For the first time, I visited the Phoenix Public Market while visiting AZ this last weekend. Downtown on the corner of McKinley and Central. So much fun! We arrived to a bluegrass duo singing Folsom Prison. We bought incredible blackberry preserves and tasted the best bread and butter pickles my brother and I have ever had and my niece got to make a spinning drum just like the one in Karate Kid! It was a beautiful Saturday morning with a fantastic selection from Phoenix farmers. Thank you Phoenix!
I began my love affair with vegetables when I was in college and declared myself a vegetarian. Suddenly I no longer lived in my parents’ meat & potatoes household and was searching for any outlet of self-discovery I could find. My diet simply became no meat and lots of Top Ramen. Then I explored the stringent world of veganism. Again, this was largely a dietary choice based in revolt. But I learned a lot during this vegan period and it greatly shaped the responsibility I now feel when making choices on what to eat. I have since added dairy and fish back in to my diet and have remained consistent with these dietary guidelines for the last 7 years. Throw in a Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis and moving from Phoenix to Seattle and ultimately Los Angeles, and you may begin to understand my health concerns and appreciation for the community I reside in. I want to support and love my body, my heart, and my community.