Cloud Nine

Chicago's Green City Market

Last weekend, my husband Eric and I met a few friends at the Green City Market in Chicago for a tour with Greg Christian, renowned chef and owner of Greg Christian Catering.  We are grateful Greg took the time to share his passion for organic food and knowledge of sustainable agriculture.  Thanks to him, we went away with a better understanding of local farmers who strive to bring fresh food to the dining table.

This amazing outdoor shopping experience is located on Clark Street north of North Avenue. Each Saturday and Wednesday through October 16, over 60 local farmers, food artisans and florists will gather for what USA Today calls one of the top 10 farmer’s markets in the US. Many of the market’s vendors are committed to producing fresh, organic foods via sustainable farming practices.  The outdoor attraction draws a wide variety of people-- some looking for good food at reasonable prices, while others are focused on organic foods.  Either way, city goers and suburbanites alike will enjoy the fresh air market, shopping, tasting, and entertainment of live folk music and cooking demonstrations.

Although Greg’s tour was short, it opened our eyes to farmers who care about their product.  He explained that meat sellers are raising free-range animals fed natural diets without hormones and other chemicals.  Fruit and vegetable sellers, he said, are growing their food sans herbicides and pesticides through crop rotation techniques.  He also explained how they utilize and reuse water through extensive filtering systems designed to keep water use at a minimum.  Vendors talked about how they prefer to sell local in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions wracked up by transporting to faraway states or other countries.  Even Greg, a caterer devoted to serving healthy food and reducing his environmental impact, spoke about how he purchases from these farmers and designs his menus around seasonal fruits, vegetables and other ingredients.

The sights and smells were amazing! Mushroom vendors tents were piled high with morel, portabella and other mushroom varieties, lamb and beef farmers carried fresh cuts of meat, vegetable farmers displayed baskets of handpicked spinach, tomatoes, asparagus and every type of sprout you could imagine, from bean to sunflower.  Florists, cheese makers and bakers were packed with people waiting in line for a bouquet, block of fresh cheese and fresh bread and pastries.  One vendor even brought flats of wheatgrasswith the earth still clinging to it!  When offered a freshly juiced shot, we had to have it.

Armed with a deeper appreciation of organic food and farming practices, Eric and I set out to walk the circuit again.  This time, our mission was to taste the food, enjoy the music and take in a demonstration or two.  We started with a fluted paper cup filled with hot, melt-in-your-mouth donuts rolled in cinnamon and sugar, immediately followed by a just-off-the-griddle crepe stuffed with cheddar cheese and fresh chives. Eric ordered a cheeseburger made from free-range, grass fed beef.  The burger, bursting at the seams with organic sprouts, tomatoes and fresh homemade cheese, looked tempting and smelled just as good. Keeping to my vegetarian diet, I opted instead for a Rosemary flatbread topped with grilled asparagus, onions and fresh goat cheese.  Drizzled with olive oil, this unassuming nosh was the perfect compliment to a cool raspberry spritzer.

After stuffing ourselves, we picked up a few things for a salad and caught the tail end of a cooking demonstration.  With a decent sized bag of spinach and a handful of radish sprouts we walked back towards the car, both glad that we had discovered this special place called Green City Market.  From the fresh food to the tasty treats and outdoor entertainment, it was the perfect way to spend the day!

The Handshake Club

 

J.D. Gershbein is quite a character.  He is the President of Owlish Communications and a successful Internet marketer, LinkedIn profile writer and trainer.  He helps individuals and businesses navigate the often murky waters of Social Media.  He’s also a gifted cartoonist who’s turned his passion for humor and art into a viable business opportunity.  J.D. is the creator of The Handshake Club, an entire cartoon universe of characters who are thinking, feeling businesspeople—and social networkers.

 

Enter Will Banter, CEO of Banter Media and Brandy Share, owner of Cliché Marketing Group.  Both are inhabitants of The Handshake Club and, as they are in business, are represented on LinkedIn.  Look deeper and you’ll discover these characters are expertly crafted vehicles that are deliberately and sophisticatedly marketed on the platform.  Replete with head shots, qualifications and back stories, they are intended to showcase J.D.’s distinct and unprecedented approach to personal branding.  J.D. takes great pleasure in presenting his characters as high achievers despite their flaws and idiosyncrasies.  Through their frequently accidental accomplishments we see the potential greatness in ourselves. 

