Nothing. Well, not completely nothing. I did wake up and go to the gym, but then came home and fell asleep on the floor for more then an hour and woke up in a puddle of drool. I also continued my binge watching of the Mindy Project so I can be up to speed when season 4 started tonight on hulu!!!!!. And I cut up a cantaoplue. That’s a good amount of stuff for one day, right?
Anyway. even when I am gone from home for just a few day, I never really quite feel right when I get back until I cook something inn my kitchen.. So after my floor nap, I got up with a hankering for some of the juicy cantaloupe that I got from last weeks farm share (and forgot to stick in the fridge before we left so I came home to very ripe cantaloupe) Cut it into chunked, tossed with slightly toasted caraway seeds and then caramelized a bit more. Super fresh and clean and a very almost fall like way to eat the melon. And even though it took me about 4 minutes to do, it’s all I needed to make me feel normal again.
Ah, home and food and Mindy.. Nothing better, Now to back doing stuff all day.
The stuff. Some cantaloupe and some caraway seeds.
Place caraway seeds into a dry skillet and place on the stove on high heat. While the seeds are toasting, remove seeds and rind of the cantaloupe and cut into mouth sized chunks and place into a bowl.
Once you hear the fist pop from the seeds, dump them in the bowl with the cantaloupe and toss around. Then dump the seed covered chunks back into the hot skillet.
Sear each side until browned.
And scoop it back into the bowl.
Eat right away. IF you want to get down with a scoop of yogurt on top or maybe a bed of some green, I think you should.
Enjoy you Tuesday my friends.
-C
1/4 of a cantaploupe
2-3 teaspoons caraway seeds
Toss caraway seeds into a dry skillet and turn heat onto high. Toast seeds for about a minutes or so or until you hear the first seed pop. Dump seeds onto cantaloup chunks and toss around then dump the cantaloupe into hot skillet. Let chunks sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are starting to caramelize. Remove from pan when you are happy with doneness.
Eat right away.
Holy shit is it hot out. My brain is all fizzy, my hair is all frizzy, and my over all being is just blah. I am not a fan of super hot weather (as some of you may know) and am getting more pissy as the days go by and I continue to be a sweaty mess. I don’t want to feel like a big wet slob, I want to feel fresh and clean and wear clothes that are not drenched in sweat. I know, bitch, bitch, bitch, but seriously. Even the world around me is wilting, and in the nice, colorful fall foliage kind of way. It’s all crispy and brown. The garden is barely holding on, the flowers are shriveling in the ground, and a few plants are just plan dead. It’s just too hot.
I think that only plus side of this past week of hot crap weather are these popsicles that I made. They were actually suppose to be a treat for the littles, but guess what, me and the mr ate them and didn’t share, and no, I feel zero bad about it. They were so good, so refreshing, so cold(if only for a minute) and just so needed. A few minute reprieve from being miserably hot. And bonus, a great use of all the watermelon and tomatoes that I have taking over the countertops (I have so much watermelon and tomatoes)
And really, these probably (better freaking be) the last batch of popsicles for the summer so I think I am going to make another batch today, eat them, savor the flavors of summer, and move on from there.
. Maybe I’ll even share them this time.
The stuff. Some watermelon*, a tomato, a handful of basil, and a lime.
*My watermelon had seeds, but you can use seedless. I also removed the green skin, but kept on as much rind as I could, although this particulate melon had very little white rind.
Dump the melon, tomato (cut in a few pieces, the juice of the lime and the basil into a blender. If your melon has seed, don’t worry about removing them.
The stuff all blended up.
. This step is more necessary if you melon is seeded, straining the mixture pretty much caught most of the seed chunks. You can skip this if your melon is seedless.
Now pour the juice into your molds and stick into freezer to freeze.
After about 2 ish hours, remove and stick the sticks into the semi harder pops.
And a few more hours later……Frozen goodness.
And pop one of those suckers out of the mold and savor every frozen delicious bite.
Happy Tuesday… DON’T MELT!
-C
Make six 3.5 oz popsicles
1 ish cup watermelon (green skin removed.. rind is good)
1 large ripe tomato (about a cups worth)
a few sprigs of basil
Juice of 1 lime
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl or jar and pour into popsicle molds.
Place in freezer for a few hours. About 2-3 hours in the freezer, take them out and stick in sticks (or fallow you popsicle molds instructions) Place back into freezer
Once completely frozen, remove from molds and eat with your mouth.
