FRIDAY YEAH YEAH!!!!
And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.
Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with specific food diets as well as those who eat anything. A cookie for all! See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good. Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being raw/vegan/ gluten free.
And because these cookies are made with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins, good healthy fats, and complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them. They a are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out, or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)
Now go for it!
![]()
The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour. Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.
![]()
Dump everything into a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)
![]()
Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
![]()
Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls
![]()
And you could totally leave them as balls… you can even play with your balls….
![]()
But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.
![]()
Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of cold)
Freak Yeah FRIDAY! Do fu stuff!
-C
Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)
- 1 cups oat fashion oats soaked in 1 cup water for at least an hour (use gluten free oats if needed)
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 5-6 medjool dates
- 1/2 cup dehydrated flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- a pinch of salt (if your nuts are unsalted)
Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a cohesive dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)
Scoop and roll into balls and either leave them as is or squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and coconut
Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in fridge.
A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.
The past week was freaking gross hot, like sweaty, smelly, I want to live in the Costco walk in freezer hot. But today, well today was the most lovely day. A cool dry 70 with a nice breeze and sunshine. Then around dinnertime, a little bit of rain, followed by a rainbow. It was the most fantastic perfect weather.This is why I love living in Vermont. We get weather.
.Last night, dinner was all about trying to make some more room in the fridge for the farm share pick up tonight and to make something that I didn’t have to really watch. (the mr and I were moving the beehive to the roof of the house so I wanted to make something that I could leave on the stove and not have to babysit (just stir every now and then). With the weather being so freaking amazing, with a cool crispness in the air, I was craving something a little more on the warm and comfy side. And what do you know, the stuff I had left in the fridge (there is still a basket of zucchini on the table) was what was needed for a big pot of stewed summer ratatouille with lentils. It was everthing that I ever could need and want for a meal. Full of the best veggies and lentils, easy to make, nothing fancy to do. Just stick stuff into a pot and cook until done.
Cooler, light long sleeve, kind of weather. Enough rain where I didn’t have to water the garden, the most perfect pot of the best ratatouille shared with the mr. and a feeling of accomplishment and excitement (bees on the roof!).
The perfect night.
![]()
The stuff. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, onion, tomatoes and lentils. And we have some fresh basil, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.
![]()
To get this party started, chop up the onion and toss it into a big heavy pot with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick on the stove on medium heat.
![]()
While the onions are cooking, mince up the garlic and chop up all the other veggie into medium sized chunks.
![]()
When the onions start to become translucent and smell fantastic, add in all the veggies and garlic. Give it a big stir and place back on the stove to cook for a few minutes to let the veggies release some of their liquid.
![]()
Then add in the lentils along with a equal amount of water and top with a lid.
![]()
![]()
After about 30 minutes, the lentils should be near done and the veggies tender, the tomatoes pretty much dissolved. Now chop up the basil and oregano and toss it in along with a few swigs of the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and keep on cooking for another 10ish more minutes or until the lentils are nice and tender.
![]()
![]()
Scoop onto bowl then into mouth. If you like, finish off with a bit more fresh basil or,ike the mr, top with parmesan cheese.
Have a fantastic day! So close to the weekend!!
-C
Makes 2-3 big servings (if serving with pastas or rice, its more like 4-5 servings)
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium yellow summer squash
- 1 medium onion
- 1 small eggplant
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup dried lentils
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 medium to large tomatoes
- handful fresh basil leaves
- a few glugs of balsamic vinegar
- couple sprigs of fresh oregano
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Drizzle a little olive oil into a large pot. Dice up the onion and place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes. Mince up the garlic and chop up the remaining veggies into medium sized pieces. Once the onion is cooke a bit and strting to smell oh so nice, toss the veggies and garlic into the pot. Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a lid on it. Cook for a few minutes to draw out a bit of liquid from the veggies. Now add in the lentils and the water. Stick the lid back on and let cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat or until the lentils are starting to soften.
When the lentils are mostly soft, but still have a bit of biet, dice the fresh herbs and toss into pot with a few swings of balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are full cooked.
Remove from heat and ladle into bowls..
Serve with rice, pasta, bread, a big old pile of fresh greens, or just as it is.
