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.

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.

May 4- May 10

This week's Produce Box includes:

• Kale
• Orange Sweet Potatoes
• 3 Tomatoes
• 2 Cucumbers
• Bok Choy
• Strawberries
• Fresh Mint (one bunch)

 As with any well designed plan, things don't always go as anticipated.  And last week's menu was no exception.  Some meals were reconfigured while others were completely skipped for another week.  Therefore, this week's menu contains some repeats from last week since I never had the opportunity to make them.  I did however, have the chance to make the Orzo Shrimp and Asparagus Salad.  First, it was a very tasty salad and a refreshing meal for a warm Spring day.  However, I think I would enjoy it more as a side dish rather than a main course meal.  I will keep it on the recipes to make again!

Of course my husband will be using the mint for Mint Juleps and/or Mojitas!

Wednesday, May 4- Since my husband isn't crazy for this sauce and he won't be home for dinner tonight, it's the perfect evening to make pasta with Cucumber Tomato Sauce and a loaf of bread.

Cucumber Tomato Sauce 2 WW Pts.

* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons dried basil
* 1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 4 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

* 2 cups diced cucumber
1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook for a few minutes until fragrant, then stir in the dried basil, and cook for a few seconds more. Add the tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the red pepper and cucumber. Continue simmering and stirring occasionally until the mixture has reduced to a sauce like consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.
Nutritional Information:    Calories: 114 | Total Fat: 9.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg  * Sodium: 102mg  * Total Carbs: 8g  * Dietary Fiber: 1.3g  * Protein: 1g

**NOTE: I added some red wine and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.  Also I used 2 small tomatoes from my box and 1 can of petite diced tomatoes to the recipe.**

Thursday, May 5-  In light of the fact it's Cinco de Mayo, it will be fajitas and quesidillas tonight!  I think I will use the delicious Alton Brown steak fajita marinade for this evening's dinner.  I'll chop up some of my tomato from my Box to garnish the fajitas.  I will also grill up some of the asparagus I got as an add on in my box.

Friday, May 6-  I found the recipe below on allrecipes.com but the added and changed it up a bit for my liking.  To make it more of a main caourse I added the Italian Sausage.  (If I have asparagus leftover, I will incorporate this into this evening's meal.)

Vegetable Hash

• 2 tablespoons olive oil-2
• Italian Sausage
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon butter
• 1lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
• 1-2 small sweet potatoes, diced
• 1-2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1/2 each green and red bell pepper, diced

• 2 cloves minced garlic
• pinch salt
• pinch ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1 teaspoon ground sage

Directions

1. Fry up sausage in pan.  Once cooked through remove from pan and cut up.  Keep warm.
2. Place butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and mix in potatoes, and shallot. Season with garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.  Half-way through cooking, add peppers.
3. Add broth to pan and Mix kale and sage into skillet. Continue cooking  15 minutes, until kale is wilted. 
4. Add sausage to pan and mix.  Serve and enjoy!

Saturday, May 7- Stir Fry using the bok choy is on the agenda will update with recipe later.

Sunday, May 8- Since it is Mother's Day, I am taking the day off from cooking and throwing it into my husband's lap!

Monday, May 9- This was one of those meals that got reworked last week.  So I will try again to make this tasty sounding meal I found on allrecipes.com.  I'll serve the meal along with a fresh green salad made from my Box contents.
Easy Slow Cooker Pork Chops  12 WW Pts.

• 4 (1 inch thick) pork chops
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 (20 ounce) can apple pie filling
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, and then brown them in the hot skillet. Remove from heat.
2. Spray the inside surface of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange sliced onions in the bottom, and place pork chops on top of onions. Pour chicken stock over chops, and top with apple pie filling. Cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours, adding sweet potatoes during the last 3 hours of cooking.

Nutritional Information     Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 567 | Total Fat: 11.9g | Cholesterol: 59mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Calories: 567  Total Fat: 11.9g  Cholesterol: 59mg  Sodium: 1299mg  Total Carbs: 88.1g  Dietary Fiber: 9g  Protein: 28.3g

Tuesday, May 10- I haven't finalized my decision for tonight's meal.  It could be leftovers if I need to make room in the fridge.  Otherwise I will come up with something soon!

