Just Peachy

One of my tips on finding cheap fruits and vegetables this summer was to pick your own. Shmoo and I put that into practice this morning, picking peaches and nectarines at a local U-Pick farm for 60 cents a pound. Not a bad price, especially when you consider that U-Pick combines buying fruit with an hour of enjoying a shady stroll in the orchard and watching kids having fun. Shmoo was a most enthusiastic picker, determined to search tree to tree to find me the biggest, heaviest, prettiest peaches.

Here is my car trunk filled with fresh fruit, at a total cost of $22.00. We plan to gobble up the nectarines, then I'll be peeling and slicing the peaches and freezing them in a single layer on baking sheets. When they're frozen I'll put them in a smoothie bin and enjoy peach-blueberries smoothies all autumn long.

Summer Veg Out Part V: GO FOR A DIP

So, how's your Summer Veg Out going? Now that the veggies are easy-access and the fruit smoothies are flowing, I bet your kids are chowing down like never before!

No? If the kids still aren't biting (or even if they are), how about taking their fruits and vegetables for a dip? Kids love dipping their food into other food (just consider that popular little vehicle for ketchup, the french fry).

Little cups of dip liven things up and can even be a great way to add protein and healthy fat to a child's diet. Here are just a few of our favorites...

1. First off, it's hard to go wrong with good ol' hummus (pictured here with a zucchini chip). Hummus is a classic, but you can also branch out and make bean dip out of any beans or legumes you like. We especially love the "cheesy" bean dips in Ultimate Uncheese,the ranch-flavored bean dip in Vegan Lunch Box, and spicy canned refried beans.

2. The crazy-looking carrot dip pictured here is one of my very favorite things EVER. I put it on green salads, beans and rice, steamed vegetables, raw tomatoes...pretty much everything except my morning oatmeal. It's a spoonful of Yumm! Sauce mixed with picante salsa. We're talking eyes-rolling-back-in-the-head good. Yumm! on its own is to-die-for, of course, but I totally love the extra bite of spicy picante mixed in, and the fact that mixing it like this cuts the fat down quite a bit. If you don't have any Yumm!, picante salsa mixed with mashed avocado would also be excellent.

3. Another high-protein dip that I particularly like on celery is Toby's Classic Lemon Dill Tofu Paté. It tastes a lot like egg salad! Be careful when shopping for Toby's, though, as only the Lemon Dill -- aka Lite Eggless -- paté is vegan.

4. Nut butters like this almond butter make a great dip for apple slices, bananas, and baby carrots (and -- let's be honest -- your finger, a spoon...). Nut and seed butters are high in protein and the healthy fats that are so crucial for growing bodies.

5. This summer my four-year-old niece taught me that even applesauce can be a fun dip! She dipped sugar snap peas, apple slices, and baby carrots into applesauce the last time she was here and crunched away. Such a simple way to make veggies a little more interesting and fun!

How about it: what are your favorite dips?

Summer Veg Out Part IV: SMOOTHIES

Wow! I'm glad everyone is enjoying the Summer Veg Out posts -- the feedback has been great!

Smoothies are another way to make fruits (and, to a lesser extent, vegetables) fun and easy in the summertime. We make smoothies every day for breakfast or a healthy snack.

Now that my son is almost 10 he likes to show his independence and make his own. However, we started having problems with his idea of how much frozen fruit to use; it was not uncommon to find that he had thrown over 3 cups of frozen blueberries in the blender to make one breakfast smoothie. Talk about expensive!!

This spring when I started working at the smoothie bar I was struck by how easy and attractive it was to make smoothies when the frozen fruit was put into bins instead of bags, and a scoop was kept in the freezer next to them. So that's what I did: I purchased square bins at the wholesale grocery store, just like they use in restaurants, and a 3 oz. ice cream scoop. Here's a picture of my freezer with bins of raspberries, blueberries, pineapple, and mango.

Then I posted a smoothie recipe template on the refrigerator for shmoo's reference. It's practically impossible to go wrong with it. Note that one scoop equals about 3 ounces or 1/3 cup, so that's one cup of fruit altogether. You can peel and slice bananas and freeze and scoop them alongside the rest of the fruit, but we've tried it and prefer the taste of fresh bananas (is it me or do frozen bananas just taste...different?)

Here he is making one this morning: he started with 1 cup of orange-passionfruit juice, then added his favorite lime yogurt...

...a scoop of ice, a scoop of frozen pineapple, and two scoops of frozen blueberries.

Viola -- yummy smoothie! Of course, you can also add nutritious extras to any smoothie: handfuls of cooked or raw greens or other vegetables, slices of avocado, calcium/ multivitamin/ probiotic powder, a tablespoon of ground flax, etc.

Let's hear from all the other summer smoothie addicts out there: what are your favorite combos?

