August 8- August 14

This week's Box consisted of:

• Sweet Potatoes
• 6 ears of Corn
• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Pint of Cherry Tomatoes
• 2 English Cucumbers

I also got an add on of garlic and peaches.

The watermelon and cantaloupe will sides and snacks.  The corn that I didn't use Wednesday night will be blanched and frozen.

Over the weekend I hope to make Peach Cobbler.

Delicious Peach Cobbler
4 cups of peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self rising flour (if you don't have any you can easily make some- I did using a google search: 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour mixed with 3/4 teaspoon each baking powder and salt)
1 1/2 cups milk
ground cinnamon, optional

-Preheat oven to 350
-Combine peaches, 1 cup of sugar & water in saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Put butter in a 3-qt. baking dish and place in oven to melt.
-Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if desired.
-Bake for approx. 1 hour
Can be served with whipped topping and/or ice cream. Refrigerate left overs.

Wednesday, August 8-  I went simply with hotdogs, sliced cantaloupe and fresh corn on the cob, from my Box.

Thursday, August 9-  Again this evening's meal was simple.  I prepared frozen meatballs over pasta and cut up cherry tomatoes.

Friday, August 10-  If the weather cooperates, my daughter has golf lessons during mealtime.  Therefore, tonight will most likely be take out.

Saturday, August 11- I came across tonight's recipe on skinnytaste.com website.  I have some left over sweet peppers from last week's Box so I thought this would be a great way to use them up.

Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers
Servings: 5 • Serving Size: 2 halves • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 303.7 • Fat: 5.9 g • Protein: 29.9 g • Carb: 34.9 g • Fiber: 6.5 g

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 half red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup parsley (or cilantro)
• 5 bell peppers (red or green)
• 14 oz shredded cooked chicken breast
• cumin
• adobo (or salt)
• 15.5 oz can white beans
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar

In a medium pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add chopped onions, garlic, parsley and red pepper. Saute until soft, about a minute. Add chicken and season with cumin and adobo. Add beans and 1 to 1-1/2 cups of water and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until it thickens and the liquid reduces. Adjust spices to taste.

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut peppers in half removing seeds and stem. Place peppers in an oven-proof dish. Fill each pepper with 1/3 cup of chicken and bean mixture. Pour about 1/3 cup water or chicken broth on the bottom of the dish. Cover tight with foil. Bake 30 minutes at 350°. Remove foil, top with cheese and bake uncovered another 5 minutes. 

Sunday, August 12-  I am leaning towards grilled pork chops with green beans (blanched & frozen from a previous Box) and my Sweet Potato Casserole.

Sweet Potato Casserole 7 WW Points  
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and halved
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in small bowl, stirring to form streusel. Set aside
3. Place potatoes in pot covered with water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer 30 min or until tender. Drain. Mash in large bowl.
4. Stir in 1 cup of streusel topping, sugar, vanilla, egg white and milk.
5. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining streusel.
6. Bake for 45 min.

Serving: 3/4 cup

Calories: 376  Fat: 8.8g  Saturated fat: 1.4g  Monounsaturated fat: 4.1g  Polyunsaturated fat: 2.6g  Protein: 5.4g  Carbohydrate: 70.1g  Fiber: 3.8g  Cholesterol: 1mg  Iron: 1.9mg  Sodium: 115mg  Calcium: 97mg

Monday, August 13-  Grilled Sausage Sandwiches served with onions and peppers along with Camper Potatoes, from an earlier Box. 

Camper Red Potatoes

• sliced red potatoes, dabs of butter, sliced onion or onion powder- Make foil packets and grill until browned and crispy about 30-40 minutes on low heat

Tuesday, August 14-   This recipe again comes from skinnytaste.com  I will serve it over rice.

Garlic Shrimp in Coconut Milk, Tomatoes and Cilantro

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4 • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 6 pts

Calories: 272.5 • Fat: 9.7 • Carbs: 13.7 • Fiber: 2.7 • Sugar: 4.2 • Protein: 30.7

• 1 1/4 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (weight after peeled)
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• kosher salt (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 14 oz can light coconut milk (50% less fat)*
• 1/2 lime, squeezed

In a medium pot, heat oil on low. Add red peppers and sauté until soft (about 4 minutes). Add scallion whites, 1/4 cup cilantro, red pepper flakes and garlic. Cook 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, coconut milk and salt to taste, cover and simmer on low about 10 minutes to let the flavors blend together and to thicken the sauce.

Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes. Add lime juice.

To serve, divide equally among 4 bowls and top with scallions and cilantro.

July 27- August 2 Not a whole lot of cooking going on!

