Fall CSA Week 2

Week 2 includes some summer items and our first winter squash! Here's everything we got in our box! All items are listed below, starting at the top and moving left to right.

1. Salad mix
2. Delicata squash
3. Roc d'or beans
4. Assorted eggplant
5. Broccoli
6. Sweet potatoes
7. Heirloom German lunchbox tomatoes
8. Basil
9. Assorted hot peppers
10. Assorted Sweet peppers

I ate the tomatoes all by myself. I basically grabbed one whenever I walked by their box on the counter. :D

The delicata squash were roasted with some oil and a sprinkle of salt. Easy and delicious. I just made them kind of randomly to eat, not as part of any of our dinners.

The round eggplants stood in place of noodles in this eggplant lasagna-esque dish I made. It was actually supposed to be eggplant Parmesan rollatini, but I decided to try something different at the last minute and it turned out pretty good. We loaded up with salad to help balance everything out.

This is one of the best dinners I've made in a while. I cut up a whole chicken and marinated it in a mixture of soy sauce, water, ginger, and garlic. That baked in the oven while I sauteed the broccoli, half of the beans, some of the sweet peppers, and an onion. I also cooked down the chicken marinade to reduce it and kill any raw chicken nasties and then poured that over the veggies. So. freaking. good!

This is a repeat offender, so I'll be quick. I made our favorite veggie stew (again) and topped it with a fried egg (again). It's just so tasty! The dark purple eggplants, remaining beans, a couple sweet peppers, and the basil all went in.

To finish things off, we had our weekly pizza. The only thing from the CSA for this meal was the salad.

I'm holding back the sweet potatoes since they'll keep pretty well over the winter and the hot peppers are going into some homemade hot sauce. I've never made hot sauce before, so we'll see how that experiment goes. :)

And that wraps up week 2. I have to say, I'm starting to struggle with the eggplant situation. I won't definitely won't be sad to see them go.

What yummy food have been cooking lately? Let me know in the comments below?

Fall CSA Week 3

Preventing Holiday Weight Gain

The holidays is a time when a lot of us pack on some unwanted pounds. You can totally avoid holiday weight gain and still enjoy your favorite foods with this simple tip. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Accomplish Your Goals by Changing Your Attitude

When we're trying to make changes, our attitude and perspective can have a huge impact on whether or not we are successful. Being positive, rather than negative can be the key to reaching your goals. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Fall CSA Week 1

Fall is in the air and the CSA posts are back! Now that our Fall CSA has started up, I'll be sharing everything we get and what I do with it each week. Thanks for all of the positive feedback I got on the Summer CSA series and requests to continue it in the fall. I truly appreciate it! Here's this week's box! All items are listed below, starting at the top and moving left to right.

1. Magenta head lettuce
2. Assorted eggplant
3. Assorted zucchini
4. Tomatoes
5. Yellow french filet beans
6. Okra
7. Dried black eyed peas
8. Poblano peppers
9. Banana peppers

I decided to keep the black eyed peas for later since they can store well for a while.

The lettuce made a great salad for pizza night. I dressed the salad with some homemade ranch, but didn't get a picture before my hubby started pouring ranch on the pizza. Haha! Hey, we've got to get back into the routine of these dinner pics.

I decided to take advantage of the last of the summer veggies by making one of our favorite recipes, a vegetable stew from the Local Flavors cookbook by Deborah Madison. Topped with a fried egg, it was perfection. The peppers, zucchini, half of the french filet beans, and a few tomatoes all went into this dinner.

Now on to the eggplant. It's not a favorite around here, but we've just got to work with it. This is actually one of the better recipes I've found for eggplant. It's an Eggplant Chickpea Stew from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison (it's a good cookbook!). The rest of the tomatoes went into this one as well.

And we'll finish this week off with a little dinner fail. Somehow I hadn't used the okra and the rest of the french filet beans. So, I sauteed them together and baked some sweet potatoes and that was dinner. It's not the most exciting (or balanced) meal we've ever had, but not every dinner is going to be great and that's ok.

September Favorites 2014 | Healthy Food, Natural Beauty, and Books!

Some of my favorite things from the month of September! [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

1. Muscadine grapes
2. Pure Vanilla by LAVANILA
3. Homemade deodorant
4. Clash of Kings (book two in the Game of Thrones series) and Overdrive Kindle library books

What were some of your favorite things this month? Let me know in the comments below!

Eat Healthy With These 2 Simple Rules

Healthy eating can be overwhelming. Make things simple with these two rules. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

If You Can't Make It, Don't Eat It

This simple rule is an easy way to cut out all of the fake food out there. If you couldn't recreate the food or meal in your kitchen, then it's probably not that great for you. This also includes processed "healthy" foods.

