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One of the mr’s little brothers really likes peanut butter cookies. He is always asking me to make them for him so this past weekend, for his 24h birthday, I did just that. Peanut butter chocolate chip birthday cookies, Just for him. (I know, I am the best)
After rushing home the evening before to make this awesome cookies for the boy, I waited until a decent time the next day and I shot him a text.. “Happy Birthday! Where are you?, I want to bring you cookies!”. That was at noon. I get a text back around 3… “just woke up, I’ll come get them later.” (Sleeping until 3pm.. that must have been a crazy ass birthday morning!)
Well guess what. That little shit didn’t come get the cookie that I made all special like for him so now the mr has slowly been picking them off. And the mr. says that these cookies are like magic. That they are so freaking good, probably the best peanut butter cookie he has ever had. (he doesn’t usually say things like that about cookies so the really must be amazing)
So if you are reading this Qui.. you have a a few magic cookies left…but I can’t promise anything after tonight. The sister is coming over for dinner and I’ll just give them to her for dessert……….
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The stuff. Rolled oats, peanut butter, brown sugar, sea salt and chocolate chips. Also a bit of baking soda, some vanilla extract and a bit of water. You need no flour, eggs or butter, these cookies are all about simple goodness.
Notes. Chunky or smooth peanut butter is cool here and you can use natural or skippy.. the skippy cookie will just be a bit sweeter. And the sea salt. If you don’t have sea salt, add a teaspoon of table salt to the cookie batter. The sea salt is for the tops of the cookies and you should NOT use table salt for that.
Start by sticking the oats into a food processor and blending until your oats become oat flour.
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Then dump everything else in (water first), EXCEPT the chocolate chips.
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And pulse until it all comes together into a yummy peanut butter cookie dough.
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Dump the dough into a bowl and now mix in the chocolate chip. Once you do that, stop eating the dough and stick the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to slightly chill….
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After the bout in the fridge, grab your dough and scoop out like sized balls of dough and place them on baking sheet. Give each ball a smoosh (use a fork or your fingers) and sprinkle the tops with a small little pinch of sea salt (again, if you don’t have sea salt, so not use table salt… just skip this)
And into the oven they go…
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Only until slightly golden brown and just starting to look almost done….. that’s when they are done (about 8 minutes)
Let the cookies cool for a minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to finish.
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Super awesome and super duper duper good. Made with love and good intentions for a little shit… but left to be eaten by others
But really these are so easy and fast to make. I’ll probably just end up making the boy a new batch. (again, so nice)
Have a super duper day!
-C
Make about a dozen
- 1 cup old fashion oats
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1 heaping cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 ish cup chocolate chips/chunks (the tiny chips work the best)
- flaked sea salt (optional)
Note. Flaked sea salt is a perfect finish for the cookie but if you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, add a teaspoon of table salt to the cookie batter but don’t sprinkle the tops with it.
Place oats in food processor ans blend until it turns into flour. Add in water, pulse, then add in the rest, EXCEPT the chocolate chip. Pulse until a dough forms. Dump the dough into a bowl and now mix in the chocolate chips.
Stick the dough in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes…. In the mean time, do the dishes and a little cookie dance.
Preheat oven to 350.
With a scoop or spoon. scoop out your preferred sized cookies onto a baking sheet. Give each cookie ball a little smoosh with either a fork for a pattern or just your fingers. Sprinkle each smooshed cookie with a pinch of sea salt.
Stick the cookies in oven and bake for 8-9 minutes, until just barely golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for a minutes then remove from sheet to cool on a wire rack.
Place a cookie or two on a plate, stash the rest away (or else you will eat them all) grab a nice cold glass of some milk situation or a pipping hot cup of coffee and sit down with a good book or even a smutty magazine (no judgment here), read, eat cookies and be happy.
Enjoy!
We have been doing work on the house for a while now, ripping things out, patching things up.. must mostly ripping things out. Well yesterday we made our first purchase for something that is going into the house… A vintage green pedestal sink. YES!!! I scoured the internet,looked in salvage yards, all the while not really thinking I would find anything (anything I could afforded) but lo and behold, two days ago I found one on craigslist. Crazy, and only a little drive away. So the mr and I jumped on that and yesterday we drove out to the country, stopped at the pig farm, feed the cutest 5 week old piglets stale donuts and retrieved out new green sink from the frozen mud. I am so excited. We have officiallybought our first major piece for the house. And it’s so pretty and green and almost tacky, (could get tacky) but is going to be perfect. Oh how I love me the craigslist.
Other news. Have you hear about the pre-peeled oranges from Whole Foods, the ones that made everyone all crazy and waere all over the news and internet? So stupid right. (Like yeah it’s kinda stupid to sell pre-peeled oranges and a waste of plastic, but is it any more dumb the to sell single serve plastic coffee pods, shrink wrapped potatoes, or plastic wrapped junk food. Just saying.) The mr and I were watching the morning news when the story came on. We started to have very normal discussion about who and why and all that when I guess I made a comment about how I have to peel his oranges. (I don’t peel his oranges, but I might have helped start a orange a few tines) And then all of a sudden this light hearted discussion about pre-peeled oranges went down hill. The pre peeled oranges made us turn on each other (our argument might not been entirely about the oranges…) Long story short. probably not going to be buying oranges for a while….Or maybe I’ll take it one step further and just stock the fridge with pre-peeled, sectioned off segments of oranges.
HAHAHAHA. I am brilliant!
So oranges, new green sink, and the temperature outside is going up up UP. Life is life and going pretty good. I am excited and ready and going to pull my bike out of the basement today. As soon as all the ice is melted out of the road… look out world! And clean. All I want to do it clean. Have you gotten the spring clean itch yet? My itch is like a rash. I want to get ride of EVERYTHING and power wash the inside of the house. I also want to invent something that keeps the dog nasty off of my life kinda like a bath). Yeah, maybe we will wash Washer today. That could be fun (not at all fun)
Other then that, not sure. Hoping for a long leisurely walk (pre-dog bath), a spring time salad situation involving lots of fresh baby arugula and pears and at least one small nap on the couch with window open. Not to much to ask, but we shall see.
Here, some links to take you on my internet findings.
– Slice The Price Of Fruits And Veggies, Save 200,000 Lives? I think so.
-We don’t buy dog treats, sometime I make them, but mostly he gets apples and carrots as treats. 11 Healthy Fruit & Vegetable Treats for Your Dog or Cat
–Get ready for a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen museum... Buying a yearly pass..hahaha!
-Some might say I have a mouth like a sailor.. and they are probably right, but I can’t help it. What Makes Swearing So Damn Satisfying, Anyway?
– This nursery is perfect. Maybe one day…..
-Completely in love with this house. And this cabin.. yes please.
–7 Types of Fruit Trees You Can Grow in Your Living Room. and I want to grow the ALL!
