Who knew produce could be this much fun?

June 2010 - Freshly shelled peas

My joy this summer - besides my baby boy - was our CSA (community supported agriculture) program.  Check out the website here, if you are interested. 

Fresh produce delivered to our door every Wednesday for 14 weeks - we were in organic veggie heaven! I experimented (mainly with olive olive and a roasting pan in hand) with kohlrabi, beets, and sweet potatoes to name a few, and we enjoyed the normal summer classics like zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, corn, white and red potatoes, etc - the list goes on and on.

There were a few pitfalls of the experience.  1) Sadly, vegetables do not wash themselves. There were several hours of work involved through out the summer cleaning, prepping, and cooking.  2) I was not creative enough to figure out how to make okra less slimy or find a dish that would inspire love for eggplant.  (Please feel free to make suggestions if you have any.)

That said, however, I will join the CSA again next summer in a heartbeat. Every Wednesday I was like a kid in a candy store (except I was dealing with veggies) opening my cooler to see what loot I had acquired.  I can't wait to do it again next year. 

Getting my Cook On

I only get excited about cooking when life feels stress free.  Otherwise, it's a drag.  When there is a mile long to-do list, planning, shopping, chopping, cleaning up, etc...feels like an enormous chore.  But yesterday, after a somewhat unexpected snow day and time to relax, I was ready to cook. 

The menu: Pear and Spinach salad, Mini Meatball Soup, and roasted brussels sprouts (thanks, Two Pretzels, for recently pointing out the correct spelling).  Yum, I can't wait for lunch so I can help myself to leftovers. 

It was the first time I had ever cooked brussels sprouts.  The verdict: I liked them roasted, drizzled with a little bit of olive oil, and sprinkled with salt.  But here's the kicker - I didn't have to clean them. A woman from work gave me homegrown brussels sprout already washed and trimmed.  I feel like I can't really judge these mini-cabbages until I experience the whole process, so I'm currently withholding my final thoughts.  If you have some hints on the cleaning process of these little green gems, please share. 

They Got Me

T and I recently dined with my brother and his family at Red Robin.  This meal occurred a few weeks after our doctor suggested I become more conscious of my diet in the hopes of keeping Baby Bean's weight down.  I should have ordered a salad, but they just didn't seem interesting that night.  Instead, I ordered the Whiskey River BBQ Chicken Wrap.  I thought the Spinach tortilla sounded healthier than a bun and when isn't chicken good for you if it's grilled? 

I was horrified tonight to read an article on Yahoo! that listed this sandwich as one of the 10 unhealthiest around.  As quoted from the article, "Chicken sandwiches have an undeserved healthy reputation—that's because, while they're built with the leanest meat, they're often stuffed and flavored with enough high-calorie sauces and fillings to sink a ship."  Full article here. 

Um, yep, I was definitely fooled.  As it turns out, eating this sandwich had about as many fat grams as a Big Mac.  Guess I still have a few things to learn about nutrition. 

Calling All Cooks

I need some help.  Recently I made some OK-tasting enchiladas.  I think they have the possibility of being great, but they are lacking some flavor.  The meat filling called for garlic, onion, cummin, chilli powder, and a little bit of all-spice.  But it was still a little bland.  What would you add to the mix?

As a breakfast food fan...

I have found a new love: The Bagel BELT from Tim Horton's.  They describe it as a scrumptious layering of bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato, and processed cheese (by far my favorite part of the description) on a delicious bagel of your fancy.  I have honestly talked myself into thinking this thing is healthy - I mean, look at the veggies involved, you don't get that at McD's - and I can't be convinced otherwise. 

Chipot-Yummy

Excitement came today in the form of a "buy one burrito, get one free" Chipotle coupon.

YUM!

We decided to use it right away.

The burrito was so pakced full with goodness that it took me 45 minutes to eat it. That's heaven.

I'm in LOVE!

With Hostess' 100 Calorie Packs.

Chocolate cupcakes are my favorite.

100 calories

5 grams of FIBER!!

(Grams of fat and sugar are so not important.)

FISH TACOS

I recently read my friend's blog at Dos Pretzels regarding fish tacos. It reminded me of a conversation I had with my co-workers. I told them I really enjoyed fish tacos. (Breaded fish, guacamole, tomatoes...it goes on and on...I love it!) They thought that the concept of fish in tacos was the most disgusting thing they had ever heard of. Your opinions? Yay or Nay for the fish taco?