Central Farm Markets

01/12/202301/12/2023

The Happy Diabetic’s Oven Roasted Salmon with Fruit Salsa Recipe

I was thrilled to be a guest on my friend, Chef Robert Lewis, The Happy Diabetic‘s Kitchen Podcast. I had the chance to reflect on my twentieth anniversary of presenting diabetes outreach diva-style.

Several years after graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in 1976, Chef Robert Lewis was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes. His love of food and cooking motivated to alter his recipes to achieve diabetes wellness.

“I suspected that my days of good eating were over; yet as I worked through my ups and downs, I came to realize that the selection of foods I could and should eat was vast and included many of my favorites,” he says. “This motivated me to attempt to create delicious, diabetic-friendly dishes that were also easy to prepare.”

As a nationally recognized author, public speaker, and spokesperson for all people affected with diabetes, he travels the country, speaking on the benefits of healthy eating not only for people affected with diabetes but also for anyone who would like to eat well and live a healthy lifestyle.

The Happy Diabetic’s Oven Roasted Salmon with Fruit Salsa Recipe

Ingredients

1⁄4 Cup of Fresh Mango diced (or use canned)
1⁄4 Cup of Fresh Pineapple diced (or use canned)
2 Fresh Strawberries diced
1 Kiwi peeled and diced
1 Teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon leaf fresh cilantro chopped
4- 5- 6 oz salmon filets
2 Tablespoon of Splenda
Ground Pepper
Balsamic Glaze

Directions

Peel and dice the mango, strawberries, kiwi, and pineapple. Place them into a bowl. Add the lime juice and cilantro. Set aside.

Season the salmon with cracked pepper and a dusting of Splenda. Place the fish into a non-stick oven pan lightly coated with canola oil on med heat (heat the pan first).

Place the salmon in a preheated 425-degree oven. Roast the tuna for about 10-12 minutes. The cooked fish will be firm to the touch, and the internal temperature will be about 140 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let the fish rest for 2-3 min. Place the fish on the plate. Top with fruit salsa.

Nutrition Information: Calories: 196 Fat: 4.31 g Sugar: 18.53 Fiber: 5.81 g Protein: 12.97 g

The Happy Diabetic Kitchen Podcast: A Conversation with Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek LISTEN NOW

Are you a Picky Eater? The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays his food game, Serve, Taste or Trash! at Central Farm Market in Bethesda, MD.

Chef Robert Lewis, The Happy Diabetic, stars with Mr. Divabetic in Divabetic Mysteries: Gypsies, Tramps & Peas podcast. Tune in to find out if Mr. Divabetic can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his nosey Italian mother and friends. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer, he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.

12/18/2022

Serve, Taste or Trash Food Game At Central Farm Markets

We’re looking back on almost 20 years of Divabetic outreach.

One of my favorite memories is shooting our ‘man-in-the-street’ YouTube videos with my friend, Arthur Espino. We shot these videos with a camera (we weren’t using iPhones back then) without a microphone. I’d stop people as they walked by, and after we shot 3-4 interviews, I’d run home and edit the video.

In this video, I play the nutrition game Serve, Taste, or Trash! with the vendors and patrons at Central Farm Markets in Bethesda, MD.

This game was born out of my long-standing aversion to peas. Voicing your dislike for a particular vegetable aloud might inspire others to share different ways to enjoy it, which could ultimately change your mind about the taste. Personally, it led me to enjoy eating wasabi peas!

Fans of our popular Divabetic Mysteries podcasts know that my dislike of peas also inspired me to write and produce the mystery podcast Gypsies, Tramps & Peas.

Perhaps this video can inspire you to try another fruit or vegetable you dislike!

In the game, you’re given three choices of fruits and vegetables. You must decide which one you’d serve, which one you’d taste, and which one you’d trash.

Before you decide to “trash” a veggie for good, why not try to eat it raw?

Raw veggies can be more appetizing than their cooked counterparts to people who aren’t crazy about vegetables. The flavors of raw veggies can be milder than those of cooked ones. And the texture is crispy rather than mushy.

