Have you ever have lice as an adult? Wait hold on, let%u2019s back up. No I don%u2019t have lice, but I a few years ago I did and whoa that was some shit. (Thats what happens when you hang with littles all the time.) This week my head starting itching like crazy so there was a minute when I thought I might have gotten them again. But I have had it checked, a few times, and it is just dry skin. From all the hats. Because it has been pretty chilly and I have been cold. So no lice, just hats and cold weather making my head itch. Phew!
Anyway, week was up and down. Started off with camping which was amazing. The drive alone down there (Cooliadge State Park) was freaking fantastic. The peak of foliage and oh boy was it peak. And then when we got to the campground, we went on a nice long hike in the most vibrant world of colors. That was a A+ hike fore sure. Then back to the campground to make fire, eat food, cuddle cause it was super duper cold (got to 33) and crawl into the tent for the night. Woke up, very cold, jumped in o the car and hit the road. Back to town we came.
Then another week of stuff. Life stuff. Not fun stuff. Very very stressful stuff. But stuff that needed dealing and is still being dealt with. Mostly the mr, but when the mr is ain%u2019t happy, ain%u2019t nobody happy (HAHA!) so it was kind of another pretty stressful week. And so that is life.
But the good is still good. I don%u2019t have lice, the world is gorgeous, we had a chilly rainy day which are some of my favorite days. I picked up second to last farm share and heavy stocked up on squash and starting knitting a new hat. I made the cutest cookie ever and went to the dentist which actually sucked but is always good to go and be responsible about dental health. Made an ice cream cake and dinner for Barb for her birthday at my moms for her family party (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) The lady turned 20 and I can’t even. Then I made her birthday pancakes on her actual birthday and we went grocery shopping so she could run up and down the isles with the mr collecting all the packages of batteries. Because she is now 20 and needs batteries? Yeah, we will just say that was it. And napped. I took a nap this week and it was amazing. I don%u2019t think I nap enough.
Other then that, the week just flew by. Dealing with the stuff, hanging with the people, doing the work thing.
Now its Sunday and yes, we are doing it, camping. Second to last, if not the last time. Depends on if we get that rain next weekend that the weather people say we are suppose to get. So we are making tonight really count. Going to some land on a mountain out in the middle of no where. We are so in need of this, to get the heck away for the night. And it is going to be beautiful and amazing and we have a great hike planned out and there is not cell service. Winter jacket, hats and mittens, and all the blankets we can fit into the are. I am excited.
Interent links from the week.
-You can now live like Barbie. Oh freaking jeez. Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse!
–Am I Drinking Too Much Seltzer Water? Good question, one I hear all the time.
–Jesus Shoes. For real? For real.
-I want these toilets. I get these toilets. 10 Easy Pieces: Designer Toilets. Tankless toilet..what a dream!.
–Eat, Drink And Be Wary: Ex-CIA Officer Reveals How Eateries Are Key To Spycraft. Totally makes sense.
-Currently in the middle of reading this book. It is so good. Only problem is that I started reading it a few days ago and it is due back at the library in 2 days (I forgot I had it out). It is 550+ pages long and I am not sure I am going to be able to finish it before it is due back. Might have to occur some late fees for this one.
-Coffee without the beans. The day has come. Inside the Seattle Company Plotting Lab-Made %u2018Coffee%u2019 Without Beans
-Another reason to read. Reading Before Bed Might Make You Healthier and Happier
–What Does Sunny D Taste Like? My dad used to buy it when we were kids and all I can remember it tasting like was shit. I think it actually made me throw up once. I was way more a Hi-C girl.
–6.6 lb bucket of tahini%u2026.It%u2019s in my shopping cart.
