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.

June 26- July 2

I am volunteering at VBS this week and couldn't deliver for The Produce Box, which means I didn't get a box this week.  But I decided to try out DJ's Berry Patches CSA Boxes.  I ordered a half share of their produce box and picked it up Tuesday.

The Box consisted of:

• 1 Tomato
• 4 ears of Sweet Corn
• Zucchini
• Squash
• 2 Cucumbers
• 10 Pickling Cucumbers
• 1 Onion
• 1 lb. Red Potatoes
• 1 white Eggplant 
• 2 Bell Peppers 
• 4 Jalapeno Peppers
• 2 Banana Peppers
• Okra
• 1/2 lb. Green Beans

I also purchased a quart of Peaches, a quart of Plums and a Cantaloupe.  I think I will make some Zucchini Bread with the zucchinis from my Box.  If I don't get to serving the fresh green beans then I will blanche and freeze them for later use.  My husband will pickle the pickling cucumbers this week.

 Zucchini Bread

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Sift together flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, baking powder.
3. Beat eggs. Add and mix well sugar, vanilla, and oil. Add zucchini to egg mixture. Add dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in nuts if desired. Pour into 2 ungreased loaf pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

Tuesday, June 26-  I plan to grill some sausage and serve it with some cooked peppers and onions from my Box.  I'll also cook of an ear of corn to serve along with it.  While I was at DJ's Berry Patch I also picked up some fresh fruit which will accompany our dinner tonight as well.

Wednesday, June 27- I intend to make one of my favorites, homemade Eggplant Parmigiana.  I will defrost some homemade sauce which I made with the previous season's stock up tomato box.  Perhaps, a basil oil and vinegar tossed cucumbers and tomatoes from my box along with a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine will round out tonight's meal.

 Basil Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and whisk well.  Serve over greens or other fresh produce.

Thursday, June 28-  Although it's just the girls tonight I still intend to create a homemade meal (this was usually an excuse for take out or breakfast for dinner).   I'll cook up some of the corn from my box and serve it along side grilled chicken breasts.  I will take any leftover vinaigrette from last night and marinate the chicken breasts in it!

Friday, June 29-  Since I have to drop my order daughter off with my husband for a Durham Bulls game, I think the little one and I will use this as an excuse to go out for dinner.

Saturday, June 30-  With all the peppers in my produce box, it is just screaming for steak fajitas!!!

Sunday, July 1-  I came across a recipe in my Southern Living magazine which used Okra (a veggie I am NOT fond of) in an unconventional way.  Tomato and Okra Cornmeal Patties!  I found a similar recipe on allrecipes.com and merged the best of the two into the one found below.  I am thinking some grilled sausages would make an excellent accompaniment to this meal. I'll also create grill packets for some of the squash and zucchini.  I will add a few dabs of butter, minced garlic and salt and pepper. .

Tomato and Okra Cornmeal Patties

• 1 cups plain yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2-1 pound fresh okra, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 large egg
• 1 pound tomatoes, diced
• Fresh basil leaves, minced
• 3 cups vegetable oil for frying

1. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, okra, jalapeno, onion, salt, pepper, water and egg. Combine the flour, baking powder and cornmeal; and stir that into the okra mixture.
3. Carefully drop spoonfuls of the okra batter into the hot oil, and fry on each side until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. 
4. Combine diced tomato and basil sprinkle with olive oil mix well.  Serve tomato mixture over okra patties. 

Monday, July 2- I'll make up Camper Potatoes with the red potatoes from my Box.  I will make Peachy Pork Chops and perhaps serve some green beans along with it.

Simple Peach Sauce

• 1/2 cup water
• 1-2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup sliced peeled fresh peaches

1. In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Add peaches. Bring to a boil; boil another 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Serve warm over pork chops. 

  
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

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.

September 8- September 14 Menu

My Box contains 6 Tomatoes, 8 Apples, 7 Cucumbers and 9 Peaches.

