If You Can't Take the Heat (Part 2) - CSA Box #8

 

Howdy! Welcome to CSA Box #8. Remember, the whole idea of this series is to show you how you can save money on your grocery bill by centering your weekly cooking around fresh, in-season produce! As an added bonus, you can serve your family really nutritious food, too!

This week we'll take a look at cooking without heating up the kitchen. Here's a link to remind you of all the great recipes I introduced in If You Can't Take the Heat - Part 1. 

Pasta Primavera

Okay, the first recipe that I will talk about actually breaks my rule of not cooking indoors. But, it uses the stove top for just 30 minutes. So, I feel justified in saying that Pasta Primavera is still perfect for a summer evening meal.

This can easily be made with rice based pasta for a gluten free version. Here's what I did!

Pasta - 1/2 pound - cooked - boiled in water for 12 minutes
Tomatoes - 2 - diced
Onions - 2 small - diced small
Zucchini - 2 small - sliced
Yellow summer squash - 2 small - sliced
Onion powder - 1 tsp.
Garlic powder - 1 tsp.
Salt free seasoning (your choice) - 2 tsp.
Lemon juice - 2-3 Tbsp.

Saute the onions in a few Tbsp of water for 5 minutes or until softened and translucent. Add the squash and cook for 10 minutes. Add spices, tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Throw the veggie mixture on top of the cooked pasta and stir. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and serve!

That's it! Seriously!  Look at how delicious this looks!

HINT! While you are boiling that pasta, go ahead and throw in an entire pound of pasta. Use half of it for the pasta primavera. Then, use the other half to make pasta with pesto. Voila! In just 30 minutes, you have not just one, but two meals!

Pasta with Pesto

Pesto can be made so many ways! Carrot top pesto, ramp pesto, and radish green pesto are all just as wonderful as the traditional version made with basil.

HINT! I make a huge batch of pesto and then freeze it in empty yogurt cups. I use one of the frozen pesto cubes for 1/2 pound of cooked pasta. Just throw the freshly boiled pasta on top of the cube and the residual heat will melt the pesto cube.

LOW CARB TIP! Don't eat wheat pasta. I generally don't either. So, I will tell you that this recipe is great with garbanzo bean, red lentil, rice, or other gluten free pasta. It's also perfect for spiralized summer squash or cooked spaghetti squash!

Here's my recipe for no oil radish leaf pesto. 

Easy Cabbage Slaw Salad

I love cabbage slaw, but I never eat mayo! For one thing, I'm vegan. For another, it is incredibly full of fat and excess calories. Years ago, I figured out that I could still eat my favorite salad and it could be made quickly and be full of fiber, low in fat, and high in nutrition!

Here's what I do!

Slice the cabbage in half, remove the core, and then just use a knife to chop the cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Throw it in a big bowl.

Add toppings. Every time I make this salad it is different, because I  use whatever I have on hand. I'll bet you could think of a few more!

green onion
fresh blueberries
tomatoes
red peppers
corn
edamame
carrots
celery
raisins or craisins
black beans
nuts  - just a few! (walnuts, sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, or raw sunflower seeds)

Add Dressing: 

You can eat this salad as much as you'd like, because the dressings I use contain no added oil or salt. That's right! You don't need oil! It contains 100 calories of fat per Tablespoon and is a very concentrated source of calories.

Dressings: (From Jane and Ann Esselstyn): Their 3-2-1 Dressing is my go-to dressing. I use it every, single week for the vast majority of my salads. This YouTube video is worth your time to watch. In it, these great ladies give you a lot of ideas for dressings that are both delicious and nutritious.

Oil Free Lemon Ginger Dressing:  This is a recipe that the 14 year old sous chef and I created a couple of years ago. It's one of our popular cheap eats recipes. It's very versatile too. You can put it on top of quinoa salad, or even use it to anoint the top of baked potatoes. Enjoy!