P.S. I think this smoothie recipe will work in a regular blender, but I can't guarantee it. I swear by the Magical Super Power of the Vita-Mix to blend absolutely anything. I know it's expensive, but compared to the other blenders I've had it makes a world of difference.

Summer Veg Out Part III: EASY & EATEN

Okay, so we've talked about finding vegetables and fruits locally and on the cheap. Now that your fridge is full of them, how do you get the kids to actually eat them all summer?

I think one of the keys is to make fruits and vegetables the number one most visible and easy-to-reach food items in the house. Don't leave them tucked away in the crisper drawer, unwashed in plastic bags. If they're on the counter when the kids run by, lookin' cool, crisp, and ready-to-go, kids are more likely to grab and eat them. Of course, it also helps to ditch the junk food or at least keep it out-of-sight, and perhaps rule out other foods for between-meal snacking.

But even though I think they should be out and available, I don't want them to get dry, wilty, or touched by flies. Yuck! This year I stumbled across a great solution at Bed Bath & Beyond: this Condiments on Ice tray with five 2-cup compartments. It has a clear lid that leaves the goodies visible and an ice compartment to keep everything cool. (They also have an Appetizers on Ice tray; I liked the dip holder, but the tray doesn't have a lid, which is a must for me, what with the whole fly touching issue).

Each late morning or early afternoon I fill the bottom of the tray with fresh ice and load it with whatever fruits and vegetables I have on hand. When the ice gets melty I pour off the water and add a bit more; at the end of the day I add whatever's uneaten to dinner or save it for leftover soup.

The options of what to put in this thing are almost endless. Here are three pictures to give you some ideas:

(1) baby cucumber spears, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, organic strawberries and green grapes.

(2) cucumber slices, romaine leaves, sugar snaps, baby carrots, jicama and apple slices (in one container with a small plastic divider), and green grapes.

(3)baby carrots, grape tomatoes, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, and baby bananas.

The daily Filling-of- the-Tray has become quite an event at our house, especially when the neighborhood kids are over. I tell you, I'm not sure why everyone insists that kids won't eat fruits and vegetables and you have to hand out candy and popsicles if you want them to like you. I've watched these containers empty in a matter of minutes. One little girl ate almost an entire cup of sugar snap peas before she stopped and held one up to me. "What are these?" she asked.

Summer Veg Out Part II: LOCAL

Many of you already mentioned this important money-saving tip in the comments section of Part I, but I felt it was such an important point it deserved its very own post: eat foods that grow near you.

1. Eat what's in season.

What food grows where you are, and when is it at its peak? Produce is generally cheaper when it's in season in your area, even if you buy it at the local supermarket. It usually tastes better, too! For example, our own grocery stores are flooded with the most delicious local melons at the end of summer; it's almost a crime to eat them any other time of year. And I'll never forget the amazing artichokes we could get when we lived in California; I haven't seen a single fresh baby artichoke since I moved here.

2. Visit Farmers' Markets.

This is a no-brainer, really, and if there is a farmers' market in your area I bet you’re already going there. But did you know that you can sometimes score a really good deal right before the market closes? Workers usually don’t want to pack up and haul home all that unsold produce, and they might make you a deal if you stop by a few minutes before close.

For example, my mom stopped by our local market last week when the sellers were packing to leave and bought two bunches of organic baby beets with greens for $1.00 each, and someone I met at a party told me he always shows up at the market at 12:15 and picks up produce for a steal. In fact he had just bought over 10 pounds of Rainier cherries for $9.00 (they are normally $4.00 or more a pound).

Heck, it’s no sure thing, but it's certainly worth a try!

3. Join a CSA.

A lot of my friends are trying out Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), where they pay a fee and become "shareholders" in a local CSA farm. They then receive a box of fresh produce every week all through the growing season. It's an adventurous way to eat, as you never really know what's coming week to week; you may end up discovering foods you never thought to try before, like Jerusalem Artichokes, say, or green tomatoes.

If you have the money to pay upfront for a CSA share, it can be a great time and money saver. For example, my cousin's CSA cost $480 for 15 weeks. That sounds like a lot of money, but it comes to $32 per week for as much fresh food as he can possibly eat, without having to go to the grocery store or market.

For more information on CSAs or to search for one in your area visit Local Harvest. (Thanks, Zach!)


4. Roadside Stands.

Keep your eye out for small fruit and vegetable stands along the roadside or in front of local farms and orchards. If you don't see any, you might try checking the classified ads in your local paper for "Produce".

5. Pick Your Own.

In addition to farm stands, check the classified ads for "U-Pick" farms and orchards. It's usually less expensive and it's a wonderful way to spend the afternoon with the kids. I'll never forget the fun of picking fruit with my family at local orchards, sitting on the tailgate with friends eating Red Delicious apples as big as our heads, or making ourselves sick on cherries.

