Primal Praxis

Primal Praxis The page for www.primalpraxis.com and my adventures in the primal/paleo lifestyle. This is my Primal Praxis.

The primal or paleo lifestyle is based on the theory that we best thrive when eating, exercising, sleeping, socializing, and living as close to the way our paleolithic ancestors did, considering that the modern human genome evolved from millions of years of living a hunter-gatherer way of life. Praxis is the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practiced, embodied, or realized.

Clackamas Community College, May, 2018: the time my lab partner and I conducted primary research to investigate the an...
09/09/2021

Clackamas Community College, May, 2018: the time my lab partner and I conducted primary research to investigate the antibacterial properties of Oregon grape root extracts and their ability to inhibit the growth of S. aureus and E. coli. 👩🏻‍🔬🔬⁣⁣⠀
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In keeping with this week's self-declared theme of Mental Health, I'm posting this grainy photo from my last term at before transferring to Portland State University. ⁣⁣⠀
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🧠As a reminder, the aspects of mental health that are encompassed by this element of wellness include intellectual stimulation, memory, cognitive skills, problem-solving skills, and learning new things. ⁣⁣⠀
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One of the many ways to keep one's mind healthy and active is to take a class... or five years of classes and get a degree! 🎓 Obviously such a large commitment isn't necessary to exercise your brain, and there are many smaller ways to stay mentally sharp. ⁣⁣⠀
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🏫You don't need to be on a defined academic path to take a class. If you enjoy learning new things, community colleges offer many classes for non-degree-seeking students of all ages. ⁣⁣⠀
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🧮 If you have children, another way to get some mental exercise is to help them with their homework. Even if you can't quite remember the trigonometry you learned (likely) so many years ago, don’t just point them to youtube to figure it out, watch a video with them and repave those neural pathways in your own brain. It's not only a bonding experience for you and your child, it also promotes healthy brain activity for you. ⁣⁣⠀
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📚A third suggestion is to pick up a nonfiction book with a theme that requires complex thought, like the classic⠀book, "Chaos: Making a New Science" by James Gleick. The book-cataloging website had this to say about Chaos, "From Edward Lorenz’s discovery of the Butterfly Effect, to Mitchell Feigenbaum’s calculation of a universal constant, to Benoit Mandelbrot’s concept of fractals, which created a new geometry of nature, Gleick’s engaging narrative focuses on the key figures whose genius converged to chart an innovative direction for science."⁣⁣⠀
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Or you could just do a crossword puzzle and call it a day. 😎

Check out this stunning basket of tomatoes from .flowers! ⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀I took this photo at the market a couple weeks ago but ...
09/08/2021

Check out this stunning basket of tomatoes from .flowers! ⁣⁣⠀
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I took this photo at the market a couple weeks ago but I've been saving it for this week because...⁣⁣⠀
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🍅It's Tomato Week in Portland!🍅⁣⁣⠀
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Check out for more info about Tomato Week, and their other bulk purchasing events organized by a coalition of local food system non-profits around Portland, Oregon.⁣⁣⠀
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The People's Farmers Market will be open today from 2 - 7 pm at , 3029 SE 21st Avenue. ⁣⁣⠀
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❤️🍅Support your local farmers!🍅❤️

I really thought today would be a light shopping day — maybe I'd get three or four things... you know, just let my inspi...
09/08/2021

I really thought today would be a light shopping day — maybe I'd get three or four things... you know, just let my inspiration guide me.⁣⁣⠀
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Then I saw the green zebra heirloom tomatoes that made such great salsa last week... and the blackberries were making their last push before the season changes... and the flowering tarragon was just too lovely to pass up... and... you get the idea. 😋⁣⁣⠀
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I'll have to plan extra carefully this week to make sure this all gets used, along with some produce I still have left from my last trip to the market. ⁣⁣⠀
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Today's farmers market basket from at Shemanski Park includes:⁣⁣⠀
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🌼flowering tarragon, cucumbers, and broccoli from .dici⁣⁣⠀
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🌿cilantro, green zebra heirloom tomatoes, purple carrots, and cherry tomatoes from ⁣⁣⠀
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🍇grapes, elderberries, and blackberries from ⁣⁣⠀
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💛🌼Support your local farmers!🌼💛