Wednesday, April 27- Tuesday, May 3rd

This week's Produce Box includes:

• 2 lettuces
• 2 quarts of Strawberries
• English Cucumbers
• Greenhouse Tomatoes
• Sweet Potatoes

I also ordered an add-on of asparagus.

Wednesday, April 27th-  I made this last summer, although this wasn't one of my husband's favorite recipes, I enjoyed using my cucumbers in an innovative way.  (Found on allrecipes.com)  I'll serve it over pasta along with fresh bread.  ***UPDATE- After spending the day delivering for the Produce Box, I am wiped out!  It's take-out and fresh strawberries for dessert tonight!**

Cucumber Tomato Sauce 2 WW Pts.

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 2 cloves garlic, minced

* 2 teaspoons dried basil

* 1 cup chopped roma (plum) tomatoes

* 1 teaspoon onion powder

* 1 teaspoon garlic powder

* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

* 4 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

* 1/4 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

* 2 cups diced cucumber

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, and cook for a few minutes until fragrant, then stir in the dried basil, and cook for a few seconds more. Add the tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then stir in the red pepper and cucumber. Continue simmering and stirring occasionally until the mixture has reduced to a sauce like consistency, 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutritional Information:    Calories: 114 | Total Fat: 9.3g | Cholesterol: 0mg  * Sodium: 102mg  * Total Carbs: 8g  * Dietary Fiber: 1.3g  * Protein: 1g

Thursday, April 28th-  I was going to make a Southwest Chicken Salad but instead of leftovers Tuesday I actually made that meal.  So I found on allrecipes.com tonight's meal, Orzo and Shrimp Salad with Asparagus.  I have adjusted the original rcipe my changes are reflected below.

Orzo and Shrimp Salad with Asparagus 7 WW Pts.

• 12 extra-large shrimp
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 quarts water
• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (regular will work too but darken the color of mixture)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Peel shrimp. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the garlic and shrimp in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring frequently to keep the garlic from browning. When shrimp are cooked through, remove from heat, cool and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Season water with Old Bay. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the asparagus pieces and continue cooking until the pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain into a mesh sieve, and rinse in cold water immediately (this will keep the asparagus from cooking and keep vibrant green color).
3. Toss pasta and asparagus with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, shrimp, and green onions until evenly coated. In a separate bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, and basil until incorporated. Pour over pasta mixture and toss well; season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for 2 hours.

Friday, April 29th- I found this on allrecipes.com.  I'll the meal along with a fresh green salad made from my Box contents.

Easy Slow Cooker Pork Chops  12 WW Pts.

• 4 (1 inch thick) pork chops
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 (20 ounce) can apple pie filling
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper, and then brown them in the hot skillet. Remove from heat.
2. Spray the inside surface of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Arrange sliced onions in the bottom, and place pork chops on top of onions. Pour chicken stock over chops, and top with apple pie filling. Cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours, adding sweet potatoes during the last 3 hours of cooking.

Nutritional Information     Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 567 | Total Fat: 11.9g | Cholesterol: 59mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

• Calories: 567
• Total Fat: 11.9g
• Cholesterol: 59mg
• Sodium: 1299mg
• Total Carbs: 88.1g
• Dietary Fiber: 9g
• Protein: 28.3g

Saturday, April 30th- Tonight is our neighborhood block party!  Pulled pork, hush puppies and potluck sides and desserts! 

Sunday, May 1-  I will halve tonight's recipe to serve with our steak fajitas.  This is also a recipe I made last year to use up my cucumbers from both my Box and my garden.  If I still have cucumbers from my Box I will make Cool Cucumber Salsa; however, if I use them all up I'll still make the fajitas without this great salsa leaving it for another week when my box runneth over with cukes!

