E.J. Divitt's Blog, page 7
March 17, 2015
Adventures In Farm Shares--Week One-Day Six
We still had cabbage and celery left so for lunch, we took an old mushroom asparagus risotto recipe and swapped out the mushroom and asparagus for cabbage and celery. We have been using the recipe for so long that I don't remember where we got it. We bought a house years ago and it came with an asparagus plot so we learned to do it as a way to use all that asparagus.
As for the cabbage and celery risotto, it did not go at all well.
The cabbage and celery are not even visible since they became translucent with cooking. It was a pretty tasteless mess. It was excessively chewy from all the cabbage with no flavor to back it up. I would consider this one to be the only real failure of this week.
Dinner went much better.
For dinner, we used the last sweet potato to make sweet potato fries. Here is that recipe. This went very well. We sliced them on the thin side so they looked like fries. They had a sweet taste to them so they definitely are not like regular fries but tasty. We would do this one again. Here is the picture of that.
Husband sautéed up the last onion in some olive oil for a side as well. I took that one lemon and made lemonade. We used both the fries and onions as sides and pan fried some veal I had defrosted as the main entrée.
We now only have one grapefruit and some celery left so I doubt we will do anymore experimenting this week. Two days until our next farm box and it will supposedly contain "Dino Kale-Rainbow Chard-Red Cabbage-Yukon Gold Potatoes-Celery-Onions-Tangelos-Beets-Broccoli-Grapefruit+Lemon". We will see what we get.
As for the cabbage and celery risotto, it did not go at all well.
The cabbage and celery are not even visible since they became translucent with cooking. It was a pretty tasteless mess. It was excessively chewy from all the cabbage with no flavor to back it up. I would consider this one to be the only real failure of this week.
Dinner went much better.
For dinner, we used the last sweet potato to make sweet potato fries. Here is that recipe. This went very well. We sliced them on the thin side so they looked like fries. They had a sweet taste to them so they definitely are not like regular fries but tasty. We would do this one again. Here is the picture of that.
Husband sautéed up the last onion in some olive oil for a side as well. I took that one lemon and made lemonade. We used both the fries and onions as sides and pan fried some veal I had defrosted as the main entrée.We now only have one grapefruit and some celery left so I doubt we will do anymore experimenting this week. Two days until our next farm box and it will supposedly contain "Dino Kale-Rainbow Chard-Red Cabbage-Yukon Gold Potatoes-Celery-Onions-Tangelos-Beets-Broccoli-Grapefruit+Lemon". We will see what we get.
March 16, 2015
Adventures In Farm Shares--Week One--Day Five
(You can find earlier posts here.)
Today I went with the chorizo and cabbage recipe that I found at frugalfeeding.com. It was a snap to make. A little chopping, some sautéing and done. This would definitely make an easy and quick weeknight meal.
http://frugalfeeding.com/2013/01/16/pan-fried-chorizo-and-cabbage/
I substituted mixed Italian seasoning for the sage as I had none on hand. I admit I did not really measure the cabbage. I simply chopped up one chorizo sausage and added as much cabbage as seemed good.
My husband's reaction was, "Yum" followed by asking when we could make it again. Definite hit on this one. The cabbage is relatively tasteless but the sausage has a little kick to it so they complimented each other really well.
I would absolutely do this one again; probably on a weeknight when I was pressed for time.
We are getting low on things at this point. We have some cabbage left, some celery, 1 sweet potato, 1 lemon, 1 onion and 1 grapefruit. Next box comes on Wednesday so being low is not the worst thing in the world.
Next we are doing risotto with the left over chorizo sausage, cabbage and celery.
Today I went with the chorizo and cabbage recipe that I found at frugalfeeding.com. It was a snap to make. A little chopping, some sautéing and done. This would definitely make an easy and quick weeknight meal.
http://frugalfeeding.com/2013/01/16/pan-fried-chorizo-and-cabbage/
I substituted mixed Italian seasoning for the sage as I had none on hand. I admit I did not really measure the cabbage. I simply chopped up one chorizo sausage and added as much cabbage as seemed good.
My husband's reaction was, "Yum" followed by asking when we could make it again. Definite hit on this one. The cabbage is relatively tasteless but the sausage has a little kick to it so they complimented each other really well.
I would absolutely do this one again; probably on a weeknight when I was pressed for time.
We are getting low on things at this point. We have some cabbage left, some celery, 1 sweet potato, 1 lemon, 1 onion and 1 grapefruit. Next box comes on Wednesday so being low is not the worst thing in the world.