If You Can Make It, You Probably Should Be

Making food yourself is cheaper, healthier, and it tastes way better! Instead of clearing out your fridge and pantry, try changing one food at a time. This way, you can really get it figured out and you don't have to feel overwhelmed or stressed out. Homemade hummus is a great place to start!

What do you think about these rules? Let me know in the comments below!

Why is Eating Healthy Hard?

Eating healthy is hard, but why? Here's the real reason why you're struggling. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Summer CSA Week 13

It's hard to believe, but this is the last week of our Summer CSA. This post is a little late because we just hadn't eaten everything up yet. :D As this series comes to an end, I'd love some feedback from you. Our Fall CSA will be starting soon, so if you liked this series and would want to see a fall version, let me know!

Now on to the food!

Here's everything we got in our last box. Items are below, starting at the top and moving left to right.

1. Potatoes
2. Arugula
3. Green beans
4. Okra
5. Assorted eggplant
6. Oriental cucumber
7. Assorted peppers
8. Red slicing tomatoes
9. Sun Gold tomatoes
10. Red cherry tomatoes

We ate all of the tomatoes for snacks (as usual).

The arugula served as a great salad for pizza night. I topped it with some tomatoes from our garden and a quick vinaigrette.

The potatoes and green beans were sides for a roasted spatchcocked chicken. I'm in love with this method of cooking a whole chicken! It cooks faster and gets nice and crispy all over. If you want more info, I raved about it in my August Favorites.

I roasted the potatoes with the chicken and then sauteed the green beans.

I'm trying to get some good BLTs in before all of the tomatoes are gone. Instead of lettuce, we used some basil from the garden and served it with the okra. I tried sauteing the okra this time and it was ok. I definitely need to play around with it a little bit. The cucumber went into a big batch of refrigerator pickles, which we also ate with this meal. I have no idea if the particular pickle here is actually the one from our CSA, but you get the idea.

The peppers and the eggplant got to take a trip to the beach with us and I threw them in with a bunch of other veggies to make my favorite easy dinner: roasted chicken and vegetables. I spatchcocked this chicken too, because, ya know, it's awesome.

And that wraps everything up for the Summer CSA. Summer flew by for me, and I'm sad to see it go, but I'm also excited for all of the fun autumnal things ahead of us.

What are your thoughts on the CSA series? Would you like me to continue it in with our Fall CSA? Let me know in the comments below!

Is Caffeine Bad for You?

Caffeine is in some of our favorite foods, including coffee, tea, and chocolate, but is it bad for you? Here's my answer. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

To make your decision about caffeine and whether or not you need to cut it out entirely, we need to ask three questions.

1. Is caffeine real food?
2. Is caffeine safe?
3. How does caffeine affect you?

Is Caffeine Real Food?

Since caffeine isn't technically a food, we need to take this a step back and ask: Are the foods that contain caffeine real food?

Some things that contain caffeine, like energy drinks, energy shots, and caffeine pills, definitely aren't from nature, so we can toss those out as junk.

However, foods like coffee, chocolate, and green tea totally pass the real food test. The only exception with these is when the gross stuff is added to them, like chemical preservatives or flavorings.

Is Caffeine Safe?

Just because something is natural doesn't mean it's good for you. There are plenty of things that occur in nature that can be harmful to us. Poison ivy anyone?

As far as caffeine goes, it's totally safe in normal doses. For the general population, it's perfectly fine.

How Does Caffeine Affect You?

In the end, it all comes down to the individual. Caffeine is found in real foods and it is safe for the population as a whole, but that doesn't mean that it's great for everyone. Caffeine affects different people in different ways.

If your heart starts to race or you get jittery, it's probably a good idea to lay off the caffeine.

If consuming caffeine on the reg results in withdrawl symptoms when you miss your morning cup of coffee (hello headache) then you might want to moderate your caffeine intake. I fall into this group.

If you can drink strong coffee every day and have no issues when you miss a day, then you might be able to be more liberal with your caffeine intake. Now, I'm not saying go crazy pounding the coffee. We don't want too much of any food. You just have to know where you stand and adjust accordingly.

Bottom Line

If you don't like foods that contain caffeine or want to avoid it for whatever reason, that's fine. But if you do like coffee, green tea, or other foods that naturally contain caffeine, you need to pay attention to how it affects you and make your decision from there.

Where do you stand on the caffeine spectrum? Jittery mess? Totally immune? Somewhere in between? Share in the comments below!

Vacation Food: What We Packed!

