MMMM Chili!

So I got something called Purple Hull Peas in my veggie delivery last week. I had not a clue what they were till I saw them. They aren't a pea but a bean. Wanting to know what to do witht hem I googled it. (gotta love google) after finding a few recipes I decided that I would use them in my chili today. I Love having a crock pot meal. So easy to do. I put it all together this morning. The Purple hull peas are many different colors so it's looking fantastic. I'll take a picture and post it later.

Okra experience

Ok so being that we are not a southern family Okra is not a food we have ever eaten much less cooked. So I went to my trusty allrecipes.com and typed in Okra and came up with a simple recipe to try out.

Very basic, 6 ingredients. Turned out ok but we decided next time it needs more spice. Not bad for our first try.
We had this with broiled flounder.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 pods okra, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, soak okra in egg for 5 to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, salt, and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge okra in the cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Carefully place okra in hot oil; stir continuously. Reduce heat to medium when okra first starts to brown, and cook until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Eggplant Disaster!

Ok so admittedly the only way I have ever had it was as Eggplant Parmesan. (Not one of my favs) Dan got one a few days back so lat night I thought Oh I can saute it and put it with pasta and sauce. YUM! NOT! I had no idea it was like a sponge. It soaked up every bit of oil and turned out not so yummy. My poor kids! So moral of the story... Grill it! Brush it with some oil and garlic and toss it on the grill.

Today is the day we get our first delivery of Grow Alabama. Here is the list for this week:

1. tomatoes
2. eggplant
3. purple hull peas (shelled)
4. mixed green beans
5. Okra
6. new potatoes
7. mixed bell peppers
8. Winter squash
9. cherry tomatoes
10. apples

Now to find some yummy recipes to make with all that. :)

Our First steps

Well other than the day to day organics and cooking at home that we have done we have officially signed up for Grow Alabama. We will get local grown produce and fresh eggs once a week. Today I will customize our first box and tomorrow we will pick it up. This is going to make us step outside our box and try new foods and recipes. I will post some of those recipes here. It's our goal to try to decrease our grocery budget but eat better. Join me on our journey.

Our children are now taking immune system boosting vitamins and probiotics. Since it's cold and flu season and we do not get flu vaccines we have started them on the following: Vitamin D 3 2000IU, Probiotics 1 Billion parts, Omega 3-6-9 1000 mg and when they seem to need an extra boost Emergen-C. We are trying to be sure the kids get plenty of rest and eat well too so they have strong systems to fight off any nasty germs that may attempt to invade.

Follow along. I'll be back tomorrow with pictures of our first veggie delivery.