Special guest Kathy Gold RN, MSN, CDCES (who participated in countless Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach events) from Washington, DC, helps raise awareness for diabetes in a fun and glamorous new way.

Since 2009, Central Farm Markets has provided residents with a place to buy the freshest produce, meats, dairy, seafood, and bakery goods from over 50 top-quality farmers and artisan food producers. It’s a great farm market! They were always very welcoming to our unique brand of diabetes outreach and us.

09/19/202209/19/2022

Phantom of the Opera Is Closing But You Can Still Enjoy Phantom of the Okra

The Phantom of the Opera, Broadway’s longest-running show, is scheduled to close in February 2023. The musical – a fixture on Broadway since 1988, weathering recessions, war, and cultural shifts – will play its final performance on Broadway on 18 February.

Don’t worry you can still enjoy Divabetic’s Phantom of the Okra mystery podcast on demand.

When the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, agrees to host the Red Tomato Carpet at the 6th Annual Bake Bethesda A Pie Contest at Central Farm Market in Bethesda, MD, the last thing he expects to happen is to be the prime suspect in a murder.

Will orange be the ‘new black’ for Mr. Divabetic? Or will his team of highly skilled diabetes educators, a nosey best-selling mystery author, and his overbearing mother be able to prove his innocence before the police arrive?

Our Divabetic murder mystery is loosely based on The Phantom Of The Opera. It offers self-care advice and nutrition information in-between moments of suspense, wide-goose chases, and entertaining banter.

Phantom of the Okra stars Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown (founder of the We Are Diabetes organization), Central Farm Markets Co-Founder Debra Moser, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Author Peter Arpesella, Susan Weiner MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, Leisa Chester Weir, Terri Seidman, and Mama Rose Marie.

This podcast features song selections from The Phantom Of The Opera soundtrack courtesy of SONY Music.

We’re counting down until next week’s premiere of Divabetic’s latest mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 6 PM EST.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything is hunky-dory until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives.

Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation! Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive?

Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir. Music from The Pink Panther and The Return of The Pink Panther soundtracks by Henry Mancini courtesy of SONY Music.

05/05/202205/05/2022

Double Crust Peach Cobbler Recipe by Splenda

Splenda Baking Kits are just one of the many wonderful prizes you can win when you join us for Divabetic’s free Baking Parties with the Diabetic Pastry Chef on Zoom.

Our recent winner, Anita W. from Buffalo, NY found some inspiration along with a rolling pin, apron, measuring cups, and various Splenda products in her Splenda Baking Kit! She wrote back to us, “I received the prize and I loved all of it. I made some peanut butter cookies with the Splenda and the cookie cutter.”

Double Crust Peach Cobbler Recipe by Splenda

Ingredients

1 box of refrigerated pie crusts, softened

10 cups sliced fresh peaches

1 3/4 cups Splenda Granulated Sweetener

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly spray an 11” x 7” baking dish with cooking spray.
Unroll one piecrust; roll out and trim to an 11” x 7” rectangle. Place in prepared baking dish. Bake for 10–12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Click HERE for the full recipe

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

04/24/202004/24/2020

Support Local Farmers, Stay Safe & Shop at Central Farm Markets

Divabetic is happy to announce that all three locations of Central Farm Markets (North Bethesda, MD, Bethesda, MD and Vienna, VA) are open for business. Despite the fact that the markets are operating at a different level now, there is no limitations on the abundance of fresh and local produce, fruits, meats, poultry, fish, dairy and baked goods for purchase at the markets each week.

Central Farm Markets Offer 3 Safe Ways to Shop!

Home Delivery: You can order Central Farm Markets ‘Farm to Fridge’ home delivery for two days a week. Orders placed on Monday will be delivered Friday/Saturday. Orders placed on Tuesday will be delivered Sunday. Sign up for Central Farm Markets’ weekly newsletters to participate in their ‘Farm to Fridge’ program at Centralfarmmarkets.com

Pre-Order, Pre-Pay, Pick Up & Go!: Central Farm Markets recommend that you pre-order and pre-pay for your items directly from your favorite vendors!

