![]()
I know that sometime some of the foods that I eat might seem a little strange to people. But think about it. Isn’t there something that you eat that other people think is kinda weird or that you know might be a little on the strange side and yet you love it.
So apple lentils. I know some people think it’s weird, but trust me, it’s not, it’s actually pretty freaking magical. Lentils, especially red lentils, have a mild, nutty flavor that make them perfect to use in any type of dish, sweet or savory. And so nutritional value, with protein up the wazoo, these little guys are mega fantastic and yeah. SO don’t knock it till you try it.
Now first off, YAY for apple season!!! Aren’t we just so happy for fresh delicious apples? I am, so much so that I have made up a super cool apple jig where my head bobs up and down and my legs shift and convulse all over the place. ( could be mistaken for a seizure) It’s a sight to see for sure. And a second YAY for warm food again. The past week or two I have been waking up to temps in the 50’s giving the world just enough chill for a cozy morning sweater, a throw blanket and a nice hot bowl of breakfast porridge. (It also taste fantastic made ahead then eaten cold if the world decides to get warm again) My morning have been great, all cuddled on the couch with a book. my coffee, ad a bowl of apple lentil porridge. Best way to start the day.
![]()
The stuff. An apple, some red lentils, water, and some cinnamon. You can also add some maple or brown sugar to the mix if you want more sweetness.
![]()
Firstly, water ans lentils go into a pot and placed on the stove until the the water is boiling.
![]()
While that is happening, chop up you apple. Big pieces, little pieces, or both. I like both because the smaller pieces kinda of dissolve in the lentils and the bigger chunks will keep shape.
![]()
So once your lentils have started to boil, dump inmost (save a little bit to toss on after the lentils are cooked) of the chopped up apple and a good pinch or two of cinnamon. Mix it all around and place back on heat on low so simmer and cook.
![]()
Soft and all cooked to perfection. Gorgeous.
![]()
Dump the porridge into a bowl, add on the left over chunks of apples and give it another good sprinkle of cinnamon.
![]()
Breakfast of champions right here.
And because it’s what I eat every day…I am a champion.
You can be one too! (just eat some lentils)
-C
Makes one serving but can easily be double
- 1/2 cup dried red lentils
- 1 cup water
- an apple ( mac, honey crisp, paula red are good varieties)
- 1 teaspoon or so of cinnamon
Optional… Add a little sweetener like maple or brown sugar if you want
Stick water and lentils go into a pot and bring to a boil. Chop apple into pieces, some big, some small or all the same size. Once the lentils are boiling, dump in most of the chopped apple (save about 1/4 of it for later) into the pot and sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir around, reduce heat to a low and cook until the lentils are soft (about 10 minutes) Once they are cooked, taste and decide if you need sweetener. If you do, add a teaspoon or two of whatever in now and mix around then,transfer the lentil goodness into a bowl, toss on remaining apple chunks, sprinkle with cinnamon, and go to town.
Spoon to mouth. Happiness.
My morning walks as of lately have had me doing a bit of raspberry, cherry tomato, and husk cherry picking. Can it gt any better then that? (I sometimes pick flowers too). And yesterday I got my first pie pumpkin of the season. It is so cute and pumpkiny that I kind of want to keep it sitting on my counter for a while, but no.. My plan is to roast that shit for dinner tonight and eat it all to my face. There will be plenty of pumpkins to decorate with soon. This one is meant for my belly.
But before pumpkin, the mr and I ARE GOING to figure out the paint situation. I have never in my life had such a hard time picking colors for any apartment or house we have painted (and we have painted a lot) We nailed the wall color(on the second try) and both love it. I spent a good part of the week repainting the entire upstairs, but now we need to figure out the trim. I picked out a lovely grey that I looked fantastic for about a minute, but now I kind of hate it. I blame it on all the light and angles of the space. No two walls look the same color so I might just have to go with white trim and call it a day. Either way we go, I need to get the paint at least picked out today, its driving me fucking crazy.
