>My Daily Action Plan email from Going Green Today suggested, “Eat in, cook seasonal.” The focus was on preparing a dinner that highlights the flavors of local and seasonal ingredients. Requirements: local produce, a creative mind and some good seasonings.

I have ideas already: Strawberry Rhubarb bars, chicken-tomato-spinach stew, egg salad sandwiches, to name a few.

Local ingredients in Egg Salad Sandwiches:
Fresh eggs (organic, free range)
Garden lettuce
Homemade bread or local bakery buns/bread

Local ingredients in stew:
Tomatoes from Farmers’ Market (I’ll have my own later in the summer!)
Spinach from garden
Herbs from garden

Local ingredients in bars:
Strawberries from Farmers’ Market
Rhubarb from garden

Did you notice that I didn’t obsess with making every part of each dish local or organic? It would be great, but it’s not realistic in my crazy-busy life. These ideas meet the goal of eating local, put a little more nutrition into the family diet, they’re simple to make, and each one tastes good, too. The bonus was this: I made the egg salad and the bars during our rummage sale. Having something good to eat and easy to make kept us from wasting our time and money on fast food on those busy days.

If you’re interested in a personalized action plan, look to Going Green Today.