OK, so remember I said we were gonna make attempt a trip up to the big market before the rain got here? We got there at 8:30am and left about 10:30… putting us home at 11am and when we got home, I got everyone to help me cover the planters and bring the babies inside. So how did the trip go? Well… let me show you!
Here you see the DH and the DS18 in utter shock at both the size of the produce and the prices too! And this was only about 2 minutes after walking in the big portion of the main market!
DS14 was given a mission… 4 red apples and 4 green apples. He wanted to rush through the apples cause he had another mission of his own… BANANAS LOL!
DD was intrigued by the Nopal paddles she found at one of the little vendors in the back. Nopal paddles are cactus paddles. Yes you can eat them ladies and gents. When they are small and diced, in spanish, you call them “nopalitos”. They will be thrown into some yummy deliciousness very soon!
Here is everything we came home with! A bag of grapefruit, a bag of oranges, celery, 3 mangos, a pound of jalapenos, 2 huge potatoes, 4 poblano peppers, a bag of Nopalitos, a cantaloupe, 2 bunches of BIG green onions, a pineapple, 10 HUGE habanero peppers, 4- 8ball zucchini, a HUGE red bell papper, 2 green bell pepper, 9 bananas, 5 small zucchini, 6 yellow squash, 4 red apples, 4 green apples, 2 red onions, 2- 1015 onions, a flat (about 8 pints) of HUMONGOUS strawberries, and 6 items from the bakery…. AND a PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREEEEEEEE!!!! LMAO! How much you ask? On EVERYTHING, we spent about $40… not bad huh? Couldn’t get that in Kroger! Especially not with as BIG as some of the things are! Like the cantaloupe… as big as a honeydew melon EASY! And the strawberries… well the first one out of the box- that I ate thank you very much LOL- was literally as big as my palm! And after I measured my palm… that’s over 3 inches wide! Of course, I am ashamed to say that last night I did a very naught thing... and now we maybe only have 6 pints of strawberries left LMAO! Hey I love them... what can I say! Today I figure I am gonna slice and freeze them or something... LOL! I gotta say I saved SOME of them! LMAO!
So as you can see, we had some fun yesterday. It started coming down as soon as we got home, so we timed it just perfectly. I hadn’t been feeling towards the end of the morning, but I didn’t tell the gang… I was having a sharp pain in my chest on the right. The drive home it was bad. So I laid down and took a nap when we got home- for 2 hours! I felt better when I got up… but it wasn’t gone. I think I may have pulled something when I was at the market. It’ll be fine though… in a day or 2.
Our adventures at the market lead me to thinking about a craft that I want to share with you. It’s pretty easy really and has no specific measurements as you can make it whatever size you want to.
Craft Idea of the Day: Fabric Shopping bags
It started when my mom asked me to make a deeper Farmers Market shopping bag because she didn’t like the one she had… it wasn’t “big enough”. Okie dokie… so I took the measurements and I added length and height to both. I used a novelty cotton print fabric and a thick canvas liners.
Cut 2 length side of each material identical. IN the case of these bags, the measurements are 12 inches tall by 21 inches wide with a ½ inch seam allowance. Then cut 2 side pieces of each… If you would like, you can cut 2 additional, but just a bit shorter, side pieces to make pockets for the sides of your bags.12 in. tall by 8 in. wide and a 7.5 in. tall pocket all with the same ½ in. seam allowance. I also cut 1 piece of each fabric for the bottom; 21 length by 8 wide. Finally, cut 2 pieces of webbing or other material for your straps. Mine are 49 inch long poly webbing.
Once all of your pieces have been cut, start with placing the print on the canvas piece. With both pieces together, start by hemming an edge on one side of the pair. This will be the top of your bag. I like to use bias tape along my edges, simply for the added splash of color. Ribbon also works well as you see in this picture. Do this to all 4 side piece pairs and the pockets (if you chose to make any. I do in case I want to carry a bottle of water, soda, etc. while I am in the market or whatnot.). Do not hem the bottom pieces.
Then take one of the pieces of webbing/strapping and place it on the long side piece. Secure each end to the bottom of the piece and make a “half loop” creating what will be the handle. Space the sides out for adequate shoulder space. Secure with double stitching up and down both sides and across the center at the top to avoid ripping.
Now you can proceed to place the pieces together by sewing the ends. Placing the prints right sides together and sewing on the canvas side of the bag with coordinating threads. Once you have all 4 side pieces secured together, you can add the bottom. Flip the bag right side out and you are done! You have a unique bag to now take with you to market, the regular grocer, or anywhere else you want to shop. No more worrying about all those wasted bags… go green my friend! Or pink, or purple, or pretty prints too LMAO!
Okie dokie my darlings! Its time to eat! I have so much fresh produce now, its hard to say what I want to make! LOL… My visit to the market yesterday has put me in a festive mood LOL… so I think I will use the limes and such I got yesterday for this delicious meal.
Lime Chicken Soft Tacos
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup salsa
Directions
Saute chicken in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for about 20 minutes. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and oregano. Simmer for an extra 10 minutes.
Heat an iron skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan, warm, and turn over to heat the other side.
Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with tomato, lettuce, cheese and salsa.
After a meal like this, you HAVE to have just as stunning of a dessert, so try this on for size!
Banana Split Cake
This recipe contains raw eggs. We recommend that pregnant women, young children, the elderly and the infirm do not consume raw eggs.
Ingredients
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
1 cup butter, softened
6 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 quart fresh strawberries, halved
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter or margarine thoroughly and press into bottom of 9x12 inch baking pan. Chill in freezer for at least 15 minutes.
In the medium bowl of an electric mixer combine confectioners sugar, eggs, and softened butter or margarine; beat at medium speed for 20 minutes. (This step is important, so don't try to save time).
Spread buttercream mixture evenly over chilled crust. Place bananas, cut side down, evenly on top of buttercream and spoon crushed pineapple evenly over top of bananas. Distribute strawberries over pineapple and spread the whipped topping evenly all over. Sprinkle with walnuts and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.
Ok kids, I’m off to play with some produce! Hopefully it will warm up enough to put my seedlings outside for some much needed sun! Tomorrow is back to school YAY! SO I will see you early tomorrow morning for another exciting adventure! HUGS!
This is Texas weather??? Feels like its still January this morning! BRRRRR! We had what felt like gale force winds here last night. Hope the plants were able to stand up to it. If they did, they will have the strongest little stems in Texas! LOL
ReplyDeleteLooks like everybody had fun at the farmers market. Thats good. Its good for kids to learn what a vegetable looks like before its minced and shaped into a dinosaur shape and covered with batter and fried in grease. Good for you to expose the kids to real food.YAY for you!
Looks like a great family outing ,how do you get them to participate .I to am fond of strawberries ,oh and raspberry's I have to eat them fresh usually on the way home from the market LOL More then once hubby comments he could have sworn we bought berries LOL .
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