What are your weekend plans?
Me well, I need to can, pickle and eat as much zucchini as I can. And it’s not just zucchini anymore… we are getting into cucumbers too…AAAHHH I know I have said this a few times in the past weeks, but man, I have so manning freaking zucchinis.. and the more I eat, the more I end up with… It’s getting pretty crazy here!
So anyway, yesterday my dad came back to VT, WOO HOO! and I was his first stop on his rotating dinner schedule. (cause I am his favorite child. I think..maybe) I made zucchini noodles for dinner (I have made them every night for the past week) and I wanted to make him dessert, I have all sorts of pretty fruit that I wanted to make and prepare, but I also had little time and honestly, little desire to move all that much (it was so f ing hot!) I already had out the shredder and a bowl, and the zucchini was just sitting there, in the basket taunting me with it’s gigantic green whaleness. So I figured I’d just make a zucchini cake, or better yet, cause my dad really likes chocolate, a chocolate zucchini cake.
This cake is tender and moist, almost like a cakey brownie, so it does not require any frosting which is nice when your dead tired and it’s so hot that any frosting would probably just melt off anyway. (although you could totally frost it up) It makes a great dessert, but I would not hesitate to serve this for breakfast either because, 1. It has a lot of zucchini in it which automatically justifies eating it whenever, 2. also made with whole wheat, and 3. it’s totally ok to eat chocolate cake for breakfast. I mean people eat donuts for breakfast and that shit is usually fried.
Yeah, this is for sure a dessert/breakfast cake.
The stuff for cake…. Regular all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, and cocoa powder. Some sugar, salt, baking soda and oil. A little vanilla extact and a splash of coffee. And of course, shredded zucchinn
Dump the sugar, salt and baking soda into flour, whisk together, then mix in the oil, vanilla and the coffee. Now add in the shredded zucchini, but right before adding it in, give it a squeeze to remove a little bit of the liquid.
Mix until combined.
And pour batter into a well oiled pan
Feeling fancy? I was so I peeled the green skin from a zucchini and make a little starburst on top
And into the oven to bake…
And it comes out looking so fancy. Let cake cool for a few minutes and carefully flip from pan.
Note. It might not be the best idea to test your cake with a blunt chop stick.. I did and it made the middle sink in a little. No big deal, but next time I will use a fork.
Cooled and removed from pan. Now all you need to do now is eat cake.. I think that’s something you can handle.
Happy Friday!!!!
-C
1 cup white whole wheat (can use regular whole wheat or all all purpose)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup oil (veggie, canola, sufflower)
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups of shredded zucchini
2 tablespoons of coffee
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and sugar. Then add in the oil, vanilla and coffee. Add in the zucchini, but right before, give it a squeeze to remove some of the liquid. (don’t got crazy, just get a little liquid out). Mix until incorporated.
Oil a 9 inch cake pan and pour in the batter. If you want, use zucchini skin to make a pretty design on top (completely optional), and place into preheated oven.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a tester stabbed in the middle comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for at least 5 minutes the gently invert pan to remove cake and place on a rack to cool.
Serve as soon as you want..
Place in mouth, chew, and swallow…..Smile!!!
This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.
Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way too hot to make anything in the oven. So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes.
I love popsicles.
But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)
So get it while you can and make these popsicles!
The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.
Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer.
Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl.
Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff is the rhubarb butter.
Place the rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever) if you want and eat with anything and everything ( I’ve been adding it to the mr’s yogurt and just eating it with a spoon)
And now add the juice of the lime to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever sweetness to taste.
And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.
When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.
A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You have the rhubarb butter to eat while you wait for the popsicles to freeze. So smart
Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!
-C
makes 6 4oz popsicles and about a cup of jam
3 cups chopped rhubarb
2 1/2 cups water
1 lime
Anywhere from 4 tablespoons honey (2 for popsicles and 2 for jam)
Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam
Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours.
When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.
Last night had we had a couple littles (and my little sister who is not so little anymore) over for a cookout and watercolor evening.
It was fantastic. We set them up outside with paint, paper, and brushes and let them have at it. And while they were painting the mr took charge of the grill: cooking up potatoes, corn, and the tofu dogs.
I was cutting up fruit and making a special snack treat of popcorn (who doesn’t love popcorn?) consisting of almond butter, coconut, and chocolate….Almond Joy popcorn.