-I totally get this. No one will make you do the things you love–so here’s how to make yourself
-I pretty much only use cast iron for everything. so this is cool to see. How Lodge Cast Iron Skillets Are Made in Tennessee
– Yup, this would work for me. Exercise Bike Doubles As Washing Machine
-This is good news for the little ones.Peanut Mush In Infancy Cuts Allergy Risk.
And yes, picture of baby pigs, and some other stuff.
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Yup. this is the current kitchen. Everything is ripped out (besides the floors… doing that on Monday)
And now the big question…What are we doing? Honest, I have no freaking idea. No that’s not true, I have way to many freaking ideas. The internet is driving me crazy with all of it’s pretty pictures and cool ideas, it’s so overwhelming. And then there is the budget. Did you know that everything is not free? I know, sucky, but we are on not in a position to spend away… Plus I like my things used or recycled with character and charm. (and free of cheap(but well made))
And it’s not like this isn’t like my 100th kitchen remodel, but this one is personal. Like has potential to me the kitchen of my (our, but mostly my) dreams. And that’s a lot of pressure. Here is the list of the big things we need to figure out. Soon.
- Do I eat grass and dirt for a few months and save enough money to get a wolf gas range or do I get a way less expensivedecent stove that I will probably burn out within 5 years (I burn out ovens… I like to cook hot!)
- Where does the fridge go ? Currently the old fridge is on the opposite wall, and it almost kinda works there, but I wanted that wall to be bare. so?
- Dish washer? I could live without, but the mr wants one. He is probably right but we have been hand washing for so long now that I might miss it. (ok, probably not)
- And the sink. Old farm sink or a newer 2 bay?
- Do we do a tile back splash? And if yes, white subway or what ?(no color or anything trendy…)
- The floor. We know that if the there is hard wood or any nice soft wood under the layers of shit on top, we will sand and keep. I am hoping for that, but it’s not looking good from what we see so far. So then what? I don’t think I want tile but should we really lay hardwood down?
- Lighting. Actually not a big deal here cause I feel like lighting is so easily changed out for us that if we don’t like it,we’ll just change it.
- And the biggy big big.. Cabinets and counter tops. I know no laminate and no wood countersbut I don’t want fancy or expensive or ugly. And the cabinets could possibly come from ikea and we face them ourselves or I find some cool old dressers!?
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What we do know is that we are going to stick some type of french door situation here. The doors have to be cool, old, and be half, if not entirely made of glass. I have my heart set on a pair of antique garden doors that came from FranceI saw last year at a reclaim store which have sense been sold.. SO whoever bought them give them back. That’s not a lot to ask right?
Yeah. Just looking for the right set. We might even find cool doors we like and DIY something. We want the doors soon, but are not going to settle on anything mah… we will wait for the right ones.
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Thinking that the stove is going to go on the far wall where the black is. Have a little counter and a long counter against the opposing wall…. Still not 100% The sink is (was) in a good spot so it’s staying under the window.
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Definitely our favorite spot in the house. The heater is getting removed, but other then that, again, not sure. Just know that it has to stay a fantastic nook for coffee consumption.
So that’s where we are right now with the kitchen. We have a little more time, but soon all ofthese decisions have to be made and we will start putting it all back together (SO EXCITED!) Until then, I will continue to scour the internet for ideas , the salvage yards and craigslist for all the cool stuff, and all the vending machines for any left change.
-C
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The sister came over for dinner again this week (we have established a weekly homework dinner club) which then turned into an argument between me, her, and the mr. I told them I was making shepherd’s pie and went about my way in doing so. The mr was gone for a bit, I was cooking, Barb was homeworking and all was good. When the mr came home for dinner and I pulled out the pie, he was skeptical. Then I served it up and handed him a nice big bowl of this amazing looking/smelling/tasting/ shepherd’s pie and the first thing he said was “this is not shepherd’s pie. Shepherd’s pie is mashed potatoes, corn and meat.” Well ,yeah” I said, “that is one way to make it, but shut it you… I am calling it shepherd’s pie” Haha. And little Barb, she was on my side and had none of the mr skepticism. and started to argue with him.(She is always in my side) Me, I just sat there and ate and let them fight.
By the end of dinner, the mr still wouldn’t call it shepherd pie but together they settled on a new name. “Judah Pie” because Judah is a religious name and a shepherd sound religious too and they are such freaking weirdos… I don’t know how they think. Oh how much do I love our dinners.
Anyway, still calling it shepherd’s pie so yeah, I win!
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The stuff. One big rutabaga, some dried lentils.half a big onion, a zucchini, some frozen peas ,and a couple carrots. Garlic, rosemary, and a bay leaf or two are going in to the mix along with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. All some good good stuff if I say so myself, but veggie wise…use what you got on hand. Heck you even go with a straight up bag of some frozen stuff..
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Start by peeling and dicing up the rutabaga. When dicing, make the chunks kinda small (they cook faster) and stick them into a pot of cold water. Cook them like you would potatoes..(salted water, bring to boil, turn heat to medium and cook until super tender)
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And get those lentils on the stove too. Add the rosemary and bay leaf to the water, stick on the stove, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and toss a lid on the b.
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Alright, so that stuff is cooking, now you can chop up the veggies and toss them into a skillet with a splash of oil and water. Stick those on the stove on medium heat for a few minutes, just to give them a little head start in cooking. Let them start to sweat, but don’t let them get mushy.
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After a few minutes, toss in the peas, the garlic (after its minced up) and a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. cook for just another minute or two.
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And the lentils are done!
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Dump those babies into the skillet with the veggies (remove the bay leaves) and mix around. Season with salt and pepper, taste, add more if needed and more vinegar if you think you want too. And smooth out the mixture into the skillet.
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Super fork tender and sprinkled with a good amount of salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil. Also add in a bit of the reserved liquid to fluff it up a bit.
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The veggie lentil mixture gets topped with that mash and is spread out all nice like. Ready to be popped into the oven to bake.
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Look at that golden skillet of amazing. Baked to perfection…….. Smells so good.
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Serves with a hunk of bread and a fork to eat it with.
Whatever you call it, we can all agree that we can call it good!
-Peace out duders!!
-C
- 1 medium sized rutabaga
- 1 1/2 cups dried lentils
- 3 cups water
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- 1-2 by leaves
- 2 teaspoons rosemary
- 2 small or one large carrot
- 1/2 a large sweet onion (or ant onion)
- 1 small zucchini
- 1 cup frozen peas
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Note. This is one of those “recipes ” that is easily adapted to what you got in you fridge. The main ingredients are rutabaga and lentils, but the veggies can be swapped with whatever, just make sure you end up with about about 2 1/2 cups of veggies to mix in. And even the seasoning. You could swap out the rosemary and add curry instead. Oh would that be nice.
Start by peeling the rutabaga. Dice it into small chunks and place into a large pot of cold water with a good pinch of salt. Place on stove, bring to a boil then turn heat to medium and cook the rutabaga until fork tender.
