yet another reason to have a stocked pantry

since the weather finally decided to get real nice. . .hendrix and i decided to get sick.  neat.  however, thanks to hendrix's very prepared mother, we still were able to eat a pretty decent meals.

pasta pantry soup
1 1/2 boxes of chicken broth
1/2 pkg. mushrooms
1/4 pkg. frozen peas
2t. jarred, crushed garlic
1/2 pkg. frozen ravioli
salt, pepper, & crushed red pepper to taste
in a dutch oven, saute the mushrooms in olive oil until softened.  whisk garlic in and add broth.  season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.  bring to a boil and add ravioli and peas.  soup is done when ravioli floats to the top. mike added some cooked kielbasa to his bowl. 

this would work with really any veg/pasta/broth combo you have in the house.  it just goes to show you that it really pays off to plan the purchase of pantry items into your weekly grocery shopping.

also, i just received my newest cookbook in the mail, "time for dinner", co authored by the founder of dinner a love story.  it is great!  some really nice dinner ideas, pantry building, and super parent friendly.  there is some not so great suggestions, but for the most part i am really happy i got it.  it inspired 5 of this week's dinners.

monday: sweet & sour pork with plums & fried rice
tuesday: sloppy joes with sweet potato fries
wednesday: korean ribs ~ crockpot style
thursday: gorditas
friday: one pot coconut chicken curry
saturday: greek burgers
monday: chicken pot pie (made with biscuits!)

new ideas leads to a split personality

whew! it has been a busy one around here. i have been recruiting interns, hiring the operations assistant from heaven (caitie!), planning cooking lessons with elle, and trying to build a damn website. AND peddling veg boxes, scheduling meetings with potential new restaurants, placing seed orders. . .all very exciting!
oh, and i am the mother of a two year old and i keep forgetting that i need to plan me and mike's wedding.

now for the only time i will ever use this. . .OMG WTF!?

and i have fallen in a dinner rut. i mean a RUT, people. i am sick of braised meat, potatoes, crockpot stews, and spiced anything. over it. so i went searching. . .and i came back to one of my greatest loves, dinner a love story. run, don't walk, to this blog. remember cookie magazine? yeah, one of those gals started this blog. so fantastic.
which leads me to my dinner menu for tonight. . .it is one part spring and one part winter. fish and chips with coleslaw and bread pudding. for some reason, fish and chips remind me of rainy spring weather, lent, and light beer. all good things if you're me. and bread pudding is so a "hunker down" sort of dessert. at least i think so. a little split personality, but for the first time in weeks i am pumped to eat dinner tonight. and i made the bread pudding in the crockpot. yes, the crockpot.
my menu for this week is below with the links and the crockpot bread pudding recipe, too. if you are in rut, i hope it helps cure it.

1. lamb chops with quinoa salad (or use a rack, and cut it up, they are WAY cheaper)
2. fish sandwiches with sweet potato fries and coleslaw
3. meatball subs with coleslaw
4. chicken sausages & latkes (sausages from trader joe's)
5. peanut noodles

crockpot bread pudding
1 1/2 baguettes, cut up (or similar)
2 cups of milk
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
1 T. baking spice (or similar)
4 eggs
1 c. raisins
1/4 c. butter, melted and slightly cooled
mix the bread and raisins. pack into your crockpot. whisk remaining ingredients together. pour over bread, fully saturating. cook on high for about 3 hours. or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. enjoy!
REVISION: serve this whiskey cream sauce on top of the crockpot bread pudding.
and if you are really in a rut AND have cabin fever. . .go to THIS!

