Fooooood!

Today, I'm going to share with you something that has been a great addition to my life lately. About 6 months ago, we started using a co-op for our fruits and veggies. I really wanted to start eating healthier AND try new things (anyone else feeling this way?). I was spending so much every week on produce that I was getting frustrated (anyone else feeling THIS way?).

Then, a friend told me about Bountiful Baskets. They are AWESOME! Unlike other co-ops I've heard about, with Bountiful Baskets you pay each week.  It's only $15 and I get a large basket of various fruits and another of veggies. They offer an organic basket for $25 every other week, but we've never tried it.

Anyway, here's what it looks like every Saturday when we go to get our yummy produce.

You check in and they send you off to your baskets. It's so exciting. It's almost like Christmas wondering what you're going to get that week. 

 Bridget likes to run ahead and look in other people's baskets.  We keep telling her it's all the same, but she LOVES looking at everything.  She also LOVES to help us move everything from our baskets to our box to take home.

Here's a pic of the baskets we got a few months ago. This is pretty typical of the variety we get.

Veggie basket. Lettuce, acorn squash, celery, corn on the cob, brussels sprouts, and I'm pretty sure there were sweet potatoes, and a butternut squash under there, too. I owe this basket for my new found love of brussels sprouts. Wash 'em, cut 'em in half, and roast them in the oven with olive oil and S&P.  Yum!

And our fruit basket.  Grapes, apples, pears, bananas, and persimmons.  There were oranges under there as well.  Many times there's a pineapple in there, too. This is the week I learned that persimmons are not to the liking of anyone in my family. Whenever we get them now, Mike trades them with a lady at his work for more bananas or apples.

Anyway, I thought I'd share in case some of you have been looking for something similar.  Bountiful Baskets are available over here in quite a few states out west.

Do any of you have ways that you get healthy, new foods into your family?  Any other great tips of tricks?

Oh, and FYI, this was not paid for in any way.  I just really like this things and figured some of you might want to know about it as well.  Yaaaay!

My brilliant idea

Ok, so Bridget loves toast. She also loves fruit. So, brilliant me thought, "Hey, let's give her some toast with jelly!" Um, yeah. I don't think I can even describe the sticky mess that ensued (although I'm sure most of you can imagine.) That was a few weeks ago and she hasn't had jelly since. Until today, when I had another brilliant idea.
A while ago, Baby in the Kitchen posted about "dippy eggs" and how dipping teaches hand eye coordination and strengthens the pincer grasp. I have yet to make dippy eggs for Bridget (mostly because I can't stand the smell of hard boiled eggs. Blech!). I really wanted to do this for Bridget, but due to the smell issue, I just couldn't. Then I had an idea! I could make "dippy toast."
I put some fruit preserve into a small bowl, heated it up until it was liquidy, and then let Bridget dip her toast in it. She LOVED it! She "got it" so quickly. I guided her hand once or twice and then she was all over dipping all by herself (genius I tell ya!) And although there was still some stickiness, it was much more manageable because she's a pretty dainty little eater and only got the preserves on the tips of her fingers as they dipped the toast. It was awesome! I think this may become a regular part of breakfast.

Completely unrelated: This is my 200th post! Yippie!

I love food.

Not that this should come as any surprise. Really, who doesn't love food? I also love cooking. I rarely do it for lack of time, but I love to cook meals at home. What I don't like is the prep work before and the cleaning after. Seriously, I need to be a chef so I can have people to do those parts for me. I tell you all of this because I have been cooking all of Bridget's food since she started eating solids. At first, it was a breeze! Steam some veggies, puree them in the food processor, freeze, and you're good to go. Woohoo! Supermom!

However, now that she's eating things that are more complex than mashed peas and carrots, it's starting to take its toll on my time and my kitchen. Truly, making one or two meals for her takes the better part of 3 hours start to finish. And that's not counting in the time to make the stocks or whatever is needed prior to making said meal. A few weekends ago, I took on two meals: Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Apples and Mini-Minestrone (recipes from Top 100 Baby Purees which I borrowed from the library and absolutely love). Both sounded appetizing to me so I figured Bridget would like them too. She's an awesome eater and the only thing we've found so far that she doesn't like is avocado (I know, crazy right?).

Anyway, I set to work around noon last Saturday. I had make the stock needed for both recipes the day before (because holy cow, have you seen how much sodium is in store bought stock?). Cleaning, chopping, prepping, etc took about 45 minutes and then cooking and pureeing was another hour or so.

This is the chicken, sweet potato and apple cooking. Yum!

This is the minestrone. I think the potatoes sucked up more liquid than expected but eh, it still smelled delicious.

After cooking and pureeing, you pour everything into ice cube trays and let them freeze. Then, you pop them out and store them in baggies. This is the awesome part about homemade baby food. I have individual little portions of many different meals available to me at all times. No feeling bad about opening a jar that she only eats a little from. No disgusting smells that don't seem to fit the food you are serving (which for the record is why I started doing homemade food in the first place).

Bridget's shelf in the freezer. From left to right: Chicken w/ sweet potato and apple, Minestrone, greens mix, sweet potato and carrot, strawberry and apple, cauliflower w/ cheese sauce, peas, and plain carrots. (and yes, that is a sock in the freezer at the bottom. We fill it with rice and use it as a cold pack.)

So I suppose in the end, for all my whining and complaining, I still love making Bridget food. I know exactly what's in it and it makes me feel good to know that I'm giving her a good start with good foods. Because I make her food, she's been exposed to several foods even I haven't had much experience with (parsnips anyone?). It has also expanded my comfort level with cooking. I'm no longer afraid of leeks. Bridget loves them. And I'm learning to love them too. Bell peppers on the other hand...blech.

