Farm Share Friday & Roasted Kohlrabi Recipe
Hi friends! We are in the midst of an intense heat wave here in Iowa, which gives me time to catch up on all the things indoors!
With no share box the week of July 4th, and a busier than normal last week, I am finally able to update you on produce we received and recipes we love! Part of the fun of participating in a farm share or CSA program is experiencing produce that you might otherwise not purchase, example: Kohlrabi.
Prior to this past week, I had never bought, cooked with, or eaten kohlrabi, but I was determined to find a use for it. With some simple searching online, I found an easy roasted kohlrabi recipe that turned out amazing (and approved by the 1 year old!).
It turns out that kohlrabi tastes like a cross between a potato and an artichoke. This simple recipe calls for roasting with some salt/pepper/olive oil and topping with Parmesan cheese, ta-da! Instant side dish or snack! Here is what mine looked like.
Now for next week, I have quite the variety to work with and I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures of all the color! Here are a few pictures of what arrived fresh this week.
Fresh sage drying in the kitchen!
I am glad the larger vegetables are starting to be in season, but I do need to get creative with all of these zucchini! I pinned a few different dishes/casseroles that call for zucchini and corn, so I might have to track down some sweet corn and see what I can come up with to share with you next week.
That’s all I have for today, and if you are local to Iowa make sure to stay safe during this intense heat wave! I will see you all soon!
Farm Share Friday - Week 4
It’s time to see what we received in our weekly share box from our local farm!
These posts are not sponsored! Just a little insight from me on how these programs work.
Yay for Friday! We made it!
This week for #farmsharefriday I have a really great recipe for greens, one that the entire family enjoyed! I also have so much produce from the box this week that I couldn’t squeeze it all into one photo. As the weather continues to improve, I have a feeling our share boxes will continue to reflect that!
First up, this super easy collard greens recipe…1.5 year old approved! I love fast recipes with minimal prep time and this recipe was perfect!
https://cookieandkate.com/quick-collard-greens-recipe/
Next up, I have a photo of some of the contents from our share box this week! I left out of the photo the rest of the turnips, and opted to show you just one of each so the picture wasn’t too cluttered, you get the idea!
2 large heads of lettuce
1 bunch asparagus
1 dozen eggs
1 bunch collard greens
1 bunch each red and white turnips
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch green onions
I am excited to have more collard greens for dinner tonight! I will be back next week to share what we loved and the contents of our next box. Follow along on Instagram for all of our decor/renovation/building projects, there’s always something happening!
Thank you for stopping by the blog today!
Farm Share Friday - Week 3
It’s already that time of the week again, my favorite day (for many reasons)! We finally have the hot and humid Iowa weather that we are used to, and that means all sorts of goodies are popping up out of the ground, especially the herbs! We had a lot of leafy greens in our delivery last week, and I want to share a juicing recipe for anyone looking to add a little greenery to their diet. And don’t worry, my 1.5 yr old enjoyed it with me, so it can’t be that bad!
Green Juice
-2 green apples
-handful of each: kale, spinach, lettuce
-4 stalks celery
-1 Lemon (peel removed)
If you have never juiced anything before, read the directions for the machine you are using as they are all a bit different. I really like to juice vegetables because it’s easier than eating them and still provides all the health benefits! This recipe was perfect for all of the leafy greens we had in our share box last week.
Ok, on to this week’s box contents!
-Fresh flowers for planting
-Blueberries
-Green Tomatoes
-Eggs
-Radishes
-Sage
-Two heads of lettuce
-Greens
I have never tried fried green tomatoes, and it looks like this week I might have to! I better run and finish my outdoor work before it storms again, you can definitely tell it’s spring time in the Midwest lately! As always, thank you for stopping by the blog today!
Farm Share Friday - Week 2
It’s time for #farmsharefriday!
(these posts are not sponsored, just me sharing my personal experience with my local CSA)
We had another wet week here in Iowa, but that didn’t seem to influence this week’s share box quantities! This week contained a nice mix of local items and produce, some that I would have probably not tried/purchased out on my own…which is part of the fun of it!
