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WIC Inspired Recipes – Corn Chowder
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WIC Inspired Recipes – Corn Chowder

Meal Planning, Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping

WIC Inspired Recipes – Corn Chowder

Everyone seems to be talking about corn these days. With the viral song about corn, it seems most of us can appreciate the vegetable for it’s sweetness and versatility. Corn just seems to go with everything! This hearty corn chowder recipe is sure to keep your family warm this fall and winter. It’s so tasty and comforting, you may find yourselves going back for a second serving! Bonus, this recipe is filled with WIC-approved vegetables.

WIC-INSPIRED VEGETABLE RECIPE

CORN CHOWDER

2 tablespoons butter

4 slices of bacon (optional)

1 onion

2 celery stalks

1 bell pepper

1 jalapeno

1 large carrot

3 medium potatoes

6 ears of corn

5 cups milk

1 bay leaf

Salt & Pepper

Smoked Paprika

Green onion

Peel potatoes and dice along with onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Shuck the husks off the corn and slice corn kernels off of the cobs, then save the cobs for later. (You can also use canned or frozen corn to skip this step! But you’ll want to add the corn in with the rest of the veggies to get more corn flavor) Slice some green onion & shred some cheese to top off each bowl of corn chowder if you like!

Place butter and bacon into a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Heat on medium high heat until the bacon renders its fat, about 5 minutes.

Cook the vegetables (except the corn and potatoes):

Add the chopped onions, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno, and carrot, and lower the heat to medium and cook until vegetables are well softened, about 10 minutes.

Break the corn cobs in half (after you’ve stripped off the corn) and add the cobs to the pot. Add the milk and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 20 minutes, discard the cobs and the bay leaf. Add the potatoes, corn, salt, pepper, and paprika to the pot. Increase the heat to return the soup to a simmer, then lower the heat to maintain the simmer and cook for another 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir often to prevent milk from curdling. Add more salt, pepper, and paprika to taste, and add a little shredded cheese and sliced green onion on top of each bowl when serving. Enjoy!

Visit Lone Star Family Market get get all your WIC foods in one easy stop. There are 7 locations in Austin, Round Rock and San Marcos. Find more recipes using WIC foods on our blog.

WIC Inspired Recipes – Blackberry Banana Bread
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WIC Inspired Recipes – Blackberry Banana Bread

Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping

WIC Inspired Recipes – Blackberry Banana Bread

Try out this unique take on a classic banana bread recipe using WIC approved products like bananas, eggs, and blackberries! This warm and comforting treat is perfect to serve Thanksgiving morning, or any time this winter.

BLACKBERRY BANANA BREAD

4 bananas

2 eggs

1 stick of butter

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

big pinch of salt

1.5 cups of blackberries

4 oz of chocolate chips/chunks (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare all the ingredients. Prepare the pan by buttering it or using non-stick spray. Use either a 9×5-inch loaf pan or a 10 inch round cake pan.
In a small pot melt the butter, take it off the heat and let it cool. In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
Add the eggs and sugar to a mixing bowl, whisk quickly for 5 minutes until the mixture is pale, light and foamy. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla extract, and melted butter, mix until just combined. Slowly add the flour mixture into the batter, stir in with a spatula, until partially combined. Add the chocolate pieces and about 1 cup of blackberries, fold in gently, taking care not to over mix. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan, and lay the remaining blackberries on the top. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. It may run longer or shorter in your oven and depending on what pan you are using. After about 45 minutes, check if the top is not browning too much, if it is – cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
Enjoy!

Budget Bites To Help You Save Money
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Budget Bites To Help You Save Money

Recipes, WIC Food, WIC Grocery Shopping, WIC Nutrition

Budget Bites To Help You Save Money

Cook Up Comforting Fall Recipes With WIC Foods

Making family meals is a never-ending task. To help inspire you and your family at mealtime, here are a few cozy recipe ideas – using WIC foods of course – we think you will enjoy as the fall and winter weather kicks in.