🍓Here’s that recipe I promised!🌱⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀Summer Salad with Strawberry Mint Dressing⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀Salad Ingredients ⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀🥒2 large c...
09/08/2021

🍓Here’s that recipe I promised!🌱⁣⁣⠀
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Summer Salad with Strawberry Mint Dressing⁣⁣⠀
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Salad Ingredients ⁣⁣⠀
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🥒2 large cucumbers⁣⁣⠀
🍈1 medium cantaloupe⁣⁣⠀
🍓1 pint strawberries⁣⁣⠀
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Strawberry Mint Dressing Ingredients ⁣⁣⠀
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1 pint strawberries (about 2 cups), chopped⁣⁣⠀
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves⁣⁣⠀
1 TB honey⁣⁣⠀
1/2 cup olive oil⁣⁣⠀
2 TB strawberry vinegar⁣⁣⠀
2 tsp lemon juice⁣⁣⠀
1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder⁣⁣⠀
1/8 tsp salt⁣⁣⠀
Optional: 1 TB fresh mint, chopped for garnish⁣⁣⠀
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Directions:⁣⁣⠀
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1. Prepare salad base using your preferred method (e.g. cubed or balled cantaloupe, quartered or sliced strawberries, sliced or ribboned cucumbers). Set aside in the refrigerator while preparing the dressing.⁣⁣⠀
2. Place all dressing ingredients (except for extra mint for garnish) into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.⁣⁣⠀
3. Strain out strawberry seeds and any other pulp using a fine mesh sieve. ⁣⁣⠀
4. Pour desired quantity of dressing over the salad base (you may have some left over).⁣⁣⠀
5. Sprinkle salad with 1 TB chopped fresh mint⁣⁣⠀
6. Consume with delight!⁣⁣⠀
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Alternative dressing prep: to keep the dressing even more pink, do not blend the mint with the rest of the ingredients. Instead chop the mint and add it to the dressing after it's been blended. ⁣⁣⠀
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Local ingredients on the plate purchased from :⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀
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🌱mint and 🍓seascape strawberries from ⁣⁣⁣⁣⠀
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🍈cantaloupe and 🥒cucumber from ⁣⁣⠀
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🍯local raw honey from ⁣⁣⠀
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Not local to me, but worth mentioning:⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀
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🍷Strawberry Rosé Living Vinegar from ⁣⁣⠀
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🍓🌱🍓🌱🍓🌱🍓🌱🍓🌱🍓🌱🍓

Last week I wrote about the importance of human connection, and some of the ways that connecting with others has signifi...
09/06/2021

Last week I wrote about the importance of human connection, and some of the ways that connecting with others has significantly impacted my life. ⁣⁣⠀
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Today I want to talk about finding inspiration in my local community, specifically at farmers markets, and how that nurtures human connection. ⁣⁣⠀
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The Come Thru Market is one of my favorite markets in Portland. Here's a bit about it from their website: "Come Thru Market is an incubator market centering Black and Indigenous Farmers and Makers. We support BIPOC growers in taking their small business dreams to the farmers market environment."⁣⁣⠀
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Every vendor I've spoken with at beams with passion for their craft, whether it's growing food, making medicine, designing jewelry, or some other labor of love. They have so much to teach and share, and I am eager to listen, learn, and support their efforts with my purchases. ⁣⁣⠀
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Here are just some of the many amazing vendors at this market:⁣⁣⠀
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Photo 1: Aaron Cleveland (Permaculture, Horticulture, Art & Design, Houseplant, Landscape, and Garden consultations: afunderburk.com )⁣⁣⠀
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Photo 2: Jihelah Greenwald and Leilani Mroczkowski (A Q***r, Mixed Pilipinx-American led land and healing project in Hood River County, Oregon. They grow on a 1/4 acre using no-till methods: kasamafarm.com )⁣⁣⠀
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Photo 3: Alma Gaeta and friends (20+ Varieties of Certified Organic Peaches & Nectarines in Hood River, Oregon. Xicana-owned & operated farm: hoodriverpeaches.com )⁣⁣⠀
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Photo 4: Flynne Olivarez (plant medicine, flowers, medicinal bouquets, and flower essences. Growing on a tiny farm in NE PDX: mariquitamedicinals.com )⁣⁣⠀
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Photo 5: Barry Bronson (Handmade pasta using ingredients from local farmers, their own garden, and grown without harmful insecticides or chemicals. esoticopasta.com )⁣⁣⠀
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Photo 6: The venue ⁣⁣⠀
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Come Thru is open TODAY (and every 1st and 3rd Monday) from 12-4 at the Redd on Salmon, 831 SE Salmon St.⁣⁣⠀
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What's your favorite way to nurture human connection? ⁣⁣

