Our Local Co-op

Like most parents, I’m sure you too try to eat healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle and provide great healthy meals for your family, on a budget.  I've been talking to neighbors and friends lately about the co-op I belong to, because I love it so much.  As it turns out, few people know that we even have a local co-op, so I thought I'd dedicate a blog post to it (I know I've mentioned it in passing too, but it is more than worthy of an entire blog post).

The Neighborhood Garden doesn't have any sign-up fees (the "fee" is the donation of 2 reusable grocery bags), it's flexible - you don't have to order every week, it's inexpensive and there is always a great selection of ORGANIC produce!!  Oh, and if you can't make it to pick-up (I pick up at Durbin Creek Elementary on Monday at 5p), in some locations you can have it delivered for an extra $5 (I did this when I was working). 

This past Monday I received the following (a full-bag) for $33 (half bags are also available):

6oz Blueberries

2 Tangelos

3 Peaches

1 bunch Bananas (about 3 pounds)

2 Alexander Lucas Pears

Green Leaf Lettuce

5 Yukon Gold Potatoes

Green Peppers

Broccoli

1lb. Carrots

2 Roma Tomatoes

2 Yellow Onions

I also ordered the following:

3lb. bag Fuji Apples $5.50

Pineapple $4.50

We use the fruit for breakfast and snacks.  I am eating salads for lunch, and as you can see above, I have two vegetables for the week. 

This may be for you, and it may not, but I wanted to share.  Oh, and feel free to spread the word, because not only do I think it's a great deal (my grocery bill has decreased and I'm making healthier food choices, like salad) , but each week at least 3 families in need receive a free bag of fresh produce! 

If you're not one of my local friends, I strongly encourage seeing if you have a local co-op or even starting one of your own!  It's well worth it! 

Summer Veggies

It has been a little while since I last blogged.  As you all can tell from my "announcements" that I posted, I had a baby.  That left little time for blogging.  Mason is two months old now, so although we are still sleepless, we are falling into a little bit more of a normal routine.

Now that it's summer, there are so many WONDERFUL VEGGIES, which is great, because I've decided to go vegetarian.  As much as I love the taste of meat, I think I felt better not eating it.  I don't want to "torture" (that's what my husband calls it) the rest of my family by not including meat at dinner time, but I am determined to add more vegetables to everyone's diet - especially the kid's.

One of my favorite summer vegetables is yellow squash.  Thus far, I have breaded and fried them, but a healthier option is to make Squash Tots.  The best part about Squash Tots is they are kid approved.

This basically is a twist on my zucchini pancakes, and it compliments barbeque dishes very well.

Squash Tots

1 squash, grated
1 potato grated
1 egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste (I also add a little garlic and onion powder)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Grate the zucchini and potato then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess water.  In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, potato, salt and pepper. Grease a mini muffin pan.  Fill the muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is brown.

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Big Breakfast Sunday: The Importance of Eating Together as a Family

Many families don't have time to sit all together around a dinner table during the week. My family is no exception to this rule. When sports are in full swing, we find ourselves serving meals from the crockpot or preparing something later that's rather quick. Even then, it's rare that we can all sit down together at the same time.

To compensate for our lack of ability to eat together during the week, we have implemented a family tradition, "Big Breakfast Sunday." We go to the later worship service on Sunday so we can all sit down together on Sunday morning and eat breakfast together.

There are many research studies and overall opinions that suggest that sitting down and eating meals with your family (the more the better) has great benefits, and I personally agree! Why do I agree? My biggest proof is in my dining room floor. For a while my husband and I would sit down in the family room and eat dinner rather than at the dinner table with the kids. What we noticed was that whenever we weren't at the table with the kids, there was a HUGE mess. I believe children learn by example, so when we are at the table to demonstrate and enforce proper meal-time etiquette, they learn. Additionally, we are there and able to encourage them to eat all their food and try all the things we put on their plate.

Not only do I think that by sitting at the table with the kids we are teaching them things, I think we are also bonding with them. My husband and I try to talk with the kids and show that we are interested in their lives. Even though our children are all still very young (8, 6 and 3), I'm hoping that this habit/tradition will positively continue with them and demonstrate to them that we are truly interested in what is going on in their lives.