Next we are doing risotto with the left over chorizo sausage, cabbage and celery.
March 14, 2015
Adventures In Farm Shares-Week One-Day Four
(You can see day one here and day two here.)
It occurs to me that I still have a head of cabbage that I have not touched. Time to find some cabbage based recipes. There is always coleslaw. I would need to buy carrots and use low fat mayo to try to ease the calories. Easy to do and something my husband would eat but I'm not a big fan of coleslaw so I would rather find something else.
Breakfast was grapefruit from the farm share box. We ate it straight. It was fine. Nothing worth writing home about.
We made kale chips with the last of the kale. Recipe from allrecipe.com found here. I forgot to take a picture. It was nothing like a potato chip. It was very crunchy but seemed to fall apart on your tongue. I would eat them again but with less salt.
Hubby sautéed himself one of the onions in olive oil with the last of the bok choy and ate that straight. Not to my taste but he is both using vegetables from the farm share and not eating something horrible so I consider that a win.
I ate some left over soup from day two and we both had some of the leftover chicken from the rotisserie chicken I bought for day two.
Really the only thing we did new was the kale chips. As I said, I would try them again. I still need to find a use for the cabbage. I am leaning towards a cabbage and chorizo dish and hubby is leaning towards coleslaw. We will see tomorrow.
Of the original farm share from Wednesday, we have 1 lemon, 2 onions, 1 sweet potato, 1 grapefruit, some celery and a head of cabbage left.
It occurs to me that I still have a head of cabbage that I have not touched. Time to find some cabbage based recipes. There is always coleslaw. I would need to buy carrots and use low fat mayo to try to ease the calories. Easy to do and something my husband would eat but I'm not a big fan of coleslaw so I would rather find something else.
Breakfast was grapefruit from the farm share box. We ate it straight. It was fine. Nothing worth writing home about.
We made kale chips with the last of the kale. Recipe from allrecipe.com found here. I forgot to take a picture. It was nothing like a potato chip. It was very crunchy but seemed to fall apart on your tongue. I would eat them again but with less salt.
Hubby sautéed himself one of the onions in olive oil with the last of the bok choy and ate that straight. Not to my taste but he is both using vegetables from the farm share and not eating something horrible so I consider that a win.
I ate some left over soup from day two and we both had some of the leftover chicken from the rotisserie chicken I bought for day two.
Really the only thing we did new was the kale chips. As I said, I would try them again. I still need to find a use for the cabbage. I am leaning towards a cabbage and chorizo dish and hubby is leaning towards coleslaw. We will see tomorrow.
Of the original farm share from Wednesday, we have 1 lemon, 2 onions, 1 sweet potato, 1 grapefruit, some celery and a head of cabbage left.
March 12, 2015
Adventures In Farm Shares-Week One-Day Two
(You can find day one here.)
For day two, I wanted to use as many of the different vegetables in my shiny new farm share box as I could. After googling combinations, I went with this Chicken, Sweet Potato & Kale soup from skinnytaste.com. Here is a picture of my final result.
It calls for celery, sweet potatoes, onions and kale; allowing me to use four of the veggies in my box in one meal.
It was a big success. I would absolutely do this one again. I did make some changes in order to make it easier to do on a work night. The recipe calls for raw chicken to be cooked in the broth for 20 minutes. I grabbed an already cooked rotisseries chicken from the grocery store and rough chopped the breast meat and just skipped that part entirely. I also used the spices I had on hand which did not include a jalapeno or cilantro.
I sauteed the chopped onions in oil in my Dutch oven before adding the celery. After about 5 minutes, I add minced garlic along with salt, pepper and Italian spice mix and some ground chili powder I had. In about another 3 minutes, I added in the chicken broth and the shredded breast meat from the rotisserie chicken along with the kale and sweet potatoes. I put the cover on and left it on medium low heat (about 4 on my dial) for 30 minutes; stirring half way through.
It was delicious. I will definitely be going back to skinnytaste.com to check out some other recipes. We both ate and we still had about two bowls worth for left overs for later.
For dessert, I chopped up those 6 strawberries we got and served it with a couple of spoons of whipped topping.
Result: I used onions, kale, sweet potatoes, celery and the strawberries. All I bought was the rotisserie chicken and my husband is already planning on eating the drumsticks for lunch tomorrow. This one was a definite success. The soup was fairly filling and had a sweet and savory taste to it. Tomorrow night my in-laws are taking us out to dinner for my husband's birthday so no experimenting tomorrow. I have already started looking for Saturday's meal though.