Cool Cucumber Salsa (from allrecipes.com) recipe reflects adjustments to reduce servings yield)

• 1 medium cucumbers - peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 (6 ounce) package tortilla chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the cucumbers, tomatoes, green pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, garlic, lime juice, parsley, cilantro, dill, and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 151 | Total Fat: 6.6g | Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Nutritional Information

• Calories: 151
• Total Fat: 6.6g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 217mg
• Total Carbs: 21.6g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.2g
• Protein: 2.8g

Monday, May 2nd- I am altering a recipe I found on Allrecipes.com with some of my own additions.  I made this amazing salad last Produce Box season and enjoyed it very much.
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.

I may buy prepared Southwest Style Chicken or if I have the time prepare my own.

Tuesday, May 3rd-  Maybe I'll make the cucumber tomato sauce I had planned last Tuesday.  Hmmm, I'll need to think about tonight's meal.

November 17-November 23

This is the last Box of the season! Wow, I can't believe Thanksgiving is around the corner and the year is quickly sprinting to a close. I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in The Produce Box and plan on doing it again next year.

This last Box contains Raspberries, 1/2 lb. Bag of Roasted Peanuts, 1 lb. bag of Baby Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Field Tomatoes and 2 Bell Peppers. I also added on a half bushel box of canning tomatoes.

With a half bushel of tomatoes, I of course will be making an abundance of tomato sauce to freeze. I have adapted the Tomato Sauce to my family's preferences: shredded carrot, omit 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 perfers a less chunky sauce. This time around I will also be adding one can of tomato paste.

Again I cut the White Chicken Chili from my menu. Oh well I'm sure I will eventually make it, and more than once, during the course of the winter.

Wednesday, November 17- Soup and sandwiches due to extra activities this evening.

Thursday, November 18- The Steak Fajitas from last week got bumped to tonight. Which works out well considering I will need to pick my daughter and her friends up form a Brownie meeting this evening.

Friday, November 19- I will make Warm Bean and Sausage Salad. I believe I have made this in the past and enjoyed it. I will be omitting the olives and substituting the turkey sausage with pork sausage. I will using the spinach provided in my box.

Saturday, November 20- I am in the mood for homemade Fish and Chips. So with my husbands assistance I will be preparing a favorite Alton Brown recipe for the fish. With all the grease I am thinking of perhaps serving a side salad along with the fish in place of french fries. We'll see if my husband approves of that suggestion.

Sunday, November 21- If whole chicken is on sale I think I will pick one up and bake it tonight. I'll serve it with Candied Sweet Potatoes with Apples. I am thinking easy and of course slow cooker comes to mind. Therefore, I will prepare Slow-Roasted Rosemary and Garlic Chicken.

Monday, November 22- Tonight I will prepare Spicy Beef Noodle Bowl.


Tuesday, November 23- This may be leftover evening or take out. With Thanksgiving cooking right around the corner as well as out of town guests arriving, I am going with simple and easy tonight.

**pictures from BHG and Cooking Light for illustration purposes only**

September 15- September 21

Today's Produce Box is the last box for the Summer season. In 2 weeks the Produce Box will be offering Fall boxes filled with local farm's Fall Harvests. I am excited to see what those offerings will include. This week I received 4 lbs. of Sweet Potatoes, 5 Cucumbers, 1.5 oz of fresh Basil, 2 large Onions, a pint of Grape Tomatoes, 3 Butternut Squashes and local Grape Cider.

I am thinking of using my Pumpkin Bread recipe and substituting the pumpkin with butternut squash. I'll let you know how that works.

Last week I used cucumbers in a tomato sauce. Something different to use up my abundance of cukes. My husband is not a cucumber lover so he didn't care for the addition of the cucumbers to the sauce. I however, thought the sauce was excellent. Of course I made a few alterations to the recipe. I added one can of crushed tomatoes, 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste and ground beef Overall I enjoyed this sauce and am wondering if I could shred the cucumbers to hide them from my husband? Here is the link for the Cucumber-Tomato Sauce.

Wednesday, Sept. 15- Grilled steak served with Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries. (The recipe calls for making them chips but I plan on baking them as fries and adding a little garlic powder and ground pepper to the mixture.)

