• Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Cherry Tomato, Zucchini, Summer Squash and Green Beans!

    Our first pick from our garden…..a red cherry tomato!

    We are super excited to seeing the fresh vegetables growing in our garden again!  So far we haven’t had to water too much because we have been getting so much rain, now we need to get a little sun to help balance things out.  Our first produce was ready to be picked the first day of June, one little cherry tomato!  Since then we have noticed more veggies starting to pop up.  We got our garden planted late this year with all the traveling, but we are hoping that it will be a fruitful year.  We split the “first” produce of the year but cutting up the cherry tomato and putting it in a meal for the whole family to enjoy.

    Zucchini, 2 for 1 Summer Squash, and a handful of Green Beans

    We have started to slowly see the fruits of our labor in the garden this year.  It seemed to take longer with us plant much later but we hope to have plenty to share with others.  We have picked lettuce a few times for salads but since it is usually at dinner time when I busy prepping for the meal I have been forgetting to take a picture to share.

    What are you eating out of your garden this week?

  • Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals

    Encouraging our kids to eat healthy lunches

    The best part about making lunch for your kids to take to school or for your husband to take to work is you know exactly what they are eating each day.  There were a few days when the girls would come home from school hungry and cranky, after asking them what they had for lunch I would occassionally get the answer……”yogurt”.  My girls really do like yogurt, unfortunately it is not the most filling nutrition to help you get through the rest of the school day.  Which is just one of the reasons we decided to start making the girls lunches this year.

    Here’s what they have in their lunch boxes:

    • PB&J Sandwich
    • Freshly Sliced Plums
    • Lime or Raspberry Jello (sugar free)
    • Freshly Sliced Summer Squash & Cucumbers
    • Yogurt Cup or Stick
    • Freshly Made Banana Bread
    • Snack – Bag of Peanuts or Biscotti
    • Drink – Gatorade or Reduced Sugar Juice

    After Halloween I picked up the “candy corn” baggies which the girls love!  I was able to get 100 candy corn baggies for $0.25 cents on clearance.  The girls smile when I put in a “fun” bag and it helps me stretch the budget so it’s a win-win for the family!

     

  • Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Agriculture (Week 19 & 20)

    I took a couple weeks off because I didn’t have a chance to snap a picture before eating the goodies.  It is week nineteen and twenty receiving fresh produce from our CSA!  This is our last week of our summer CSA Harvest schedule.   The Fall Harvest begins the first week in October so there will be only one week in between.  Our family has been enjoying a half of share of  fresh produce, local honey, eggs and more from a local farm.

    Week 19 & 20 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!

    Fresh Goodies from our Local CSA Farm!

    Items in our Basket this Week:

    • 1 bundle White Radishes
    • 1 bundle Pink Radishes
    • 1 bundle Bok Choy
    • 1 bundle Leafy Greens
    • 1 Acorn Squash
    • 5 Pears
    • 4 Sweet Potatoes
    • 3 Red Tomatoes
    • 1 Green Tomato
    • 5 Summer Squash
    • Handful of Spicy Red & Green Chili Peppers
    • 1 Dozen Fresh Eggs

    I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week!  Anyone have a great recipes for Radishes?  Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes, keep them coming!!!  The CSA’s are gearing up to do their Fall Harvest soon, if you want to get involved this is a great time to contact them.  Fall Harvest starts the first week in October and runs 10 weeks.

    To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy:  Community Supported Farms

  • Fresh & Healthy: Community Supported Agriculture (Week 15 & 16)

    I took a take a couple weeks off since our family schedule was so busy and we had out of town guests staying with us I forgot to get a picture snapped before eating the goodies.  It is week fifteen and sixteen receiving fresh produce from our CSA!  Our family has been enjoying a half of share of  fresh produce, local honey, eggs and more from a local farm.

    Week 15 & 16 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!

    Fresh goodies from our Local CSA Farm!

    Items in our Basket this Week:

    •  1 bag Red & Green Okra
    • 1 bag Green, Yellow & Purple Beans
    • 2 Green Pepper
    • 1 Red and Green Pepper
    • 2 Red Tomatoes
    • 1 Orange Tomato
    • 1 Cucumber
    • 2 Summer Squash
    • 2 Zucchini
    • 1 bundle Radishes
    • 1 Dozen Fresh Eggs

    I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week!  Anyone have a great recipes for Radishes?  Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes, keep them coming!!!  The CSA’s are gearing up to do their Fall Harvest soon, if you want to get involved this is a great time to contact them.

    To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy:  Community Supported Farms

  • Fresh & Healthy: Deep Freezer Goodies – Summer Squash, Onions, and Tomatoes

    Earlier this Summer we started stocking up our freezer with Fresh Produce - Summer Squash, Onions, and Tomatoes!

    One of the joys of having a garden and finding fresh produce on sale is being able to freeze the in season items so you can utilize them throughout the winter.  This summer I have been able to stock up on several great vegetables through growing our own family garden, participating in a local Community Supported Agriculture program and shopping the seasonal clearance items at our local grocery stores.  We now have a section of our deep freezer full of fresh veggies to eat through out the Fall, Winter, and Spring.

    What works for me is freezing the vegetables in quart (or snack size baggies for the onions) size bags and putting four individual bags into one gallon bag.  I pull the gallon bag out of the deep freezer put it up into the refrigerator / freezer upstairs and pull out one bag as I need to use it.  When I have used all four bags I pull another gallon bag of the vegetables I need out of the freezer.  I have been toying with the idea of getting the fresh seal bags but since I get the bags on sale usually for a great price and they work, I am not yet convinced it is worth the cost for our family.  I am already looking forward to enjoying these over the next several months!  What vegetables to you always try to freeze a little bit extra of for the winter months?