Happy Weekend!

happy friday! today i have a mom date with my good friend, summer. we are going to relieve our cabin fever and refresh our mom spirit by having dinner at daily grub and seeing the speaker at kaneko. i am really looking forward to it. there is snow in the forecast so i thought i would give you a recipe for this weekend. also, become a fan of our facebook page and you can sign up for a veg box subscription or a menu + grocery planning service. . .and in the spring buy VEGGIES on FB. this world is crazy.

this recipe comes from our friend, ashley (aka "red"). she has some lithuanian blood in her, as well as mike and hendrix do. this dish is delicious and easy and delicious! it's perfect for this weather!

kugelis (aka kugeli)
4 eggs (beaten)
10-12 medium size russet potatoes, peeled & shredded
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 lb. bacon, chopped & fried
1/2 c. - 3/4 c. scalded milk
soak shredded potatoes in a bowl of water to allow starch to sink to the bottom of bowl. pour out water, reserving starch. add starch back to potatoes. add eggs, bacon, and onion to potatoes, as well as a bit of bacon grease from the pan. you want the consistency to resemble latkes - so pretty thick not super runny. season lightly with s&p. add scalded milk. you want the consistency to resemble latkes - so pretty thick not super runny. begin with 1/2 c. of milk, adding more as needed. grease 9x13 pan with more bacon grease. Put mix in pan and bake as directed: 20 minutes at 425 degrees, 375 degrees for 20 minutes, 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. let sit a bit and top with sour cream or applesauce (truly lithuanian). enjoy!

out with the old and in with the new

it's a new year! for most of us that means new resolutions like eating better and saving money. . .how about you start by cleaning out the fridge and pantry. a well stocked pantry can help you when you're making dinner. and a clean fridge makes it easier to see what the hell you got in there. if you are just getting started on the whole "cooking at home thing" and building your pantry i suggest adding a few pantry items to your grocery list each week. the cost will be spread out and won't be such a downer. here's the list that i go by and send out to our provision subscription clients. . .for FREE! use it and get organized, healthy, and save a few bucks.

grains + legumes:
dried &/or canned beans (cannellini, black, & kidney)
rice (white, brown, & quick cooking)
assorted pasta shapes
couscous
quick-cooking polenta &/or cornmeal
barley
oatmeal
flours (white & whole wheat)

oil + vinegars:
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
white vinegar
cider vinegar
vegetable oil

cans + jars:
anchovies
dried mushrooms
sun-dried tomatoes
roasted red peppers
capers
olives
tomato paste
marinated artichokes
tomatoes ( whole, diced, crushed, pureed)
soup (tomato, cream of chicken, & cream of mushroom)
broth (chicken, beef, & vegetable)
honey
garlic, minced

frozen + veggies:
onions
potatoes
puff pastry, frozen
peas, frozen
spinach, frozen

baking + extras:
bread crumbs
sugars (white, brown, & powdered)
baking soda
cinnamon
cloves
baking powder
active dry yeast
nutmeg, dried
ginger, dried

herbs + seasonings:
crushed red pepper
chili powder
cumin
basil, dried
oregano, dried
thyme, dried
garlic salt
onion powder
black pepper
salt

p.s. check out the fashion cleaners blog for our shout out! thanks, ashley!

announcements

happy (soon to be) new year! what a great time to sign up for a veg box subscription or provision subscription (menu+grocery planning) *wink*

this site will be undergoing some changes in the next few weeks. for example, it will actually be a website as opposed to a blog. hopefully, it will be more user friendly. expect recipes, pictures, harvest calendars and more. since, some of the blog posts this year were more family related . . . i started a new blog. . .you can check it out here. i do hope you will continue to check out both sites.

clementine's p+p will be partnering with some people in the upcoming year. we are really excited . . .look for details soon. all i can say is . . . chef taught seasonal suppers and cultural change through gardening

beginning in march, we will be needing workers to help with planting, overall maintenance, harvesting, and veg box pickups. if you or someone you know would be interested in digging in dirt, making a few bucks, getting a tan, and free veggies. . .email us at clementinespandp@gmail.com

have a great new year!

fresh, local food + grocery lists + minestrone

clementine's p+p is really excited to be offering weekly veg box subscriptions to our residential clients. ever wanted to be part of a csa, but were worried about using all the veggies? or maybe you don't like all veggies? or the flat rate was too much of an expense? at clementine's, you can choose how much and what kind.... clementine's p+p's veg box is $165 per person for the season. that's only $7.50 a week!! just email us at clementinespandp@gmail.com for a subscription form and growing list. what a great christmas gift to give. or better yet, receive.

