Pantry makeover and weekly veggie box

Where once lived Campbells chicken noodle soup, now lives ball jars full of whole grains, dry beans and legumes. No more boxes of Mac and Cheese, nope, now its Whole Wheat Pasta and Almond milk. How do I feel about this you ask? Pretty damn good! We are coming home with bags and bags full of bulk stuff from the store and storing these can be tricky. I recently bought a box of quart canning jars to use for storage. This is not a new concept for me..I have been storing stuff in these jars for years. Now there is just a lot more of them. I whipped out the label maker and marked them all on top for easy reference. With the lids on all ball jars being interchangeable, I can start a new product in a small jar, and if we decide we like it, switch it up to a large jar and use the same pre labeled lid! Brilliant! I wont show you the top drawer/shelf..we are still working out the Costco box of granola bars(they have the same sugar content of a candy bar!!) and cans of condensed milk, I'm thinking a trip to the food bank may be in order. We are a work in progress, But working in all of these healthy alternatives feels pretty darned good!

I cant tell you how exciting Friday mornings are when you have this beautiful thing waiting for you on the front door step. We have been getting an Organic Veggie Box delivered to us every week for almost a year now. Alex and I tossed around the idea for a while, before deciding on Full Circle Farm. We liked these guys for a few reasons. They deliver right to your door, where some have a community pick up spot. They also allow you to log on and see what is coming to you and even swap things out. I love most all veggies and really only swap out things that I know we wont use, or that we already have coming out of our own garden. I also usually swap out most fruit, I find we just don't eat that much fruit. They use local produce when possible, obviously this is easier in the summer. By mid summer most of the box's contents come right from the farm, which is located over in Carnation. They also send a little Insert with "farm news" and recipe ideas. It feels good supporting a local farm and also forces more healthy eating habits into ones life. We have been introduced to new things like Fennel Bulb(that big furry thing on the left there). My favorite recipe last year was Scalloped Potatoes with Fennel bulb..lets see if I can come up with a vegan alternative.

If no veggie delivery services in your area, visit your local areas farmers markets or better yet, visit the farm! EAT MORE VEGGIES!!