This week was good. Two days in a row the front door was open, the window was open and the heater was off, which pretty much made me that happiest person in the world. My spring cleaning brain has kicked in and I want to clean everything (even the walls). I even spent a good part of an afternoon moving and rearranging furniture. (The house ended up basically the same as when I started) And one of the best parts of the week….most of the snow melted! I am getting super hyped to start raking, cleaning, planting and weeding and and just getting really dirty! Oh how I love the spring!
Here are a few internet things from the week
– Ancient Grains are new again About time!
– This article about the chemistry of cookies is a good one….
– Oooohh pretty. String art
-How to Do Fishtail or Herringbone Braids Step by Step I need to start doing something with my hair besides a really sloppy pony tail that I don’t take out for days on end.
-I think I want to make this Honeycomb shelves.
And some real life happy Oh Intervale Community Farm..I love you. I picked up my farm share and was especially pumped for another gigantic kohlrabi and some locally grown, locally milled wheat flour.
The trees, they are a budding
The perfect ripeness, destined for naner ice-cream!
My sister and I took this little for a sled ride through the wood where there was snow (but it was 45 degrees!) The hike ended up with me pulling her through a field of mud. It was fantastic.
One year ago today. Dinner with my favorite people.
Hope your weeks was awesome and warm..Spring is just about here to stay!
Have a great week!
-C
We made it ! FRIDAY!!! Fridays always make me think about Steve Urkel, you know, the geeky guy from the show Family Matters who’s catch phrase was “Did I do that?. Weird, I know, but when I was a kid, Fridays meant TGIF on abc (the Tv show line up) It was something I looked forward to all week. Get out of school, go home, have dinner (usually pizza) and spend the night in front of the Tv. And honestly, not mush has changed. We still keep Fridays the same. Work, Pizza, and Tv.. Just now its not Family Matters and Urkel, but Netflix binge watching and me making the mister a fancy ass pizza. But if Family Matters makes it to Netflix… I will for sure be watching that!
So anyways, This particular pizza was inspired by a small batch of kohlrabi and red cabbage sauerkraut I made, plus a block of swiss cheese that I found hidden in the back if the fridge. I guess it was meant to be. The mister was much into this concoction… like I will be making this again and maybe again after that. Its kind of like a reuben, but without the corn beef, which you could totally add if you wanted, or the mayo and ketchup dressing, which you could swap in instead of the mustard sauce. You can even make it vegan if you use vegan cheese. Do what ever you need to do here cause hey, its your pizza to eat.
The stuff. Pizza dough, stone ground mustard, shredded swiss cheese, kraut, and caraway seeds. The dough is rolled out and smeared with the mustard. (The mister said I could have added more)Top that with the kraut
Cheese goes next and a good sprinkle of caraway seeds too. Now stick that lovely into the oven.And after 15minutes, this is what you get… Bubbly, cheesy, crusty pizza. And it’s for real one of the prettiest pizzas that I ever have made. Slice and serve…. and eat in front of the TV.
HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!
-C
Kind of a Reuben Sauerkraut and Swiss Pizza
This is the stuff you will need..adjust the amounts to you liking
Pizza dough (this dough or store bought)
1/4 cup Stone Ground Mustard
1 cup Cabbage and Kohlrabi Sauerkraut ( or just regular sauerkraut)
1 cup Swiss Cheese (Use vegan cheese to make this pizza is vegan)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Preheat oven to 450
Roll out the pizza dough to desired thickness and place on skillet or baking sheet. Smear with mustard, then layer the sauerkraut then cheese, and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Place into oven to cook for about 15 minutes. Pizza is done when dough s cooked and cheese is all nice and bubbly.
Remove from oven, let cool for a minute, cut into slices, and eat.
WOO WHOA!! MARDI GRAS! I wish I was down in New Orleans today celebrating… and soaking up some warmth and sunshine, catching beads, maybe even taking my shirt off(?!!?)
No, I keep my shirt on today because I am not like that, and also, I would die of hypothermia. Today I wear a shirt, underneath 5 other shirts ad sweaters. Because today is just another day of -20 below here in Vermont.
