Winter Farm Basket

I decided to try a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm basket this winter.  I found a farm that was really close to my house.  Unfortunately, they had to change their farm stand location because the one close to me didn't have any heat and the bathroom didn't work (and the landlord wasn't willing to fix either).  So now I go to Sandy to get my bucket of stuff.  I just wish that they included a list of items in the bucket.  I am not always sure what everything is.

I really like it so far.  It is a bit challenging for me because there are a lot of greens that I don't know or know what to do with. A few weeks ago I made fried rice with bok choy and it was yummy.  Today I made potato pancakes almost entirely from my bucket.  I used red potatoes, half a giant onion, and green onions from my basket.  The only other ingredients were spices, oil, and corn meal.  I thought that was pretty exciting.  I was even more ecstatic when my husband came in, said it smelled delicious, and then ate one and called it phenomenal.  My daughter even ate one!

The farm is called Urban Farm & Feed and this is their website:  http://www.urbanfarmandfeed.com They are incredibly nice and I love going to their farm stand.  This week they have some citrus that was grown in Arizona and it is incredible!  I got tangelos, grapefruit, and lemons.  They are delicious and juicy.

My recipe for the potato pancakes comes from America's Test Kitchen:

2 lb (~4 med potatoes) ~I peeled mine
1 onion
1 egg
2 Tablespoons maza (I just used corn meal)
4 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (I used about 2 teaspoons dried)
4 Shallots, chopped (I used 4 small green onions from my basket, including the green tops)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
oil for frying

Grate the potatoes and onion. Put in a fine mesh strainer and let all the liquid seep out.  I didn't get any liquid, so I ran it under the faucet for a few seconds (not very long, you don't need too much).  Let the liquid sit for at least 2 minutes.  You will get a thick starch that separates and that is what you want to keep.  Discard the liquid, but keep the starch.

Whisk the other ingredients (except frying oil) into the reserved potato starch.  Then fold in the potatoes and onions until well blended. Then make patties.  The recipe called for squeezing out the liquid and forming patties.  I was lazy and just scooped it out and smooshed it flat in the frying pan, they were not restaurant style, but I prefer the homemade look of the rough edges.  Fry them until they are golden brown on each side.  They seemed to work a little better when I only flipped them once, but I am not the most skilled frying cook.

They say you can freeze them and then reheat them in a 375 degree oven.  I am not sure if I will freeze the leftovers or not.

Favorite Shampoo & Conditioner

I have tried making my own shampoo and it was fun.  But I don't think it is quite my thing.  I might try it again someday.  But I have always loved Suave brand.  I usually get the Daily Clarifying shampoo, and recently, I found it in the conditioner too.

I have to say I love it!  I think I used it a looong time ago but haven't found it in any stores for awhile.  So I would just get the fragrance that I liked, which always change.  I am not a big fan of fragrance for anything. I would rather they made them "free and clear" for everything.  But I guess most consumers like the different scents.  I wish Suave would make their lotions and deodorants and other skin care products without fragrance too, I would love that!

I was surprised to find that the Daily Clarifying conditioner was actually different on my hair than any of the ones with fragrance.  I don't really like to wash my hair everyday.  The natural oils seem to really help it grow and stay healthy.  With my crazy life as a mom, I don't always get to take a shower when I want to, and when the new one comes I am sure it will get even worse.  So being able to have non-greasy hair for a few days is really awesome!  I typically go 2-3 days between hair washing and on bad weeks it can be 4.  This conditioner was a great find!

The other great thing about it is that it doesn't cost a fortune.  I do remember the days when I could find Suave on sale for 69 cents a bottle, but that was at least 10 years ago.  I miss those days.  Typically I can find the big family sized bottles for about $1.79 or something like that.  Compare the price to any other shampoo/conditioner (except maybe cheapo White Rain, which I don't really like) and you still have an incredible deal.

I know that I haven't written anything for a long time, and a post about shampoo and conditioner is pretty odd for me.  But I have been thinking about it for a few weeks and finally took the time to type it up.  Maybe this will be a start to get me back into writing a bit.