And right after the rutabaga is on the stove, get the lentils going. Water, rosemary, bay leaves, and the dried lentils all go into a pot, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and top with a lid. Cook until tender and the water has been absorbed, which should take about. 20 minutes. Check after 15 to see how they are coking. If they seem to dry, add in a little more water.
Preheat oven to 400.
Grab the veggies (besides peas) and chop them all into little chunks. Toss into a 10 or 12 inch oven safe skillet with a splash of olive oil and water and season with salt and pepper Stick on medium heat for a few minutes to just slightly soften the veggies. Remove them from heat and toss in minced up garlic, the peas, a tablespoon or two of vinegar.
Once the lentils are cooked, toss those in with the veggies and mix all around then spread evenly in the skillet.
If you want to bake the shepherd’s pie in a casserole dish, just dump all the stuff into said dish once the mixture is done.
Now the rutabaga should be done now. Strain but reserve liquid and with a masher, mash the crap our of the rutabaga, adding in salt, pepper, olive oil to taste, and a little (like 1/4 -1/2 a cup of the reserved liquid to give it a fluffier consistency. Once good and mashed, top the lentil veggie mixture with the mash and smooth out. Sprinkle with more pepper and pop the thing into the oven. Bake for 20ish minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.
Remove, let cool a few minutes, dish it out, and dig in!
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The other night at a dinner with my family, I was explaining to my dad ans sisters about a cookie that I have been making for myself that is coconut flour, sweet potato and lentils (I’ll share that recipe at some point) and all those ass faces were making fun of me. They couldn’t understand how I could make anything taste like a cookie with lentils. And not going to lie, I was slightly offended , not for myself but on the lentils behalf. Lentils can do and be anything!
Fast forward to the next nights dinner (we had a lot a family dinners). I was in charge of a dessert. I had recently took a trip to the store where the bananas where on sale for .30 a pound… So I bough a few (like 20) and had quite a few ripe naners that were in need of being consumed. Banana bread is it. And because I was going to prove my point to the fam that they are all asses and have no idea about anything, I made the bread with beans in it. (the lentils are for me)
Long store short.. The bread was excepted into the mouths of the people with smiles ans yums. No one had any idea that there was anything different about it, only that is was so fantastic and that it was gone within the hour. I did tell everyone after the first few bites that I made it with beans and a lot less sugar then most but no one cared. The kids were actually excited that it had beans in it because it meant that they could have seconds. My dad asked for the recipe, and the rest of the people.. well they didn’t care, just ate it and yeah.
See, beans in bread is a great idea.. So what do you think of my lentil cookies now? HA
To the bread. Go banana bean, GO!
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The stuff. We got some flour in a bowl with baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Then we have a few ripe bananas, a cup of beans (in bean water), a bit of oil, brown sugar, some cinnamon, and a nip of vanilla.
There should be apple cider vinegar in there…. so pretend it is.
Start off by blending 1 of the bananas up with the beans (use you blending method of choice) until pretty smooth (some chunks are fine, just not super bean chunks)
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Then add in the second banana and mash it in, but leave it chunky (I just used the blender part to mash it up… why dirty a fork?)
Not into chunky, then blend it as well, the chunky/ smooth factor is up to you.
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The rest of the wet stuff goes into the bowl (don’t forget the vinegar) and gets all mixed together with the naner beans.
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Then the wet goes into the dry.
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And mixed up until just incorporated.
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Dump the mixtureinto a well greased bread pan. Grab that third banana and cut it length wise into thirds and press the pieces into the top of the mixture. This step is optional and also open to interpretation. The designs a banana can make………….
And into the oven it goes!
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Baked to a golden perfection, remove from he oven and set to cool.
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And after completely cooled (f you can wait that long) grab a knife, cut yourself a hunk, and go about your day knowing you made the right choice by eating sweet ass banana bread that happens to have a good does of beans in it.
One could almost consider this a health food! (almost)
-Have yourself a fine day
-C
Makes one loaf
- 2 cups white whole wet or regular all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup oil (like canola)
- 2 ripe bananas (plus optional 1 for topping)
- 1 cup white beans in the bean juice
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375
In a large bowl, combine the flour with the baking soda and powder, the a salt, and the cinnamon. In either the blender or a separate bowl using a hand blender, blend on of the bananas with the beans and bean water until pretty smooth. Once blended, mash in the remaining banana (can puree until smooth if you are not into chunks of banana) Now mix in the oil, vinegar, vanilla and the sugar. Mix until combined then mix into the dry until just combined.
Pour batter into a well greased bread pan and if you want, slice the extra banana into thirds and gently press into the top of the batter. And now stick it into the oven. Bake until golden brown and all pretty like and a tester stick in the middle comes out clean. (about 50 minutes)
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a few minutes then flip out and let cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled, slice it on up into desired thickness and eat away, whether it be naked (you or the bread) or smothered with peanut butter, jam, butter or whatever.
Cooled bread is fine on the counter covered for a day but should be stored in a air tight bag in the fridge if longer then that..
Funny story. Our basement floods a little every year in the spring. I think that a lot of people around here have slight problem with basement water, the houses being so old and all. So when earlier this week we had a massive thaw and a bunch of rain, the mr preemptively set up the sub pump to keep the water away. All day he was checking the pump and all day it poured butthe basement stayed dry. He turned it off that night after it had stopped raining. We woke up to the most beautiful bright blue sky, the temperature so warm that I didn’t need to wear a jacket and to 3 inches of water in the basement. STUPID!!!!! But that happened and yeah. The mr spent a good few hours moving all of our stuff, (we store a lot of stuff in the basement) shop vac-ing and pumping up the water .He did such a good job that it was almost like it never happened. The only really wet thing was a big laundry basket of stuff. I wanted to wash itasap so it wouldn’t mold so when I got home, into the washer it went. (the washer is in the basement too) Go to change the load to the dryer and guess what.. the mr took the washer machine house out of the main drain to use it for the shop vac, and no, we forgot to stick the hose back in. We re-flooded the mother F-ing basement!!!!!AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
But it’s kinda funny right?
Anyway the week has been heavy on the crazy. My Dad has been here so we have been spending a lot of time with the family doing family things all week. Over at the house we have pretty much gutted the kitchen (anyone want free kitchen cabinets?) and the mr is almost done muding the first floor. Once that happens we can move in (Just kidding… not even close) but we are well on our way. And the next project we tackle is going to be fun fun (rip the roof off!)
And the father of mine is leaving today, (which makes me a little sad) I have no kiddos in my care, the water from the basement is pretty much gone and I don’t want to do a damn thing that involves work. It’s a down day for sure. No people, no fuss. I have a new book on hold at the library, although I am kinda torn. Should I start a new book or binge watch Fuller House? (can I take more family drama?) Have you watched it yet? Do me a favor if you have, let me know if it’s going to ruin the Tanner family for me.
Hoping your day, as well as mine, is gong to be a good one!
Interesting internet stuff from the week.
