Menu Monday #7

Sorry for posting this so late, but it’s been one of those sidetracked kind of days.

Bananas arranged on my Nesco
Food Dehydrator.

This weekend’s co-op basket was pretty fruit-heavy. Which I don’t mind… I love fruit! But I still had some fruit leftover from my last basket, and it was starting to get on the very ripe side. When I have fruit getting very ripe, I either throw it in a baked good or (my preference), I dehydrate it.

For Christmas last year, my parents bought me a Nesco Food Dehydrator. I’ve used it mostly for fruits, but I’d like to eventually dry my own herbs and make some beef jerky.

This is a photo of how I arrange bananas on my dehydrator. The bananas don’t turn out crispy/crunchy like the banana chips in the store, because those are deep fried. These are just dried bananas. And they are oh-so-yummy with just a tad of chewiness (my fav)!

The fruits I dehydrated this weekend are: Bananas, Peaches, Half of a Honeydew Melon, Mango, and Apples.

From top to bottom: Pink Lady Apples,
Honeydew Melon, Texas Peaches,
Bananas, Mango

They all turned out pretty tasty. I stored them in baggies and dated them. Hopefully they'll keep for awhile, as I don't have any available airtight containers.

Another thing I got at the co-op this week was coconut oil. I’ve decided I like cooking with it, and will probably switch to exclusively cooking with it soon. It’s really healthy and it doesn’t produce toxic chemicals when it is heated pretty high (oxidation). The co-op had a good price ($18.99 for 64 oz), though Jessica and I figured that Costco’s Coconut Oil is pretty much the same price for 54 oz. The only dislike I have about this one is that it’s unscented, which means it’s a bit more processed. I think there are two camps with coconut oil – those who love scent and those who hate it. And truth be told, I love the faint coconut scent. It gives popcorn an awesome flavor, and roasted veggies have an extra layer of nuttiness. I think going forward, I want a giant scented coconut oil jar.

As for the menu, here are the things I need to use up that I received in my basket (some from 2 weeks ago): Carrots, Cauliflower, Corn, Sweet Potato, Butternut Squash, Green Beans, and Lettuce. Note that I am also attempting to eat low carb, so it makes dinnertime meals for my toddler a bit trickier. But I hope she still at least tries some of the food I give her!

Coconut Oil ordered from Bountiful
Baskets Food Co-Op

Monday – Panko crusted chicken strips, Roasted Cauliflower, shells & cheese (not for me, though I did give in to a few bites.)

Tuesday – Crock Pot Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili, Cornbread (I know it’s fall-ish, but this looked good and I’m substituting turkey with Boca Crumbles. It will be a meatless Tuesday and I'll free up some freezer space by using up my homemade pumpkin puree!)

Wednesday – Hamburgers (mine will probably be bunless) and butternut squash fries.

Thursday – Balsamic marinated chicken, Corn and green beans. (I’m using a Trader Joe’s balsamic dressing as a marinade.)

Friday – Free for all. Homemade Pepperoni Pizza!

Saturday – Out

Sunday – Santa Fe Taco Mac (I never made this from the previous time I put it on my menu.)

And there you have it for this week! Let me know your thoughts on coconut oil or the low carb lifestyle. Does anyone else feel hungry an hour or two later?

Have a great week!