I really should stop bitching, we have had such a productive week. We ended up picking up a new set of cast iron radiators, which I will tell you was no easy feat (the first or second time we did it, each of those things weight like a 800 lbs a piece) The old ones we got were not big enough to heat the space efficiently but the new ones, they are perfect and pretty and work. Score on that one. (thanks Mark the plumber) And while I was painting away upstairs, the mr was downstairs doing all sorts of stuff like moving all the tools and trash out, figuring out the radiant flooring for the first floor and sanding and painting the ceilings. The house looks so good that I am almost tempted to just move on in now, but then I think back to all the places we have lived during construction and the temptation goes away. Far far away. I can wait, at least for a bathroom with a sink that is not a hose and bucket.
Yup, another busy crray cray week. After we get paint, I think I am going to crash for a while, let my body and brain have a little time to shut off. We really should try to go apple picking or something, but honestly, I think we are both just really tired and could use a bit of time not doing anything. I say this but I know the mr will keep on working until his arms fall off, me, I will just fall asleep on the floor.
One thing I really need to do at some point today is to bust out all of my cozy sweaters. I am so very excited because sweaters are my jam and I have me aplenty of them. My wardrobe triples once the sweaters come out and I don’t look like such a bum wearing all my big baggy paint covered t shirts. A sweater classes me up bit.
Yes, I can be classy (kinda)
Internet findings from the week.
-What a bad ass lady. Urban Beekeeper Delivers Pollinators by Bike to Community Gardens Across Chicago
–A Dictionary Is Telling Everyone to Calm Down About Using ‘Literally’ Wrong
-So jealous. I would have loved to have taken a coffee class in college. STEM To Steam: How Coffee Is Perking Up Engineering Education
-Thinking we might go with black doors. (maybe, what do you think?)
-Always thought these windows were a bit strange.The Bizarre Story Behind This Common Home Amenity In Vermont
-I am serial lane switcher. To Pick the Fastest Line, Follow People With the Most Items
–The Power Vegetables Pantry. The 12 ingredients that will supercharge your vegetable cooking.
-This dude spent a lot of time and energy figuring out how to best drink a coke. (coca-cola, not coke like the drug) The 24-Year-Old Coca-Cola Virgin
-This place has got to be amazing. WHERE DOES LOST AIRLINE LUGGAGE GO? TO AMERICA’S GREATEST THRIFT STORE.
-I have a mini dance party to this song every day. Also love it cause it reminds me of Alana and Abby from Broad City (when is season 4 coming???? I NEED it)
Now for a few pictures
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
I walk into the house, have about 45 minutes to wash up my paint covered body, make dinner, eat dinner, clean up, and get back out the door. That has been the way of things around here lately. Lots to do, very little time. I miss hanging out in my kitchen all day, making bread and cakes and dishes that take some time. But soon, so soon I will have a nice new big kitchen to hang in and make all the crap I want!. Until then, what I have been cooking (o not cooking) has been things that I can whip up fast and with what I always have in my house. (there is always carrots and always tahini, and always hot sauce)
This is my new go to for the really busy night. Crispy, crunchy carrots covered inspicy nuttiness of sriracha and tahini. For sure some pretty freaky tasty stuff. Easy as hell to make, keeps nicely (if you make a big batch and save some for later) and takes all of 2-4 minutes toss together Can be eaten as a side dish (goes really well with lentils and rice) or as a big salad all to your face.
What more can you ask for?
![]()
The stuff. A few (like 4 or five) big carrots, a hunk of cabbage, anda few scallions. Also need tahini, Braggs amnios or soy sauce red wine vinegar, sriracha, a couple cloves or garlic, and pepper. Not shown but I used sesame seeds (if you don’t have them, no biggy)
![]()
Mince garlic super fine and toss into a big bowl with tahini, sriracha, vinegar, and liquid aminos or soy. Mix it all up.
![]()
Half where there. Now is a good time to taste the sauce. You might find that you want a little more vinegar or more sriracha. Add more of whatever to please your mouth.
