Not ya mama's collard greens

One thing I forgot to mention in yesterday's post was that we also received collard greens from CSA. I don't like collard greens and neither does Wes, but we couldn't let good food go to waste. After reading several recipes, I put this together.

1 tbls olive oil
5-6 pieces turkey bacon
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1lb collard greens
1 can chicken broth
2 tbls honey
1tbls red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet. Fry bacon in oil. Remove bacon from skillet and break into pieces. Add bacon and onion to skillet. Cook until onions are clear, about 5 mins. Add garlic, cook until fragrant. Add greens. Fry until they start to wilt. Add chicken broth, honey, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Turn heat to low, cover, and cook until tender and dark green about 30 minutes.
*Thanks to Allrecipes for the ideas.
Serve with roast and potatoes.

Until next time....


XOXOXOXOXO

CSA?

Thanks to Jenny at Southern Savers, I learned about a program called CSA (community supported agriculture).  

CSA supports local farmers by allowing customers (ME!) to purchase a share of their farm and in return they deliver fresh fruits and vegetables from their gardens. The agreements and prices vary by farm. I was so ecstatic to learn that there was a farm participating in CSA near me. They deliver to Ocean Spring on Wednesday.

With the money and stockpile that we saved couponing, Wes and I were able to use part of our grocery budget this month to buy into a farm for 8 weeks. The deliveries started, today!! We received about 8lbs of cabbage, kale, broccoli, and onions. You just get whatever is ready in the garden each week.

I am so excited about this because 1: we don't have grow every vegetable in our own garden so we can keep it small, and 2: it is going to force us to be creative, try new things, and eat healthier.

Each week, I know I will be trying out new recipes. I think it will be a good idea to place those here for whomever would like to try them and to keep a record of what we liked and didn't like.

Tonight's recipe....

The sausage and cabbage skillet.

1pound Kielbasa sausage
2Tbls butter
1/2 onion
1/2 head cabbage
1 can tomato sauce
1 Tbls sugar
1 tsp paprika
4 potatoes cubed
salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in butter in a large skillet or dutch oven. Remove sausage from pan. Saute cabbage and onion in same skillet until onions are tender. Stir together tomato sauce, sugar, and paprika. Pour over cabbage and onion. Stir and simmer 5 minutes. Add potatoes, increase to medium heat. Return sausage to pan and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.Serve with bread.

*Compliments of Taste of Home 2006 cookbook. 

Until next time...

XOXOXOXO

Read Roger: Southern Misschief

Read this great blog post by Roger Sutton concerning his trip to Southern Miss for the Children's Book Festival.

Read Roger: Southern Misschief

What is a reluctant reader?

I attended a lecture by Roger Sutton, editor of Horn Book Magazine. Horn Book reviews all children's books published in hardback each year. In his lecture, he made some pivotal and thought provoking suggestions that have me asking these questions.

Do we (teachers, librarians, parents, people) categorize children as reluctant readers because they don't read the books we "want" them to read?

Why does a child have to a read chapter book in order to be assessed on reading skills? As long as they are reading a book on their level be it non-fiction, pictures book, or chapter books what's the BIG deal?

Does every child in the teacher determined reading group, have to read the same book? Is this better for the child or for the teacher?

What am I subconsciously doing to encourage or discourage reading by projecting my own ideas and beliefs about reading upon the reader?

Is there only one way to assess reading? Is that "reading fair" style or something else?

What about other types of reading materials...e-books, magazines, online articles, newspapers, comics, etc.? What about these?

The answers to these questions will vary across individuals, schools, disticts, and even states. Some will cause quite the controversy when presented. Still, I believe that it is through a good debate that change is brought forth. I would love to hear from you and about what you are doing to prevent reluctant readers.

Until next time...

XOOXOXOXOX