Pictures from the week
Guess what guys %u2026.I got myself a sick vintage waffle/ griddle iron. I couldn’t be more thrilled!!!%u00a0I found this thing at the local recycled goods store the other day, along with a very beautiful old white pyrex mixing bowl. It was one of my best thrift store scores! (Checking out the inventory and the condition of all the old things that day, I would say an old lady had just died and all her perfectly keep, mint condition kitchen stuff had just been donated. %u00a0But it’s cool, cause I get the feeling that she was at least 90, with a big loving family, and was happy until the day she died. And I am sure she would be pleased that I have taken over the waffle maker. Thanks old lady!)
%u00a0And now I am pretty sure that %u00a0everything I make for the next week will be cooked on said waffle/griddle. I am serious, I already have a list of things to try and cook on it; cookies, biscuits, granola bars, potatoes, fruit, some type of pasta situations%u2026. the list of possibilities is endless and I bet that at least 1/2 of these things will be totally awesome and amazing.
But first thing first. I need to make dinner.
So waffles for dinner!!%u00a0
Note. These waffles are completely 100% fantastic for any meal you want to make them for. They consist of nothing more then beans, a shit ton of veggies, and just a bit of cornmeal. But don’t let that fool you because they are super packed full of so much flavor, have a really soft tender inside, with a nice crispy outside and are so super pretty. They are wonderful!%u00a0The stuff. First, we got a big old pile of shredded up veggies which include; carrot, beet, sweet potato, onion, parsnip, celeriac, and a little bit of kale. %u00a0A we got a bowl of rinsed and strained white beans, a little bit of cornmeal and salt, pepper, and garlic powder.%u00a0
The makings of something amazing!Before you do anything. get your waffle iron out and preheat it.%u00a0
While thats going on, take you beans, %u00a0add 3/4 cup water and puree until smooth with whatever blending device want to like to use. (I used my hand blender%u2026less to clean)Now collect all the shredded veggies and dump into a big bowl with the bean puree, the spices and the cornmeal. Mix until combined. The batter should be thick, but not dry. If its seems to wet, add more corn meal, or too dry, add a little more water.
Note how my batter turned a magical pink%u2026 I love beets, they make everything pretty! And check out that bowl!When your waffle iron is preheated, oil it if needed (if your not sure, add a little oil just to really make sure your waffles don’t stick) and take appropriate size spoonfuls of the batter and stick on iron. Close it and wait%u2026..My iron has a little light that turns on when the waffles are done cooking, so I waited patiently (ok iI did open it a few time) until light tuned on and removed the perfectly cooked waffles.
Did I mention how awesome my new/old vintage iron is?
SO AWESOME!!
I made a little gaucamole and gave the mister and little bowl of plain Greek yogurt with lemon juice, but feel free to top, drizzle, or dump whatever you want onto these beauties%u2026%u00a0
Happy waffle Wednesday!!!
-C
Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles
Makes 8-10 waffles (in my iron) feeds 2-3 peeps
1 small carrot shredded
1 small parsnip shredded
1/2 a small celeriac root
1 small beet shredded
2 kale leaves chopped into tiny bits
1/2 an onion, shredded
1/2 a small sweet potato shredded
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 cups(or 1 can) cooked, rinsed and strained white beans
2 teaspoons garlic powder
teaspoon each salt and pepper
oil for iron(if needed)
Note on veggies%u2026 I used what I had in the fridge and shredded, it came to about 3 cups. If you don’t have these specific veggies or only want to use a few.. go for it. Just make sure to have 3 cups of whatever veggies you use.
Take you beans and blend them up with whatever device you would like to use. Once creamy, add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until combined.
Once the waffle iron is preheated, oil it( if needed) and place the recommended amount of batter right on it there. Close and cook until golden brown and waffly.
Serve on a plate with topping of your choice, A few suggestions.. Guacamole, salsa, hummus, mustard, greek yogurt%u2026 anything that tastes good to you.
Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…
Fork into face
Yesterday I spent the entire day (ok maybe not the entire day), but a the better part of the afternoon defrosting my freezer. Sure, I do the occasional chip chop here and there, just enough from around the freezer door so it will close, but ever few months I notice that everything in the fridge is not staying cold and that the freezer is not freezing stuff. Thats when I know its for real time to defrost. So a few days ago when I noticed my bananas were turing to liquid in the freezer, I knew it what I had to do%u2026.Completely empty the fridge %u00a0and melt/hack away the 2-4 inches of ice build up that accumulated. It is such a freaking pain in the ass.So on this defrosting day, I took all the stuff from the freezer, stuck it in a cooler, and the rest of the stuff, which is basically all veggies, I just tossed on the table.%u00a0As I am hacking away with a metal spatual, a wooden spoon, and a constant rotation of pots of boiling water, I was thinking about dinner. I figured I might as well just eat up as much of the veggies as I could, you know, so I didn’t have to put them back in the fridge. And also, I was getting pretty annoyed because this particular defrosting session was taking way longer the anticipated, which made making dinner seem like another pain in the ass. %u00a0I figured I might as well just eat everything that is already out on the table, which pretty much narrowed down the “whats for dinner” conversations because it was already all over the place. And so dinner was a humongo salad for me, and for the mister, I made him a monster of a veggie sandwich. (my salad was exactly the same stuff as the sandwich, minus the bagel) Easy, fast, super duper yummy, pretty and piled so high with tons of veggies that the fridge is pretty much empty now.%u00a0
Look at the is beast. I don’t call it a monster sandwich for nothing.
The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..
Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado for there is not real sandwich without them. Thinly sliced radishes, cucumber,a and onion for nice crispy crunch. Shredded beets, carrots, and purple cabbage to give %u00a0more crunch and a bit of sweetness. Then of course there needs to be something pickled, so I used banana peppers cause they are the SHIT!! And lastly some hummus for a nice creamy finish (plus a bit of protein) and yellow mustard because mustard on everything is just right. %u00a0Heres to a mountain if goodness that is no longer in the fridge! Served with a another mountain of roasted parsnips and carrots (more stuff from the fridge) and a tall glass of iced tea.
Lucky that today is farm share pick up cause the fridge is pretty much on empty.%u00a0
Yea it’s Thursday!!!!
-C
A Monster Veggie Sandwich
Note. This is just a guide.. Feel free to use whatever veggies you fancy.%u00a0
Either a bagel, 2 slices of bread, or a big chunk of baguette (use a gluten free bread if you want or need too)
Hummus- Homemade or store bought
Mustard
Something pickled like pickles, banana peppers , jalape%u00f1os or all three%u00a0
Lettuce, spinach or some kind of leafy green
Tomato
Avocado
Onion
Radishes
Cucumber
Shredded Carrots
Shredded Beets
Shredded Cabbage
To assemble. Ready your bread.. Toast if you want, and stick it on a plate
On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard. %u00a0
Pick a side, start to stack by evenly disrupting veggies on top of veggies. Place the second piece of bread on top and %u00a0giving a little smooth to keep it together.
And go at it. Cut in half or don’t. Have a napkin or a long sleeve ready to wipe your face.
I don’t know if I have bitched enough about it, but I only have one window in my living space. And as much as I love love love our little tiny loft, I am a person who needs the sun. So when I am home I spend a lot of time siting in front of the window.%u00a0 Over the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of watercolor painting in front of that window and somehow %u00a0between drawings of carrots and %u00a0vintage fans, I ended up making these marbled window stained glass hoops. And I am glade I did because these little watercolor gems really do make a big impact on my one source of sunlight. Even when the day is kind of gray and gloomy, having these in the window make the light seem brighter and happy.%u00a0
We can all use a bright happy window.
So this project is really easy and fast. I recommend that if you are going to go to the trouble (it’s really no trouble) of making one, you might as well make 2 or 5. I actually made a bunch (think Mothers day or Easter presents) and ended up only keeping a s couple. I am going to have to make a few more soon.
You will need-
Watercolors%u00a0
water
paintbrush
Sketch paper*
A pan or tray with a bit of water%u00a0
Embroidery Circles * (As many as you want to make)
*Notes
-I tried to use a few different types of paper and found that the sketch works the best. Watercolor paper was a bit to thick and printer paper just kept ripping.