did you know that clementine's p+p also provides meal + grocery planning. our clients have the choice of receiving anywhere from 3-7 dinner recipes a week with printable grocery lists. only have 25 minutes to prepare dinner? and a picky 3 year old? no problem. you tell us what the specifics are and we'll find the recipes, write your grocery list, save you money, and time. and possibly your sanity. look over there in the right hand margin. . .pick the plan and email us at clementinespandp@gmail.com to sign up! all for about $3.50 week!

here's a freebie for you:
i love this twist on the traditional minestrone. it is so colorful, versatile, and delicious! don't have butternut squash? use potato. don't like yellow squash? use green beans or zucchini. you can use kale or swiss chard instead of cabbage, too. cannellini beans, pinto beans or chickpeas would work in place of the kidney beans, as well. get creative and make some soup for lunches this week!

anna's minestrone
3 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 -2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 t. minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 t. dried
coarse salt and pepper, to taste
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 lb. shredded green cabbage
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. yellow squash, chopped
1 c. green peas, frozen
1 minced garlic clove
shredded parmesan for serving
in large pot, heat oil over medium - add onion, carrots, celery, red pepper flakes, rosemary, s&p (to taste) - cook until onion begins to turn golden (5-8 mins.) - add tomatoes, cook 1 minute - add butternut squash, cabbage, beans, and 7 c. water - bring to a boil and stir in green beans - reduce to a simmer and cook until all veggies are tender (15 minutes) - stir in peas and cook 5-10 minutes - season with s&p, stir in garlic - serve with parmesan on top - enjoy!

more gift ideas

1. check out my friend, cami's, etsy site. she sells her prints. better yet, hire her to come take pics of your kids (human or animal). mike and i have hired her to do hendrix's pics twice (look at this beautiful photo). she often runs a $75 photo shoot special where she comes to your location, takes the pics, and provides you with the disc to print the photos. your momma would just love a family photo for christmas!

2. hire a housekeeper for someone special. my soon to be sis-in-law, melinda, has her own house cleaning business. and she is GOOD, folks. super thorough and affordable. email her at smells like roses (mpalubecki@cox.net). what a great gift for a super busy mom or a relative who doesn't get around so well, anymore.

3. give that special cook in your life a provision subscription or veg box subscription from clementines p+p. or both! provision subscriptions can help people stay within their new year budget and veg boxes can help people keep their new year's resolution of eating healthier.

happy holiday planning! next week, i am going to share some ideas for holiday baking/gift giving. and thanks so much to the crafters who came out last night. while some knitted, i practiced the art of whiskey drinking. oy.

too many stokes, too many fires, too many everything

ah! today is a day where i feel like i/we have too many stokes in the fire, too many fires to put out, and too many. . .everything. so, instead of dealing with it, i'm blogging. how do people with more than one child do anything? i know how people with no children get it done. i used to be one of those people and i was highly productive. how do people get it all done, sleep, eat, and clean their house?
today i am trying to do the following:

1. be a good mother

2. paint the trim in my kitchen white

3. clean the house so we can have guests this weekend

4. get crafts together for craft night

5. work on expanding the produce part of our farming operation

6. spray paint chairs

7. try not to lose my mind.

instead, i think that i will cut myself a break, drink more coffee, and get what i can done. at least, i have my dinner planned.

tye a red ribbon around your finger

hello! if you haven't already signed up for the community craft night, next saturday (the 18th), sign up on facebook or send me an email. also, our back to school special goes until the end of the month. it's a great way to enter into an organized & healthy fall. you could be receiving menus that look like this:

dinner menu:
one: Potato Soup
two: Braised Short ribs with Polenta & Brussel Sprouts
three: Roasted Squash with Cannellini Beans, Kale & Stewed Tomatoes

dessert time!
Quick Apple Strudel

tips:
fall, fall, fall. How I love fall. Talk to me in December, I may be singing a different tune. But for now, it’s all things fall! Potato Soup in the Crockpot is so delicious after a long day. Braised Short ribs with Polenta and Brussels Sprouts will make all your dreams come true. The roasted squash meal is a light but filling, delicious but easy way to enjoy the season’s bounty. And apples are everywhere so you must make a strudel to serve with a Sunday brunch! Enjoy!