I will be making Freezer Jam with some of the peaches. My oldest daughter loves snacking on the fresh peaches too. I love quick breads and will make up Apple Bread with some of the apples. I didn't make the apple sauce last week. So I will use the remaining apples from last week and some of this week's batch to make up the Spiced Slow Cooker Applesauce.

I will be making Cool Cucumber Salsa, something different to do with these cucumbers. In addition to the Box's cucumbers, my personal garden has been providing my family and neighbor with an abundance of cucumbers. Therefore, I have been looking for new and different ways to use them up.

Dinner this week is very simple and basic. We have some extra activities which will keep us busy and away from the kitchen. So I have planned for a very easy menu. So I apologize that my weekly planning is not very creative or interesting this week.

Wednesday- I am finally using up some of the hotdog rolls from our Labor Day BBQ to make Italian Sausage Sandwiches with grilled peppers and onions along with macaroni salad (with diced up fresh tomato).

Thursday- Simplicity tonight, hotdogs and the remaining macaroni salad.

Friday- I never got around to making the Peach and Honey Chicken last week. I am going to do something a little different and a little less time consuming. I plan on making Baked Chicken with Peaches and serve it over rice.

Saturday- Pasta with ground beef and Cucumber-Tomato Sauce is on the menu tonight along with a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine. Yes I found a tomato sauce recipe that uses up some of my cucumbers. Sounds different and probably the only interesting recipe on my planner this week! I'll let you know how it went over.

Sunday- Steak Fajitas along with the Cool Cucumber Salsa will make for a simple dinner tonight. **picture for illustration purposes from allrecipes.com**

Monday- We are going out for dinner tonight. As much as I enjoy cooking, it is always nice when someone else does it (and cleans up the mess!).

Tuesday- It's my husband's Birthday so we will be doing something special for dinner to celebrate...but I can't tell you- he is probably reading this blog too! ;)

Menu September 1- 7

I am looking forward to the first apple delivery of the season. My fruit laden box this week consists of 3 Macintosh Apples, 3 Gala Apples, 3 Granny Smith Apples, 4 Peaches, 3 Field Tomatoes, a personal Watermelon, a Sprite Melon and 5 Cucumbers. I also received 2 lbs. of Sweet Potatoes.

Notes about last week:

I eventually made all the meals I had set out to do last week, with some minor re-tuning. The soup was excellent! Below is my alternations to the recipe. Although it never cooled down, the homemade soup was a great alternative for dinner. I will definitely keep this soup recipe around!

Butternut Vegetable Chicken Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely diced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 large carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
9-11 cups chicken broth
2 red potatoes, cubed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 tsp. Each- nutmeg, cloves, allspice & cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups chopped baby spinach
2 (16 ounce) cans great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup half and half
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots and butternut squash; cook and stir until squash begins to brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Pour in the broth. Stir in the red potatoes, thyme, salt, pepper and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in the spinach and great Northern beans, and simmer until the spinach is tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Pour about 3 cups of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full (you may have to do this in two batches). Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Return the pureed portion of the soup to the soup pot, leaving the remaining soup chunky. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and partially puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Stir in half and half and warm through.

What to do with my Box?
With all the fruit in this week's Box, I am left to my own devices to come up with exciting dishes to make for dinner.


I have intentions of making an apple pie with my fantastic homemade cinnamon crust to share at our Labor Day BBQ this weekend. I also am thinking of making some homemade applesauce (Spiced Slow Cooker Applesauce) with my girls. They love being my Sous Chefs! I also plan on making the Peach Cobbler Bread I have made before with rave results from my girls. This makes both a great dessert or sweet breakfast treat.

Wednesday, Sept. 1- Cheesy Grilled BBQ Chicken Wraps recipe at Kraftfoods.com will be dinner tonight. However, I will add diced red onion and warmed black beans to each wrap. Also I am simplifying dinner by using a refrigerator package of cooked chicken strips. The leftovers will be great for lunch too. **picture from Kraftfoods.com for illustration purposes**

Thursday, Sept. 2- Tonight couldn't be busier if I tried! Between a doctor's appointment, soccer practice, a Girl Scout meeting and a parent preschool orientation, I truly don't have the time to create a gourmet feast. So I am thinking the girls will have something quick and easy and my husband and I will fend for ourselves along the way.