-Are you a open broiler or a closed broiler. I am neither.. my broiler is the bottom draw of the stove and doesn’t work unless pushed in. Can You Leave the Oven Door Closed While Broiling?
I was planning on making pita bread this week and just happen to stumble upon this article. The 7 Rules of Perfect Pita Bread
-Holding a bag of enough powdered caffeine to kill several people… whoa. Caffeine For Sale: The Hidden Trade Of The World’s Favorite Stimulant
-What is the word for finally getting words for all he emotions I felt but couldn’t explain? 40 Words For Emotions You’ve Felt, But Couldn’t Explain
-I know!!!!!. ARTISANAL WATER IS OUT OF CONTROL AND STUPID
-This article really hit home for me. To Anyone Who Thinks They’re Falling Behind In Life
-A tree inside.. yes, I would like one in every room please.
-I love cool (well done) street art.. Quirky New Chalk Characters on the Streets of Ann Arbor by David Zinn
-Maybe next knitting project Knit Fruits and Veggies by ‘MapleApple’
-I am not going to lie.. I love Chrissy Teigen and although I probably won”t cook any of the food in her book, I am still looking forward to giving it a read. Chrissy Teigen’s ‘Cravings’ and the Search for Cookbook Credibility
And some pictures.
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OF all the places that we went on our adventure, this place was the craziest. Maybe it was because we had been traveling for a while by then and I might have been a little loopy and hungry and full of traveling endorphins , but Iceland felt more like we had traveled to a different planet. Covered in snow and ice, gigantic , jagged mountains, and barely a tree to be seen. The sun was limited, rising around 1030am and setting around 330pm. The landscape has a very barren, almost aggressive feel, but at the same time, really pulled me in. We only got to spend 4 days there( and they were the coldest 4 days they have had all year) but what time we did spend only made us want to go back (int he summer) to explore even more.
Our bnb wasin Hafnarfjörður, a town outside of the big city. It isright next to a harbor with all the house build snuggled close on the hill in between rocks and boulders. The houses are so cute with a very danish feel, lots of clean edges, metal sidings, and fun colors. And the lights. Just about every house had some type of twinkly lights in there yard making the town light up like a fairy land at night. It was magical and beautiful and made me very happy.
We ended up taking a bus tour of the Golden Circle. I had never taken a bus tour before so I wasn’t exactly sure of what to expect. And I am not going to lie, I am so glade we did it, the tour lady had lots of really interesting stories and facts about the country to tell us andwe wouldn’t have been able to see any of what we saw if we didn’t do it, but I am not a fan of the bus. Eight hours of cramped seats, cold and damp withridged time restricted… not my cup of tea, but whatever, it was still really cool. Oh and did I mention the elves and trolls yet? I had heard this before we went, but Icelanders believe in another dimension where mystical creatures live and that sometimes travel to this world. YES YES YES!!!! Isn’t that just freaking fantastic! On the tour, our guide was telling us all about it (she even believed in them) and how these creatures live under and in all the big rocks and boulders and those rocks and boulders cannot be moved or else you will disturb them. And not joke, there is anationalpsychicthat talks to the creatures in the matters of the roadand new building construction (are we to close to you boldermr. elf?) They take care not to disturb their natural habitats. (When I heard this I was just so happy.) All I know is thatI need to start believing in elves.
And the people. To be honest we didn’t have a lot of interactionwith local Icelanders. We stayed with the sweetest couple at theairbnb we rented, but they had only been in Iceland for a year. We did talked to people, but it seemed that everyone we talked to were traveling as well. The boys we were staying withm as wel as the tour guide had mentioned that the locals were not excatly the most friendly people. Not that they were mean or anything, just maybe a little standoffish. We kind of got that feel, but whenever we needed any help, the people we dealt with were very nice, but I kinda got what everyone was saying. It’s not the most jolly la la la place for people.
Another strange part of being in Iceland was the food. Eating was difficult and very expensive. There was a restaurantin the town, but they mostly served meat ans seafood. There grocery store stocked very little in ways of fresh produce and what they did has was crazy freaking expensive ($6 for quart pund of carrots.. OUCH) Luckily I was able to score a bag of lentils, some apples, and a head of cabbage, so that’s what I lived off for the time we were there. Next time we go, I am for sure going to be packing a checked bag full of carrots. yeah, that’t what I will do.
So much, so much. I am sure I forgetting to tell you all about something I was going to tell you, but now I am just drifting in and out of all the pictures (I have so many more pictures) and am having a hard tie concentrating. So I will leave you with these to look. Andbefore I go, a little advice. Next time you find yourself going to Europe, take advantage of the Icelandic layover. The place is not the cheapest, but how can you pass up a free stop in a crazy cool country. (think about it..)
Have fun times today!
-C
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Yesterday was kind of a shit show as far as the weather was concerned. I woke up early to a lovely light blanket of snow, the temperature hovering around 32 degrees. The air was nice and crisp, the sky was a light grayish blue. The neighborhood was quite. I walked the pup and then took off for the morning. It was so nice.
How that changed fast. Walking home a few hours later I was a hot , drenched, cold and damp mess. All that snow turned into slush and gigantic puddles and it was raining a good steady soaking rain. And I had to walk my butt home. So that was great.
But you know what these weather make me think of… Spring!!!! Yes, warmer, slushy, mushy weather. Mud all over the house and a wet smelly dog All the things that should not be happening right now but are. And now I have the springtime feels hard.
With things all springy, I was thinking of spring veggies and just wanting something bright and pretty and tasty. Peas! Peas are a good spring veggie, and where there is peas, there carrots. (or should be) But not plain, run of the mill peas and carrots. First off I got the prettiest colorful purple, white, and orange carrots because I needed some color. Right there that made me super happy, Then instead of just steaming them with some peas, I did roast those carrots to bring out all the sweet juicy flavors. Then those pea. Not really in season yet, so I went with frozen (I love frozen peas) and made the brightest, most amazing creamy pea sauce infused with garlic lemon, and dill. (all spring time flavors)
The results… I love roasted carrots so no surprise there but the creamy peas…KA-POW amazing!!!! My mouth has never been so happy to eat peas. and it really loves peas. Fresh, clean, tangy…I made, I ate, I though about them all night. And of spring and all the peas and carrots I am going to plant…and eat.
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The stuff. The prettiest bright and colorful carrots and some green as can be frozen peas. Dill, garlic, and lemon to add to the peas and some olive oil, salt and pepper to roast up the carrots.
Chop up the carrots and tossed with salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. And onto a baking sheet and into the oven to roast.
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Dump those peas into a pot with water, garlic, and the dill. Stick the pot on the stove ans bring to a boil for a few minutes then remove from the heat.
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You see that? It’s amazing . Its gets blended until smooth and seasoned with salt, pepper, and the juice if half a lemon. Give it a taste but don’t eat it all. (I almost ate it all) and pour into a nice little cup or jar and wait for the carrots.
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Oh roasted lovely colored carrots.. So good all on your own.
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But slathered with this pea sauce…. Always and forever. I am in love.. could eat all day every day.
