Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, October 24, 2011
The week is almost over and I'm finally able to sit down for a minute to post this week's meal plan (I wrote this last week but didn't actually get to post it until now). Hopefully I will get next week's done soon :)
Sunday-leftovers & salad
Monday-Quinoa tostadas w/ Avocado Cashew Cream
~These turned out very tasty but everything took a lot longer than I expected. I made the quinoa the night before and it was the first time I made black beans from scratch...it didn't go as well as I had hoped but they turned out okay. Making cashew cream was interesting and I want to try more recipes with it!
Tuesday-Salmon with mashed potatoes and sautéed greens
~Delicious mashed potatoes, using organic potatoes makes a world of difference...they have a wonderful flavor and are sweeter than non-organic. I had never made greens before (I used a mix of kale and rainbow chard), they turned out okay but I definitely cooked them too long and I think the cider vinegar was a bit much.
Wednesday-concert, eat out
~Hubby and I went to a Paul Simon concert for our 5th anniversary and had enchiliadas (and a pitcher of tasty margaritas) at Camacho's Cantina...fun night!
Thursday-Tamales (farmers market) & black beans
Friday-Butternut squash lasagna (mother earth news)
Saturday-Vegetarian flatbread pizza & salad
Sunday-leftovers & salad
Monday-Quinoa tostadas w/ Avocado Cashew Cream
~These turned out very tasty but everything took a lot longer than I expected. I made the quinoa the night before and it was the first time I made black beans from scratch...it didn't go as well as I had hoped but they turned out okay. Making cashew cream was interesting and I want to try more recipes with it!
Tuesday-Salmon with mashed potatoes and sautéed greens
~Delicious mashed potatoes, using organic potatoes makes a world of difference...they have a wonderful flavor and are sweeter than non-organic. I had never made greens before (I used a mix of kale and rainbow chard), they turned out okay but I definitely cooked them too long and I think the cider vinegar was a bit much.
Wednesday-concert, eat out
~Hubby and I went to a Paul Simon concert for our 5th anniversary and had enchiliadas (and a pitcher of tasty margaritas) at Camacho's Cantina...fun night!
Thursday-Tamales (farmers market) & black beans
Friday-Butternut squash lasagna (mother earth news)
Saturday-Vegetarian flatbread pizza & salad
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I'm back...with another baby!
So it turns out that right around the date of my last post I got pregnant again. Our little surprise has made life around here a bit hectic and hasn't left much time for cooking, much less blogging. I gave birth 7 weeks ago and have quickly realized that the only way to survive having 2 kids is to get organized! And the first place I'm starting is regular weekly meal planning...
Meal Planning Week 1:
This weeks meal plan was taken from the article "A Month of Easy Dinners" in the October issue of RealSimple magazine, with a few minor adjustments.
Day 1: Chicken with Wild Rice and Grapes with Green Beans
Day 2: Steak with Cognac Sauce and Salad
Day 3: Fish Tacos with Black Beans
Day 4: Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Pistachios
Day 5: Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes
*Day 1 was last night and it turned out delicious! Hubby and I went to the farmers market to pick up most of the fresh produce for the week (including the grapes and green beans for last nights dinner) and baby L and I went did the rest of our grocery shopping at Sprouts Farmers Market. The meal was almost entirely organic and cost less the $4/serving.
Ideas for Next Week:
Butternut Squash Lasagna ("Cozy and Comfy Fall Recipes" from Late Fall 2011 issue of Mother Earth News)
Tamales (made locally from Farmers Market) with Black Beans
I'll try to keep updated on how the meals turn out but no promises!
Meal Planning Week 1:
This weeks meal plan was taken from the article "A Month of Easy Dinners" in the October issue of RealSimple magazine, with a few minor adjustments.
Day 1: Chicken with Wild Rice and Grapes with Green Beans
Day 2: Steak with Cognac Sauce and Salad
Day 3: Fish Tacos with Black Beans
Day 4: Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Pistachios
Day 5: Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes
*Day 1 was last night and it turned out delicious! Hubby and I went to the farmers market to pick up most of the fresh produce for the week (including the grapes and green beans for last nights dinner) and baby L and I went did the rest of our grocery shopping at Sprouts Farmers Market. The meal was almost entirely organic and cost less the $4/serving.
Ideas for Next Week:
Butternut Squash Lasagna ("Cozy and Comfy Fall Recipes" from Late Fall 2011 issue of Mother Earth News)
Tamales (made locally from Farmers Market) with Black Beans
I'll try to keep updated on how the meals turn out but no promises!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Joining a CSA
Before a few weeks ago I had never heard the term CSA. While looking up books about sustainable food at the bookstore, I saw it on a book jacket and jotted it down to look it up when I got home. CSA stands for community supported agriculture. From a quick Google search I found localharvest.org, a website where you can find local farms and CSA subscriptions. The description of a CSA from their website is:
"Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season."
So I found a very nearby farm located in Long Beach and contacted the manager. Unfortunately, I had to put my name on a waiting list to join but in the mean time I found Farm Fresh to You. It's more corporate and the farm is farther away (located a couple hundred miles north of us) but they deliver and have a great selection. Until the Long Beach one opens up, I decided to join this one. We got our first delivery about a week and a half ago and so far I have made:
~Leeky Chicken & Couscous
Leeks from CSA
~Beef Stew with Butternut Squash
Butternut Squash & Onion from CSA
~Minestrone Soup
Carrots, Spinach, Turnips from CSA
And today I prepped the Kale for freezing. Plus we've eaten the apples and persimmons. I really enjoy trying new recipes and learning how to use and store all these new fruits and veggies.
This week's delivery will be just in time for Thanksgiving and I'm excited to have an organic/local feast this year!
"Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season."
So I found a very nearby farm located in Long Beach and contacted the manager. Unfortunately, I had to put my name on a waiting list to join but in the mean time I found Farm Fresh to You. It's more corporate and the farm is farther away (located a couple hundred miles north of us) but they deliver and have a great selection. Until the Long Beach one opens up, I decided to join this one. We got our first delivery about a week and a half ago and so far I have made:
~Leeky Chicken & Couscous
Leeks from CSA
~Beef Stew with Butternut Squash
Butternut Squash & Onion from CSA
~Minestrone Soup
Carrots, Spinach, Turnips from CSA
And today I prepped the Kale for freezing. Plus we've eaten the apples and persimmons. I really enjoy trying new recipes and learning how to use and store all these new fruits and veggies.
This week's delivery will be just in time for Thanksgiving and I'm excited to have an organic/local feast this year!
Becoming a locavore
I am a mother of an 8 month baby girl with quite an appetite...she loves everything and anything I eat, she must eat too. In the last couple months, as her culinary palette has expanded to include my food, I have found myself re-evaluating the food I eat. It turns out there is a lot of food in my diet that I refuse to let my perfect baby girl have. She came in to this world preservative and chemical free and that is how I would like to keep her! I started researching and came across a plethora of information about sustainable food (aka locavorism, slow food movement, etc.). I recently viewed the documentary "Food, Inc." and I have being reading "The Locavore's Handbook" by Leda Meredith and although I'm only 4 chapters in (you try leisure reading with an 8 month old), I'm intrigued. I am by no means an 'all or nothing' personality and so I am starting small, finding out what changes I can reasonably make in my family's life to live a healthier life (personally and environmentally) and this is my about what I find out.
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