First, let’s recap recipes from last week that we tried and loved…
Lemon Asparagus Risotto: This recipe is really tasty, however takes a bit longer to cook than I was anticipating, but that seems to just be my unfamiliarity with cooking risotto.
Rhubarb Crisp: A fast and easy recipe, this one is sure to hit the spot!
Avocado/Egg/Radish Toast…1 year old approved!
If you follow along on Instagram, head over there for the un-boxing video on stories! Here are the contents of our share box from week 2:
-12 brown eggs
-2 heads of lettuce: green and red
-1 bunch kale
-1 bunch radishes
-1 bag cheese curds
-1 bag spinach
-2 lbs of rhubarb
-1 bunch of fresh honey sticks
-1 bunch fresh mint
I already know I am going to try juicing some of the kale and spinach, I just need to grab an apple at the store this week. Stay tuned for how that turns out! As far as the rest, I will be getting creative on google looking for recipes, and I might need a fresh mint mojito to help me search! Yum!
As always, thank you for stopping by the blog today! If you have any farm share questions feel free to submit them here or track me down on Instagram, I will try and answer them the best I can! See you soon!
Homemade Insect Repellent
Hello friends! It’s finally sunny and dry here in Iowa, which has been in a bit of a cold and wet weather system for a while now. Hopefully it will stay sunny so my plants and grass can dry out!
Today I am bringing you a homemade recipe for natural insect repellent, which is just as necessary as sunscreen during the warmer months! I often joke the mosquito should be the state bird of Iowa! But in all seriousness, the diseases that mosquitoes and ticks carry make me cringe at just the thought, especially with a very curious 1 year old that will not accept being indoors when the weather is nice. In addition, traditional bug spray often has harsh chemicals that I would prefer to keep off of my child and pets.
So, after a bit of research and some testing (because it has to actually work!) I found a bug spray recipe that I really like. Bonus is this recipe is super budget friendly and I already had everything on hand except for the $1 spray bottle.
I have been using this recipe for about a month now, and I regularly spray the covered porch area where my child plays (deck furniture/pillows/etc) prior to her being out there and so far I have not had any issues with pests. When the whole family is outside, I apply to myself and the dog, and usually just give a spritz to my child’s clothing and that seems to work well. Since it’s all natural I don’t mind if it was on her skin, but she normally has sunscreen on and I would prefer not to have a greasy mix of the two!
Well, nap time is almost over and that means it’s time to get ready to head back outside. Thanks for stopping by the blog today and feel free to pin this recipe for future use! Hopefully you can enjoy the sunshine wherever you are located!
Homemade Dog Food
Disclaimer: I suggest you consult your pet’s veterinarian (as I am not one) to determine the best food for your dog’s breed, activity, etc.
I’m changing it up a bit for today’s post….let’s talk food. Dog food to be specific!
Recently, I have been paying close attention to the chemicals and preservatives found in food and how they can have adverse health affects. While reflecting on my family’s grocery list and meal habits, I couldn’t help but notice that we feed our dogs dry processed kibble, which seemed to represent everything I was trying to avoid consuming myself. Why couldn’t I extend these healthy eating habits to the canine members of our family as well? How would I go about doing that?
There seem’s to be a meal delivery plan for every lifestyle and diet these days, and dog food is no exception. While having fresh dog food delivered each week in perfectly portioned bags would be nice, I found out it comes along with a significant cost, and a bit more inconvenience on my end. With extreme heat and cold here in the Midwest, I would need to make sure someone would be home to receive the shipments each week and that would be nearly impossible.
Boat ride!
Sometimes you just need carried around!
Also, our dogs are used to eating ‘free choice’ (they have a bowl filled each night and choose when they want to eat during the day), which would have to change to them being fed twice a day, and while doable it would be an added task. We already fed them a very high quality dry food, they appear to have no allergies and also no issues with digestion. I knew there had to be a budget friendly way to incorporate fresh food into their diet, and that idea started a path down a Pinterest rabbit hole.