and you would be getting a printable grocery list to come with the menu & recipes. questions? email us or check out summer's way better explanation of this service.

in the upcoming months, clementine's will be hosting more free community craft nights. in october, i was thinking about doing a "snack 'n swap" party in conjunction with the community craft night. guests can bring 8-10 items (clothes, household items, accessories, etc.) they no longer have use for and a snack. guests will "shop" the others' items, eat snacks, drink wine and craft! november will bring a quick & easy holiday cooking "class" in conjunction with craft night. hopefully, we can all get some ideas for holiday potlucks and holiday dinner sides. finally, in december, i was hoping to host a holiday cookie swap. what do you all think? would you like to participate in some of these events? let me know and enjoy the rest of your week. xoxo.

AND DON'T FORGET THAT WE NOW HAVE AN OPTION TO PAY USING PAYPAL!!!

do you see what i see?

do you hear what i hear? that's the heavens opening up and angels singing because it is. . .almost the end of summer!

i know, i know, i'm a garden farmer* so i should like the spring and summer because it the growing season. but i am also a baker and a cook who longs for apple pie and short ribs over polenta with roasted brussel sprouts.

the angels are also singing because i successfully set up a paypal payment option on the blog. see it over there on the right hand side of your monitor!?! which means that you all can now order produce or subscribe to our meal + grocery planning and pay for it using paypal! this is an especially momentous occasion because i can be particularly stupid when it comes to technology. i know i am a "blogger", but that doesn't mean i know what i am doing. (that's the great thing about blogging, no one know what they are doing.) this paypal button is going to be so awesome for you and us!

which brings me to our next order of business. . . since school is starting, labor day weekend is fast approaching, and fall is almost here. . . we are having a

back to school (provision subscription) special!

to celebrate the fall, the paypal button, and to get you all prepared, i am offering the three meal menu plan for $30. that's ten bucks a month for peace of mind, dinner with your family, and edible food. for $30, you will receive 3 dinner recipes/menus a week, one snack recipe a week, and a printable weekly grocery list for three months. this plan will take you right up to the holidays where things really get crazy. this plan will also save you time and money which you are going to need when the holidays come a knockin'. interested? great. email us at clementinespandp@gmail.com for ten questions to get you started and you can either send us a check or use the paypal button. the roi* on this is real high, people!

*i've decided i like this better than "grower"

* return on investment!

this is what i'm talking about

i read an article on babble today that absolutely encompasses what i've been preaching about for two years. eating dinner together as a family is important. you have to be a little prepared to pull it off at least few nights a week. feeding your children well is your job as a parent. it does not magically happen and like anything else if you don't really want to do it. . .it won't happen. i hope you all take the time to read this great (and short!) article. trust me, i know that it is really hard to get it all done somedays when you have children underfoot. but you don't have to cook a gourmet meal that takes an hour to prepare to have dinner with your family. anyone who reads this article and sends me an email with their thoughts will automatically get a custom-designed menu+grocery plan for a week. that's how important i think it is to eat a good and decent meal with your family. do you think it is important?