Friday Sept. 3- Grilled Steak seasoned with the Chef Bobby Buzz's Espresso Rub (a bonus sample received in a previous Produce Box) served with Grilled Sweet Potatoes.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes, sliced
1 apple - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp white sugar
drizzle of maple syrup
1/4 cup butter

Directions
1. Preheat an outdoor grill.
2. In a bowl, toss the sweet potato and apple slices with the cinnamon and sugar. Place on a large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with maple syrup and top with butter. Tightly seal foil around.
3. Place foil packet on the grill, and cook 40 minutes, turning every 5 to 10 minutes, until potatoes and apples are tender.
**Recipe originally from allrecipes.com with a few modifications**

Saturday, September 4- We will be heading out to the Western Wake Farmer's Market in the morning. I'll keep a lookout for zucchini and yellow squash. If I can get my hands on them, tonight's dinner will be Squash and Zucchini Burritos.

Sunday, September 5- We are having a backyard BBQ with friends to send off Summer. Cheeseburgers with slices of fresh tomato along with hotdogs, summer salads, apple pie and campfire S'mores.

Monday, September 6- Tonight we are having the Peach and Honey Chicken served over rice from last week's menu. With a little reworking of my menu plan I have finally gotten around to making this meal. I found this recipe online but wanted to change it up some.

Peach and Honey Chicken
Generous turn of Olive Oil
1 clove minced garlic
4-6 chicken breasts
1/2 onion, sliced
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup water
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1-3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
2 peaches, peeled and sliced

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook for a minute or two until the garlic softens and mellows.
2. Stir in the sliced onion. Cook and stir until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes, then stir in the honey, soy sauce, ginger, and 1 cup of water.
3. Add the chicken to the skillet, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, spread the lemon slices overtop, cover with a lid, and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Once the chicken has cooked, remove to a serving platter and keep warm. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of water, and stir into the simmering sauce. Add the peaches, and chicken and cook until the sauce thickens and returns to a simmer. Pour sauce over chicken to serve.

Tuesday, September 7- With the leftover hotdog rolls from our Labor Day BBQ, I plan on serving grilled Italian Sausage Sandwiches with grilled peppers and onions. I'll also make some macaroni salad using up the rest of the tomatoes from my Box.

Menu August 25- August 31

This week's Produce Box contained 2 small Butternut Squashes, a personal Watermelon, 5 Peaches, 2 large Tomatoes, 1 Sprite Melon, a bottle of local Muscadine Grape Cider and 2.5 lbs. of Sweet Potatoes. My husband is eager to try the cider. If it's too sweet for our liking rather than use it as a drink, I'll use it in my cooking maybe to saute with or as a marinade.

Last week's menu was shaken up a bit. We treated our daughters to dinner out Saturday after a great day of soccer games. The butternut was used as the filling in homemade ravioli and the remaining puree was used in muffins.

The ravioli tasted like stuffed pumpkin pie pastas! The muffins didn't turn out quite like I had expected. They were very dense and not as sweet as I had hoped. I'm not sure if I would make them again.
As much as we love the marinated shrimp, again that meal had been scratched from our menu. There is always hope for this week! I kept the Mexican theme but in place of the Squash and Zucchini Burritos I made my delicious Chicken Enchiladas.