![]()
Julianne the carrots and finely slice the cabbage.
![]()
Into the bowl it all goes. And cut up those scallions and get those into the bowl two.
![]()
Toss it all around Then sprinkle with sesame seeds if you have them and lots of cracked pepper.
See, super easy.
Now eat it.
-C
makes enough for one to eat alone or 2 as a side
- 4-5 large carrots
- chunk of cabbage
- a few scallions (green and white part)
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy or Braggs liquid aminos
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1-2 cloves garlic
- pepper
- sesame seeds (optional)
Finely mince garlic and toss into a large bowl with the tahini, sriracha, vinegar, and braggs or say, Mix it all together. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients to you liking (add more sriracha or tahini if you want). Grab carrots ans julianne (you could also just shred) and finely slice up cabbage. Toss into bowl with sauce. Chop up scallions, the white and green part) and those go into bowl too. Toss it all around in sauce until everything is all coated then sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with lots or pepper.
Eat and enjoy.
Walking around the neighborhood yesterday morning in a big heavy sweater, I noticed that there is color touching a lot of trees and that there is even brightly colored leaves falling to the ground. This is the weekend to really enjoy the last bit of summer cause fall about to burst. I know its technically summer for a few more weeks, but I gauge the season by food cravings and extra curricular activities. I bought my first winter squash (a butternut) this week, roasted it whole and then ate the whole thing, and then stared to knit a new hat for the mr. It was all fantastic and all fall like and I am now happy to trade in tomatoes for all the root veggies, I am ready. Are you?
Progress on the house. I spent a few days meticulously cleaning up and sanding exposed wooden beams in one of the bedrooms (they look so good) This while I battled a ear infection that I treated by stuffing large amounts of garlic infused coconut oil into my ear and walked around smelling like dinner and oozing oil from my head. All the fun stuff happens to me no? But I am feeling much much better now so I can stop complaining so much. And no more shoving ear phones into these ears. Pretty sure that is why I got the infection in the first place.
The mr has been doing everything and testing out all the electrical. And guess what, ever freaking thing works! We now have lights in each room, even a light in the windowless bathroom we use ( the unfinished bathroom that is actually just a toilet on a sub floor with a door) And instead of having to run extension cords for every freaking thing, we can now use outlets! It’s been a fine fine week. Little sister Barb and I even spent all of yesterday painting the upstairs. Unfortunately after so many days of pouring over color samples and finally thinking I found the color, buying the paint and getting most of the painting done, I have realized that I don’t like the color. (it’s a off white, but just too yellow) BALLS! The mr is being super sweet about it and telling me it’s not big thing and that the walls needed a base coat anyway (no they didn’t, we already primed that walls) and that we will just repaint together and it will take no time and be great. So back to square one with the paint samples (looking for more of a greyish white). AM I crazy? Yes I am, but I would rather repaint now and be really happy with the color then waiting until we move, hate it then, and repaint around furniture and nice clean floors. That would suck even more.
Today the mr and I are going to pick out the new color, get the paint, and clean clean clean! Empty mud bucket piles, pieces of scrap sheetrock and tools everywhere. The house is a pig pen and it’s getting a little much for my liking But after a good clean, if I have some time, I will plant my butt outside on the porch with a enormous cup of coffee and read the rest of the day away. Sunday goals.
If you are interneting (is this a word? If not, I think it should be), here are a few links from the bit of interneting I did this week (didn’t do to much)
-Thinking ahead. Peak Fall Foliage Dates
-A in for science and for all of us. A Lifesaving Transplant for Coral Reefs
– This will be my life someday (hopefully sooner then later) STUDIO TOUR: A QUESTION OF EAGLES.
-I grew up watching Bob Ross, such a big influence. The Real Bob Ross: Meet The Meticulous Artist Behind Those Happy Trees–
-If you know me, you know I have a thing for chairs (I have way way to many and I love the all) This book is for me. Better Sit Down For This One: An Exciting Book About The History Of Chairs
-I avoid antibacterial shit like the plague (I like me some germs) so this makes me happy. Within a year, antibacterial soaps as you know them will disappear from the market
A few pictures of the awesomeness of the week.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Have a great weekend. Hope you get a long one.
