November 1-November 6

Friday, November 1-  Apple themed dinner tonight.  I am using my older apples from a previous box to make oven baked apples and pork chops served along side apple stuffed acorn squash and fresh green beans both from my box.
Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

• 2-3 apples peeled, cored and large diced
• Acorn squash cut in half seeds removed
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Mix spice mixture together toss into diced apples.  Scoop half of apple mixture into each half of the acorn squash.  Place half of butter on top of each acorn half.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  In baking dish pour a water onto bottom of pan to cover dish.

Apple Pork Chop Bake

• 4 pork chops seasoned with salt and pepper
• 3 apples peeled, cored and diced
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons Melted butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Arrange seasoned chops in cover baking dish.  Combine spices and brown sugar, add apples and butter, toss to coat.  Pour apple mixture evenly over chops.  Cover and bake 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Last 10 minutes remove lid.

Saturday, November 2-   Tonight we are treating ourselves to dinner out or at least take out.

Sunday, November 3- After hiking today we had a late lunch so dinner will be leftovers.

Monday, November 4-  I'd like to bake a full herbed seasoned chicken tonight along with my butternut squash casserole and corn pudding using the corn, onion, and squash from my box.

Butternut Squash Casserole- from Williams-Sonoma

Casserole:

4 cups butternut squash puree

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp orange extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Topping:

1 cup vanilla wafers, crushed

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly grease a casserole dish (4 - 6 cup capacity).

2. Combine squash puree, sugar, milk, vanilla, orange extract, salt, flour, eggs and melted butter. Pour into the prepared casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until set.

3. Meanwhile, make the topping. In a medium bowl, combine crushed vanilla wafers, melted butter and the brown sugar. Sprinkle over top of the cooked casserole and return to the oven to brown for an additional 10-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Corn Pudding (recipe from Just Right Menus)

1 can (14 3/4 oz) corn, drained - - or 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fresh corn, 3-4 ears' worth
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. sugar
2 1/2 TB flour
2 TB melted butter
salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 
2. Combine all ingredients together. 
3. Pour into a greased pan/dish (about the size of a 10" round dish) 
4. Bake 350° for 50 - 60 minutes, or until brown on top and sides. If you're not sure if it's done, insert the tip of a butterknife into the center. If you can move the pudding over & see the bottom of the pan without the pudding running back over, it's done.

Tuesday, November 5-  I have a great number of peppers from my box along with a hearty amount of corn on the cob.  So, I will either make sausage and peppers over spaghetti or stuffed peppers for the grown ups and Mac n' Cheese for the girls along with fresh corn on the cob will make up tonight's meal.

Stuffed Peppers  WW Pts: 7

• 4 large peppers (8 banana peppers)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 3/4 cups bread crumbs

1. Cut off tops of peppers, and remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portions of tops; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a medium skillet. Saute reserved chopped pepper, onion and celery until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Mix in sausage, bread crumbs and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture.
4. Using a piping bag or sausage stuffer, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place in a 3 quart casserole dish, and pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour. (optional- last 15 minutes sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese)

Amount Per Serving
Calories:310 Total Fat: 24g  Dietary Fiber: 1.9g

Wednesday, November 6-  Scout night so it's fajitas with any leftover peppers and onion from my box along with any potato and macaroni salad we picked up over the weekend.

Thursday, November 7- Not sure what tonight will bring either a new dish or leftovers....

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 11- July 17

This week our Box consisted of:

• 1qt. Peaches 
• 1 pint Blueberries
• 6 ears of Sweet Corn
• Large Share of Green Beans
• Tomatoes
• Bell Pepper Mix
• and an add on of Bibb Lettuce

The peaches and blueberries are always great snacks on hand.  I may even try making Peach Muffins.

Peach Cobbler Mini Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1-2 cups peeled, pitted, and chopped peaches

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line the mini muffin tin with mini muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, eggs, and sugar. Stir the oil mixture into the flour mixture just until moist. Fold in the peaches. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups

3. Bake 17-20 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely. Makes approximately 24 mini muffins. **I plan to make regular sized muffins**

Wednesday, July 11-  Using the Bibb Lettuce I will make Asian Lettuce Wraps for dinner tonight.  Since I believe the kids will not particularly care for this meal I'll make Ramen Noodles and green beans from my box for them.