Addictive like crack. But still safe for children
The littles were more or less indifferent to it ( they are not big coconut fans..I know, but i am making it a mission to make them like it), but the sister and the mr… Lets just say I had to pull out my outdoor voice on them a few times (STOP EATING IT ALL!!!!!)
I think we have a winner here!
The stuff. A large quantity of air popped popcorn, almond butter, chocolate chip, coconut flakes and coconut oil. We also have some extra chocolate chips and a big handful of roasted almonds.
Licking your lips yet?
Start by dumpling your popcorn into the larges baking sheet to pan that you have.. the more surface area the better. Now heat up the almond butter. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave. The trick here is to heat it slowly so you don’t burn it. If doing on the stove, put in a sauce pot and with a fork, constantly stir until a drizzable consistency. If in microwave, stick it in there for 10 second intervals.
Note. I know from experience that there are many different types and consistency of almond butters out there. If your butter seems really stiff and thick, add a teaspoon of coconut oil.
As soon as your almond butter is melted, drizzle all over the popcorn.
With the same pot (no need to clean) place teaspoon of coconut oil in it. Heat oil until hot. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Kepp string until the chips are melted.
And drizzle that all over
Then toss on the coconut chips, chopped almond bits, and the chocolate chip.
With your (clean) hands, give the popcorn a good toss, mixing everything all around.
And now place either in a big bowl or individual cups (great for littles) I happened to have some pink(beet juice stained) shredded coconut on hand, which made for a nice touch of pretty (totally not necessary,but it kinda was). Next time maybe some sprinkles would look nice……
Anyway, be ready to lick you fingers!
And I am giving you ample amount of time to get the ingredients needed for this. Makes the perfect snack for a cookout, a party, or movie night(or Netflix binge)
Happy Day!!!
-C
6-7 cups air poppped popcorn
1/3 cup smooth almond butter
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup chocolate chips plus a handful (use vegan chocolate chip if needed)
1 -2 teaspoon coconut oil
handful of toasted almonds, chopped into pieces
Feel free to play with proportion. You can adjust the amount and ratios of all the ingredients to your taste preference.
Take popcorn and dump on the biggest baking sheet or pan that you have and level it out. Either on the stove or in the microwave, heat almond butter until a melty a runny consistency. If doing so on the stove, make sure to consantly stir while heating* If in microwave, check ever 10 seconds. (burnt almond butter tastes like crap )
*Note. I find that all almond butters are not the same. IF you feel that yours is not melty and drizzable enough, add in a teaspoon of coconut oil.With a spoon or spatula, drizzle all over popcorn. .
Now take the coconut oil and melt on stove or in microwave until hot. Remove from heat, add in chocolate chips and mix around until fully melted. Drizzle all over popcorn .
And last but not least, take the coconut flakes, almond pieces, and the extra handful of chocolate chips and toss those in too. With clean hands, give everything a good mix Dump into a big bowl or individual container.
Eat with hands..lick your fingers clean..
Word of caution…Once you start, you will not be able to stop eating this.
Chomp Chomp Chomp… The sound I make as I eat this freaking fantastic crunchy granola. You know it’s good when the person sitting next to you is annoyed by the sound of you face while eating. I eat a lot of crunchy stuff. And I am pretty sure I annoy the mister a lot.
Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.
So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces.
This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level. It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)
The simplest of stuff. 1 smashed banana, a cup of pureed butternut squash, Vietnamese cinnamon*, honey, and old fashion oats. (and a dash of salt, not shown)
*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated.
Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for people.
Dump the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and give it a little pat, you know, to settle all the bit and pieces together, all cozy and evenly spread out. Now stick into a preheated oven and after about 20 minutes, take out of oven and give the granola a toss, breaking apart any super big chunks or overly wet pieces. Put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (I like my granola super crispy crunchy so I cook it a little longer, like 30 more minutes)And when you are happy with the crunchiness of you granola, remove from oven and let cool, trying not to eat all of it while it sit’s on the counter looking all pretty and smelling like happiness.
Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!
-C
Banana Butternut Granola
3 cups old fashion oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
1 ripe banana, mashed
1 cup butternut squash puree (can use canned)
2 tablespoons Vietnamese cinnamon (or 2 tablespoons regular cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice)
1-3 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice (use greater amount for sweeter)
dash of salt
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.
Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.
Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.
Eat as is, as a cold cereal, dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.
I know that it it spring, but I still have a winter farm share for another month and will be cooking and eating roots and squash until the summer share starts in early June. And I am good with that cause I love me some root veggies and butternut squash. But, yes, it is spring and my body isn’t craving the super hearty, rich foods that it was just a few short weeks ago (more like last week) When the temperatures first start to go up, I usually want my food to not feel as heavy or my spices to be quite at warming (I am still all over curries and hot hot hot sauces in the summer). It’s like I have said before, I tend to change up my spices with the seasons.
So to give a lighter feel to a heartier squash, I busted out one of my favorite spices, the oh so lovely tarragon. It has a sweet, light, fruity and floral taste that pairs beautifully with the squash and onions. It give the dish a nice spring like flavor that will leave you feeling satisfied without wanting to move directly onto the couch and hide under a blanket. This is a eat and ride you bike kind of dish ( you don’t actually have to go for a bike ride if you don’t want to)
Note. If I had a grill, I would definitely cook this dish on it. As of now, I don’t own one so I am left to cook on the stove. But by all means, if you have a grill, do it up!
Half of a medium sized butternut squash (or use a whole one.. I had a half in the fridge that was waiting to be cooked) and one whole onion (two if you use a whole squash) Apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt , pepper, garlic powder, and, last but not least, the oh so fragrant and tasty, tarragon.
Chop the onion and the squash into big chunks. If you don’t like the skin of the squash, you can peel it, but I like it so I don’t peel. Drizzle olive oil in a pan or a baking sheet, toss the veggies in and add the garlic powder, tarragon, salt and pepper and a few splashes of apple cider vinegar. Toss around. Stick into oven at 425 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. When the squash is tender and the onions are cooked, remove from oven.
I am pretty sure you can figure out the rest.
Happy day!
-C
Tarragon Butternut and Onions
Half of Medium Butternut Squash
1 Large Onion
1 Tablespoon Dried Tarragon (use fresh if you have it.. 2 tablespoons)
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Salt ans Pepper
Olive Oil
Chop squash and onions into similar size pieces. Toss in a skillet or on a oiled baking sheet and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss around and place into a 425 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes or until squash is fork tender.
Remove from oven and eat.
Make as a side dish or add to a salad. Eat as a light lunch, or a midnight snack… eat it however you want.
I can’t stop eating these. They are like little balls of crack and I am an addict.
Frozen peanut butter grapes… I mean, I just can’t stop.
So you say you have never frozen your grapes? Well you should. It’s the only way I like to eat them anymore. I was never a huge grape fan, but one day long ago, I discovered the wonder that is the frozen grape and it is amazing, Now whenever grapes are on sale at the grocery store, I buy way to many and end up filling our tiny little freezer with jars and bowls of grapes. Then whenever the mister goes to grab the bag of frozen peas for his sore back or knees, there is almost always a frozen grape avalanche. Why I don’t put a lid on those containers is even a mystery to me. Oh, now I remember.. I want easy access.Oopen the freezer, grab a few grapes, and go on my way… not having a lid to take off makes the process a little easier.
Then one day, the frozen grape game turned into something else, something a little more decadent and even more addicting. Where it came from, I do not know. Maybe it’s some subconscious throwback to a childhood full of peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches, or maybe it’s just that fact that I think peanut butter can pretty much go with anything. But no matter why, I started dipping those frozen grapes into peanut butter and never looked back. And now when I have grapes, it’s all I want to eat.
I am warning you now, once you start making these, watch out, because before you know it, you will develop a frozen grape addiction too. And littles.. they are as easily addicted to these as well. I have seen kids that hate grapes go totally bonkers for these. Just so you know.
The stuff you will need. Washed and drained fresh grapes (green or red. I usually use red but the green were half the price and the red ones didn’t taste very grapie*) Creamy peanut butter, skewers, and a little bit of cinnamon or cocoa powder (optional)
*Note. When you are the store, try before you buy. You know what I mean, eat a few while shopping aground. I say this because not all grape are created equal. Some taste way better than others. I have bought grapes before that didn’t taste like anything or that have really tough skins, and those just piss me off, so eating a few will guarantee that your money is being well spent and that the grapes won’t disappoint you.
Ok, so now let’s make these bad boys.