-C
Last Sunday of August. Phew, we blew through this month fast.
The past week has been one of many accomplishments. Things at the house are moving along with vigor. You can tell a real difference when you walk into the house because the entire first floor is covered in a thick coating of white dust that came from all the sanding upstairs. But hey, now those walls are all primed and ready for paint!
Highlight of the week. I was at the grocery store and there was local, freshly picked, paula red apple totes for sale. It’s officially apple time. I was so happy I bought like 10 pound and eaten half of them. Does this mean I can unpack all my sweaters and flannel sheets? I don’t know about you, but I am more then ready for some cool fall weather and just a change in season. This summer was hard (emotionally ans physically) and I am over it. Bring on the pretty leaves and warm apple cider, just don’t get to cold to fast before we get any heating installed in the house.
Speaking of heating. I think for today the mr is prepping the new boiler and on demand hot water heater at the house.( This guy, man he is like a superhero, he can do it all) l Me, I think I will be spending a good chunk of time just cleaning up dust. And I will make lunch and bring us coffee. I’ll be good at that.
Internet stuff for internet browsing if you want to browse the internet.
-To all those super duper , always obnoxiously happy people. You’re Not Supposed to Be Happy All the Time
–Gorgeous Architectural Watercolors
–Why Do We Love Some Animals But Eat Others?. Think about it.
-We(or me) are picking paint for the house!!!! Going with all white walls but which white(there are thousands!) No-Fail White Paint Colors Edwards Droplet and Seed Pearl are nice.(but weird ass names) What do you think?
–10 INSPIRING CHILDREN’S PLAYSPACES. Am I told old to play on these?
-Elmore Mt. Bread! Back in the early days, the mr and I used to save our pennies to buy fresh baguettes from them. Bread Grains: The Last Frontier In The Locavore Movement
-I am going to live forever! Friendships Might Not Help You Live Longer, But Family Does
–Tiny animals with tiny casts.
-I love this little bungalow
-And because we all love her of some version of her (don’t deny it) Britney Spears has been a pop icon for 20 years. To understand her, you need to understand her hair.
And a few pictures…I kept the camera away most of the week, didn’t want to get it full of dust.
![]()
![]()
![]()
It’s strange to think that only a few years ago I was not a big eggplant fan. Before I started to experiment with cooking it myself, the only time I had ever really had it was when I was young and it was deep fried, like eggplant parm style. It just wasn’t for me.
So when I started doing my farm share 5years ago and were getting lots of eggplants, I knew I had to figure something out and try new ways of eating it. Well it turns out that I actually love eggplant, like a lot. I went eggplant crazy and for a while was eating a eggplant a day, either roasted or tuned into soup or cooked crispy into chips. And lots of baba ganoush, or what I think of as eggplant hummus (all the hummus stuff minus the chick peas). Smooth, creamy, rich and tangy. I have been know to make a batch and eat it all to my face in a sitting.( there is absolutely nothing wrong with that) It’s that good. And bonus. Being so super busy busy, this is just so dang fast and easy to make. 25 minutes and 20 of those minutes are the eggplant roasting, and you got yourself something tasty to eat. Plus if you have a few eggplant in the fridge that might have seen better days, turning them into the baba ganoush is a great way to go.
Baba ganoush, The name just says it all cause how could something called baba ganoush be anything other then awesome.
![]()
The stuff. A couple (or three) eggplants, a lemon, some tahini, garlic, olive oil and salt.
![]()
Eggplant get sliced in half and stuck onto a baking sheet to go into a super hot oven to roast. Some people oil it, I don’t, but you can if you want.
![]()
Brown and tender. Roasted to perfection.
![]()
Toss the roasted eggplant and the garlic into a blender. Add in the juice of the lemon, tahini, olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Blend.
![]()
So silky smooth. Taste and add any more tahini, salt, lemon that you want until it taste like it should taste to you.
