Eating Outside of the Box

Mini Blinds in the Garden- Take 2!

Grocery Geek — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 16:18:01 +0000

Last year I read about the idea of using used mini blind slats for labeling veggies in the garden and thought is was a grand idea since i had plenty of those laying around. However, the Sharpie faded in the sun long before garden season was over. So THIS year, I’m taking the additional step of spraying them with clear spray paint (2 coats) before staking them in the garden (click photo to enlarge). We’ll see how it goes….

Oops!! Wrong lunch!!!!

Grocery Geek — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:46:32 +0000

It’s not always a good idea to let your husband pack his lunch unsupervised. Today, I was preoccupied while Chad was rummaging through the fridge for leftovers intended for his lunch. When he was done, I noticed that the chili I had packaged up for his lunch was still in the fridge. I peeked inside his lunch box, wondering if he’d packed enough food for the day, and I discovered that he’d tossed in the WRONG tupperware container (click photo for larger view). Boy would he have had a sad lunchbreak when he realized he’d packed the dog’s veggie puree. Mmmmm….mushed up, nearly rotten, celery/apples/salad mix! Whew! Wife saved the day today. LOL!

October Update from our Garden…

Grocery Geek — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 20:07:50 +0000

Considering there was snow on the ground at just about this time last year, we are pretty grateful for the awesome fall weather we’re having here in Omaha, NE!!! Maybe we’ll get something to eat out of this garden, after all…

Sleep tight…don’t let the fall frost bite!

Grocery Geek — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 02:16:32 +0000

Fall gardening definitely has its downside! With the threat of frost tonight, we couldn’t afford to take any chances. So off to the thrift store we went to buy them out of queen-sized sheets. Looks like we’re covered, but we still pray for NO FROST for those who aren’t able to tuck their veggies in for the night

Today’s Farmers Market Finds!

Grocery Geek — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 19:35:18 +0000

We picked up a few items at the Old Market farmers market today
I can’t believe the season is almost over! Sob…

Garden is still “kickin”

Grocery Geek — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:33:47 +0000

It’s nearly October, and I’m pleased to report that our garden is still alive and kickin’. Here’s a view of the garden, as well as a pic of yesterday’s harvest (click pics for larger view)…

Installing mini blinds in the garden…

Grocery Geek — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:09:04 +0000

Every modern garden needs a good set of mini blinds!! I just found this idea on the Internet tonight… Disassemble an old set of blinds, cut the slats to your desired height, and use them as markers in your garden. Super simple and super CHEAP! So I decided to give it a try tonight, and I will keep you posted about how well it works. Has anyone else tried this? Let me know.
PLEASE NOTE – If you want the labels to look cute or stylish in any way whatsoever, then I’d recommend allotting a bit more time for your project than I did for mine. LOL!
(Click on photo for enlarged view.)

Buying in bulk ROCKS!!

Grocery Geek — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 01:01:41 +0000

$50 can go a LONG way in the produce section of your local warehouse store. Here are the goodies we filled our cart with today…

Would we prefer local, organic fruits and veggies? Of course! But since our garden currently looks like THIS, it’s gonna be a while…But we SURE did enjoy a delicious light and fresh dinner from the bounty we secured from the store today. Even better, we got to enjoy it outside on a beautiful evening -the perfect end to a perfect day! Oh, and Jackson thought he should join in the picnic, too…but no such luck for our canine friend – well, okay, he may have scored a few bits of bell pepper

Grill…here we come!

Grocery Geek — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:49:50 +0000

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssss!!! It’s finally been a great week for grilling out!! And just in time, too, because we just got our quarter beef from Range West Beef this past weekend. Now our deep freezer is fully-stocked (with over 100 pounds of vacuum-sealed meat) and ready for the grill. And, as you’ve probably figured out about us by now, we LOVE to save money by buying in bulk! Purchasing a quarter beef or more brings down the price of steak so much that it costs no more than the ground beef! Bonus!

Speaking of steak…our first meal from our newly acquired quarter was strip steaks. They were cooked just right – nice and rare, as grass-fed meat should be prepared! Mmm….mmm…mmm!

Gotta love the grass-fed meat! It’s so much healthier for you than the conventional, corn-fed varieties…and it tastes WAY better, too!

Please note – That salad was for TWO of us. Of course, we could still barely get it all down! Our eyes were a bit bigger than our stomachs this evening!

Egg Genie is truly magical!

Grocery Geek — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:50:06 +0000

I have never been a big fan of hard boiling eggs. I’ve read about a million different methods for obtaining the “perfect” hard-boiled egg. But when I heard about this kitchen gadget, I had to try it for myself! It works GREAT! The only down side is that it only cooks 7 eggs at a time….

First, you pour the appropriate amount of water into the bottom tray. The Egg Genie comes with a measuring cup that tells you exactly how much water to use, based on the number of eggs you’re cooking and just how firmly you want them boiled.

Then you prick the pointy end of each egg. Trust me, this must be done! LOL!

Place eggs (pricked side up) in the Egg Genie.

Cover the eggs, and plug in the machine.

Don’t worry, Egg Genie will let you know when your eggs are done!

And the Egg Genie is super affordable, too! Get yours today on Amazon.com by clicking here: EggGenie Egg Genie Electric Egg Cooker