Zucchilattas

That's a fancy way to say that you are going to fill tortillas with zucchini, tomato, and some other yummy veggies and then eat it. Oh boy! Does this sound easy and delicious! The recipe says to heat in the oven for 15 minutes. In this heat, I generally use our small toaster oven or the microwave to keep heat out of the kitchen. Click on the title of the recipe and it will link you directly. 

Raw Beet Salad

If you've never tried a raw beet salad, please do! This is where I admit to you that a decade ago when we joined our first CSA, I thought I hated beets. Nope! I just hadn't given them a good try. This is not your Grandma's pickled beet! This is delicious and features an easy, fresh vinaigrette. 

Spinach Blueberry Salad

Taste of Home features this fresh, summer, no cook salad. You could easily substitute kale or another green for the spinach called for in the recipe. 

Carrot Tops!

Don't throw away those carrot greens! Nope! They are very nutritious! I use them in soups all winter long for a last minute splash of color and a taste that takes me back to warmer weather days.

 HOW TO USE: Remove them from the stems. Just grab the end of the larger part of the stem and pull. It will separate the leaves from the stem (much like you de-stem kale). Use in salads, soups, or any other dish that you'd like. 

To freeze:  Wash thoroughly, lay in a single layer on a large cookie sheet. Place in the freezer until firm and then remove to freezer bags. You will not believe how amazing these taste in the middle of winter when you are crazing the summer sweetness of fresh produce! 

 Step-by-Step Instructions for Freezing Produce 

Putting Food By for Winter: Freezing

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Your turn!

How do you beat the heat and still feed your family? Since I'm not much of a griller, I'd love to hear some ideas and recipes from those of you who love to light up the gas or charcoal grill. Thanks so much! 

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope

How I Changed My Family's Financial Blueprint

Whether we realize it or not, the way we handle money is primarily a result of a template, set in childhood and reinforced by our parents.In other words, we tend to spend and save money much like our parents did. This financial blueprint is a strong force in our lives and, if it's not a fiscally strong one, it can take a moment of crisis to overcome it. 

This is my story.

My mother was widowed at the age of 42, with four children and no idea how much money was coming in or where it was all going. She told me tearfully one day that she and my father had never lived with a budget.  He just made money every month and they paid the bills.  There always seemed to be enough money.  She was terrified! I was 18. 


Even though I watched her go through this experience, believe it or not, I didn't live with a written budget (or any spending plan) until I was well into my 20's.  I worked with the only blueprint I had ever known.  Much like my parents, I just made money and hoped that there would be enough to go around.  

Two moments of terror: 

Two moments of terror stand out in my mind.  The first, when I was 20.  I had moved out of my mother's home and was living with two roommates.  One evening, my bank account dipped to just $25 and the ATM would not let me withdraw any money.  My gas tank was nearly empty.  I prayed every day on the way to work that week that I would make it there and back without the car dying.  I got paid at 4pm.  By 4:15pm, I was in front of a gas pump as my car gulped gallons of liquid nourishment.  

The second incident occurred when I was 24. My husband and I have been married for just two months.  I was looking at our checkbook.  The figure in front of me was indicating an almost zero balance.  My stomach plummeted into the pit of my stomach.  My mind reeled as I realized that we had spent nearly every penny of our wedding cash gifts in just a few weeks.  If we didn't make immediate changes, we would be in big trouble in a very short time. 

Change is comin'!

That's when the light went on!  I worked at a Christian radio station and a man named Larry Burkett had just begun a daily program called "Money Matters."  It was the first generation of live Christian money management call-in programs.  I listened carefully and began to implement Larry Burkett's suggestions.  

Within weeks, I had plugged into some great authors and teachers. I read a lot of books. I figured out what ideas I could implement right away, and created a list of ideas to consider for the future. I learned to cook from scratch and how to track my expenses. We focused on one or two areas at a time. When we had those areas streamlined and under control, we move on to another couple of areas.  

Creating a new financial blueprint.

