With more reason than ever to buy local, we want to help connect folks with area businesses that are serving up goods while also benefiting our social ecosystem. First under the spotlight: Yakima's growing bouquet of fresh flower farms. Need something for a special occasion? Want to treat yourself or someone else to a flower subscription? Love U-Pick events? Here are six local floral businesses that offer a range of products, events and opportunities. Follow along on your socials, mark your calendars and consider supporting our area growers!1) Swan Seed

Pizza. Unless you're some kind of hater, it's almost always a legitimate answer. Especially if you make it at home.Between running a guest house, hosting gatherings and feeding folks at Rod's House, we've been honing our pizza skills for some time. Below are our favorite recipes for crust and sauce. Whether you're feeding your family or hosting friends, it's a flexible, crowd pleasing option. And if you keep the crusts and sauce in your freezer, you might just find people stopping by more often!Crust (makes 4) No need to knead.

Looking for a way to use up a few apples that have lost their crunch? This unique and relatively healthy recipe features lots of shredded apples, pumpkin pie spice mix and apple molasses. It's our adaptation of the Frosted Apple Spice Cupcakes recipe in Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts. Enjoy!Yield: 12 Cupcakes:1 apple1 cup white flour1 cup wheat flour (or use all white)2 tsp baking powder2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix1/4 tsp salt2/3 c  unsalted butter, softened1 cup packed brown sugar2 large eggs1 tsp vanilla extract3/4 c sweetened cranberry juice (or unsweetened apple

Whether you're stocking your own bookshelf or a little free library, participating in a book club, checking out library books, or considering a gift for the visionary in your life, we offer for your consideration this list of favorite books that we return to again and again.Most items are linked to the publisher's page. Where that isn't possible, and for older publications, links lead to used editions that are available on Ebay. Want to get it locally? Book shops can usually order you a copy, and the library can, too.

In light of recent events, we've created a human rights based word search that can be downloaded and used for free by teachers, parents and caregivers, homeschoolers, nonprofits, businesses, libraries, activists, civic groups and, well... All humans. If you are able to use it to start a good conversation, we'd love to know about it.Please print, share and distribute widely and freely. If you have questions, suggestions, other ideas for educational materials or if you would like to partner, please email us. If you wish to support the production of

Now that the growing's wrapped up for the season, we're off and running with this year's 400 Meals project. Our week one menu featured a depression era staple that some of you might recall. Porcupine meatballs can be made in the slow cooker, baked, or simmered on the stovetop with a lid. They can be served by themselves or alongside mashed potatoes, noodles or additional rice. Leftovers make great sandwiches. A huge thank you to the good folks at Johnson Orchards and Little Bake Shop for donating this week's dessert. Menu: Porcupine Meatballs (6 lbs