Chocolate candy with fruit recipe

Because my father seldom had dessert, I thought you lost your sweet tooth when you grew up. It seemed that occasionally, my mother would have a Hershey's with Almonds, but otherwise, adults didn't like sweets. Boy was I wrong!

Since I will apparently not outgrow the desire for sweets, I am trying to find alternatives that are relatively healthy. Since most of those in the store are loaded with things I cannot even pronounce, that means making treat myself.

I made these candies for Valentine's Day, and again this week by popular request. The are chocolates with pomegranate, coconut and almonds. I wrote about this recipe before on February 10, but here are pictures of what it looked like. I think the proportions were a little different this time, but it still tasted good. It is one of those recipes that you can play arouond with to see what best suits you.

 

I started by shredding, then toasting some coconut. Store bought would work too, but I have some left from a basket a couple of weeks ago.

 Next, I melted some chocolate chips with a little coconut oil.

 I sprinkled a few pomegranate seeds into the muffin tins.

 I covered the seeds with just a little of the melted chocolate.

Next up was toasting the almonds.

I added pomegranates, almonds, and coconut into the muffin pan on top of the pomegranate and chocolate already in the pan.

 

Finally I melted the rest of the chocolate and coconut oil.
 

 I spooned the melted chocolate into the pan and put in the refrigerator to harden.

Amounts are approximate as I do it by feel.
Recipe:
About 1/2 12oz bag of chocolate chips, divided into scant 1/4 cup and remainder
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
About 2 Tablespoons shredded coconut or to taste
About 2 Tablespoons almond pieces or to taste
About 2 Tablespoons pomegranate
2 Tablespoons coconut oil.

Place a few of the pomegranates into each section of the muffin pan.
Melt the 1/4 c chocolate chips and the 1 Tablespoon of oil in the microwave or over boiling water bath. Stir frequently. When melted, spoon over the pomegranate in the muffin pan just to cover.
Toast the coconut in a frying pan over low-medium heat stirring constantly (or omit if you don't like it toasted). Sprinkle it into the muffin pan sections.
Toast the almond if desired and sprinkle into the muffin pan sections.
Add the pomegranate into the muffin pan sections.
Melt the remaining chocolate and coconut oil. Spoon over the muffin pan sections.
Refrigerate at least an hour.

You can use any combination of fruits, nuts, etc. We like the tart of the pomegranate with the sweet of the chocolate.

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

Treats with a surprising ingredient

A week ago in my Bountiful Basket, I got an acorn squash. While I love squash, the pro merely tolerates it. I decided to find some ways he would actually enjoy and found two. I used it as the main ingredient for gluten-free brownies and as the base for chocolate pudding. They were both a hit. I told him of the squash after the fact. He said he would never have guessed. That makes both treats reasonably healthy as well.

Brownies:
1 1/2 cups cooked squash puree
3 eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup nuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips divided

Preheat oven to 350 degreed Fahrenheit
Line a 9x9" baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the puree, eggs, oil, honey and vanilla extract. Stir in the remaining ingredients keeping back some of the chips to top the brownies with.

Pour the batter into the baking dish. Top with remaining chips.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out clean. Cool in pan for 2 minutes, the lift out using the parchment paper and cool on a rack. 

We used these as a base for brownie sundaes and ate some as is.

Chocolate pudding:
2 cups squash puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk or milk substitute
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk all but the vanilla together in a saucepan. I used a 2 /12 quart sized pan. Heat over medium heat until it starts to bubble. For me, that was about 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. 

Spoon into dessert bowls or whatever you want to serve it in. I used cute tupperware dessert serving bowls I have had for years. It filled all six of them.

Refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour. Enjoy. We had whipped cream on top of ours.

Building things

Now that I have a little more time available, I have been able to tackle some projects around the house. In particular, the guest room that the kids stay in when they visit needed some work. It contained a daybed and two file cabinets. I added a covered table for a place for them to set things down.