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I wish my stomach was big enough to eat all the peas and carrots….. All!
Lots of spring thoughts… It’s going to be official soon.
Have a great day. Stay dry!
-C
serves 2-3
- 1 lb carrots (I used a variety of colored carrots but plain old orange carrots are always fantastic too!)
- 2 cups frozen peas
- 3/4 cup water
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon dill
- 1/2 a lemon
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
preheat oven to 450
Cut carrots into quarter and in half (can cut in any size and shape you want) Place the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with a wee bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss it all around. Stick the carrots into the oven to roast.
Now grab those peas and stick them into a pot with the water, the dill, and the garlic. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Either with a hand held blender or a regular blender…. blend until smooth. Add in the juice of half a lemon, season with salt and pepper, and then try not to eat it all before the carrots are roasted.
Once carrots are tender and browned and yummy looking (about 30 minutes) remove from oven and slather on the pea sauce.
Eat right away….. Make more tomorrow.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
August 12, 2016 by maximios • Blog
One of the mr’s little brothers really likes peanut butter cookies. He is always asking me to make them for him so this past weekend, for his 24h birthday, I did just that. Peanut butter chocolate chip birthday cookies, Just for him. (I know, I am the best)
After rushing home the evening before to make this awesome cookies for the boy, I waited until a decent time the next day and I shot him a text.. “Happy Birthday! Where are you?, I want to bring you cookies!”. That was at noon. I get a text back around 3… “just woke up, I’ll come get them later.” (Sleeping until 3pm.. that must have been a crazy ass birthday morning!)
Well guess what. That little shit didn’t come get the cookie that I made all special like for him so now the mr has slowly been picking them off. And the mr. says that these cookies are like magic. That they are so freaking good, probably the best peanut butter cookie he has ever had. (he doesn’t usually say things like that about cookies so the really must be amazing)
So if you are reading this Qui.. you have a a few magic cookies left…but I can’t promise anything after tonight. The sister is coming over for dinner and I’ll just give them to her for dessert……….
The stuff. Rolled oats, peanut butter, brown sugar, sea salt and chocolate chips. Also a bit of baking soda, some vanilla extract and a bit of water. You need no flour, eggs or butter, these cookies are all about simple goodness.
Notes. Chunky or smooth peanut butter is cool here and you can use natural or skippy.. the skippy cookie will just be a bit sweeter. And the sea salt. If you don’t have sea salt, add a teaspoon of table salt to the cookie batter. The sea salt is for the tops of the cookies and you should NOT use table salt for that.
Start by sticking the oats into a food processor and blending until your oats become oat flour.
Then dump everything else in (water first), EXCEPT the chocolate chips.
And pulse until it all comes together into a yummy peanut butter cookie dough.
Dump the dough into a bowl and now mix in the chocolate chip. Once you do that, stop eating the dough and stick the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to slightly chill….
After the bout in the fridge, grab your dough and scoop out like sized balls of dough and place them on baking sheet. Give each ball a smoosh (use a fork or your fingers) and sprinkle the tops with a small little pinch of sea salt (again, if you don’t have sea salt, so not use table salt… just skip this)
And into the oven they go…
Only until slightly golden brown and just starting to look almost done….. that’s when they are done (about 8 minutes)
Let the cookies cool for a minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to finish.
Super awesome and super duper duper good. Made with love and good intentions for a little shit… but left to be eaten by others
But really these are so easy and fast to make. I’ll probably just end up making the boy a new batch. (again, so nice)
Have a super duper day!
-C
Make about a dozen
Note. Flaked sea salt is a perfect finish for the cookie but if you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, add a teaspoon of table salt to the cookie batter but don’t sprinkle the tops with it.
Place oats in food processor ans blend until it turns into flour. Add in water, pulse, then add in the rest, EXCEPT the chocolate chip. Pulse until a dough forms. Dump the dough into a bowl and now mix in the chocolate chips.
Stick the dough in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes…. In the mean time, do the dishes and a little cookie dance.
Preheat oven to 350.
With a scoop or spoon. scoop out your preferred sized cookies onto a baking sheet. Give each cookie ball a little smoosh with either a fork for a pattern or just your fingers. Sprinkle each smooshed cookie with a pinch of sea salt.
Stick the cookies in oven and bake for 8-9 minutes, until just barely golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool for a minutes then remove from sheet to cool on a wire rack.
Place a cookie or two on a plate, stash the rest away (or else you will eat them all) grab a nice cold glass of some milk situation or a pipping hot cup of coffee and sit down with a good book or even a smutty magazine (no judgment here), read, eat cookies and be happy.
Enjoy!
We have been doing work on the house for a while now, ripping things out, patching things up.. must mostly ripping things out. Well yesterday we made our first purchase for something that is going into the house… A vintage green pedestal sink. YES!!! I scoured the internet,looked in salvage yards, all the while not really thinking I would find anything (anything I could afforded) but lo and behold, two days ago I found one on craigslist. Crazy, and only a little drive away. So the mr and I jumped on that and yesterday we drove out to the country, stopped at the pig farm, feed the cutest 5 week old piglets stale donuts and retrieved out new green sink from the frozen mud. I am so excited. We have officiallybought our first major piece for the house. And it’s so pretty and green and almost tacky, (could get tacky) but is going to be perfect. Oh how I love me the craigslist.
Other news. Have you hear about the pre-peeled oranges from Whole Foods, the ones that made everyone all crazy and waere all over the news and internet? So stupid right. (Like yeah it’s kinda stupid to sell pre-peeled oranges and a waste of plastic, but is it any more dumb the to sell single serve plastic coffee pods, shrink wrapped potatoes, or plastic wrapped junk food. Just saying.) The mr and I were watching the morning news when the story came on. We started to have very normal discussion about who and why and all that when I guess I made a comment about how I have to peel his oranges. (I don’t peel his oranges, but I might have helped start a orange a few tines) And then all of a sudden this light hearted discussion about pre-peeled oranges went down hill. The pre peeled oranges made us turn on each other (our argument might not been entirely about the oranges…) Long story short. probably not going to be buying oranges for a while….Or maybe I’ll take it one step further and just stock the fridge with pre-peeled, sectioned off segments of oranges.
HAHAHAHA. I am brilliant!
So oranges, new green sink, and the temperature outside is going up up UP. Life is life and going pretty good. I am excited and ready and going to pull my bike out of the basement today. As soon as all the ice is melted out of the road… look out world! And clean. All I want to do it clean. Have you gotten the spring clean itch yet? My itch is like a rash. I want to get ride of EVERYTHING and power wash the inside of the house. I also want to invent something that keeps the dog nasty off of my life kinda like a bath). Yeah, maybe we will wash Washer today. That could be fun (not at all fun)
Other then that, not sure. Hoping for a long leisurely walk (pre-dog bath), a spring time salad situation involving lots of fresh baby arugula and pears and at least one small nap on the couch with window open. Not to much to ask, but we shall see.