i've been dying to tell you

i feel like i've been gone from this blog posting business way too long. my apologies. turns out, raising a child is time consuming. so here are all things i wanted to tell you. . .
1. a beetle infestation killed my eggplants. assholes. thus, there are no more eggplants.
2. there are PLENTY of cherokee purple tomatoes, roma tomatoes, cucumbers, jalapenos, yellow squashes, acorn squashes, red potatoes, serrano peppers, & herbs. email me to purchase.
3. my friend summer writes a blog about life as a mother. she recently wrote a piece about those incredibly wasteful kleenex hand towels. you know, because your reusable, washable cloth hand towel may get you sick. (hear that sarcasm?) check her blog out.
4. summer also sent me a great idea about keeping prepared beans & rice in the fridge for the days when you can't possibly find anything to eat. this would be great for mike. i can go to the grocery store, spend a $100, come home. . .and he will ask me if there is anything to eat. but, that's not the point, her friend michael b. gave her this idea and including ideas for "dressing up" the rice & beans. one of those ideas, was black beans, rice, and SLICED MANGO. i just ate it. so friggin' delicious.
5. sweet corn from our farmer friend down the road is the best thing that ever happened to me. like my friend, meggan, said. . ."i like summer because it's like your meals are planned for you". meaning, ideally, we all should be eating what is fresh & available. like sweet corn, tomatoes, & cucumbers. running out of ideas? how about sweet corn panna cotta or corn & basil cakes or mix your cucumbers, tomatoes, a little red onion, olive oil, S&P, lemon juice, and day old bread to make a delicious salad. once again, a summer contribution. from my friend summer, not the season. well, kind of the season. oh, jesus. you know what i mean!
6. speaking of basil. . . if you have not made pesto yet this is the time. freeze it into ice cube trays and use throughout the year.
7. cashew butter is amazing, my friend, kalle, and i ate at daily grub last week and elle did an awesome job with cashew butter. i had a sope & quesadilla that both had it in there. i could bathe in that stuff.
8. mike and i got a dog named rufus on saturday. he is not very good with cats, however, so we had to give him back. if anyone you know would like a very sweet, docile, big, smart lover dog named rufus let me know. he is great with children & other dogs. he stays on the property and understands simple commands. he is a two year old golden retriever, rottweiler mix.
9. too much squash in your garden? or people keep leaving it at your door? check out this wonderful soup recipe. i think it would be good with some good, old-fashioned blt's on the side.
10. it's back to school time, so look forward to a back to school special of our provision subscription and a community craft night.

you're all amazing and i hope you survive the heat wave. remember the popsicles.

comfort food

fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes, yellow cake with chocolate frosting, pancakes, baked chicken and rice casserole. . .just a few of my favorite comfort foods. we all have those dishes that conjure up good memories and warm our hearts. and fill our bellies. i went to a funeral this past week for a friend's grandmother. my friend and her mother cooked up some of the grandmother's most famous recipes. including a cucumber salad with clementine's produce. i loved that idea. the idea that this woman's surviving relatives were celebrating her life and eating food that reminded them of her. reminded them of good food, good memories, and good times. growing my garden, selling produce, and providing menus + grocery planning for family, friends, and strangers allows me to build good memories with my family and now i know for other families, as well. last night, my friend came over for dinner and we had "fried" cornflake chicken, roasted carrots, bleu cheese mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, & yellow cake with chocolate frosting & sprinkles. the carrots came from my garden and the corn came from a fellow farmer's garden down the road. it doesn't get any better than that.

relationship with food

i've been thinking a lot about how much maintaining relationships require. if you slack a little bit the relationship can begin to breakdown. family relationships, marriages, friendships. . .they all require checking in with one another. and being available for celebrations and tragedies. in my life, food seems to be the center of most of the relationship maintenance. weather it is a bbq with friends i rarely see, dinner with mike and hendrix, or a 4th of july party at my brother's. it doesn't matter if it only took 10 minutes to make the salad or 5 hours to smoke the pork shoulder. it matters that you do it and that the food is enjoyed and the relationships keep on going on. everyone gets busy. especially, when they are in the "having & raising babies" phase of life. or the "trying to figure out what i want my life to be" phase of life. life is busy. but meals allow us to slow life down for a bit. and talk to one another. see how we are all doing. so, please, for the sake of your relationships have some dinner with your family or friends this week. and if you don't know what to make email us at clementinespandp@gmail.com to subscribe to our provision services (meal+grocery planning). we can get you all set up for weeks of relationship maintenance. xoxo.
(editor's note): i forgot to mention this. . .in the spirit of maintaining (& maybe building some new ones) relationships, i will be hosting a FREE monthly craft night at the farm. there will be 12 spots available each month. there are two available for this month. the craft night will be july 20th from 7-9pm. you just need to bring a project to work on and a snack to share with the group. you can join the event on facebook or email me at clementinespandp@gmail.com to reserve your spot at the table.

