When mustard greens appeared in my CSA box last week, I didn’t even have a chance to groan before my beloved farmer told me to just try them. My farmer knows me well — anything with the word ‘mustard’ in it is sure to send me packing.

However, I do believe in trying everything once, so I immediately ripped a leaf off and took a nibble. Turns out the course green has a pleasant taste with a touch of peppery-ness. Better yet, it doesn’t taste like mustard. At all. Color me a convert.

Immediately, I started planning this salad. Sweet-ish beet greens with the peppery mustard greens and a light but flavorful homemade vinaigrette. Add in a bit of salty feta, sweet raw beets and fresh tomatoes … oh yea. It was destined to be good. And guess what? It was.

When serving this, I did something that I normally don’t do: I didn’t reveal exactly what the salad was made of. Generally, I am a firm believer in disclosure so that everyone knows and willingly eats what’s on the table. But I knew the mention of mustard greens — something that I was hesitant about –  would be a deterrent. So, I kept quiet until everyone — all seven of us — had eaten some. And guess what? I wasn’t the only one to enjoy it. So there.

Maybe sometimes it’s okay to be a little deceptive in the name of trying new things. What do you think?

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If there is one thing my kids love, it’s options. So, when I suggested that we make our own smoothies this afternoon, they were both totally psyched. We were in the grocery store when I mentioned it and Will’s reaction was priceless. “Smoothies? Really?!? Yay!” Then, when they saw the array of ingredients spread out on the counter, they were beyond delighted.

I started out by asking each of them if they wanted a creamy or an icy smoothie. They both choose creamy, so we started with a half cup of plain yogurt each. Then, they choose their fruit (strawberries and pineapple for Paige and banana and strawberry for Will). Finally, we topped it off with a 1/4 cup of milk and blended it all to perfection.

They loved that they got to dictate the flavors and also blend the drinks themselves. I love seeing the sense of accomplishment when they do things like this. It makes every spill and drip 100 percent worth it.

They both loved their creations. Paige’s was lightly sweet with a flavor that made her say “Oh! Yum!” Honestly though, I wasn’t as big a fan of her combination (no matter — it only really mattered that she liked it). And Will sucked his Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie down in record time. Yes, he loved it.

For my part, I made a Banana Pineapple Smoothie … a light, chilly, refreshing drink with coconut water, banana, pineapple and ice. It was A-MAZING. Totally a must-make.

What’s your favorite smoothie combination?

P.S. Cate and I joke about being on the same wavelength … so you’ll imagine my surprise when I checked her blog tonight. This was a total coincidence. But head over to Sweetnicks for a Pineapple Orange Smoothie Recipe.

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For much of this year, I’ve shared my journey of going from overspending to living on a budget (in case you missed the series, catch up on My Spending Diet here). The act of writing about my financial challenges, especially when it comes to budgeting for our food, has helped me save a lot and also think more frugally. In particular, the adjustment to using cash-only has been a great victory, since I think more about what I am buying and why … rather than just buying now and thinking later.

But after 13 weeks and about a month off, I am ready to take My Spending Diet to the next level. Enter Frugal Fridays.

What is Frugal Fridays? Like My Spending Diet, I will share how my spending was for the prior week — including the challenges and slip-ups. But this isn’t ust about me or my family; it’s about all of us. So I will also share tips, tricks and deals for the coming week too.

This Week’s Tips, Tricks and Deals

• Reduce, reuse … Tired of trying to find just the right container for making big quantities of drinks like iced tea? Do what my husband does and buy one good, solid, premade tea and reuse the container (the one he uses is 58 oz.) for mixing and storage. All you need is a funnel to make filling easier.
• Slurpee Day! Tap into that childhood glee this weekend at 7-11 by picking up a FREE Slurpee on Sunday, July 11. Get the detes of the offer here.
• Love Starbucks? The company is running their Starbucks Treat Receipt promo again through October 4. If you buy a beverage in the AM and return after 2 p.m. with your receipt (same day only!), you can get any Grande iced drink for $2 (plus tax).

Have a great weekend!

Choice is so important. We all make choices every day: shopping the farmers market or not, shopping at big supermarkets or small local markets, cooking at home or eating out, trying something new or sticking with something you know you’ll love and enjoy. When it comes to food, everything is a choice.

I used to fall into the category of people who would nibble, nibble, nibble at whatever I could find when I was hungry — even if it wasn’t what I really wanted. Sometimes lunch would just be a series of nibbles. That was a choice, albeit a bad one. Now, I make the choice not to eat unless I really want what I am eating. That way, I don’t overeat simply because I can’t find what I want.

Likewise, when it comes to shopping for food, I choose to shop where I like. For instance, two local grocery stores are filled with happy, helpful workers … I love shopping there. And the local farmers’ markets have enthusiastic farmers who are happy to chat about their produce and products. It’s a joy to go there …

But recently, I stopped at a big mega-supermarket for a few dinner supplies and I was faced with the opposite: grumpy, eye-rolling, rude workers who acted like my request for a pound of large, raw shrimp was out of line. It was such an unpleasant experience that I probably will never go back there (really, I need to find a small fish monger to shop from. Anyone know of one in the Greater New Haven area?). That’s my choice.

