Josh and I went to the Nashville Farmers Market this past Saturday to see what they had to offer in the way of local, all natural produce. We typically get all our groceries from Trader Joe’s, but want to make a better effort to support small farms in our community. We were a bit disappointed to find that there was little available in the way of organically (meaning no pesticides, food additives, genetically modified organisms, etc) grown fruits and vegetables. I realize that to farm this way is more difficult and time-consuming, which then results in typically more expensive goods – all things which present challenges for farmers to make the commitment to farm organically and sustainably. Still I couldn’t help but be surprised by the lack of organically grown options. In fact, more than one vendor/farmer was somewhat put-off when I asked how they grew their vegetables and whether or not they used pesticides…
Month: September 2013
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Today’s post is short and sweet, as in Baked Sweet Potato Fries! These little fries make a regular appearance in our meals. I make these as a side to our dinner or for a quick snack on a regular basis. We don’t typically keep any sort of chips or salty snacky foods in the house other than a variety of dry roasted nuts, not just for healthy reasons but also for budget purposes. We found those sort of snacks add up quick and we’d rather focus our grocery budget on other things! So, when we have a craving for something with a bit of salt, these fries are easy to whip up in about 20 minutes and definitely hit the spot…
Baked Patty Pan with Sweet Potato and Kale
Has patty pan squash been this popular for a while and I’m just late to the party? Recently I seem to see it everywhere, including our CSA! There is a fairly new farmers market in Nashville, so on a Tuesday evening, a few weeks back, a co-worker and I walked to it after work, to check out the local vendors and see what it was all about. I had already gotten my produce that week so it was more browsing than buying, but I wanted to get something I hadn’t used or bought before and decided to go with a couple patty pan squash since I wasn’t familiar with it. It is a round, sorta scalloped squash that is similar to zucchini and seems to be very versatile. I created a Stuffed Patty Pan Squash with that purchase, but this time decided to go with a different approach…
Chunky Salsa with Roasted Corn, Avocado & Tomatoes
Need a quick, fresh, and healthy appetizer for a late summer get-together? This yummy Chunky Salsa with Roasted Corn, Avocado and Tomatoes is definitely a winner!
Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Crust with Sweet Potatoes
Who knew cauliflower was so versatile? From cauliflower pizza crust to cauliflower Alfredo sauce to cauliflower steak, the options seem to be endless! I first came across a low carb cauliflower pizza crust similar to this one a few years ago when looking for a healthier pizza option. I’ve made it several times over the years and Josh and I both really like it…
Zucchini Pasta with Sweet Potato and Kale
If you are a pasta lover but are trying to reduce the carbs and processed grains, try this Zucchini Pasta dish!
A while back I had been cooking my way through our CSA and when trying to decide what I wanted to create for dinner that night, I remembered the zucchini and summer squash. I decided to throw a few things together for a pasta dish inspired by some of the Julienne Summer vegetable recipes floating around the web. Some of these dishes included a red spaghetti sauce while others use a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic and kept it simple…
Easy Breakfast Burritos (for dinner!)
There is absolutely nothing new, great or overly creative about these Easy Breakfast Burritos. But not all meals need to be new, great, or overly creative, right? Sometimes meals just need to be a little hearty, a little comforting, and a lot of tasty. And that is what these burritos are and do. Not to mention they are made with ingredients I keep on hang regularly and create a dish that comes together quickly…
Homemade Banana Almond Granola
Granola is one of those things that makes a yummy snack without the guilt of eating a handful… or sometimes several handfuls.
And as much as I love granola, I made this recipe more for Josh, than myself. Mornings are often my time to get up early, grab my coffee and fix my greek yogurt with whole oats, flax and berries before curling up on one of our front porch chairs (with Tucker of course) to eat breakfast and read my devotion, catch up on personal emails, look at food blogs, etc. I’ve come to cherish this time as I consider it my “me time”…
Veggie Stuffed Patty Pan Squash
Everything about starting a food blog excites me; the food, the pictures, the community, the inspiration of others. The thing that terrifies me is the writing….and the food, the pictures, the opinions of others. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that everything about starting a food blog excites and terrifies me. I see so many extraordinary food blogs and photography online with witty writing and easily question whether or not I can really do this – but when I wake up at 5:30 without an alarm, hungry and thinking about the blog, I know this is something I desperately want to make a go at…