This time of year pumpkin is in everything from coffee to candles. This recipe from USDA’s MyPlate is full of fall flavors and is a great family meal, perfect for catching up and spending quality time with your family.

PUMPKIN CHILI

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion (chopped)

1 green bell pepper (cored, seeded and chopped )

2 jalapeño peppers (seeded and finely chopped, optional)

2 cloves garlic ( finely chopped or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder )

1 pound ground turkey, optional

1 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup water

1 teaspoon cumin, ground

salt and pepper (to taste, optional)

1 can kidney beans (Can choose other beans if desired.)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapenos (omit if serving to children) and garlic and cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 5 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned. Add tomatoes, pumpkin, water, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low then add beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes more. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

Source: from USDA’s MyPlate, Bronson Wellness Center

It’s also the perfect time to fire-up the oven for tasty treats with healthy ingredients.

This recipe from the USDA’s MyPlate is a perfect twist on a classic cookie recipe. Your kids won’t even know healthy foods are packed into the ingredient list.

Carrots give this traditional oatmeal and raisin cookie a colorful and tasty twist.

CARROT COOKIES

1/2 cup margarine (soft)

1 1/4 cups sugar mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 cup carrot (grated)

2 egg whites (well beaten)

2 cups flour (all purpose)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups oatmeal, quick cooking (raw)

1 cup raisins

In a large bowl, cream together margarine and honey. Stir in carrots and egg whites. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, oatmeal and raisins. Gradually stir flour-oatmeal mixture into creamed mixture, just until all flour is mixed. Do not over mix. Drop a teaspoon on a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Source: USDA’s MyPlate, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Healthy Futures

Budget Bites to Help You Save Money
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Budget Bites to Help You Save Money

Recipes

Budget Bites to Help You Save Money

4 Tips To Save $$$

Grocery prices keep going up, and we are all looking for ways to stretch our food budgets. Here are a few tips we can all use to curb the waste, and stretch our food dollars even further.

USE MORE, WASTE LESS

If you don’t think you will use them before they go bad, freeze fruits and vegetables. Put them in freezer-safe containers or bags and mark with a date. These frozen portions are great to add to soups or smoothies.

Save veggie scraps like potato rinds, ends of onions and celery pieces, to make veggie broth. These vegetables will make a perfect vegetable broth that is delicious in soups.

Use leftovers creatively. You can turn almost any leftovers into a completely different meal. For example, did you make roasted veggies as a side dish this week? Use the leftovers in a delicious omelet. You cook once and have two delicious meals. Plus, you save time in the kitchen.

MAXIMIZE WIC BENEFITS

One of the best ways to maximize your WIC benefits is to use your SNAP benefits first. Your SNAP benefits roll over, but your WIC benefits expire at the end of the month. USE WIC FIRST.

Make fewer trips. If you are making a trip to the WIC clinic, redeem your WIC benefits during the same trip. Lone Star Family Market, which caters to WIC clients, are conveniently located near WIC clinics. Lone Star Family Market caters to WIC clients and helps them redeem their benefits in one easy, fast trip.

PLAN AHEAD

By planning ahead you can save time and money. Plan your menu for the week. See what ingredients can be used to do double duty in your recipes. For example, are you making a homemade soup and stir-fry dish this week? Get an onion that can be used for both. What other ingredients can be used in both meals? Stretch your food dollars by using simple recipes with less ingredients. Plus, it is a great way for your kids to help. Make a menu together on a chalkboard or a colorful paper that they can help create.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

One of the best ways to save money cooking is to make simple, nutritious recipes that don’t have a ton of ingredients. Buy pantry staples like seasonings on sale or in bulk. Make your own salad dressing using olive oil and simple seasonings.

Get all your WIC foods in one easy stop conviently located next to WIC clinics. Visit any Lone Star Family Market in Austin, Round Rock and San Marcos today.