This Week's Bounty

Sorry I was gone last week.  My computer got a virus and it took me a while to pick it up.  I'm back now, though.  Super excited about this week's basket, something fun and new for me to try!

1 Bunch Rainbow Lights Swiss Card

1 Head lettuce

6 ears corn

1 pkg mushrooms

4 tomatoes

1 bag carrots

9 green chilis

3 mangoes

6 bananas

6 apples

1 clam shell blackberries

I've never had Chard before but I'm excited to try it.  I discovered a couple of months ago that I love Kale and I know this tastes different, but can be used almost the same way, plus, it's super pretty!  My blackberries didn't last long after I took the picture, they were super good!

Scalloped Chicken with Green Beans

Have you ever looked in the cupboards and thought "I really should use this.....someday"?  Well, that's kinda what I did.  I have stuff in there and I know I should use it, but I just don't think about it a lot.  Right now I'm really into cooking from scratch and trying to eat healthier, which usually means things that don't come in a box.  However, I had this box of scalloped potatoes in there and found a recipe to use them with.  Bonus, it was a crock pot recipe which I need on Thursdays when I have exercising, story time, and scouts all on one day.

Ingredients:
1 box scalloped potatoes + the seasoning packet
1 bag frozen peas (I used fresh green beans from my basket this week)
chicken pieces (I used 4 chicken quarters, my kids loved the legs and I like the thighs)
2 cups water

Directions:
Put potatoes, green beans, seasoning, and chicken in your slow cooker.  Add the 2 cups of water and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for about 4 hours.

Verdict:  This chicken was really good.  I liked the potatotoes okay.  My husband said it was one of the best ways he's had green beans.  I did find that this was pretty soupy in the end.  I would recommend either not using as much water, or cracking the lid for the last hour of cooking so that some of the liquid can evaporate.  And of course, serve this with a nice green salad tossing in whatever veggies came in your Bountiful Basket.

Pork Chops & Fixins

Have you ever looked in your freezer and thought "I wonder how long that's been in here?"  Well, I ran into that today.  There were these pork chops that I had gotten for some recipe and I'd gotten a big package and only used half of it.  Well, there was the other half and it needed used.  Now, I'm not a big pork fan, but my husband is a real meat and potatoes kind of guy so I thought I'd cook something to really brighten his day.  Broiled Pork Chops, Roasted Red Potaotes, Parmesan Asparagus, and a green salad.

Doesn't this look yummy?!

There isn't really a recipe here.  I just wanted to brag on my asparagus, mostly.  The kids and I went walking along the ditches by our house and picked it just before dinner so it was fresh and super delicious.  It went along really well with the potatoes from our basket and of course, the salad that we also made using produce from our Bountiful Basket.

This Week's Bounty

What a haul this week!  I am really excited to see red potatoes.  We get a lot of Russets here in Idaho, but not so many reds usually.  I love red potatoes.

 

1 Cantaloup

1 Pineapple

1 clamshell Strawberries

3 clamshell blueberries

5 bananas

1 big bag Green Beans

3 Broccoli crowns

2 Cucumbers

3 on the vine Tomatoes

1 Head Lettuce

2 Jicama

lots of Red Potatoes

Grilled Cheese and Squash

The other day we had soup and sandwiches.  My kids loved Grilled Cheese and I thought I'd make it just a little healthier.  I've mentioned before that they aren't big fans of squash so I will roast it, puree it, freeze it, and then I pull it out and then add it to other dishes.  Usually things like soup or macaroni and cheese.  Well, it also works well for grilled cheese.  I adapted this from the book Deceptively Delicious

doesn't that look good!

Ingredients:
butter
bread
cheese, shredded
squash

Directions:
Heat a skillet on the stove on medium low heat  If your bread is already sliced, good for you, otherwise slice it.  I was using some bread I had just made, so I had to slice it myself.  Mix your cheese and squash together.  I didn't measure anything, I just knew about how much cheese I needed and added some squash to the mixture.  Butter one side of a piece of bread.  On the other side spread some of the cheese/squash mixture on.  Top with another piece of buttered bread, butter side out.  Brown in skillet.  Turning once to brown both sides. 

Verdict:  My kids didn't even know the difference.  My husband said he thought there was a slight texture change, but it was still good.  I think he was just really happy to have homemade bread that he didn't care I put squash in the grilled cheese.  We personally like to have grilled cheese with soup so that we can dip our sandwiches in the soup.

Menu for the Week

I have come to the conclusion that life goes much better and I use more of my basket if I come up with some kind of a menu.  This may interest you, or it may not, but for it's a lifesaver.

Monday

Macaroni & Cheese w/ Broccoli

Tuesday

Stir-Fry over Rice

Wednesday

Beef enchiladas

Corn on the cob

Thursday

Crock Pot Scallop Chicken

Roasted Cauliflower

Friday

Pizza

Salad

I also have snacks planned out for my kids after they get home from school.  Things like veggie sticks and ranch, and smoothies.  Sometimes it's cut up fruit or muffins.  I just didn't think you needed to know all of that, unless you want to... Let me know.

This Week's Bounty

So excited for this week's basket.  One of the watermelons kinda broke so we cut it up and shared it with the volunteers.  They said it tasted really good.  I'm not a watermelon fan, so I will take their word for it.  My kids were really excited for the watermelon and the strawberries, though.

1 Watermelon

1 Pineapple

5 Bananas

2 clamshell strawberries

7 apples

2 grapefruit

6 ears corn

1 cucumber

4 yams

1 cauliflower

1 broccoli