-You can buy embroidery circles at any craft store and they usually have a good variety of sizes. Use the sizes that you like.
Take a piece(s) of paper a little bit bigger then the hoop you are working with and stick it into a pan or tray of water. Let it sit there for a few minutes until the paper is completely soaked.Take the wet paper and, oh so gently, crumple into a ball. This part can be a little tricky. You want to make as many creases as possible without ripping that paper. (I ripped a few pieces) I found that if I folded that paper a few time, then crumpled that it was less likely to rip.
Uncrumple the paper and lay it gently onto the inner part of the hoop. Now the fun part. Go to town with the watercolors. I used 2 colors per piece, but you could do 1 or 3, or more. When applying the color, use big gentle strokes and let the colors kind of meld together. Watch as all the crumple veins soak up the paint. Try using different dilutions of color. I applied some color on thinly and some on the thicker side. But really, you can’t go wrong, just keep applying paint until you are happy. I stopped a few times and held it up to%u00a0the window just to see what it looked like. When it looked good, I was done.
When you are happy with the colors, let the paper dry for a while on the hoop %u00a0until it is not longer super wet. I would say about an hour or so, but if you stick it near the heater, it might dry faster. (Just don’t stick it in the oven while you are making bread like I did with one.. It just ended up setting on fire. Oops)
Once its pretty much dry, take the outer ring of the hoop and gently place around the inner hoop and tighten. Being super careful, trim the extra paper from the back of the hoop.
Place your pieces in a window and watch them glow. %u00a0Yow now have a happy window.
-C
No matter what is going on in my day, seeing a blue sky like this puts a smile on my face%u2026.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%u2026 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.%u00a0
Anyways.. another week full of stuff that fills. I am a little taken aback that its already February%u2026 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!!%u2026. take that winter blues!)%u00a0
Anyway.. here are a few little bits from my week that made me happy.
The mister called these snow mounds goosebumps%u2026 I think that is exactly what they are%u00a0
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.%u00a0
And oh how I cannot %u00a0handle how freaking cute she is!! Plus, a shout out to my brother in law%u2026.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%u00a0with them. Big hit.
This picture was taken exactly a year ago%u2026..The mister and I were finally putting in the bathroom of our tiny little home%u2026. 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.%u2026.it makes me happy everyday!
Happy Sunday!
Happy February!
And if you are into it%u2026.
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
I eat vegetables like I breath air%u2026 constantly and almost mindlessly. %u00a0Some people are addicted to sugar or coffee, but me, I am addicted to veggies. ( I am also extremely addicted to coffee) This is my truth, but I am ok with it. %u00a0
All week long I have been hearing about this big game going on this weekend, something to do with a ball and running up and down a field%u2026.not quite sure, but I think it might be a big deal to some people.(I know it’s the Super Bowl, and I have heard about some deflated balls, but that’s the extent of my knowledge) %u00a0I have also have been hearing a lot of party planning around this game, food planning, which is something that I do understand. So I wanted to bring a party snack to the mix, and because of my addiction, my mind goes straight to vegetable. I know that there is traditionally a lot of meat, cheese and hot sauce at these said parties, and that’s totally cool, but I think everyone wants to have a least one awesome meatless cheese-less piece of food to snack on during half time. %u00a0So I give the people what they want.%u00a0
So simple, fast and easy to make. Tasty and healthy as can be. Grab and eat with you hands%u2026. and nice to look at. We got the whole package here. %u00a0%u00a0
Pretty much a little bit of everything that I have in my fridge%u2026.Shredded red cabbage, carrots, beets. Some sliced of red onion, tomato and red pepper. Hummus and a little mashed avocado
Yes, it may look like a mess, but that’s just me trying to make five different things at once. But really, making %u00a0these wraps are simple simple. Just take rinsed and dried green or red leaf lettuce, smear on hummus and mashed avocado and pile on the veggies. Roll and stick with a toothpick to keep from unrolling. See%u2026. simple.So many colors%u2026%u2026 so much pretty.%u00a0Wrapped and rolled…Sliced down the middle, just to see all the pretty inside.
