Schedule Changes

I don't know why but schedule changes upset me. They upset my rhythm of the day/week/month/etc... The Monkey adapts well so it's surprising that I don't.

She just went down to one nap.

That means that I don't shower until noon. I can't set out the sprinkler without putting The Monkey in a swim diaper. Our house is a mess. Really, it looks like a small hurricane came through until I can get it organized until The Monkey wakes up again. Sometimes the dishes don't get done. And laundry, oh the laundry piles!

But also - you can't leave a toddler alone. You can't just crate them to vacuum and clean. They find everything you don't want them to play with (we were missing a remote for about a month, I still can't find all the animals to the Fisher Price Zoo, there's only 2 pacifiers left out of 6).

BUT there are fabulous aspects of one nap.

We grocery shop when no one is at the store, go for 2-3 mile walks, we're not rushed anymore, and in general, the chaos has been somewhat contained to just "stuff" and not the frustrations of super short playdates and whirlwind shopping. 

Oy, I just have to get used to our new schedule. And learn how to enjoy laundry piles. They'll get done eventually, right?

Scrambled Eggs With Pesto

Oy, I've got pesto coming out of my ears. And I still have salad greens for more pesto.

MORE PESTO. 

Good thing The Monkey & I like pesto.

This is super easy.

Put a heaping spoonful of pesto on a plate.

Scramble eggs (I always add cheese to mine).

Put scrambled eggs on top of pesto. 

With each bite you'll get pesto & eggs. Yum!

Also - my 16 month old LOVES this!

Easy Summer Salsa

Summer CSA Salsa

2 Tomatoes, chopped

1 large cucumber, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

Ok, just chop everything

2 ears of sweet corn, cooked & cut from the cob

1 can of black beans

2 banana peppers - finely diced

Salt & pepper

3-4 tbsp of good olive oil

Combine everything in a bowl. Serve with really good, salty tortilla chips.

I think tomorrow I may make some sort of salsa chicken. Or tostadas with chicken, cheese and this salsa. Yum!

CSA Plans for this Week

Banana Peppers

Cauliflower

Cucumbers

Green Top Carrots

Green Zucchini

Lacinato Kale

Salad Mix

Sorrel

SWEET CORN (WOOT! WOOT!)

Sweet Onions

Yellow Summer Squash

CSA haul this week is above.

My plan:

Freeze the carrots, zucchini & summer squash (slice & blanch, then freeze in freezer bags, both will keep for 6+ months!)

Summer salsa with:

Banana peppers

Onions

Corn

Cucumber

And black beans from the cupboard

Cauliflower - steam

Salad mix - make more pesto with the shit ton of basil that I'm growing, plus have a few salads

Kale - ummmm, kale chips? Maybe another sausage or chicken soup?

Sorrel - I don't even know what this is

Crochet Produce Bags

Aaahhhhh... I love using re-usable bags. It's fun knowing you're not wasting bags!

These sort of hurt my left wrist to make - I think my tension is off with all the chaining involved. I used a larger hook with the blue one and that one irritated me the most. I was going to work up a bunch to sell in my Etsy shop but I think this pattern will just be reserved for gifts. Unless of course someone orders a custom produce bag! 

I made the handles loops so you can loop the side of the bag over the handle so it "closes" and food doesn't fall out.

Happy Friday!

Pasta With Broccoli

Yum!!!

Pasta with Broccoli

1/2 lb pasta

1 bunch Broccoli, chopped

3 Green Onions, chopped

1 tsp Garlic - or more!

4 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Cheese for topping

Cook the pasta according to directions on the package. Drain. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water.

Meanwhile add the olive oil to a saute pan over medium heat. When hot add in the broccoli. Add garlic & water about halfway through. Cook until tender. Add in the green onions, salt & pepper. Toss in pasta.

Serve with cheese on top.

Summer Soup

Chicken Sausage & Kale Soup

Just an FYI, this is a CSA recipe, so the ingredients seem weird! Ha!

1lb Chicken sausage

1 bunch Turnips

1 small bunch Broccoli

4 Leaves of Kale

4 Scallions

2 Garlic Scapes

3 tbsp olive oil

1 Beer

6 - 8 cups of water

Salt & pepper to taste

You can either leave the sausages in their casings or not. If you don't, then drain some of the fat off. Put the oil in the pan, cook the sausage.

Add in scallions & garlic. Saute for a minute or two. Add in the beer.

Bring it up to a boil. Add the water. Add in the broccoli & turnips. Bring to a boil & let simmer 6-8 minutes.

Add in kale. Salt & pepper to taste. 

Serve with fresh parmesan.

Below: Bowl is adult serving, plate is child serving