For day two, I wanted to use as many of the different vegetables in my shiny new farm share box as I could. After googling combinations, I went with this Chicken, Sweet Potato & Kale soup from skinnytaste.com. Here is a picture of my final result.
It calls for celery, sweet potatoes, onions and kale; allowing me to use four of the veggies in my box in one meal.It was a big success. I would absolutely do this one again. I did make some changes in order to make it easier to do on a work night. The recipe calls for raw chicken to be cooked in the broth for 20 minutes. I grabbed an already cooked rotisseries chicken from the grocery store and rough chopped the breast meat and just skipped that part entirely. I also used the spices I had on hand which did not include a jalapeno or cilantro.
I sauteed the chopped onions in oil in my Dutch oven before adding the celery. After about 5 minutes, I add minced garlic along with salt, pepper and Italian spice mix and some ground chili powder I had. In about another 3 minutes, I added in the chicken broth and the shredded breast meat from the rotisserie chicken along with the kale and sweet potatoes. I put the cover on and left it on medium low heat (about 4 on my dial) for 30 minutes; stirring half way through.
It was delicious. I will definitely be going back to skinnytaste.com to check out some other recipes. We both ate and we still had about two bowls worth for left overs for later.
For dessert, I chopped up those 6 strawberries we got and served it with a couple of spoons of whipped topping.
Result: I used onions, kale, sweet potatoes, celery and the strawberries. All I bought was the rotisserie chicken and my husband is already planning on eating the drumsticks for lunch tomorrow. This one was a definite success. The soup was fairly filling and had a sweet and savory taste to it. Tomorrow night my in-laws are taking us out to dinner for my husband's birthday so no experimenting tomorrow. I have already started looking for Saturday's meal though.
Adventures In Farm Shares-Week One-Day One
Today is the first day of our first attempt at joining a farm share. There are only 2 of us so we went with the small share.
Here is what we were told to expect:Kale Grapefruit Sweet Potatoes LemonsOnions Eggplant Strawberries Cabbage Celery We received:1 bunch of Kale 2 Grapefruit 2 Sweet Potatoes1 Lemon 4 Onions No Eggplant 6 Strawberries1 head of Cabbage 1 bunch of Celery and 2 small Bok Choy
Right off my husband was disappointed in the lack of eggplant and I could not help but feel we got a token amount of the grapefruit, kale, lemon and strawberries at best. We have the most onions of anything and I don't like onions. Again, we did order the small share but at $30+ a week I guess I had expected it to not be quite so small.
I emailed the farm share that my husband was disappointed in the lack of the promised eggplant as it is his favorite and would there be eggplant in the future? They responded that it is difficult to predict how much produce they need the first week since many people sign up at the last minute so 14 boxes got different supplies than the rest and we must have been one of them. They said there would most likely be eggplant in the future, they gave us lots of lovely bok choy and we would not have to worry about things spoiling. Basically, it sounds like they ran out of stuff and we got what was left. But hey, now we don't have to worry about any veggies going bad! How kind of them.
Week 1 so far off to a poor start in my opinion.
But since we got bok choy, I am making stir fried bok choy and kale fried rice for dinner. Here is the recipe I am using. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/03/bok-choy-kale-fried-rice-garlic-chinese-recipe.html
Update:
We did have the bok choy/kale stir fried rice for dinner. Here is a picture of the finished product. I burned the first batch of garlic that it required. They are not kidding about it only taking a few seconds to cook. I tossed that one out and started over.
The final result was not bad. It was all I had made for dinner. It made enough for one serving for me and two for my husband. No leftovers. It was very chewy as both the kale and the bok choy seem to be chewy vegetables and it was very garlicy. I would do it again but I would cut back on the garlic. I would also think about adding some protein like chicken (and I would watch the pot better).
Here is what we were told to expect:Kale Grapefruit Sweet Potatoes LemonsOnions Eggplant Strawberries Cabbage Celery We received:1 bunch of Kale 2 Grapefruit 2 Sweet Potatoes1 Lemon 4 Onions No Eggplant 6 Strawberries1 head of Cabbage 1 bunch of Celery and 2 small Bok Choy
Right off my husband was disappointed in the lack of eggplant and I could not help but feel we got a token amount of the grapefruit, kale, lemon and strawberries at best. We have the most onions of anything and I don't like onions. Again, we did order the small share but at $30+ a week I guess I had expected it to not be quite so small.