Shop at the Market With or Without Pre-Ordering: If you come shop, please don’t touch products at the stands or ask vendors to handle credit cards. Please bag your own order.

Stay safe as you shop and don’t come to the markets with dogs or without wearing a mask. Central Markets will also be monitoring the number of people at the markets so if you are asked to wait, please cooperate.

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic gets caught up in a murder mystery when he agrees to host the Red Tomato Carpet at the 6th Annual Bake Bethesda A Pie Contest at Central Farm Markets.

Will orange be the ‘new black’ for Mr. Divabetic? Find out what happens when Mr. Divabetic, the Diabetes Late Nite cast and some special friends try to solve this diabetes murder mystery loosely based on “The Phantom Of The Opera.” Enjoy diabetes self-care advice and nutrition information in between moments of suspense, wide-goose chases, and entertaining banter.

Guests include: Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown (founder of the We Are Diabetes organization), Central Farm Markets Co-Founder Debra Moser, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Author Peter Arpesella, Susan Weiner MS, RD, CDE, CDN, Leisa Chester Weir, Terri Seidman and Mama Rose Marie.

This podcast features song selections from “The Phantom Of The Opera” soundtrack courtesy of SONY Music.

LISTEN

02/11/202002/11/2020

Human Food Your Dogs Can And Can Not Eat

Sharing a snack with your dog is a fun way to connect with them, and, when you choose the right foods, can be a healthy way to supplement their diet. But, some human foods are dangerous for dogs and can cause illness and even death if they ingest them.

So what can dogs eat and what can dogs not eat off your plate? CyberPet has constructed a thorough list of over 50 human foods you might offer to your pet.

READ MORE

Collar Greens’s Cutest Dog Photo Contest

Divabetic’s new outreach program, Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day, celebrates the positive changes both animals and people can make to affect each other’s heart health at Central Farm Markets in Falls Church, Virginia in September 2020. Stay tuned for details!

10/05/201910/05/2019

Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps Recipe from Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day

Enoy this popular, low carb Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps recipe from Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day presented at Central Farm Markets in Fairfax, VA. This recipe is adapted from the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Forecast Magazine.

A low-carb diet can help people with diabetes better manage their blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates or carbs raise blood sugar levels more than other foods.

Ingredients

6 large lettuce leaves, Boston or Bibb lettuce works well

4 oz. skinless chicken breast, grilled or poached, and finely chopped

2 tbsp Asian peanut sauce (recipe below)

1 carrot, julienned or grated

1 red pepper, diced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

Toss the chicken with the peanut sauce

Laying a piece of the lettuce on a plate. Top the lettuces with the chicken, peanut sauce, carrots, peppers, and scallions. Roll up the lettuce leaf and enjoy.

Makes: 6 servings

Serving Size: 1 wrap

Asian Peanut Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups reduced -sodium, low-fat chicken broth

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar blend

2 tbsp light (lower-sodium) soy sauce

2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes

Directions

Heat the peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chicken broth, and mix until combined.

Add in the remaining ingredients, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Use as sauce over cooked shrimp, scallops, chicken, turkey, or beef.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days for the freezer for 3 months

*this recipe contains gluten because of the soy sauce

Watch Divabetic’s Thai Chicken Lettuce Cooking Demonstration at Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day on Facebook Live Video

Have Fun Counting Carbs!

08/04/201908/04/2019

What’s Your Dog IQ?

How much do you know about dogs? Take our FUN QUIZ!

Love dogs? Join us for the free program, Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day on Sunday, September 29, 2019, 9 AM – 1 PM at Central Farm Markets in Falls Church, VA. This free health and wellness event features health information for both pets and pet owners alike!

Enjoy Market Food Tours, Live Cooking Demonstrations, Family & Dogs Scavenger Hunts, Dog House Decorating for Kids, Amazing Service Dog Demonstrations, Live Music, Veterinarian Talks & Ask A Diabetes Educator Sessions! Plus visit 40 vendors for fresh local pork, chicken, fish, cheeses, produce, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods to go, eggs, flowers, and ice cream.

