Missing In Action... or Appetite... or an Apology to You From Me.

Wow, I've been gone for far too long... A post on here is much overdue, 

I apologize for my little out-of-the-blue sabbatical 

but those tummy issues I wrote about two weeks ago 

are still wreaking their havoc inside my intestines and it's taken it's toll 

on my energy and creativity. 

With all of the problems of the last few weeks this Simply Sweet space of mine 

has a couple major shifts in focus and food! 

1. All recipes are going gluten free!

Bye, bye to wheat, rye, and barley... Hello to a more wholesome diet. 

I'm still learning, but I want to share some of the gluten knowledge I'm obtaining! 

2. Organic is the new black.

I will share some of the ways I'm shopping organic to try and keep inside me all clean. 

3. More healthy food posts to come. 

All of the healthy food posts I wrote earlier this year were some of my favorite.

These will be coming in a greater dose now... 

4. My little journey is going to be shared with you too! 

Although we don't know what's going on, I know there's something for

everyone to learn from it... So I want to share! 

The story starts tomorrow. Please come back and share! 

Old Town Temecula Farmer's Market and My First Original Recipe

One of my family's favorite things to do on the weekends is go to the Farmer's Market in Old Town Temecula. I just love the Farmer's Market, but with all the business of life going on it's been hard to find myself there. Although it was rainy here this morning, Mama Bird, Baby Bear, J and I decided to get out and enjoy the organic wonderfulness of the Old Town Temecula Farmer's Market. 

Nothing like an awkward (SUPER AWKWARD) picture on your way into the Farmer's Market! 

Please appreciate my sweet little ladybug umbrella! And our ever important recyclable bags!

Future Mayor of Temecula paying respects to her constituents! (Just kidding, but doesn't it look like it?) 

Aren't these berries so beautiful in their arrangement? Oh, and they are just amazing to eat!
Completely organic and sold within 24 hours of their picking. 

Yep! We bought these and they are so perfectly, sweetly wonderful!

Baby Bear showing his excitement about all of the organic veggies! 

Leaving the market for home with our bags of spoils! 

Baby Beat loving his Asian Pears he bought! J and he ate three whole ones today! 

One of the stands at the market had a big box of sun dried tomatoes. Oh boy they were so vibrantly red and so savory looking. As soon as we got home I got to work on making a delicious little dip for the sun dried tomatoes to be used in!

Feta, Basil, and Sun-dried Tomato Trio Dip

We got absolutely amazing sun dried tomatoes from a local community farm, Terra Bella. You can check them out on their Facebook page here! They sell amazing organic fresh nuts, dried fruits and veggies, as well as greens. 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese 
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic 
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (plus some to drizzle on top!) 
• 1/2 of a really juicy lemon
• Dash of pepper
• 1 bunch of basil 
• A handful of sun dried tomatoes (mine weren't in oil, but if so just drain)

Directions: 

1. Place the feta cheese, goat cheese, and garlic in a bowl. 
2. Sprinkle with pepper and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. 
3. Mix together with a spoon (sort of smashing the cheese together into a paste). 
4. On a cutting board mince the basil into finely chopped bits. 
5. Layer basil on top of the cheese in the bottom of the bowl. 
6. Chop the sun dried tomatoes on a cutting board into smaller pieces. 
7. Sprinkle these on top of the basil and cheese. 
8. Drizzle with olive oil and dash with pepper. 
9. Use pita chips or triscuits to scoop up the tasty topping. 
10. Enjoy!