Here, some links to take you on my internet findings.
– Slice The Price Of Fruits And Veggies, Save 200,000 Lives? I think so.
-We don’t buy dog treats, sometime I make them, but mostly he gets apples and carrots as treats. 11 Healthy Fruit & Vegetable Treats for Your Dog or Cat
–Get ready for a Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen museum... Buying a yearly pass..hahaha!
-Some might say I have a mouth like a sailor.. and they are probably right, but I can’t help it. What Makes Swearing So Damn Satisfying, Anyway?
– This nursery is perfect. Maybe one day…..
-Completely in love with this house. And this cabin.. yes please.
–7 Types of Fruit Trees You Can Grow in Your Living Room. and I want to grow the ALL!
-I totally get this. No one will make you do the things you love–so here’s how to make yourself
-I pretty much only use cast iron for everything. so this is cool to see. How Lodge Cast Iron Skillets Are Made in Tennessee
– Yup, this would work for me. Exercise Bike Doubles As Washing Machine
-This is good news for the little ones.Peanut Mush In Infancy Cuts Allergy Risk.
And yes, picture of baby pigs, and some other stuff.
Yup. this is the current kitchen. Everything is ripped out (besides the floors… doing that on Monday)
And now the big question…What are we doing? Honest, I have no freaking idea. No that’s not true, I have way to many freaking ideas. The internet is driving me crazy with all of it’s pretty pictures and cool ideas, it’s so overwhelming. And then there is the budget. Did you know that everything is not free? I know, sucky, but we are on not in a position to spend away… Plus I like my things used or recycled with character and charm. (and free of cheap(but well made))
And it’s not like this isn’t like my 100th kitchen remodel, but this one is personal. Like has potential to me the kitchen of my (our, but mostly my) dreams. And that’s a lot of pressure. Here is the list of the big things we need to figure out. Soon.
What we do know is that we are going to stick some type of french door situation here. The doors have to be cool, old, and be half, if not entirely made of glass. I have my heart set on a pair of antique garden doors that came from FranceI saw last year at a reclaim store which have sense been sold.. SO whoever bought them give them back. That’s not a lot to ask right?
Yeah. Just looking for the right set. We might even find cool doors we like and DIY something. We want the doors soon, but are not going to settle on anything mah… we will wait for the right ones.
Thinking that the stove is going to go on the far wall where the black is. Have a little counter and a long counter against the opposing wall…. Still not 100% The sink is (was) in a good spot so it’s staying under the window.
Definitely our favorite spot in the house. The heater is getting removed, but other then that, again, not sure. Just know that it has to stay a fantastic nook for coffee consumption.
So that’s where we are right now with the kitchen. We have a little more time, but soon all ofthese decisions have to be made and we will start putting it all back together (SO EXCITED!) Until then, I will continue to scour the internet for ideas , the salvage yards and craigslist for all the cool stuff, and all the vending machines for any left change.
-C
The sister came over for dinner again this week (we have established a weekly homework dinner club) which then turned into an argument between me, her, and the mr. I told them I was making shepherd’s pie and went about my way in doing so. The mr was gone for a bit, I was cooking, Barb was homeworking and all was good. When the mr came home for dinner and I pulled out the pie, he was skeptical. Then I served it up and handed him a nice big bowl of this amazing looking/smelling/tasting/ shepherd’s pie and the first thing he said was “this is not shepherd’s pie. Shepherd’s pie is mashed potatoes, corn and meat.” Well ,yeah” I said, “that is one way to make it, but shut it you… I am calling it shepherd’s pie” Haha. And little Barb, she was on my side and had none of the mr skepticism. and started to argue with him.(She is always in my side) Me, I just sat there and ate and let them fight.
By the end of dinner, the mr still wouldn’t call it shepherd pie but together they settled on a new name. “Judah Pie” because Judah is a religious name and a shepherd sound religious too and they are such freaking weirdos… I don’t know how they think. Oh how much do I love our dinners.
Anyway, still calling it shepherd’s pie so yeah, I win!
The stuff. One big rutabaga, some dried lentils.half a big onion, a zucchini, some frozen peas ,and a couple carrots. Garlic, rosemary, and a bay leaf or two are going in to the mix along with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. All some good good stuff if I say so myself, but veggie wise…use what you got on hand. Heck you even go with a straight up bag of some frozen stuff..
Start by peeling and dicing up the rutabaga. When dicing, make the chunks kinda small (they cook faster) and stick them into a pot of cold water. Cook them like you would potatoes..(salted water, bring to boil, turn heat to medium and cook until super tender)
And get those lentils on the stove too. Add the rosemary and bay leaf to the water, stick on the stove, bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and toss a lid on the b.
Alright, so that stuff is cooking, now you can chop up the veggies and toss them into a skillet with a splash of oil and water. Stick those on the stove on medium heat for a few minutes, just to give them a little head start in cooking. Let them start to sweat, but don’t let them get mushy.
After a few minutes, toss in the peas, the garlic (after its minced up) and a few glugs of balsamic vinegar. cook for just another minute or two.
And the lentils are done!
Dump those babies into the skillet with the veggies (remove the bay leaves) and mix around. Season with salt and pepper, taste, add more if needed and more vinegar if you think you want too. And smooth out the mixture into the skillet.
Super fork tender and sprinkled with a good amount of salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil. Also add in a bit of the reserved liquid to fluff it up a bit.
The veggie lentil mixture gets topped with that mash and is spread out all nice like. Ready to be popped into the oven to bake.
Look at that golden skillet of amazing. Baked to perfection…….. Smells so good.
Serves with a hunk of bread and a fork to eat it with.
Whatever you call it, we can all agree that we can call it good!
-Peace out duders!!
-C
Note. This is one of those “recipes ” that is easily adapted to what you got in you fridge. The main ingredients are rutabaga and lentils, but the veggies can be swapped with whatever, just make sure you end up with about about 2 1/2 cups of veggies to mix in. And even the seasoning. You could swap out the rosemary and add curry instead. Oh would that be nice.
Start by peeling the rutabaga. Dice it into small chunks and place into a large pot of cold water with a good pinch of salt. Place on stove, bring to a boil then turn heat to medium and cook the rutabaga until fork tender.
And right after the rutabaga is on the stove, get the lentils going. Water, rosemary, bay leaves, and the dried lentils all go into a pot, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and top with a lid. Cook until tender and the water has been absorbed, which should take about. 20 minutes. Check after 15 to see how they are coking. If they seem to dry, add in a little more water.
Preheat oven to 400.
Grab the veggies (besides peas) and chop them all into little chunks. Toss into a 10 or 12 inch oven safe skillet with a splash of olive oil and water and season with salt and pepper Stick on medium heat for a few minutes to just slightly soften the veggies. Remove them from heat and toss in minced up garlic, the peas, a tablespoon or two of vinegar.
Once the lentils are cooked, toss those in with the veggies and mix all around then spread evenly in the skillet.
