week 20 & 21: playing catch-up before the break

i know, i know... it's almost like i've already taken the break here.  so, going to consolidate some things here and post as much as i can before next week's fall break.


maybe i should blame the start of football season....  


week 20 brought box "a" and it was fruit loaded.  this was definitely chopsticks' week to highlight her talents.  that is, unless she happens to eat all the fruit before making something.  she has been loving the peaches.

clockwise from top left: cucumbers, sprite melon, tomatoes, peaches, personal watermelon, apples (gala & macintosh)

then there was labor day weekend.  not sure what it is about holiday weekends and forgetting to order our box on time.  so, default box "a" this week.  

clockwise from top left: cucumbers, raw shelled peanuts, personal watermelon, zucchini, scuppernong grapes, tomatoes

week 19: way behind here

certainly wasn't the best of weeks for any updates.  that only means that we have some making up to do this week, including some additional updates from last week.

little overdue, but here this week's box.  went with box "c," another farmer's choice box.  certainly got a variety of things, including pink-eyed peas (which we had never heard of before).  we had to add on a few jars of the spicy sweet dill pickles too.  household favorite for sure!

clockwise from top left: personal watermelon, squash, cucumber, lee's produce spicy & sweet dill pickles (add on), tomato, peaches, lee's produce spicy & sweet dill pickles (add on), sweet potatoes, asian pears, scuppernong grapes, pink-eyed peas

i forkin' spoon you! happy birthday, chopsticks!

happy birthday, chopsticks!


her request:  "a picnic meal."  invited a few friends over and spent the day prepping everything.  granted, i did forget the deviled eggs (so i owe her those).  otherwise, it was definitely time to celebrate


menu (31july10):

• bbq chicken
• baked beans
• grilled corn
• apple coleslaw
• potato salad (compliments of fresh market)
• cornbread
• salad
• peach cobbler (compliments of the braxtons)

p.s.  i'll work on getting the recipes up

week 13: taters and maters

i was excited to see sweet potatoes in a box this week and that led us to choose box "c" ("for adventurous cooks").  and, yes, there were a lot of taters and maters when the box arrived.

clockwise from top left: personal watermelon, spaghetti squash, pickled squash, blueberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes

week 12: mmmmm... po-ta-toes....

we're obsessed.  the mention of potatoes in the box pretty much assured that what box we were choosing.  labeled as containing "cucumbers and a canary melon" we chose box "c" this week.


we were also slightly intrigued by the canary melon.  we'll be sure to follow up on that one this week.

clockwise from top left: personal watermelon, cucumbers, canary melon, squash, corn, tomatoes, blueberries, green and red bell pepper, potatoes

(and, yes, a bit behind this week.  we'll do our best to catch up :) )

all by myself

ojp looks up, "dad?!  i'm here!  is it time to eat?!" so, not completely by myself.

chopsticks is working tonight and the storms are rolling in.  no grilling here.  and, after having lost 15 minutes to one of those "i had no idea i was tired" naps, i'm in the mood for something a little lighter.  

the menu (15june10):

• pesto tuna salad, served open-faced on spelt bread with tomato, cucumber and mixed greens

open-faced pesto tuna on spelt

a "promise" update

promises, promises... they're made to be broken, right?!  

• blueberries:  most are still frozen for later use.  chopsticks enjoyed a few in a smoothie, however
• spring onions:  used some for the herbed summer squash and potato torte, but not all of them.  really need to come up with some other uses for these things if they continue to come in our boxes
• strawberry cider:  this keeps.  so we're keeping it
• zucchini:  first attempt at some zucchini fries.  we'll definitely be revisiting these in some fashion.  lots of potential
• squash:  see spring onions
• cucumbers:  still waiting to be used
• tomato:  chopsticks has grabbed the cavender's and devoured another tomato
• potatoes:  more "chips" for chopsticks.  these were a big hit with the neighbors
• beans:  poor beans.  i really thought i was going to saute these up in a bit of butter and just keep them simple to make sure i ate them.  they are still lounging in the fridge and not sure i'm going to get to them this week.  you've beat me again, mr. bean.

