Summer eating

I don't think I'm alone in marking so many highlights of the summer around food.  Trying new restaurants, celebrating special events (like my dad's birthday yesterday, which we celebrated Sunday, and our 10-"monthiversary" today) and writing random food thoughts on one's own blog :).  My whole family is making the trek to Chicago this weekend to celebrate my brother-in-law's (40th, ahem) birthday, and of course the main celebration will take place over - you got it, lots of food. 
 
Our friend's birthday was this past weekend and her mother who was in town commented that the Michigan economy didn't seem so depressed because every place they went to eat around town here had a wait for a table!  But, in fact, the 'for sale' signs on homes and the many shuttered small businesses tell a different tale.  There are certainly things we can all do to help out, and the media outlets have been touting this profound statistic in recent months:

"According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture, if each family in Michigan started spending $10 per week of their grocery bill on Michigan products, we would keep more than $37 million in Michigan, EACH WEEK."
 
I've noticed that all of the groceries that we regularly frequent, particularly Whole Foods & Nino Salvaggio's, have increased their marketing of products grown in Michigan, and for good cause, I say.  So give up a few Starbucks lattes this week and buy some products locally, like these candy-like rainier cherries that I packed in my lunch today that we picked up from Eastern Market the weekend before last.  I think we could all use a summer boost!
 
P.S.  Happy anniversary, Mr. & Mrs. Mac - hope you are having a special meal of your own to celebrate!