These might be veggie wraps, but man, look at those sausage fingers%u2026(hehehe)
Make for lunch, dinner, party, or snack. Eat them for breakfast, dessert or midnight nosh. Whenever, wherever%u2026..YUMMY YUMMY YUM!%u00a0
Happy hump day!%u00a0
-C
Lettuce Wraps%u00a0
Ingredients
Use whatever you want%u2026 but this is what I included in mine
Green leaf lettuce
Shredded red cabbage
shredded %u00a0beets
shredded carrots
%u00a0thinly sliced tomato
thinly sliced red pepper
thinly sliced red onion
hummus
avocado
With each wrap, take a large lettuce leaf and cut out the crunchy rib.(you can slice it up thinly and add to wrap. Smear %u00a0leaf with hummus and smashed avocado, then layer on a bit of each of the veggies. Wrap or roll leaf in on the veggies and stick a toothpick in center to keep from unrolling.%u00a0
Place on a plate and eat or share%u2026 Extras are fantastic to have in the fridge!
Soft huggable mountains%u2026..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%u2026so cool. I wish I took some pictures) %u00a0I needed to make a bunch so I went a bought this humongo box of stuffing %u00a0thinking 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%u2026the stuffers of stuffing really stuff those boxes stuffed! %u00a0Now 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. %u00a0I didn’t want to make the any more food shapes but still wanted to do something fun and pretty and huggable. %u2026and then it came to me, %u00a0A mountain! I mean, who wouldn’t want to hug %u00a0a mountain?%u00a0
So I made all the adults in my family a mountain for Christmas. (I am so nice). %u00a0A 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 %u00a0you will make an entire mountain range of pillows%u2026%u2026 Mountains all over! %u00a0
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.%u00a0
And I have to add, these pillows are really great gifts%u2026 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%u2026.. any shape you want. %u00a0If 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.
%u00a0Next, take the contrasting color fleece (the peak) and cut a large square. %u00a0Line up with the top of the mountain peak underneath.
Cut the piece for the peak%u00a0in a jagged %u00a0up and down pattern. Place right side up onto the base %u00a0of 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 %u00a0it perfect, just make sure to sew over all the jagged edges.%u00a0
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.
%u00a0A %u00a0soft, huggable, and oh so grand mountain.%u00a0
I know, so fantastic%u2026one 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
November 9, 2019 by maximios • Blog
Have you ever have lice as an adult? Wait hold on, let%u2019s back up. No I don%u2019t have lice, but I a few years ago I did and whoa that was some shit. (Thats what happens when you hang with littles all the time.) This week my head starting itching like crazy so there was a minute when I thought I might have gotten them again. But I have had it checked, a few times, and it is just dry skin. From all the hats. Because it has been pretty chilly and I have been cold. So no lice, just hats and cold weather making my head itch. Phew!
Anyway, week was up and down. Started off with camping which was amazing. The drive alone down there (Cooliadge State Park) was freaking fantastic. The peak of foliage and oh boy was it peak. And then when we got to the campground, we went on a nice long hike in the most vibrant world of colors. That was a A+ hike fore sure. Then back to the campground to make fire, eat food, cuddle cause it was super duper cold (got to 33) and crawl into the tent for the night. Woke up, very cold, jumped in o the car and hit the road. Back to town we came.
Then another week of stuff. Life stuff. Not fun stuff. Very very stressful stuff. But stuff that needed dealing and is still being dealt with. Mostly the mr, but when the mr is ain%u2019t happy, ain%u2019t nobody happy (HAHA!) so it was kind of another pretty stressful week. And so that is life.