To keep me from going completely crazy, I am thinking of warm weather and I am thinking of New Orleans (love that place!) and the humongo celebration that’s been going on there for the past week. Everyone partying out in the streets. Big floats and beads all around. I might be feeling a little jealous, (more of the weather then the partying) but thats ok, I have TV to watch and a warm comforter to wrap myself up in. And maybe I should have done a post of fried donuts or of some type of alcohol party drink to celebrate the day, but I really just wanted to make something warm and spicy, so I went with some dank cajun beans. And also I wanted to sing…. “Beans Beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot!!” hehe
But for real, these beans are sooooo f-ing tasty and super versatile. You can serve the spicy beans with the rice or just eat just the beans. You could do the beans and add to a bed of kale (me) or add cheese, guacamole and a few corn tortillas to the mix (the mister). Simple to make, super tasty and full of flavor! And pretty freaking heathy to boot! This dish gets an A+!
This dish is so full of flavor but so simple to make. We start with presoaked black beans drained and rinsed. Cajun seasoning (which is basically 1 part onion powder, thyme, oregano, and 2 parts paprika, garlic powder, cayenne power, and salt and pepper) Sliced onion and jalapeno, and a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Oh, and the rice.
Beans are in a pot filled with water unit beans are completely sumerged. Add in the onion, jalapeño, tomato paste and cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil then cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes….. After about a half hour, start up the rice. Water in pot with rice, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
The rice is done and fluffed with at fork. The beans are cooked with just the tiniest bit of bite, bathing in a thick spicy tomatoey sauce. The chunks of onion and jalapeño have broken down and are hiding in every bite…. Oh so good!
Now get ready for the bowl!!! Bringing a little spice and nice to this crazy cold winter day or any fun festivities you may have planned.
Have a Fantastic Day.. Stay Warm or if you already are.. lucky you!
-C
Cajun Black Beans and Rice
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dried black beans* soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight..Rinse and strained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
salt and pepper
1 Jalapeño
1 small yellow onion
1 tomato (I used a large roma)
1 1/2 cup of dried rice plus 3 cups water
*If you want to use canned beans, go for it…Just sub in 2 cans rinsed and strained black beans and only add a cup of water to the beans. Pre sauté the onion and the jalapeño before adding to the beans and only simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.
Place you soaked beans into a pot and fill with water until the beans are completely summered. Slice the jalapeño and onion and add to the pot along with the tomato paste and the cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn heat down to low. Let simmer for about 45 minutes or until the beans are completely cooked.
When the beans are about half way done, add rice to water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, place a lid on pot and turn heat down to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.
To sever. place a scoop of two of rice to a bowl and top with a scoop of two of beans.… Top with diced tomatoes and scallions… (The mister added shredded pepper jack to his and thought it was excellent)
Eat with a fork or spoon.
There is a joke about Vermonters, that all we talk about is the weather. Well, it’s kind of true. But to our defense, we get a lot of weather, and it’s always changing and intense and both lovely and crazy and all over. So yeah, we talk. A lot, about the weather. And on that topic, I am trying so hard not to complain, but honestly, I am getting a little sick, both physically and mentally from all of these super, to freaking cold temperatures. Yesterday the high was 0 ( which was at like 2 in the morning) and factor in the windchill, the temp stayed at like 25 below. It f**king sucks. I can’t stay outside for too long or else I will probably die. The dog is having a hard time making it around the block before he gets ice paws, and the mister, well he even started wearing gloves (he wears a sweater all winter and never gets cold…..he is officially cold)
And not only is the cold keeping us all indoors, but its making us all borderline sick. We both have been fighting something for the past few week. The headaches, stuffy nose, chest congestions. The puppy is getting super dry skin and gave himself a hot spot. BLAh!! Ok, enough! No more complaining
Because I do really love the winter and all the pretty snow!!!!
But we are feeling kind of sick so to make us feel oh so much better, a fantastic, super tasty, healing, good for me, good for you, soup. Turmeric ginger carrot… oh man. Made with lots of ginger, turmeric and garlic and finished with a drizzle of raw honey. This soup is exactly what we need. All ingredients scream.. FEEL GOOD, BE WARM AND COZY! Almost everything in it has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties. The veggies are hearty and heathy and just eating soup helps to keep hydrated. And the best part..it tastes so freaking amazing.
So whether you are feeling a little mah, or just a little hungry.…this soup is where it’s at!
Lots of chopped up carrots, a small onion, a little bit of cauliflower I had left over and a small beet. If you don’t have the cauliflower and or a beet, just use ares pepper or another 2 carrots.. no biggy.
Then we have the fresh ginger ( you can use powdered) turmeric and garlic. All the good healthy spicy and yummy stuff.
I accidentally spilled the turmeric on the counter..but it kind of looks like I might have done it on purpose… yeah, let’s go with that. Chop the garlic and he ginger into chunksAnd toss into the pot to warm and activate. Just a little toasty toast.