Simple simple. Two grapes per skewer (or toothpick) Lay on a wax paper covered dish or pan and stick them in the freezer until frozen. When the grapes are frozen, melt peanut butter. Take a big glob and stick in a tall skinny cup or bowl and stick in the microwave or heat in a sauce pan and then transfer to a tall skinny vessel. Take frozen skewed grapes and, one skewer at a time, dip in the peanut butter. Cover with as much or as little of the peanut butter as you want and place on wax paper. If you are feeling feisty, add a sprinkle or cinnamon or even a dash of cocoa powder. Or, this may seem a little crazy, but garlic powder is so F*ing good.(it’s worth at least giving it a try) When all grapes are dipped, place back into freezer for another 10 minutes or so to let the peanut butter set up a bit.
Whenever your ready… Eat. And be so happy. And always keep a back stock of frozen grapes in the freezer. They are the best.
Keep it realz.
-C
Peanut Butter Freezer Grapes
the quantity is up to you, but I recommend making a shit ton!
Creamy Peanut butter (I use organic creamy from Trader Joes, or natural skippy)
Green or Red Grapes
Cinnamon and or cocoa powder (Optional)
Toothpicks or skewers
Wash grapes and skewer 2 grapes onto a stick. Place on a flat surface and stick into the freezer until frozen, which usually takes about an hour.
Once grapes are frozen, stick a big glob of peanut butter into a tall skinny vessel (Like a juice cup or a 4 oz ball jar) and warm to a liquid constancy in the microwave (about 30-45 seconds) or if you don’t have a microwave, stick in a sauce pan, warm on stove, and pour into a glass (what I do)
Remove frozen grapes from freezer and dip into melted peanut butter. Place on a wax paper line tray or pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and or cocoa powder, or not, or a few (whatever you want) and stick back into freezer for another 10 minutes.
Eat as many as you want… Make so many because you will become addicted!
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2015 by maximios • Blog
Let’s see, what did I do yesterday?
Nothing. Well, not completely nothing. I did wake up and go to the gym, but then came home and fell asleep on the floor for more then an hour and woke up in a puddle of drool. I also continued my binge watching of the Mindy Project so I can be up to speed when season 4 started tonight on hulu!!!!!. And I cut up a cantaoplue. That’s a good amount of stuff for one day, right?
Anyway. even when I am gone from home for just a few day, I never really quite feel right when I get back until I cook something inn my kitchen.. So after my floor nap, I got up with a hankering for some of the juicy cantaloupe that I got from last weeks farm share (and forgot to stick in the fridge before we left so I came home to very ripe cantaloupe) Cut it into chunked, tossed with slightly toasted caraway seeds and then caramelized a bit more. Super fresh and clean and a very almost fall like way to eat the melon. And even though it took me about 4 minutes to do, it’s all I needed to make me feel normal again.
Ah, home and food and Mindy.. Nothing better, Now to back doing stuff all day.
The stuff. Some cantaloupe and some caraway seeds.
Place caraway seeds into a dry skillet and place on the stove on high heat. While the seeds are toasting, remove seeds and rind of the cantaloupe and cut into mouth sized chunks and place into a bowl.
Once you hear the fist pop from the seeds, dump them in the bowl with the cantaloupe and toss around. Then dump the seed covered chunks back into the hot skillet.
Sear each side until browned.
And scoop it back into the bowl.
Eat right away. IF you want to get down with a scoop of yogurt on top or maybe a bed of some green, I think you should.
Enjoy you Tuesday my friends.
-C
Toss caraway seeds into a dry skillet and turn heat onto high. Toast seeds for about a minutes or so or until you hear the first seed pop. Dump seeds onto cantaloup chunks and toss around then dump the cantaloupe into hot skillet. Let chunks sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are starting to caramelize. Remove from pan when you are happy with doneness.
Eat right away.
Holy shit is it hot out. My brain is all fizzy, my hair is all frizzy, and my over all being is just blah. I am not a fan of super hot weather (as some of you may know) and am getting more pissy as the days go by and I continue to be a sweaty mess. I don’t want to feel like a big wet slob, I want to feel fresh and clean and wear clothes that are not drenched in sweat. I know, bitch, bitch, bitch, but seriously. Even the world around me is wilting, and in the nice, colorful fall foliage kind of way. It’s all crispy and brown. The garden is barely holding on, the flowers are shriveling in the ground, and a few plants are just plan dead. It’s just too hot.
