Thursday, June 30, 2011

How does your garden grow?

Mine is growing very well thanks to the efforts of my wonderful husband who remembers to water it for me!
This cucumber was just a baby the day before!
Chris is excited about his peppers.


Roma tomatoes, going to need a lot more before I can make sauce.


The squash and tomato bed.


Cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes and bush beans.



I am getting excited about all the green things growing! I do not have a very green thumb so I owe all the growth to Chris. Ladybug is excited about her tomatoes (we drowned the seedlings so I am going to have to buy a cherry tomato plant for her to 'tend').






Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Dedication

Almost two months ago we had Butterbean dedicated. Our church holds dedications on Mother's Day each year so I have now been blessed twice with being able to give the gifts given to me back to Him on a day that honors what they have made me. As I go back through the pictures on our camera I realize that there are no pictures of Butterbean being dedicated or our family on Mother's day. Luckily our wonderful babysitter gave us a picture from the dedication.

We were charged with finding a life verse for Butterbean, a verse for her to grow and find strength and comfort in. Wow, what a task! It took a while to narrow the list down after finding so many wonderful verses. Chris and I kept coming back to Joshua 1:9:



'Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever
you go.'

Our hope is that this verse will help to guide her in her growth and encourage her throughout her life.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Menu Monday

Here's the plan for the week:

Monday - Tacos
Tuesday -Kielbasa and boiled potatoes
Wednesday - Brunswick stew and Grilled Cheese
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Birthday party for Ladybug and I
Saturday - Out of town
Sunday - Out of town

I'll let you know of Friday what was a hit!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

CSA Sunday (Box # 6)

Wow, these boxes keep getting more and more full! Take a look:








We had:




  • About 13 pounds of cucumbers


  • Two of the biggest zucchini I have ever seen


  • Some yellow squash


  • New potatoes


  • Basil


  • Thyme


  • Oregano


  • Banana Peppers


  • Garlic


  • Zucchini Bread


  • Sweet pickles


So what am I going to do with 13 pounds of cucumbers? Stay tuned to see.






Friday, June 24, 2011

Recipe Friday - Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Without a doubt the biggest hit this week was the Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. In fact I had to quickly get a picture of what was left before Chris ate it all! We started with about a quart and a half.




Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream



2 cups smooth peanut butter



3/4 cup powdered sugar



2 cups half and half (heavy cream* if you are feeling indulgent)



1 cup whole milk



1 tbsp vanilla



8-10 peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped






Cream peanut butter and sugar together until smooth. Slowly incorporate milks and vanilla until well combined. Freeze according to ice cream freezer's instructions. Add chopped peanut butter cups during last 10 minutes of freezing. Scoop into freezer containers and freeze for 2 hours prior to serving.






*This will help it to not freeze as hard when stored in the freezer. Another option would be to add 2 tbsp of vodka (or a chocolate liquor) before freezing to help keep it more scoopable. Remember that the alcohol will not be cooked out of the ice cream if added.











Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Big News!!!! - Update!

Did anyone get it right?



My car hit 100,00 miles on the way to work Monday morning. I can not believe I actually caught it changing over.


I did not get any phone calls so I guess no one thought I was pregnant.


Wordless Wednesday







Monday, June 20, 2011

Big News!!!

I have a huge announcement to make. I can't belive that it's happened, in fact I got so excited I had to take a picture and tell everyone! Don't you want to know what it is? You'll have to check back later when I post pictures!!!

Menu Plan Monday

I will get the pictures up from our CSA box later today, in the mean time here is what we are eating this week.

Breakfasts - protein shakes for Chris and I, cereal and boiled egg for Ladybug.
Snacks - boiled eggs, cheese, zucchini bread, yogurt smoothies
Lunches - Salad, Sandwiches and Soup, oatmeal cookies

Dinners -

Monday - Barbecue sandwiches, baked beans, Cole slaw
Tuesday - Chicken Pot Pie, salad
Wednesday - Brunswick Stew, grilled Turkey and cheese sandwiches
Thursday - Chicken and Rice Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches
Friday - Grilled Tuna, roasted broccoli, cheddar rice
Saturday - Birthday party (which means pizza)
Sunday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans

Sunday, June 19, 2011

CSA Sunday (Box # 5)

We got an unexpected surprise in our box this week - a pound of grass fed Angus hamburger! Now we don't usually buy beef (except for an occasional steak) since Chris does so well at providing us with plenty of Venison for the year, so this will be a nice treat for a cook-out.

We also received summer squash, zucchini, thyme, basil, cucumbers, new potatoes, turnips, red cabbage, peas and eggs. You can also see the ribs Chris was preparing for Father's Day.