And the veggies are roasted and tender and smell so good. It took a lot of will power to not eat the whole pan right there.
I added the roasted veggies and 3 cups water straight into my pot with the spices because I used an emulsion blender. If you are using normal blender, add the veggies, the toasted spices and the water to the blender and blend until smooth. Then transfer to a pot.
Pretty much all blended together….(I left a few big chunks in there to snack on while I was waiting to eat serve…I was really hungry) and let to simmer for a little longer…
And now ladle into a bowl and get ready for a fantastic finish… drizzle a spoonful of raw honey into soup…….so so good. You could add the honey before serving, but heating it kills all the good antibacterial stuff so that’s why we wait. Then I sprinkle some chopped kale and chives. (do it if you want, but not necessary)
Now enjoy. Let the warmth wash over you and feel all those good spices helping to fight the good fight to keep you well and all the yummy to satisfy your hunger.
And lets hope for some warm (above 0!!) weather!
-C
Turmeric Ginger Carrot Soup
Ingredients
5 large carrots
1 small onion
1 small beet*
quarter head cabbage ( or a cup of frozen)*
2-3 teaspoons turmeric
2-3 tablespoons fresh ginger (1/2 teaspoon if using powdered)
4-6 cloves garlic
salt pepper
raw honey (omit if vegan)
* If you don’t have or want to use beet and or the cauliflower, you can use a red pepper, a small sweet potato, or just use a few more carrots.
Chop all veggies into similar sized chunks and toss into a lightly oiled pan or on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Stick in oven at 425 for about 30 minutes or until all veggies are fork tender.
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, toss chopped garlic, ginger and the turmeric and place on medium heat for a few minutes to activate the spices. Add the roasted veggies and 3 cups water to pot (if using emulsion blender) and blend until smooth. If using a blender, add the toasted spices, roasted veggie and 3 cups water and blend until smooth then transfer to a large pot or dutch oven. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat down to simmer and let cook for an addition 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, ladle soup into bowl and drizzle a spoonful of raw honey into soup. Garnish with fresh chopped kale, chives, cabbage or whatever you want. (or nothing is good too)
No matter what is going on in my day, seeing a blue sky like this puts a smile on my face….To bad that smile turned to ice and my face froze in place. Because for some reason, winter around here now means below zero all the time. I mean, I love winter, but I am not going to lie… I wouldn’t mind if the wind would stop blowing and we had a couple of days of above zero weather.. and maybe a good foot of snow. I guess I’ll just have to be patient, cause its bound to happen. I mean, we live in Vermont, and if nothing else, we get weather.
Anyways.. another week full of stuff that fills. I am a little taken aback that its already February… when was it January? Time just keeps going by fast and faster, (especially when I get cabin fever) and I think, “What have I done in the past year?” Well, I have done a lot. I was just looking through pictures from a year ago and found some of our tiny home in working progress. Not to many people can remodel a five unit house and a meat locker to live in, within a year.. by ourselves. (ourselves being Nick and I)..So yeah, that made me feel pretty freaking awesome and accomplished. (I needed to remember that because I haven’t been feeling it) But now I am feeling inspired and am looking forward to some new projects and fun things to come! (hopefully getting my pottery studio up and running, maybe another house remodel and lots of traveling!!…. take that winter blues!)
Anyway.. here are a few little bits from my week that made me happy.
The mister called these snow mounds goosebumps… I think that is exactly what they are
The only warm day this week. (20..woo whoo!) Took the little out for a sled ride. She spent the entire time dragging her hands in the fresh snow.
And oh how I cannot handle how freaking cute she is!! Plus, a shout out to my brother in law….MADLOVE!
Fresh snow..Even though it was -15, I had to stop and take this picture. The colors were amazing
Cabbage at the farm share pick up! Love ICF!!!
89 cents a pound for fresh organic cranberries. Score!! Made these Oatmeal fresh cranberry coconut chocolate chip cookies with them. Big hit.
This picture was taken exactly a year ago…..The mister and I were finally putting in the bathroom of our tiny little home…. And look at that awesome sink! (another amazing salvage yard find) If you ever need or want to remodel a bathroom, I suggest using a old cast iron utility sink. So practical, so functional, so pretty.….it makes me happy everyday!
Happy Sunday!
Happy February!
And if you are into it….
Happy Football Super bowl Game and or party! ( If you need any awesome fast party recipes, I have bunch, just check out the recipes page!)