budget friendly

since most of the free trial participants wanted menus that were budget friendly, i thought i would post some of my tips and tricks for staying within budget. i spend an average of $75/week on groceries. that includes 5 to 7 dinners at home and every one of me and hendrix's breakfasts and lunches. mike has made me so cheap and resourceful. god bless that man.

1. drink your coffee at home. i love iced coffee drinks, but spend way too much on them at the coffee shop. i started making my own iced coffee. . .i just make a big batch every 2 - 3 days. delicious and no weird syrup flavoring. just a bit of cream and raw sugar. money saved? $35/wk.

2. eat breakfast and dinner at home. bring your lunch to work. this is a no brainer, but a difficult habit to get into. dinner's leftovers can be tomorrow's lunch. or in my case breakfast. and it's often way healthier than that fast food salad you're thinking about getting. money saved? at least $75/wk.

3. shop smart. buy whole chickens and cut them up. . .they are often $1 less per pound. make your own pizza dough. . .easy and 1/2 the price. buy seasonal produce. . .tastes better and costs way less. some produce at the farmer's markets are the same, if not less, in price than supermarket produce since it is seasonal and local. buy dry beans & bulk grains. . .takes a little time, but worth the effort in the moola you'll save.

4. keep your pantry stocked. if you're only beginning to cook at home and don't have a stocked pantry, just add a few pantry items to your weekly grocery list for a few weeks. you'll build a pantry in no time. you can make a lot of great meals with just items in the pantry.*

5. be a price comparer. i shop at aldi, fareway, & supersaver. when i lived in midtown/downtown omaha it was aldi & bag n' save on 18th & vinton. you can't get everything you need at aldi, but you can get most everything. it is seriously cheap. i save almost $20/wk. by going there. go to www.aldi.com for a store near you.**

side note: did you the guy who owns aldi is the brother to the guy who owns trader joes? trader joes is coming! and they have awesome prices, too.

6. make homemade ingredients. . . like your pizza dough, pie crust, creme fraiche, snacks, ice tea, cocktails, cream of whatever soup, etc. it's cheaper and you'll know what's in it. my friend bryce just told me how to make my own creme fraiche and it was a revelation. one container is like 5 bucks. now i can make a bunch more for like $3.

7. grow a garden or at least some herbs on your windowsill. invest like 10 bucks for seed and soil. . .get some oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, & mint. money saved? at least $15

8. build your menus to use all the fresh/highly perishable items in a week. that way you won't waste food and money. i.e. use the lettuce you bought for cobb salad, to make blt's or to garnish pork tacos.***

9. have dinner parties instead of eating out. look at www.designspongeonline.com for entertaining ideas. money saved? at least $60.

10. be flexible and buy what's on sale. so you planned to make pork chops with apples, but chicken is really cheap? roast the chicken up with some apples stuffed in it. yummy. and smarter.

* when you subscribe to our provision subscription you automatically receive our pantry list.

**this is not a paid advertisement for any of these stores. i just really love them all. and they are the cheapest & best.

