This year I have signed up for a CSA called “the Produce Box“. The Produce Box delivers fresh North Carolina (organic) Produce to my door for between $25 and $30 a week. So far, on week 4, I love it. I will admit though, that it can be a little over whelming at times, especially at first. I usually just go to the store whenever I’m going to make something and don’t always have a lot of produce on hand. The Produce Box forces me to make fresh home cooked meals almost every night and enough to have plenty left over. My hopes for doing this was that I would be supporting local agriculture, eating healthier while also saving money. Unfortunatly this was not always the case, and I sometimes found myself spending more money trying to recreate recipes that I found online. I finally figured out that simpler is better – and you might also call this lazier. For this recipe I used the produce from the box, some tomato sauce that I had in the freezer, basil I have growing on the balcony and only had to buy ricotta and Parmesan at the store. I started out thinking that I could cut the eggplant really thin and use it as “gluten free lasagna noodles” but really, it just turned out to be a layered vegetablely and cheesy casserole. It made enough for 2 nights of dinner for two, as well as left overs for lunches through out the week. This saved me money on having to make sandwiches etc. for lunch. I call it a man’s Lasagna because: number 1, my husband loved it for both dinner and lunch. But number 2 because in refreshing my knowledge on basil I read that men are especially attracted to basil. The thought behind this is because the Greeks used Basil oil to anoint kings therefore genetically connecting men to basil. When I think of Basil, I think of dark and handsome Italian men pinching fresh basil between their fingers and thumb, bringing it to their lips and kissing it, then throwing it in the air exclaiming “magnifico!” So, either way, I can see how basil could be considered a “manly” herb. Basil is antiseptic and can be used medicinally on rashes, wounds, or bug bites. Basil aroma will also help keep mosquitoes away. Basil is very uplifting and calms the nerves. Fresh basil tea can be drunk to alleviate cough or congestion in the lungs. Not to mention it is truly delicious. I am layering eggplant, squash, and zucchini thinly sliced in a casserole dish. In between each layer I spread the ricotta cheese and tomato sauce plus fresh tomatoes. Then I sprinkle with basil, salt, pepper, and garlic.(I chopped the basil, but for the picture, I thought it looked nice whole)
Then I baked at 350 for about an hour until the cheese was nice and golden brown. Bon Appetit!!!!
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EAT YOUR VEGGIES!!I really enjoy snacking. I’d much rather eat a bunch of little meals throughout the day then 3 big ones. But a lot of snacky foods aren’t very good for you and are usually just starch. I love munching on different raw vegetables, but you can’t beat dipping them in Ranch. So, I decided to make my own ranch to pretend like its a little bit healthier…i don’t know, maybe it is? I’ll just keep telling myself that anyways. This recipe used powdered buttermilk. I’m making up a mix to keep on hand so that I can just add it too anything when I want to have some dip. For the Ranch Powder you will need:1/3 cup of powdered butter milk
I tend to over garlic things, so you might want to start light on the garlic, and then add more to taste.
If you were to make Ranch dressing you would use milk and mayo. But since we want it to be thicker to make a good veggie dip I’m using: Greek Yogurt and mayo plus 1 avocado. Combine the dry ingredients and store them in an air tight container for continued use in the future. My sister in law gave me this awesome recipe for gluten free brownies and I thought I’d spice it up a bit. The recipe originated from David LeBovitz’s website. There aren’t any true “aphrodisiac” herbs that I am aware of. (other than damiana)But those that are considered to be are either gonna get your blood flowing, increase circulation, and are good for your heart, or they are going to be anti-depressants, nervines, and sedatives because STRESS ISN’T SEXY! The herbs that I’ve chosen fall into these categories, and give the brownies a nice flavor. For the brownies you will need:
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AuthorI am an herbalist, massage therapist, childless, wife just trying to live a healthy, fun, magical life in this crazy beautiful world. Categories
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February 2020
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