Asian Lettuce Wraps WW 9 pts (2 wraps with 2 small scoop beef)

• 16 lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 T soy
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T chile paste

Mix ingredients and spoon desired amount over wrap before rolling.

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped peanuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Add desired amount of sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4 (2 wraps)
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 388 Total Fat: 22.3g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 580mg Total Carbs: 24.3g Dietary Fiber: 4.7g Protein: 23.4g

Thursday, July 12-  Although it's just the girls tonight, I plan to cook up some greens beans along with Southern Fried Chicken and gravy.  This recipe reprinted from Southern Living, orginally calls for cube steaks but I substitute boneless chicken breasts instead.  I will be blanching the remaining green beans to freeze for a later date.

Southern Fried Chicken and Gravy

• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 3/4 teaspoons black pepper, divided
• 4 (4-ounce) cube steaks (I use chicken breasts)
• 38 saltine crackers (1 sleeve), crushed (in a pinch I have substituted bread crumbs)
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 3/4 cups milk, divided 
• 2 large eggs 
• 3 1/2 cups peanut oil
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper evenly over steaks. Combine cracker crumbs, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, red pepper, and baking powder. Whisk together 3/4 cup milk and eggs. Dredge steaks in cracker mixture; dip in milk mixture, and dredge again in cracker mixture.
2. Pour oil into a 12-inch skillet; heat to 360°. (Do not use a nonstick skillet.) Fry steaks 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and fry 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove steaks to a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan. Keep steaks warm in a 225° oven. Carefully drain hot oil, reserving cooked bits and 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.
3. Whisk together remaining 4 cups milk, 1/4 cup flour, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add milk mixture to reserved drippings in skillet; cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened. Serve gravy with steaks. Garnish, if desired. (**This makes alot of gravy, consider halving recipe**)

Friday, July 13-  No cooking tonight because it's the Company Picnic with fireworks!

Saturday, July 14- I came across tonight's shrimp dish and the side I plan to make, Black Bean Salad, on simplyrecipes.com  I have made the salad previously and we have enjoyed it.  I may decide on serving these on soft tacos with a garnish of the salad.  In that case I will half the salad.  I will also omit the avocado from the salad.

Cilantro Lime Shrimp Recipe

If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost them by placing them in a bowl of ice water or cold water. Adding a little salt to the water will help the shrimp retain their briny flavor.

• 2 Tbsp high smoke point oil such as grape seed oil, or canola oil
• 1-2 Serrano chiles, sliced into thin rings
• 1-2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• Salt
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1-2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Place a large sauté pan or a wok over your strongest burner on high heat. Let the pan heat up for a minute and then add the oil. Use a high smoke point oil since you will be cooking the shrimp on very high heat. Let the oil heat until it's shimmering. If it starts to smoke, remove the pan from the heat for a moment.
2 Add the chiles to the pan and toss to coat with oil. Cook 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and sprinkle with salt. Toss to coat with oil. Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 1 minute before tossing again so they get a little bit of a sear. Stir-fry until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.


3 Turn off the heat and mix in the cilantro, then the lime juice.
Serve hot or at room temperature. Serve alone, over rice, or in a folded heated flour or corn tortilla.
Yield: Serves 3-4.
  

Black Bean Salad Recipe

• 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled)
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions or shallots
• 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded)
• 3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• 2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Make sure to rinse and drain the beans, if you are using canned beans.
In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno chile peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.) Chill before serving.
Serves 6 to 8.

The remainder of the corn I do not use to make the salad I will freeze for later use. How to Freeze Corn http://www.pickyourown.org/freezingcorn.htm

Sunday, July15- I plan to make the Stuffed Peppers I have made a number of times now and we all enjoy, using the Bell Peppers from my Box.

Stuffed Peppers  WW Pts: 7

• 4 large peppers (8 banana peppers)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 3/4 cups bread crumbs

1. Cut off tops of peppers, and remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portions of tops; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a medium skillet. Saute reserved chopped pepper, onion and celery until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Mix in sausage, bread crumbs and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture.
4. Using a piping bag or sausage stuffer, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place in a 3 quart casserole dish, and pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour. (optional- last 15 minutes sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese)

Amount Per Serving
Calories:310 Total Fat: 24g  Dietary Fiber: 1.9g

Monday, July 16-  Ballet and Golf Night with all of us literally in different directions and all in the midst of meal time, it will be breakfast for dinner, leftovers or even take out.

