Misfits and Miscellaneous

 Missy Tippens

I recently found out that Misfits Market deliveries were finally available at our house. They sell fruits and vegetables that are rejected by grocery stores based on appearance (not quality), and offer them for reduced prices. I'd heard about it from Katie, Jan's daughter-in-law, and had wanted to try it. So I messaged Katie on Facebook and asked for a referral code, hoping to get her some credit. :)

We've had two shipments now, and I thought I'd share. Mostly because I love colorful photos of fruits and vegetables! haha I also have a new(ish) kitchen tool to share at the end.

In the box:

Spread out on the counter for a better look:

In the box:

Spread on the counter to admire it and take photos for the blog. haha

I also bought some extras--blueberries and sage.

I'm hoping this will encourage more fruit and vegetable eating in our house, and more creative recipes.

As for the miscellaneous, my "new" kitchen tool...

I LOVE my kitchen shears. But one of my pairs finally broke after using them for maybe a decade. One of the problems I always had with them was getting them clean after cutting meats. So when I went to shop for a new pair, and they offered some that come apart, I was sold! Plus, I went for a two-pack this time and have been very glad of it.

You just open them wide, and lift the blades apart.

Tada! So easy to wash in the dishwasher after cutting chicken. I'm loving these!

www.missytippens.com

Freezing Peaches--Need Your Input!

Missy Tippens


Well, I picked up another produce box and other products from Georgia Grown To Go  yesterday! And, yay! I didn't embarrass myself this time with car doors that wouldn't unlock. :) (Still can't figure out why they didn't work last time.)

It's fun to see the different produce that comes a few weeks later. This time, the box included corn, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, Vidalia onions, green peppers, cantaloupe, and...a bag of jalapeño peppers! I believe Mindy once shared a jalapeño popper recipe, so I plan to look that up.

So we had our first of the year cantaloupe last night. It was soo good!! Perfectly ripe.

This time they also offered shiitake mushrooms grown not too far from here (up in the mountains in apple country). I roasted them for dinner along with the squash and green peppers and onions.

I also ordered a huge box of Georgia peaches. I'm so excited about these! I plan to freeze some and will be making a cobbler soon.

I'm looking for recommendations for how to freeze the peaches. I think I will do a flash dip in boiling water to help the peel come off. I wanted to see what y'all recommend to keep them from browning. Do you use lemon juice and sugar (that's one recipe I found)? What do y'all think? I plan to freeze them in bags (not canned).

I look forward to hearing from all of you!


www.missytippens.com

When Deadlines Loom

Missy, here. I'm deep in a deadline fog with a book due June 30th. Down to the wire!

Sooo…not much cooking going on other than the regular recipes I've already shared here. So far this week I've made:

Pasta Bolognese (shared it here) and have eaten it leftover already. I have to admit this one isn't all that quick. But it's worth a little effort. And I needed a short break anyway. :)

Fettuccine Alfredo (shared it here). This is amazingly quick!

Are we seeing a trend here?? Yes, I love pasta! And it's a comfort food as I near deadlines. :)

I've also been making salads. And went crazy with buying produce at the grocery store over the weekend. Don't you love it when so many fruits are in season?! I even took a photo to share.

Yes, I probably went a little overboard. But we're eating lots of fruit and salads! One of the things I love right now is peaches. And since I don't like the fuzz, I like nectarines even more.

Here are white and yellow fleshed nectarines.

And here are something unusual, black velvet apricots. They're actually an apricot-plum mix. You can read about them here. Hubby and I decided they look and taste more like plums. And boy, they really do feel as if they're coated in velvet!

Oh! I just remembered I also got a seasonal special. It's time for Vidalia onions! (usually pronounced Vie (with a long i)-dail'-ya) I wrote a post about them (here). They're yummy grilled with butter and salt and pepper. Yes, just eat them by themselves as a side dish. :)

What are you favorite fruits and vegetables? Anything unusual like the apricot-plum hybrid?

State Fair Fun

I went to the NC State fair this week for the first time in a long time. A friend suggested we go together because our spouses, wonderful as they are in other ways, don't like going.

Farmer Julie and her Piggy friend, Diane. Yes, Diane deserves a blue ribbon.

As someone with allergies, the fair can be hit or miss. The aromas are calorie free but tempting. I focus on the displays first, the food second. But I was greeted by this as soon as I went through the gate:

Sigh. It smells so good and EVERYONE had an ear. But me.

We visited the produce section:

The winning pumpkin weighed in at 800 pounds this year.

The quilts and other crafts:

The home canning:

The cake decorating contest:

It was time for lunch so we headed to the Westover UMC Fair booth. One of my friends is pastor there but they also have the best chilidogs at the fair. At least if you only eat one every five years.  And as someone whose final exams in food microbiology consisted of diagnosing real cases of food poisoning at the State Fair, I make a point of eating at a church booth. I've worked em and know how clean they are!

I've also worked at the NC State Ice Cream booth. Nothing has changed in the three decades since I was dishing out cherry vanilla and chocolate mint for the food science club. Students still give you an awful lot of ice cream for the price. The milk comes from NC cows. And cherry vanilla is still my favorite. And no high fructose corn syrup. 

 

What has changed is turkey legs have taken over from italian sausage and onions in popularity.

My daughter and her boyfriend were brave enough to eat those monster turkey legs...and deep fried HoHos.

And my grandchildren are now going to the fair with my son and DIL.

They were so happy.

 And learning about the cycles of life and the precarious nature of fair fish.

Good thing the parents told them fair fish only live 24 hours!

That's worse than a case of fair food poisoning!  My poor babies. No more fair fish for them.

Except for the fish incident, it was a beautiful day to check out the farm animals, make a few carnies mad by taking their pictures, and appreciate all our state has to offer in terms of agriculture and talent.

So what about your fair experiences? Do you have a food item you MUST have? Or a display to check out? Do you ride the rides or play the midway? Best or worst experience? 

PS: Some of you may have seen the news story about the people tragically hurt at our fair on Thursday. Please be in prayer for the families of those affected.