Thursday, Sept. 16- With our crazy Thursday schedule, I am either opting for sausage hoagies on the grill or take out.

Friday, Sept. 17- Butternut Squash Risotto using my old stand by risotto recipe, with a few additions. First, I will add 2 cloves of minced garlic to the onion. Second, I will add cinnamon and nutmeg to my mashed butternut squash. Lastly, I will use a 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese. By the way my old and reliable risotto recipe can be found on the side of Harris Teeter Arborio Rice. I will add some cut up tomato to the risotto and some shrimp to round out the dish.

Saturday, Sept. 18- With yard work on the agenda all day, I would like to keep tonight's dinner simple. I plan to make the Cucumber-Tomato Sauce again using the shredded cucumber and a dash of chopped fresh basil over pasta along with a loaf of bread.

Sunday, Sept. 19- Seasoned Grilled Pork Tenderloin (I'll make up my own rub using some chopped fresh basil, lemon pepper, garlic powder, salt and chopped onion) with Grilled Sweet Potatoes. I made these potatoes a few week's ago and everyone (even the kids) ate these up!

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.

Monday, Sept. 20- I'll break out the crock pot tonight for Chili. I enjoy crock pot meals for the ease of preparing a sumptuous dish. With a little prep work in the morning by evening I will have an awesome and hearty meal!

Tuesday, Sept. 21- Most likely tonight will be left overs however, on the off chance all the left overs were already eaten for lunches I am thinking of pork chops and potato pancakes.

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! ;)

August 4-August 10 Menu

My box arrived today!

This weeks box includes: 2 Eggplants, 2 large Field Tomatoes, 1/2 lb. of Garlic Bulbs, a personal Watermelon, Red Cabbage, Spaghetti Squash and 4 ears of Corn.

I also took a big leap and ordered 20 lbs. of Roma Tomatoes in anticipation of making homemade Tomato Sauce to freeze. Although a big undertaking, I am looking forward to having homemade sauce the next time I make an Italian meal rather than grabbing a store bought jar. I have adapted the Tomato Sauce to my family's preferences: shredded carrot, omit 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.

Wednesday- Today is breakfast for dinner. It's just me and the girls plus I making my vat of Tomato Sauce. I have found that the sauce could actually be doubled on the tomato and the rest of the ratios do not have to be adjusted since it is a very flavorful and hearty sauce. I cooked up about 40 tomatoes, about 3/4 of my box. I might make more sauce early next week or better yet maybe some more fresh salsa!

Thursday- I will be entertaining family this weekend. My brother and sister-in-law love Eggplant Parmesan. Therefore, I will be making my Eggplant Parmesan with the 2 eggplants and homemade Tomato Sauce (which I cooked up with last weeks Roma tomatoes and froze). A fresh garden salad, with my home grown cucumbers and tomato from my Produce Box, and a loaf of bread (maybe from Great Harvest Bread Company) will round out dinner nicely. Of course a good bottle or 2 of a Cabernet would put the meal over the top!

Friday- My mother and I will treat ourselves to take out while the rest of my visiting guests enjoy the Beer, Bourbon and BBQ festival.

Saturday- I am cooking for quite a crowd tonight. More family is arriving and we will dine on Grilled Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops, German Red Cabbage and Garlic Grilled Rosemary Potatoes (I purchased the potatoes at DJ's Berry Patch and of course used the fresh garlic from my Produce Box).
Garlic Grilled Rosemary Potatoes- my own original recipe
10 Red Potatoes
3-4 cloves minced Garlic
1/2-1 onion thinly sliced
Rosemary
Olive Oil

Boil potatoes until tender
Rinse under cold water
Quarter potatoes and place in lightly sprayed heavy duty foil packet
Add sliced onions
Sprinkle with Rosemary and the minced garlic
Drizzle with olive oil
Seal packet and place on preheated grill
Grill for about 10 minutes on each side

