Disclaimer: This is in no way a sponsored post. We purchase our weekly box with our own money and choose to share it with you just for fun.
It’s time for another organics delivery box haul! Back in January I blogged our first Organics To You box (see post here) of the year so I thought I might follow up with how things are going. First off Organics To You is a local Portland area organic produce subscription box that is delivered straight to your front door. They have a variety of different boxes based on your needs as well as additional produce and (limited) grocery items.
If you remember we started off with the small bin and baby add-on. Since then we have gone with the large bin but due to too much fruit (one can only eat so many pears, apples & kiwi) we skipped last week and this week went with the all veggie box and the baby add-on. We also sometimes add grocery items to our order such as Papa G’s tofu or a bar of chocolate or loaf of bread; this week we went with blue corn tortillas and pinto beans.
This week we received in all veggie box ($36):
1# Tomatoes: Mex.
4-5oz. Bulk Spinach: Local, farm direct
2# Potatoes: Local, farm direct
1 Bunch Spring Green Onions: Local, farm direct
6oz. Shitaki Mushrooms: Local, farm direct
1 Bunch Broccoli: Cali’
1 Bunch Celery: Cali’
1 Bunch Lacinato Kale: Cali’
2 Yellow Onions: Local
1 Garlic: Cali’
8oz. Brussels Sprouts: Mex. Missing from our box and no substitute (contacted them)
1# Beets: Local
1# Rutabaga: Local
In our Baby Add-On ($15):
1 Mango
2 Pink Lady Apples
2 Fuji Apples (both were super bruised – disappointed)
4 Pears
3 Kiwi
6 Bananas
2lbs Sweet Potatoes
Grocery Add-On’s ($9.50):
Blue Corn Tortillas
Pinto Beans
Overall I am mostly happy with your box this week with exception of brussels and apples. Hoping that maybe they will send replacements next week.
Goal: Share recipes next week after I cook up these veggies!
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS NOT SPONSORED. I PURCHASE THIS BOX WEEKLY WITH MY OWN MONEY.
In my meal planning post this week I talked about our Organics to You box. For those of you who aren’t from the Portland area you may not have any idea what I am talking about so before I get into the contents of this weeks box let me first tell you about the box. The box is filled with 100% Organic produce with much of this produce coming from local farmers.
The box is delivered right to your door so as a busy mom of two this is FANTASTIC. You can customize your box based on the size you’d like and you can do add on’s for additional produce such as ingredients for salads or Asian dishes or maybe you have little one’s in the house. Not only can you add on extra produce you can also add on lots of grocery items such as pantry items, milk (dairy and non-dairy), coffee, tea and even chocolate among other things.
This week we went with the small bin with a baby add-on (see here for details on bin sizes). The cost was $51 for the box plus add-on.
Fruits:
8 Anjou Pears
3 Fuji Apples
4 Gala Apples
4 Kiwi
10 Bananas
4 Navel Oranges
2 Mangos
Veggies:
1 Butterkin Squash
4 Russet Potatoes
4 Sweet Potatoes
1 Celery
1 Bunch Lacinato Kale
2 Bunches of Carrots
1 bag Shitaki Mushrooms
1 Celeriac
2 Onions
I have to say everything looks fantastic and based on what I would normally spend on the same produce at the grocery store it ends up being less expensive. Bonus I don’t have to leave the house! We will continue our order and I might bump our box up to large bin and no baby bin.
Have you ever used a produce or grocery delivery service?
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Foodie. All opinions are my own.
Happy Wednesday Friends! I haven’t done a Foodie round up post in a few months so I thought why not? I know that many of you, like myself, are trying to clean up our diets and have set out to eat healthier in 2015. While we all have good intentions sometimes life gets in the way or frankly we usually just get in our own way. To help make eating healthier a little bit easier I have rounded up 12 of my favorite recipes for quick and healthy breakfast, lunch and dinners. Check them out below.
Breakfast Cookies: Obviously you want to make these because cookies, duh. These things are so good (I have made them) and they are packed full of nutrients. These are a favorite of mine and Edith’s, my toddler.
Yotam Ottolenghi: Have you checked out any of his cookbooks yet? Seriously amazing and my library is hating me right now because it’s (way) past due. Anyways if you haven’t here is your chance this butternut squash recipe is to die for.
Cannelini Bean Stew: If you don’t know by now I’ll tell you that I a. LOVE Deliciously Ella and b. love cannelini beans. This recipe is so quick and so easy you’ll be making it all the time.
What are you favorite quick, easy and healthy recipes?
Every year around this time, Lindsay and I have a pumpkin and seasonal beer tasting party. The size and format of the party has changed just about every year with our first party was just the two of us and it was a healthy mix of pumpkin and seasonal beers. This year we had six adults taking part in the tasting, two observers and a slew of children playing together and having a good time. One thing that is consistent is that we’ve always had some form of rating system for the beers.
