WHAT WE'RE MAKING? FROZEN YOGURT POPS

Make a healthy frozen treat a really easy way. 

Poke a popsicle stick, fork, spoon, chopsticks, or other directly through the yogurt cup seal. Place in the freezer. When frozen, peel back seal, run yogurt cup under hot water for a few seconds. Remove cup and serve. 

My kids particularly like the fruit at the bottom yogurt. 

WHAT WE'RE BUYING? WHEN THE BEST MONTHS TO BUY VEGETABLE & FRUITS IN SEASON

VEGETABLES

Artichokes - November to June
Asparagus - March to November
Lima Beans - July to October
Green Beans - April to October
Beets - June to September
Broccoli - November to June
Brussel Sprouts - September to April
Cabbage - all year
Carrots - all year
Cauliflower - June to December
Celery - all year
Green Chili - August to September
Corn - July to September
Cucumbers - October - February
Eggplant - August to September
Greens - Vary
(kale, mustard, spinach, turnip, collards, chard, beet, etc.)
Kohlrabi - July to September
Lettuce - all year
Mushrooms - all year
Okra - August to October
Onions - all year
Green onions - December to August
Leeks - all year
Garlic - all year
Chives - all year
Shallots - all year
Parsnips - September to May
Peas - all year
Green peppers - all year
Potatoes - all year
Sweet potatoes - July to April
Pumpkin - September to March
Radishes - all year
Endive, Escarole, Parsley, Romaine, Watercress - all year
Summer Squash - July to September
Fall/Winter Squash - September to March
Tomatoes - all year
Turnips - all year
Rutabaga - all year

FRUIT

Apples:
  Baldwin - November to April
  Delicious - October to February
  Duchess - July to October
  Golden - October to January
  Gravenstein - July to September
  Grimes - October to January
  Hubbardston - October to January
  Jonathan - September to December
  McIntosh - October to January
  Northern Spy - October to March
  Rhode Island Greening - October to March
  Rome Beauty - November to May
  Spitzenberg - October to February
  Tompkins - November to February
  Wagener - November to January
  Winesap - November to June
  Yellow Newton - January to May
  Yellow Transparent - July to August
Apricots - May to August
Avocados - October to February
Bananas - all year
Berries - June to August
(blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, dewberries, gooseberries, huckleberries, loganberries, raspberries, youngberries)
Cranberries - October to February
Strawberries - May to June
Cherries - May to August
Currants - June to July
Dates - August to December
Figs - June to August
Grapefruit - September to May (My grandfather always said they were the best in January)
Grapes - (western) June to December, (eastern) September to October
Kumquats - December to January
Lemons - all year
Limes - June to August
Watermelon - May to October
Cantaloupe - April to October
Honey Dew - June to July
Oranges - all year
Tangerines - November to May
Nectarines - May to October
Peaches - May to October
Pears:
  Bartlett - July to October
  Bosc - September to January
  Comice - October to February
  Anjou - October to April
  Nelis - January to June
Persimmons - October to February
Pineapples - March to June
Plums - May to November
Pomegranites - September to November
Quinces - September to November
Rhubarb - May to August

WHAT WE'RE BAKING? Easy Blueberry cobbler

6 C blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 C sugar

3 T cornstarch

1 t lemon juice

2 refrigerated pie crust disks

2 T unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg white

1 T water

In a large bowl, toss blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice together. 

Unroll one of the pie crust disks and place it in your baking dish.

Add the blueberries. 

Cube the butter and place all over the blueberries.

Cut the remaining pie crust disk into 1" strips. Form a lattice crust on top. 

Mix the egg white and water and brush the lattice. 

Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until bubbly hot and lattice crust is golden. 

WHAT WE'RE MAKING? KID'S PLAY CHALK PAINT

My 5 year old asked if he could paint the tree house. Why not?! It will wash off.

I wanted something that would wash off and was cheap. These are probably ingredients you already have. 

Mix together:

1/2 C corn starch

1 C water

food coloring

Paint the sidewalk, fence, tree house, etc.

WHAT WE'RE COOKING? TUMBLEWEED SOUP

Living in New Mexico, I've heard of several recipes for Tumbleweed Soup for years. I slightly changed my grandmother's recipe that she'd found in an old New Mexican Native American Indian cookbook for what I had.