***we automatically do this with our clients menus.

***email me @ clementinespandp@gmail.com if you want any of these recipes. i will gladly share!

. . .happy monday & money saving!

weekend bbq

mike and i are baby free as of about 4pm this afternoon. . .WHOO HOO! i love hendrix and he is a very easy baby. . .but i am looking forward to happy hour and brunch alone tomorrow. our family will be celebrating father's day on saturday with steaks, roasted eggplant with tomatoes & fresh mozzarella, pasta, and chocolate cake. on sunday, we are having my dad & brother's family over for burgers, corn on the cob, tomato salad, & more chocolate cake. on monday, we having a family bbq at aunt t.'s. my cousin r. is in town, so everyone going to aunt t.'s with their favorite dish. we always do it potluck style. i am bringing a mulberry peach tart with homemade creme fraiche. i love bbqs and family get togethers. ours all revolve around food. what are your plans for the weekend? do all of your get togethers revolve around too much food like ours? whatever you do. . .make something delicious & be thankful for the men, dads, and stand in dads in your life. xoxo.
p.s. you can still sign up for the free trial of the provision subscription. just email clementinespandp@gmail.com or look below for more info.

free!

hey all, if you email clementinespandp@gmail.com by friday. . .you will get one week of our provision subscripition for FREE! we will send you your custom tailored menu with 3 dinner recipes, 1 snack recipe, a printable grocery list, & a pantry checklist. email by friday, get 10 easy questions on monday, get your menu and grocery list on the 25th. . .see how easy it is and how much money you'll save. the best part is, that out of towners can participate. if you have a grocery store near you. . .you can be a part of the provision subscriptions. have a great wednesday!!
p.s. arugula is still available for $4/lb.

fresh mozzarella, changes, mulberries, and additions

it's monday morning and hendrix woke up early, so i am feeling especially random.
1. i am absolutely obsessed with fresh mozzarella. on pizza. in a caprese salad. on roasted eggplant. cubed on rosemary skewers. whatever, however, and wherever it is. . .i want it.
2. our mulberry bushes are bountiful and beautiful. i am going to make homemade mulberry ice cream for our neighbors and mulberry crisp for a family bbq. look for them on the dessert menu at buvette, too. (www.labuvetteomaha.com)
3. there will be a free trial and paypal option available this week. isn't that exciting? the best part is out of town fans can subscribe to our provision services, as well.
4. mike and i are coming up with creative ways to survive in this economy, maintain a quality family life, and have some personal happiness. are you and your family struggling with this? how have you coped and adapted to this economy?
5. i am so thankful that i can live on the farm, work at a restaurant like buvette, and help people eat better. i love food and all things relating to it.
6. look for the free trial this week and see how great our subscription service is!
7. mike and i are baby free friday night and saturday morning. oh happy day!
8. which reminds me check out this: http://jordanferney.blogspot.com
amazing! it reminds of when our family lived in a 400 sq. ft. house. i am not kidding. if we didn't have 5000 animals, i could of made it work.
9. this rain is obscene.
10. thanks for allowing me to rant my randomness.

samples!

do you eat the samples at the grocery store? i do. i have an excellent immune system, though. people like mike should not. his immune system is terrible. he has the immune system of a newborn. speaking of samples. . .here is a sample menu. . .this is what we are actually eating this week at our house.

monday: i work so the boys are going to grandma's
tuesday: club sandwiches with root veggie "chips"
wednesday: thai curry (in the crockpot!)
thursday: margherita pizza with arugula salad
friday: going to a wedding and eating yummy wedding cake
saturday: bleu cheese burgers with grilled veggies and tabouli salad

i am feeding us 4 dinners (+ all the leftovers for lunch) for about $40. wish you had a plan to eat with your family this week and save time & money? contact us at clementinespandp@gmail.com. we'll get you all set up. xoxo.

when you gotta eat. . .you gotta eat

my aunt t. went to a hospice home today to visit an old family friend that is dying. my uncle, cousin, and pseudo aunt p. were up there as well. aunt p. is lovely, but nuts. as everyone is visiting and making small talk during this very somber moment, aunt p. goes into her purse (actually it was a men's shaving kit that she had repurposed to be her purse) and begins to fish around. she pulls out a fast food hamberger wrapper and asks where her hamburger is. continues to fish around. then finds the hamburger among her chapstick and snot rags. takes a few bites and continues to visit with those around her. aunt t. told me that aunt p. was taking bites of it the whole visit. i think aunt p. could really use clementine's provision services.