This week my Produce Box consisted of:

• 1 Qt. Peaches
• Green Beans
• 1 Personal Watermelon
• 6 Ears of Corn
• 1 oz. Fresh Basil
• Hot Pepper Variety
• Butternut Squash 

I never made the Peach cobbler last week.  So this week I will use my peaches to make that recipe.  

Delicious Peach Cobbler
4 cups of peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self rising flour (if you don't have any you can easily make some- I did using a google search: 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour mixed with 3/4 teaspoon each baking powder and salt)
1 1/2 cups milk
ground cinnamon, optional

-Preheat oven to 350
-Combine peaches, 1 cup of sugar & water in saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Put butter in a 3-qt. baking dish and place in oven to melt.
-Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if desired.
-Bake for approx. 1 hour
Can be served with whipped topping and/or ice cream. Refrigerate left overs.

I will roast and then puree the Butternut Squash and use it in place of the pumpkin puree in my Pumpkin Bread Recipe.  I will post this recipe separately.

Wednesday, July 27-  Between running to 2 Open Houses and it's my Birthday, I am not cooking dinner tonight.  Not sure what will be for dinner but I know for sure I won't be making it!

Thursday, July 28-  I will use some of the corn and green beans for a side salad, Orzo Salad with Corn, Green Beans and Tomatoes (recipe from myrecipes.com).  I will freeze the remaining corn to have at a later time.  I think my girls have had their fill of corn these past few weeks.  I will also make Apricot Glazed Grilled Pork Chops (whisk 2 tablespoons cider vinegar with 1/4-1/2 cup of apricot preserves, brush glaze on meat during last 5 minutes of grilling).  The meal will be rounded out with slices of watermelon.

Orzo Salad with Corn, Green Beans and Tomatoes (I will halving this recipe)

• 1 pound green beans
• 1 1/2 cups dried orzo pasta (8 oz.)
• 3 ears fresh corn (10 to 14 oz. each; see notes)
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes (12 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, and cut in half

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 2 quarts water to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse green beans, trim off ends, and pull off any strings. Cut into 2- to 3-inch lengths. Add beans to boiling water and cook until barely tender to bite, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and immerse in ice water until cold; drain well.
2. Fill same pan with 2 1/2 to 3 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add orzo and cook until barely tender to bite, 8 to 11 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.
3. Meanwhile, husk corn, discarding silk; rinse ears. Holding each ear upright in a large, deep bowl, cut off kernels close to the cob.
4. To make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, shallots, mustard, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. In a large, wide bowl, mix orzo with 1/2 cup of the dressing. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Spread level. Layer corn kernels, green beans, and tomatoes over pasta. Pour remaining dressing into a container. Cover and chill both salad and dressing until ready to serve.
6. Shortly before serving, pour three-fourths of the remaining dressing over salad and mix gently to blend. Add more dressing and salt and pepper to taste. 

Nutritional Information

• Calories: 296
• Calories from fat: 46%
• Protein: 6.4g
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated fat: 2.1g
• Carbohydrate: 36g
• Fiber: 3.2g
• Sodium: 106mg
• Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Friday, July 29-  We will be attending my husband's family work event at the Durham Bulls Park.  Hotdogs, popcorn and a glass a beer are in my future tonight!

Saturday, July 30- My husband and I are going on a date night!  Again no cooking, glad those green beans will hold for a awhile!

Sunday, July 31-  Despite the fact that my husband and older daughter will be playing in a golf tournament tonight, I plan on making dinner for my little one and myself. It will simple like spaghetti and meatballs.

Monday, August 1-  I will use the remaining green beans for a garlic saute garnished with chopped tomatoes and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. (Heat olive oil, add 2-3 cloves minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.  After washing, trimming and cutting the beans saute them in olive oil for 5-8 minutes.  You can add chopped tomatoes and saute for another 3 minutes or remove from heat and add tomatoes.  Sprinkle with cheese and serve.)  The green beans will be served with a grilled garlic seasoned steak and a loaf of warmed bread.

Tuesday, August 2- It's Mexican tonight!  I will use some of the peppers in a Mexican inspired dish and the remaining peppers will be frozen for later use in salsas and other meals.

July 20- July 26

This week I received:

• 1 quart peaches
• 1 Oriental Melon
• Bell Peppers
• 1 Sprite Melon  
• Vine-ripe tomatoes (double share)
• 6 ears of corn
• A Surprise item- which is a variety of squashes

I also ordered an Add-On of 1 qt.of  Roma Tomatoes.  The melon will great for snacks and the Roma tomatoes combined with both the Box's and my garden's crop of tomatoes will be turned into sauce.

I have adapted my recipe for Tomato Sauce to my family's preferences adding: shredded carrot, omitting celery, replace spices with 2 tsp each Oregano, Basil & Rosemary, and after 2 hours of simmering I add 2 tsp pepper & 1 tsp of salt. Also I have pureed most of the sauce since my family prefers a less chunky sauce.  I will also be adding one can of tomato paste.