But the good is still good. I don%u2019t have lice, the world is gorgeous, we had a chilly rainy day which are some of my favorite days. I picked up second to last farm share and heavy stocked up on squash and starting knitting a new hat. I made the cutest cookie ever and went to the dentist which actually sucked but is always good to go and be responsible about dental health. Made an ice cream cake and dinner for Barb for her birthday at my moms for her family party (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) The lady turned 20 and I can’t even. Then I made her birthday pancakes on her actual birthday and we went grocery shopping so she could run up and down the isles with the mr collecting all the packages of batteries. Because she is now 20 and needs batteries? Yeah, we will just say that was it. And napped. I took a nap this week and it was amazing. I don%u2019t think I nap enough.
Other then that, the week just flew by. Dealing with the stuff, hanging with the people, doing the work thing.
Now its Sunday and yes, we are doing it, camping. Second to last, if not the last time. Depends on if we get that rain next weekend that the weather people say we are suppose to get. So we are making tonight really count. Going to some land on a mountain out in the middle of no where. We are so in need of this, to get the heck away for the night. And it is going to be beautiful and amazing and we have a great hike planned out and there is not cell service. Winter jacket, hats and mittens, and all the blankets we can fit into the are. I am excited.
Interent links from the week.
-You can now live like Barbie. Oh freaking jeez. Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse!
–Am I Drinking Too Much Seltzer Water? Good question, one I hear all the time.
–Jesus Shoes. For real? For real.
-I want these toilets. I get these toilets. 10 Easy Pieces: Designer Toilets. Tankless toilet..what a dream!.
–Eat, Drink And Be Wary: Ex-CIA Officer Reveals How Eateries Are Key To Spycraft. Totally makes sense.
-Currently in the middle of reading this book. It is so good. Only problem is that I started reading it a few days ago and it is due back at the library in 2 days (I forgot I had it out). It is 550+ pages long and I am not sure I am going to be able to finish it before it is due back. Might have to occur some late fees for this one.
-Coffee without the beans. The day has come. Inside the Seattle Company Plotting Lab-Made %u2018Coffee%u2019 Without Beans
-Another reason to read. Reading Before Bed Might Make You Healthier and Happier
–What Does Sunny D Taste Like? My dad used to buy it when we were kids and all I can remember it tasting like was shit. I think it actually made me throw up once. I was way more a Hi-C girl.
–6.6 lb bucket of tahini%u2026.It%u2019s in my shopping cart.
Pictures from the week
Guess what guys %u2026.I got myself a sick vintage waffle/ griddle iron. I couldn’t be more thrilled!!!%u00a0I found this thing at the local recycled goods store the other day, along with a very beautiful old white pyrex mixing bowl. It was one of my best thrift store scores! (Checking out the inventory and the condition of all the old things that day, I would say an old lady had just died and all her perfectly keep, mint condition kitchen stuff had just been donated. %u00a0But it’s cool, cause I get the feeling that she was at least 90, with a big loving family, and was happy until the day she died. And I am sure she would be pleased that I have taken over the waffle maker. Thanks old lady!)
%u00a0And now I am pretty sure that %u00a0everything I make for the next week will be cooked on said waffle/griddle. I am serious, I already have a list of things to try and cook on it; cookies, biscuits, granola bars, potatoes, fruit, some type of pasta situations%u2026. the list of possibilities is endless and I bet that at least 1/2 of these things will be totally awesome and amazing.
But first thing first. I need to make dinner.
So waffles for dinner!!%u00a0
Note. These waffles are completely 100% fantastic for any meal you want to make them for. They consist of nothing more then beans, a shit ton of veggies, and just a bit of cornmeal. But don’t let that fool you because they are super packed full of so much flavor, have a really soft tender inside, with a nice crispy outside and are so super pretty. They are wonderful!%u00a0The stuff. First, we got a big old pile of shredded up veggies which include; carrot, beet, sweet potato, onion, parsnip, celeriac, and a little bit of kale. %u00a0A we got a bowl of rinsed and strained white beans, a little bit of cornmeal and salt, pepper, and garlic powder.%u00a0
The makings of something amazing!Before you do anything. get your waffle iron out and preheat it.%u00a0
While thats going on, take you beans, %u00a0add 3/4 cup water and puree until smooth with whatever blending device want to like to use. (I used my hand blender%u2026less to clean)Now collect all the shredded veggies and dump into a big bowl with the bean puree, the spices and the cornmeal. Mix until combined. The batter should be thick, but not dry. If its seems to wet, add more corn meal, or too dry, add a little more water.