Eats fantastic right aways, or cold late at night standing in front of the fridge..
![]()
And now the cucumbers are growing shit crazy.
Every time I open the fridge, at least one (if not a few) come falling out from all the places that I have managed to squeeze them in. (the egg tray in the door is not a safe place for cucumbers) This is a slight problem, but a problem that I kind of like having.
This past weekend I had planned on doing a bunch of pickling and canning. Like a whole day of music blasting, dancing around the kitchen in a cute little apron with wooden spoon in hand, (pretending its a microphone) canning all sorts of fruits and veggies that a piling up in massive amounts for the winter months.
That didn’t happen, and I still have a million cucumbers and not a whole heck of a lot of time this week to inact my canning day day dream.
My simple solution. Cut um up, stick in a bowl with a some fresh dill, a lithe vinegar and leave them on the counter….. And watch as they disappear. It’s crazy. I find if you leave a bowl of cut up anything on the counter, anyone that walks by will stop and eat a few pieces (if not the whole bowl) It’s a scientific fact (no not really, but maybe)
As for my blissful canning day. It will be happening soon. But until then, this is the way to go with those all those cucks. (this works fantastic will zucchinis too!)
![]()
The stuff. Cucumbers, onion, fresh dill, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar.
![]()
Slice up the cucumber and onion and toss into a bowl. Spinkle with salt, pepper, and lots of fresh chopped up dill. Splash in the vinegar and toss it all around.
![]()
Let it sit on the counter for at least 2 minutes, but the longer they sit, the more pickley they taste.
![]()
And eat. Leave on the counter until they are all gone..which won’t take too long.
Enjoy the Tuesday!
-C
- 2-3 medium to large cucumbers
- 1 medium sweet onion
- a bunch of fresh dill
- salt and pepper (fresh cracked is best)
- red wine vinegar
Slice cucumber and onion into thin slices. and stick in a big bowl. Sprinkle with salt. pepper, chopped up dill. Pour on a few glugs of vinegar. Toss around, taste and adjust seasoning if needed and let sit on the counter for a few minute… or as long as you want*.
Eat all day long or until they are gone.
IF there are still cucumbers left over after 2 hours and you are worried about leaving food out all day (I don’t worry, but that’s me), stick in the fridge until you ar ready to eat them.
Can you believe it… August already. What the what?
I was in the great big Coscto store this week and saw Halloween costumes and I am pretty sure there was some Christmas shit too. (I wasn’t about to look to closely and fall down that rabbit hole) I mean, jeeze, It’s still summer and I like to think that I live a little more in the somewhat present moment. I have a hard time figuring out what I am going to be doing in 2 weeks, let alone 2 months from now. But man, seeing that stuff really sent me into a time whirl… It’s just flying by so fast.
Anyway, August. One of my favorite months of the year. The farm shares are gigantic (I got corn and watermelons at the last pick up!) and the garden is bursting with so many goodies. The days are still really warm, but the nights are starting to cool off, The wild flowers are in abundance all over. Plus my Dad always comes back to Vermont in August for a long visit (he;s here now!), which means lots of family stuff, a Stem family reunion, lots of hiking, and of course lots of food eating. And it’s getting close to back to school time. The littles are all getting equally exctited/depressed about the going back. I am kind of excited for them to go back too!
My goal for August.. try to check off some more of my summer bucket list and also try to buy some plane tickets to a far away land.( I hear that tickets prices this month are at the lowest they have been in years!) At the same time I want to try not to worry to much about doing a bunch of stuff.. just try to enjoy what’s left of the summer. No pressure!
So what about you? Got any end of summer plans?
I’ll leave you with some good internet stuff from the week.
-I know I have said this before, but this is the house I am meant to live in.
-Cocoon in a tree!?!!…but where do you pee?
–Get it here…IKEA 2016 CATALOG!
-I love a good tub. The World’s Most Beautiful Bathtubs
–Whoa. How Birds See Our World
-This wood is so pretty.
–Different types of summer squash
-I am a plant whore so this makes me happy. A Plethora of Plants in Every Room
-Oh to be one of these littles… The Kids of Burning Man
And hiking and bee pictures from the week
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Be Happy and enjoy the rest of the weekend!