I'm nurturing and exploring mental health this week, so what better way than to start the week with brain-supporting foo...
09/06/2021

I'm nurturing and exploring mental health this week, so what better way than to start the week with brain-supporting foods!⁣⁣⠀
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Here are just some of the reasons why these qualify as "brain food," and where I purchased each item locally:⁣⁣⠀
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Figs are high in copper and B6, both important for the creation of neurotransmitters. These figs were purchased from at portlandfarmers]].⁣⁣⠀
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Fatty fish like salmon help to form brain cell membranes and are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are said to increase blood flow to the brain. This smoked salmon belly was purchased from at .⁣⁣⠀
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Berries contain antioxidant compounds that help with a variety of brain-related functions, including reducing inflammation and slowly cognitive decline. These wild huckleberries were purchased from at portlandfarmers]].⁣⁣⠀
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Studies have shown that walnuts may improve memory and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease. These fresh walnuts were purchased from at portlandfarmers]]⁣⁣⠀
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Coffee and tea not only boosts brain function, it also has been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive decline, stroke, and Parkinson's disease. This coffee was purchased from .⁣⁣⠀
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❓What's your favorite brain food? 🧠

💗Nurture Mental Health!🌸⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀It’s week five of sharing the eight elements of wellness that seem to be essential for me ...
09/06/2021

💗Nurture Mental Health!🌸⁣⁣⠀
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It’s week five of sharing the eight elements of wellness that seem to be essential for me to feel my best. This week’s topic is mental health.⁣⁣⠀
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I mentioned this two weeks ago when I talked about emotional health, but in case you missed it, I’ll explain again how I differentiate “emotional health” from "mental health" in the eight elements of primal wellness.⁣⁣⠀
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As a reminder, my definition of emotional health has to do with things like feelings, awareness, intuition, passion, gratitude, and affection.⁣⁣⠀
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I find it important to make the distinction since the above characteristics are what people often associate with the term “mental health.”⁣⁣⠀
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However my definition of mental health has to do more specifically with brain function, and includes intellectual stimulation, memory, cognitive skills, problem-solving skills, and learning new things.⁣⁣⠀
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I also put physical brain health into this category, with the understanding that brain health likely impacts and is impacted by many areas of wellness.⁣⁣⠀
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Here are some examples of ways to nurture this kind of mental health:⁣⁣⠀
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1. Clean or declutter your home (or at least the room you frequent most). I have found that a clutter-free environment is less distracting and enhances focus.⁣⁣⠀
2. Use your less dominant hand for simple tasks.⁣⁣⠀
3. Play a game of chess or other “brain game."⁣⁣⠀
4. Get lost in a good book.⁣⁣⠀
5. Wear a helmet while riding a bike.⁣⁣⠀
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If you have a favorite way to keep your brain healthy and functioning at its best, drop it in the comments! 👇🏼🧠💗⁣⁣⠀
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Side note about the goddess in the photo: it was purchased a few years ago from ’s etsy shop, Headplanters, located in Larnaca, Cyprus: etsy.com/shop/Headplanters. I posted a photo of it back when it had an actual plant growing in it. Now I use it for cut flowers, which means her "hairstyle" changes with whatever seasonal blooms are in my apartment at the time, and I love it so much! ⁣⁣⠀
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The edible flowers blooming from her crown this week are from : Anise Hyssop from .dici, Marigolds and China Aster from