Over the next thirty years we rewrote our family financial blueprint.  We gained financial traction as  we lived within our means.  Although we made a salary which was significantly under the national median income, we paid off our first mortgage in five years.  We brought up four sons in that tiny two bedroom bungalow, while saving money to pay cash for our second home.  

I won't tell you that it was easy.  It wasn't.  But, when I see my 20 and 22 year old sons living on a written budget, paying cash for automobiles, planning for the future, and sharing financial principles with their peers, I realize that our change wasn't just for us.  It was also for them! 

You can change your family financial blueprint too!

• Money management is a skill! So, read books on finances and saving money.
• Follow your favorites on social media for regular tips, encouragement, and ideas.
• Learn to cook from scratch.
• Keep a list of short, medium, and long-term goals. 
• Create a monthly written budget. 
• Track every expense. 
• Streamline expenses, cutting out what you don't need.
• Remember that progress takes time. You'll gain momentum as you go forward. 
• If you are married, work with your spouse as a team.

Need more help? 

If you have any thoughts, I'd love for you to leave them in the comments section.

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope

IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT - CSA Box #7

You know the old saying: If you can't take the heat, then get out of the kitchen. I don't mean this in the traditional sense of exiting a confrontation. Instead, let's apply it to the extreme summer heat of the Midwest and literally, get out of the kitchen (or at least avoid the heat as best as we can).


For the next couple of weeks, we'll look at recipes that can be made with the crockpot, in the pressure cooker, on the grill, or with no cooking at all!  There definitely are ways that we can still provide meals for hungry families, without filling up the house with additional heat.

Let's begin with three recipes for the crockpot and no-cook three salad ideas.


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CROCKPOT RECIPES: 

1. Slow cooker vegetable soup. 

Sometimes, it's a great idea to take a page out of our grandparent's cooking manual. Having been through the Great Depression, our grands (or maybe great-grands, depending on your age) understood the importance of not wasting food. That's why at least once a week they made soup to use up all the odds and ends of vegetables left in the house.

I adore a great, big bowl of vegetable soup, no matter what time of the year. Here's a link to the recipe I like. It's not written for the slow cooker. Just add all the ingredients to the crockpot, place on "high" for 4-6 hours or "low" for 8 hours. I add a little liquid smoke and a couple of bay leaves. This soup is "souper" versatile. Basically, add what you have on hand and it always tastes great!

2. Crockpot Stuffed Cabbage

It's the website Spruce Eats to the rescue. I use them a lot and always seem to be able to find the perfect recipe. These cabbage rolls are easy peasy to throw together and walk away. Last night I used both purple and traditional green cabbage rolls. Pretty!

When you get home from work, just add a fresh salad and dinner is on the table!

3. Crockpot "Roasted" Beets

I discovered this week that there is a way to get that amazing flavor of roasted beets without using your oven! Yes!! This is life-changing for me. I absolutely adore oven roasted beets. But, I hate heating up my house in the summer. Once again, enter: the amazing people at The Spruce Eats. I have used them multiple times for recipes and always been very pleased with the results. 

SALAD RECIPES: 

1. Vegan Broccoli Apple Salad

Remember, those decadent summer salads as a kid? You know, the kind with mayonnaise dressing? Well, this broccoli salad from Vegan in the Freezer is even more delicious, but it's healthier, contains fewer calories, and features an easy vinaigrette. It will leave your guests begging for second helpings and the recipe!

2. Tomato Basil Corn Salad

This is not only classic, it's also easy and delicious! I'm absolutely convinced that color is critically important in how we experience food! That's why I particularly like this salad!

I have made Graham Kerr's version of it in the past. Anyone over the age of 50 will remember Graham as the Galloping Gourmet. He's a real gentleman, answering me personally several times when I had questions about food prep! Alas! I could not find his recipe on-line. Although, this one from Epicurious is very close. I used frozen corn, but my anticipation is building as FRESH corn season is just around the corner! When you use freshly grilled sweet corn, this is a treat worth repeating night after night!  