 

Take Will Banter.  He is charismatic, kinetic, fun and a true pay-it-forward guy.  His company, Banter Media, is known for “creating success in Social Media for those seeking success in Social Media.”  Will is the guy who gets it.  He has time for this sort of thing.  He seems to effortlessly keep all the plates spinning.  He is a prolific podcaster, keynote speaker and blogger.  Yet he often gets tangled up in his words and communicates in redundancies, an apparent handicap for those so entrenched in the social networking arena.  Still, he’s your man when you need a crash course in Web 2.0.  Will is a virtuoso bass guitarist who plays for a band called The Rhomboids.  He works out regularly and loves coffee.  Lots of coffee.

 

Then there is Brandy Share, the Principal of the Cliché Marketing Group.  Her core expertise in marketing and branding mirrors that of the top players in the game.  Although she renders awkwardly fragmented phrases and, yes, clichés, as taglines, her clients consider her brilliant.  However, she simply cannot come up with a suitable tagline for her own business.  She has obvious passion for helping women entrepreneurs.  She launched G.A.L.S., Growing Alliances with Lasting Synergies, a networking group designed to unify and empower businesswomen.  Her personal interests include Oprah, oil painting and movies.

 

 

 

In the end, all roads lead back to J.D. Gershbein and Owlish Communications where individuals and businesses are showing up at his virtual door wondering “how the heck did you come up with this stuff and what can you do for my company?”  This down-the-rabbit-hole approach might have some shaking their heads.  But in this crazy, fast-paced business world where everything is going online and differentiation is king, it’s working for J.D.   

Attracting Birds to Your Garden

Enjoying the outdoors is one way to live well. And bird watching can be an amazing part of the experience. Whether you’re an expert or just getting started (yep, that’s me), the following tips will ensure the best showing of feathery creatures year round.

Water

Fresh sources are often hard for birds to find. Not only do they need water for drinking but bathing as well. From elaborate in-ground ponds to solar powered fountains to simple bowls of water scattered through your garden, birds will be grateful you took the time to provide this resource. The hubby and I chose a simple, two-tiered fountain we discovered at Wal-Mart. You can also check out http://www.birdwatching.com/tips/birdbaths for great tips and http://www.birdbaths.com/ for product ideas and suggestions.  

Food

Proper feeding of birds is a must if you want to keep them coming back for more. Keep in mind, different structures and food will attract different birds. Hanging, Platform, Hopper, Thistle and Hummingbird feeders can be purchased at home and garden stores or through on-line portals. Depending on the birds you want to attract you’ll need to decide which food to supply. Hummingbirds love sugar water while others eat Nyjer or Sunflower seed. I opted for a hummingbird feeder and hung it in a shady part of the garden. For more information and feeding tips visit http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/Bird-Feeders.html.

Shelters and Housing

According to http://www.wild-bird-watching.com, “The idea is to attract a variety of birds to nest in your yard. Several nest boxes of the same shape and size may attract just one pair, but using a variety of bird houses can attract many species of birds to nest in your yard at the same time.” While you might be tempted to install a bird hotel or other multi-bird shelter its not advised. One exception is the Purple Martin. This bird will nest in colonies and therefore require a shelter with multiple homes. Check out http://www.wild-bird-watching.com or http://www.birding.com/backyardhouses to learn more about structures and keeping your backyard friends safe from predators.

 

Good luck and happy bird watching!

Creating a Fresh Start

Hi All!

Over the past year or so I've written quite a bit about my experience with anxiety and depression and what role these issues have played in my life. I've gotten great feedback and (I believe) have helped a few people along the way. However, as my panic attacks, anxiety and depression have diminished, I find it increasingly difficult to post items on a regular basis about these specifc subjects.

Because of this and because I want to explore a variety of health and wellness topics (including things like travel getaways - who doesn't need a vacation to clear the mind?) my blog content will be changing. Issues surrounding anxiety and depression may trickle their way in, but I think you'll be delighted and surprised at this new direction. Not only will content be informative and entertaining, it may trigger insightful thoughts or occasionally make you smile.

In the meantime, think about things you might like to read about. Are you interested in a particular way of eating, a new exercise program or a destination you've been dying to glean more information about? I'm open to discussing, learning and writing about all things relevant and I look forward to sharing these finds with you.

Until next time!

Jenn