Win $500 Gift Basket! Enter our Cutest Dog Photo Contest on Instagramusing hastag: #centralfarmdogcontest

Day Program Schedule

9:00 AM: Market Food Tour lead by Registered Dietitians from Virginia Hospital Group

9AM – 11AM: Cooking Demonstrations (People & Pet Friendly Recipes)

9:30 AM: Veterinarian’s Pet Talk & Certified Diabetes Educator’s Health Talk

10:00 AM: Market Food Tour lead by Registered Dietitians from Virginia Hospital Group

10:30 AM: Service Dogs Talk & Demonstration with Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay

11 AM – 1PM: Cooking Demonstrations (People & Pet Friendly Recipes)

11 AM: Cutest Dog Contest Winner’s Circle

11:00 AM: Market Food Tour lead by Registered Dietitians from Virginia Hospital Group

11:30 AM: Veterinarian’s Pet Talk & Certified Diabetes Educator’s Health Talk

11:45 AM: Service Dogs Talk & Demonstration with Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay

12 PM: Market Food Tour lead by Registered Dietitians from Virginia Hospital Group

Presenters

Debby Kay has been a been an internationally recognized leader in medical, diabetes alert, and scent detection dog training for over 40 years. Her Super Sniffer® program is now in 22 countries, helping people utilize the remarkable talents of the dog’s nose. The best selling series of Super Sniffer® books are available online at www.debbykay.com.

Elizabeth Gallagher is the proud owner of Tabouli Gallagher: The World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog. She shares her experience of owning a Diabetes Alert Dog and what Tabouli’s impact has been on her type 1 diabetes self-management.

Matt Pelicano’s latest children’s novel, “Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog” seeks to raise awareness of diabetes alert dogs and the vital work they perform, while encouraging those suffering with juvenile diabetes to always “follow the adventure” and live life to the fullest.

Kathy Gold MS, RN, CDE is on faculty at George Mason University teaching diabetes education classes at MAPP Clinics. She provides local community resources for those living with diabetes.

Chef Scott Sunshine has over 30 years of hospitality experience handling events large and small and teaching groups large and small! He’s passionate about Great Food, Great Service, Great Value and Great Understanding.

Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek is the founder of the national nonprofit organization, Divabetic. He has successfully presented traditional diabetes education out of the clinical setting in 20+ major US cities. He is the host of Divabetic’s popular monthly podcast, Diabetes Late Nite featured on Diabetes Forecast Magazine’s list of notable diabetes podcasts.

Falls Church Animal Hospital is much more than just a state-of-the-art veterinary center and hospital. It’s all about our dedicated staff of highly trained professionals! We are the animal-loving partnership of dedicated technicians and professionals who are the health and wellness bond for you and your pet.

The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is Fairfax County’s only open-access, municipal shelter. With 4,000 to 5,000 animals coming through our doors each year, the shelter provides a safe place for dogs, cats, and small animals to stay while they wait for their forever families

Central Farm Markets was founded in 2008 by Debra Moser and Mitch Berliner. Bethesda Central Farm Market was the first market, which began in a small parking lot with 17 vendors. Today Central Farm Markets has four farm markets in Maryland and Virginia. Each market supports its local community with activities, events and programming that help to educate, give back and fight hunger.

08/03/201908/03/2019

A Dog Saved My Life!

A white terrier, became the first dog to receive insulin in Frederick Banting and Charles Best’s laboratory on July 30, 1921 in Canada.

The scientists took blood samples from the dog every 30 minutes and saw a temporary drop in blood sugar from 0.2 percent to 0.12 percent. Banting was not knowledgeable enough about new developments in testing blood sugar to check for diabetes accurately, so he checked the urine, which was less reliable.

The dog died the next morning due to an infection, but the scientists noted the first signs of anti-diabetic action from the extract, which they had named isletin.