-C
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!!!
Are you sizzling? Is that pool of water next to you , in fact, your own sweat?
Yeah, I feel you…..stupid heat wave.
During these long extended periods of heat and humidity, my body starts to revolt. I get bitchy, by skin get itchy, my head goes foggy, my stomach starts to refuse food. and I generally just feel like crap. I love the summer, but I am not, by any means, a hot, high humidity person.
So during this nasty bout of heat, I do what I can to find comfort. And one of my comforts is watermelon. I am pretty sure that watermelon is a magical fruit. A giant green oblong ball that when cracked open is the brightest, sweetest bright pink fruit.. I mean, thats pretty f ing magical. It can make anything better, and is one of the few things that I want to eat when its a million degrees outside without barfing.
Watermelon is my official heatwave food. Watermelon all day long (Is it bad that I could literally eat an entire watermelon all to my face, in one sitting? ) And because I am me, I like to spice it up a bit and slather a big glob of basil pesto to the melon…. and that makes me happy. Plus it makes the fact that I am eating nothing but melon seem a little more substantial.
Do you have a heatwave food? If not, try this….It will be your food.
![]()
The stuff. A big hunk of watermelon, basil, a lemon, olive oil and salt.
Stick the basil, the juice of the lemon, and a pinch of salt into a blender. Turn on and blend, adding just a tad bit of olive oil until a nice green pesto is made.
![]()
Prepare your melon. Remove rinds if you want and save for later.. (seriously, we can make gazpacho with it) and cut into inch thick chunks.
![]()
And now if your feeling it, stick a skillet on the stove and preheat on medium high. Once heated, place watermelon chunks on hot skillet and sear each side for about 3-5 minutes per side.
If you want to go fresh, just skip searing it. Me, I do a bowl of both.
![]()
And now slather the melon with the pesto
And go to town
Stay cool my friends!
-C
- Watermelon
- a bunch of basil
- a lemon
- salt
- olive oil
Place basil, a pinch of salt and the juice of the lemon into a blender. Turn on and blend, adding in a drizzle of olive oil until pesto forms.
Preheat a lightly oiled skillet (or a grill) on medium high heat. Take your watermelon and remove rinds (save for later) and cut into inch chunks.* When heated, add the watermelon. LEt each side sear for 3-5 minutes, or until caramelized. Tarnsfrer to a bowl.
*Note. The seared melon is fantastic cooked then cooled. Also, I know some people blot out the juice before grilling, but I think that is a waste and I find unnecessary, but if you don’t want a juicy piece of cooke melon, by all means, blot out the juice..
Or if you don’t want to cook it, don’t
And lastly, toss in a big giant scoop of pesto
Now eat… eat eat eat.
![]()
Monday was kind of a suck until I made dinner. It was hot, I didn’t sleep well the night before, and I spent the morning calling the dentist over and over until someone picked up so I could get my butt in there to get my tooth fixed (sometime during eating on sunday I broke my back molar…. and that happened) . Whatever, I got the only appointment that they had available and was just happy that I was able to get in. So went about my morning, went to the gym, did my things then ran home, took a shower and headed to the appointment. When I got there, I checked in, sat down, and waited..Then waited some more, then was called in to the room and then did some more waiting. But finally, the doctor came in and took two minutes to check the tooth (the doctors said I was as badass… couldn’t believe that I don’t do novocain) and left the dental assistant lady to fix it. And ok, I know that people have to practice their craft to learn, but I am pretty sure that I was one of the first solo tooth fixings that this lady has ever done. And that’s cool, but I was hungry and just wanted to get the f out there.(did I mention that it was lunch time?) So taking her sweet time (at least she did a good job) she got it done. But then I had to wait some more, in the chair, for the doctor to come back and check. Holy hell I was there for way to long.
Then I got home and rushed out.. grabbing a carrot on the way. But I was still hungry.. And that just sent me to a dark place for the rest of the day.
So when I finally got home, I immediately went to the fridge to get dinner started. While aggressively riffling through bags of veggies and greens, I stubbled upon a big bag of mustard greens that I got last week at the farm….SCORE.., this made me happy.