I think that only plus side of this past week of hot crap weather are these popsicles that I made. They were actually suppose to be a treat for the littles, but guess what, me and the mr ate them and didn’t share, and no, I feel zero bad about it. They were so good, so refreshing, so cold(if only for a minute) and just so needed. A few minute reprieve from being miserably hot. And bonus, a great use of all the watermelon and tomatoes that I have taking over the countertops (I have so much watermelon and tomatoes)
And really, these probably (better freaking be) the last batch of popsicles for the summer so I think I am going to make another batch today, eat them, savor the flavors of summer, and move on from there.
. Maybe I’ll even share them this time.
The stuff. Some watermelon*, a tomato, a handful of basil, and a lime.
*My watermelon had seeds, but you can use seedless. I also removed the green skin, but kept on as much rind as I could, although this particulate melon had very little white rind.
Dump the melon, tomato (cut in a few pieces, the juice of the lime and the basil into a blender. If your melon has seed, don’t worry about removing them.
The stuff all blended up.
. This step is more necessary if you melon is seeded, straining the mixture pretty much caught most of the seed chunks. You can skip this if your melon is seedless.
Now pour the juice into your molds and stick into freezer to freeze.
After about 2 ish hours, remove and stick the sticks into the semi harder pops.
And a few more hours later……Frozen goodness.
And pop one of those suckers out of the mold and savor every frozen delicious bite.
Happy Tuesday… DON’T MELT!
-C
Make six 3.5 oz popsicles
Place all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Strain mixture through a fine strainer into a bowl or jar and pour into popsicle molds.
Place in freezer for a few hours. About 2-3 hours in the freezer, take them out and stick in sticks (or fallow you popsicle molds instructions) Place back into freezer
Once completely frozen, remove from molds and eat with your mouth.
What are your weekend plans?
Me well, I need to can, pickle and eat as much zucchini as I can. And it’s not just zucchini anymore… we are getting into cucumbers too…AAAHHH I know I have said this a few times in the past weeks, but man, I have so manning freaking zucchinis.. and the more I eat, the more I end up with… It’s getting pretty crazy here!
So anyway, yesterday my dad came back to VT, WOO HOO! and I was his first stop on his rotating dinner schedule. (cause I am his favorite child. I think..maybe) I made zucchini noodles for dinner (I have made them every night for the past week) and I wanted to make him dessert, I have all sorts of pretty fruit that I wanted to make and prepare, but I also had little time and honestly, little desire to move all that much (it was so f ing hot!) I already had out the shredder and a bowl, and the zucchini was just sitting there, in the basket taunting me with it’s gigantic green whaleness. So I figured I’d just make a zucchini cake, or better yet, cause my dad really likes chocolate, a chocolate zucchini cake.
This cake is tender and moist, almost like a cakey brownie, so it does not require any frosting which is nice when your dead tired and it’s so hot that any frosting would probably just melt off anyway. (although you could totally frost it up) It makes a great dessert, but I would not hesitate to serve this for breakfast either because, 1. It has a lot of zucchini in it which automatically justifies eating it whenever, 2. also made with whole wheat, and 3. it’s totally ok to eat chocolate cake for breakfast. I mean people eat donuts for breakfast and that shit is usually fried.
Yeah, this is for sure a dessert/breakfast cake.
The stuff for cake…. Regular all purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, and cocoa powder. Some sugar, salt, baking soda and oil. A little vanilla extact and a splash of coffee. And of course, shredded zucchinn
Dump the sugar, salt and baking soda into flour, whisk together, then mix in the oil, vanilla and the coffee. Now add in the shredded zucchini, but right before adding it in, give it a squeeze to remove a little bit of the liquid.
Mix until combined.
And pour batter into a well oiled pan
Feeling fancy? I was so I peeled the green skin from a zucchini and make a little starburst on top
And into the oven to bake…
And it comes out looking so fancy. Let cake cool for a few minutes and carefully flip from pan.
Note. It might not be the best idea to test your cake with a blunt chop stick.. I did and it made the middle sink in a little. No big deal, but next time I will use a fork.
Cooled and removed from pan. Now all you need to do now is eat cake.. I think that’s something you can handle.
Happy Friday!!!!
