Summer CSA Review

So my last pick up for my Summer CSA is over and I didn't sign up for the Fall/Winter version. While I think it is a great concept here is why it doesn't work for our family (but first you must always start with the positive : )

What I liked:

1. Right from the farm veggies are delicious and sometimes the grocery I shop at lacks in the organic section.



2. Pick up was easy. We picked a place that either my husband or I could get to.



3. I got to try some veggies I wouldn't normally try like bok Choy, cabbage and some weird alien broccoli/Cauliflower mashup.



4. It did force me to eat more veggies in the summer and be a little creative with the menu.



5. You are forced to eat seasonal which is good for you.

Things I didn't like

1. SO MANY VEGGIES. Even doing a half share and getting to swap out things we liked better each week we had so many that I felt like I had to eat all the time to use them up. I should have had a better plan of sharing, freezing or giving stuff away each week.



2. Cost of $20 was very reasonable for the amount we got but I have to see if I will save some money just buying what I will eat per week.



3. I missed some veggies that I didn't get enough of or they just don't grow. Mushrooms for omelets and celery to munch on. I never thought I would say that!

If you haven't checked it out here are some recipes I made with what I got.

Tuna "Noodle" Casserole

Spinach & Zucchini

Fighting the CSA - Taking down the Spinach, Herbs and Zucchini

I am into Week 3 of my half share CSA and although I love the fresh produce it is a battle to keep up with everything that I get. This week the box seemed to be getting bigger and I am getting scared, but I spent today fighting hard trying to take it down.

Breakfast - Most days I start out with my Shakeology. It is easy to fix and I love that I can throw in some spinach to add to the nutritional value. Green is the new Pink. Handful of Spinach Blended. Boom!

Breakfast #2 - What can I say I like to eat. I usually have a bigger snack/ second breakfast in the morning to keep me going. Today it was an omelet with sautéed zucchini, garlic scrapes and spinach. 3 down. Bam, Bam, Bam!




Baking Time - I had time today to bake some things while I worked from home so I gave these 2 recipes a try. Muffins came out awesome, the chocolate bread a little dry. Zucchini shredded and taken down!

Zucchini Muffins

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Lunch - A little later than usually because I may have done a little too much taste testing with my baked goods : ). I had some left over spaghetti squash so I made up some pesto using the huge bag of basil leaves and topped it with Mahi-Mahi.

Paleo Pesto (I used Walnuts)

Dinner - Really wanted Homemade Chicken nuggets. Paired it with a spinach salad and these zucchini parmesan fries. Also roasted up the beets I got to use on salads and for my famous beet berry smoothie (you either love it or hate it).

Zucchini Parmesan Fries

Beet Berry Spinach Smoothie

At the end of the day I am feeling full and happy but face more challenges in the days ahead. My fridge is busting at the seems with lettuce, dill and peas so I will continue on my journey until every vegetable is taken down!

Why I went Paleo

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes with Nuts and Bacon, Oh My!

Normally I am not a big fan of fad or extreme diets. I like to stick to clean eating and portion control to keep my body in check. But recently talk of the paleo diet as occurred between friends and family and I decided I would give it a go. My usual diet is pretty close to it anyways but I was finding lately it has been more dirty than clean. I set up a 21 day challenge group and recruited a mix of paleo virgins and more experienced players to the group. It was fun to learn from each other and I know the challenge setup would keep me honest.

The first few days went pretty well. I kept to the basic rules and even gave up coffee. I wasn't hungry because I let myself eat whoever I wanted as long as it was paleo. The key was planning ahead and trying some new dishes to keep things interesting like:
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Butternut Squash Soup
Almond Milk

The hardest part for me was the coffee. I was feeling tired and sluggish. By day seven I caved and I felt so much better with my first sip.

Week two went pretty well except I felt myself slowly getting thicker. Lack of portion control and too many paleo treats did it. Also I was eating too many nuts and bacon.  Some of the treats included:
Almond Butter Banana Muffins
Paleo Granola
Date Bars
Chia seed pudding

By week three I had enough. The lack of variety and my sugar cravings got ahold of me. I ended the challenge weighing the same and not feeling any different. In the end I felt that the diet has some good key features for people to help focus on the clean eating but not enough variety for me.

Recipe: Pumpkin Muffins

Don't get me wrong, I love supporting Bake sales for schools and charities and I am often baking for them. But as a supporter of good nutrition I feel like it is my job to support the efforts by baking up a healthy treat that people can eat. This past fall I found I was baking up these pumpkin muffins a lot so I am sharing it with you. They have been kid and adult taste tested (I got lots of yummy smiles). They would also make a good healthy brunch addition. Enjoy!

Ps. Yes, they have sugar in them. You have to have something to sweeten them up. Feel free to substitute with your favorite baking sweetener. 

Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, spice and set aside. Whisk the sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin puree and applesauce. Add in the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until the flour has been absorbed. Place in muffin tins and bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes.