! Reminds me of the markets in Holland... they were everywhere :)

Anonymous said...

Haha! Miss M! I just luvs your little face in that last picture! I'm sure you were just checking to have everything they needed.

Um, my mom would like that peach mojito recipe, please. We won produce last week (Yes! That's right! We're produce winners!) and we gots some peaches with it. Mom thinks a peach mojito sounds DEE-lish!

Wiggles & Wags,
Mayzie

Meredith Travels said...

That face in the last picture kills me! Soak up all the amazing Chicago weather while you can!!

Nicole said...

Miss M does look like she's taking her job very seriously. I need to find Luffy's backpack and start loading him up. Although we've been having hot weather again lately, so he'd probably just lay down and pout.

brooke said...

heheheh that last picture is so cute!

Kari in Alaska said...

In LA they forbid us from bringing dogs to farmers markets. I used to take the pups up in NorCal and load up their packs


Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com/

Daisy Dog said...

That looks delish! The Farmers markets here don't allow dogs :( Love the pack idea, I used to have one years ago when I lived in Tahoe for my lab Bear, she would carry lunch and her own water.

houndstooth said...

Ah, we just tilled under the last remnants of our garden this weekend. I miss those fresh tomatoes already! Our farmer's market will only go until the end of the month. I always hate to see it go.

Miss M looks adorable and well-behaved there in that back pack! I'd have given the poor girl something for doing most of the carrying!

Anonymous said...

Your farmer's market sounds (and looks) so nice! Miss M is so cute with her pack. She most definitely seems to be taking her job seriously :)

Zona said...

Oh my.. that looks delish! I don't blame that cutie face from peeking up to see how things look! What time is dinner? I'll be right over!

Wags,
Zona

Two French Bulldogs said...

Ms. M we thought your backpack was so loaded up you couldn't stand..BOL
Benny & Lily

koko said...

The backpack on Miss M sure comes in handy on a grocery trip to the market... she is so well behave. That was really a fun outing to the market. Most establishments here do not allow dogs inside the building unless its on the veranda or open air section.

Licks, hero

Lola and also Franklin, too said...

Oh, you are so elegant. And healthy. I have to give major props to Miss M for being able to carry cheese and not eat it. I think that would have driven me crazy. She's such a well behaved lady, too.

lotsa licks, Lola

Lucy-Fur, as typed by Dr. Liz said...

Teehee! We love that last photo!!! Mom has been talking about getting a backpack for Abby so she can carry the tennis balls and water on walks - maybe it would make her more focused, too.... Nah. She's still suffering from Puppy Brain! ;-)

*kissey face*
-Fiona and Abby the Hippobottomus

kissa-bull said...

such a good girl brinksey winksey wouldhave eaten all the food teehee

pibble sugars
the pittie pack

Anonymous said...

What fun! Miss B makes a great shopping partner :) She does look like she's enjoying her job immensely! The fruit and flowers make me smile :) Decor that I can eat or sniff? What could be better!

I've missed y'all,
Roo

Road Dog Tales said...

While we can't have anything at "tail level" that is breakable in our house, Mom just loves seeing pics of your lovely home and totally thinks your family and home should have its own TV show. Miss M and Mr. B would make excellent stars!
The Road Dogs

Mary said...

Small dogs on retractable leashes! ARGH!

Those mojitos look divine. I'm sad that summer's bounty of produce is coming to a close. I do like squash and clementines, so I guess we have that to look forward to.

We took Levi to the farmer's market one day, but he was not nearly as helpful or well-behaved (or cute) as Ms. M.!

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