Chicken Enchiladas
1 lb chicken
4oz can of chopped green chile peppers
1 small onion
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp chili powder
Small Can of Enchilada Sauce
1 package of large sized soft flour tortillas
1 package Mexican cheese (or cheddar)

1. Heat large skillet on med/high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat pan
3. Cook chicken through about 8-10 minutes.
4. While chicken is cooking chop onion
5. Remove chicken to cutting board, add chopped onion to skillet and chili powder
6. While onion is cooking, dice up chicken
7. In a small bowl combine the can of cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup of sour cream & 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce. Mix and set aside.
8. Once onion is tender add chicken, green chilies, about 1/4 cup of sour cream mixture & enchilada sauce (add enough to add moisture to skillet about 1-3 tablespoons) Stir and Heat through.
9. In a 9 x 13 baking dish lightly cover bottom of pan with the sour cream mixture.
10. Add chicken mixture to tortillas and roll up, place seam side down in baking dish. (tortillas can be touching each other in dish)
11. Cover tortillas with remaining sour cream mixture and sprinkle with cheese
12. Bake in a 350 degree oven covered for 20-25 minutes then uncover and bake additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

**Meal can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. When ready to bake add 15 minutes to bake time or until heated through.

In addition to the peaches from our Box, my husband brought home fresh peaches he got from a co-workers farm. With all these fresh peaches, I plan on making one entree and a dessert, Peach Pound Cake.

Wednesday- Simplicity tonight. It's Mac N Cheese with fresh fruit for the girls and a grilled cheese sandwich or leftovers for me tonight.

Thursday- Since it's soccer practice tonight, set right in the middle of mealtime, I think I'll make something quick and easy. Cheeseburgers with Tortellini Salad and watermelon from our Box is on the menu.

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.

Friday- I will make one of my favorite dishes, Sweet Potato Casserole, served with pork chops and Southern Green Beans.

Sweet Potato Casserole
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.
   

Southern Green Beans
4 slices bacon
1 large onion sliced
4 cans green beans
salt and black pepper

Fry bacon, remove bacon before it becomes crispy.
In bacon fat fry onion until tender.
Pour 4 cans of green beans into pot. If more water is needed add until green beans are covered.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add bacon.
Bring to boil then let Simmer for about 30-45 minutes. (add water as necessary)

Saturday- I have intentions to make from last week's menu, the Grilled Shrimp Skewers. The recipe actually calls for apple but we have always omitted it. The spicy yet sweet flavors of the marinade are to die for! This has quickly become one our favorite ways to prepare grilled shrimp. I will serve it with perhaps some cheese and broccoli couscous and corn on the cob bought at DJ's Berry Patch, if there is any left. Between Soccer games and Birthday parties I might find myself too tired to cook. So this is my "removal" meal. Since I have all the ingredients on hand and the shrimp is frozen I can always hold this meal for another night. I can also use the corn with tomorrow's meal if necessary.

Sunday- Peach and Honey Chicken served over rice. I found this recipe online but wanted to change it up some. I hope my changes result in a tasty and savory dish.

Peach and Honey Chicken
Generous turn of Olive Oil
1 clove minced garlic
4-6 chicken breasts
1/2 onion, sliced
5 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup water
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1-3 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
2 peaches, peeled and sliced

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook for a minute or two until the garlic softens and mellows.
2. Stir in the sliced onion. Cook and stir until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes, then stir in the honey, soy sauce, ginger, and 1 cup of water.
   
3. Add the chicken to the skillet, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, spread the lemon slices overtop, cover with a lid, and simmer until the chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 10-15 minutes.
   
4. Once the chicken has cooked, remove to a serving platter and keep warm. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 teaspoons of water, and stir into the simmering sauce. Add the peaches, and chicken and cook until the sauce thickens and returns to a simmer. Pour sauce over chicken to serve.

Monday-With these cooler nights, I was inspired to make some soup (I'm longing for those cooler days of Fall.) I plan on making Butternut Chicken Vegetable Soup. I will be making some modifications to this recipe which will include substituting the kale with spinach, adding 2 cans of beans, using less broth and chicken broth and adding cut up chicken. Some crusty bread will go nicely with tonight's meal.

Tuesday- If the leftovers have not been devoured for lunches, then it's leftover night to make room for Wednesday's Box. But if the fridge is sparse, I am thinking a nice grilled steak with mashed potatoes and peas.

Notes on Saturday's Menu

Well today began with Blueberry Muffins. My children gobbled up the muffins and I thought they were tasty. However, I think I will still search for a better muffin recipe. I liked the addition of lemon zest to the blueberry muffin, it paired well. I enjoy a real sweet cake like muffin which I felt this recipe lacked.

