The Day My Husband Jumped On The Pinterest Bandwagon

I'm in the middle of party prep here, and should probably be baking rather than posting on my blog for the first time in a year and a half.  But this needs to be shared...

You see, my husband jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon...

The other night I made this...

And called it "Mexican Spaghetti & Meatballs"

I was testing a recipe idea for the aforementioned party and trying out some meatballs with a Latin/Mexican twist.  With my family as my guinea pigs, I needed something to pair the meatballs with for dinner, preferably some veggies.

So I halved a spaghetti squash, seasoned it, roasted it in the oven, scooped it into bowls, and served the meatballs on top, finished with a pile of diced avocado.

Two bites in, my husband says, "Did you just think this up?  This is awesome!  You should put it on Pinterest!"

Yup, he uttered those words...

And the kids ate it up too!

Mexican Spaghetti & Meatballs

1. Halve a spaghetti squash, drizzle with olive oil, and season lightly with Mexican/taco seasoning (I used Penzey's Chicken Taco Seasoning).
2. Roast cut side down in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes.
3. In a deep saucepan on medium heat, warm your favorite frozen meatballs.
4. Add a jar of your favorite salsa (Trader Joe's Pineapple Salsa), a can of diced tomatoes (Trader Joe's Organic Diced and Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chiles), and some Mexican seasoning (Penzey's Rojo Taco Seasoning).
5. Cover and heat through.
6. Scoop spaghetti squash into shallow bowls and top with warm meatballs.
7. Garnish with diced avocado and a sprinkle of cheddar cheese.

The items in parentheses are obviously just suggestions - use what you love and have on hand.  The meatballs would also be great served over a baked sweet potato or rice, and diced tomatoes, roasted corn, cilantro, cheese, avocado, and sour cream/plain yogurt would all make great toppings!

You can find my Pinterest board here.  Happy Pinning!

Scrumptious

Those thighs - I could eat them up!

7-Month Stats: 22 pounds 29.5 inches

Yes, this might mean a return to blogging... no promises! If someone could send along a few extra hours in a day, that'd be great...

And Then We Partied...!

Pelotonia "Please" & "Thank You" Happy Hour

"Thank You" to our generous friends and family...

"Please" consider donating...

Celebrate our 180-mile ride...

The Invitation:

Paperless Post

The Guests:

Friends & Family

The Menu:

Chicken Lollipops With Pesto

Butternut Squash Risotto Cakes

Grilled Vegetable Paninis

Tomato & Mozzarella Skewers

Melon & Procusitto Skewers

Watermelon & Feta Skewers

Brownie Bites With Mocha Icing

White Cake With Vanilla Icing and Raspberries

Lemonade Mixers

Wine & Beer Selections

The Location:

Our Backyard

The Photos:

Our fabulous neighbor, Rita Finn

Roots

Fall brings forth the stuff of the earth, the cold-hardy vegetables that grow below ground to develop earthy and fragrant flavors - potatoes, leeks, onions, garlic.

Craving something warm and having a bounty of leeks and potatoes from my CSA share, I decided to make a huge pot of creamy potato and leek soup.

As I started to prep the ingredients, I started thinking about the roots of these roots... that is, where it all came from...

I started with garlic and red onion, both from Sippel Family Farm in Mount Gilead, Ohio...

then leeks and celery, also from Sippel Family Farm...

potatoes from Sippel Family Farm...

herbs from my garden...

and whipping cream and skim milk from Snowville Creamery in Pomeroy, Ohio.

The only ingredient that wasn't local was the chicken broth.

A salad of lettuces and arugula from Sippel Family Farm and a big bowl of soup makes the perfect fall meal - a meal fit for a locavore!

For more information on CSAs and the local food movement, I encourage you to visit Local Harvest, visit farmer's markets and local co-ops, and ask questions about the origin and production methods of your food.

Interested in trying more of our local fall bounty? Sign up for Dine & Learn: Fall Harvest on Tuesday, October 27th by emailing me. Hurry, there are only four spots left!

Dine & Learn: Fall Harvest

October brings crisp air, falling leaves, and some of my favorite foods. We’ll step it up a notch and go a little gourmet with a cornucopia of fall harvest vegetables and sustainably-raised pork. The menu will be based on local and organic ingredients, the cooking tips will make even the fanciest menu an ease to prepare, the flavors and colors will be deep and robust, and the meal will be interactively prepared and enjoyed!

Fall Harvest Menu

Field Greens Salad With Roasted Root Vegetables

Apple Cider Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Butternut Squash Risotto
Apple and Fennel Slaw

Carmel Apple Bread Pudding With Jeni’s Ice Cream


Tuesday, October 27, 2009
5:30pm
$25 per person
Class size limited to 8
RSVP (name, email, phone number) to livingwell@columbus.rr.com by Friday, October 23rd.

