Treat the kids to fresh foods from the Fresno Farmers’ Market

FRESNO – Now that area schools are back in full swing, what better time than this Saturday to come out to the Fresno Farmers’ Market and pick up some back to school treats and nutritional lunch box and breakfast finds.

Not only can you feed your children healthy choices from the market, you can keep their new school clothes clean with homemade laundry soap too. I know, I for one, get frustrated trying to think of new things to fix for lunches and now that my kids are older, it’s even more difficult. We have always been brown baggers here at the Brown house, not that school lunches aren’t very good and nutritional in their own right, I just like having somewhat of a feeling of control over my children’s meal selections. We have always practiced hot lunch Fridays at our house, it gives the kids something to look forward to and it gives me a break. Plus, what’s wrong in being frugal, right? Why not send that farm to table goodness to school with them? And usually what I pack for their lunches, I pack for myself as well. I don’t know about you, but; homemade egg salad on homemade whole wheat bread, with a thick slice of red ripe tomato, a cucumber sliced up with ranch dressing for dipping, a bowl of fresh sliced peaches, an Amish fry pie or piece of angel food cake…. and I’m one happy girl at lunch time.

If you have children, you know as well as I do, that getting them up early enough and having them sit down longer enough to eat a quick bite of breakfast is a challenge all in its self. But maybe, if you tempted them with some farm to table freshness, like: French toast made from homemade bread and fresh brown eggs, covered in local maple syrup with a side of fresh sliced melon and blueberries, maybe they’d get up all on their own….right….now I am dreaming!  Regardless, you know what they say “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” so why not make it farm to table fresh? Your vendors are here to supply that vary goodness to our family’s tables each and every Saturday morning in downtown Fresno. The market is open from 8 a.m. to noon, rain or shine, now through the end of October. For more information regarding the Fresno Market, please call us at 545-0849 or 545-0997 anytime.

Here is a quick and easy recipe that will keep you out of the kitchen and enjoying a cup of herbal tea instead, while your children enjoy a warm and filling breakfast. This recipe is also great to make on the weekend and on snow days.

Crock Pot Overnight Oatmeal

In a well greased crock pot add the following:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. melted butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

A pinch of nutmeg

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 apple cored, peeled and minced

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

4 1/2 cups milk

Place all of the above into greased crock pot, mix well. Set on low heat overnight about 6 – 8 hours; spoon into bowls, serve with milk and more brown sugar if desired.

This article is contributed to The Beacon by Julia Brown from the Fresno Farmers’ Market

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Category: People & Places