I emailed the farm share that my husband was disappointed in the lack of the promised eggplant as it is his favorite and would there be eggplant in the future? They responded that it is difficult to predict how much produce they need the first week since many people sign up at the last minute so 14 boxes got different supplies than the rest and we must have been one of them. They said there would most likely be eggplant in the future, they gave us lots of lovely bok choy and we would not have to worry about things spoiling. Basically, it sounds like they ran out of stuff and we got what was left. But hey, now we don't have to worry about any veggies going bad! How kind of them.
Week 1 so far off to a poor start in my opinion.
But since we got bok choy, I am making stir fried bok choy and kale fried rice for dinner. Here is the recipe I am using. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/03/bok-choy-kale-fried-rice-garlic-chinese-recipe.htmlUpdate:
We did have the bok choy/kale stir fried rice for dinner. Here is a picture of the finished product. I burned the first batch of garlic that it required. They are not kidding about it only taking a few seconds to cook. I tossed that one out and started over.
The final result was not bad. It was all I had made for dinner. It made enough for one serving for me and two for my husband. No leftovers. It was very chewy as both the kale and the bok choy seem to be chewy vegetables and it was very garlicy. I would do it again but I would cut back on the garlic. I would also think about adding some protein like chicken (and I would watch the pot better).
March 4, 2015
Kindle Scout--Fall From Grace
I just voted for "Fall From Grace" by Charles DiVittorio for the next Kindle Scout book. If he wins, anyone who has him nominated gets a free copy of the book.
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3TBY...
If you have not heard, Kindle Scout is a program that Amazon started in late 2014 that allows readers to vote to decide what books Amazon choses to publish under their own label.
I have had a few of my choices get picked and one that did not, but I am eager to see "Fall From Grace" make it. I know the author and I have had a chance to read it and loved it. I have my fingers crossed that he gets picked up.
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/3TBY...
If you have not heard, Kindle Scout is a program that Amazon started in late 2014 that allows readers to vote to decide what books Amazon choses to publish under their own label.
I have had a few of my choices get picked and one that did not, but I am eager to see "Fall From Grace" make it. I know the author and I have had a chance to read it and loved it. I have my fingers crossed that he gets picked up.
February 13, 2015
Outside Review of Things Every Goddess Should Know
I was ego surfing and I came across a review of my Things Every Goddess Should Know book that completely warmed my heart. The reviewer absolutely got what I was trying to say.
Review can be found here
Here is a quote from the review:
"The book also shatters the myth of perfection and being perfect, instead telling readers to pursue excellence. To search for colors in every person instead of their sunset is again another piece of inspiring advice and reiterates the fact that all us can make a difference to the world."
Thank you, Reviewer. We have never met but right now I feel very close to you. I feel as though you have reached across cyber space and said, "I get you." I love hearing that you found something of value in my book because my book is a part of me. I wrote it tell other women that we are all valuable.
In many ways, being a writer is rather like standing by yourself on a hill and whispering to passersby to please take this piece of me. Sometimes they do; sometimes they don't. Sometimes they don't like it and sometimes they do. And sometimes they make you feel like they get it, they value it and that makes it all worthwhile.
Review can be found here
Here is a quote from the review:
"The book also shatters the myth of perfection and being perfect, instead telling readers to pursue excellence. To search for colors in every person instead of their sunset is again another piece of inspiring advice and reiterates the fact that all us can make a difference to the world."
Thank you, Reviewer. We have never met but right now I feel very close to you. I feel as though you have reached across cyber space and said, "I get you." I love hearing that you found something of value in my book because my book is a part of me. I wrote it tell other women that we are all valuable. In many ways, being a writer is rather like standing by yourself on a hill and whispering to passersby to please take this piece of me. Sometimes they do; sometimes they don't. Sometimes they don't like it and sometimes they do. And sometimes they make you feel like they get it, they value it and that makes it all worthwhile.
I was ego surfing and I came across a review of my Things...
I was ego surfing and I came across a review of my Things Every Goddess Should Know book that completely warmed my heart. The reviewer absolutely got what I was trying to say.
Review can be found here
Here is a quote from the review:
"The book also shatters the myth of perfection and being perfect, instead telling readers to pursue excellence. To search for colors in every person instead of their sunset is again another piece of inspiring advice and reiterates the fact that all us can make a difference to the world."
Thank you, Reviewer. We have never met but right now I feel very close to you. I feel as though you have reached across cyber space and said, "I get you." I love hearing that you found something of value in my book because my book is a part of me. I wrote it tell other women that we are all valuable.
In many ways, being a writer is rather like standing by yourself on a hill and whispering to passersby to please take this piece of me. Sometimes they do; sometimes they don't. Sometimes they don't like it and sometimes they do. And sometimes they make you feel like they get it, they value it and that makes it all worthwhile.