In any case, despite the sour fish counter worker, this pasta was fantastic. I adapted it from my recipe for Shrimp in White Wine and Garlic Sauce, adding gorgonzola to make a lovely, creamy sauced pasta. The gorgonzola melts into the delicate sauce and coats the pasta with flavorful goodness. Honestly, I could have licked the bowl. Paige, who runs hot and cold with shrimp, kept asking for more and more.

Serve this with a big chopped herb salad and some fresh fruit for dessert. Delish!

Tell me about where you shop! Does the attitude of the workers impact your choices? Read the rest of this entry…

Welcome customers of Shortt’s Farm CSA! Scroll down for my fabulous Cinnamon-alicious Zucchini Bread recipe and other fabulous recipes to use today’s produce.

Confession time: I don’t like zucchini. Not one little bit. I hate how it gets all mushy and watery when cooked — it reminds me of slime. How terrible of me, right? But, hey, everyone is allowed to have likes and dislikes, right?

That said, like all vegetables, it’s all in how you prepare it. Sure, I might not like the traditional preparations of zucchini, but it’s totally edible in other ways … like raw or in baked goods. In fact, it’s downright delectable in this Cinnamon-alicious Zucchini Bread. Heck, if you didn’t know that zucchini was in this bread, you’d never guess it. This has a fabulous flavor thanks to the hearty amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla that are in it.

Although the ingredients list is on the long side, this bread is a cinch to make. It mixes up fast and easy by hand and is in the oven in no time. The recipes also makes two loaves at once — one to eat, and one to freeze. Easy peasy.

So, now I am hoping that my CSA box (today’s the first one of the season!) will come with some zucchini so that I can make this bread again. It really was that good — even my husband, who hates all things veg, ate it and admitted to liking it. A little.

Looking for a few good ideas for your CSA box? Try these recipes:

• Swiss Chard (aka Rainbow Chard) – Swiss Chard with Garlic and Bacon
• Kale – Kale Pesto
• Summer Squash – Ratatouille
• Radishes – Balsamic Sauteed Radishes
• Beet Greens – Beet Greens Bruschetta
• Basil – Basil Vinaigrette

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That’s ketchup. Homemade ketchup! Yum.

A few years ago, when I first started to rid my house of processed foods, I pondered making my own condiments like ketchup, but that seemed like too, too much when there were acceptable organic versions available in most stores. Of course, we soon learned that some of those organic versions of ketchup in particular left something to be desired in the taste category. Still, we found one we liked and stuck with it.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when one of my editors and I were talking about creative toppings for the barbecue. The idea of homemade ketchup came up, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. So, I started working on it, finding the right combination of seasonings to create a homemade ketchup recipe that my family would love.

Once I set to making it, I discovered that tomato puree worked as a perfect base for this homemade ketchup recipe since it could be combined with seasonings and reduced pretty easily — no blending necessary. Just whisk it together, and occasionally whisk it a bit to keep from burning or anything. But mostly, you just let it boil down (with a splatter guard, of course!). It’s super easy.

Also, be warned, it’s best to remove the pan from the heat and wait a few seconds to remove the splatter guard for whisking … this boils rapidly and that will help you avoid getting burned. Return to the heat when you are ready to cook again.

The result is a fragrant, well-seasoned homemade tomato ketchup that is great on fries, hot dogs, burgers and more. Just spoon a little on and go. You’ll never want to go back.

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Do you remember what it’s like to be a child and hear the music of the ice cream truck grow louder and louder as the truck nears and passes your house? I do, because even though I am 30, I still relish in buying a little something from one of the infamous trucks.

When the ice cream truck rolled by today, I tried to resist the urge to run after it. Will really wanted to though. When it stopped nearby, idling as it served customer after customer, I tried to say no … but I wanted ice cream as much as he did. So, next thing you know, Shawn and Will were headed out the door to grab some cones.

Hey, it’s summer. And sometimes saying yes is so much better than saying no.

Have a wonderful 4th of July.

Every spring I wait excitedly, checking websites and reading newspapers, for the local farmers’ markets to open. While I know that many of my fellow local food-loving compatriots seek out and enjoy local everything all year round, I get a special joy from walking between stands at my favorite markets and selecting different veggies and fruits for the week. I love the smell of it and the feeling of being so close to something that was on a living plant not too long ago.

When I found out that my favorite market was opening late this year, I was devastated. That market has some of the most wonderful things … amazing, fresh, buttery Grade B maple syrup; the best pesto, semolina bread and mozzarella; and of course fabulous local veggies (all organic!). We have a week or two more to wait. In the meantime, I’ve been heading to a wonderful local farm where I load up on kale, chard, bunching onions, basil and more … delish.

Now the chard (it was of the rainbow variety), I decided to try something new. I browned some bacon and added some garlic and butter, added the chard and lightly cooked it. It was A-MAZING! It’s salty, bold and fresh … all good things. I can’t wait to make it again (we’ve had it a few times over the past week!).

How do you like your chard?

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