Tag Archives: eggs

CSA Time!

Spring is here, which means it’s time to sign-up for a CSA!  CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and when you sign-up to become a member of one you are paying your local farmer for a share of the farm.  It is the best of all worlds.  Your money goes straight to the people growing your food, you eat locally grown and in-season foods, and you’ll eat tons more vegetables than you ever thought possible!  It usually works something like this:  You pay upfront for the whole season so the farmer has the money he needs to grow your food.  Then once a week you’ll either go out to the farm to pick up your “share,” or you’ll pick it up at a designated drop-off location in your city.  Week after week we are amazed at the bountiful veggies in our share, and we look forward to using new recipes and getting creative with some things we’ve never even heard of!  It really adds variety to your meals, and takes the guesswork out of grocery shopping.  Ever had one of those moments when you’re standing in the produce section of the supermarket thinking, “I know we need to eat more vegetables, but what should I buy?”  Never again.  Visiting the farm is a great field trip for city dwellers, and I believe it’s really important to teach our children where their food comes from.  In fact, studies show that when children are involved in the process of growing vegetables, they eat more!

My baby feeding a baby goat on our recent visit to Green Gate Farms

Feeding a baby Goat on our recent visit to Green Gate Farms

There’s something special about being able to thank the people who plant, care for, and harvest the food you put in your body.  This is in stark contrast to conventionally grown supermarket food that has been flown in from thousands of miles away and been touched by countless hands and machinery.  Also, when you break down the cost of everything you receive in your box each week, you’ll discover that belonging to a CSA is less expensive than shopping at the store.

Ready to find one in your area?  Here is a database of CSA’s around the country.  Visit www.localharvest.org for more information.

Asparagus Frittata

We had this for dinner last night and it was so good.  I found the recipe on Simplyrecipes.com:

This is a quick and easy, no-nonsense recipe that makes a terrific frittata in hardly any time at all.

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Asparagus Frittata Recipe

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Method

1 Heat olive oil into a 10-inch oven-proof frying pan over medium high heat. Add onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add asparagus, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until the asparagus are barely tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour in eggs and cook until almost set, but still runny on top, about 2 minutes. While cooking, pre-heat oven broiler.

asparagus-frittata-1.jpg

2 Sprinkle cheese over eggs and put in oven to broil until cheese is melted and browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven with oven mitts and slide frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges.

Serves 4.

Trying to lose the baby weight?

Eat breakfast! Time and time again it has been proven that breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day.  If you are struggling to get those last 10 pounds of baby weight off, you will be surprised at how such a seemingly easy thing to do will help you lose weight.  Most people either don’t believe it will help, or feel they don’t have the time.  This is one area where I am pretty strict: make time to prepare and eat a nutritious breakfast!  This is essential for every person all the time, so remind your friends and family.  If you are breastfeeding, this is so important for your milk supply after “fasting” all night.  So I say, if losing weight isn’t enough motivation, do it for the health of your baby.  If you don’t eat, you’re body will go into starvation mode and hang on to every excess pound for dear life.  No amount of “cardio” later in the day can help correct this mistake.  Here are some good options: Continue reading Trying to lose the baby weight?

Choline During Pregnancy

The People’s Pharmacy on NPR last week highlighted the importance of eating choline rich foods during pregnancy.  If you are deficient in choline, there is an increased risk of spina bifida and other neurological disorders.  On the other hand, babies born to mothers who have consumed lots of choline rich foods might have better memories and be faster learners.  Great reasons to eat lots of organic pastured eggs, bananas and all natural peanut butter.  Other good choline sources:  liver, butter, banana, barley, cauliflower, corn, flax seeds, lentils, milk, oranges, potatoes, sesame seeds, tomatoes and whole wheat bread.