6. Grow Your Own.

Do you have a yard, patio, porch, or sunny windowsill? If so, you can probably save some money by growing some of your own vegetables or herbs.

Here's a picture of our own work-in-progress. We have a very large yard and are continually ripping up lawn and putting in more garden beds. This year, with the rising cost of food and fuel, we got serious about fruits and vegetables and planted five large beds. So far we have 15 tomato plants, a pumpkin patch, cantaloupe, strawberries, basil, zucchini, peas, garlic, grapes, sweet corn (in the foreground, hopefully "knee high by the Fourth of July"), a raspberry/blackberry patch, an apricot tree, rhubarb, herbs, and flowers (I never want to run out of space for the flowers.)

How about you? Do you have more tips on saving money, exploring your own region, and becoming not just vegans but localvores as well?

Summer Veg Out Part I: CHEAP

Have you bought food, driven anywhere, or been out of the house in the last few months? If you have I'm sure you noticed that prices are a wee bit up. I practically fainted the last time I bought a loaf of bread.

With the cost of food so high, how can any of us afford to emphasize fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables? When times are tough it's tempting to stick with foods that are cheap, calorie-dense, and comforting (like starchy American junk food) instead of foods that have fewer calories and might go bad before you finish them.

But fruits and vegetables are good for us! Eating healthy foods will save us money on medical expenses in the long run, and if you're a savvy shopper they might not cost as much as you think. Here are some of the cost-saving ideas I use and would like to share.

1. Don't stick to organic.

I know, it sounds terrible. It's certainly not ideal, but when I'm trying to save money, not every vegetable and fruit I buy is organic. Organic tends to cost more, sometimes a lot more, and unless it’s on the most contaminated list I'll buy whatever is cheapest. I wash all my produce well and peel non-organic fruits and cucumbers.

2. Eat seasonally.

Produce is generally cheaper when you eat what’s in season in your area, and it usually tastes better, too. More on seasonal, local produce in the next Veg Out post...

3. Eat frozen instead of fresh

Frozen vegetables are usually less expensive, and they are more nutritious as well.

Unfortunately, my son hates the texture of frozen broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, and green beans. I have to agree; except for corn and peas the texture of frozen vegetables leaves me cold. Keep that in mind when considering switching to frozen; it’s no savings if nobody eats it.

4. Shop like a restaurant

Look for any bulk or wholesale grocery stores (aka "Cash and Carry") that cater to restaurants and businesses in your area. There are two in my city that are open to the public. Anyone can shop there and buy their personal groceries at the same price that a restaurant would.

Here is a picture of my purchase from the other day: six romaine hearts, a bunch of bananas, six grapefruit, pineapple juice, a 5-pound bag of frozen mango, an enormous bag of broccoli crowns, and cauliflower. The total cost: $19.29. The bag of romaine only cost $2.00, and the mangoes were a bit over $5. Look in the yellow pages under "Grocers-Whsle".

5. Ethnic Markets

Have you checked out the ethnic grocery stores in your area? Our local Asian market was selling bags of beautiful baby bok choy before the big grocery stores had even heard of it, and at a very low cost. Our Hispanic markets sell mangoes, limes, avocados, and more at much lower prices than the regular stores.

Was this helpful? What are your money-saving ideas? Please add your own ideas and suggestions in the comments!

Introducing the Summer Veg Out!

For most of us with school- age children, summer vacation is finally here. That calls for either a "Hooray!" or a "Dear Lord, when does school start again?" depending on how you look at it. Now that the kids are home, it’s time to totally VEG OUT.

No, I’m not talking about lazing around on the couch watching daytime television. I’m talking about revamping the kitchen to get the junk out and bring the healthy foods in. It’s time to tackle the problem of what to feed the kids during these long, hot summer days at home. My suggestion: fresh, healthy vegetables, and cool, refreshing fruits (along with whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and treats in moderation, of course).

But how, you ask? Well, I thought it would be fun this summer to put together a collection of posts focusing on how to make vegetables and fruits easy, attractive, and affordable for families.

Although the ideas I'm going to post are suitable for any season, summertime is the perfect time to tackle the family eating plan, breaking those unhealthy habits that may have crept in over the winter and adding more fun, healthy options in their place. A long break from school can be an opportunity to influence kids to make healthier choices while they’re away from peer pressure and cafeteria competition.

Ready? Tune back in on Wednesday for Part I of the Vegan Lunch Box Summer Veg Out!

P.S. The beautiful photograph above is courtesy of Michelle Ellis Photography. Michelle is a fabulous friend with a gifted eye, and I hope to hire her to photograph the entire extended Shmoo Clan very soon. Thanks, Michelle!