-C
How awesome will you be when you bring the most freaking amazing tortilla chips to the party this weekend? You will be like..”what, it ain’t no thang.. I am just good like that” Yes, yes you are.
And yes, I am assuming that you will be making these awesome chippers to share at a Super Bowl part this weekend. I say this because even as I sit here writing this (with the TV on) there has been nothing but football talk…deflated balls, hot wings, half time shows and commercials. It’s almost as big as Christmas. Got to get the decorations, the special game day food and your football jerseys. It’s crazy and all over the place. So that’s why I am assuming you are making these for the game. But if you not going to be participating in any football parties.. by all means, make these chips for yourself anyways. Celebrate you day! Have a non football watching party. Or just make these whenever. Jalapeño Lime chips for everyday!
Note: You can make these chips without the jalaeno and or the lime if you need or want to. You can also stop after the first step and have some dank corn totillas for tacos ands stuff..But definitely make the chips… worth it for sure!
All the stuff.. Masa harina, hot water, salt, a lime and a jalapeño. Zest lime and place half the zest into a glass bowl with oil and either sit on warm oven or microwave for 30 seconds to infuse. Puree the jalapeño with a cup of hot water and add the puree and half the zest of a lime, plus salt, to the masa harina. Mix it all up with another 1/2 cup of water or enough to make the dough resemble play dough… You can add more water or masa if you dough is to wet or dry.
Knead dough a few times just to make sure it’s completely uniformed and divide into 12-14 equal pieces. Place balls on a plate and cover with a wet paper towl to keep from drying out.
I do not own a tortilla press so I used what I had… wax paper, a wooded cutting board and brunt force. I took each ball and place it between the two pieces of the waxed paper, placed the cutting board on top, and with all my might and body weight, pressed down to smoosh. It works like a charm.
My cast iron skillet is big enough to cook 2 -3 at a time, but doing one at a time is cool too. Preheat the skillet to medium heat. Cook each tortilla for about 2-3 minutes ( or until starting to brown) on each side. Half way there to chips!!!
With my fingers ( you can using a basting brush for sure), I rubbed a little of the lime oil all over both sides of each tortilla. Stacked a few high, then sliced those tortillas into triangle shapes. If you want to go crazy, you could cut them into strips or even use a cookie cutter and do some fun shapes… but triangle are easy, classic, and practical. A good shape for dipping!
Placed all nice and cozy on a baking sheet. trying not to overlap. Into a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes to complete the chip making process.. After about 15 minutes, check for doneness. When nice a crispy, remove from oven, squeeze lime juice all over and sprinkle with salt. I then stuck them back in the oven for a few more minutes just to dry the lime..
After cooling down, take those chips and stick them in a bowl.
Eat a few, but wait and save them for the party. Or better yet, make a few batches. Bring a batch, eat a batch. (Its ok, you are allowed)
Eat with some salsa, maybe some of this guacamole, or just as they are…Anyway is the right way as long as you are eating!
Have fun making these and have fun getting read for the party this weekend (Super Bowl or not!)
-C
Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips
Makes 12-14 tortillas.. then made into a medium bowl of tortilla chips.
Ingredients
2 cups masa harina
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups hot water
1 teaspoon salt
1 lime (juice and zest)
1 large or 2 small jalapeños
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
To start, zest lime and add 1/2 of the zest to bowl with the oil. Place oil on warm spot on stove to let the oil infuse the limeness.
Take jalapeno and puree with 1 cup of hot water. In a large bowl, add puree and remaining lime zest to the masa harina and mix, adding an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water until the dough resembles play dough, not to soft, but not to dry and completely incorporated
Divide dough into 12-14 balls and place on a plate under a wet paper towel to keep dough from drying out.
One at a time, take a dough ball and place between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. Place either a plate or cutting board on top and press down as hard as you can (you could even stand on it). Remove flatten tortilla from paper and place in medium hot skillet. Cook each tortilla for 2-3 minutes on each side.
When all tortillas have been made, lightly rub lime oil on all over both sides. Stack a few on top of each other and cut into triangles. Place pieces on a baking sheets (I used 2) and bake at 400 for 15- 20 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy. When chips are done, remove from oven, squeeze or sprinkle lime juice on chips and sprinkle with salt. Stick back into oven for another 2 or so minutes to re-crisp from the lime juice.
Remove and let cool completely, then dump into a bowl
Enjoy!