Note how my batter turned a magical pink%u2026 I love beets, they make everything pretty! And check out that bowl!When your waffle iron is preheated, oil it if needed (if your not sure, add a little oil just to really make sure your waffles don’t stick) and take appropriate size spoonfuls of the batter and stick on iron. Close it and wait%u2026..My iron has a little light that turns on when the waffles are done cooking, so I waited patiently (ok iI did open it a few time) until light tuned on and removed the perfectly cooked waffles.
Did I mention how awesome my new/old vintage iron is?
SO AWESOME!!
I made a little gaucamole and gave the mister and little bowl of plain Greek yogurt with lemon juice, but feel free to top, drizzle, or dump whatever you want onto these beauties%u2026%u00a0
Happy waffle Wednesday!!!
-C
Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles
Makes 8-10 waffles (in my iron) feeds 2-3 peeps
Note on veggies%u2026 I used what I had in the fridge and shredded, it came to about 3 cups. If you don’t have these specific veggies or only want to use a few.. go for it. Just make sure to have 3 cups of whatever veggies you use.
Take you beans and blend them up with whatever device you would like to use. Once creamy, add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until combined.
Once the waffle iron is preheated, oil it( if needed) and place the recommended amount of batter right on it there. Close and cook until golden brown and waffly.
Serve on a plate with topping of your choice, A few suggestions.. Guacamole, salsa, hummus, mustard, greek yogurt%u2026 anything that tastes good to you.
Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…
Fork into face
Yesterday I spent the entire day (ok maybe not the entire day), but a the better part of the afternoon defrosting my freezer. Sure, I do the occasional chip chop here and there, just enough from around the freezer door so it will close, but ever few months I notice that everything in the fridge is not staying cold and that the freezer is not freezing stuff. Thats when I know its for real time to defrost. So a few days ago when I noticed my bananas were turing to liquid in the freezer, I knew it what I had to do%u2026.Completely empty the fridge %u00a0and melt/hack away the 2-4 inches of ice build up that accumulated. It is such a freaking pain in the ass.So on this defrosting day, I took all the stuff from the freezer, stuck it in a cooler, and the rest of the stuff, which is basically all veggies, I just tossed on the table.%u00a0As I am hacking away with a metal spatual, a wooden spoon, and a constant rotation of pots of boiling water, I was thinking about dinner. I figured I might as well just eat up as much of the veggies as I could, you know, so I didn’t have to put them back in the fridge. And also, I was getting pretty annoyed because this particular defrosting session was taking way longer the anticipated, which made making dinner seem like another pain in the ass. %u00a0I figured I might as well just eat everything that is already out on the table, which pretty much narrowed down the “whats for dinner” conversations because it was already all over the place. And so dinner was a humongo salad for me, and for the mister, I made him a monster of a veggie sandwich. (my salad was exactly the same stuff as the sandwich, minus the bagel) Easy, fast, super duper yummy, pretty and piled so high with tons of veggies that the fridge is pretty much empty now.%u00a0
Look at the is beast. I don’t call it a monster sandwich for nothing.
The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..
Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado for there is not real sandwich without them. Thinly sliced radishes, cucumber,a and onion for nice crispy crunch. Shredded beets, carrots, and purple cabbage to give %u00a0more crunch and a bit of sweetness. Then of course there needs to be something pickled, so I used banana peppers cause they are the SHIT!! And lastly some hummus for a nice creamy finish (plus a bit of protein) and yellow mustard because mustard on everything is just right. %u00a0Heres to a mountain if goodness that is no longer in the fridge! Served with a another mountain of roasted parsnips and carrots (more stuff from the fridge) and a tall glass of iced tea.