![]()
And into a bowl it goes. Baba ganoush all up in your face. I highly enjoy a good dusting of some zataar on top, but even just a sprinkle of pepper, or sumac, sesame seeds or even thyme is nice. Or nothing, you don’t need anything.
![]()
A big bowl of baba served with some chippers (for the mr) and cut up veggies (for me!) I wanted to make pitas but just didn’t have the time. Oh well, next time.
Be careful, this stuff is addictive!
-C
Make about 2-1/2 cups
- 2 eggplants (or 3 smaller sized eggplant)
- 1 lemon
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons tahini ( more if you like)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- Zataar (optional)
Crank up the oven to 450
Slice eggplants in half and place on a cooking sheet and into the oven they go.
Bake for 25ish minutes, flipping over after 15 or so minutes, until the eggplant browned is nice and tender then remove from oven. Take the cooked eggplant and dump into a blender.(skin and all) Add in the juice of the lemon, the tahini, the olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend it all together until smooth. Taste and add more tahini and or salt if needed.( can even add more lemon too) Once you are happy with the taste, scoop into a bowl and serve with a good pinch of zataar seasoning (if your into it) and a butt load of veggies, pitas, chips or whatever you dip into you baba ganoush.
Where did the past week go. I feel like the days are just flying by and before I know there is going to be snow on the ground. I mention snow cause right now I am to stinking hot and my eyes itch like crazy (allergies) that I am fantasizing of cooler days, cozy sweaters, and no mosquitoes. And apples. I am very excited for apple season. It will all be happening soon enough so I should just stop whining and enjoy the sunshine and tomatoes.
Like that picture of the mr right there? We ended up pulling that claw foot tub out of a yurt in the middle of the woods. That was fun, a little crazy given that we were dragging 600lb of cast iron on a tiny little hobbit path, and I might have ripped half the skin off of my finger while moving it, but hey, we got a sweet ass tub that’s got a little history.
Not much new news. The week was full of work so I don’t need to tell you about that but I did manage to make a cake this week. I am really starting to miss my kitchen time but so soon I’ll have a brand new kitchen to cook in so kitchen time for now will have to wait. Yesterday we played hooky for the afternoon and headed out of town to check out a vintage camper show. So many sweet little campers and cute old people that drive around the country in them. It was so cool seeing what people do with a little metal shell on wheels. Life goals right there.
On this fine Sunday the mr and I will find ourselves over at the house, doing some house work, talking about the floors once again. The upstairs is no longer a crazy work zone so I get to move all the tools and lifts downstairs and into the basement, clean,and get ready for priming, painting and eventually sanding the floors. I can just barely see the light at the end of the tunnel.
My internet browsing history this week.
-Love the modern cabin look
-The firefly of the ocean I had to look it up after cause I didn’t believe it was a real thing. Blue Rivers of Bioluminescent Shrimp
–Simple little trivets that I think I have to make
-The Best Time to Do Stuff You Hate Is When You’re at Your Happiest.
-To me, cooking anything down, sweet it savory, to a jam like consistency is a jam. What Makes A Jam A Jam? Surge In Savory Spreads Presents Riddles For Purists
-The mr loves the smell of pools. Little does he know. EVERY SWIMMING
POOL IS FULL OF PEE. hahaha, he is smelling pee.
-Pesticides on Produce: The New ‘Dirty Dozen’ List
-Toast beer?Sound interesting. Artisanal Food Waste: Can You Turn Scraps Into Premium Products?
-The dark side of a food trend. This explains why many are requesting that we STOP eating avocados.
-I think we are going with this tile for bathroom floor….to boring?
And pictures from the week.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Do you have a gazillion tomatoes, like so many that they are practically coming out of your ears? Me too…. Me too. This year the tomatoes have been gang busters, a explosion of the sweetest and most delicious fruit and now I have tomatoes littered everywhere, tucked into all the corners and baskets all over the house. It’s getting kinda tomato crazy over here.