This evening I prepared the Peachy Chicken and served it with Garlic Red Potatoes and fresh green beans. The potatoes were suppose to be grilled which imparts a wonderful flavor as well as gets the potato slices nice and crispy. But alas, Mother Nature had other plans, some much needed rain (yeah for the rain, boo to no grilling). They still were good cooked in the oven. One of my girls loved the chicken but my picky daughter did not care for it. I think it may have had too much ginger flavor for her. I think I may tweak this recipe and omit the Asian flavor for more of a pure peach sauce.

Three cheers to fresh local produce!!! I picked up green beans, potatoes, garlic, onions and pickling cucumbers at DJ's Berry Patch this morning. Those green beans tonight were fabulous! I boiled them for a few minutes added some butter and salt. Can't get much simpler or better. Yummy!

July 14th - July 20th Menu

Wednesday is Delivery Day!
I was delighted to get my Produce Box early today. Why? Because that means we can have watermelon with lunch!

This weeks contents include a personal Watermelon, a pint of Blueberries, 7 Peaches, 2 Bell Peppers, a basket of Roma Tomatoes, Butternut Squash, 4 small Japanese Eggplants, 2 small White Eggplants and 2 Pickling Cucumbers.

Our family schedule this week keeps us apart for a few nights which in turn means leftovers Wednesday (to make room in the fridge) and possibly take out Thursday.
So the watermelon will be gobbled up with lunches, breakfast and snacks along with some of the peaches. Over the weekend I will make fresh Blueberry Muffins.

Our first meal made with our Produce Box will not occur until Friday with Eggplant Parmesan and homemade sauce using the 2 white eggplants, a pepper and the roma tomatoes. I will be making my tomato sauce for the first time. I altered the sauce recipe by using 10 tomatoes in the puree and 3 for the chopped tomato, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1 tbsp dried rosemary, and 1 tbsp of basil. I actually forgot to pick up celery at the market so I omitted them. After 2 hours of simmering I added 2 tsp of ground pepper and 1 tsp salt. Since my family isn't especially fond of chunky sauce, I used a potato masher to smooth out some of the chunky pieces. The sauce was a success! And the white eggplants delicate flavor enhanced the meal. Husband gave it 2 thumbs up!

Saturday I will be using a fellow Produce Box's recipe for Peach Chicken using the rest of my peaches. We will have Garlic Grilled Red Potatoes and green beans with dinner. I hope to get those ingredients at a local farmers market, DJ's Berry Patch or Western Wake Farmer's Market.

Sunday I will make Butternut Squash Risotto with Shrimp and possibly a side salad or loaf of bread. I have made risotto in the past with pleasing results. I am eager to taste how this recipe will turn out.

Monday will be marinated chicken fajitas using the marinade from the steak fajitas we had last week. I told you it was DELICIOUS! Along with grilled peppers (from my Produce Box) and onions. I'm also thinking of a corn and bean salad again if I can find a different recipe or modify and tone down last weeks side. UPDATE: I found a Black Bean Salad recipe which I will make Monday.

Tuesday is Asian Peanut Noodle Toss.
Taste of Thai Peanut Noodle Toss Recipe
1/2 Box (8 oz) Rice Noodles
1 TBSP oil
3 cups favorite vegetables chopped (I used 3 of the Asian eggplants, the last pepper & a squash from our garden)
1 tsp Salt
1 13.5 oz can of Coconut Sauce
1 packet (both inner envelopes) Peanut Sauce Mix
1 1/4 lbs chicken or beef thinly sliced

Soak noodles according to stir fry directions. Heat oil in wok over medium high heat. Add vegetables, salt and meat. Saute 3 minutes. Add coconut milk and peanut sauce. Mix. Bring to boil while stirring and boil 3 minutes. Add drained noodles and combine. Cook while stirring until noodles are firm but tender. Add peanuts for garnish.

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.