“Diabetics the world over owe much to the true, brave, faithful, loving little dog who played her heroic role as part of her day’s work.” -Frederick Banting, 1940

The next challenge in the discovery of insulin they faced was to find a method of producing islet cells, and therefore insulin, on a mass scale, so that it would have some use as a wide-scale medicine for diabetes.

Realizing that a supply of dogs for pancreas ligation was going to limit the progress of the research, Banting and Best moved on to using the pancreas of cows as source material.

Divabetic and Central Farm Markets proudly present Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day on Sunday, September 29, 2019, 9 AM – 1 PM. This free health and wellness event features health information for both pets and pet owners alike!

Plus, visit 40 vendors for fresh local pork, chicken, fish, cheeses, produce, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods to go, eggs, flowers, and ice cream.

What’s Your Dog IQ? Take our FUN QUIZ

Meet Tabouli: The World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog!

Meet the World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog: Tabouli Gallagher and his trainer, Debby Kay at Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day on September 29, 2019.

Debby Kay has been a been an internationally recognized leader in medical, diabetes alert, and scent detection dog training for over 40 years. Her Super Sniffer® program is now in 22 countries, helping people utilize the remarkable talents of the dog’s nose. The best selling series of Super Sniffer® books are available online at: www.debbykay.com.

Can’t make it? We’re talking to the owner of the World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog, Tabouli Gallagher, Elizabeth Gallagher on August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Phyllis Hyman scheduled for August 13, 2019, 6 PM, EST. TUNE IN

Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained to alert their owners in advance of low (hypoglycemia) or high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar levels before they become dangerous.

Tune in to find out how this service dog not only helps Elizabeth who is living with type 1 diabetes, happy and healthy but also inspired a series of children’s books, “Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog” by Matt Pelicano

Win $500 Gift Basket! Enter Our Cutest Dog Contest

Upload your dog photos to Instagram and tag @centralfarmmarkets and include the hashtag #centralfarmdogcontest to enter the Central Farm Markets Cutest Dog Photo Contest.

07/23/201907/27/2019

The World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog: Tabouli Gallagher

We’re talking to the owner of the World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog, Tabouli Gallagher, Elizabeth Gallagher on August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Phyllis Hyman scheduled for August 13, 2019, 6 PM, EST. TUNE IN

Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained to alert their owners in advance of low (hypoglycemia) or high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar levels before they become dangerous.

Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog” Synopsis

Tabouli is a real-life diabetes alert dog who lives with his owner, 13-year old Elizabeth Vaughan, in Greenville, South Carolina. Striving to overcome his tragic beginnings, Tabouli’s love and devotion toward Elizabeth enable him to surmount challenges and obstacles, prejudice and doubt in order to become a certified service dog. When tragedy strikes, Tabouli must find his way out of the shadows of grief which threaten to undermine all he has accomplished. Deciding always to follow the adventure, this heart-driven dog is surprised to find within himself a greatness he never expected. Recommended by world-renown dog trainer, Debby Kay, this book “so perfectly captures the spirit and journey of a remarkable service dog.”

BUY NOW

Meet Tabouli Gallagher: the World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog!

Join us Divabetic’s’ Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day outreach program on Sunday, September 29.2019, 9 AM – 1 PM at NOVA Central Farm Markets located at George C. Marshall High School, 7731 Leesburg Pikem Falls Church, VA 22043, 9 AM – 1 PM. FULL EVENT DETAILS

This FREE diabetes outreach event features wellness education for pets and pet owners alike! Enjoy Dog Photo Contest, Market Food Tours with healthcare professionals, Live Cooking Demonstrations, Family & Dogs Scavenger Hunts, Amazing Service Dog Demonstrations, Live Music, Veterinarian Talks and more!

Guest Presenters include World Renowned Diabetes Alert Dog & Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, Chef Scott Sunshine, Nationally Recognized Diabetes Educator, Kathy Gold, MS, RN, CDE, ‘Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog’ Author Matt Pelicano, Homeward Trails Animal Rescue and more!

Win $500 Gift Basket! Enter our Cutest Dog Contest on Instagram. Post your favorite dog photo with the hashtag: #centralfarmdogcontest. CONTEST RULES & REGULATIONS