Tuesday, July 17-  Marinated Grilled Sliced Steak over Brazilian Rice Beans will be this evening's meal.

The steak will be marinated in lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and chili pepper.  After marinating it will be grilled and served over Brazilian Black Beans (Feijão) and Rice.

Feijao WW Pts: 1

1-2 cans black beans

2 cloves garlic (pressed)

bacon (chopped)

black pepper

1. Fry up bacon until crispy
2. Add garlic and saute
3. Add beans with juices and add about 1/4 cup water to pan
4. Simmer for 10 minutes
5. Serve over rice.

Rice WW Pts: 3

1 small onion diced

1-2 garlic cloves minced

1 cup long grain rice

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp salt

1. Saute onion until soft
2. Add garlic and saute.  Add rice and stir fry.
3. Add water and salt, bring to boil.
4. The water level will begin to drop.  Cover and reduce heat.
5. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and let the rice rest for about 10 minutes.

October 26- November 1

This week we received:

• pint of Raspberries
• 3 Zucchinis
• large head of Napa Cabbage
• 6 apples
• 4 Poblano Peppers
• Fresh Rosemary
• Add on of Romaine Lettuce

With my zucchinis, I will use my Grandmother's recipe for Zucchini "Apple" Pie.  I will also be baking later in the week a Sweet Potato Cake using the sweet potato from an earlier Box.

Zucchini Apple Pie

9" pie                                                                                                          

 

4 cups sliced, peeled, cored zucchini cooked til tender crisp             

2 T lemon juice                                                                                       

dash salt                                                                                                  

 

Mix together:

 

1 1/4 cup sugar                                                                                     

1 1/2 t cinnamon                                                                                    

1 1/2 t cream of tartar                                                                           

dash nutmeg                                                                                           

3 T flour                                                                                               

                                                                                                               

Add Zucchini

 

Mix well. It will be runny but that's ok. Dump the filling into a 9 inch crust and dot with butter. Add top crust and bake at 400* for 40 minutes

Sweet Potato Cake

2 1/2 self rising flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 1/4 cups oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup Hot water
1 1/2 cups peeled and grated sweet potatoes
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.  In another bowl mix oil and sugar; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add water and sweet potatoes; mix well.  Add pecans and vanilla.  Add flour mixture; beat til smooth.  Pour into 3 9" layer pans or one 9x13 pan (greased and floured)
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Frost after cooling.

I used vanilla cake frosting and omitted the pecans because I didn't have any on hand.  This cake was moist and delicious.   I did not have self rising flour on hand but was able to make my own. (For every cup of self rising flour add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.)

Wednesday, October 26-  I have left over beef stew and with my husband not home, I will try to invent tonight's leftovers.  I will add some cooked white rice to the stew.  A little something different than egg noodles.

Thursday, October 27-  Tonight I will use the add on of romaine lettuce to make Asian Lettuce Wraps.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com but have adjusted the basic recipe with suggestions from other reviewers.
Asian Lettuce Wraps

• 16 lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 T soy
• 2 T rice vinegar
• 1 T chile paste

Mix ingredients and spoon desired amount over wrap before rolling.

Directions

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped peanuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Add desired amount of sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 388 Total Fat: 22.3g Cholesterol: 69mg Sodium: 580mg Total Carbs: 24.3g Dietary Fiber: 4.7g Protein: 23.4g

Friday, October 28-  I never made the Marinated Pork Tenderloin I had plans for last week.  Therefore, tonight I will bake the Marinated Pork Tenderloin and serve it along with green beans and mashed potatoes.  I found the pork recipe at allrecipes.com add altered the recipe based on other reviewers comments.
Marinated Pork Tenderloin

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons sherry
• 1/2 small onion minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic minced
  
• 2 (3/4 pound) pork tenderloins (I will be using just 1)
  

Directions

1. Place soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, onion, cinnamon, olive oil, and garlic in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal, and shake to mix. Fork the tenderloin.  Then place pork in bag with marinade, seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place pork in baking dish, reserve marinade.
3. Bake pork for 50-60 minutes, or to desired doneness. Let rest 5-10 minutes covered in foil.  
4. While meat rests, place reserved marinade in a saucepan and heat.  Add cornstarch to thicken, bring to boil and let simmer until sauce has thickened.
5. Slice into medallions, and serve with gravy.

