lettuce – Chocolate 'N Children

October 16, 2017October 16, 2017

Fall Favorites

I’m writing this post as one of a group of posts with other bloggers about some things/items we just love about Fall. After you read my post, check out their posts below and see what things other people like about fall as well!

There are things uniquely fall that I just love. The smell of apple cider, colorful leaves, and crisp mornings with a steaming cup of coffee, to name a few. While summer is my favorite season, I still enjoy fall, and all the different smells and sights that come with it.

I started working on this list and realized that my favorite things about fall seem to center around food. Caramel sauce, sweet potatoes, tea, etc. It’s just that time of year when I feel like baking and cooking. I included some food on my list but did my best to include some other things as well.

1. Mickey Jack O Lantern – I purchased this years ago at a silent auction. The tag said it was Disney though. Every fall, we pull it out and my kids use it as their bathroom nightlight all October and November.

I hide it again when we return home after Thanksgiving, and we save it for next year. I think the kids love seeing the fun Mickey smile through the fall, plus it’s not terribly bright so it makes a perfect nightlight.

2. Fall Candles – I just love candles, and fall has some really great scents. Pumpkin, leaves, cinnamon, apple, etc. All those wonderful, comfort scents that come with fall. Plus since it’s getting cooler out it’s nice to have a candle burning to give the feeling of warmth – since I don’t have a fireplace.

I love a fireplace, there just isn’t one in my house. So I make do with what I can. For me, that means lots of candles in the fall and winter months.

My favorite brand is Yankee Candle. They just always burn well and smell so great! This Autumn Wreath scent is one of my favorites, it’s fall, without being festive. Since I like to save the December holiday scents for December so I can enjoy fall for as long as possible.

The real trick with candles is keeping my kids from blowing them out before I’m ready. Since my kids just love blowing out candles.

3. Russian Tea – My husband introduced me to this years ago. It’s a super simple “tea” to make, delicious, and so perfect for a crisp fall evening. Last week, I mixed up my first batch of Russian Tea for this fall. It’s something everyone in my family loves. And with the Tang, it even has some vitamin C.

I love to mix up a mason jar full and just keep it on my counter for whenever I want a cup.

Russian Tea

1 cup Tang
1 cup instant tea (I prefer Lipton)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Pour all ingredients in a mason jar, close the lid, shake until well mixed.

To make tea, mix two heaping spoonfuls of mix with boiling water in a coffee cup.

4. Salad Spinner – It’s that time of year when my CSA gives me lots of lettuce. Around here, we get lettuce in the spring and lettuce in the fall. My salad spinner is a lifesaver. I love salad, and fresh lettuce is delicious, but it’s a pain to dry.

This salad spinner works great, and is so easy to use that usually my kids spin my lettuce dry for me. I usually spin a whole head of lettuce, dry my spinner, then just cover it with a towel in the fridge and I have delicious, clean, lettuce in my fridge for days!

I bought my spinner a few years ago so it’s no longer available on Amazon, but I did find one that looks just like it.

5. Leaves – And last but not least, I just love the leaves in the fall. I love the colors, the crunch, and just the fun of making a pile and then playing in it. I don’t do much jumping in leaves these days, but it sure is fun to watch the kids play in the leaves. The great part is the play, rake, play, and wear themselves out, then all come in and take baths. It makes for a very fun day for them with minimal effort from me.

What’s one thing you love about fall? Check out these other awesome blogs for more fall inspiration!

* This post does contain affiliate links.

July 2, 2015June 30, 2015

CSA – Week 7

This week there was another green of some sort in my CSA. Sometimes they send an email telling what everything is. This week they didn’t. I’m not entirely sure what this is, but it tastes pretty good.

Green onions. I think I’ve had them in every CSA box so far. I am figuring out how to use them up though, so they’re actually nice to have now.

Basil, I’m just loving this sweet basil. It’s great for making spaghetti sauce, or just tossing in dishes that I’m making. It adds a nice flavor to everything.

Squash and a cucumber. These things are very large! One of them can make lunch for me and the kids. Luckily, we love both of them and I’m loving having them for easy lunches.

This is the first time I’ve had cabbage in my CSA. I asked my husband what he wanted me to do with it (he doesn’t really like cabbage) and he said the only way he’ll eat it is as sauerkraut. So, I’m making some of that. It has to ferment for a couple of weeks but I can’t wait to try it when it’s done.

Red lettuce, this is my favorite lettuce type to get in my CSA. It’s actually a tad sweeter than the green lettuce and has a great overall flavor. This week, I rinsed, cut up, and dried the entire head then put it in a tupperware in the fridge. Eating salads is so much more convenient this way, and covered it’ll last almost a week after I prepare it.

Swiss chard, I’m not eating through it fast enough, because no one will eat it plain. I have no problem getting the kids to eat it if I mix it in other dishes though.