What a week. It was my birthday, which if you know me, is not usually something I like to talk about. I’m not sure exactly why, but I am not really big on celebrating my own birthday. Or its more like I hide away from everyone around my birthday. ( I am not good with attention) But this year I tried. I had a couple little dinners with family, went on a few good hikes, gave the dog a bath (had to mention it because it was so needed and I was so happy to have a cleaner, less smelly dog..which lasted all of about 12 hours) and tried to relax and enjoy myself. The mister and I also did a bunch of little house repair projects that have been needed to be done (Birthday wish list). All and all, I had a good week. And now the birthday week is over and we can get back to normal, not bugging me, hectic, crazy, life. That makes me happy. Here are a few of my happy bits from the big week.
A birthday bouquet of veggies. My lover knows me oh so well.
I went to get myself a new skien if yarn and stumbled upon this wall display of sprinkles.. It took a lot to not buy a bunch.
Every year I buy myself some special food for my birthday week. This is the bulk section at the local coop. They got in a bunch of new local dried beans!!!! Local birthday week beans. ( yes, beans make me happy)
This hike was pretty treacherous, the whole trail was covered in this ice…. but look how cool it is.
Huggable mountains
Birthday hike with big trees and a happy dog.
Split peas with tons of purple cabbage and purple onions plus chunks or bright orange carrots.. So freaking pretty and so freaking tasty!
And last but not least..a throw back that made me smile…Moving day last summer. Our truck full of my house plants. I love my plants.
So now we go onto the last week of January! (holy crap, where has the time go?)
Have a great week!
-C
Soft huggable mountains…..happy all over!
It started last month when I decided to make cool shaped pillows for all the little littles in family. (they all got fruit or veggies shapes…so cool. I wish I took some pictures) I needed to make a bunch so I went a bought this humongo box of stuffing thinking that I would end up using most of it and maybe have a little left over to make myself a pill or two. Oh man was I wrong. Those hug boxes could stuff a hundred pillows…the stuffers of stuffing really stuff those boxes stuffed! Now I had this giant box of stuffing and a bunch of extra fabric so I just figured that I’d make everyone in my family a pillow. I didn’t want to make the any more food shapes but still wanted to do something fun and pretty and huggable. …and then it came to me, A mountain! I mean, who wouldn’t want to hug a mountain?
So I made all the adults in my family a mountain for Christmas. (I am so nice). A couple of weeks went by, I had a little extra time and thought, “I should make a mountain pillow for me!”And if you are anything like me (super awesome), one mountain is just not enough and you will make an entire mountain range of pillows…… Mountains all over!
This pillow is so easy, no fuss, and can be made any size you like. I made mine on the smaller side, but if you have the fabric and the stuffing, why not go big? Do what feels right to you.
And I have to add, these pillows are really great gifts… I am thinking maybe a lovely Valentines day mountain? Doesn’t that sound fantastic?
What you will need:
Sewing machine.(you can hand sew but machine is much much faster)
Two pieces(or one piece folded in half) of fleece* for the mountain
One small piece of fleece in another color for the mountain top
Needle
Thread
Stuffing
Note: You can use other fabrics, but fleece is more forgiving because it had a little stretch, plus it soft and cuddly.
To start, take you main color of fleece and cut into a mountainy triangle shape. You can go tall and skinny or short and fat….. any shape you want. If you feel like you need to make a paper template and use that to cut, go for it, but I don’t think you really need to.
Next, take the contrasting color fleece (the peak) and cut a large square. Line up with the top of the mountain peak underneath.
Cut the piece for the peak in a jagged up and down pattern. Place right side up onto the base of the mountain and trim away excess fabric.
Using the zig zag stitch on your machine, sew the jagged edges of the mountain peak right side up onto the right side of the mountain. Go slowly, but don’t worry about making it perfect, just make sure to sew over all the jagged edges.
Now turn the two pieces right sides facing in on each other. Change the stitch on you machine to a straight stitch and sew around the perimeter of the mountain, leaving a small hole in the bottom.
And make sure to check your seams!
Fold it right side out and stuff it. I started with little bits of the stuffing in each of the corners, then filled in the middle, it makes it easier to fill.
Once you are happy with your stuff job, thread a needle and hand sews the hole shut.
A soft, huggable, and oh so grand mountain.
I know, so fantastic…one is just not enough. And if you have gone to the trouble of pulling out the sewing machine, you might as well make a bunch. Just do it!
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 19, 2015 by maximios • Blog
Here are a few internet things from the week
– Ancient Grains are new again About time!
– This article about the chemistry of cookies is a good one….
– Oooohh pretty. String art
-How to Do Fishtail or Herringbone Braids Step by Step I need to start doing something with my hair besides a really sloppy pony tail that I don’t take out for days on end.