I love the colorful green and purple varieties of cauliflower! They make such a pretty salad! I'd like to introduce you to rainbow vegetable rice! This recipe will be featured in a brand new, soon-to-be-released cookbook by popular author, Kathy Hester. My sister, Robin, is one of the recipe testers for Kathy's new cookbook. So, while Robin was in town last week, we tested this recipe.

Let's just say, it was so amazing that I've already made it again! What a fantastic idea!  

2. Rainbow Vegetable Rice

This is simply a combination of riced cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. It makes 14-20 cups and you use it as a base for any number of different dishes. Kathy has a huge number of adaptations listed in her upcoming book. We tried two of them. Here's a link to Kathy's amazing website. You'll be able to find information soon on her soon-to-be-released new cookbook.

We added herbs, spices, nutritional yeast and plant-based milk to create "cheezy riced vegetables", which we used as a topping on baked potatoes. We also made it into a riced vegetable pilaf. 

However, in keeping with this "non-cook" portion of today's post, you could simply add a dressing and it becomes a delicious and easy summer salad. There you go! No heat in the kitchen!


If you don't have a ricer, get one! I love it! So, easy to use and clean up is a breeze! 

Here's one that does it all! 8 attachments and great customer reviews! 

Mueller Spiral-Ultra Multi-Blade Spiralizer, 8 into 1 Spiral Slicer, Heavy Duty Salad Utensil, Vegetable Pasta Maker and Mandoline Slicer for Low Carb/Paleo/Gluten-Free Meals

$50 WEEKLY MENU EXCLUSIVELY FEATURING KATHY HESTER RECIPES! 

To see more of Kathy's recipes, I used her website exclusively in my newest "$50 menu" post. I show you exactly what I made to feed my family for an entire week for just $50!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: 

To see all of my CSA posts, click here. 

To see all my $50 Weekly menus, click here. 

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope

COOKIN' WITH MY SISTER: Feeding My Family for A Week for $50

One of my very favorite people in the whole world recently drove ten hours north to visit me: my sister, Robin. We love to gab and cook when she comes to visit and this time was no exception.

She is currently on a beta testing team for a new vegan, gluten free, Instant Pot cookbook. So, she came with recipes in hand for us to try together. I can show you photos and tell you ingredients. But, I can't provide you with recipe links. What I can do, is point you to the cookbook author's website. You'll find information on the upcoming book at https://healthyslowcooking.com/.



 Psssttt... she also has a lot of recipes she shares on the website absolutely free. But, don't head over there until after you read through my post and check out my weekly menu.

One Week for Just $50! 

As always, I show you how I feed my family for an entire week for just $50! This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This week, we are even throwing in a couple of dessert ideas! My family this week has expanded to include my 22 year old son, who is home from college, and (of course) my sister, who is visiting from the South. So, we will be feeding seven people on just $50!

(My blog posts contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through the link, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you.) 

The 14 year old sous chef joined us in the kitchen. 

He is creating a new citrus dressing recipe.

BREAKFAST: 

HOMEMADE SOY YOGURT IN THE INSTANT POT

Soy Yogurt - TOTAL COST: $2.00

This is where I admit to you that we actually ate most of the yogurt before I remembered to take a photo. But, it was good! This recipe was from

The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot: 80 Easy and Delicious Plant-Based Recipes That You Can Make in Half the Time

It was thick, tart, and made overnight in the Instant Pot! Yep! Super easy, with no added sugar.  For breakfast, it's perfect drizzled over cooked oatmeal (makes it so creamy!) or used to create overnight soaked oats.

I'll show you an additional way that the 14 year old sous chef used this yogurt to create a yummy dessert. There are photos and a description at the bottom of this post.

Okay, if you want to peek, you can. But, be sure to scroll back up here to see the rest of the menu.