Sourcing the beers to taste is one of the fun (and sometimes tedious) parts of the process. This year, we started collecting beers to sample early on in the season and have been acquiring a beer here and there when something catches our eye. This year was probably the first year that the selection was entirely pumpkin as well. We managed to find a healthy mix of local beers, imports from the East Coast and even a cider.
With such a wide selection of beers and a large number of guests, we needed to find a way to adequately supply tasting glasses for everyone. Early on in the shopping process for the tasting, we had noticed Target had a beer tasting party collection designed by graphic designer and blogger Kate Peters of Wit & Delight. The suggested price of the products was a bit on the expensive side for disposable goods but as the party grew closer, Lindsay was able to find the beer tasting cups and cards and a few other party items for half off in stores. On each tasting card was four different spots to grade the beers you are tasting. The options were “Another” or “Never Again” with some of us adding a third option equated to “I’d drink it for free, but I wouldn’t pay for it.”
After some appetizers, we got the tasting under way. We poured four beers at a time and took the time to discuss what we thought of each beer as a group. The nice thing about pumpkin beers is that they come in an ever growing variety of styles. Love it or hate it, it wasn’t too long ago that it seemed that all of the pumpkin beers on the market were sweet, pumpkin pie spice bombs. It’s nice to see some more balance and moderation in flavor and styles.
As we made our way through the beers, we had a great time discussing what we thought of the beers and what specifically we liked and disliked about them (as well as giving those who like the least popular ones a hard time of course).
The results of the voting weren’t really all that surprising. The breweries at the top are known for making great tasting and creative beers. I know my personal favorite was the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. Punkin managed to fall into the “pumpkin pie” style of beer with out being overwhelmingly sweet or spicy. Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale has consistently been in our top picks for our favorite pumpkin beers since we started doing the tastings. I also enjoyed the New Belgium Pumpkick. The spices weren’t too heavy and the addition of the cranberries in the beer was a nice touch, giving it a slightly tart taste.
The East Coast wholly embraces Autumn’s seasonal beers and why shouldn’t it? Fall in New England is arguably the best season of the year. That being said since moving to the West Coast we have struggled to find many of our favorite pumpkin/Autumn beers. However there is one brewery that we’ve enjoyed and have found really embraces pumpkin beers on the west coast is Seattle’s Elysian Brewing Company.
Elysian brews up a number of different pumpkin beers every fall and even host a pumpkin beer festival. Their beers have done really well in both of the tastings we’ve had since moving to Portland with Night Owl coming in third this year and first last year.
Elysian’s pumpkin coffee stout Punkuccino (not officially part of the tasting) was Lindsay and my personal favorite this year. It’s made with Stumptown Coffee cold brew, cinnamon and nutmeg. It was incredibly smooth and was basically a pumpkin spice latte in beer form. (Lindsay jumping in here- seriously the best pumpkin beer ever and I’m bummed we couldn’t locate another bottle for our tasting).
Now on to the losers of this years tasting. The two huge disappointments in the lot were the Burnside Brewing The Dapper Skeleton and the Woodchuck Hard Cider Private Reserve Pumpkin Cider. The Dapper Skeleton just fell flat. The description was just so enticing with the chillies and cocoa nibs but in reality they didn’t add much to the beer. In the opinion of all but one of our tasters, the Woodchuck Pumpkin Cider was terrible. I don’t think a single person was able to even finish their two ounce pour. I know I took only one sip before dumping it.
Below is the tally of our votes:
This was our biggest pumpkin/seasonal beer tasting to date and we look forward to carrying on with it for many years to come. We’re also planning to host more seasonal and themed tasting parties as well as beer pairing dinners in the future.
What seasonal beer or drink do you look forward to most?
Edith was begging for a snack this morning so I listed off her options – applesauce, banana, crackers- I got a no after every option. Since we are lacking in the grocery department right now I tried to rack my brain as to what other options we might have in the house. I thought about baking muffins and then I remembered we had a few bunches of kale in the crisper. I proposed the idea of making kale chips to her and she jumped up and ran to her Learning Tower ready to make kale chips (I took that as a big ol’ yes!)
I usually go for a cheezy kale chip or just plain olive oil with a dash of salt but today I decided to make salt & vinegar.
De-stem your kale, rip into chip sized pieces and then wash and dry completely; this will ensure a crispy chip.
Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil and ACV into the zip bag along with a pinch or two of salt.
Add the kale to the bag, push out the air and zip close and then massage your kale with oil, vinegar and salt.
Pour out onto a sheet pan and toss into the oven for 30-40 minutes until crispy.
