CSA Basket, Mini Pizzas, & Handmade Soap

Saturday's CSA basket from Sugarfoot Organic Farms was full of squash/zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, okra, eggplants, potatoes, and onions. Fruit share was blueberries. Keith's potato chips last week were so good, that was the first thing we cooked! This is some kind of purple potato with lots of antioxidants, and it doesn't seem to be as starchy as white potatoes. The next thing to go was the large, pale green squash. Keith made hamburgers for lunch yesterday and used thick slices for buns. He and I liked it, but the girls weren't crazy about the raw squash. We also served some raw green beans on the side. CSA share is $41.95 per week.

Keith used the remainder of that large squash to make mini pizzas for supper. He sliced the squash thin, topped with marinara sauce (1 can organic diced tomatoes drained, 1 can organic tomato paste, minced garlic, and blended together in magic bullet), then topped with 1 slice Boar's Head Sandwich Pepperoni and black olives, and baked. We like Boar's Head deli meats because BH is a pretty good quality meat with no fillers, by-products, artificial colors or flavors, or gluten. I think we get more bang for our buck at the deli. We're getting fresher meat, less preservatives, not paying for the packaging, and we can control the price by requesting the amount we desire. Since Boar's Head products don't contain preservatives, we have to eat the meats within a few days or it will get old. I think that's a good sign! So I usually buy half a lb at a time and whatever is on sale that week. These mini pizzas were so good that we had 3 pans for supper! The sauce was a little sweet (we've found the organic canned tomato products have more flavor) and the pepperoni a little spicy. The girls loved the smiley faces, lol.

While at the farmer's market, I met a local couple who makes Soap for your Soul, using natural products for handmade soap. They use oils (including coconut!) and different blends of essential oils, herbs/spices, and natural pigments to make a variety of scents and colors. These smell amazing! I had a hard time choosing, but I settled on 3: Cosmic Sugar (with vanilla), One Love (bamboo and lotus), and Chill Pill (eucalyptus, spearmint, and peppermint).  I have grown tired of commercial soaps and have not yet figured out how to make my own, so I figure I'll leave this to the professionals for now. So far, Keith and I both like the square ones. Our skin looks and feels better after only a few washes. They smell great, condition the skin, and lather well. I'm curious how long these will last, and I will update later! Handmade soap $15.