Revised Tomato Sauce

• 10 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons dried Rosemary
  
• 1/4 cup Burgundy wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2-1 can tomato paste

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Plunge whole tomatoes in boiling water until skin starts to peel, 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then remove peel and squeeze out seeds. Chop tomatoes and puree in blender or food processor.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in oil and butter until onion starts to soften, 5 minutes. Pour in pureed tomatoes. Stir in basil, Italian seasoning, rosemary and wine. Place bay leaf in pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours. Stir in tomato paste and simmer an additional 2 hours. Discard bay leaf and serve.

I'll make Peach Cobbler using a recipe from last season which I found in The Produce Box's newsletter.

Delicious Peach Cobbler
4 cups of peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self rising flour (if you don't have any you can easily make some- I did using a google search: 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour mixed with 3/4 teaspoon each baking powder and salt)
1 1/2 cups milk
ground cinnamon, optional

-Preheat oven to 350
-Combine peaches, 1 cup of sugar & water in saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Put butter in a 3-qt. baking dish and place in oven to melt.
-Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if desired.
-Bake for approx. 1 hour
Can be served with whipped topping and/or ice cream. Refrigerate left overs. 

Wednesday, July 20-  No cooking tonight since it's Girls Night Out!

Thursday, July 21-  I have family coming into town.  We are doing a movie night with pizza and popcorn.  I'm sure we'll also snack on pieces of melon too.

Friday, July 22- Hamburgers and hotdogs served with corn on the cob.  I will also make a tortellini salad using some of the pepper from my box.  I am hoping to stop by Great Harvest Bread Company and pick up their hamburger rolls to serve the cheeseburgers on.
Tortellini Salad
Cheese Tortellini
Diced mozzarella Cheese
Diced Salami
Tomato
Diced Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Italian Dressing

Cook tortellini per bag directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Add noodles to large bowl. Add cheese, salami, tomatoes and seasonings. Pour dressing over mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate until cold. Before serving, stir salad and add more dressing if needed.

Saturday, July 23-   If their is corn leftover I will use it in this Southwest Salad.  Otherwise I will buy some more fresh corn from DJ's Berry Patch Farm Stand to use in place of the canned corn in the recipe.

Southwest Chicken Salad
1 small can corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar and Monterey cheese blend
3 tomatoes, chopped
Chopped romaine lettuce
Catalina salad dressing
Southwest Style Chicken
Corn chips

In a large bowl, combine the corn, black beans, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Add dressing and mix well. Cut up chicken and placed over salad. Add corn chips before serving. 

Sunday, July 24-  Pulled Pork Sandwiches made in my crock pot will be tonight's meal served on any of the left over rolls from Great Harvest. (if none are left I'll pick up rolls for the sandwiches)This recipe caught my eye because of the apricot preserves!

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 1/2 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• Kosher salt and pepper
• green-leaf lettuce
• rolls

1. In a 5- to 6-qt slow cooker, whisk together the apricot preserves and vinegar; stir in the onion.

2. Season the pork with the cumin and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Nestle the pork among the onions and cook, covered, until pork is tender and easily pulls apart, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.

3. Using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir it into the cooking liquid. Form sandwiches with the rolls, lettuce and pork.

• Nutrition Facts
• Servings 4
• Calories 595
• Total Fat 15g
• Saturated Fat 5g
• Cholesterol 136mg
• Sodium 671mg
• Total Carbohydrates 63g
• Dietary Fiber 5g
• Protein 51g

Monday, July 25- Grilled Steak with peppers and onions along with homemade macaroni salad and sliced melon will be dinner tonight.  I will use the peppers from my box sauteed with sliced onion and olive oil.

Tuesday, July 26-  If there is left over pulled pork from Sunday night's meal, then I will use the pork for tacos.  Otherwise it will still be a Mexican flavored dinner with chicken fajitas.

Delicious Peach Cobbler- Produce Box Recipe

This is the recipe I used for my home-made Peach Cobbler not only did I use the peaches from my Produce Box but I also used the recipe they printed in their accompanying newsletter. Yet another reason I like the Produce box, they send a newsletter with each delivery telling you about your box contents and different recipes to make with your box. This was my first attempt at Peach Cobbler and everyone loved it even my husband who doesn't care much for peaches!

Delicious Peach Cobbler
4 cups of peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self rising flour (if you don't have any you can easily make some- I did using a google search)
1 1/2 cups milk
ground cinnamon, optional

-Preheat oven to 350
-Combine peaches, 1 cup of sugar & water in saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Put butter in a 3-qt. baking dish and place in oven to melt.
-Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if desired.
-Bake for approx. 1 hour
Can be served with whipped topping and/or ice cream. Refrigerate left overs.