Green Smoothie???

I've been having a hard time getting through all of our veggies, mostly all the leafy green stuff. I've been trying to figure out a way to get more veggies into my diet and use up all the CSA stuff each week. Well, I think I've figured it out. I had been wanting a juicer for a while now, but they are so pricey... I just can't justify spending the money right now. I decided to try using my blender and see what would happen if I ran some spinach... or kale through it with some other fruit and veggies. Yesterday I made my first "green smoothie" and it wasn't so bad! I used 4 cups of spinach, 2 cups of water, a nectarine and 10 strawberries. It was a little thicker like a shake and I could taste the spinach... but it wasn't gross. I decided to try making another one....

This morning I had the following: 1 bunch of kale, 2 celery stalks, 10 strawberries, 1 apple, 2 cups of water, 1 cup unfiltered apple juice and 1 tbsp minced ginger. I really enjoyed it and I think I've got close to or all of my f/v servings in for the day! Plus.... I feel great... virtuous! I just don't think that I'll be able to convince anyone else that it tastes good... since it looks like green sludge!

It's here!!

Back in April of this year, Jason and I teamed up with some friends (Chris and Amy) and Grandma Dub and placed an order for a 1/4 of a grass fed cow from Clark Summit Farms. I thought our beef would be ready in July or August, but got a call this weekend that it was ready to pick up this week. On Tuesday, I met up with a new friend of mine (who had also placed an order) and we headed off to the butcher in Penngrove. The drive was nice.. though we hit some traffic getting through San Francisco. Once we got there, the guys loaded up the van.... not only with my "tiny" little order (100+ pounds of beef) but with Danielle's order as well.... over $5000 worth of grass fed beef, pastured pork and lamb!

Once we got back to town, I helped unload the van before heading home to split up the order with Amy. I am so excited about all the wonderful dishes we're going to enjoy this fall! OH... the stews... the roasts... the chili! OH MY!! We're so excited that we thawed out 2 different steaks to enjoy this week! Tomorrow night we're having Fillet Mignon!

And the winner is....

Me? Really! I'm in shock! I never win anything, but that's changed now!
I'm excited for it to arrive in the mail!

Cleaning out the Kitchen

Last night Keira and I watched Julie & Julia. Well, truthfully I watched it while she slept on my lap, but she kept me company just the same. I thought it was such a cute movie. I loved the premise of it… didn’t realize until the end that it was a true story. Now, I’d like to read Julie’s Blog. It got me thinking…. I’m not looking to “Master the Art of French Cooking”… but I am looking for a change in the way my family eats. I want to go back to basics…. But still keep food interesting and full of flavor. I want something beyond meat and potatoes, but without all the processed/pre-packaged garbage.

I’ve recently been trying to make a major change to what I’m eating. I am trying to extend this to my whole family, but that’s going to be a work in progress as dear hubby loves his potato chips and gummy bears! I’m sticking to a diet of Fresh Fruits, Fresh Vegetables, Whole Grains/Legumes, and Real meat. If it has ingredients that I can’t pronounce I’m not buying it. If it didn’t have a mother… or come from the earth, I’m not going to eat it. I’m clearing my cupboards of items containing High Fructose Corn Syrup and replacing them with healthier options for all of us. Gone are the days of waffles and pancakes made from “Just add water” boxes…. I’ve discovered how easy it is to make them from scratch! And guess what, I’ll let you in on a little secret….. THEY TASTE BETTER! Plus, and this is my favorite part, I have “Little Chef” to teach and help me and she absolutely LOVES cooking with mommy!!