If you want to bake the shepherd’s pie in a casserole dish, just dump all the stuff into said dish once the mixture is done.
Now the rutabaga should be done now. Strain but reserve liquid and with a masher, mash the crap our of the rutabaga, adding in salt, pepper, olive oil to taste, and a little (like 1/4 -1/2 a cup of the reserved liquid to give it a fluffier consistency. Once good and mashed, top the lentil veggie mixture with the mash and smooth out. Sprinkle with more pepper and pop the thing into the oven. Bake for 20ish minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.
Remove, let cool a few minutes, dish it out, and dig in!
The other night at a dinner with my family, I was explaining to my dad ans sisters about a cookie that I have been making for myself that is coconut flour, sweet potato and lentils (I’ll share that recipe at some point) and all those ass faces were making fun of me. They couldn’t understand how I could make anything taste like a cookie with lentils. And not going to lie, I was slightly offended , not for myself but on the lentils behalf. Lentils can do and be anything!
Fast forward to the next nights dinner (we had a lot a family dinners). I was in charge of a dessert. I had recently took a trip to the store where the bananas where on sale for .30 a pound… So I bough a few (like 20) and had quite a few ripe naners that were in need of being consumed. Banana bread is it. And because I was going to prove my point to the fam that they are all asses and have no idea about anything, I made the bread with beans in it. (the lentils are for me)
Long store short.. The bread was excepted into the mouths of the people with smiles ans yums. No one had any idea that there was anything different about it, only that is was so fantastic and that it was gone within the hour. I did tell everyone after the first few bites that I made it with beans and a lot less sugar then most but no one cared. The kids were actually excited that it had beans in it because it meant that they could have seconds. My dad asked for the recipe, and the rest of the people.. well they didn’t care, just ate it and yeah.
See, beans in bread is a great idea.. So what do you think of my lentil cookies now? HA
To the bread. Go banana bean, GO!
The stuff. We got some flour in a bowl with baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Then we have a few ripe bananas, a cup of beans (in bean water), a bit of oil, brown sugar, some cinnamon, and a nip of vanilla.
There should be apple cider vinegar in there…. so pretend it is.
Start off by blending 1 of the bananas up with the beans (use you blending method of choice) until pretty smooth (some chunks are fine, just not super bean chunks)
Then add in the second banana and mash it in, but leave it chunky (I just used the blender part to mash it up… why dirty a fork?)
Not into chunky, then blend it as well, the chunky/ smooth factor is up to you.
The rest of the wet stuff goes into the bowl (don’t forget the vinegar) and gets all mixed together with the naner beans.
Then the wet goes into the dry.
And mixed up until just incorporated.
Dump the mixtureinto a well greased bread pan. Grab that third banana and cut it length wise into thirds and press the pieces into the top of the mixture. This step is optional and also open to interpretation. The designs a banana can make………….
And into the oven it goes!
Baked to a golden perfection, remove from he oven and set to cool.
And after completely cooled (f you can wait that long) grab a knife, cut yourself a hunk, and go about your day knowing you made the right choice by eating sweet ass banana bread that happens to have a good does of beans in it.
One could almost consider this a health food! (almost)
-Have yourself a fine day
-C
Makes one loaf
Preheat the oven to 375
In a large bowl, combine the flour with the baking soda and powder, the a salt, and the cinnamon. In either the blender or a separate bowl using a hand blender, blend on of the bananas with the beans and bean water until pretty smooth. Once blended, mash in the remaining banana (can puree until smooth if you are not into chunks of banana) Now mix in the oil, vinegar, vanilla and the sugar. Mix until combined then mix into the dry until just combined.
Pour batter into a well greased bread pan and if you want, slice the extra banana into thirds and gently press into the top of the batter. And now stick it into the oven. Bake until golden brown and all pretty like and a tester stick in the middle comes out clean. (about 50 minutes)
Remove from oven and let cool in pan for a few minutes then flip out and let cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled, slice it on up into desired thickness and eat away, whether it be naked (you or the bread) or smothered with peanut butter, jam, butter or whatever.
Cooled bread is fine on the counter covered for a day but should be stored in a air tight bag in the fridge if longer then that..
Funny story. Our basement floods a little every year in the spring. I think that a lot of people around here have slight problem with basement water, the houses being so old and all. So when earlier this week we had a massive thaw and a bunch of rain, the mr preemptively set up the sub pump to keep the water away. All day he was checking the pump and all day it poured butthe basement stayed dry. He turned it off that night after it had stopped raining. We woke up to the most beautiful bright blue sky, the temperature so warm that I didn’t need to wear a jacket and to 3 inches of water in the basement. STUPID!!!!! But that happened and yeah. The mr spent a good few hours moving all of our stuff, (we store a lot of stuff in the basement) shop vac-ing and pumping up the water .He did such a good job that it was almost like it never happened. The only really wet thing was a big laundry basket of stuff. I wanted to wash itasap so it wouldn’t mold so when I got home, into the washer it went. (the washer is in the basement too) Go to change the load to the dryer and guess what.. the mr took the washer machine house out of the main drain to use it for the shop vac, and no, we forgot to stick the hose back in. We re-flooded the mother F-ing basement!!!!!AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
But it’s kinda funny right?
Anyway the week has been heavy on the crazy. My Dad has been here so we have been spending a lot of time with the family doing family things all week. Over at the house we have pretty much gutted the kitchen (anyone want free kitchen cabinets?) and the mr is almost done muding the first floor. Once that happens we can move in (Just kidding… not even close) but we are well on our way. And the next project we tackle is going to be fun fun (rip the roof off!)
And the father of mine is leaving today, (which makes me a little sad) I have no kiddos in my care, the water from the basement is pretty much gone and I don’t want to do a damn thing that involves work. It’s a down day for sure. No people, no fuss. I have a new book on hold at the library, although I am kinda torn. Should I start a new book or binge watch Fuller House? (can I take more family drama?) Have you watched it yet? Do me a favor if you have, let me know if it’s going to ruin the Tanner family for me.
Hoping your day, as well as mine, is gong to be a good one!
Interesting internet stuff from the week.
-Are you a open broiler or a closed broiler. I am neither.. my broiler is the bottom draw of the stove and doesn’t work unless pushed in. Can You Leave the Oven Door Closed While Broiling?
I was planning on making pita bread this week and just happen to stumble upon this article. The 7 Rules of Perfect Pita Bread
-Holding a bag of enough powdered caffeine to kill several people… whoa. Caffeine For Sale: The Hidden Trade Of The World’s Favorite Stimulant
-What is the word for finally getting words for all he emotions I felt but couldn’t explain? 40 Words For Emotions You’ve Felt, But Couldn’t Explain
-I know!!!!!. ARTISANAL WATER IS OUT OF CONTROL AND STUPID
-This article really hit home for me. To Anyone Who Thinks They’re Falling Behind In Life
-A tree inside.. yes, I would like one in every room please.