Sure, I could have just eaten them right there, fresh and all spicy like, but I if I waited this long to eat, I could wait a little longer and I figured I would share.. and mabye do a little some thing fancy, like toss them with some cooked up onions and sweet potato and that left over quiona that was also in the fridge.
And thats what I did. And it was good. And the day didn’t seem so bad. (food always makes me better)
![]()
The stuff. Mustad greens oh lala. A small sweet potato and an onion (I used half of that big one). Cooked quinoa, garlic, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil.
![]()
Dice up the sweet potato into little chunks and toss into a big skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place skillet on medium heat and cook potato for a few minutes just to give it a little head start before adding the onions. When the potato starts to show a little browning, add in the onions and a splash or two of water. Stir around, stick a lid over it, and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the sweet potato is fork tender.
![]()
When the stuff is cooked, mince up the garlic and stir that in and cook for a little longer.
And now toss on the mustard greens. (Don’t worry if they are overflowing from the skillet, they will cook down really fast). Add another splash of water and place the lid back on. Cook for a couple minutes and mix everything together.
![]()
Place cooked quinoa (hot or cold) into a bowl.
![]()
And dump the stuff right on top. If your into it, drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar. (I highly recommend)
![]()
And eat to be happy.
Hears to a better day then yesterday!
-C
- roughly 1/2 lb. of fresh mustard greens
- 1 small sweet onion or half a big onion
- 1 small sweet potato
- 3/4- 1 cup cooked quinoa*
- few cloves of garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar(optional)
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Note- To cook quinoa, use1 part quinoa- 2 parts water. Place quinoa in pot with water, bring to boil, place on a lid, then turn to simmer for 15 minutes. After 15, turn heat off and let sit of a few more minutes then fluff with fork. Also, i f you don’t have quinoa, just use rice or faro or nothing, the greens are good their own.
Dice up sweet potato into small picese and stick in a large, lightly oiled skillet on medium heat. Toss on some salt and pepper and cook potato for a few minutes until they start to slightly brown. Slice up onion and toss that into the skillet with the sweet potato. Add in a splash of water and place a lid on the skillet, giving it a stir ever now and then. (Watch the stuff carefully, it cooked pretty fast.) Cook until both the sweet potatoes and onion are browned and soft. Now mince garlic and mix that it and let cook for a few minutes..
Now everything is cooked, toss in the mustard greens. (It may seem like a lot, but its not) Hit with a splash of water, place a lid (it doesn’t have to be a snug fit) on top and cook for a few mites until greens are wilted. Toss everything around to mix together. Take your quinoa and place in a bowl. Top with cooked stuff and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Eat right away and maybe save a little for later cause it very much good cold too!
Let’s just say that that the mr and I had a long ass week. 7 days (and some nights) of 2 of the coolest littles. We are pretty f*ing tired, but what a fun week we had.
Our week of advetures included going to Montpelier and having a picnic/stick fight on the State building lawn. Thrift store shopping and bean and flower picking at the farm. We watched a field hockey game and picked up my sister from summer camp. There was also a lot of hiking, river wadding, and rock hunting. Watercolors and crayons have been used on a daily bases and every clean sheet was used to make a sleeping fort up in the loft. And the food. The amount of food these kids can consume is impressive. I made pancakes more this week then I have in the past year (I shit you not, Judah, the little guy, he at 9!!! in one sitting) and lets just say my toilet is inserious need of some cleaning ( 5 year old boy with no aim.. I have sat in a lot of pee)
So much fun, but today no littles. Today I shut my door, turn off my phone, and hide from the world….and catch up on that stack of paper and bills that I have been pushing aside this week. (BLAH) And maybe a few other goals; toilet cleaning, laundry, mopping (everything is dirty and sticky!) Also going to try and spend a little time with the pup. (he gets so jealous when he isn’t the center of attention) And maybe even spend a little time sitting alone, grown up drink in hand, enjoying a bit of quite time…. Maybe.
Interent stuff that I have been browsing this week (usually while the littles get tv time and watchi the disney channel.. not cool disney, annoying disney.)
–Lavender fields. so pretty.
