FAQ

How do I subscribe to Weekly Greens?

If you prefer to receive an email each week with the new menus, recipes and photos, go here and enter your email address. You will receive an email confirming that you’ve requested the subscription. Click the link in the message and you are all set!

You may also choose to subscribe to Weekly Greens using an RSS reader (such as Google Reader, FeedDemon or NewsGator). To subscribe by RSS, go here and choose your preferences.

How is Weekly Greens different from the thousands of existing food blogs?

I am not a chef or food writer or restaurant owner or professional photographer. I am a busy working mom. This blog was born out of a desire to feed my family well each and every night – to sit around a table over fresh, nutritious food and connect with one another in a healthful (though admittedly sometimes chaotic) way.

Each week, I choose a featured seasonal ingredient, plan five nights of menus plus one “weekend splurge” and offer you recipes, tips and a shopping list. The featured ingredient is the showcase for its seasonal peak, but you won’t necessarily find it in every dish. The recipes are easy to prepare, fresh, and for the most part, healthy. I’m taking the organization and guesswork out so all you need to do is get the ingredients and whip up some grub. I focus on seasonal ingredients that can be found at your local farmer’s market or your local grocery. I also rely heavily on “pantry staples” in order to throw together quick meals when things don’t go according to plan for one reason or another. Not that this ever happens at my house…(wink).

I don’t have a farmer’s market nearby. Can I prepare the meals featured on Weekly Greens?

Yes. By focusing my attention on items that are fresh and seasonal, I am choosing items that are typically available in grocery stores at the time they are featured. I happen to pick up a lot of produce at my local farmer’s market, but many of the items are widely available at local markets and major grocery store chains. Anyone interested in cooking meals that are healthy and fresh can benefit from these menus by choosing items available at their peak. Look for markets in your area that carry local produce in order to receive the freshest products.

How do you go about planning weekly menus, shopping lists and recipes?

My goal is to help readers take advantage of the best produce available each season by showcasing a variety of flavors, textures and simple cooking methods. Because I have young children, my menus tend to include at least an item or two that would typically be considered “kid friendly.” In addition, I typically cook enough to plan for lunches and leftovers during the course of the week. I try to choose recipes with short ingredient lists and quick, uncomplicated preparation.

I am a vegetarian. Can the Weekly Greens menus work without meat?

Many of the menus include a variety of dishes, some of which include meat. Because I focus primarily on the fresh produce, meat is almost treated like a side dish. You can substitute the meat items for your favorite alternative protein source and in some cases, you might even try using a similar preparation (for example, you can prepare tofu in a marinade that was designed for chicken). You may even consider combining a menu or two to include more vegetarian dishes. I’ve recently organized the recipes page with a dedicated section of vegetarian main dishes.

What if I don’t like something in the weekly menus?

I archive the menus each week so readers can look at a collection of recipes that fit within a given season in planning their own menus. If there is something you don’t like one week, you might consider mixing and matching with another week in the same season. Just be sure to update your shopping list to reflect the change.

Shopping at the farmer’s market is too expensive for me. How can I find more budget-friendly foods?

It’s true that farmer’s market shopping can be pricey. You are getting the freshest, highest quality produce, meats and farm products. Many of these products come from small farms that do not have the ability to offer the low prices found at large, national chains. I love to support the farmers when I can, but realize it’s not fiscally feasible for every budget. With that said, you can shop seasonally at your local grocery store as your budget permits. You can typically find sale prices on in-season items because they are in good supply and readily available. Luckily for you, this is also when they taste the best! Have you ever tried to buy a peach in December? Not only are they incredibly expensive, odds are that they also taste like sawdust. Ick.

My children are picky eaters. Are there child-friendly meals in the Weekly Greens line-up?

