Get the most out of your produce...Tips to make them last longer!!!

If you are anything like me you stock up weekly on your produce! I get the majority of my produce from Tampa Bay Organics ( www.tampabayorganics.com ) Its a fantastic home delivery service in the Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties (Florida) Every Friday I receive an email with what to expect in my box on Tuesday of the following week ( We receive the large box, seeing how I am borderline vegetarian). I can then log in and substitute or add to my order. Each week there is an assortment of Fruits and veggies (of the normal varities, ie : apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, celery, etc.) But usually ever week its something you would never expect ie: Dandelion greens, Kabocha squash, Kiwiberries etc. It has allowed the Double A's aka Picky and pickier to try new things because they are so excited to be apart of the washing and putting away of all the produce! We then can hunt up a fun recipe for our new items and go from there which in turn they want to try it because they helped!!!

I always have a plethera of fresh herbs and "salad" items. These items tend to go bad quickly so I have complied some of my "tricks of the trade" for making your produce last the longest and some to help you be able to enjoy them sooner by escalating the ripening!!! Enjoy!!!

LETTUCE

1st off is lettuce whether it be romaine, Boston Bibb, or red leaf this tip works for them all. When you receive your lettuce be sure to seperate and wash and spin dry each leaf. Then by simply wrapping the leaves in a Dish towel and placing it in your crisper drawer it should last a good 7-10 days.

MUSHROOMS

Always store your mushrooms in a paper bag, Do not clean your mushrooms until just before using them. When cleaning take a damp dish towel and gently wipe the mushrooms clean. Do not submerge them in water as mushrooms will absorb the water.

HERBS

Parsley
Fresh cut your parsley and Place it in a short rocks glass with water in the refrigerator. Just as you would fresh flowers on the dining room table.
Cilantro , Basil, Rosemary, etc.
Place your fresh cut herbs each in a freezer or paper bag with a paper towel and expel all excess air. The paper towel will absorb any moisture, therefore keeping your herbs fresher longer.

Sometimes, when we pick our produce at the market, it has not ripened to perfection yet so I have a few tricks to ripen your produce to perfection at home. These are sure fire tips to getting the best out of our yummy jewels.

Avacados
Avacados are very easy to ripen if they are too hard when you purchase simply place them in a brown paper bag and put in a warm spot, On top of the refrigerator works the best, for a day or so and you will have delicous perfectly ripened avacados in just a few hours. The gases from the avacado and the brown paper bag cause a reaction to ripen the fruit faster.


DO YOU HAVE TIPS AND TRICKS?! Email them to us @ 2NaturallyTwistedMoms@gmail.com
Or if you have any suggestions or these tips didnt work for your produce!!!

Have a great day!!!!

~Opal
The Florida half of 2NTM

Who wants to win something from 2NTM?

Oh yeah you read that correctly!!!! We have a challenge for you all....... A recipe off!!!

Do you have the best kept secret recipe in the whole wide world? Well here is your chance to share and possibly win a spice box from 2NTM's favorite Spice shop!!!

ENTRY RULES

We will be accepting 4 submissions for each category!
Categories are as follows:
Breakfast
Snacks
Dinners
Desserts

Submissions must be made to 2naturallytwistedmoms@gmail.com no later then Sunday April 1st @ 5pm

Your submission must be a full recipe and include a picture ( no more than 2 pictures please)  and in the subject line please put "Recipe contest: category" the category depends on your recipe if your recipe is a dessert it should look as follows : Recipe contest: Desserts

Please include your name, phone #, mailing address and email address in your emailed submission so we can ensure the winners get their prizes!!! ( We will only be posting your recipe name, your first name and your city and state with your recipe) Also please include a small photo of yourself!!!


All recipes will be posted on Tuesday, April 3rd.

Judging

Judging will be up to you and how many people you get to leave a comment with your recipe title and name on your recipe's category. (So tell everyone you know to get their vote in!!! and make sure they like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/2NaturallyTwistedMoms ) Voting will last until Friday April 5th at 12 midnight. Final tally of votes will be done on Saturday April 6th and winners will be posted that day around 5 pm.
This contest is not scientific!!!!
Winners will receive their prizes with in 2-4 weeks of close of contest.