I can only eat so many tomatoes a day before all I have eaten are tomatoes and I start to feel slightly sick. Same with the mr, he has been a tomato eating champ as well but I think he was getting a little bored with all the tomato salads that I have been making. So I thought I would try something new and make a tomato cake. I figured why the heck not, tomatoes are technically a fruit and fruit and cake are great together and yeah. So tomato cake is going to be fantastic. I also wanted to make something that the mr would eat for breakfast. I have been doing this new thing in the mornings for the mr. I have coffee ready, some breakfast food (its been zucchini bread for a while), and a little vase of fresh flowers that I pick on my morning walk, all set out on the counter for when he wakes up. I know, I am so great right. Really I do it cause I want him to eat something before working all morning and plus if I am all sweet in the morning, he can’t be an old man cranky pants (at least he tries not to be). Now for the next few days the tomato cake is breakfast cake and all is good.
Anyway, the cake come out great. Bright reddish orange, dense but fluffy and most, and smells so good. The mr tells me it’s amazingand I shared a chunk with some of my family and everyone (minus a little) where fans. I am for sure going to be making this again soon, although I have been toying with the idea of eggplant sweet bread (too far??) but I’ll get to that later.
Now for the tomato cake!
![]()
The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt (all in the bowl). Brown sugar, oil, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and a few nice and juicy tomatoes.
![]()
First off, remove the core from tomatoes and cut into some chunks. Stick the chunks into a blender and blend.
![]()
Fresh and smooth tomato puree.
![]()
Now just dump the rest of the liquid stuff into the blender now and give it a whirl to mix it all up.
![]()
And pour the blended wet into the dry and mix until incorporated.
![]()
Pretty pink batter goes in a well greases bundt pan. I had got brown sugar everywhere while I was measuring it out and decided to just toss it on the cake as not to waste it…doesn’t hurt.
And now the batter goes into a preheated oven to bake .
![]()
A bit of time later you have yourself a cake.
![]()
The scary part. Flip the pan and hope all that grease does it’s job and the cake pops out. Lucky me this one popped out like a champ.
One de-panned, let the cake cool for a bit before cutting into it.
![]()
And now all you have left to do it eat it, so eat it.
Have a great weekend. Eat lots of tomatoes and make lots of cake.
-C
Makes one bundt cake
- 2 -1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 -1/2 teaspoon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 large tomatoes (2 -1/2 cups after blended)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (for a tad sweeter, add another 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup of any neutral flavored oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Preheat oven to 350
Start by whisking together all the dry ingredients into a big bowl. Take tomatoes, remove core, chop into chunks, and place into a blender. Blend tomatoes until a smooth and frothy puree. Now add in the sugar, oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar and blend until incorporated. Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until combined.
Pour the cake batter into a greased (and floured if you want. I find it helps to make sure all the nooks are greases) and stick into preheated oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes until it’s a dark reddish golden brown and a tester (I use a fork) comes out clean when stabbed.
Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two then invert cake, give the pan a few tap taps and hope that it comes out all nice and clean. (don’t worry if a piece gets stuck, you can just dust the top with some powdered sugar)
Let cake cool and when ready, cut a slice and eat it up. I was told no glaze, but I was going to make a simple lemon glaze (lemon juice and powdered sugar) for the top. The mr said it was perfect, but glaze would have been pretty. So glaze it up if you want.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
March 19, 2017 by maximios • Blog
I know that sometime some of the foods that I eat might seem a little strange to people. But think about it. Isn’t there something that you eat that other people think is kinda weird or that you know might be a little on the strange side and yet you love it.
So apple lentils. I know some people think it’s weird, but trust me, it’s not, it’s actually pretty freaking magical. Lentils, especially red lentils, have a mild, nutty flavor that make them perfect to use in any type of dish, sweet or savory. And so nutritional value, with protein up the wazoo, these little guys are mega fantastic and yeah. SO don’t knock it till you try it.