Traveling can be tough when it comes to real food. Here's everything we packed to set us up for success! [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Thing I made at home to bring with us:

• Almond Joy Granola
• Hummus
• Whole wheat biscuits
• Whole wheat tortillas

Homemade Mayo without Raw Eggs

Let's be honest; store-bought mayo is gross. Even the organic versions are full of artificial junk. You can make your own mayonnaise at home, but it does take some time and elbow grease. Plus, you can't store it for very long because it contains raw egg. I'm not against homemade mayo by any means, but, most of the time, I don't really feel like dealing with it.

That's where this recipe comes in! I was trying to come up with a spread for the BLTs we've been making and this was born. Now, it doesn't taste identical to traditional mayo, but it is yummy and an excellent substitution. And the best part is, it's super easy.

[x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Egg Free Mayo

makes about 3/4 cup

Ingredients

1.5 cups plain yogurt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Line a colander with paper towel and place over a bowl. Pour yogurt into colander and allow to strain until thickened, about 4 hours. This should give you about 3/4 cup of strained yogurt when you're done.
2. Once yogurt is thickened, transfer to a small bowl with mustard, vinegar, garlic powder, and salt and mix to combine.

August Favorites 2014 | Cooking, Recipes, Nail Polish, and More!

It's favorites time! These are all of the things I've been loving in the month August. Maybe you'll like some of them too! [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

1. Spatchcocking. I promise this isn't inappropriate in the slightest. It's actually a great way to cook a whole chicken! You simply remove the chicken's back bone and then open it up. A good crack of the breast bone and it'll lay flat for you. The chicken cooks much faster this way, and the thigh skin gets a chance to get crispy since it's up on top with everything else. Plus, you can now cook that chicken on the grill.
2. Berry Crumble. This recipe from Green Kitchen Stories is awesome. It's a dessert that won't give you a crash or tummy ache because it's not loaded with refined sugar. I used butter instead of coconut oil and opted for raspberries because that's hat I had available.
3. White Nails. Crisp, clean, and bright. One of my favorite summer shades.
4. Sherlock. A modern day version that you can stream on Netflix. Each season consists of three 90 minute episodes.
5. Bridal Show. It was so fun meeting some brides-to-be!

What was one of your favorite things this month? Share in the comments below!

Summer CSA Week 12

It's hard to believe, but summer is coming to close and there is only one more summer CSA post after this one! Here's everything I got in my box. All items are listed below, starting at the top and moving left to right.

1. Zucchini
2. Assorted eggplant
3. Patty pan squash
4. Okra
5. Assorted peppers
6. Poblano peppers
7. Arugula
8. Green beans
9. German lunchbox tomatoes
10. Red slicing tomatoes
11. Onions

I ended up freezing the German lunchbox tomatoes to use this winter in a soup or stew. I laid them out in a single layer on a sheet pan in the freezer and, once they were frozen, put them in a mason jar for storage.

The arugula made a great salad to go with this tomato and sweet pepper pizza.

One night we had gumbo. It was good, but still needs some perfecting. My plan was to use all of those peppers in this dish, but, when I tried a piece of poblano, it was super spicy! According to my research (aka the Poblano Wikipedia page), sometimes poblanos can end up being spicy for whatever reason, even though they are usually a mild pepper. That meant that this gumbo ended up having a lot less in the way of veggies than I had planned. I used the okra, though you can't see it in the picture, plus some onion and a couple bell peppers I had.

I sauteed the green beans and served them with fried egg biscuits. So good!

A lot of the veggies went into this meal. I have to say, this isn't the most visually appealing thing I've ever made. I got the recipe for these Eggplant Lasagna Boats from the Half Baked Harvest blog and her pictures are much prettier. But hey, these posts aren't styled, they're I-just-made-this-for-dinner-and-took-a-quick-picture-before-I-ate-it, so yeah. The zucchini, patty pan squash, large tomatoes, and eggplant all went into this dish and I have to say it was a winner. The only note I would make is that eating this as your entire meal was a little too heavy with all of the cheese, sausage, and oil. Even though this has a lot of veggies in it, I would recommend eating  it as part of your meal with lots of other veggies to go along with it.

What do you think I should do with all of those peppers? Share in the comments below!

Summer CSA Week 13

Back to School: 2 Ways to Switch Up Your Sandwich Routine

A sandwich is the standard in many lunch boxes, but they can get boring. Here are 2 ways to switch up your sandwich routine this back to school season. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Back to School: Making Lunches Easier and Fun!

Back to school also means back to packing lunches. Here are some tips to make lunch packing and lunch eating easier and more fun. [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Embrace Leftovers

Leftovers get a lot of hate, but I think they're awesome. They're easy and many foods actually taste better the next day. Find out if there's a microwave available to reheat things (in glass of course!). If there isn't once, pack things that taste good cold or use a thermos.