-I love cool (well done) street art.. Quirky New Chalk Characters on the Streets of Ann Arbor by David Zinn
-Maybe next knitting project Knit Fruits and Veggies by ‘MapleApple’
-I am not going to lie.. I love Chrissy Teigen and although I probably won”t cook any of the food in her book, I am still looking forward to giving it a read. Chrissy Teigen’s ‘Cravings’ and the Search for Cookbook Credibility
And some pictures.
OF all the places that we went on our adventure, this place was the craziest. Maybe it was because we had been traveling for a while by then and I might have been a little loopy and hungry and full of traveling endorphins , but Iceland felt more like we had traveled to a different planet. Covered in snow and ice, gigantic , jagged mountains, and barely a tree to be seen. The sun was limited, rising around 1030am and setting around 330pm. The landscape has a very barren, almost aggressive feel, but at the same time, really pulled me in. We only got to spend 4 days there( and they were the coldest 4 days they have had all year) but what time we did spend only made us want to go back (int he summer) to explore even more.
Our bnb wasin Hafnarfjörður, a town outside of the big city. It isright next to a harbor with all the house build snuggled close on the hill in between rocks and boulders. The houses are so cute with a very danish feel, lots of clean edges, metal sidings, and fun colors. And the lights. Just about every house had some type of twinkly lights in there yard making the town light up like a fairy land at night. It was magical and beautiful and made me very happy.
We ended up taking a bus tour of the Golden Circle. I had never taken a bus tour before so I wasn’t exactly sure of what to expect. And I am not going to lie, I am so glade we did it, the tour lady had lots of really interesting stories and facts about the country to tell us andwe wouldn’t have been able to see any of what we saw if we didn’t do it, but I am not a fan of the bus. Eight hours of cramped seats, cold and damp withridged time restricted… not my cup of tea, but whatever, it was still really cool. Oh and did I mention the elves and trolls yet? I had heard this before we went, but Icelanders believe in another dimension where mystical creatures live and that sometimes travel to this world. YES YES YES!!!! Isn’t that just freaking fantastic! On the tour, our guide was telling us all about it (she even believed in them) and how these creatures live under and in all the big rocks and boulders and those rocks and boulders cannot be moved or else you will disturb them. And not joke, there is anationalpsychicthat talks to the creatures in the matters of the roadand new building construction (are we to close to you boldermr. elf?) They take care not to disturb their natural habitats. (When I heard this I was just so happy.) All I know is thatI need to start believing in elves.
And the people. To be honest we didn’t have a lot of interactionwith local Icelanders. We stayed with the sweetest couple at theairbnb we rented, but they had only been in Iceland for a year. We did talked to people, but it seemed that everyone we talked to were traveling as well. The boys we were staying withm as wel as the tour guide had mentioned that the locals were not excatly the most friendly people. Not that they were mean or anything, just maybe a little standoffish. We kind of got that feel, but whenever we needed any help, the people we dealt with were very nice, but I kinda got what everyone was saying. It’s not the most jolly la la la place for people.
Another strange part of being in Iceland was the food. Eating was difficult and very expensive. There was a restaurantin the town, but they mostly served meat ans seafood. There grocery store stocked very little in ways of fresh produce and what they did has was crazy freaking expensive ($6 for quart pund of carrots.. OUCH) Luckily I was able to score a bag of lentils, some apples, and a head of cabbage, so that’s what I lived off for the time we were there. Next time we go, I am for sure going to be packing a checked bag full of carrots. yeah, that’t what I will do.
So much, so much. I am sure I forgetting to tell you all about something I was going to tell you, but now I am just drifting in and out of all the pictures (I have so many more pictures) and am having a hard tie concentrating. So I will leave you with these to look. Andbefore I go, a little advice. Next time you find yourself going to Europe, take advantage of the Icelandic layover. The place is not the cheapest, but how can you pass up a free stop in a crazy cool country. (think about it..)
Have fun times today!
-C
Yesterday was kind of a shit show as far as the weather was concerned. I woke up early to a lovely light blanket of snow, the temperature hovering around 32 degrees. The air was nice and crisp, the sky was a light grayish blue. The neighborhood was quite. I walked the pup and then took off for the morning. It was so nice.
How that changed fast. Walking home a few hours later I was a hot , drenched, cold and damp mess. All that snow turned into slush and gigantic puddles and it was raining a good steady soaking rain. And I had to walk my butt home. So that was great.
But you know what these weather make me think of… Spring!!!! Yes, warmer, slushy, mushy weather. Mud all over the house and a wet smelly dog All the things that should not be happening right now but are. And now I have the springtime feels hard.
With things all springy, I was thinking of spring veggies and just wanting something bright and pretty and tasty. Peas! Peas are a good spring veggie, and where there is peas, there carrots. (or should be) But not plain, run of the mill peas and carrots. First off I got the prettiest colorful purple, white, and orange carrots because I needed some color. Right there that made me super happy, Then instead of just steaming them with some peas, I did roast those carrots to bring out all the sweet juicy flavors. Then those pea. Not really in season yet, so I went with frozen (I love frozen peas) and made the brightest, most amazing creamy pea sauce infused with garlic lemon, and dill. (all spring time flavors)
The results… I love roasted carrots so no surprise there but the creamy peas…KA-POW amazing!!!! My mouth has never been so happy to eat peas. and it really loves peas. Fresh, clean, tangy…I made, I ate, I though about them all night. And of spring and all the peas and carrots I am going to plant…and eat.
The stuff. The prettiest bright and colorful carrots and some green as can be frozen peas. Dill, garlic, and lemon to add to the peas and some olive oil, salt and pepper to roast up the carrots.
Chop up the carrots and tossed with salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. And onto a baking sheet and into the oven to roast.
Dump those peas into a pot with water, garlic, and the dill. Stick the pot on the stove ans bring to a boil for a few minutes then remove from the heat.
You see that? It’s amazing . Its gets blended until smooth and seasoned with salt, pepper, and the juice if half a lemon. Give it a taste but don’t eat it all. (I almost ate it all) and pour into a nice little cup or jar and wait for the carrots.
Oh roasted lovely colored carrots.. So good all on your own.
But slathered with this pea sauce…. Always and forever. I am in love.. could eat all day every day.
I wish my stomach was big enough to eat all the peas and carrots….. All!
Lots of spring thoughts… It’s going to be official soon.
Have a great day. Stay dry!
-C
serves 2-3
preheat oven to 450
Cut carrots into quarter and in half (can cut in any size and shape you want) Place the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with a wee bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss it all around. Stick the carrots into the oven to roast.
Now grab those peas and stick them into a pot with the water, the dill, and the garlic. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Either with a hand held blender or a regular blender…. blend until smooth. Add in the juice of half a lemon, season with salt and pepper, and then try not to eat it all before the carrots are roasted.
Once carrots are tender and browned and yummy looking (about 30 minutes) remove from oven and slather on the pea sauce.
Eat right away….. Make more tomorrow.