-I think I want to make this Honeycomb shelves.
And some real life happy
Oh Intervale Community Farm..I love you. I picked up my farm share and was especially pumped for another gigantic kohlrabi and some locally grown, locally milled wheat flour.
Hope your weeks was awesome and warm..Spring is just about here to stay!
Have a great week!
-C
So anyways, This particular pizza was inspired by a small batch of kohlrabi and red cabbage sauerkraut I made, plus a block of swiss cheese that I found hidden in the back if the fridge. I guess it was meant to be. The mister was much into this concoction… like I will be making this again and maybe again after that. Its kind of like a reuben, but without the corn beef, which you could totally add if you wanted, or the mayo and ketchup dressing, which you could swap in instead of the mustard sauce. You can even make it vegan if you use vegan cheese. Do what ever you need to do here cause hey, its your pizza to eat.
HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!
-C
Kind of a Reuben Sauerkraut and Swiss Pizza
This is the stuff you will need..adjust the amounts to you liking
Preheat oven to 450
Roll out the pizza dough to desired thickness and place on skillet or baking sheet. Smear with mustard, then layer the sauerkraut then cheese, and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Place into oven to cook for about 15 minutes. Pizza is done when dough s cooked and cheese is all nice and bubbly.
Remove from oven, let cool for a minute, cut into slices, and eat.
No, I keep my shirt on today because I am not like that, and also, I would die of hypothermia. Today I wear a shirt, underneath 5 other shirts ad sweaters. Because today is just another day of -20 below here in Vermont.
To keep me from going completely crazy, I am thinking of warm weather and I am thinking of New Orleans (love that place!) and the humongo celebration that’s been going on there for the past week. Everyone partying out in the streets. Big floats and beads all around. I might be feeling a little jealous, (more of the weather then the partying) but thats ok, I have TV to watch and a warm comforter to wrap myself up in. And maybe I should have done a post of fried donuts or of some type of alcohol party drink to celebrate the day, but I really just wanted to make something warm and spicy, so I went with some dank cajun beans. And also I wanted to sing…. “Beans Beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot!!” hehe
But for real, these beans are sooooo f-ing tasty and super versatile. You can serve the spicy beans with the rice or just eat just the beans. You could do the beans and add to a bed of kale (me) or add cheese, guacamole and a few corn tortillas to the mix (the mister). Simple to make, super tasty and full of flavor! And pretty freaking heathy to boot! This dish gets an A+!
This dish is so full of flavor but so simple to make. We start with presoaked black beans drained and rinsed. Cajun seasoning (which is basically 1 part onion powder, thyme, oregano, and 2 parts paprika, garlic powder, cayenne power, and salt and pepper) Sliced onion and jalapeno, and a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Oh, and the rice.
Now get ready for the bowl!!!
Bringing a little spice and nice to this crazy cold winter day or any fun festivities you may have planned.
Have a Fantastic Day.. Stay Warm or if you already are.. lucky you!
-C
Cajun Black Beans and Rice
Ingredients
*If you want to use canned beans, go for it…Just sub in 2 cans rinsed and strained black beans and only add a cup of water to the beans. Pre sauté the onion and the jalapeño before adding to the beans and only simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.
Place you soaked beans into a pot and fill with water until the beans are completely summered. Slice the jalapeño and onion and add to the pot along with the tomato paste and the cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn heat down to low. Let simmer for about 45 minutes or until the beans are completely cooked.
When the beans are about half way done, add rice to water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, place a lid on pot and turn heat down to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.
To sever. place a scoop of two of rice to a bowl and top with a scoop of two of beans.… Top with diced tomatoes and scallions… (The mister added shredded pepper jack to his and thought it was excellent)
Eat with a fork or spoon.
And not only is the cold keeping us all indoors, but its making us all borderline sick. We both have been fighting something for the past few week. The headaches, stuffy nose, chest congestions. The puppy is getting super dry skin and gave himself a hot spot. BLAh!! Ok, enough! No more complaining
Because I do really love the winter and all the pretty snow!!!!
But we are feeling kind of sick so to make us feel oh so much better, a fantastic, super tasty, healing, good for me, good for you, soup. Turmeric ginger carrot… oh man. Made with lots of ginger, turmeric and garlic and finished with a drizzle of raw honey. This soup is exactly what we need. All ingredients scream.. FEEL GOOD, BE WARM AND COZY! Almost everything in it has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties. The veggies are hearty and heathy and just eating soup helps to keep hydrated. And the best part..it tastes so freaking amazing.