-This makes my heart happy. Maddie The Coonhound
-I am all about doing this.Look Up: Wallpaper on the Ceiling
–This tree is crazy cool.
–How An 11-Year-Old Boy Invented The Popsicle
-My new want for my feet. Mahabis Slippers.
-What are our wisdom teeth doing there, and why do we need to pull them out?
-Vegetarian Fast-Food Restaurant…Uh duh.
–These murals are pretty sweet.
-Small Kitchen Ideas: How to Maximize Storage in a Minimal Kitchen
–New house for me.
-And this is where I should work
And some pictures of the adventures we had.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Have a fantastic day!!!
-C
THE LOVELY CRAZY
September 21, 2015 by maximios • Blog
FRIDAY YEAH YEAH!!!!
And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.
Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with specific food diets as well as those who eat anything. A cookie for all! See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good. Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being raw/vegan/ gluten free.
And because these cookies are made with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins, good healthy fats, and complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them. They a are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out, or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)
Now go for it!
The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour. Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.
Dump everything into a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)
Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.
Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls
And you could totally leave them as balls… you can even play with your balls….
But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.
Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of cold)
Freak Yeah FRIDAY! Do fu stuff!
-C
Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)
Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a cohesive dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)
Scoop and roll into balls and either leave them as is or squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and coconut
Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in fridge.
A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.
The past week was freaking gross hot, like sweaty, smelly, I want to live in the Costco walk in freezer hot. But today, well today was the most lovely day. A cool dry 70 with a nice breeze and sunshine. Then around dinnertime, a little bit of rain, followed by a rainbow. It was the most fantastic perfect weather.This is why I love living in Vermont. We get weather.
.Last night, dinner was all about trying to make some more room in the fridge for the farm share pick up tonight and to make something that I didn’t have to really watch. (the mr and I were moving the beehive to the roof of the house so I wanted to make something that I could leave on the stove and not have to babysit (just stir every now and then). With the weather being so freaking amazing, with a cool crispness in the air, I was craving something a little more on the warm and comfy side. And what do you know, the stuff I had left in the fridge (there is still a basket of zucchini on the table) was what was needed for a big pot of stewed summer ratatouille with lentils. It was everthing that I ever could need and want for a meal. Full of the best veggies and lentils, easy to make, nothing fancy to do. Just stick stuff into a pot and cook until done.
Cooler, light long sleeve, kind of weather. Enough rain where I didn’t have to water the garden, the most perfect pot of the best ratatouille shared with the mr. and a feeling of accomplishment and excitement (bees on the roof!).
The perfect night.
The stuff. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, onion, tomatoes and lentils. And we have some fresh basil, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.
To get this party started, chop up the onion and toss it into a big heavy pot with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick on the stove on medium heat.
While the onions are cooking, mince up the garlic and chop up all the other veggie into medium sized chunks.
When the onions start to become translucent and smell fantastic, add in all the veggies and garlic. Give it a big stir and place back on the stove to cook for a few minutes to let the veggies release some of their liquid.
Then add in the lentils along with a equal amount of water and top with a lid.
After about 30 minutes, the lentils should be near done and the veggies tender, the tomatoes pretty much dissolved. Now chop up the basil and oregano and toss it in along with a few swigs of the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and keep on cooking for another 10ish more minutes or until the lentils are nice and tender.
Scoop onto bowl then into mouth. If you like, finish off with a bit more fresh basil or,ike the mr, top with parmesan cheese.
Have a fantastic day! So close to the weekend!!
-C
Makes 2-3 big servings (if serving with pastas or rice, its more like 4-5 servings)
Drizzle a little olive oil into a large pot. Dice up the onion and place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes. Mince up the garlic and chop up the remaining veggies into medium sized pieces. Once the onion is cooke a bit and strting to smell oh so nice, toss the veggies and garlic into the pot. Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a lid on it. Cook for a few minutes to draw out a bit of liquid from the veggies. Now add in the lentils and the water. Stick the lid back on and let cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat or until the lentils are starting to soften.
When the lentils are mostly soft, but still have a bit of biet, dice the fresh herbs and toss into pot with a few swings of balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are full cooked.
Remove from heat and ladle into bowls..