Saturday, October 29-  With my large head of Napa cabbage, I will make my cole slaw and serve it along with grilled cheeseburgers, fries and onion rings.

Cole Slaw
1 head of Cabbage shredded
1/4 pound shredded or julienne Carrots
1 Onion finely chopped
1/2 cup Mayonaise
1 tablespoon Vinegar
2 teaspoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Mix Mayo, Vinegar, Sugar & Salt in non-reactivate bowl. Add shredded Cabbage, Carrots and diced Onion. Mix well. Chill before serving.

Sunday, October 30-  I am thinking of making Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili tonight.  I will add the recipe later.

Monday, October 31-  Since it is Halloween and my children will be anxiously awaiting Trick or Treating, dinner must be simple and quick.  I will either throw together quesidillas and steak fajitas or opt for pizza take out.

Tuesday, November 1-I plan to make the Stuffed Peppers I have made a number of times now and we all enjoy, using the Poblano Peppers from my Box.

Stuffed Peppers  WW Pts: 7

• 4 large peppers (8 banana peppers)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 3/4 cups bread crumbs

1. Cut off tops of peppers, and remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portions of tops; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a medium skillet. Saute reserved chopped pepper, onion and celery until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Mix in sausage, bread crumbs and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture.
4. Using a piping bag or sausage stuffer, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place in a 3 quart casserole dish, and pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour. (optional- last 15 minutes sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese)

Amount Per Serving
Calories:310 Total Fat: 24g  Dietary Fiber: 1.9g

 
 

October 5- October 11

This week our Produce Box consists of:

• Apples: Mutzu variety 
• 2 Large Purple Sweet Potatoes 
• 3 Large Poblano peppers 
• 2 Cucumbers
• 2 Butternut Squash 
• 6 ears of Sweet Corn  

I also ordered approximately 1.5 lbs. of green beans and a quart of Hot Pepper Mix (jalapenos & cayennes).  My husband wants to make jalapeno poppers with some of the peppers.  The others may be dried or frozen.  I plan on blanching the green beans and corn for use during the winter. (except for what I will use for my soup)

Wednesday, October 5-  Tonight it's just us girls.  I will cook 2 ears of the corn to serve along with our meal.  I have leftover chicken which I might reinvent into a "new" dish or I may play it safe with pasta.

Thursday, October 6-  I will be preparing my Grandmother's Barley Soup, using some of the fresh green beans and corn.

Barley Soup

1/2-3/4 cup Barley
Lamb Shank with bone (can use other meat too)
Water (vegetable broth etc can be used as will- but reduce salt)
Celery
Carrots
Green Beans
Corn
Onion
Broth Dry Seasoning Mix
Salt and Pepper

1.  Place lamb shank in pot and cover with water.  Cook down.
2. Meanwhile cut/dice vegetables.
3. Using some of the liquid from the lamb pot, add to large soup pot along with veggies, barley and meat. (liquid should be enough to completely cover contents)
4. Add dry seasoning mix and salt and pepper.
5. Bring to boil, then simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  (when reheating add more liquid to desired thickness)

Friday, October 7-  With the arrival of company we are going out to Orchid Japanese Restaurant!


Saturday, October 8-  I plan to make the Stuffed Peppers I have made twice now and we all enjoy, using the Poblano Peppers from my Box.

Stuffed Peppers  WW Pts: 7

• 4 large peppers (8 banana peppers)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 3/4 cups bread crumbs

1. Cut off tops of peppers, and remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portions of tops; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat butter in a medium skillet. Saute reserved chopped pepper, onion and celery until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Mix in sausage, bread crumbs and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture.
4. Using a piping bag or sausage stuffer, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place in a 3 quart casserole dish, and pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers.
5. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour. (optional- last 15 minutes sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese)

Amount Per Serving
Calories:310 Total Fat: 24g  Dietary Fiber: 1.9g

Sunday, October 9-  Tonight I will make the savory Butternut Squash Enchiladas I made earlier which were very good.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

Serves 8

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 butternut squash (11/2 lb.), halved and seeded
• 1 medium onion, diced (1 cup)
• 1 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, drained and diced, plus 2 teaspoons sauce (if this is too much heat, use chili powder to your liking)
• 1/4 cup salsa (increase to 1/2 cup if you omit the chipotle chiles above)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp. )
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 can of black beans rinsed and drained
• 3 green onions, chopped (1/3 cup)
• 1 16-oz. can enchilada sauce (salsa verde can be substituted)
• 8 flour or corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash cut-side down on baking sheet. Roast 45 minutes, or until soft. Cool until easy to handle. Scoop squash into bowl, and mash.

2. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute 5 to 7 minutes, or until soft. Add chipotle, adobo sauce, and garlic. Cook 1 minute, stirring often.

3. Stir in mashed squash, salsa, cumin, and nutmeg. Cook 3 minutes more, or until heated through. Remove from heat, and fold in green onions and beans.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce over bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Divide filling among tortillas, and roll loosely. Place filled, rolled tortillas in baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and Cheddar cheese. Bake 30 minutes, or until top begins to brown and sauce is bubbly.

 

Monday, October 10-   I think there may be leftovers which would make for a good leftover night since we do have soccer practice!

Tuesday, October 11-  I might try my hand at Southern Living Magazine's recent soup recipes, specifically Hearty Italian Soup.  Considering the recipe makes 12 cups I may consider scaling it down for our family, although leftovers are always a great lunch or quick dinner for later in the week!

 

Hearty Italian Soup 

Yield: Makes 12 cups
Total: 2 Hours, 40 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (16-oz.) package mild Italian sausage
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (48-oz.) container chicken broth
• 2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 (5-oz.) package baby spinach
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

Preparation

• 1. Cook sausage in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat 7 to 8 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove sausage from Dutch oven, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Sauté onion in hot drippings 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and return to Dutch oven.
• 2. Stir chicken broth and next 3 ingredients into sausage mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes.
• 3. Stir in spinach and next 2 ingredients; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese. Serve with Parmesan-Pepper Cornbread Biscotti.

Recipe inspired by Kelly Mapes, Fort Collins, CO, Southern Living   OCTOBER 2011

September 14- September 19

This week in addition to my regular box selection, I have ordered a 25lb. box of Roma tomatoes.  Look out Mama Luigi!  I will be using the tomatoes to make a vat of tomato sauce to freeze.  My Box contains the following this week:

• 1 quart of Peaches
• Apples
• Roma Tomatoes
• Medium Watermelon
• Poblano Peppers
• Bunch of Carrots (our Surprise Box Item)

The fruit will make a healthy snack or side for meals.  Although with these many apples, I think an apple crisp or apple cake is in our future!
The tomatoes in my Box will be added to the 25 pound box for sauce.  I will use my sauce recipe (see below) but of course will be scaling it up for the large quantity of tomatoes I will be using.

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.

Wednesday, September 14-  It's just the girls tonight.  So it will be simple.  Maybe breakfast for dinner tonight!

Thursday, September 15-  We are celebrating my husband's Birthday this evening.

Friday, September 16-  I will try using this stuffed pepper recipe for my poblano peppers.  I used this recipe before with banana peppers and it was delicious! Stuffed Peppers  WW Pts: 7 8 peppers 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped celery 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 pound Italian sausage 3/4 cups bread crumbs Cut off tops of peppers, and remove ribs and seeds. Chop edible portions of tops; set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add peppers, reduce heat, and simmer until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat butter in a medium skillet. Saute reserved chopped pepper, onion and celery until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic. Season with basil, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan. Mix in sausage, bread crumbs and 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture. Using a piping bag or sausage stuffer, fill each pepper with the meat mixture. Place in a 3 quart casserole dish, and pour remaining tomato sauce mixture over peppers. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 1 hour. (optional- last 15 minutes sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese) Amount Per Serving Calories:310 Total Fat: 24g  Dietary Fiber: 1.9g   Saturday, September 17-  With a fresh batch of tomato sauce, I will use some sauce with gnocchi along with a side salad for dinner this evening. Sunday, September 18-  We are headed to the Zoo today, depending when we return will determine our dinner plans tonight.  I will have to wait and see for tonight. Monday, September 19-   Soccer practice tonight which means the kids eat earlier and then the grown ups later.  This results in simple easy meals.  Most likely tonight will be Mexican.  Quesidillas for the girls and fajitas for us.