-C
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and sugar. Then add in the oil, vanilla and coffee. Add in the zucchini, but right before, give it a squeeze to remove some of the liquid. (don’t got crazy, just get a little liquid out). Mix until incorporated.
Oil a 9 inch cake pan and pour in the batter. If you want, use zucchini skin to make a pretty design on top (completely optional), and place into preheated oven.
Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a tester stabbed in the middle comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for at least 5 minutes the gently invert pan to remove cake and place on a rack to cool.
Serve as soon as you want..
Place in mouth, chew, and swallow…..Smile!!!
This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.
Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way too hot to make anything in the oven. So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes.
I love popsicles.
But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)
So get it while you can and make these popsicles!
The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.
Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer.
Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl.
Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff is the rhubarb butter.
Place the rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever) if you want and eat with anything and everything ( I’ve been adding it to the mr’s yogurt and just eating it with a spoon)
And now add the juice of the lime to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever sweetness to taste.
And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.
When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.
A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You have the rhubarb butter to eat while you wait for the popsicles to freeze. So smart
Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!
-C
makes 6 4oz popsicles and about a cup of jam
Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam
Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours.
When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.
Last night had we had a couple littles (and my little sister who is not so little anymore) over for a cookout and watercolor evening.
It was fantastic. We set them up outside with paint, paper, and brushes and let them have at it. And while they were painting the mr took charge of the grill: cooking up potatoes, corn, and the tofu dogs.
I was cutting up fruit and making a special snack treat of popcorn (who doesn’t love popcorn?) consisting of almond butter, coconut, and chocolate….Almond Joy popcorn.
Addictive like crack. But still safe for children
The littles were more or less indifferent to it ( they are not big coconut fans..I know, but i am making it a mission to make them like it), but the sister and the mr… Lets just say I had to pull out my outdoor voice on them a few times (STOP EATING IT ALL!!!!!)
I think we have a winner here!
The stuff. A large quantity of air popped popcorn, almond butter, chocolate chip, coconut flakes and coconut oil. We also have some extra chocolate chips and a big handful of roasted almonds.
Licking your lips yet?
Start by dumpling your popcorn into the larges baking sheet to pan that you have.. the more surface area the better. Now heat up the almond butter. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave. The trick here is to heat it slowly so you don’t burn it. If doing on the stove, put in a sauce pot and with a fork, constantly stir until a drizzable consistency. If in microwave, stick it in there for 10 second intervals.
Note. I know from experience that there are many different types and consistency of almond butters out there. If your butter seems really stiff and thick, add a teaspoon of coconut oil.
As soon as your almond butter is melted, drizzle all over the popcorn.
With the same pot (no need to clean) place teaspoon of coconut oil in it. Heat oil until hot. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips. Kepp string until the chips are melted.
And drizzle that all over
Then toss on the coconut chips, chopped almond bits, and the chocolate chip.
With your (clean) hands, give the popcorn a good toss, mixing everything all around.
And now place either in a big bowl or individual cups (great for littles) I happened to have some pink(beet juice stained) shredded coconut on hand, which made for a nice touch of pretty (totally not necessary,but it kinda was). Next time maybe some sprinkles would look nice……
Anyway, be ready to lick you fingers!
And I am giving you ample amount of time to get the ingredients needed for this. Makes the perfect snack for a cookout, a party, or movie night(or Netflix binge)
Happy Day!!!
-C
Feel free to play with proportion. You can adjust the amount and ratios of all the ingredients to your taste preference.
Take popcorn and dump on the biggest baking sheet or pan that you have and level it out. Either on the stove or in the microwave, heat almond butter until a melty a runny consistency. If doing so on the stove, make sure to consantly stir while heating* If in microwave, check ever 10 seconds. (burnt almond butter tastes like crap )
*Note. I find that all almond butters are not the same. IF you feel that yours is not melty and drizzable enough, add in a teaspoon of coconut oil.With a spoon or spatula, drizzle all over popcorn. .
Now take the coconut oil and melt on stove or in microwave until hot. Remove from heat, add in chocolate chips and mix around until fully melted. Drizzle all over popcorn .
And last but not least, take the coconut flakes, almond pieces, and the extra handful of chocolate chips and toss those in too. With clean hands, give everything a good mix Dump into a big bowl or individual container.
Eat with hands..lick your fingers clean..
Word of caution…Once you start, you will not be able to stop eating this.
Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.
So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces.
This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level. It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)
*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.
Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated.
Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for people.
Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!
-C
Banana Butternut Granola
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.
Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.
Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.
Eat as is, as a cold cereal, dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.
So to give a lighter feel to a heartier squash, I busted out one of my favorite spices, the oh so lovely tarragon. It has a sweet, light, fruity and floral taste that pairs beautifully with the squash and onions. It give the dish a nice spring like flavor that will leave you feeling satisfied without wanting to move directly onto the couch and hide under a blanket. This is a eat and ride you bike kind of dish ( you don’t actually have to go for a bike ride if you don’t want to)
Note. If I had a grill, I would definitely cook this dish on it. As of now, I don’t own one so I am left to cook on the stove. But by all means, if you have a grill, do it up!
I am pretty sure you can figure out the rest.
Happy day!
-C
Tarragon Butternut and Onions
Chop squash and onions into similar size pieces. Toss in a skillet or on a oiled baking sheet and add the rest of the ingredients. Toss around and place into a 425 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes or until squash is fork tender.
Remove from oven and eat.
Make as a side dish or add to a salad. Eat as a light lunch, or a midnight snack… eat it however you want.
Frozen peanut butter grapes… I mean, I just can’t stop.
So you say you have never frozen your grapes? Well you should. It’s the only way I like to eat them anymore. I was never a huge grape fan, but one day long ago, I discovered the wonder that is the frozen grape and it is amazing, Now whenever grapes are on sale at the grocery store, I buy way to many and end up filling our tiny little freezer with jars and bowls of grapes. Then whenever the mister goes to grab the bag of frozen peas for his sore back or knees, there is almost always a frozen grape avalanche. Why I don’t put a lid on those containers is even a mystery to me. Oh, now I remember.. I want easy access.Oopen the freezer, grab a few grapes, and go on my way… not having a lid to take off makes the process a little easier.
Then one day, the frozen grape game turned into something else, something a little more decadent and even more addicting. Where it came from, I do not know. Maybe it’s some subconscious throwback to a childhood full of peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches, or maybe it’s just that fact that I think peanut butter can pretty much go with anything. But no matter why, I started dipping those frozen grapes into peanut butter and never looked back. And now when I have grapes, it’s all I want to eat.
I am warning you now, once you start making these, watch out, because before you know it, you will develop a frozen grape addiction too. And littles.. they are as easily addicted to these as well. I have seen kids that hate grapes go totally bonkers for these. Just so you know.
*Note. When you are the store, try before you buy. You know what I mean, eat a few while shopping aground. I say this because not all grape are created equal. Some taste way better than others. I have bought grapes before that didn’t taste like anything or that have really tough skins, and those just piss me off, so eating a few will guarantee that your money is being well spent and that the grapes won’t disappoint you.
Ok, so now let’s make these bad boys.
Simple simple. Two grapes per skewer (or toothpick) Lay on a wax paper covered dish or pan and stick them in the freezer until frozen.
When the grapes are frozen, melt peanut butter. Take a big glob and stick in a tall skinny cup or bowl and stick in the microwave or heat in a sauce pan and then transfer to a tall skinny vessel. Take frozen skewed grapes and, one skewer at a time, dip in the peanut butter. Cover with as much or as little of the peanut butter as you want and place on wax paper. If you are feeling feisty, add a sprinkle or cinnamon or even a dash of cocoa powder. Or, this may seem a little crazy, but garlic powder is so F*ing good.(it’s worth at least giving it a try) When all grapes are dipped, place back into freezer for another 10 minutes or so to let the peanut butter set up a bit.
Keep it realz.
-C
Peanut Butter Freezer Grapes
the quantity is up to you, but I recommend making a shit ton!
Wash grapes and skewer 2 grapes onto a stick. Place on a flat surface and stick into the freezer until frozen, which usually takes about an hour.
Once grapes are frozen, stick a big glob of peanut butter into a tall skinny vessel (Like a juice cup or a 4 oz ball jar) and warm to a liquid constancy in the microwave (about 30-45 seconds) or if you don’t have a microwave, stick in a sauce pan, warm on stove, and pour into a glass (what I do)
Remove frozen grapes from freezer and dip into melted peanut butter. Place on a wax paper line tray or pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and or cocoa powder, or not, or a few (whatever you want) and stick back into freezer for another 10 minutes.
Eat as many as you want… Make so many because you will become addicted!