Lucky that today is farm share pick up cause the fridge is pretty much on empty.%u00a0
Yea it’s Thursday!!!!
-C
A Monster Veggie Sandwich
Note. This is just a guide.. Feel free to use whatever veggies you fancy.%u00a0
To assemble. Ready your bread.. Toast if you want, and stick it on a plate
On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard. %u00a0
Pick a side, start to stack by evenly disrupting veggies on top of veggies. Place the second piece of bread on top and %u00a0giving a little smooth to keep it together.
And go at it. Cut in half or don’t. Have a napkin or a long sleeve ready to wipe your face.
We can all use a bright happy window.
You will need-
*Notes
Once its pretty much dry, take the outer ring of the hoop and gently place around the inner hoop and tighten. Being super careful, trim the extra paper from the back of the hoop.
Place your pieces in a window and watch them glow. %u00a0Yow now have a happy window.
-C
Anyways.. another week full of stuff that fills. I am a little taken aback that its already February%u2026 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!!%u2026. take that winter blues!)%u00a0
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.%u00a0
Happy Sunday!
Happy February!
And if you are into it%u2026.
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
All week long I have been hearing about this big game going on this weekend, something to do with a ball and running up and down a field%u2026.not quite sure, but I think it might be a big deal to some people.(I know it’s the Super Bowl, and I have heard about some deflated balls, but that’s the extent of my knowledge) %u00a0I have also have been hearing a lot of party planning around this game, food planning, which is something that I do understand. So I wanted to bring a party snack to the mix, and because of my addiction, my mind goes straight to vegetable. I know that there is traditionally a lot of meat, cheese and hot sauce at these said parties, and that’s totally cool, but I think everyone wants to have a least one awesome meatless cheese-less piece of food to snack on during half time. %u00a0So I give the people what they want.%u00a0
So simple, fast and easy to make. Tasty and healthy as can be. Grab and eat with you hands%u2026. and nice to look at. We got the whole package here. %u00a0%u00a0
Make for lunch, dinner, party, or snack. Eat them for breakfast, dessert or midnight nosh. Whenever, wherever%u2026..YUMMY YUMMY YUM!%u00a0
Happy hump day!%u00a0
-C
Lettuce Wraps%u00a0
Ingredients
Use whatever you want%u2026 but this is what I included in mine
With each wrap, take a large lettuce leaf and cut out the crunchy rib.(you can slice it up thinly and add to wrap. Smear %u00a0leaf with hummus and smashed avocado, then layer on a bit of each of the veggies. Wrap or roll leaf in on the veggies and stick a toothpick in center to keep from unrolling.%u00a0
Place on a plate and eat or share%u2026 Extras are fantastic to have in the fridge!
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%u2026so cool. I wish I took some pictures) %u00a0I needed to make a bunch so I went a bought this humongo box of stuffing %u00a0thinking 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%u2026the stuffers of stuffing really stuff those boxes stuffed! %u00a0Now 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. %u00a0I didn’t want to make the any more food shapes but still wanted to do something fun and pretty and huggable. %u2026and then it came to me, %u00a0A mountain! I mean, who wouldn’t want to hug %u00a0a mountain?%u00a0
So I made all the adults in my family a mountain for Christmas. (I am so nice). %u00a0A 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 %u00a0you will make an entire mountain range of pillows%u2026%u2026 Mountains all over! %u00a0
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.%u00a0
And I have to add, these pillows are really great gifts%u2026 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.
%u00a0Next, take the contrasting color fleece (the peak) and cut a large square. %u00a0Line 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.
%u00a0A %u00a0soft, huggable, and oh so grand mountain.%u00a0
I know, so fantastic%u2026one 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!%u00a0
-C