June 25, 2015June 25, 2015

CSA – Week 6

I’m having so much fun with these CSAs. Here’s what came in this week’s CSA.

More beets. This is not my favorite vegetable, but after having them for weeks, I’m staring to discover some ways to use them that me and the kids all like.

Green onions. I’ve started putting these in everything, and I’m finally using them up as I get them!

Swiss Chard. I didn’t think the kids would eat this, but I’ve been putting it in dishes and as long as it’s cut small enough the kids are eating it without a problem.

Parsley. No basil this week, but I have a bit left from last week, and now I have parsley as well.

Lettuce. It’s a good thing we like salads. I’ve gotten lettuce every week.

Tomatoes. I love these tomatoes. They’re so delicious!

Squash. This vegetable is a favorite at my house. And these look so delicious.

Celery. I tried one of these plain and it was so strong! I didn’t realize how much more flavor locally grown would have. I’m loving this in soups and it would be great with peanut butter as well.

June 18, 2015June 16, 2015

CSA – Week 5

My girls are so excited about these carrots. They love carrots, and had carrots a few weeks ago so this week they were asking for them again. They’re so happy to have more carrots.

I can’t say I’m happy to see more beets. I’ve already pickled two bunches. I haven’t decided yet what I’m going to do with this bunch.

Swiss chard. I remember my mom making this accidentally once when I was a kid thinking it was kale. It’s not kale, and it didn’t taste good. So I’m a little afraid of it, but I’m sure I’ll find something I can make with it.

Basil, luckily I have ideas for using this since I’m just now finishing off my last batch. In fact, tomorrow I’ll have two recipes for you with basil.

More tomatoes. These are so yummy! And I’m eating through them so quickly, I’m always happy to have more tomatoes.

And lettuce, we love salads at my house, so that’s what this gets used for. There’s also a lovely red pepper I forgot to take a picture of – and since I ate it before I realized that I didn’t have a picture, there’s no picture. It was very tasty.

June 11, 2015June 9, 2015

CSA – Week 4

This week we have beets again. I made more pickled beets because I think the kids will like them. I’m just hoping I like them. I’m not a fan of beets.

Cauliflower. You can’t see this in the picture, but the undersides are purple. The girls were so excited about this! I’m not going to have any trouble getting them to eat it however I make it.

Radishes. Currently, I’m grating them into salads and everyone eats them this way. I even like them this way.

Green onions, four weeks in a row. I have got to come up with something other than slicing one in a salad!

Tomatoes. Last week’s were so delicious. I’m not having any trouble eating all of these.

Greens. It’s not broccolini, but something similar to kale. It’s a bit strong but I still like it.

Red lettuce. This stuff is so tasty. I love it in salads.

Kale. I still haven’t found a recipe for kale that the kids will eat. I’m going to try something new this week.

Come back tomorrow and see what I’ve been cooking!

June 4, 2015May 27, 2015

CSA Week 3

There were so tasty things in my box this week. And some vegetables I’m not that familiar with. Be prepared for fun recipes tomorrow!

More green onions – I have got to find a use for this. This is 3 weeks in a row, and they’re all sitting in my fridge…

Radishes – the recipe I tried last time was pretty good. But no one in my family really likes radishes, so I’m going to have to try something different. Also, I have the tops this time. I’m thinking I’ll try a pesto and see whether I like the carrot top pesto or the radish top pest best.

Beets – I’ve never ever cooked beets. I’ll be looking at lots of beet recipes this week! They have the tops too. I’m pretty sure I can use these like any green similar to kale. I’ll be finding out what the taste difference is!

Spinach – we love spinach salad! I doubt I’ll have enough to do more than just salads. Especially since this is our preferred way to eat spinach.

While we’re discussing salads, here’s a head of red lettuce. I see some delicious salads in my future!

More Kale – I love cooked greens but the kids and my husband are not impressed. I’m going to try kale chips this week, maybe those will be better received…

Tomatoes – I love tomatoes. And these are huge and delicious looking. Can’t wait to start eating these.

Come back tomorrow to see what I did with all these familiar and unfamiliar vegetables.

May 28, 2015May 21, 2015

CSA Week 2

Here’s what came in my second CSA box. Recipes for some of these items will be on the blog tomorrow!

Basil – I’m seeing lots of italian foods in my future! Did you know, basil is a spice that does better on the counter instead of the fridge. Just put it in a jar of water kind of like you would a flower, cover it lightly, and leave it out. It’ll keep longer. Not the most beautiful flower but it really does smell so good!

Kale, I really love kale. It’s one of my favorite greens. Plus I have a great recipe! (once again, come back tomorrow!)

Lettuce, luckily we love salads around here. This is such a big head! We’ve had a great spring for lettuce growing and it really shows.