Serve with rice, pasta, bread, a big old pile of fresh greens, or just as it is.
Eats fantastic right aways, or cold late at night standing in front of the fridge..
And now the cucumbers are growing shit crazy.
Every time I open the fridge, at least one (if not a few) come falling out from all the places that I have managed to squeeze them in. (the egg tray in the door is not a safe place for cucumbers) This is a slight problem, but a problem that I kind of like having.
This past weekend I had planned on doing a bunch of pickling and canning. Like a whole day of music blasting, dancing around the kitchen in a cute little apron with wooden spoon in hand, (pretending its a microphone) canning all sorts of fruits and veggies that a piling up in massive amounts for the winter months.
That didn’t happen, and I still have a million cucumbers and not a whole heck of a lot of time this week to inact my canning day day dream.
My simple solution. Cut um up, stick in a bowl with a some fresh dill, a lithe vinegar and leave them on the counter….. And watch as they disappear. It’s crazy. I find if you leave a bowl of cut up anything on the counter, anyone that walks by will stop and eat a few pieces (if not the whole bowl) It’s a scientific fact (no not really, but maybe)
As for my blissful canning day. It will be happening soon. But until then, this is the way to go with those all those cucks. (this works fantastic will zucchinis too!)
The stuff. Cucumbers, onion, fresh dill, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar.
Slice up the cucumber and onion and toss into a bowl. Spinkle with salt, pepper, and lots of fresh chopped up dill. Splash in the vinegar and toss it all around.
Let it sit on the counter for at least 2 minutes, but the longer they sit, the more pickley they taste.
And eat. Leave on the counter until they are all gone..which won’t take too long.
Enjoy the Tuesday!
-C
Slice cucumber and onion into thin slices. and stick in a big bowl. Sprinkle with salt. pepper, chopped up dill. Pour on a few glugs of vinegar. Toss around, taste and adjust seasoning if needed and let sit on the counter for a few minute… or as long as you want*.
Eat all day long or until they are gone.
IF there are still cucumbers left over after 2 hours and you are worried about leaving food out all day (I don’t worry, but that’s me), stick in the fridge until you ar ready to eat them.
Can you believe it… August already. What the what?
I was in the great big Coscto store this week and saw Halloween costumes and I am pretty sure there was some Christmas shit too. (I wasn’t about to look to closely and fall down that rabbit hole) I mean, jeeze, It’s still summer and I like to think that I live a little more in the somewhat present moment. I have a hard time figuring out what I am going to be doing in 2 weeks, let alone 2 months from now. But man, seeing that stuff really sent me into a time whirl… It’s just flying by so fast.
Anyway, August. One of my favorite months of the year. The farm shares are gigantic (I got corn and watermelons at the last pick up!) and the garden is bursting with so many goodies. The days are still really warm, but the nights are starting to cool off, The wild flowers are in abundance all over. Plus my Dad always comes back to Vermont in August for a long visit (he;s here now!), which means lots of family stuff, a Stem family reunion, lots of hiking, and of course lots of food eating. And it’s getting close to back to school time. The littles are all getting equally exctited/depressed about the going back. I am kind of excited for them to go back too!
My goal for August.. try to check off some more of my summer bucket list and also try to buy some plane tickets to a far away land.( I hear that tickets prices this month are at the lowest they have been in years!) At the same time I want to try not to worry to much about doing a bunch of stuff.. just try to enjoy what’s left of the summer. No pressure!
So what about you? Got any end of summer plans?
I’ll leave you with some good internet stuff from the week.
-I know I have said this before, but this is the house I am meant to live in.
-Cocoon in a tree!?!!…but where do you pee?
–Get it here…IKEA 2016 CATALOG!
-I love a good tub. The World’s Most Beautiful Bathtubs
–Whoa. How Birds See Our World
-This wood is so pretty.
–Different types of summer squash
-I am a plant whore so this makes me happy. A Plethora of Plants in Every Room
-Oh to be one of these littles… The Kids of Burning Man
And hiking and bee pictures from the week
Be Happy and enjoy the rest of the weekend!
-C
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!!!
Are you sizzling? Is that pool of water next to you , in fact, your own sweat?