So, despite the fact that we are on-the-go during the week, we have started the tradition of at least having "Big Breakfast Sunday" (Saturday instead sometimes). I encourage everyone to sit-down and have as many meals as possible with their children!

Successful Recipes

Over time, I have taken recipes and perfected them to be just what I wanted them to be. This past week, I found that one of my recipes had gone missing (probably on the computer that crashed). I was so heartbroken!

Today, I thought I'd share with you some of my successful recipes from the past week with two motives in mind 1) To share my recipes with you 2) To keep this blog as an alternate storage method to just my home computer and binder. Enjoy!


Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup dry bread crumbs
2. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3. 1/2 teaspoon paprika (I actually used smoked paprika)
4. 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
5. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6. 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
7. 1 egg well beaten
8. 3-4 pieces skinless boneless chicken breast; filleted in hal

Cooking Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, paprika, garlic salt, pepper and parsley. In a separate bowl beat the egg. Dip the chicken in the egg, and then roll in the crumb mixture.

Place coated pieces of chicken on a lightly oiled baking sheet (or a baking stone - which is my preference), arranging pieces so they don't touch (use two pans if needed).

Bake 40-45 minutes.

Homemade Breadcrumbs

Use whatever you have in the house for bread. Don't use stale bread though.

If the bread is too fresh or not very dry follow the directions below:

Place bread in oven on an ungreased baking sheet. Make sure they are stacked only one piece high and that there is breathing room between the pieces. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 - 16 minutes; about halfway through turn over so they dry evenly.

Tear dried bread into smaller pieces and place in your food processor (or blender). Process until desired coarseness.

Note: Coarser is better, because you can always make coarser crumbs finer later...

Beef & Bean Chili

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2. 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3. 4 cloves garlic, minced
4. 3 tablespoons chili powder
5. 4 teaspoons ground oregano
6. 2 teaspoons ground cumin
7. 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8. 2 pounds (extra) lean ground beef
9. 2 jars tomato sauce
10. 1 cup water
11. 1 cup cooked kidney beans or one can kidney beans
12. 1 cup cooked black beans or one can black beans
13. Sea salt
14. 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent.

Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin and crushed red pepper and thoroughly mix. Add ground beef and stir until the meat is browned.

Next, add tomato sauce, water and beans. Season with salt to taste, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 25 - 30 minutes more, stirring often so flavors can meld together.

In the last 10 minutes, stir in cilantro.

Southern Homemade Cornbread

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup sifted flour
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 4 teaspoon baking soda
5. 1 1/2 cups corn meal
6. 2 eggs
7. 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
8. 1 stick unsalted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, add eggs and milk. Melt butter in skillet and swish around to grease well. Pour batter into mixture; mix well. Mixture should have bubbles but no dry lumps. Pour mixture back into skillet.

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until top springs back.

Cool slightly, slice and serve.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups sifted flour
2. 2 teaspoons baking powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 1/4 cup butter
6. 1/2 cup sugar
7. 2 eggs
8. 3 medium ripe bananas
9. 1/2 cup butter milk or sour milk (to sour milk - had 1 teaspoon vinegar to milk)
   

Directions:

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

Cream butter, sugar, eggs in a separate bowl. Mash the bananas into the mixture.

Alternately add milk and flour to the mixture.

When well blended pour into a greased bread pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Mission Hidden Veggies = Success!

So, last night for dinner, I serverd Paremsan Crusted chicken as our main dish. For a side, I decided to hide our vegetable, zucchini, in an ever so comforting starch (at least for my family), potatoes. The mission was a huge SUCCESS!

Below is our recipe for Zucchini Pancakes:

Ingredients

2 cups coarsely grated peeled potatoes
2 coarsely grated zucchini
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
Olive Oil

Directions

Wrap grated veggies in a large, clean dish towel and squeeze excess moisture from them. Combine grated veggies in a bowl with eggs, flour, onion, parmesan cheese, and salt. In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat enough vegetable oil to coat the pan. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil and flatten into pancakes. Fry until browned on the bottom, flip, and continue cooking until the other side is browned.