More green onions, we got green onions last week as well. Apparently, it’s been a great spring for them. We don’t eat a lot of green onions so I’m struggling with what to do with them. I don’t mind them as toppings for salads, soups, tacos, etc. But no one else likes them, so I have to find a way to hide them when I cook with them. Check back tomorrow and see what I came up with.

More strawberries, they didn’t last long. We ate them up within hours of getting them home. They’re so sweet and juicy!

One green pepper. It’s pretty large, and looks delicious!

Carrots, my 6yr old has been begging to make some carrot soup. So we did, come back tomorrow and see how it turned out!

May 15, 2015May 14, 2015

First Food Friday

We’re trying out a CSA for the first time this year. I’m so excited! To celebrate, I’m going to be doing a Food Friday series on the blog every Friday.

I picked up my first box on Wednesday, so no recipes today since I haven’t had a ton of time to work with my box yet, but you’ll start seeing recipes and tips next week. So come back.

This week, I’ll just show you what’s in my box and my initial reactions to everything.

Lettuce, a whole giant head of it. Actually, it’s a bunch, not a head, because it’s not round. Anyways…we love salads at my house so we’ll have no trouble eating this up!

Broccoli, we also love broccoli – at least I love broccoli so I think everyone else should too. I did steam some for dinner Wednesday night and it’s delicious! There’s six little heads here. Come back next week to see what I do with all of it.

Strawberries, and they’re delicious! Also, they didn’t last past Thursday, we just gobbled them up. Someone did tell me that the tops are great in smoothies. So I’ve frozen them for later smoothie making. We’ll see how it turns out.

Broccolini, at least, I think that’s what it is. There seems to be a lot of leaf and not a lot of broccoli flower. I’ve seen so many recipes for this green but my local Kroger doesn’t sell it, now I get to try it!

There’s one other mysterious green leafy item that I think is carrot tops, I’ve also heard that these are very tasty and quite nutritious but I’ve never tried them. This could be exciting. If all else fails, I’ll just use my favorite greens recipe and it’ll be delicious.

These are some rather large green onions (also see the carrot tops in the bottom-left-hand corner). One per recipe should work great.

And last item, radishes. I haven’t had a radish since I was a kid. I sliced up the tiny one that you can see in the picture and ate it just to see how spicy they are. Not too bad, but I don’t see any of my kids or my husband eating them just sliced on a salad so I’m going to have to find a better use for them.

I’m so excited to have some new vegetables I’ve never tried before to cook with, and I’m excited to have some of my favorites like strawberries and broccoli, and not so excited about the radishes.

Come back next Friday to see what I make with all of this!

March 9, 2015March 7, 2015

7 Favorite Green Foods

In honor of St. Patricks Day, I’m going with a green theme for my foods. There’s no way I’m dying any food green, so you know, green eggs and ham are just out of the questions! However, here’s my top 7 favorite naturally green foods.

1. Lettuce – We all love salads! It’s a great way for me to get my family to eat green leafy vegetables. My favorite dinner salad is a good “cobb” salad. And I use “cobb” rather loosely, because I don’t usually make a traditional cobb salad. I make a salad with lettuce, 2 types of cheese, 2 types of meat (usually sliced sandwich meat and bacon bits), sliced tomatoes, and ranch dressing. Makes a great protein-packed dinner for hot days in the summer!

2. Granny Smith Apples – These were always one of my favorite apples as a kid. I also really like them in an apple pie, a nice tart apple with the sugar and such in an apple pie is so delicious! They’re also really good sliced up with some peanut butter.

3. Peas – My now 6yr old loves peas. They were one of her first finger foods as a baby and she still loves them to this day! I used to just pop a bowl of frozen peas with a Tbsp of water into the microwave for about 1 minute for an instant snack. These days, with three kids I have to make more peas so I just boil them on the stove with a little bit of salt and everyone loves them! I can put peas in just about anything and my 6yr old will eat it because it has her favorite vegetable.

4. Kiwi – I love these tart fruits as well (sensing a pattern here?). I don’t like the fuzzy peel, so I peel them, slice them into rounds and eat them with a fork. The best thing about this fruit? No one else in my family likes them so I get to eat them all!

5. Grapes – Grapes are such an easy fruit. You can take them to a party, pull out a few for the kids to snack on, or slice them in half and toss them in a fruit salad. I like my grapes nice and firm, once they’re squishy I won’t eat them so I have to eat them up pretty quickly when I get them.

6. Broccoli – Another favorite in my family. The kids prefer to eat broccoli with ranch dip which is way easier than the cheese sauce my husband prefers. This is probably the only green vegetable that everyone in my family will eat! I prefer to steam it on the stove and eat it plain.

7. Green Beans – My kids only like canned green beans because they’re softer than fresh or frozen. But that just makes my life easier, I’ll dump a can of green beans in a pan, add a clove of crushed garlic and simmer while I’m making dinner. All 3 kids gobble them up. (some nights I don’t get any, I’m going to have to start making 2 cans if I want some). Easy and healthy!