In the past week, I have finished assembling a chair, a bookcase, and a dresser. I need an additional smaller bookcase that I am re-purposing from another room. Since the furniture in this room is white, I will be painting the bookcase, probably next week.

Over the years, I have assembled a lot of furniture: bookcases and desks being the majority but also tables and chairs. The first project for this room was a chair. The matching chair is in the other guest room. The first was a little harder than the second. Amazing how much you learn with the first one.

 After the chair, I tacked the bookcase. I had bookcases and a chest in the room in Utah, but I sold them when we moved. We thought we would down size and have only one guest room.

The bookcase is a tall one and holds some of the children's books I have collected over the years. This frees up space in my library, which I really appreciate. I can never have enough bookcases.



The really complicated project was the chest. I wanted one they could put clothes in and that I could put a small television on. I have been looking for over a year but couldn't find an affordable one I liked. I found this one at Target. I changed the handles from wooden to brass though.

This started by removing everything from the box. I grouped them together and verified I had all the pieces.

First thing to assemble was the drawers. Very tedious since there are three. Lots of little things to tighten.

Then assembling the base began:

Once I had that put together, on with the back, then the top.

Install the drawers and we have a nice dresser in the guest room now.

Although I work out almost every day, putting the dresser together was exhausting. I was so tired, I just collapsed. I think it was mostly the squatting down-getting down onto the floor, then up again-over and over. My thighs and glutes are still sore this morning. (This was my Thursday project).

I find it very satisfying when I can create something. Following the directions made this not too difficult although it took a couple of hours. However, I like the way it turned out. The room is coming together.

Playing and creativity

As we move out of childhood into the tweens, most of us stop really playing. Play is a great way to stretch our imaginations. Role playing in the various games we play as children is actually practice for the way we will behave as adults. As we play with other children, we learn what is and is not acceptable behavior. Play prepares us to become adults. Only a very few adults continue to play in the gaming communities or in the role play communities. Most of the rest of us put away our imaginations when we become adult.

Playing is a great way to relax and rejuvenate. When I was a child, my parents continued to play in a way that taught me it is ok not to be adult and serious all the time. I remember a friend watching my parents and their friends telling me he had never known that adults could still have fun. His parents never did.

For my dad, cars were like big toys. He loved working on and restoring old cars. He loved playing with dune buggies and baja bugs. Because of the latter, we went to the sand dunes almost every other weekend during the school year to camp and drive the buggies. My mother graciously participated in this, and to this day, I don't know how she really felt about the camping. She never complained about sand in her hair or the food. I know we kids really had a lot of fun.

My adult life has not involved camping. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't something I sought out. However, I have had a lot of performing. I love playing a role, and the nine years that I participated in Valley Light Opera in the 80s and 90s was wonderful. The different characters were always so much fun to play and the performances were fantastic. I have also participated in large choral groups which was also great. I find performing is a wonderful way to get outside myself and blend into something greater.

At this point in my life, playing is usually with grandkids, great-grandkids, or the kids I watch in the nursery at church. We build things, crash cars, blow bubbles, color and paint, play with play doh, and generally use our imaginations. I am grateful to have that time to run around and exercise that part of my brain that isn't used much in my adult life. The pro is a great example of someone gifted in that space as he has a great time playing with them as well. 

I miss the creativity that was play when I was young. I want to enrich my life with creativity, so I plan to write stories to help with that. I have started writing some Jane Austen fan fiction which I found very satisfying. For some years, I exercised creativity in creating my own patterns for sweaters I knitted. I exercise creativity in my cooking, using recipes as a general guideline. The pro is quite sweet about eating the results although I try to not subject him to too much weirdness too often. I have been able to somewhat creative in creating marketing material in different jobs, but I am looking for more now. I think our souls grow when we create and shrink when we do not have an opportunity to do so.

Food fears

Anyone who knows me at all well knows that I do not eat onions. I do not like onions. They give me stomach upset. Raw ones are the worst, but even cooked do it. As a result, I do not eat them. The only family member I can stomach is garlic. I could probably eat the others, but I do not even try any more.

