Spring: Berry Festivals, Tulips, Daffodils, Foraging

In April, May, and early June, strawberry fields and early-blooming flowers like tulips and daffodils come to life! Small farms often hold festivals to kickoff the harvest or growing season, which can include fun extras like live music, food vendors, and beer gardens. Some farms even sell live plants, so you can take a piece of the farm home with you! Depending on your location, spring is the start of the foraging season as well. Get the whole family together for gorgeous photo ops in fields of flowers at locations like Holland Ridge Farms in Cream Ridge, NJ.

Have a look on Facebook and your community board to check out Morel-hunting events (Morels are an easily identifiable mushroom, a great way for beginners to get into identifying and harvesting wild mushrooms), as well as collecting Ramps (a delicious cousin of garlic) and fiddle-head ferns (these fronds are harvested just before they stretch out of their tight spiral, and taste like asparagus). Be sure to ask what supplies you should bring, such as your own shears to cut flowers, or your own containers for picked produce.

Summer: Berries, Veggies, Stone Fruit, and Dahlias

Early summer is when blueberry season kicks off in the mid-Atlantic, and events such as Hammonton, NJ’s Blueberry Festival are a great way to get up close and personal with the way the food we eat is produced. Take a tour of a blueberry farm, head into the fields to pick your own, or enjoy the festival and buy cheap berries by the crate or flat! Deeper into July and August, you’ll find farms offering pick-your-own zucchini, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other high-summer veggies. Stone fruit, such as peaches, apricots, and nectarines are also in season at this time. Small farms often offer heirloom varietals that are packed with flavor, but often don’t travel well and so are not found in chain groceries.

PYO flowers popular in August are dahlias, lilies, and in some locations early sunflowers. If you are lucky enough to know someone with a PawPaw tree, ask if you can indulge in this delicious, tropical-flavored fruit native to North America. This fruit doesn’t travel well, and is not sold in stores anywhere. It can be found in USDA plant zones 5 through 8.

Autumn: Apples, Pumpkins, Sunflowers

Apple picking is a classic, family-friendly Fall activity. Farms like Fishkill Farms in Fishkill, NY offer rare varietals of organic apples that you won’t find in any grocery store! Take a hayride to the pumpkin patch, and round off the afternoon with a flight of hard cider for the grownups and a half-dozen apple cider doughnuts fresh from the fryer.

Pick-Your-Own events and farm festivals are wonderful ways to spend time outdoors, teach kids about where their food comes from, and have some good, old-fashioned fun.

While most barbecues feature traditional hamburgers and hotdogs, studies show that red and processed meats are linked to heart disease and cancer, not to mention weight gain. However, that doesn’t mean you should give up on this treasured summer activity!

For the health-conscious, there are many dishes that are perfect served pool-side.

Swap out burgers and hot dogs for grilled veggies. Eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers are perfect for the job. Cut them lengthwise, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, fresh chopped garlic, and black pepper. Right beside them, lay some corn to steam still in the husk for a traditional Mexican-style elote. Bonus: they become much easier to shuck after grilling! No more fussing with those sticky, hairy, fibers.

Fruit salad is always a staple at summer get-togethers, but you can kick it up a notch with fruit kebabs. Simply spear some fruit onto a wooden skewer, and grill away! You’ll be surprised at how well pineapple, peaches, and even watermelon turn out. Sprinkle a little salt on top to bring out extra sweetness.

Tired of worrying about the egg salad, coleslaw, and macaroni salad spoiling in the sun? Try switching to a vegan version. Vegan mayo, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and pure maple syrup make up a tangy, sweet, guilt-free dressing that can stand up to the heat.

Ready for a stunning dessert? Skip the sugary cookies and rice cereal treats. Fruit tarts are beautiful, colorful, and kid-friendly. Looking for something for the gluten-free crowd? Try this show-stopping Purple Sweet Potato Pie. Sweet, but not cloying, and filled with superfoods like Japanese sweet potatoes and blueberries, this dessert brings a gorgeous pop of color to any picnic table.

When we become mothers and fathers, the question of who Mother’s Day is for can be the cause of some serious tension. What happens when the kids are all grown up? Should adult children still prioritize their mothers and grandmothers? What happens when you have children of your own? Moms and their in-laws sometimes feel as if they are vying for recognition, which can result in unwanted family drama on a day that’s meant to be fun. What about your sister or cousin or dear friend who has recently become a new mom? Do you need to get flowers for EVERYONE?

The chore of gift-giving often falls on women in the typical nuclear family dynamic. It is part of what is considered “the mental load,” a term coined by French artist Emma. That’s the silent to-do list that is constantly running through moms’ minds. Timmy’s bake sale on Wednesday, Sophie’s ballet classes on Tuesday were canceled and so the babysitter needs to be notified that she needs to grab Sophie off the bus instead of at school, the toilet paper is running low, and the gas bill is due on the 2^nd…the list is constant, never-ending, and can drive moms to distraction.

Mother’s Day can turn into just another burden, requiring trips to the mall, budgeting for gifts, finding everyone’s addresses, and even hustling the kids together and out of the door to go to mother-in-law’s for brunch. That is not to say that any of those events is bad in and of themselves – but it is important for partners, adult children, and adult siblings to communicate with one another. Clarify your expectations of how the day will go. Ask your partner, mom, or other important mom in your life what they want out of the day. You might be surprised by the response. Some moms just want a break – a night in a hotel room alone, with room service and uninterrupted sleep. Some moms only want a little recognition – a sincerely written card. Some moms want to spend the day together with the extended family. Every mom is an individual, and every mom deserves to feel celebrated.