week 7: attempting not to let a thing die this week

wait... it's monday already?!!  long weekend threw us off so we forgot to put in our weekly box order.  the saving grace was the auto-order feature the produce box has in place that automatically sends the weekly "box a" box if you forget.  while it marks the end of a surprise box run, at least we know exactly what we are getting this week.


and a promise... so the first few weeks have been a little hit and miss as we've attempted to use everything in the box and come up with some new ideas along the way.  in the process, we (chopsticks is yelling "we?!") have not used a few things and watched a few more die.  this week, we're (yes, chopsticks, we) committed to using everything in the box.

clockwise from top left: pole beans, blueberries, tomato, spring onion, cottle farms strawberry cider, zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, red skinned potatoes

week 6: excited about beets

first sign of beets in this week's box and i'm excited.  chopsticks on the other hand?  not so much.  however, she can relish in her new job as household photographer.

another surprise box, you say?  well, i'll be, it is.

clockwise from top left: beets, texas "sweet" onion, zucchini, summer squash, tomato, cucumber, red skinned potatoes, blueberries, snow peas

week 5: i've been fired

donald trump may have made it famous, but chopsticks can certainly hand over the words with a certain gusto.  turns out, i'm not that good at the photo taking... or at least not up to chopsticks' standards (looks like she's earned herself a new job!)

keeping with the surprise boxes as they are giving us some great variety and introducing us (or challenging us depending on how you look at it) to some new things.

clockwise from top left: snow peas, new potatoes, broccoli, turnips, spring onions, lots of space showing the box, cucumber, blueberries, maple butter (add on), summer squash

a story about pickles

imagine that you're craving a pickle...  you are excited knowing you had just bought some the other day.  you open the fridge, wade through the mess in there and find the jar.  you open it... wait.... what is this?!  a pickle with a bite out of it?!

chopsticks!!!!

true story... needless to say, i didn't get my pickle that day...

but i do have a cucumber this week.  i'm not going to venture into the world of pickling, but, with the heat today and, given that it was a friday, i'm want something summery, light and refreshing.

the menu (14may10):

• cumin and chili crusted halibut with green gazpacho (served with some toasted bread)

week 4: holy giant sweet potato, chopsticks

chopsticks calls...  she's got the box....  what's in the box?!!  "it's definitely chocolate butter... and a sweet potato as big as your head,"

she's spot on for the potato.  i mean, look a the thing!  i'll have to give her a pass on the chocolate butter since she did her official "taste test" with a sinus infection.  was actually maple butter  (i'm thinking pancakes).

why ruin a good thing.  another surprise box this week with an addition of some cheese

clockwise from top left:  collard greens, spring onion, cucumber, the bread shop three seed bread (sample), red potatoes, nancy foss' maple butter (sample), strawberries, zucchini, tomatoes, squash, chapel hill creamery raw milk cheese (add-on), sweet potato

week 3: spoon takes an awful photo, gets scolded

again with the surprise?!  well, why ruin a good thing, right?

clockwise from top left:  strawberries, texas "sweet" onions, english/garden peas (in pods, under the onions), cucumbers, red potatoes (under the cucumber), great harvest cinnamon bread sampler, radishes (hidden below the massive onions... sense a theme?), another cucumber, bibb lettuce

and, i promise, better pictures from here on out.  i have learned my lesson, promise....

week 2: another surprise!

week 2 was upon us before we knew it.  we decided, after the success of the first box, to go with the surprise box again this week.

clockwise from top left:  strawberries, asparagus, cucumber, romaine, peanuts, sweet potatoes, fresh salsa sampler, red lettuce

is it just me, or does that cucumber look suspiciously like a penguin?  thought you were clever trying to disguise yourself, didn't you?!