Many of us have foods we will not eat. I have friends/family who do not eat: asparagus, broccoli, salmon, whole grain breads, tomatoes, olives, cheese, red meat, fish of any kind except canned tuna, and on and on.

I love to cook. Since I do not eat onions, there are many foods that I enjoy that I only eat if I make them, since the recipe begins: brown an onion. This limits me when I eat out, but at home, I am very experimental. It is often years between times that I repeat a recipe simply because there are so many wonderful and interesting things to try. I am currently enjoying RSS or Facebook feeds of people who cook paleo or primal. While onions are often a part of the recipe, so are a great many other herbs and spices. I frequently try these new ideas, adapted for our taste buds. That often means not as spicy, as the pro doesn't like very hot, spicy dishes.

I have friends who go the other extreme. They do not cook at all-they heat things up the microwave. I can certainly appreciate being too busy to cook. In my opinion, that is what a slow cooker is for. Throw some things in and when you get back, dinner is ready. I do not like all the chemicals that are added to processed foods, so I try to make things from scratch so that real food is added, not chemicals. 

I have an acquaintance who knows how to make only 7 different dinner entrees. I cannot live with such a limited selection of meals. One year, a friend picked up my daughter at gymnastics every Monday night and came to dinner. Both she and my daughter wanted macaroni and cheese every week. I found about 10 different ways to make it, but by the end of the school year, I forced such other items as cheddar cheese soup on them as I could no longer face mac and cheese. I still like it, but it is usually months between servings.

One of the great things that Bountiful Baskets has done for me is to expand the range of fresh produce I use regularly. Before I joined, I had never purchased a coconut, a plantain, fennel, leeks, fresh cilantro (only dried), vanilla bean or the sheer quantity of fresh produce we get each time we participate. I love getting my distribution and figuring out recipes for the upcoming week or two.

For example, I had so much salad fixings, I made a modified 7 layer salad (no hard boiled egg layer for the pro and no onion for me).  I also had broccoli from the last contribution left, so I had a nice broccoli salad for lunch. Dinner was barbecued corn on the cob (from a summer case) and barbecued asparagus along side some garlic sauteed shrimp. The next night, more corn on the cob, asparagus vinaigrette, the layered salad and chicken sausages.

I know that many of us did not learn to like veggies as a child. Many are very strongly flavored and too intense for children. The friend I donate my excess to throws a lot of it into soups. Soups are a good way to introduce a veggie-it was how I learned to like cooked cabbage. Oven roasting veggies with olive or coconut oil is a great way to sweeten them and make them more interesting for the timid among us. If you are one of those who has limited taste for veggies, make a resolution to try one new one each quarter of the year (that's only 4-not too much to take on). You don't have to like it, but you may surprise yourself. Make it seasonal and local and you will likely find something good (unless it is onions in which case, I cannot say).

I know there are many who lament all the bad influences the Internet makes available in our lives. I personally love the information conduit it provides. It is so easy to find a recipe that sounds good by simply entering some ingredients in a search. I no longer have to search through cookbooks or my recipe files, although are still relevant in my life. However, I am as apt to have my tablet open to a recipe as I am to have one of those these days.We live in a time of abundance: information, food choices, cuisines and cultures to explore. I hope we take advantage of that abundance and stretch ourselves by trying new things. You just may find something new to love. I certainly have.

Green or just smart

At church, I am taught that Adam was given stewardship over the earth. A steward is someone who manages something for someone else. We teach that Adam, and therefore his descendants, manages or administers the earth for the Lord. Therefore, we are accountable for how we manage the things of the world that are given to us. A great reminder about how this is not the general attitude of most of us came to me through a Facebook post this past week.

In another one, Cheeseslave shared this picture which I think says it all:

 

For thousands of years, all but the wealthiest of us were 'green.' We recycled, composted, made do, and wasted as little as possible. Now, most of us are the opposite and green is an in attitude making a political statement. "Paper or plastic?" is something we often hear at the store. Neither is terribly friendly to the environment.  A good set of canvas bags is much friendlier. I have used the same 4 canvas grocery bags for over 25 years. I wash them regularly and the only real sign of use is some slight fraying on one of the handles. I am not doing it to be 'green,' but I do it because it just makes sense.

