I've been doing my research...

We've only got 5 days to go and I'm starting to get nervous. One problem we've already run into is that there is plenty of produce in the house... but not enough planning to make an actual meal out of it. I'm so used to planning my meals for the week, making a shopping list, then buying what I need. By relying on what's in season, and what the farmers actually have, I'm going to need to reverse that habit. I've just been buying what I can find at the market, then coming home and having no idea what to make for dinner... especially since we've been clearing out the processed junk we already had and are not replacing it.

Here's the new plan:
Know what's in season.
Keep my pantry stocked with the basics I need to make meals out of my market purchases. 
Buy what I can find at the market.
Plan my menu last, based on what I've got!

AND I'm going to have to go to the farmers markets more than once a week. For me, this is an adjustment, though not a huge one. I know people who grocery shop once for an entire month! I'm going to assume those folks are eating tons of processed foods. Yikes.

Life will get easier (and lighter hopefully!) when I adjust to snacking on fresh stuff instead of what I have always considered "snacks." And when "dessert" starts meaning fruit! 

So here's what I've been reading and researching... Some of this stuff is specific to North Carolina, but for some of them you can find your state elsewhere on that website.

List of NC produce by harvest month

NC Harvest Chart

Non-GMO printable shopping guide and mobile phone app

Seasonal Recipes by Month

Happy Reading! I've got a date with the Lowell Farmers Market... <3 I need some Ladybug Farms bread and I'm on a mission to try cooking with turnips.