Plant Buying Day! April 30, 2010

The community garden is well on its way!  We met earlier in the week to buy our seedlings.  We found some great plants…everything from jalapenos to potatoes to eggplant to onions to cucumbers to okra.  Plus several people in the group have seedlings of their own they will contribute to the garden.  From what it sounds like, we’ll have LOTS of tomatoes 🙂  We’re planting this Sunday afternoon so I’ll be sure to post pictures early next.  And keep your fingers crossed that the frost stays away!

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And two more things…Thanks Aunt Lori for my new cookbook 🙂  And finally I want to share my father-in-law’s dinner tonight…He wants a little blog love too 🙂

Oatastic April 29, 2010

I’ve never really been a breakfast person.  Just ask my mom.  In high school, I remember having a quick glass of OJ and a granola bar before running out the door.  And I have never liked cereal!  I used to refuse to eat it but now tolerate it 🙂

Well, I’ve seen “overnight oats” on food blogs for quite a while and had never tried them.  When Kath made them earlier in the week, I decided I had to go for it!  I had oats at home and picked a few more ingredients at the grocery store including bulk organic cranberries, unsweetened organic coconut, and sliced almonds. 

So the basic premise is that you add equal parts oats, milk, and yogurt.  You mix it all together in a container and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. 

When you wake up…TA-DA!  Perfectly “cooked” oats.   Then you just add the toppings you want.  I used my local sourwood honey too!

It seriously tasted like ice cream…I’m not lying.  Try it.  You’ll love it!  And there is almost ZERO work involved.  Nothing like waking up in the morning and having breakfast already made 🙂

I forgot peanut butter the first time…a necessary addition for that little burst of protein 🙂  So when I saw this post, I knew I had the perfect thing:  an almost empty jar of pb!

So the next night, I added my oats, milk, and yogurt to the jar!  I also added a dash of cinnamon.  I went to bed excited to wake up the next morning 🙂

The following morning there was the perfect taste of pb…you’ll be surprised how much is left in there!  I could definitely taste it mixed in with all the other ingredients.  And trust me, the jar was clean when I finished 🙂

Sagey Zucchini April 28, 2010

I wanted to fix a light and quick meal last night and remembered several recipes I’ve seen lately using both sage and zucchini.  Weird, huh?  I mean the combination!  Just Google it and see how many you come up with it!  Amazing!  Since I had never heard of using sage while cooking zucchini, I decided I was up for trying it!

I tore this recipe out of a May 2010 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal.  It was found in an article about 50 great budget meals.  And of course, it uses sage and zucchini 🙂

I used the sage Regina gave me for my birthday…the smell of torn sage leaves is amazing!

I cooked the sage in olive oil on the stove…

And when it was a bit crispy, I pulled it out, and added sliced zucchini.

And when I finished cooking all the zucchini, I topped it with the sage!  Quite pretty…

And quite tasty!  I definitely recommend the combination…They complimented each other well!

I added a side of whole wheat spaghetti and some jarred marinara sauce…A perfect light and quick and meal 🙂 

Baked Trout April 27, 2010

When my in-laws were here last weekend, I cooked up a tasty dinner with local trout.  I have long known about Trout from Sunburst Trout as it is served in many area restaurants.  I wanted to cook something fun and new for Mary Jo and Alex and surprisingly learned they had never had trout!  Guess they don’t “grow” trout up in Massachusetts?!!  🙂

I had intended to go directly to the source, but found myself at Earth Fare picking up some other goodies and they had a $3 off per pound special.  I went for it!

I found a recipe in Lunch in Paris and based my dish off of it.  I finally got the book since I had to give my mom’s Kindle back 🙂

The recipe, Trout with Cherry Tomatoes Baked in Foil (or Truite en Papillote), cooks the trout in foil in the oven.  I dislike foil for cooking, but had some parchment paper so used it.  I followed Elizabeth’s directions to season the fish with salt and pepper.  She then scatters cherry tomatoes over the fish and adds a drizzle of olive oil.  The only change I made was  to add some spicy dijon mustard…just wanted a bit more flavor!

 

I baked the pouches in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  The result was quite lovely!

I added sides of roasted potatoes and asparagus.  I really great comforting but light meal.  Definitely recommend the book and all of its recipes!  And of course local food 🙂

Lettuce Shemettuce April 26, 2010

First, my lettuce balls are actually looking pretty good!  There were a few wilting ones…But some that have really taken off!  I’m feeling much more confident.  Not going to celebrate yet, but all in all feeling better about my gardening skills…however minimal they are!

Also, wanted to share with you a few green eating tips found in my local paper on Earth Day.  While I follow many of them, it is always helpful to be reminded!  Let me know which one you’re going to start doing!

In the Kitchen:

Start a compost pile and compost as much waste as possible.

Get separate bins for different recyclables to make it easier to recycle.

Avoid using disposable plates, cups and utensils. If you must, look for ones that are compostable.

Look for Energy Star-rated appliances. Only run the dishwasher when it’s full.

Maintain a garden or herb garden.

Use cloth napkins and dishrags rather than paper napkins and paper towels.

Out to Dinner:

Eat at restaurants that use local foods and inquire about their recycling practices.

Bring your own takeout containers for leftovers.

Bring your own mug to the coffee shop.

At the Grocery Store:

Avoid buying items with unnecessary packaging.

Try shopping at co-ops, farmers’ markets and tailgate markets.

Buy in bulk rather than individually packaged foods.

Bring your own cloth bags rather than using plastic or paper bags, including bags for produce.

Buy less meat and more fruits and vegetables.

At School and Work:

Bring your lunch from home.

Use a reusable lunch box with reusable containers, a cloth napkin and reusable water bottle. Avoid plastic bags and other disposable containers.

Ask people to bring their own plates and utensils to potlucks.

Eat last night’s leftovers for lunch.