Menu Planning Monday

I am pretty excited about our menu this week.  Our CSA has breathed life back into my meal planning and love for cooking again.  I feel that, since I have a better grasp of how to handle our CSA subscription, I can make much better use of our bag contents then I did last year!

Sunday: Pulled Pork with Chuck's homemade BBQ sauce, roasted asparagus, potatoes; strawberry shortcake for dessert (OMG make these)
Monday: Ohio City Roasted Red Pepper pasta (CSA) with broccoli (CSA) and Laughing Cow Alfredo
Tuesday: BLTs zucchini fries (bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini all from the CSA)
Wednesday: BBQ chicken pizza
Thursday: Pork chops, cous cous, greens of some sort (the bane of my existence.  Greens and chops from CSA)
Friday: Unsure right now!

Linking up at OrgJunkie!

CSA Summer Week 2

Can I tell you how glad I am that our pick up is back to weekly?  Now hopefully my conventional grocery bill will get under control.  

Here is my bag after picking up, including my extras:

And here she is in all her glory:

This week's large share includes (please excuse the dirty spatula, lol):

• 1 package pork chops (2 chops; I cut them in half so we have 4)
• 1 bulb kohlrabi (going to make an apple/kohlrabi slaw for BLT night)
• 1 bunch collard greens (damn greens...the bane of my existence)
• 1.5# organic rolled oats (going into my stockpile but I am going to make these granola bars)
• 1 bunch garlic scapes
• 1 bunch spinach (I will blanch and freeze)
• 1 bunch mustard greens (going to make a pesto with it and almonds to freeze)
• 1 quart strawberries (I bought 2 extras) (I made strawberry shortcake tonight for Father's Day)
• 1 piece aged cheddar cheese (yummy snacktime)
• 2 ct. zucchini (shredded and in freezer for baking)
• 1 head broccoli (I am going to use it with the pasta and make Laughing Cow Alfredo)
• 2# bag sauerkraut (they were out of kielbasa at the truck so I will try to get more this week)
• 1 bunch baby beets ( I think we got lettuce instead, which is perfect for BLTs this week)
• 1 bunch rhubarb (no rhubarb..but more asparagus!  Yum!!)
• Extras: Strawberries, pasta, tomatoes

Easy Chinese Orange Beef

This recipe came together much easier than anticipated and was really yummy.  A little too orangey for me, but that can easily be remedied by decreasing the orange juice and zest.  Overall, a winner that I would be willing to make again!

Chinese Orange Beef
As seen on Our Best Bites

Ingredients
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch
vegetable oil for pan
1-1/2 pounds flank steak, trimmed and sliced thin across grain and lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper (to clarify: that’s one steak, that weighs about 1.5 pounds)
3-4 green onions, sliced
hot white or brown rice for serving

Instructions
Whisk orange zest and orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, and cornstarch together in a bowl.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Drizzle pan with oil and tilt to coat.  Add half of beef, breaking up any clumps and let cook without stirring for one minute.  Stir beef and continue to cook until browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl and cover.  Repeat with remaining beef and transfer to bowl.

Whisk sauce to recombine, add to now-empty skillet, and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.  Return cooked beef, with any accumulated juices, to skillet and toss to combine.  Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

CSA Summer Share Week 1

This summer, we opted to upgrade from the small share to the large for our CSA with Fresh Fork Market and I am so excited that I can't even describe it, lol.  Here is this week's contents:

• 1 whole pasture-raised chicken (will be roasting on the grill then making stock)
• 1 head broccoli
• 1 head leaf lettuce (washed and torn for sandwiches this week)
• 1 bunch red Russian kale (making this kale and artichoke frittata one night)
• 1 quart strawberries (making these strawberry shortcakes) (I bought an extra)
• 1 lb black turtle beans (going to make some sweet potato and black bean burritos for my lunches) (Since I had several pounds of dried beans already, I gave a pound to a friend from school)
• 1 dozen pasture raised eggs (for the frittata!)  (I bought an extra)
• 1 lb ramp linguine from Ohio City Pasta
• 1/3 lb pea tendrils
• 1 package Italian sausage
• 1 bunch spinach
• Asparagus
• I also bought bacon and roasted red peppers for the pasta

Reflections of a school year

Well.  It is June.  I have been pretty MIA lately, and for my few loyal readers, I apologize.  I have been in an end-of-the-year funk.  Crabby.  Anti-cooking.  Overwhelmed with essays to grade from my Honors kids and my 11th graders.  Basically, extremely unpleasant to be around.

BUT.  The end is in sight.  Tomorrow is our last staff day and we have our staff picnic afterwards.  It is always a good way to cut loose and kind of wash away the remnants of a school year.  And let me tell you...for many teachers this was an extremely trying year.  Our poor 12th grade teachers were ready to throw in the towel, and rightfully so!  It was a tough crowd.  Honestly, for the first time in several years, I had an amazing year.  All of my classes were wonderful.  One of my Honors classes bought me a really special gift and all signed a card and it was one of the most meaningful things to EVER happen to me.  It really made me feel like I was MAKING A DIFFERENCE.  Teaching is a thankless job.  We don't do this for the money.  Honestly.  There isn't enough money in the world to pay me for all of the work I do.  I do this because I love it.  I love the kids.  I want to make a difference.  And my Honors class proved that I did, in fact, make that difference.

Next year is going to hold new challenges for me.  I am taking on the Advanced Placement Language and Composition class, which is much different than anything I have done before.  And I am the new advisor for our National Honor Society!

This summer is going to be spent prepping for my new class; because of this, we have decided to keep Logan in daycare part time.  He is doing so well and is SUCH a creature of habit that we decided to do three days a week.  BUT...I will not feel guilty if we decide he can stay home on a random one of those days if I have made plans :)

This week I will be posting our summer fun list, as well as our house projects that I want to complete.  I hope you stick around!