FIRST KITCHEN BLOGS

It is basil season. I have 2 things planted in my garden: tomatoes and basil. I decided to keep it simple this year and only plant my 2 favorite ingredients. I over-planted last year and could not keep up! The tomatoes are still green but I am overflowing with basil. An abundance of basil = time for pesto. Pesto is very easy to make and very adaptable. Later this week I am going to be making a cold bean and pesto salad so I thought I would pre-make the pesto and freeze it.

LEMON GARLIC PESTO

(makes about 2 cups)

Prep time: 20 minutes

You will need:

4-5 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed

2 garlic cloves

1 cup walnuts, toasted

1/2 lemon

1/2-1 cup olive oil

salt

Directions:

Remove stems from basil, add to food processer (or blender if you don't have one).

Toast walnuts in oven or broiler for 5 minutes, be careful not to burn! Allow them to cool for 5 minutes and then add to food processor.

Pulse/blend the mixture

Chop garlic and add to the mixture along with olive oil, lemon and salt. Blend ingredients until smooth.

Scrape into a tupperware, label with the date and place in freezer! OR use right away on pasta, meat, potatoes, fish or as a spread to bread. You will also want to add some fresh parmesean cheese when you serve, however, because I am freezing mine I withheld the cheese.

Stay tuned for my pesto bean salad I will be making at the end of the week!

Pesto has so many variations. I used walnuts and lemon for a non-traditional twist. You can substitute pine nuts or pecans for the nut and add variations such as roasted red pepper or arugula to the pesto. Use your imagination!

Happy Monday!

It’s a holiday week, so hopefully your work week will be as short as mine! This weekend I had the pleasure of checking out my local farmer’s market and OMG, I was in heaven! I look forward to this time all year for the fresh, delicious and cheap produce that I find.

July brings vegetables such as broccoli, beans, kale, carrots, beets, greens, snap peas and herbs. Fruits include the beginning of berries, melon and cherries! I purchased a HUGE bundle of kale, HUGE bundle of beets, 1lb of snap peas, green onion and garlic all grown in Minnesota and all for $10! That is crazy to me. I typically spend at least $15-$20 for the same produce at the grocery store.

Keep posted for a Kale recipe that will be sure to turn you into a fan

No doubt this upcoming holiday weekend will have you running between bbqs, beaches and bonfires! I know that’s what we will be doing. The tricky part with holidays is getting off your normal routine. When I’m off my routine and on the go, that is when I am reaching for fast, convenient and UNHEALTHY foods (take for example, potato chips and dip). Soooo, what to do?

Well, we are in luck because it is BERRY SEASON! Delicious, healthy, anti-oxidant rich berries are abundant and available for a fast, convenient and HEALTHY snack (desert, salad, etc etc).

I was just at the store and picked up a carton each of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries and paid just under $6.00! That is just as much as a bag of chips and dip, if not cheaper! Mostly, I like to have the berries washed and stored in a container in the fridge for convenient snacking but if you want to get a little more creative (and add some protein and more fruit), check out this tasty treat:

Berry Banana Split

(serves 1-2)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: none!

You will need:

½ carton blueberries

1 whole banana

2 medium-large slices of watermelon

¾ cup vanilla yogurt

1 Tablespoon pecans

Slice the banana length wise and place on plate. Fill the center with blueberries (you can add any kind of berry you want!). Place the watermelon slices (remove from core) on each end of the banana. Top with vanilla yogurt and sprinkle with nuts.

This is a very flexible dish. You can substitute any combination of berries and use different flavors of yogurt and nuts. Make it fun and make it work to suit your tastes and what is around in your kitchen!

Happy weekend!

For some of you off to college for the first time, it is also a time of freedom from mom's rules- but how's it going?  

Are you finding you are not eating regular meals or maybe not making the healthiest choices for meals and or snacks?   Or are maybe drinking too many empty calories and not getting enough sleep?  All of this could add up to not feeling the healthiest or to some of the dreaded weight gain.  But by taking stock now it doesn’t have to.

For those of you that have your own kitchen, a little planning and making healthy lunches “to go” may be one of the easiest ways to make some changes.  (Oh and could save some money too!)

Tired of the same old sandwiches?  Try the turkey and cheese with lettuce on a wrap or pita instead. That can be tasty and won’t dry out. 

With a chill in the air, a thermos filled with soup and a side of whole grain crackers could be a nice change.

It is apple season, so a crisp, sweet apple for dessert or snack – maybe with a wedge of cheese can break the monotony of the same old. 

Did you sign up for the aerobic dance for your phys. ed. elective?  Remember moving your body is a way to maintain weight, feel good and/or reduce stress-something-you have plenty of when trying to keep up the hectic schedule.

Good luck with those midterms!

False, False, False- How often do we hear “It is too difficult and it costs too much to eat healthy”. 

Good news- studies of young women  have shown that the more meals we eat at home, the healthier our diet will be. And we know it certainly costs less to eat home than to eat out and it really doesn’t have to be time consuming- a little prior planning goes a long way! 

Have a good morning-

Warning: you may have to refrain from hitting the snooze button but it’s worth it!

For example, we used to go to the coffee shop every morning for coffee --- and a muffin.  Depending on the drink you order that adds up to over $5 a day, and that's just breakfast!  Now we make and take our coffee (if you like cream, buy a flavored kind at the store like French vanilla or hazelnut) and bring along a maybe a juice and cereal-to-go bar, or a yogurt or sometimes our own homemade muffin.  Yes, occasionally on the weekend we make our own muffins-you’d be surprised how easy they are - freeze them and grab one as we go out the door in the morning. 

Pack your lunch the night before-

Packing a lunch like a veggie wrap or an entrée salad made with the leftover chicken we grilled for dinner are couple of ideas for simple, healthy and low cost options. And the added bonus of bringing our lunch –it gives us time for a walk on our lunch break.  How healthy is that?  It feels good on your pocket book and your waistline… not to mention how great it is to get outside now that summer has finally arrived! 

We can help you learn to cook with our many healthy and low cost ideas and recipes on our First Kitchen DVD  but we’d love to hear your ideas for making healthy and money saving meals.