So whether you are feeling a little mah, or just a little hungry.…this soup is where it’s at!
Lots of chopped up carrots, a small onion, a little bit of cauliflower I had left over and a small beet. If you don’t have the cauliflower and or a beet, just use ares pepper or another 2 carrots.. no biggy.
Then we have the fresh ginger ( you can use powdered) turmeric and garlic. All the good healthy spicy and yummy stuff.
And now ladle into a bowl and get ready for a fantastic finish… drizzle a spoonful of raw honey into soup…….so so good. You could add the honey before serving, but heating it kills all the good antibacterial stuff so that’s why we wait. Then I sprinkle some chopped kale and chives. (do it if you want, but not necessary)
Now enjoy. Let the warmth wash over you and feel all those good spices helping to fight the good fight to keep you well and all the yummy to satisfy your hunger.
And lets hope for some warm (above 0!!) weather!
-C
Turmeric Ginger Carrot Soup
Ingredients
* If you don’t have or want to use beet and or the cauliflower, you can use a red pepper, a small sweet potato, or just use a few more carrots.
Chop all veggies into similar sized chunks and toss into a lightly oiled pan or on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Stick in oven at 425 for about 30 minutes or until all veggies are fork tender.
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, toss chopped garlic, ginger and the turmeric and place on medium heat for a few minutes to activate the spices. Add the roasted veggies and 3 cups water to pot (if using emulsion blender) and blend until smooth. If using a blender, add the toasted spices, roasted veggie and 3 cups water and blend until smooth then transfer to a large pot or dutch oven. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat down to simmer and let cook for an addition 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, ladle soup into bowl and drizzle a spoonful of raw honey into soup. Garnish with fresh chopped kale, chives, cabbage or whatever you want. (or nothing is good too)
Anyways.. another week full of stuff that fills. I am a little taken aback that its already February… when was it January? Time just keeps going by fast and faster, (especially when I get cabin fever) and I think, “What have I done in the past year?” Well, I have done a lot. I was just looking through pictures from a year ago and found some of our tiny home in working progress. Not to many people can remodel a five unit house and a meat locker to live in, within a year.. by ourselves. (ourselves being Nick and I)..So yeah, that made me feel pretty freaking awesome and accomplished. (I needed to remember that because I haven’t been feeling it) But now I am feeling inspired and am looking forward to some new projects and fun things to come! (hopefully getting my pottery studio up and running, maybe another house remodel and lots of traveling!!…. take that winter blues!)
Anyway.. here are a few little bits from my week that made me happy.
The only warm day this week. (20..woo whoo!) Took the little out for a sled ride. She spent the entire time dragging her hands in the fresh snow.
Happy Sunday!
Happy February!
And if you are into it….
Happy Football Super bowl Game and or party! ( If you need any awesome fast party recipes, I have bunch, just check out the recipes page!)
-C
And yes, I am assuming that you will be making these awesome chippers to share at a Super Bowl part this weekend. I say this because even as I sit here writing this (with the TV on) there has been nothing but football talk…deflated balls, hot wings, half time shows and commercials. It’s almost as big as Christmas. Got to get the decorations, the special game day food and your football jerseys. It’s crazy and all over the place. So that’s why I am assuming you are making these for the game. But if you not going to be participating in any football parties.. by all means, make these chips for yourself anyways. Celebrate you day! Have a non football watching party. Or just make these whenever. Jalapeño Lime chips for everyday!
Note: You can make these chips without the jalaeno and or the lime if you need or want to. You can also stop after the first step and have some dank corn totillas for tacos ands stuff..But definitely make the chips… worth it for sure!
All the stuff.. Masa harina, hot water, salt, a lime and a jalapeño. Zest lime and place half the zest into a glass bowl with oil and either sit on warm oven or microwave for 30 seconds to infuse. Puree the jalapeño with a cup of hot water and add the puree and half the zest of a lime, plus salt, to the masa harina. Mix it all up with another 1/2 cup of water or enough to make the dough resemble play dough… You can add more water or masa if you dough is to wet or dry.
I do not own a tortilla press so I used what I had… wax paper, a wooded cutting board and brunt force. I took each ball and place it between the two pieces of the waxed paper, placed the cutting board on top, and with all my might and body weight, pressed down to smoosh. It works like a charm.
With my fingers ( you can using a basting brush for sure), I rubbed a little of the lime oil all over both sides of each tortilla. Stacked a few high, then sliced those tortillas into triangle shapes. If you want to go crazy, you could cut them into strips or even use a cookie cutter and do some fun shapes… but triangle are easy, classic, and practical. A good shape for dipping!