Get the Kids Involved

Kids always want more say-so in their life and lunch packing is  great way to give it to them. Letting a child make decisions about what goes in their lunch box makes them more excited about lunch time and more likely to eat what you've packed.

DIY Lunchables

Assembling food at the lunch table is fun and it also prevents things like sandwiches from getting soggy. Take the unhealthy, ultra processed store bought version and flip it on it's head by making your own at home.

Get Creative

Lunch can get boring as the year goes on and you get stuck in the habit of making the same things all the time. Switch up your normal fare by making things a little more interesting. Using a cookie cutter is a great way to transform your typical sandwich into stars, hearts, or whatever shapes you like!

Back to School: Healthy Lunch Basics

It's that time when everyone is getting ready for the new school year. To help you get ready, I'm giving you the basics to building a healthy lunch that will leave you feeling full and energized for the rest of the day. Whether you're packing for yourself, or someone else, these are some guidelines to keep in mind.

[x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed=' no_container="true"]Protein

Protein is important because it helps you stay full after your meal. Now, for a lot of people, protein equals meat. And, while meat is a great source of protein, it isn't the only one out there. Beans, yogurt, cheese, eggs, nuts, and seeds are all protein sources as well. Getting away from a meat-centric mentality opens you up to a ton of lunch possibilities, so step away from the turkey sandwich and try something new!

Vegetables

The poor vegetable just doesn't get enough attention when it comes to packed lunches. Non-starchy veggies, like cucumbers, tomatoes, leafy greens, peppers, and carrots, should make up about half of your meal.

Starch

Starchy foods are an important part of the diet, but many people tend to go overboard with them. We always want to strive for a balance of all of the food groups so we're not getting too much of one thing and not enough of another. Grains, potatoes, corn, peas, and beans are all considered starchy foods, so keep that in mind when planning your lunch. Starchy foods should make up about a quarter of your meal.

Fruit

I see fruit as an optional item in your lunch. Fruits are great for you, but they do have a lot more sugar than veggies. For this reason, make sure you get your veggies in the meal first, and then add the fruit if you want it.

Summer CSA Week 11

This week, my box had all of the ingredients for fresh salsa! Oh and I almost lost my lips to some seriously hot peppers. Here's everything I got in my box. Items are listed below, starting at the top and moving left to right.

1. Chinese cabbage
2. Elephant garlic
3. Leeks
4. Assorted eggplant
5. Zucchini
6. Assorted sweet and hot peppers
7. Onions
8. Red slicing tomatoes
9. Sun Gold cherry tomatoes
10. Assorted tomatoes

You guys know the drill. I ate almost all of the tomatoes fresh. :D

One night, we had black bean tacos. I used some of the tomatoes, onion, and hot peppers in the salsa.

Lots of the veggies found their way into this stir fry. I combined the leeks, sweet peppers, a hot pepper, garlic, and cabbage with some leftover chicken and served it all over quinoa. This dinner was about 30 minutes later than planned due to a hot pepper emergency. I took a small bite from one of the peppers to see how hot they were and practically lit myself on fire. I've seriously never experienced anything like it, and I love spicy stuff. My lips were in agony! It took a lot of scrubbing, but I eventually got to a point where I could stand the pain without running my face under cold water or holding an ice pack on my lips.

This next little experiment wasn't the worst thing ever, but definitely not a winner. I sliced and cooked the zucchini and eggplant and then rolled them up with some goat cheese. I think they probably needed more goat cheese, but even then I don't think they would be great. It's all just part of trying new things in the kitchen. Sometimes things don't work out, but it's not the end of the world. The fried eggs and bread were good. :D

Does fear of failure ever stop you from trying something new in the kitchen? Share in the comments below!

Picnic In the Summer

A summer picnic is the perfect way to enjoy the beautiful weather and abundant fruits and vegetables. Come along with me for a healthy summer picnic! [x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

What we ate:

• BLTs with homemade eggless mayo (recipe coming soon!)
• spicy cucumber salad
• cubed cantaloupe
• water

What's your favorite picnic food? Share in the comments below!

Summer CSA Week 10

This week, the CSA box had lots of tomatoes (hallelujah!). We also got something new: carrots! The flavor of fresh carrots is incredible, plus you get the greens. Those frilly tops are totally edible and I'm not a fan of wasting food, so I make sure to work them in when I get them. Here's everything I got in my box. Items are listed below, starting at the top and moving left to right.