After reading several articles, recipes, and suggestions, I came up with my own dog food recipe and I have used it for the past three weeks. I didn’t want to cut out their dry food completely, as I am sure there are some added vitamins/minerals/proteins that they need from it. Instead, I simply give them one bag of homemade food once per day, on top of their free choice dog food (each bag is about 1.5ish cups). Here is what I have found so far:
1) Our dogs love the taste, and it fills them up! They are eating significantly less dry food, which means less cost!
2) They drink less water, which is normal, since they are eating less dry food.
3) They remain VERY active, and continue to have no issues with allergies or digestion.
The Recipe!
This is a very easy recipe, substitute with whatever you have on hand, just google to see if it is healthy for your pet first (again, I am not a pet health expert).
You will need:
1 pound ground beef (I sometimes substitute a beef/deer mix)
1 can kidney beans
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
2 cups uncooked brown rice
4 large carrots, sliced
2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1in chunks
4.5 cups water
Add everything to a crock pot and mix well. Cook on high for 5 to 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Let cool completely and portion into baggies, I use one heaping cup per bag which is probably closer to 1.5 cups. Toss in the fridge until you are ready to serve, or make a large batch and store in the freezer. This recipe makes around 12 servings, which lasts just under a week between my two dogs.
Start
Finish
Bagged up!
And there you have it, my simple and budget friendly homemade dog food recipe! Feel free to pin this post for later use, and as always, thanks for stopping by the blog today!
DIY Laundry Detergent
Hi friends! Today I want to share a quick post on my DIY laundry detergent. If you have been following along you know that I love all things budget friendly, and when it comes to cleaners and detergents I prefer as few chemicals as possible for my family. Now I also believe there is a time and a place for bleach, and I am not opposed to busting out the heavy duty cleaners if needed, I just prefer not to use those for laundry.
Let’s get to it! This recipe is SO simple, and makes a large amount!
Here are the ingredients:
8 cups Baking Soda
6 cups Super Washing Soda
2 bars castile soap (grated)
I like to use one bar of peppermint and one of lavender, but this time I only had lavender on hand.
Mix the baking and washing soda together in a large bucket, grate the bars of soap and mix again.
That’ts it! I use 1/8 cup per load. Not only does this clean your clothes and smell amazing, but it also cleans your washing machine! I store my detergent in a large glass jar, pictured below.
I also have been using wool dryer balls for YEARS (in place of fabric sheets) and never had to replace them! I use them with or without a drop of essential oil (for scent) and I have found that the more dryer balls I put in with my clothes, the faster they dry. This saves energy as the machine runs for a shorter amount of time.
This little DIY laundry routine has really cut down the cost of washing/drying laundry in our family, and I hope it can bring some inspiration to yours! Have you tried this homemade detergent? Let me know how you like it!
Looking for the products I used for this post?
These are affiliate links, to see my full disclosure click here.
Epic (EASY) Chicken Noodle Soup
It’s officially Fall and temperatures are dropping rapidly here in Iowa, which means all things warm and cozy are on the menu at my house. This simple, yet super tasty, chicken soup recipe will warm up those cold toes from the inside out!
First things first…
The Chicken
The most important ingredient, and easily made in the crock pot!
Directions: Lightly spray a large crock pot with non stick spray. Rinse and pat dry a fresh whole chicken (insides removed) and place it in the crock pot on top of a bag of carrots (if you don’t want carrots in your soup you can use balls of foil to keep the chicken up off of the bottom). In a bowl, mix together the following seasonings and sprinkle over the entire chicken:
1/2 TB Paprika
2 TB All purpose seasoning
1/2 TB Garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Cook on HIGH for 4-4.5 hours and use a thermometer to make sure it has reached 165+ degrees
The Soup
You will need:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon butter
2 32oz cartons of low sodium chicken broth
1/2 32oz carton of vegetable broth
2 cups extra wide egg noodles (roughly half of a bag)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat cook the onion, celery, and butter until tender or about 5 minutes
Pour in the chicken and vegetable broths, basil and oregano
Pull apart the chicken from the crockpot, skin and all, and add the pieces to soup mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Cut up the carrots from the crockpot and add to the soup mix
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
Add egg noodles and continue to simmer for 10 additional minutes or until noodles are done, careful not to overcook them! Check taste and add salt and pepper again if needed.
Boom!
Dinner is served