Stuffed Squash

First recipe on tap was stuffed squash.  This recipe calls for acorn squash, but we had received delicata in our CSA, so I went with that.  It was delicious this way as well.  Plus, bonus that you can actually eat the skin as well.  This ended up making enough for us to have 1/2 each for dinner, half of a 1/2 each for lunch on Saturday.  That left one more 1/2, which I added to the roasted butternut squash I had in the fridge for some soup. I don't have a link to the recipe (can't remember where I got it originally), but it is yummy!  The recipe calls for fresh grated ginger, and no dairy - great for me!

  While you are checking out the stuffed squash recipe, peruse the other recipes on Summer's blog - she has some good ones in there!  I love her simple style and commitment to feeding her family in a natural way.  

CSA Journey

Wow...it has been a long time since the last post!  Frankly, I just didn't feel like adding to this space for a while.  I have been working on tons of knitting, but I'm trying to use my ravelry account more to post those projects.  All of the house renovation pictures have been put on facebook so the blog was ignored.  We recently joined a CSA, though, and I have been feeling a desire to document our food journey; this seems like the best place!  Even if there are no longer any readers out there to follow it, at least all of the recipes will be amassed in one place as future reference. 
So here goes!   Since we moved to VT I've been wanting to get in on the CSA craze.  CSA stands for community supported agriculture in which individuals, such as myself and Dale, buy "shares" in a farm, helping the farm to sustain itself, and in return, receiving farm produce, meat, etc. depending on the type of share.  Well, last fall we were just getting settled and so we never made a commitment.  Then, over the summer it seemed silly to join one since we were growing our own produce.  Finally this fall I happened to see a notice that there were still winter shares available at the Full Moon Farm, so we went ahead and joined.  Here's how this farm works (they each have their own method): we pick up our produce here in Burlington every other week throughout November and December, then once per month from Jan - Mar.   Last week was the first pick up and, unknown to me, it was pack your own box.  Basically all of the food is laid out along with the amount you can take, and then you add it to your loot!  For example, 1 head garlic, 4 leeks, 2 lbs. potatoes, etc.  I did not go prepared with bags, so I had to use extra plastic bags they had on hand.  Next time I'll be prepared!  It was fun to meet the individuals who are growing my food - Farmer Dave and Farmer Rachel - and to know that it is being grown organically and locally. Does it get any healthier than that?!?  As I loaded up my produce I chatted about recipes for collard greens with Farmer Rachel and shared the scales with those next in line.  

Our farmers

Here's what was in our first box:  Brussels sprouts beets red and white potatoes red and white onions garlic napa cabbage leeks fennel delicata squash collard greens swiss chard sweet potatoes spinach spicy mix lettuce dill/parsley broccoli This was a lot of produce.  So much so that we had to clean out our fridge to fit it all in (which was probably a good thing!); the collard greens took up a whole shelf they were that big!  The best part is that my dreaded weekly grocery store trip has been cut in half since I don't have to pick up much in the way of produce now!  I am so excited for this new cooking challenge, as in, here's what you have to cook with, now make dinner!  I will post what I'm making with the ingredients above and review the outcome.  A few of the recipes on tap are stuffed squash, chicken sausage/sweet onion/fennel pizza, and sweet potato quinoa.   Please feel free to chime in with your comments.  Have you made an awesome recipe with any of the above items??? Join us on our CSA journey!!

My V-Day project (a day late)

Back in January I was at Michael's and saw some cute Valentine garlands, but they were selling for $20.  They looked simple enough so I attempted my own version with some twine and fat quarters from JoAnn Fabrics.  It was a quick and easy project that has helped perk up my mantel (I get so sad when the Christmas decorations come down).  I also didn't spend anywhere near $20 so it was a win in the finance department as well.  

If you are interested in making something similar, I don't have very precise directions.  I basically ripped the fabric into similar widths and lengths, cut those in half.  Started tying the pieces on my twine--I guestimated the center & tied one there; tied one at each end as well.  Continued tying (double-knotting, actually) at regular intervals, trying to mix up light and dark pink fabrics.  I like the rough edges of the fabric, but it might be a good idea to use a product so they don't unravel (I've also used a candle in the past, but since this is probably not the fire safety method, I am not officially recommending that).

Hope you all had a fabulous V-Day filled with the ones you love!

In which I begin to donate knit items

Sorry for the bad picture quality--I had to take these at night + we have terrible lighting in our house...daytime or not!

I am a bit shamed to admit that I have yet to donate a knit item to charity since I took up the craft.  But, in honor of full disclosure, there's the truth.  Numerous times I have thought about it, planned to do it, but have never followed through.  Well, let 2012 be the year this begins! 

I saw a request for knit scarves for the Vermont Special Olympics through a local craft store called Creative Habitat.  The S.O. was looking for knitters to make solid red or red and white scarves, so I decided to join in.  I got inspired through numerous Ravelry (are you a member?) patterns, but ended up choosing a ruffled scarf.  I found some modifications that I liked through a fellow Ravelry member's project and used those modifications on the pattern.  

I love the way it turned out.  It was a relatively quick knit and it was fun to watch the spirals develop.  The only weird thing was that you knit it length-wise, so you end up with a ton of stitches on your needles at one point.  Thank goodness for circulars!