Things Every Goddess Should Know is free at Amazon 2/13/15 to 2/14/15. It will also be free March 3rd and 4th. At that time, my exclusive deal with Amazon expires and I will no longer be able to offer free promotions through them.
Review can be found here
Here is a quote from the review:
"The book also shatters the myth of perfection and being perfect, instead telling readers to pursue excellence. To search for colors in every person instead of their sunset is again another piece of inspiring advice and reiterates the fact that all us can make a difference to the world."
Thank you, Reviewer. We have never met but right now I feel very close to you. I feel as though you have reached across cyber space and said, "I get you." I love hearing that you found something of value in my book because my book is a part of me. I wrote it tell other women that we are all valuable.
In many ways, being a writer is rather like standing by yourself on a hill and whispering to passersby to please take this piece of me. Sometimes they do; sometimes they don't. Sometimes they don't like it and sometimes they do. And sometimes they make you feel like they get it, they value it and that makes it all worthwhile.
Things Every Goddess Should Know is free at Amazon 2/13/15 to 2/14/15. It will also be free March 3rd and 4th. At that time, my exclusive deal with Amazon expires and I will no longer be able to offer free promotions through them.
Free Ebook 2/13 to 2/15
"Things Every Goddess Should Know . . . And We Are All Goddesses" is free as an e-book at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk 2/13 to 2/15.
http://amzn.com/B00HJEAWLM
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HJEAWLM
Want your inner goddess to show? These are the things you need to know.
Have you ever read Greek mythology? Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite were incredibly powerful, beautiful and often petty and mistake prone. They were still goddesses.
Being a woman means you have the potential to be a force of nature. You are strong and beautiful in ways you have not yet begun to understand. You are a goddess in training. Things Every Goddess Should Know is full of life lessons, tips, hints and practical advice. Topics include:
• Self Improvement and Self Help
• Love and Sex
• Relationships
• Home and Garden
• Health and Fitness
• Safety and Security
• Business
• Money and Finances
• The Practical
Examples include:
A birthday is an accomplishment; not an insult. A lot of people do not get to have them anymore. Celebrate each one.
Life is short whether you live for a few years or a hundred.
Don't let someone you love put you down. Having a piece of your heart does not entitle them to a piece of your soul.
How to use a Debt Snowball.
How to build a fire.
Mixing a drop or two of vanilla into a can of paint will dull the fumes.
Because being a goddess is not about being perfect.
http://amzn.com/B00HJEAWLM
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00HJEAWLM
Want your inner goddess to show? These are the things you need to know.
Have you ever read Greek mythology? Athena, Artemis and Aphrodite were incredibly powerful, beautiful and often petty and mistake prone. They were still goddesses.
Being a woman means you have the potential to be a force of nature. You are strong and beautiful in ways you have not yet begun to understand. You are a goddess in training. Things Every Goddess Should Know is full of life lessons, tips, hints and practical advice. Topics include:
• Self Improvement and Self Help
• Love and Sex
• Relationships
• Home and Garden
• Health and Fitness
• Safety and Security
• Business
• Money and Finances
• The Practical
Examples include:
A birthday is an accomplishment; not an insult. A lot of people do not get to have them anymore. Celebrate each one.
Life is short whether you live for a few years or a hundred.
Don't let someone you love put you down. Having a piece of your heart does not entitle them to a piece of your soul.
How to use a Debt Snowball.
How to build a fire.
Mixing a drop or two of vanilla into a can of paint will dull the fumes.
Because being a goddess is not about being perfect.
February 9, 2015
Honest Reviews
Getting reviews on Amazon and Goodreads can be hard. I want to do it the right way. I have no intention of buying reviews or faking them. I want to follow the rules and do the right things and some how get those all important reviews at the same time.
I have literally been known to jump up and down when I get a review. Perhaps they are that much more precious for being so hard to get. I still wish they were easier to obtain, though.
So if anyone is interested in exchanging an honest review for a free ebook of one of my books--check out EJ Divitt--then please let me know. I appreciate the time and effort. (The review should clearly state that you received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.)
I realize that not everyone will like my books but I sincerely hope you do.
I have literally been known to jump up and down when I get a review. Perhaps they are that much more precious for being so hard to get. I still wish they were easier to obtain, though.
So if anyone is interested in exchanging an honest review for a free ebook of one of my books--check out EJ Divitt--then please let me know. I appreciate the time and effort. (The review should clearly state that you received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.)
I realize that not everyone will like my books but I sincerely hope you do.