I use the plastic bags from the store in the trash for the bathrooms and when I need to pass on some of my bountiful baskets produce to my friends. Otherwise, I try to minimize collecting them even though they can be recycled. It makes more sense not to use them at all than to have to recycle them.

I put many things in the recycling bin, much fewer in the trash, but I like it even better when most of the waste goes into the compost. I have two compost tumblers going, one that I am adding to, one that is only cooking. I have been composting for years. I try to leave the garden a little better than I found it in each house and have been successful in most. Actually, I try to leave everything in better shape. To me, this just makes sense as a steward, although I know sometimes it is not the wisest financial choice. I update and repair things to better than I found them on my houses, even if it is just before selling.

For years, all but the wealthiest made over clothing, younger children usually wore hand-me-downs, those who were not in the city had a garden, and most people cooked from scratch. We have encouraged a throw away culture and most people don't do any of these things. The green movement focuses on recycling and saving habitat, but I never see reminders to re-use or repair. I see few reminders to make it myself either. Although I do make most of my meals from scratch, I no longer make most of my clothing. However, I do make liberal use of hand-me-downs from my sister. I would never have as many different pairs of black slacks without her. 

I expect that there will be something like an exit interview in the hereafter when I must give an account of my stewardship. I hope to be able to say that I did my best to care for the earth where it was my responsibility and to make things a little better. Since I have posterity coming after me, I want the earth to be better for them than I found it. Carrying bags in my purse, having reusable grocery bags, air drying, using fewer chemicals are all ways I am trying to accomplish this. The Facebook post is a good reminder that to be really green, we are being wise in our use of resources. Green is just a smarter way to live.



 

Learning from children on Valentine's Day

I have seen a number of wonderful news articles in the past week that show what we can learn from children. One was a great article from purpose fairy, 10 Valuable Life Lessons to Learn from Children.  A second article was from Today about a young man who stomped a message in the snow to cheer up his mother and others in a hospital. A third article from Forbes was about mindfulness. I think children are generally very mindful, very much in the moment. And a fourth, from the golf world about someone saying thank you. A fifth from Scottsdale Desert Mountain High School showed up after I started drafting this. This was about a student who inspired the attendees at a basketball game to get him put into the game.These show how children can really give us a great example.

Too often as we grow older, we get so caught up in our lives that we forget to enjoy them. The life lessons article recommends steps to reconnect with the joy in life that children frequently experience-unless we adults teach them not to do so. The mindfulness article suggests that we will find much more success in life is we are fully present and aware, much like children who are not caught in a rut, constantly examining and exploring our environment.

I love playing with the kids in the nursery. They are exploring how to play with the various toys we have and are learning what they like and do not like. I frequently get down on the floor and play too-with cars, blocks, balls, etc. I pretend to eat plastic food and we discuss what that food is and whether or not we like the real food. We have fun. It is frequently noisy and almost always messy. But we clean it up again when we're done. As the article on learning from children suggests, we often cuddle. If someone falls or gets a bump, there is a cuddle or a kiss to make it better. If someone is sad or upset, there is usually a hug or two to help, along with kind and understanding words.

Being fully present with children does not mean there are never problems. That would not cause the growth that we see as we and they learn to manage the environment. For example, a few weeks ago, we had one 2 year old who was acting out a bit. He had trouble with the other younger one there and was not very 'nice.' After a few incidents, we had a time out together. He sat on my lap as we just sat and tried to calm down a bit. There were not tears, but we could not play with the other child who was having fun with my assistant leader. Instead, we just sat and cuddled. Then he asked about a bulletin board border next to us that had children in all sorts of positions, including upside down. We ended up copying the positions. He loved being turned upside down going backwards in my arms. What he really needed that day, but had no way to express, was the physical attention and cuddling. Mommy has a 6 month old and while she spends lots of time with her boys, this one needed a little more physical attention than she has had available lately. I will make sure he gets more regular cuddling to help fill the gap until the baby is older.

