What’s in the Box? #8

After two weeks without a box, you can imagine how thrilled I was when the delivery man arrived at my doorstep this afternoon. Harper and I just “happened” to be hanging out by the front door when we heard some commotion on the patio. I opened the door with enthusiasm, slightly startling the poor delivery man. I am guessing he has never seen anyone so excited to receive their produce box. I quickly thanked him, wished him a Happy New Year and whisked the box inside to the kitchen table. The reunion was glorious…all of my favs and a whole-lotta green!

My most prized piece of produce this week has got to be those two huge pints of strawberries. I haven’t had much luck finding organic strawberries at any of my local markets, so looking at these beauties put a big smile on my face. I plan on enjoying a handful for breakfast and then using a few more for my strawberry salad because that red leaf lettuce is calling my name.

Funny that we should receive such a beautiful head of broccoli because I was planning on making some for my company tomorrow night. I will be preparing a new chicken dish I found on Pinterest along with some rice pilaf. A side of steamed broccoli tossed with lemon juice, butter and a little salt and pepper will be a perfect way to round out the meal. Oh, and that lovely head of garlic will come in handy too. Especially since pretty much every recipe known to man calls for garlic : )

Having fresh fruits and veggies such as cucumbers, carrots and apples are always a great healthy option for afternoon snacking. The key is to wash, cut and prepare the produce when you first get them so that you don’t gravitate towards less healthier options such as a bag of chips out of ease. I like to keep them in glass containers in front of the fridge so that when I open it up to see what I might be in the mood to eat, they are right in front of my face. I love to dip my apples in fresh almond butter or pair it with a slice of cheese to sneak in some protein. Cucumbers and carrots are always yummy dipped in some hummus.

If you are wondering what the beautiful green and purple bunch of leaves are (or at least I was), it’s Red Russian kale. Before I began subscribing to this weekly service I had no idea how many varieties of kale there were. But the good news is all the varieties are pretty much interchangeable. So I can go ahead and use this form of kale in any of my favorite recipes I currently have on deck.

I am glad to see the butternut squash. My only dilemma is that I have collected so many new recipes that I don’t know where to start. Guess you will have to stay tuned to see which dish I decide to whip up this week:)

I am happy to have my produce box up and running again. I really felt lost without it. Although I think Freddie secretly enjoyed it because then I could make him some of his favorites. I do my best to accommodate his requests but with all the produce that we receive, there is rarely room to divert from the weekly meal plan. I have to say, it is nice to break from your regular routine and freestyle for a little bit. But being back on track makes me feel a bit more organized (or as I used to say orzanized), which helps keep me sane :)