Now first off, YAY for apple season!!! Aren’t we just so happy for fresh delicious apples? I am, so much so that I have made up a super cool apple jig where my head bobs up and down and my legs shift and convulse all over the place. ( could be mistaken for a seizure) It’s a sight to see for sure. And a second YAY for warm food again. The past week or two I have been waking up to temps in the 50’s giving the world just enough chill for a cozy morning sweater, a throw blanket and a nice hot bowl of breakfast porridge. (It also taste fantastic made ahead then eaten cold if the world decides to get warm again) My morning have been great, all cuddled on the couch with a book. my coffee, ad a bowl of apple lentil porridge. Best way to start the day.
The stuff. An apple, some red lentils, water, and some cinnamon. You can also add some maple or brown sugar to the mix if you want more sweetness.
Firstly, water ans lentils go into a pot and placed on the stove until the the water is boiling.
While that is happening, chop up you apple. Big pieces, little pieces, or both. I like both because the smaller pieces kinda of dissolve in the lentils and the bigger chunks will keep shape.
So once your lentils have started to boil, dump inmost (save a little bit to toss on after the lentils are cooked) of the chopped up apple and a good pinch or two of cinnamon. Mix it all around and place back on heat on low so simmer and cook.
Soft and all cooked to perfection. Gorgeous.
Dump the porridge into a bowl, add on the left over chunks of apples and give it another good sprinkle of cinnamon.
Breakfast of champions right here.
And because it’s what I eat every day…I am a champion.
You can be one too! (just eat some lentils)
-C
Makes one serving but can easily be double
Optional… Add a little sweetener like maple or brown sugar if you want
Stick water and lentils go into a pot and bring to a boil. Chop apple into pieces, some big, some small or all the same size. Once the lentils are boiling, dump in most of the chopped apple (save about 1/4 of it for later) into the pot and sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir around, reduce heat to a low and cook until the lentils are soft (about 10 minutes) Once they are cooked, taste and decide if you need sweetener. If you do, add a teaspoon or two of whatever in now and mix around then,transfer the lentil goodness into a bowl, toss on remaining apple chunks, sprinkle with cinnamon, and go to town.
Spoon to mouth. Happiness.
My morning walks as of lately have had me doing a bit of raspberry, cherry tomato, and husk cherry picking. Can it gt any better then that? (I sometimes pick flowers too). And yesterday I got my first pie pumpkin of the season. It is so cute and pumpkiny that I kind of want to keep it sitting on my counter for a while, but no.. My plan is to roast that shit for dinner tonight and eat it all to my face. There will be plenty of pumpkins to decorate with soon. This one is meant for my belly.
But before pumpkin, the mr and I ARE GOING to figure out the paint situation. I have never in my life had such a hard time picking colors for any apartment or house we have painted (and we have painted a lot) We nailed the wall color(on the second try) and both love it. I spent a good part of the week repainting the entire upstairs, but now we need to figure out the trim. I picked out a lovely grey that I looked fantastic for about a minute, but now I kind of hate it. I blame it on all the light and angles of the space. No two walls look the same color so I might just have to go with white trim and call it a day. Either way we go, I need to get the paint at least picked out today, its driving me fucking crazy.
I really should stop bitching, we have had such a productive week. We ended up picking up a new set of cast iron radiators, which I will tell you was no easy feat (the first or second time we did it, each of those things weight like a 800 lbs a piece) The old ones we got were not big enough to heat the space efficiently but the new ones, they are perfect and pretty and work. Score on that one. (thanks Mark the plumber) And while I was painting away upstairs, the mr was downstairs doing all sorts of stuff like moving all the tools and trash out, figuring out the radiant flooring for the first floor and sanding and painting the ceilings. The house looks so good that I am almost tempted to just move on in now, but then I think back to all the places we have lived during construction and the temptation goes away. Far far away. I can wait, at least for a bathroom with a sink that is not a hose and bucket.
Yup, another busy crray cray week. After we get paint, I think I am going to crash for a while, let my body and brain have a little time to shut off. We really should try to go apple picking or something, but honestly, I think we are both just really tired and could use a bit of time not doing anything. I say this but I know the mr will keep on working until his arms fall off, me, I will just fall asleep on the floor.