Many of us operate by rote; we don't pay much attention to what is around us. We eat the same things, drive the same way to work, wear only a few things in our wardrobes, and watch the same shows. Have you ever arrived somewhere in the car and realized that you never paid any attention while driving? You don't know how you got there. I have heard that from many people. It is far better to pay attention, to notice things as we drive. Notice the other cars and drivers; notice the conditions; be fully present; be mindful. The drive will have more meaning and as we incorporate that attention, that increased meaning will spill over into all aspects of our lives.

The boy in the Today show segment was worried about his mother who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. He chose to do something about it. While doing so, he realized he could do something for others in the hospital as well. His actions in cheering up those patients and workers were because he was fully present. He was able to think consider how he might send a message and he did it. He did not just think about it.

The game with Desert Mountain shows that kids with asperger's can still influence and make friends in spite of the difficulty their situation causes. While the article is focused on the athlete, the audience is just as important. They reacted with love.

Today, we celebrate various aspects of love with Valentine's Day. I sent out as many valentines for today as I used to give to classmates when I was in elementary school. For years, only my husband, daughter and mother got valentines. However, as I have matured, I realized that there were many others in my life that I wanted to know I was thinking of them and loved them. I now send to my sisters, nieces, step-chldren, step-grandchildren, some friends, and the kids in the nursery as well as to mom, the pro, and my daughter. I do not send virtual cards, except to friends on Facebook, because getting a letter in the mail still makes people smile.

Celebrate Valentine's Day. Smile at someone. Share your love. Fully enjoy the day. Live it like a child.

Following a different path

I saw this cartoon from Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) a few months ago. A Facebook friend shared it again this week.It is about following creating a life that reflects your values. You can find the original at http://m.imgur.com/r/pics/66DxiHX.

 

As I re-read this, I reflected back on my life and how it has or has not reflected my values. When I chose to stay home with my daughter after her birth, because I think being there if very important if you choose motherhood, my father was very critical of my choice. He actually said, "You have too much to contribute. Anyone can take care of your child for you." I completely disagreed with that and found a way to stay home until she was 3. I then succumbed to pressure and went back to work full time. I looked hard and found someone doing the things with her child that I tried to do with mine (although it appeared she was more successful with her consistent efforts than I) and she provided the day care for me.

After a couple of years creating serious burn out, I left the job and home-schooled and was home most of the time. I worked part time at a variety of jobs including my own business, but fit that in around the after-school program my daughter attended.

When divorce removed the option for home-schooling, I re-entered the job market. The first few efforts were insufficient to sustain us, but I finally found a good niche and we had enough. I crept up the corporate ladder, got a graduate degree, and did find some corporate success.  

My life changed again with marriage to the golf pro. He was planning to serve a church mission at the time we married, and I was in a financial position to allow him to do that. For the first 18 months of our marriage, he served a local welfare mission, working at the employment center.

Change occurred again when he returned to full time golf course management for the first time in our marriage in 2010. I found a rewarding part time job that morphed into one that was pretty all consuming. I enjoyed it, but my heart was with helping the pro at his job. He found success by following his passion, and in this world of technology, wanted my help adapting to the changes. Because he is now providing, I can do just that-and figure out what else I really want to do.

Following the advice in the comic is easier if there is a true partnership, with each partner enabling the other to follow his or her dreams. I am lucky to have found that and am grateful for it.

I think the hardest part of this is determining what it is that fills our souls and is our passion. I buried it so deeply that it is taking quite a lot of time to resurrect. I know my values place my commitment to God and family first, so that part isn't hard. The hard part is what fills my soul. I think it has to do with teaching in some way as I find that so very satisfying. It might have to do with writing because that is also very satisfying. Ultimately, I hope this blog helps me uncover these things about me. If it helps someone else realize these things too, that would be fabulous. 

Weekend food fun

I found myself with a little time to experiment this weekend and it was so much fun. If I am going to write about these, I should probably take pictures during the process. Maybe next time. All I have today is finished products.