Now, the next big step is to get her to eat finger foods. She's really not a fan of anything whole except her puffs.

How/what have you all been eating?

What a difference a year makes

I was thinking this morning that last year on this day I was peeing on another stupid CBEFM stick and started jumping for joy when it FINALLY gave me a peak. Yes ladies and gent (I believe there's only one of you reading this), last year little eggy Bridget was released to make the trek down to her squishy little 9 month home inside of me.

And now look at her. Playing outside in this big wide world!

La la la la laaaaaaaaa!

We went to a Music Together baby class this morning and had so much fun! We danced and sang and played with instruments. Bridget loved the maracas and kept using it like a little microphone. It was too cute. And now we'll be going to baby music class every Saturday and I'm so excited.

Then we got to go have sushi for the first time since, well, about this time last year. Yaaaaaay! Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Screaming orgasm. Just what everyone needs on their birthday. Hahah!

Enjoying my spicy crab hand roll. Mmmmmmmm. Seriously, so happy to have sushi again!

It was a great birthday. I can't remember one I have enjoyed so much. Here's to hoping for a great upcoming year!

I cooked!

I don't think you guys realize how happy this made me!  I actually planned a meal and got to cook it!  Up to this point, it's been a lot of frozen, pre-packaged meals or quick fixes like pasta or hot dogs.  It gets old really fast.  So, in an attempt at feeling more like a good wife and mother, I went to The Pioneer Woman's new site, Tasty Kitchen, and found some meals to make for the week.  I looked through the grocery ads and found most of what I needed on sale (go me!).  Then, I hoped and prayed that I would actually have the energy to cook.  And lo and behold, I did!  (thanks to a certain little girl who slept through the night :))

So, without further ado, I give you...My first real meal since the c-section!

A made up recipe for panko crusted salmon, sauteed zucchini, and mashed potatoes.  OMG, so good (if I do say so myself)!  I had planned on using a recipe for the salmon, but when I got into the kitchen, it just didn't sound appetizing.  So I threw panko crumbs, parmesan, thyme, and olive oil together and packed it onto the salmon that I had sprinkled with lemon pepper.  It came out pretty dang tasty.  And can I state for the record that I am so jealous of all of the people that have tons of zucchini in their gardens right now?  I LOVE zucchini and actually had to go by it at the store.  Bah!

I'm hoping this can continue.  I really do like cooking and planning meals.  

How about you guys?  What have you been eating lately?

Just call me Piggy McPiggerston

Apparently, I'm a big fat pig. And I don't understand the point of appetizers.

How do I come to this conclusion you might ask. Well, let me help.

We (the teachers at school) got coupons today for a restaurant. The coupon was for a free appetizer with the purchase of two entrees. As I'm reading the coupon and thinking "well, I'll just hang on to this," one of the office staff and another teacher walk by and throw their coupons out. I didn't think much of it as some people may not eat there or don't use coupons. Whatever. But then their conversation starts. The main point being - This coupon is useless. Who eats an appetizer AND entrees? If I get an appetizer, it's my meal.

What?! Isn't the point of appetizers to eat before a meal. At least that's the impression I had. Heck, often when Mike and I go out to eat we get an appetizer, entrees, AND dessert. GASP!!! How could we? Now mind you, there are places where appetizers are absolutely meals on their own. Claim Jumper comes to mind. Also, at places where meals are family style (like most Chinese places), we order two appetizers and only one entree. But these are exceptions. I rarely go into a place thinking I'm only going to eat an appetizer. Maybe I'm crazy. Or just a big fat cow.

So tell me- Are appetizers meant to be your meal or are my school people nuts?

Yum!

Alright, so the past few entries have been short and a bit angry. It's time for something a bit more upbeat. Well, at least it's upbeat for me. Food!

I love food. I love cooking. I would love to be a chef. The best job ever. You get to do all the fun cooking stuff but have other people to do all the prep work and cleaning. Heaven. :)

Anyways, I made dinner a few nights ago. Chicken in a balsamic-caper pan sauce, whole wheat thin spaghetti, and mixed veggies (corn, baby carrots, and asparagus. best.mix.ever.)

Of course, I had to add cheese to my pasta. Who can eat pasta without cheese? I had cooked an extra chicken breast and we had leftover pasta at the end of the night as well and I was so excited that I could have it for lunch the next day. Then Mike headed down to go eat it! What? Wait! That's mine! I ended up needing to bribe him with ice cream before he would leave me the leftovers. (bribery is an often used tactic in out house. second only to bargaining.)

This has become one of our go to meals. It's pretty easy and the sauce is really easy to change up. And it's soooo tasty.

What is your go to meal? Or your favorite meal? Or do you absolutely hate to cook? Share people. Share.

Edited to add: Here's the link to the recipe. Who knew that you could get the entire BHG cookbook online? http://tinyurl.com/6d25mh Enjoy!

Raspberries and strawberries and...

These are gooseberries.

Aren't they cute? So perfectly round and a very pretty green. I love green. Anyways, I almost bought them today at the store. But I restrained. ::pat on back:: Does anyone know what one does with a gooseberry? Can you just eat them? Or do they have to be cooked?

I love trying new fruit. That's one of the main reasons I miss the Farmer's Market. You could wander up and down aisles and try all sorts of stuff. Mmmmmm. ::drool::

Ok, I'm back.

I did buy these though.

Aren't they pretty? And no, the color is not off. They're yellow. And they're raspberries. And soooooo yummy.

So, a question: Do any of you out there in blogland have some sort of "weird" or interesting food you like? Don't like? Share please.