East Side Market

This morning we headed to the East Side (where I work and we used to live) for the East Side Green Market. We ended up spending a little more money than we planned, but feel ok about that because we were supporting LOCAL farmers/artisans. In the way of produce all we got was a pound of fresh green beans. Other things we got were 2 new hot sauces from a company called "Man's Best Friend". Here is a link to descriptions of their sauces (they are all sold out online, but if you are interested in this sort of thing, check it out!). We got a "Dalmation" sauce (which is not listed on their site yet, it is a 5/10 for hotness) and the "Presa Canario". They are full of flavor (we got to try them).


We got a couple of things for Amelia as well. First we got her a shirt that won't fit for a long time (it is 3T)...but it is one-of-a-kind:


If you click on the image to enlarge it you can probably see it easier. It is a map of the continental U.S. and there is a star on Milwaukee and rings...everything radiates off Milwaukee/Milwaukee is the center of it all! Jason saw it and right away said, "we have to buy this", so we did.

We also got her a new stuffed toy. It is a "fuzzbutt"...made by a local woman named Christina. Here is a link to her Etsy page. (Etsy is an online community where people can sell their handmade items and other things, it is pretty neat!) The animals on her page are all of the larger variety, so they are a bit more expensive. We got her a little guy because she is still a little girl! There were so many of these little guys to choose from! We almost got a bright green one, because she loves her puppy and alien that are also bright green, but then decided that she needs some variety, so orange it was! She loves this guy, she started giggling when I first showed him to her :)

When she asked us if we would like a bag I said no, out of habit (we bring our own re-usable bags with us when we shop) but Jason said yes...good thing! This woman uses old t-shirts and makes them into "green" bags! She widens the neck opening (for the top), cuts the sleeves off (for "handles") and sews the bottom shut and voila, you have a nice, large bag! Jason dug through her pile and found one that he liked (a They Might Be Giants tee).

Here are some other pictures from the market. It is held in the parking lot of a local restaurant/store, Beans and Barley (they specialize in vegetarian cuisine).



Here is a picture of "Christina's Creatures" (where we got her "fuzzbutt):


Amelia slept through most of our time at the market:


Next weekend we are going to try and make it to the farmer's market that is on the lake a few blocks from our house. It starts/ends earlier, otherwise we would have gone there today as well!