The previous Saturday, we got a plantain with our bountiful basket hostess pack. I had just googled plantain chips, when this came across in my Facebook feed - AIP Plantain Wraps. The pro has been mentioning how pizza was sounding good, so I thought this might fit the bill.
 
I read through the recipe and the other plantain recipe she had for pizza and decided to make a pizza dough out of the plantain. I used her wrap recipe more than the pizza one and it worked well.

1 plantain still slightly green
1/3 water
A couple of tablespoons of olive oil
Salt

I preheated the oven to 375 and peeled and chopped the plantain.
She suggested the blender which I used, but I think next time, I'll use my food processor-I think it will cut the plantain better. I put all the ingredients in the blender and processed until smooth.

I greased my medium sized pizza pan and spread it in the pan evenly.

I baked for 25 minutes.  Then I broke off a little piece and tasted it and it was good!

Next, I chopped up a couple of roma tomatoes and spread them over the crust. I topped those with oregano. I covered it with shredded mozzarella cheese and then pepperoni. For the pro, if it isn't pepperoni, it isn't pizza.

I baked this at 400 for about 20 minutes. It was heavenly and he didn't even know it wasn't dough underneath. We ate two pieced before I got a picture.

 This was perfect for the two of us-enough for dinner and a light snack. We had the snack first (the missing pieces). When I reheated it, I doused it in cheese, more pepperoni, and a final sprinkle of cheese again. I popped it in the oven at 400 for 15 minutes to get it bubbly again.

I also made a fun candy for a valentine's day gift for the pro.

I used the silicone mini-muffin pan my lovely step-daughter got me. They were the perfect size. Next time, I will add some chocolate before the filling so the top gets covered. You can see from the picture that the chocolate did not ooze down to cover the bottom of the muffin.

I toasted some almond slices and some coconut. I placed a pinch of each in the bottom of the muffin (next time, chocolate first). Then I added a few pomegranate seeds. Then I poured in the chocolate. I put the filled muffin pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set. Then we had to test them. The pro says I should sell them. I think that's high praise from him.

For the chocolate, I took an entire bag of chocolate chips and mixed with a couple of spoonfuls of coconut oil. I melted this mix in the microwave until the chocolate was partially melted. Then I stirred them together until completely melted and mixed. I spooned this into the muffin pans.

I used about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips with a small spoonful of coconut for our last treat. I mixed and melted and spooned over the ice cream in the sundaes we had for dinner. Instant magic shell. For the sundaes, we had a sliced banana, a handful of frozen blueberries, a couple of scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, then poured on the hot melted chocolate. I topped that with chopped nuts and coconut. This was actually our evening meal. Yum.

When it is time to move on

Change is a constant in almost everyone's life. Some changes we resist; some we initiate. I have decided it is time to initiate a change in my work life. It was a difficult decision in many ways, but I know that it is the right one.

For 4 years, I have provided some assistance to the golf pro. I help with merchandise in the shop, I help with technical issues, I take pictures at tournaments, and I do some social media.

For 3 years, I have worked at CoroWare, Inc. I have served as a business unit manager and the corporate secretary. Both were rewarding and challenging. I started part time, 20 hours per week. Job scope creep got the hours up to 30-35 per week. I've been doing corporate secretary (reports, filings, meeting minutes, working with investors and our stock), marketing, video conferencing, support, web site updates,and social media including a twice weekly video blog. I have a hard time enforcing the lower hour count and saying "no" to things that need to get done. Therefore, I have to say "no" to the job instead.

I am just obsessive enough that I cannot walk away with something only partially done. I need to finish things. If I cannot, I do not want to start them. If they have deadlines, I try to get them done as soon as assigned, not just by the deadline. That gave me freedom in school (where I was the same way) with a lack of pressure when I turned things in. However, there is always something due at a publicly traded company that operates in multiple states. When the stock is active, there is always something to attend to. Therefore, in order to do the things I need to working with the pro, I decided I had to give this job up.