My menus are built with a family in mind. With young children of my own, I prepare foods simply with fairly basic seasonings to appeal to young palates. I also take care to include an item or two that is new or prepared in a different way to encourage the children to sample new flavors. I am also careful to include at least one food I’m sure my kids will eat at each meal. For some meals, that item might be something as nutritionally devoid as bread or plain pasta – that’s just an honest fact. However, I feel it’s important to continue introducing my children to new flavors and textures and demonstrate a diversified diet. When a dish is particularly appealing to the kids, I will make a special point to say so! You may find yourself surprised at what your kids will try and like. You can visit my hand-picked collection of kid-friendly recipes here.

I have food allergies. How can I use Weekly Greens to plan and make healthy meals?

I cook with a full range of ingredients – wheat products, dairy, eggs, meats, nuts and a variety of oils. Menu lists may not be indicative of all ingredients contained in the recipes, so check the recipes pages if you are concerned about particular items. In some cases, you can omit an item or substitute without a problem. Keep in mind that this is less likely to be true for baked items, especially if omissions or substitutions involve key ingredients like flours or dairy components, so beware!

Weekly Greens claims to be healthy, but the recipes use ingredients like butter, oils, cream and real sugar. How can these dishes be healthy with these ingredients?

I like food a lot. No, actually I love it. I also believe that a healthy diet has room for all foods – even the ones that are typically perceived to be artery-clogging, heart-burn inducing, belly-expanding diet busters. The key is moderation. I use healthy oils and fats in most of my recipes, but I do enjoy an occasional splurge. So go ahead and treat yourself to the “real” stuff, savor every bite…and then take it easy on your next meal or two. It can’t hurt to take a lap or two around the block while you’re at it.

Where do the Weekly Greens recipes come from?

I am inspired by a variety of sources. I enjoy restaurants and pick up on trends there. I also read a lot – cookbooks, food magazines, you name it. I tend to use recipes found in magazines or in my favorite cookbooks, then alter them to fit the needs and tastes of my family and my lifestyle.

When my recipe ideas come from other sources, I am careful to credit the original source. In many cases, I have adapted the recipe in some way – changed or added ingredients, altered quantities, or used different techniques in preparation. In each case, I have written my own variation with original descriptions for techniques and tips to make the recipe work best. I cook each of the recipes featured on the blog in my own home kitchen before I bring them to you.

How do I know the Weekly Greens recipes work?

I cook each of the recipes in my own home kitchen. Sometimes things work out as planned…and sometimes they don’t. I share my secrets with you here. Because not every kitchen is created equal – ovens vary, equipment differences exist, I may have used a electric cooktop and you have a gas stovetop, you get the idea – I cannot guarantee success every time. Sorry. If you have a specific question about a recipe found here, drop me a line and I’ll try my best to help: info [at] weeklygreens [dot] com. I have done my best to test these recipes on my family and friends and I am offering you my best shot at successful replication.

I live in a different climate and the ingredients you feature aren’t available at the same time. How can I use Weekly Greens to plan meals?

You can search the archive for items that are available to you. For example, you may not be able to get the featured weekly item of corn, but you may be up to your ears (no pun intended) in peas. Just search for peas in the archive and see what you can whip up. Voila.

Can I use the photos that appear on Weekly Greens?

I am so happy you are enjoying my photos. However, the short answer is no.  The photos on Weekly Greens are my original work and protected by copyright, unless otherwise specifically noted. If you are interested in obtaining the rights to use any of the photos appearing on Weekly Greens, please contact me at info [at] weeklygreens [dot] com.

What type of camera do you use?

I use a Canon 7D. Many of the photos you see here were taken using the Sigma 50 mm f/2.8 EX DG macro lens. I also occasionally use the Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II lens, which is a terrific versatile lens for both food photography and portraits.

Does Weekly Greens endorse products?

No. I mention my favorite products from time to time, including kitchen tools and brands of food products, in order to let you know what I’ve used to create the recipes. I am not endorsing any one product or another and I am not paid to promote products I mention here.

Does Weekly Greens sell advertising space?

At this time, Weekly Greens is an ad-free blog space. I may reconsider at a later time. If you are interested in buying ad space here, please send me an email: info [at] weeklygreens [dot] com.