Dip & Bite Baby!

We've just received our 3rd farm box of veggies and there's a little more variety. In addition to the greens that I mentioned in my last post, this week's box also included broccoli and Hakurei (Spring) turnips. I'm not a fan of broccoli and I've never cooked nor eaten a turnip in my life...should be an interesting week in the kitchen.





Clara has been very excited to pick up our share at the farmer's market each week. She's also been my big helper in the kitchen when all of the veggies need to be cleaned up and put away. This week she wouldn't stop talking about the broccoli. Odd since, as I just told you, broccoli is not my fave and hasn't been included in our meals often. Maybe it's her age or just a phase but Clara loves to dip. I mean, you can give this kid almost anything and if she can dip it into a sauce, she will eat it! Naturally, when it was dinner time the day we brought home the farm box she said that she wanted broccoli and, lo and behold, ate an entire bowl of raw broccoli! Wow, did I feel like super-mom...even if I didn't eat a bite of it. : ) Yes, she dipped the broccoli into a small amount of ranch dressing. I say this is a small price to pay to get some green veggies into a toddler's diet.

I'm off to search online recipes for anything including turnips. Wish me luck!

Tofu vs Toddlers

So it begins... we received our first share from Two Creeks Organic Farm yesterday. We've been really anticipating this and, as fate would have it, I was sick with a fever and couldn't even go to the farmer's market to pick it up. Thankfully, my loving & wonderful husband left work early to help me out and picked up our share on the way home. What a guy! He even cleaned the veggies up and made dinner! I know, I know...enough of my bragging on how lucky I am. Well, our CSA share this week included: Radishes, Chinese Cabbage (Napa Cabbage), Red Leaf Lettuce, Tatsoi, Pac Choy, and Green Onions. If you're anything like me, you only recognized a couple of these items...and probably rarely cooked with those! Hence, my challenge for the week - Incorporate these ingredients into our meals.

Tom made a delicious Asian stir-fry on Thursday night that included the Pac Choy, Tatsoi and Green Onions. He also used tofu. We were curious as to how this healthy dish would be received by our greatest critic...our two year old daughter Clara. Get ready to be amazed...SHE LOVED THE TOFU!!!! I know, I still can't believe it as I'm typing this but that kid gobbled up every bit of tofu in her bowl. Wonders never cease.

Tonight I had to get a little creative since I haven't been grocery shopping in over a week and the house is almost bare. Yes, call me Old Mother Hubbard, I'll survive. So, I decided to put together a veggie soup using some yellow onion, green onions, Pac Choy, and garlic. Then I took a package of Near East rice pilaf (the Garlic & Herb style) and cooked it according to the directions. When it was fully cooked, I mixed in some chopped green onions and chopped Tatsoi. The results were delicious as you can see by the smile on Clara's face below (Please disregard her crazy hair. It's always like that by dinner time. Who am I kidding...I'm lucky if its not a tangled mess before lunch!). All in all, I'd say these first few dishes were a success.

Toddler Approval Rating: Yummy
Grown-Up Rating: Delicious

The Beginning of the Middle

Well, I've jumped on the bandwagon and decided to start my own blog. What better way can there be to chronicle this time in my life and share it with family and friends? I'm truly in my 'middle life'. I had a fun childhood and great time working and traveling after high school and college. Yet, I really feel like this is the most important period in my life so far since I'm now responsible for a family of my own. That responsibility has opened up a new world for me. A world filled with diapers, storytime, playdates, parenting skills (or lack thereof), green cleaning and don't forget cooking and cooking and cooking!

Since I became pregnant with Clara, nutrition has been an obsession of mine. That's not to say that I've eaten the most healthy diet possible...a girl needs her chocolate and ice cream now and then. However, I have this lingering voice in my head saying, "Are these the best choices for your family? Is that a healthy and tasty meal for my daughter? My husband? Myself?" This is completely new to me since I grew up enjoying favorite meals like chicken & dumplins, fried chicken, and more pizzas than imaginable. Believe me, ALL of my friends loved to stay at our house! I'd like to find a happy balance where I'm making meals that are healthy yet delicious too.

So, I plan on blogging about my life...cool meals that we have, new green cleaning products that rock (and are affordable) and any other general fun thing worth sharing. I hope you enjoy it and can't wait for your comments. Let's roll...

Jessi