The pro would probably have been happy if I had made this move a year ago. I would not have been though. We were going through a rough patch and I wanted to help right things. Now things are much smoother, so I don't feel guilty about moving on. I pray about these things and feel I got confirmation of this choice. For me, that means I can move on without regrets.

I have worked with a variety of wonderful people in this job. I will miss most of them greatly. Working at a small company often allows one to wear many hats, and I have loved doing that. We're spreading many of my tasks among a variety of people suited to those components. Perhaps in time they will return to a single individual, perhaps not. Most of these were well suited to my strengths, but not necessary for the particular job titles I held. Some of these were things I could do, not well, but regularly (like managing updates on the web site) since I had skills at a novice level.

I will look back kindly on this time at CoroWare. I hope I leave it in better shape from my contributions. I know I have grown and appreciate that development.

Now I look forward to stepping up my efforts assisting the pro. He and his staff are excited about getting more active in social media marketing this year. I think we will have a great deal of fun together. I hope I also get to play more golf with the pro and improve my game. That's not a bad future to envision.

Smoothies-a great way to use fruits and veggies

For years, I had good intentions to eat more fruits and vegetables. However, I would get busy and rely on the same ones over and over. Last year, we started having green smoothies for breakfast and I finally achieved that goal.

I have a 30 year old Oster kitchen center with a blender attachment that holds about 6 cups. It gets used almost every day. The smoothie is different every day, which I enjoy. Today's is a good example of what we do:
      A couple of spoonfuls of plain yogurt
     A scoop of protein powder
     A spoonful of green powder
     A spoonful of carob powder
     One whole banana
     Three mandarin oranges
     A large handful of red grapes
    The tops from a head of celery
     A handful of spinach
     A large handful of ice cubes
     About one cup of fruit juice
     About one cup of water
Blend until it starts to overflow the blender or is smooth like a milkshake, whichever happens first. It was completely smooth today since I managed not to overfill it. The bananas really give it a milkshake texture whether frozen or fresh. If none of the produce is frozen, the ice cubes are a must. If some of the produce is frozen, use fewer ice cubes. If all the produce is frozen, except maybe for some greens, no ice cubes as it will make sno-cones instead.

The golf pro gets half and I get half. He has his early; I usually wait until around 10. He eats other breakfast stuff, I don't.

On Sundays with a bigger breakfast, I often make a fruit only smoothie. We often have mushrooms or tomatoes with Sunday breakfast to take care of our veggies in the morning. These Sunday smoothies are more like the ones you might find at a smoothie store with just one or two fruits, no other stuff except the juice, water, and ice.

I get case lots of different fruits during the summer and freeze them for the smoothies year round. Last week, we finished up the last of the frozen strawberries. We now have peaches, mangoes, bananas, and blueberries in the freezer to add to whatever we get from Bountiful Baskets. Today we had all fresh. Next week, we will probably add some frozen as we use up what we got last Saturday. I usually order every other week.

During the summer, I got a juice pack from Bountiful Baskets. I juiced all the items, then made ice cubes out of them. When we are low on fruit or I want more color, I add one or two to the smoothie. They are a pretty red due to the beet and beet tops in them.

Smoothies like this also make a nice dessert. They satisfy the sweet tooth craving but are generally pretty healthy. If you want it with a little zip, a bit of green chili is a nice touch. I've done that a couple of times. This is a great way to use up little bits of leftovers like sweet potato, cooked veggies, undressed salad, etc. Almost all veggies are a good addition. For example, we've used cooked sweet potato, raw chili pepper, bell pepper, fennel, beets, carrots, celery, cabbage, spinach, kale, chard, lettuce, peas, asparagus, broccoli, avocado,  and tomatoes. For fruits, we've used coconut, berries, grapes, oranges, mandarins, limes, bananas, mangoes, peaches, apricots, apples, pears, even a little lemon. You don't want too tart like a whole lemon or or heavily flavored like onion or garlic. I don't like grapefruit, and when I added one to the smoothie, I could taste it too much. However, there have been days when I take out my share and put in half a grapefruit for the golf pro. He loves them.

