“Surprise Mama! Happy Mother’s Day”

SURPRISE!! Well, at least to me — my hubby and son planned a surprise Mother’s Day getaway. It’s been a long time since we had a vacation and even eight long, wet Portland months since our last weekend getaway. So, they decided momma needed a camping trip (one of our favorite things to do) and on a wonderfully sunny weekend like this, I couldn’t have agreed more. But it also came at the end of a VERY busy writing and speaking schedule and I still needed to post a blog here on The Groovy Foody — especially because I needed to introduce you to a new partner on the blog.

Fresh Crab and New York Strip — but what about the Veg?!

Turns out this new partner fits in perfectly with our Mother’s Day Camping trip plans because, in addition to being fully inline with the sensibilities of this blog (using delicious, fresh, whole foods and being as ecologically and socially responsible as possible – while still maintaining your sanity as a working parent) they also contributed to making this Mom’s Day less work at the fire pit for mom, while still staying away from processed junk. What a Win-Win!

Asparagus the King of Veg: coconut butter, Old Bay Seasoning and a squeeze of lemon — the perfect accompaniment to crab.

So off to the coast we went and after our first night of munching on these easy to make and eat goodies, I now want to share the good news with you EVEN MORE than I did before! Can a get a drum roll, please?

Whole Foods and The Groovy Foody: A Partnership Made in Heaven

Whole Foods Markets has agreed to sponsor one post a week on The Groovy Foody. The recipes are still 100% mine, as well as all of the opinions, but this partnership means that I’ll be able to explore things I may not have taken a chance on before (courtesy of Whole Foods), which means you also get the benefit of this partnership in the form of the straight skinny on what you should check out and some great ideas for how to prepare it all. WIN-WIN-WIN!! (Yay!)

Mother’s Day Camping: So Easy

So how did Whole Foods make my Mother’s Day weekend more fun and even easier? With fresh fruit and veggie packs, pre-trimmed and packaged in the cooler near the produce section. I grabbed a 3 pack of freshly shucked, golden yellow corn for the grill, as well as a pack that featured succulent, peak-season asparagus (so sweet on the grill), sliced red onion and mushrooms and some juicy, thick-sliced pineapple (you guessed it – we will grill it tonight with chicken and serve them both over coconut-cilantro rice.) Last night we had the asparagus, onion and mushrooms, with New York Strip and fresh crab (we are on the coast, after all ) and finished it all off with roasted marshmallows.

If you’re planning a BBQ for mom this weekend, I highly recommend these packs over processed chips or macaroni salad.  These super-fresh produce packs make the day a little easier for everyone – less worry about prep means more enjoyment for everyone! Thanks Whole Foods. 😉

Other Gift Ideas for Mom

They’ve also got fair trade roses on sale and one of the best fair trade and organic chocolate selections I’ve seen around – I snagged a dark chocolate and puffed quinoa bar as well as a toffee coconut bar by Alter Ego and enjoyed pieces of them around the campfire last night, paired with cup (no glass around the campfire) of Cupcake winery’s robustly cherry Merlot – Yum!

For now, I’ll be packing the laptop up and tuning out of technology for the rest of the trip because Momma needs the break!

Whatever you do this Mother’s Day remember the most important thing is to take the time to let her know you love her. Sending love to all the Mommies I know, including my Mom, Grandma, Mother-in-law and Aunts — you make the world go round ladies so here’s a toast to you!

Happy Mother’s Day!