So what to do with all of this? Here's the plan:


Cole Slaw to go with the BBQ on Sunday (Cabbage)

Save the Cucumbers for pickling

Make 4 loaves of zucchini/squash bread and shred the rest to freeze for bread this winter

Freeze the turnips for adding to mashed potatoes

Shell and freeze the peas (will probably have some in my salads this week)

Dry the thyme and basil

The potatoes will be used through out the week with dinners.


I am still having fun seeing what we will get every week - it's like Christmas! Chris thinks we have too many vegetables but we're not throwing anything out!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Recipe Friday - Cole Slaw

So we didn't really stick to the menu this week so I can't tell you what was a hit and what wasn't. We did have the tacos and salmon but that was about it. I made Chili-mac on Tuesday and we had pizza at Costco on Wednesday. Chris decided he wanted to smoke something for Father's day so we had ribs and a Boston butt (which was wonderful!!!). I did make Cole slaw and thought it turned out really well. I also made a roasted vegetable quinoa to go with the salmon.





Cole Slaw

1 small head cabbage (about softball size)
1 small head purple cabbage (about softball size)
1 carrot
1 cup mayonnaise (Duke's for us)
2 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch cumin

Shred cabbages and carrot using food processor or shred by hand. Combine mayo, sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and cumin in bowl, stir to combine. (I usually use the mayo jar if it's almost empty and add all the ingredients to it and shake)

Combine cabbage mixture and mayonnaise mixture in bowl until combined. Chill for several hours and stir before serving.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Monday, June 13, 2011

Meal Plan Monday

After being away for the weekend I have a menu plan but am not sure how well it will go since we have to fit all the weekend errands into the evenings this week.

Monday - Tacos (plus extra meat to freeze), refried beans

Tuesday - Stir Fry with quinoa, squash and broccoli

Wednesday - Fish Sticks (homemade - maybe), oven fries

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Salmon, dilled rice and peas

Saturday - Bear Steaks, broccoli, Mashed Potatoes

Sunday - Father's Day so whatever Chris wants

Friday, June 10, 2011

Recipe Friday

The favorite recipe this week was definitely the pesto pasta with Italian sausage. I also made kale chips and dill butter.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, I keep forgetting to take pictures before we eat. I guess that is what happens when you have hungry mouths around the table!

Pesto Pasta

1 cup walnuts
3-4 cups fresh basil leaves
5-6 cloves garlic
1 cup fresh parsley
1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil

1 pound pasta of your choice (I use rotini, I think it holds the sauce better)
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1/4 cup cream

Place walnuts, basil, garlic, parsley, salt and Parmesan cheese in food processor. Turn on and slowly pour in oil until desired consistency.

Brown sausage and drain. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and add back to pot. Add sausage and 1 cup of pesto sauce and 1/4 cup cream. Stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Any extra pesto can be frozen in a muffin tin and then removed to a freezer bag. This would be a wonderful treat in the winter when you need a taste of summer.

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Wash and stem kale. Tear leaves into chip size pieces and toss in bowl with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Place on racks of dehydrator and dehydrate at 135 degrees for 8 -10 hours.

Don't have a dehydrator? No problem, use your oven! Place kale on a cooling rack on a sheet pan and bake at your ovens lowest setting for 10 hours.

Store in zip-top bags.



Dill Butter

1 stick unsalted butter softened
1 bunch fresh dill
Salt

Place butter, salt and dill in food processor. Process until combined. Place butter on wax or parchment paper and form into a log. Roll paper around butter and twist ends closed. Place log in freezer bag and store in freezer until needed.

This is wonderful on baked salmon, grilled corn on the cob and green beans.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Monday, June 6, 2011

Meal Plan Monday

I have lots of produce to get through this week before Chris and I go out of town this weekend so I might be getting creative to get everything eaten.

Monday
Pasta with Pesto Sauce and Italian Sausage (using fresh basil)

Tuesday
Chris wants to go to Brock's (chicken night) so I don't think I'll argue

Wednesday
Stir Fry with broccoli, peas and tenderloin

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday, Saturday
Out of town

Sunday
Deer Burgers, grilled squash, corn

Also making this week:
Kale Chips, pickled beets, drying dill, rosemary, thyme, basil.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

CSA Sunday (Box #3)


This is our third week of receiving produce from Waverly Farms. No eggs this week due to the heat but wow - carrots, broccoli, kale, collards, dill, squash, zucchini, basil, peas, kohlrabi, beets and turnips. Take a look:





Now I just have to figure out what to do with all of it.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011