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN SAUSAGE PATTIES:

Gluten Free Vegan Sausage Patties - TOTAL COST: $2.50

I can not tell you how much these taste like traditional pork sausage! They are even nice and firm, like meat. But, without all the fat and cholesterol. These are definitely a "win" and a "make again" for our family! Serve on toasted English muffins, drizzled with homemade white gravy and a side of fresh fruit! Yum!

OAT GROATS: 

Oat groats - TOTAL COST: $3.00

Ever heard of oat groats? This is what your oatmeal looks like before it is steamed and smashed flat. Oat groats can be kind of hard to find, but it is well worth it! They have the lowest glycemic index and the highest protein content of all forms of oats. What does that mean? Simply that they will satiate you, without spiking your blood sugar.  If you top it with fresh fruit and cut up dates, you won't even need to add sugar! That's a win-win, for sure!

What do they cost? I found them locally at a health food store for about $1.50 a pound. So, they are a little more expensive than traditional thick, rolled oats. However, their chewy, nut-like consistency and flavor are a wonderful change in the breakfast schedule.

ADDITIONAL BREAKFAST ITEMS:

The breakfast total includes four days of our regular rotation of:

• a bowl of cream of wheat or oatmeal
• topped with fresh fruit

Total Cost of Breakfast:  $14.00

It's a little higher than usual. But, we were feeding two additional adults, too. 

LUNCH: 

SOUPS: 

Slow Cooker Cream-less Potato Soup

Slow Cooker Cream-less Potato Soup: Cost: $3.00

Creamy and flavorful! Divine! 

I made the recipe as Kathy Hester designed it, but, I used new, red potatoes from my CSA box for this soup, instead of russets and added 1/2 of a red onion. I also doubled the recipe to serve 8 instead of 4. After it was finished, I wished I had tripled it. Seriously! It was that good!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Navy Beans

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Navy Beans - Cost: $2.50

This soup was a pleasant surprise. It's such a simple recipe, with very few ingredients. I wasn't sure the soup would taste very flavorful. I was wrong! The split peas more or less "melted" into the soup base as they cooked, thickening the soup nicely. My husband, who adores split peas, called from work and asked what was in the soup that was making it taste so good. You couldn't really see the split peas in the finished soup, but you could taste them.

If you've never used a pressure cooker, you need to get one! My sister has an Instant Pot and it's definitely my favorite hands-down! I'm most impressed by the all stainless steel interior pot and the versatility of all the different functions. It's definitely on my list of items to buy.

Instant Pot 6 Qt 6-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Sauté, Steamer, and Warmer

Additional lunch items: 

• Crackers - $1.00
• Raw veggies - $3.00
• Fruit - $4.00

Total cost of lunches: $13.00

SUPPER: 

Onion and Molasses Baked Beans

Onion and molasses baked beans - Cost: $2.00

These were the best homemade baked beans that I have ever tasted - and that's saying something, because I make homemade baked beans all the time! We taste tested this recipe for Kathy Hester's upcoming cookbook. Served with the vegan sausage "meatballs" and a salad, this makes a complete meal!

Vegan Sausage "Meatballs"

Vegan Sausage "Meatballs" - Cost: $1.00

The cost was incredibly low for these delicious sausage balls. I just took half of the recipe for vegan sausage patties and made meatballs out of them. The kids ate them like a mini-sub sandwich on toasted hot dog buns. The adults threw them on top of salad greens, for a main dish salad. They were delicious!

Cauliflower Rice and Black Beans with Kale

Quick and Easy Weeknight Vegan Skillet:
Cauliflower Rice and Black Beans with Kale - Cost: $2.00

Shhh... Don't tell Kathy Hester, but I subbed different greens in her skillet recipe. That's actually one of the main tips that I want you to understand today. In my house, recipes are subject to the ingredients that I have on hand. Don't have kale? Substitute kohlrabi leaves or beet greens. Most of the time, you can sub any deep, green leaf for kale.

Rainbow Vegetable Rice

Rainbow Vegetable Rice (cost is included in the recipes below). 

