Homegrown Happy Valley

“Thank you, it was delicious.”

The compliment was uttered not in a restaurant, but in a South Jersey soup kitchen, which on this particular day was serving split pea soup, spaghetti and sausage, and string beans.

I was lucky enough to work the line last week. I use the word “lucky,” because my mom, a South Jersey resident, had been showing up at the kitchen for a few weeks looking for a way to help out. She bagged a few rolls here, boxed a few meals there, but mostly she and her friends just stood around waiting for a job, which at one point included guarding the bread station (a vital, if boring, task).

I love gluten. I didn’t realize how much-or even what it was, for that matter-until I discovered it was making me sick. Technically speaking, gluten is the protein in wheat, barley and rye. Translation: it’s the stuff that makes food edible. Eliminate this magic ingredient and you often end up with something that merely resembles the food it’s trying to be. Thankfully there are exceptions and some of my favorites are locally sold and produced. Here’s where to find them:

Cools Beans Coffee and Tea: This quaint Bellefonte coffee shop makes flourless goodies. When I last stopped in I bought a bag of peanut butter cookies made from peanut butter, egg and sugar. No flour needed.

As a recent transplant to Happy Valley, I’m having a great time getting acquainted with my new home and its bookstores,  libraries, coffee shops and farmers’ markets.

There’s a flip side to the exploration: replacing all those people who made life work for me back in Pittsburgh. I need a doctor, a dentist, an eye doctor, a vet for the dogs, and a mechanic. But, I have my priorities, and first on the list is replacing my wonderful hair stylist, Angela, who has kept me coiffed in high style for the past few years.

Pig Goes to Market Bag $39

This Little Piggy Went to the Market

Tote your local farmer’s market items in style with this adorable bag, handmade in Pennsylvania and available at the Steel Fork, a Web site operated by a Pa. couple who combined their passion for farming, artistry and entrepreneurship. The bag features a front pocket—the perfect size for stashing a whoopie pie.

A Local Holiday Feast

One of my favorite things about living local is the food. Treat someone special on your list to a local dinner or some homegrown treats. Here are a few ideas (feel free to leave your own suggestions below).

• Drinks: Otto’s or Elk Creek brew, local wine, Tait Farm Shrub with sparkling water
  

  Give the gift of local brew this holiday season

• Appetizer: Salmon spread from a local farmer’s market served with crackers; cream cheese with Tait Farm Chutney spread on crackers, served with local apples

Holiday Tree Trio; $16

O Christmas Tree

Stained glass isn’t just for church.  Add a little light to someone’s home with Heidi Urbanski’s stained glass art. Her Tannenbaum trio will add some shine to the Christmas tree, while catching any rays that manage to sneak through our windows this winter.

Heidi’s work can be found locally at Spela Children’s Store and Cafe and at Nature’s Hue off Main Street in Boalsburg.

Functional, Funky, Fun

Lip Balm Pouch with Clip; $6

Stefanie Canich of Hollyberry Designs makes bags, purses and pouches that would please any lady this holiday.  But this year the smaller accessories top my list.  The Hollyberry Lip Balm Pouch (made with a clip, so it’s handy whenever your lips need some TLC) and Checkbook Holder are designed with funky fabrics and make perfect stocking stuffers.  You can find Hollyberry items locally at Gift Adventures in downtown State College (137 East Beaver Avenue) or The Black Cat in downtown Bellefonte.

Checkbook Holder; $7.50

From now until Christmas, we’ll feature locally produced items to impress everyone on your list.

Visions of Pearls Danced in Their Heads

Local jeweler Staci Egan created this striking pendant by wrapping and weaving freshwater pearls and small coral beads with sterling wire. It’ll dress up a New Year’s Eve outfit or inject some beauty into a dreary winter evening.

Carli Necklace; $86; http://contempojewelry.net/

Kick off your holiday shopping by going local. The talented ladies at the Surface Artist Cooperative have added the following special dates to their calendar:

Local supporting local, November 19

Surface is holding its first fundraiser on Thursday, November 19 from 9 a.m. - 6p.m. Fifteen percent of total sales that day will benefit the Corl Street Elemetary PTO.

Add Surface to your holiday shopping route, November 27 and 28

Surface will be open on Friday, November 27 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. In addition, other local artists will share the space and sell their goods on Saturday, November 28. The following artists have been invited to join them:

Here in the United States pasta is treated more like filler than food. But fresh pasta, which belongs in an entirely different food group than the $.79 supermarket brand, is a delicacy that deserves as much attention and praise as the ingredients poured over it. So when Carolyne stumbled upon a new vendor at the farmer’s market selling artisan pasta and ravioli, she immediately pulled out her wallet. The pasta didn’t disappoint, and when she learned that the company was opening up a permanent location downtown, she went back for more.