Eat a few, but wait and save them for the party. Or better yet, make a few batches. Bring a batch, eat a batch. (Its ok, you are allowed)
Eat with some salsa, maybe some of this guacamole, or just as they are…Anyway is the right way as long as you are eating!
Have fun making these and have fun getting read for the party this weekend (Super Bowl or not!)
-C
Jalapeño Lime Tortilla Chips
Makes 12-14 tortillas.. then made into a medium bowl of tortilla chips.
Ingredients
To start, zest lime and add 1/2 of the zest to bowl with the oil. Place oil on warm spot on stove to let the oil infuse the limeness.
Take jalapeno and puree with 1 cup of hot water. In a large bowl, add puree and remaining lime zest to the masa harina and mix, adding an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water until the dough resembles play dough, not to soft, but not to dry and completely incorporated
Divide dough into 12-14 balls and place on a plate under a wet paper towel to keep dough from drying out.
One at a time, take a dough ball and place between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. Place either a plate or cutting board on top and press down as hard as you can (you could even stand on it). Remove flatten tortilla from paper and place in medium hot skillet. Cook each tortilla for 2-3 minutes on each side.
When all tortillas have been made, lightly rub lime oil on all over both sides. Stack a few on top of each other and cut into triangles. Place pieces on a baking sheets (I used 2) and bake at 400 for 15- 20 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy. When chips are done, remove from oven, squeeze or sprinkle lime juice on chips and sprinkle with salt. Stick back into oven for another 2 or so minutes to re-crisp from the lime juice.
Remove and let cool completely, then dump into a bowl
Enjoy!
What a week. It was my birthday, which if you know me, is not usually something I like to talk about. I’m not sure exactly why, but I am not really big on celebrating my own birthday. Or its more like I hide away from everyone around my birthday. ( I am not good with attention) But this year I tried. I had a couple little dinners with family, went on a few good hikes, gave the dog a bath (had to mention it because it was so needed and I was so happy to have a cleaner, less smelly dog..which lasted all of about 12 hours) and tried to relax and enjoy myself. The mister and I also did a bunch of little house repair projects that have been needed to be done (Birthday wish list). All and all, I had a good week. And now the birthday week is over and we can get back to normal, not bugging me, hectic, crazy, life. That makes me happy. Here are a few of my happy bits from the big week.
I went to get myself a new skien if yarn and stumbled upon this wall display of sprinkles.. It took a lot to not buy a bunch.
Birthday hike with big trees and a happy dog.
So now we go onto the last week of January! (holy crap, where has the time go?)
Have a great week!
-C
It started last month when I decided to make cool shaped pillows for all the little littles in family. (they all got fruit or veggies shapes…so cool. I wish I took some pictures) I needed to make a bunch so I went a bought this humongo box of stuffing thinking that I would end up using most of it and maybe have a little left over to make myself a pill or two. Oh man was I wrong. Those hug boxes could stuff a hundred pillows…the stuffers of stuffing really stuff those boxes stuffed! Now I had this giant box of stuffing and a bunch of extra fabric so I just figured that I’d make everyone in my family a pillow. I didn’t want to make the any more food shapes but still wanted to do something fun and pretty and huggable. …and then it came to me, A mountain! I mean, who wouldn’t want to hug a mountain?
So I made all the adults in my family a mountain for Christmas. (I am so nice). A couple of weeks went by, I had a little extra time and thought, “I should make a mountain pillow for me!”And if you are anything like me (super awesome), one mountain is just not enough and you will make an entire mountain range of pillows…… Mountains all over!
This pillow is so easy, no fuss, and can be made any size you like. I made mine on the smaller side, but if you have the fabric and the stuffing, why not go big? Do what feels right to you.
And I have to add, these pillows are really great gifts… I am thinking maybe a lovely Valentines day mountain? Doesn’t that sound fantastic?
What you will need:
Note: You can use other fabrics, but fleece is more forgiving because it had a little stretch, plus it soft and cuddly.
Next, take the contrasting color fleece (the peak) and cut a large square. Line up with the top of the mountain peak underneath.
And make sure to check your seams!
Once you are happy with your stuff job, thread a needle and hand sews the hole shut.
A soft, huggable, and oh so grand mountain.
I know, so fantastic…one is just not enough. And if you have gone to the trouble of pulling out the sewing machine, you might as well make a bunch. Just do it!
Have fun making a mountain range!
-C