🍓Summer Salad with Strawberry Mint Dressing🌱⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀One day I brought home a cantaloupe from the market and my son remarke...
09/06/2021

🍓Summer Salad with Strawberry Mint Dressing🌱⁣⁣⠀
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One day I brought home a cantaloupe from the market and my son remarked, "They can grow cantaloupes in Oregon?" Yes they can! My son's excitement inspired me to create a salad with some of our favorite summertime flavors: cantaloupe, strawberries, and cucumbers.⁣⁣⠀
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I made a super tasty strawberry-mint dressing that complements the salad really well. Look for that recipe in an upcoming post!⁣⁣⠀
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Items on the plate from the market:⁣⁣⠀
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mint and seascape strawberries from ⁣⁣⠀
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cantaloupe and cucumber from ⁣⁣⠀
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🍓🥒🍈🌱🍓🥒🍈🌱🍓🥒🍈🌱🍓

🌸PSU Portland Farmers Market!💗⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀There is a point at the end of the summer when hints of fall begin to make appearanc...
09/04/2021

🌸PSU Portland Farmers Market!💗⁣⁣⠀
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There is a point at the end of the summer when hints of fall begin to make appearances at the market. Today was one of those days. Maybe because Westwind Gardens was there roasting peppers. Or maybe because I found some fresh walnuts, typically an early fall harvest.⁣⁣⠀
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The transition from summer to fall is always bittersweet for me. I love both seasons, so I'm sad to see summer come to a close, and at the same time I welcome the cooler weather and colorful leaves.⁣⁣⠀
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Even though there were signs of seasonal transition, there was still plenty of summer goodness! I was still able to get a bundle of edible marigolds, and this time there were a couple pink flowers that I didn't recognize. Of course I had to look them up to see if they are edible too.⁣⁣⠀
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I used a plant identifying app to find out that the pink flowers are China Aster (Callistephus chinensis), and they are edible!🤗🌸⁣⁣⠀
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Today's basket from the PSU Portland Farmers Market includes:⁣⁣⠀
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ginger from ⁣⁣⠀
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romaine lettuce from ⁣⁣⠀
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walnuts and grapes from ⁣⁣⠀
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wild huckleberries and shiitake mushrooms from (picked on Mt Adams!)⁣⁣⠀
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edible marigolds and asters from ⁣⁣⠀
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yellow cherry tomatoes and yellow bell pepper from ⁣⁣⠀
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lemon verbena from ⁣⁣⠀
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🌸✨Support your local farmers!✨🌸

White Fruit Salad with Huckleberries & Dahlia Petals🌼⁣⁣⠀⁣⁣⠀This is probably the most... unique-looking salad I've ever m...
09/04/2021

White Fruit Salad with Huckleberries & Dahlia Petals🌼⁣⁣⠀
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This is probably the most... unique-looking salad I've ever made. I thought it would be fun to make a salad with two white fruits: silver slicer cucumbers and Korean melon. While it was delicious, the two visually blended together on the plate as well as their flavors harmonized in my mouth! Hopefully you can distinguish the two in the photo. ⁣⁣⠀
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I made cucumber ribbons with the silver slicer, then peeled and cubed the Korean melon. I added huckleberries, which always look almost black in my photos, even though in real life they are more of a dark burgundy. Next I added dahlia petals. ⁣⁣⠀
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Did you know dahlias are edible?! Both the petals and the tuber are edible, but since flowers are not usually considered a food crop, make sure the ones you buy are from a source that doesn't use harsh chemicals in the growing process. ⁣⁣⠀
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I completed the salad with a simple dressing of olive oil, strawberry rosé vinegar, and raw honey. My salads always look better before I add the dressing, so the cover photo is just the fruit. The last photo is after being drizzled with the delicious dressing. ⁣⁣⠀
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On the plate:⁣⁣⠀
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Salad base was made with silver slicer cucumbers from , Korean melon and dahlia flowers from , and wild huckleberries from ⁣⁣⠀
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Dressing was made with arbequina extra virgin olive oil from , Strawberry⠀Rosé Living Vinegar from , and local honey from

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