Prizes

The winner from each category will receive a Spice box tailored to each category from 2NTM's favorite Spice shop. There is no prize for 2nd, 3rd or 4th places in each category. The winner will have a small bio written about them by 2NTM when the winner is announced!!!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR SUBMISSIONS QUICK AND EASY AND KID FRIENDLY, BECAUSE AFTER ALL THAT IS WHO EATS OUR COOKING RIGHT?!

PLEASE HAVE FUN AND LETS KEEP IT CLEAN AND BE GOOD SPORTS!!!! 

HAPPY COOKING ALL, BUENO APPETITO!!!

Smokey Avocado Alfredo...Oh Yess I soooo just totally did go there!!!!

Ok, so, Me being Italian I love me some pasta ( not stereotyping Italians)!!!! I Love Love Love Love me some GARLIC!!!! ( and I mean Love, Sometimes I wonder how DH sleeps next to me seeing how I literally ALWAYS smell like Garlic and Olive Oil) And I am also apart of AA ( Avocado's Anonymous) Teeheehee!!!

So after picking up the DD's from school yesterday I came home to an order from my all time fave Organic Veggie and Fruit Delivery company, Tampa Bay Organics!! ( www.TampaBayOrganics.com) On Friday I got my menu order but, with my crazy schedule didn't get to look at it and see what was coming on Tuesday... Well I opened it up to a huge surprise!!!

Here is my "bill of lading" lol

 DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?!?!!?
3 HASS AVOCADOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in Heaven!!! ( although I may need an intervention soon when it comes to these Green Oval shaped little gems!!!)

So, Here I am Planning tonight's meal and Gee what a surprise, I am craving......Drum roll Please......... Yep You guessed it, Garlic Pasta and Avocado's!!!! Hmmmmmm How am I gonna make that work seeing how both DD's Despise Avocado's ( only for the way they look)

So It came to me, If its a sauce they will never know......So my quest began for Avocado sauce!!!!
I had Rotini in the cupboard and I knew I had a quick fix Alfredo sauce as well.....And Well there is ALWAYS at least 5 Garlic bulbs in my house at all times!!! So I look and look, I scoured all the sites I know, Nothing fit my fancy for the taste I have Imagined in my head all day!!!

So I dug in the fridge and combined some ingredients and recipes and well this is the concoction I came to and lets just say DH and Both DD's Gobbled it up!!! It was even proclaimed by both DD's "this is the best sauce ever Mama!!!" With clear plates and enthusiasm and even asking for more I had to believe them!!!

So here is my concoction and Please Bare with me as I am not good at writing recipes, But I will try!!!

You will need your Grill and Stove top! Food processor, Pots, water and a large serving bowl

3 Hass avocado (medium ripeness)
4 large garlic cloves ( you can use less for a milder flavor)
Sea Salt to taste
Cracked Black pepper to taste
Olive oil
I box of your choice pasta ( I used  Rotini)
1.5 cups Alfredo sauce
juice of a lemon
zest of a lemon
1 Roma tomato
Steamed Broccoli


1. Boil your water for your pasta per package directions, cook pasta to Al Dente while you continue through the following steps
            1a. Steam your Broccoli while your pasta cooks

2. Cut your avocados in half stem to stern and remove the pits. Brush flesh side with olive oil and place flesh side down on a warm grill until you have a good char or grill marks.
Remove from the grill and cool  and and peel skin off of flesh

3. Add salt and pepper to taste, garlic cloves lemon juice  to food processor and puree to a sauce like consistency ( it will be slightly thicker than a sauce more like a paste.)

4. Prepare your Alfredo sauce.

5. Add Avocado Mixture to 1.5 cups prepared Alfredo sauce and mix together. warm on the stove top on medium low until slowly bubbling stirring occasionally

6. Drain your Al dente Pasta.

7 Combine Pasta, Broccoli and sauce in a large bowl and mix until all Pasta is Coated.

8. Garnish with Lemon zest , Parsley, Cilantro Or Basil

Voila!!!! A Yummy not so Original way to do Alfredo!!!

Buon Appettito From My Kitchen to yours!!!! :)