Yeah, I feel you…..stupid heat wave.
During these long extended periods of heat and humidity, my body starts to revolt. I get bitchy, by skin get itchy, my head goes foggy, my stomach starts to refuse food. and I generally just feel like crap. I love the summer, but I am not, by any means, a hot, high humidity person.
So during this nasty bout of heat, I do what I can to find comfort. And one of my comforts is watermelon. I am pretty sure that watermelon is a magical fruit. A giant green oblong ball that when cracked open is the brightest, sweetest bright pink fruit.. I mean, thats pretty f ing magical. It can make anything better, and is one of the few things that I want to eat when its a million degrees outside without barfing.
Watermelon is my official heatwave food. Watermelon all day long (Is it bad that I could literally eat an entire watermelon all to my face, in one sitting? ) And because I am me, I like to spice it up a bit and slather a big glob of basil pesto to the melon…. and that makes me happy. Plus it makes the fact that I am eating nothing but melon seem a little more substantial.
Do you have a heatwave food? If not, try this….It will be your food.
The stuff. A big hunk of watermelon, basil, a lemon, olive oil and salt.
Stick the basil, the juice of the lemon, and a pinch of salt into a blender. Turn on and blend, adding just a tad bit of olive oil until a nice green pesto is made.
Prepare your melon. Remove rinds if you want and save for later.. (seriously, we can make gazpacho with it) and cut into inch thick chunks.
And now if your feeling it, stick a skillet on the stove and preheat on medium high. Once heated, place watermelon chunks on hot skillet and sear each side for about 3-5 minutes per side.
If you want to go fresh, just skip searing it. Me, I do a bowl of both.
And now slather the melon with the pesto
And go to town
Stay cool my friends!
-C
Place basil, a pinch of salt and the juice of the lemon into a blender. Turn on and blend, adding in a drizzle of olive oil until pesto forms.
Preheat a lightly oiled skillet (or a grill) on medium high heat. Take your watermelon and remove rinds (save for later) and cut into inch chunks.* When heated, add the watermelon. LEt each side sear for 3-5 minutes, or until caramelized. Tarnsfrer to a bowl.
*Note. The seared melon is fantastic cooked then cooled. Also, I know some people blot out the juice before grilling, but I think that is a waste and I find unnecessary, but if you don’t want a juicy piece of cooke melon, by all means, blot out the juice..
Or if you don’t want to cook it, don’t
And lastly, toss in a big giant scoop of pesto
Now eat… eat eat eat.
Monday was kind of a suck until I made dinner. It was hot, I didn’t sleep well the night before, and I spent the morning calling the dentist over and over until someone picked up so I could get my butt in there to get my tooth fixed (sometime during eating on sunday I broke my back molar…. and that happened) . Whatever, I got the only appointment that they had available and was just happy that I was able to get in. So went about my morning, went to the gym, did my things then ran home, took a shower and headed to the appointment. When I got there, I checked in, sat down, and waited..Then waited some more, then was called in to the room and then did some more waiting. But finally, the doctor came in and took two minutes to check the tooth (the doctors said I was as badass… couldn’t believe that I don’t do novocain) and left the dental assistant lady to fix it. And ok, I know that people have to practice their craft to learn, but I am pretty sure that I was one of the first solo tooth fixings that this lady has ever done. And that’s cool, but I was hungry and just wanted to get the f out there.(did I mention that it was lunch time?) So taking her sweet time (at least she did a good job) she got it done. But then I had to wait some more, in the chair, for the doctor to come back and check. Holy hell I was there for way to long.
Then I got home and rushed out.. grabbing a carrot on the way. But I was still hungry.. And that just sent me to a dark place for the rest of the day.
So when I finally got home, I immediately went to the fridge to get dinner started. While aggressively riffling through bags of veggies and greens, I stubbled upon a big bag of mustard greens that I got last week at the farm….SCORE.., this made me happy.
Sure, I could have just eaten them right there, fresh and all spicy like, but I if I waited this long to eat, I could wait a little longer and I figured I would share.. and mabye do a little some thing fancy, like toss them with some cooked up onions and sweet potato and that left over quiona that was also in the fridge.