2 C tender new shoots from Spring tumbleweeds, washed well
Barely cover with water. Boil for 15 minutes. Then puree in blender.
Add more water.

Then add & cook with tumbleweeds for 20 minutes:
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
3 carrots, diced
1 apple, diced
1 C diced cabbage
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 C green chili

Add and cook another 10-15 minutes:
1 C salsa
1 C cooked beans
1/2 C nopalitas
1 C hominy

Top with shredded cheddar cheese and juice of lime.

Serve with corn chips, corn tortillas, cornbread or tortilla chips.

WHAT WE'RE COOKING? ONE POT CHICKEN POT PIE

Day 18 of Pantry/Freezer Challenge:

Making something for potluck after church means making something the night before or getting up early. I chose to get up early. I also knew I was going to make a chicken pot pie but the more I thought about dirtying up so many dishes exhausted me, so this is what I came up with.

1 sheet puff pastry sheet, thawed

1/3 C butter

1 frozen bag peas & carrots

1 chopped onion

1/3 C flour

3 frozen or thawed chicken breasts OR 7 tenders OR 7 thighs or a combo

3 1/4 C chicken stock/broth (saved from boiling chicken)

1 T dijon mustard

1 t dried thyme

1/2 t pepper

3 T dried parsley

Preheat oven 400°. 

Boil chicken in a stock pot. Save water/broth for later. Cube chicken and set aside.

In a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, peas, carrots. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add chicken and flour. Cook about 3 minutes or until the flour starts to brown. Slowly stir in broth and heat to a boil. Cook and stir until it thickens. Stir in mustard, thyme, pepper and parsley. Remove from heat. 

Unfold puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut pastry sheet crosswise into thick strips. Weave a lattice pattern over the filling with the pastry strips. Trim any excess pastry.

Bake 45 minutes.

PS Don't expect to take home any leftovers.

WHAT WE'RE COOKING? GARLIC PAN FRIED CHICKEN with APPLE LEMON SAUCE

Day 14 of our Freezer/Pantry Challenge and I was just throwing things together to make a nice but easy dish for my family. I definitely didn't expect that everyone wanted seconds and thirds. I'm very happy I made a little extra since that's what the 2 year old and 5 year old asked for lunch today.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast OR 8 tenders
1/2 C flour
1/4 C butter
2 T minced garlic
1 C apple juice
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t pepper

Coat chicken with flour. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and garlic. Cook approx 8 minutes on both sides turning once. Remove from skillet and keep warm. Add apple juice, lemon juice and pepper to skillet. Stir and scrape bottom to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Bring to boil and cook 10 minutes until reduced to about half a cup. Pour over chicken and serve immediately.

WHAT WE'RE COOKING? EGG & BACON STUFFED BISCUIT made in a George Foreman grill

Day 9 of our pantry/freezer challenge. This is actually getting my creative juices flowing. I'm shocked I'm saying this but it's actually fun.

1 can refrigerated Pillsbury GRANDS biscuits

4 eggs

3-6 bacon slices, chopped

cheese (optional)

Spray George Foreman Grill with non stick spray; heat. Meanwhile cook the bacon, drain grease except for 1-2 T. Leave bacon in pan. Add eggs. Cook until done. Set aside. 

Separate dough pieces, 8 in all. Cut a slit in one side of each biscuit, forming a pocket. It was easier for me to have the biscuit on the cutting board and to slice it then. Spoon in approx 1 T egg/bacon mixture into each biscuit. If desired, add cheese. Press edges of biscuit to seal.

Place one biscuit at a time in the grill. Close lid. Cook 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Repeat. 

My family loved them just the way they were but you could dip them in cheese sauce, gravy, honey or syrup.

WHAT WE'RE ORGANIZING? Organize Your Freezer - Write On The Refrigerator Door with Dry Erase Marker - Yes, Even On Stainless Steel

Last year I kept a list on PAPER of everything that was in the freezer. This year I'm getting smarter about it. Write with a dry erase marker directly on the freezer/refrigerator doors. YES, even on stainless steel! That way it's truly easy to mark off what you use or add to it. 

TIP: If you have more than one freezer & so that you know exactly what you have in one look, use one freezer/fridge like I did to mark exactly what's in each, instead of writing on both freezers.