You Say "Tomatoes"… I Say "MORE TOMATOES?!"

It’s August in Ohio, and that means bountiful summer produce – corn, melons, zucchini, peppers, and TOMATOES!

Yesterday I was helping out my friends Ben & Lisa at their farm, The Sippel Family Farm, and I picked tomatoes for several hours! I can’t take credit for much of it, (they had been picking all week long), but at days end we had hundreds and hundreds of pounds of tomatoes packed up. The best/worst part (it depends on how long you’ve been hunched over picking in the fields) was looking up and seeing rows of tomatoes, still untouched, the vines weighed down with bright red, yellow, and green globes of ripe fruit!

As a CSA member (more on that at another time), I go up to their farm in Mount Gilead and help out every other Friday throughout the spring, summer, and fall. I primarily help pick the produce that they deliver to their CSA members and sell at the Clintonville Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings.

This morning I came home from the market with 4.5 pounds of tomatoes. Our CSA share this week also included a watermelon, 1 pound of edamame, 4 zucchini, 2 yellow squash, 2 cucumbers, 2 eggplants, 1.5 pounds of tomatillos, 2 hot peppers, and 2 huge red onions…

Add those tomatoes to the 4.5 pounds that we got in our share last week (along with a bunch of other yummy things!)…

and the tomatoes we picked from our own garden the past couple of weekends…

and the 10 pounds of tomatoes I bought from the Sippels for a party on Monday…

and we’re up to eyeballs in tomatoes!

But no worries, we have plans for them – tomato and mozzarella salads, salsa, and fresh pasta sauce! I’m using the 10 pounds of Roman Candle heirloom tomatoes to make southern-style tomato tea sandwiches with Duke’s Mayonnaise for an upcoming party.

I might even buy some more from the Sippels and try canning for the first time… we’ll see…

Recap: Living Well, Eating Well - Back To School!

The second Living Well Nutrition Education & Cooking Class was a great success! Thank you to those that participated!

This class was definitely more education, less cooking. Parents and their children were invited to talk, eat, sample, create, and learn! Nine eager participants helped me read labels, discussed healthy alternatives to processed foods, created balanced and nutritious lunches, and then chowed down! My friend and neighbor, Rita, came over to take a few pictures...

A few of the topics included:

• Limiting Processed Foods, Fats, and Sweets
• Eating The Rainbow
• Wholesome Lunch Choices
• Strategies For Success

We tried out a really exciting product called a Bento Box Set made by Laptop Lunches, and one winner, Arabella, has a stylish new back-to-school accessory!

I already have some other ideas specific to packing healthy lunches, and for more general nutrition topics as well. I would like to include more discussion of the food pyramid. If it is not new information, it is always good to review, and I have a lot of fun ideas for food pyramid activities for kids. If you would like to schedule a Nutrition Education course for Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, a school classroom, or a sports team, I can tailor the topics to suit your needs! Please contact me.

Back To School!

It’s the end of summer, and that means it is time to go back to school…

At most schools that means eating those sometimes loved (tater tots!), sometimes hated (canned green beans, anyone?) school lunches. But the lunch lady has disappeared, and what has replaced the hot meals cooked on-site has turned into copious amounts of processed food and junk food, pre-packaged and re-heated meals, beverages and snacks packed with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives, vending machines, and fast-food delivered to cafeterias. Even with the National School Lunch Program, meals offered at full-price, low cost, or free are required to include ⅓ of the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals, but they lack the fresh fruits and vegetables that are so important to childhood growth and development.

As a result of the low quality, non-nutritious food offered at many schools, childhood obesity has become an American epidemic, and health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and sleep disorders are not far behind. You can find a well-written article and staggering statistics here:
http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/backtoschool/

Make sure that your child has the healthiest food possible by packing their lunch for school. Turns out, packing a lunch is cheaper than a full-price school lunch too – especially when you figure in the expensive a la carte options that tend to be the unhealthiest choices anyway!

Living Well, Eating Well – Back To School!

The Nutrition Education and Cooking Class this month will feature kid-tested and parent-approved ideas for creative and healthy school lunches! Breakout of the PBJ rut and lose the fruit snacks – this class will completely change the way you think about school lunches!

Monday, August 17, 2009 (one week of summer left!)
7:00pm
$15 per adult, kids are free
$5 more will help a less fortunate parent and their child attend the event
Class size limited to 12 adult participants and unlimited kids – we need a tasting panel!
RSVP (name, email, phone number) to livingwell@columbus.rr.com by Friday, August 14th

More "Back To School" features to come - I'll be helping my friend Amy with a Back To School brunch that should be off the hook!