And thats what I did. And it was good. And the day didn’t seem so bad. (food always makes me better)
The stuff. Mustad greens oh lala. A small sweet potato and an onion (I used half of that big one). Cooked quinoa, garlic, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil.
Dice up the sweet potato into little chunks and toss into a big skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place skillet on medium heat and cook potato for a few minutes just to give it a little head start before adding the onions. When the potato starts to show a little browning, add in the onions and a splash or two of water. Stir around, stick a lid over it, and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the sweet potato is fork tender.
When the stuff is cooked, mince up the garlic and stir that in and cook for a little longer.
And now toss on the mustard greens. (Don’t worry if they are overflowing from the skillet, they will cook down really fast). Add another splash of water and place the lid back on. Cook for a couple minutes and mix everything together.
Place cooked quinoa (hot or cold) into a bowl.
And dump the stuff right on top. If your into it, drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar. (I highly recommend)
And eat to be happy.
Hears to a better day then yesterday!
-C
Note- To cook quinoa, use1 part quinoa- 2 parts water. Place quinoa in pot with water, bring to boil, place on a lid, then turn to simmer for 15 minutes. After 15, turn heat off and let sit of a few more minutes then fluff with fork. Also, i f you don’t have quinoa, just use rice or faro or nothing, the greens are good their own.
Dice up sweet potato into small picese and stick in a large, lightly oiled skillet on medium heat. Toss on some salt and pepper and cook potato for a few minutes until they start to slightly brown. Slice up onion and toss that into the skillet with the sweet potato. Add in a splash of water and place a lid on the skillet, giving it a stir ever now and then. (Watch the stuff carefully, it cooked pretty fast.) Cook until both the sweet potatoes and onion are browned and soft. Now mince garlic and mix that it and let cook for a few minutes..
Now everything is cooked, toss in the mustard greens. (It may seem like a lot, but its not) Hit with a splash of water, place a lid (it doesn’t have to be a snug fit) on top and cook for a few mites until greens are wilted. Toss everything around to mix together. Take your quinoa and place in a bowl. Top with cooked stuff and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Eat right away and maybe save a little for later cause it very much good cold too!
Let’s just say that that the mr and I had a long ass week. 7 days (and some nights) of 2 of the coolest littles. We are pretty f*ing tired, but what a fun week we had.
Our week of advetures included going to Montpelier and having a picnic/stick fight on the State building lawn. Thrift store shopping and bean and flower picking at the farm. We watched a field hockey game and picked up my sister from summer camp. There was also a lot of hiking, river wadding, and rock hunting. Watercolors and crayons have been used on a daily bases and every clean sheet was used to make a sleeping fort up in the loft. And the food. The amount of food these kids can consume is impressive. I made pancakes more this week then I have in the past year (I shit you not, Judah, the little guy, he at 9!!! in one sitting) and lets just say my toilet is inserious need of some cleaning ( 5 year old boy with no aim.. I have sat in a lot of pee)
So much fun, but today no littles. Today I shut my door, turn off my phone, and hide from the world….and catch up on that stack of paper and bills that I have been pushing aside this week. (BLAH) And maybe a few other goals; toilet cleaning, laundry, mopping (everything is dirty and sticky!) Also going to try and spend a little time with the pup. (he gets so jealous when he isn’t the center of attention) And maybe even spend a little time sitting alone, grown up drink in hand, enjoying a bit of quite time…. Maybe.
Interent stuff that I have been browsing this week (usually while the littles get tv time and watchi the disney channel.. not cool disney, annoying disney.)
–Lavender fields. so pretty.
-This makes my heart happy. Maddie The Coonhound
-I am all about doing this.Look Up: Wallpaper on the Ceiling
–This tree is crazy cool.
–How An 11-Year-Old Boy Invented The Popsicle
-My new want for my feet. Mahabis Slippers.
-What are our wisdom teeth doing there, and why do we need to pull them out?
-Vegetarian Fast-Food Restaurant…Uh duh.
–These murals are pretty sweet.
-Small Kitchen Ideas: How to Maximize Storage in a Minimal Kitchen
–New house for me.
-And this is where I should work
And some pictures of the adventures we had.
Have a fantastic day!!!
-C