Blog
Fresh Fall Finds
The fall produce is here! Even though it means letting go of tomatoes fresh from the farm or garden, I enjoy switching up my meals to feature what’s in season. Here in Iowa the fall produce is coming in and some people even have it in their gardens. We’ll see dark greens, winter squash, and root vegetables like parsnips and sweet potatoes showing up at farmers markets.
Guacamole
Have you ever made homemade guacamole? I had not until I first made our July recipe of the month. I assumed I could not make it as well as a restaurant or the tubs of guacamole I bought from the store. I was both right and wrong. This recipe is certainly not as good as my favorite restaurant guacamole, but it is better than the tubs of guacamole from the store. The first time I made it, I liked it so much that I ate half of it for lunch one day and the other half the next day.
It’s Time for Asparagus!
It’s Spring! And that means asparagus is in season. I remember growing up on the farm and cutting wild asparagus in the ditch by our house. Now I buy it in the grocery store. My husband loves asparagus so he gets excited for me to make it when it’s in season. His favorite way to have it is roasted. I also like to grill it.
#WinterSquash
It’s fall so that means pumpkins, apples, and winter squash. I’m guessing that last one surprised you bit. In the fall we hear about all things pumpkin and apple. Based off social media posts, millions of people post about pumpkins and apples while only thousands post about winter squash. Even though winter squash isn’t talked about as much, it is a great fall vegetable to include in your meals.
My Fall Kitchen
The mornings are getting chilly and sweet corn and tomato season is wrapping up. These are sure-fire signs that it is time to switch my kitchen over to fall. This is my favorite time of year to cook, not only because I love to make cozy dishes like soups and stews, but because there are delicious fruits and vegetables that come into season in the fall.
Baba Ganoush
Have you ever eaten eggplant? Many years ago, I had eggplant at a restaurant and it was not good, so I thought I must not like it. Fast forward to a few years ago, when a student in our office told me I had to try this eggplant recipe – Baba Ganoush. I knew I did not like eggplant, but she ensured me I would like this recipe. So, my children and I went to the farmers market that weekend and bought a beautiful purple and white eggplant and I made Baba Ganoush for the first time. It turns out that, although that restaurant meal was not great, I actually really like eggplant.
Switching out Protein Sources in Recipes
In August, I wrote a blog on ‘Meal Planning Tips for Easy and Healthy Meals’. In the blog I mentioned that the ‘themes’ I use when meal planning are to include a different protein food each night. I use beef, pork, chicken, fish and then have one night that is vegetarian. By doing this I am helping my family vary the kinds of protein foods we eat.