This was the final recipe that we test tasted for the new cookbook. This is SO simple, and yet so versatile. It was also wonderfully inexpensive to make! Remember, I was feeding 7 people this week, instead of 5. Yet, this recipe was enough to easily feed us for four meals!

It's a mixture of riced cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, and broccoli. That's it! 
It easily makes 15 to 20 cups.

Kathy Hester will give you about ten different ways to use this mixture in the new cookbook. We split it in half and chose two methods of preparation.

"Cheezy" Rainbow Vegetable Rice over Baked Potato

"Cheezy veggies" over a baked potato - Cost: $5.00

"Cheezy" veggies: created by cooking the rainbow vegetable rice in a pan and then adding garlic and onion powder, nutritional yeast, soy milk. We served it over baked potatoes.

Rainbow Vegetable Rice Pilaf

Rainbow Vegetable Rice Pilaf - Cost: $4.00

The 2nd night we used the other half of the mixture as vegetable pilaf by adding: peas, corn, onion and garlic powder, and slivered almonds. We served it over whole oat groats, which had been cooked in the Instant Pot. This method of using the rainbow vegetable rice was definitely my favorite.

Salad! 

We vegans eat a lot of salads! - Cost: $8.00

I'll bet you can guess that we added salads with every single dinner. The lettuces, greens, onions, tomatoes, radishes, and other veggies were all from my weekly CSA box. 

Total cost of dinners: $22.00

DESSERT! 

I don't serve dessert very often. If we have anything, it's  generally a piece of fruit at the end of a meal. But, Hey! My sister was visiting. So, why not celebrate!

No Sugar Desert Hummus

No sugar dessert hummus  (2 ways) and grapes - Cost: $2.50

Once again, this was a recipe tested for the upcoming cookbook. This amazing hummus contains a specialty item, chana dal, which are brown chickpeas that have been split, skinned, and polished. They give this dish a very smooth, creamy texture.

My advice, if you have a hard time finding chana dal, then cooked chickpeas or split yellow peas would be an appropriate substitute. This hummus is sweetened only with chopped, real dates. No added sugar! We added cocoa powder to half of it to make chocolate hummus, which is remarkably similar to Nutella spread. We enjoyed both the plain and chocolate versions. 

Layered Desert Hummus with Homemade Yogurt and Cherries

Layered Dessert Hummus - Cost: $.50

The 14 year old sous chef created this for us. I, literally, told him to look to see what was in the kitchen and use his imagination!

He placed a dollop of the dessert hummus in the bottom of a pretty cup. He added a generous layer of homemade almond yogurt, and pitted cherries. It was all topped by a light sprinkling of dark chocolate chips. It tasted as good as it looked!

I know you are wondering how in the world we made 7 cups of this for $.50. Since we used the homemade yogurt and the dessert hummus the only part of this dessert not already accounted for was the cherries (which I got on sale for 77¢ a pound) and the sprinkling of chocolate chips (which I got on sale and had in the freezer.) So, the cost was incredibly low!

Dessert Total: $3.00

Let's see how close we came to our goal of just $50 for a week's worth of food for my family.

TOTAL COST OF THIS WEEKLY MENU: $52.00

That's pretty doggone close to my goal of $50, especially considering the fact that I was feeding two extra people. 

I hope that this series of $50 menu posts is showing you that you can, indeed, feed your family fresh, nutritious, food on a shoestring budget. 

Your turn!

If you have any super secret ways that you stretch your food budget, we'd love it if you would share them with the rest of us! Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section. 

One more thing!

Don't forget that right now you can receive my free 6 page Seasonal Produce Guide when you sign up to be a part of my E-mail Posse. In it, I give you the low-down on when the get the best prices on the freshest produce. You'll learn how to use it, store it, and "put it by" for later use in the winter months.  Look for the sign up right under the attractive picture of the produce e-book on the right hand side of the blog. Thanks! 

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: 

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Do all to the glory of God, 

Hope