I gave my husband fudge for his 40th birthday on Saturday, as promised. Don't worry. It was a treat. It's not a way of life. John loved it -- both the milk chocolate and peanut butter varieties -- and our boys loved it too. All three of them gobbled down the thick, rich indulgence. I just watched. Sugar is not my thing.

I also gave John a swim suit for his birthday. The one he's been wearing for oh, seven years or longer, just drips off his year-old lean body. So I replaced his Large with a Medium and presented it to him at his mini-party on Saturday. He loved it. Nothing like a new suit after nearly a decade, I guess. One small problem though. It was too big. With one easy tug, he pulled those trunks completely off his hips and down to the ground. He's down 40 pounds lately, and apparently, that's more than a one-size change.

So off I go in search of a smaller suit. And maybe another hunk of fudge.

First there was the whole foods diet. Then there was the low-carb craze. Then eating organic was all the rage. And I'm sure you've heard of cage-free, free range and grass fed. Now there's eating locally. Well, eating locally isn't exactly a new concept--after all, farmer's markets have existed probably as long as farms, but it finally seems to be catching on as a dieting trend.

So what exactly does it mean to eat locally, and what are the benefits? I mean, we've all seen farmer's markets, perused their offerings and even occasionally indulged in some of their maple syrup candy and apple cider but what does eating locally really translate to?

"Local" is defined as anything within a hundred miles. That makes for a lot of possibilities in terms of food options, depending on where you live.

To me, farmer's markets were always the opportunity to get a little something different than what you'd find at a local supermarket. I know the one in Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn used to house a woman we referred to as the Cheese Lady who always had THE BEST cheeses anywhere. She had this one spicy white cheddar with horseradish in it that was TO DIE FOR. Sadly, at some point she took her wares elsewhere.

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