I got this awesome German Red Cabbage recipe from a neighbor.
Yield: 12 servings

1 medium sized head red cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled cored and grated
1 cup unsweetened apple pure juice (not concentrate)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
kosher or sea salt & pepper
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
olive oil
Cut red cabbage into quarters and cut out the core and slice thin
Peel onion, cut in half and slice thin
Grate apple
In a dutch oven, add about 1 generous turn of the pan of oil and heat.
Cook onions 2–3 minutes and add the red cabbage; braise the cabbage until just tender 3–5 minutes.
Season with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Add ground cloves, allspice and nutmeg.
Add caraway seed, if desired.
Add the brown sugar, apples, apple juice and vinegar.
Cover and simmer until the cabbage is cooked and tender—do not boil or overcook.
Cooking time is about 30 minutes. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Sunday- Depending on when my company leaves will be the determining factor as to dinner Sunday night. It will be an earlier dinner, so I am thinking of something on the simpler side. Grilled steaks with the left over cabbage and fresh corn on the cob might be the best option.

Monday- I plan on making Spaghetti Squash Lasagna. After cooking the squash, I'll probably do it again in the microwave, scoop out the squash. In a separate bowl mix together ricotta cheese, Italian seasonings and sauce (of course from my vat I made Wednesday). In a baking dish coat the bottom with some tomato sauce, then layer with squash, cheese mixture, either pan fried loose sausage or chop meat and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers ending with squash. Finally spread sauce over top and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until warmed through and cheese is melted (about 30-45 minutes). I'll serve this with a loaf of bread.

Tuesday- By this point I am assuming there will be a decent amount of leftovers. Then again with a house full of guests over the weekend it could all be gone now. If we have leftovers then I have dinner. If not I'll have to throw something together.

Menu July 28-August 3

It's Wednesday and that means Produce Box delivery day!

This weeks box includes 4 Ears of Corn, 6 Peaches, a head of Cabbage, Jalapeno Peppers, 2 Bell peppers, 10 Roma Tomoatoes and as our Surprise Farm Item- a personal Watermelon.

Wednesday- Tonight we are grilling. It's Hotdogs, Grilled Corn on the Cob and Grilled Peaches. For the peaches- slice the peaches and place on heavy duty tin foil sprayed with PAM, mix brown sugar & cinnamon together, sprinkle over peach slices, using approx. 1-2 tsp of vanilla extract pour over peach slices, dot with butter. Seal foil and place on grill for about 7-10 minutes or warmed through. For a richer dessert serve with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Thursday-Since my husband will not be home for dinner, I think it will be a simple meal like breakfast for dinner or maybe grilled cheese sandwiches.

Friday- I will make Homemade Coleslaw to accompany the Steak Fajitas (we just can't get enough-LOVE these!) and Grilled Pepper & Onions. I am sure my husband will want to add some of the jalapeno to our dinner tonight.
I will be planning my weekly stop at either DJ's Berry Patch or Western Wake Farmer's Market to pick up some additional produce items that I'll need for tonight and the next couple of meals. I encourage you to explore your local farm stands and markets. Fresh tasting produce and supporting local farmers are 2 very good reasons to venture out this weekend!

Coleslaw
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.

Saturday-The kids will have Macaroni and Cheese with watermelon while my husband & I celebrate my birthday.

Sunday- I will use the Roma Tomatoes from my Produce Box to make Tomato Sauce. I used this recipe a few weeks back with some minor alterations with rave reviews from my husband.
I altered the sauce recipe by using all the tomatoes in the puree (since my family does not like chunky sauces), 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp dried rosemary, and 2 tsp of basil. I omitted the celery. After 2 hours of simmering, I added 2 tsp of ground pepper and 1 tsp salt. I will use the sauce in my Lasagna, cooked in my Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker in the microwave.

Monday- I will be making Grilled Teriyaki Tuna Wraps, we have made these many times before and love the refreshing meal this makes. Perfect for Summer grilling! I have substituted the arugula leaves with baby spinach.

Tuesday- I am searching for an interesting main course recipe to use up some of these jalapenos. I'll let you know what I find.