Allow to cool for 5 or so minutes on the sheet pan before gobbling up.
Naturally Lindsay http://3.232.172.97/
Also make sure you have a cute helper and taster on hand. You can see more photos of E helping make these kale chips over on Naturally Family.
What are you favorite kind(s) of kale chips? I love cheezy kale chips made in the dehydrator but when I’m in a pinch I like to do olive oil, tamari, nutritional yeast and a dash of pepper (same directions as above) and toss them in the oven for quick crisping.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds. As always all opinions are my own.
Neil and I have always enjoyed entertaining whether it’s a pizza party, a potluck or our annual pumpkin beer tasting dinner. My favorite time to entertain however is during the summer when the days are longer, the sun is out and there is little need to do much cooking. I prefer to whip up some salads, grill veggie burgers and of course set out a few snack plates to start off any gathering.
I am particularly partial to antipasto platters because there is little work involved for me and they just look beautiful. I head to the grocery store pick up a few varieties of olives and various other antipasto bar items including peppers (hot and sweet), artichokes, roasted garlic, marinated tomatoes and basically anything else that looks good. I will finish off my platter with toasted bread, pita chips, crackers and hummus. Since I don’t like to do everything store bought I usually add in my own little treat and this time I made almond cheese stuffed peppadew peppers.
It’s baseball season! Who else is excited? Neil and I are big Yankees Fans and are getting Edith into the game as well. Unfortunately we never seem to live in a city that has a major league team so we watch most of our games on TV but when we do head the park we are always thinking about what we are going to get to eat. We are hoping next year to make it up to Seattle for a Mariners/Yankees game and we already know we will be getting ourselves a Field Roast Frankfurter when we do. That’s one of the great things about ballparks today – you can find healthy options that are often vegan, vegetarian and/or gluten free I have to say when we went to Yankee Stadium our options were more limited so we chose to eat before heading to the field and while we did share fries at the game, however we decided to head to Candle Cafe post-game for dinner. We could have easily had junky food like veggie burgers, beer and more fries but decided to treat ourselves to a healthy tasty dinner after the game <–best decision.
So consider these healthy tips before heading out to your next ball game:
Drink water! Lots of it! While having a beer or pop might seem like a good idea you should really limit your caloric beverages. Keep yourself hydrated especially at those hot summer games. Additionally, drinking water will help flush out toxins and extra sodium that you might take in if you are unable to find or bring healthier food options to the ballpark.
Do you research. Many ballparks have a list of concession offerings on their websites. Check them out before you head to the park so you can know whether to eat something healthy before you go or whether or not you can bring something with you. If you are going to plan on eating at the park regardless this will give you the opportunity to scope out the best options and their locations before you get there.
Choose the healthiest option. While peanuts and Cracker Jacks might sound good they are not going to leave you nourished or satisfied so when heading to the ballpark look to choose the healthier option. Many parks offer veggie burgers, salads, and even sushi which are all better options then say a hot dog, garlic fries (yeah I know these are so good though), or pizza.
Bring food with you! I know that this isn’t always an option but some parks do allow you to bring in outside food. Pack yourself a tasty meal filled with foods that satisfy you and make you feel good (don’t forget your ice pack if it’s a hot day). If you can’t pack a meal you could always throw some healthy snacks in the bottom of your purse such as baby carrots, an apple or a KIND bar.
So what parks have healthy food options:
Fenway Park – Red Sox –(part of me is cringing as I type this – DIE HARD YANKEES FAN HERE) is now offering a healthier culinary line up this season which include the addition of KIND bars to concession stand stalls!
Nationals Park – Washington Nationals- is offering up tons of healthy options and for my vegan friends lots of vegan options which even includes veggie sushi and vegan crab cakes!
Citzens Bank Park – Philadelphia Phillies- This park has been said to have the best vegetarian options and not only do they have vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options they are also on the healthy side. Healthier food options include include a variety of salads, veggie burgers and veggie dogs.
Coors Field – Colorado Rockies – Concessions here are your standard fare however if you look a little closer you can find yourself at their build your own salad bar stand. If your more in the mood for a veggie sandwich or veggie burger you can find those too.
Petco Park – San Diego Padres – Through their FriarFit program this park has worked to worked improve the nutritional value and availability of healthier food choices at the ballpark. Concession items have now been added or upgraded on the menu, plus a healthy option Kids Meal is available throughout the ballpark.*
I could highlight so many other parks but these are just a few of the options out there.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by KIND. As always all opinions are my own. I received free product in exchange for this post. There was no additional financial compensation.
As we made our way through the beers, we had a great time discussing what we thought of the beers and what specifically we liked and disliked about them (as well as giving those who like the least popular ones a hard time of course). 
Now on to the losers of this years tasting. The two huge disappointments in the lot were the 