1. Carrots
2. Basil
3. Leeks
4. Green beans
5. Assorted eggplant
6. Assorted zucchini
7. Yellow squash
8. Assorted tomatoes
9. Green bell peppers

I made a yummy summer veggie soup one night, using homemade chicken broth. The leeks, zucchini, yellow squash, a couple tomatoes, about half of the carrots, and all of the carrot greens went into the pot for a quick dinner. We ate it with some bread I picked up at the farmers' market.

Next up is one of my favorite summer recipes (we had this in Week 5 too). It's basically a huge pot of vegetables stewed in their own juices and finished with a basil puree. The recipe comes from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors cookbook. The green peppers, remaining carrots, and about half of the green beans were used in this, along with some other non-CSA veggies. Some of the basil was used for the basil puree (surprising, I know :D) and I topped our bowls with fried eggs.

We had those eggplant and tomato stacks I tried last week again this week. The hubby isn't a huge eggplant fan, so he also had some leftovers to round off his meal.

For pizza night, I actually switched things up from the tomato version I've been doing practically all summer long. Instead, I used a sweet pepper we got out of the garden that night and a little red onion. I topped the pizza with fresh basil and sauteed the rest of the green beans for our vegetable.

Did you know that carrot tops are edible? Share your answer in the comments below!

Summer CSA Week 11

Canning at Home: Basic Equipment & Step-By-Step Guide

Canning your own food at home can be a little intimidating, but once you have the right equipment and understand the process, it isn't that hard. In this video, I'm showing you all of the basic equipment you'll need to get started and then going through the whole process with you, step-by-step. You'll find a written equipment list and canning instructions below this video. :D

[x_video type="16:9, 5:3, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2" m4v="" ogv="" poster="" hide_controls="" autoplay="" embed='' no_container="true"]

Equipment

• Large canning pot
• Canning rack
• Jars, rings, and lids
• Wide mouth funnel
• Jar lifter
• Plastic spatula to remove air from jar

Waterbath Canning Instructions

1. Use information and recipes from reliable sources, such as universities, your local extension office, and official canning resources. You can't can your favorite homemade salsa or pasta sauce because the acid level may not be adequate for safe canning. Make sure you are using recipes that are specifically for canning. Also, make sure that you note the appropriate processing time for your altitude.
2. Wash your jars, rings, lids, and any other utensils you'll be using in hot soapy water.
3. Fill your canning pot about half full with water and bring to a boil.
4. Sterilize jars and other utensils, such as ladels, in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Empty jars and allow all sterilized equipment to air dry. Do not wipe dry!
5. Follow the instructions for preparing your lids. Usually, they need to be held in hot water or simmering water.
6. Fill a small pot with water and place  it on the stove to boil. You'll need this boiling water later, so get it heating up now so it will be ready when the time comes.
7. Follow your canning recipe exactly.
8. Check your jars for the correct head space (the space between the top of the jar and its contents) as stated in your recipe.
9. Use a plastic spatula or similar utensil and run down the inside walls of the jar and gently push against the jar's contents to remove air from the jar. Check head space again and adjust as necessary.
10. Dip a paper towel or clean cloth into the small pot of boiling water. Use this to wipe the rims of your jars to remove anything that may have gotten on them during processing. This re-sterilizes the area and helps to ensure a good seal.
11. Center a lid on each jar and add the rings, turning until they are fingertip tight. The point of this ring is to keep the lid on the jar through processing, not to seal the jar. If you tighten it too tightly, air won't be able to escape the jar during processing, which can result in spoiled food or a lid that pops off during processing due to the pressure.
12. Lower your jars into the water bath with your jar lifter. Make sure the jars are covered with 1-2 inches of water and return the pot to a boil. Start timing when the water returns to a full boil. Make sure the you use the correct time for your altitude. The water must be boiling and the lids must be covered during the entire processing time. If your water stops boiling, you'll need to bring it back to a boil and start timing from the beginning. If the water starts to look like it's getting low, use the small pot of boiling water to add extra water to the canning pot. This is important because you don't want the canning pot to stop boiling, so make sure you are adding boiling water if it's needed.
13. Once you processing time is up, turn off the heat on the canning pot and allow the jars to sit in the pot for 10 minutes to cool.
14. Using your jar lifter, transfer your jars to rest on a towel on your counter or table.
15. Leave the jars untouched for 12-24 hours to allow them to seal.
16. Before you put your finished jars away, you need to test the seal. Remove the ring and press the center of the lid with your finger. The lid should not pop up and down. Next, try to remove the lid with your finger tips. If the jar passes both of these tests, you have a good seal.
17. Place any jars that don't process in the fridge to be eaten or reprocess immediately.

Have any more canning questions? Ask in the comments below!