What this all means is that we get lots of whole fruit and veggies to start every day: lots of phyto-nutrients, lots of fiber, lots of flavor, lots of vitamins, lots of liquid, and a nice start. If I add cocoa powder, we even get a chocolate shake for breakfast. Can't beat it!

Healthy fresh food choices don't have to cost a lot

Over the past few years, I have decided I wanted more fresh fruits and vegetables in my diet. As I tried to make this change, a friend introduced me to Bountiful Baskets. This is a co-op that gives much more flexibility in getting your produce than a CSA  (Community supported agriculture) program does, but doesn't provide as much that is local. Both are great options for increasing the fresh food in your diet at reasonable prices.

With Bountiful Baskets, you join the co-op online at the web site. Each Monday or Tuesday, you can select to receive a basket that upcoming weekend. There are always a number of other items besides the basic fruit/veggie basket. You can opt for organic instead of conventional on the basic basket. You can select from cases of various fruits and vegetables; breads; tortillas; honey from Idaho, Utah, and Arizona; themed baskets like juice pack, Italian, Mexican, tropical or hostess;  granola; and other items from time to time. The extras vary each week.

Here in Prescott, on Saturday morning at 7, I go to the National Guard Armory to pick up my baskets. In the summer, I picked them up at Ken Lindley Park. Volunteers are there at 6 to unload the truck and load up the baskets. Co-op members pick up from 7-7:20 although the set up is frequently done early and they start distribution early. If you volunteer, you get to select an extra from the extra items before they are distributed to the rest of the baskets. The site coordinators are wonderful people and have done a great job of making this an easy process for us.

Trying this co-op has encouraged us to eat a far wider variety of fresh fruits and veggies. I don't use nearly as much frozen or canned as I have in the past. We have tried lots of things I would never buy and have loved most of them. I am luck that I have a friend who loves the things we don't. I give her those as well as the excess when we get far more than we can eat before it goes bad. For example, this past Saturday, we got two heads of cabbage and of celery. I gave her of the other things as well.

This was what was in our basket: roma tomatoes, Asian pears, zucchini, peppers, broccoli, blackberries, oranges, banans, lettuce, celery, cabbage, asparagus. 

We also opted for the hostess pack:

As you can see, between the two, we filled my kitchen table. This had: pineapple, plantain, coconut, jicama, beefsteak tomatoes, grape tomatoes, yellow onion, snap peas, grape tomatoes, mint, mushrooms, carrots, avocados, cilantro, green onions, limes, and jalapenos. The bag at the top is 3 pounds of quartered corn tortillas for making tortilla chips.

The flexibility allows us to participate weekly, every other week, or just whenever we want. I love that as well as the value that I see in the amount of produce for the price.

The Prescott CSA is also a way to increase produce consumption with entirely local items. I participated in the beef share during the summer. Once each month I picked up a hefty bag of locally grown beef. I saw the various items in produce shares each time as well. They were varied and also a good value. However, I will admit to being very thrifty and I get more in each basket share for the same price. The CSA requires payment for every week, whether you can pick up or not. I understand why, but for now, the model with Bountiful Baskets fits our lifestyle better. The CSA does include other items that can be purchased as extras on many weeks.

Options like Bountiful Baskets and CSAs invalidate the arguments of people who say it is more expensive to eat healthy food. Fresh produce promotes health. Most of the food people purchase instead is really a food product. It has all sorts of additives to try to replace the real food that is missing. Even if we ate nothing else, the $15 we spent for the conventional basket (the first photo), would feed the two of us for an entire week. We would have a lot of variety as well. Spending a little extra for protein sources, like meat, dairy, beans, etc. would not greatly increase our grocery spend. 

It is amazing what you can do if you don't buy process food-like things and buy real food instead. Even if you don't have access to a co-op or CSA, there are also farmer's markets, or even the produce aisles at the grocery store. If you filled your cart with that instead of boxes of things, you would still make out pretty well. It would just cost more than what I'm getting.