One thing I really need to do at some point today is to bust out all of my cozy sweaters. I am so very excited because sweaters are my jam and I have me aplenty of them. My wardrobe triples once the sweaters come out and I don’t look like such a bum wearing all my big baggy paint covered t shirts. A sweater classes me up bit.
Yes, I can be classy (kinda)
Internet findings from the week.
-What a bad ass lady. Urban Beekeeper Delivers Pollinators by Bike to Community Gardens Across Chicago
–A Dictionary Is Telling Everyone to Calm Down About Using ‘Literally’ Wrong
-So jealous. I would have loved to have taken a coffee class in college. STEM To Steam: How Coffee Is Perking Up Engineering Education
-Thinking we might go with black doors. (maybe, what do you think?)
-Always thought these windows were a bit strange.The Bizarre Story Behind This Common Home Amenity In Vermont
-I am serial lane switcher. To Pick the Fastest Line, Follow People With the Most Items
–The Power Vegetables Pantry. The 12 ingredients that will supercharge your vegetable cooking.
-This dude spent a lot of time and energy figuring out how to best drink a coke. (coca-cola, not coke like the drug) The 24-Year-Old Coca-Cola Virgin
-This place has got to be amazing. WHERE DOES LOST AIRLINE LUGGAGE GO? TO AMERICA’S GREATEST THRIFT STORE.
-I have a mini dance party to this song every day. Also love it cause it reminds me of Alana and Abby from Broad City (when is season 4 coming???? I NEED it)
Now for a few pictures
I walk into the house, have about 45 minutes to wash up my paint covered body, make dinner, eat dinner, clean up, and get back out the door. That has been the way of things around here lately. Lots to do, very little time. I miss hanging out in my kitchen all day, making bread and cakes and dishes that take some time. But soon, so soon I will have a nice new big kitchen to hang in and make all the crap I want!. Until then, what I have been cooking (o not cooking) has been things that I can whip up fast and with what I always have in my house. (there is always carrots and always tahini, and always hot sauce)
This is my new go to for the really busy night. Crispy, crunchy carrots covered inspicy nuttiness of sriracha and tahini. For sure some pretty freaky tasty stuff. Easy as hell to make, keeps nicely (if you make a big batch and save some for later) and takes all of 2-4 minutes toss together Can be eaten as a side dish (goes really well with lentils and rice) or as a big salad all to your face.
What more can you ask for?
The stuff. A few (like 4 or five) big carrots, a hunk of cabbage, anda few scallions. Also need tahini, Braggs amnios or soy sauce red wine vinegar, sriracha, a couple cloves or garlic, and pepper. Not shown but I used sesame seeds (if you don’t have them, no biggy)
Mince garlic super fine and toss into a big bowl with tahini, sriracha, vinegar, and liquid aminos or soy. Mix it all up.
Half where there. Now is a good time to taste the sauce. You might find that you want a little more vinegar or more sriracha. Add more of whatever to please your mouth.
Julianne the carrots and finely slice the cabbage.
Into the bowl it all goes. And cut up those scallions and get those into the bowl two.
Toss it all around Then sprinkle with sesame seeds if you have them and lots of cracked pepper.
See, super easy.
Now eat it.
-C
makes enough for one to eat alone or 2 as a side
Finely mince garlic and toss into a large bowl with the tahini, sriracha, vinegar, and braggs or say, Mix it all together. Taste and adjust any of the ingredients to you liking (add more sriracha or tahini if you want). Grab carrots ans julianne (you could also just shred) and finely slice up cabbage. Toss into bowl with sauce. Chop up scallions, the white and green part) and those go into bowl too. Toss it all around in sauce until everything is all coated then sprinkle with sesame seeds and top with lots or pepper.
Eat and enjoy.
Walking around the neighborhood yesterday morning in a big heavy sweater, I noticed that there is color touching a lot of trees and that there is even brightly colored leaves falling to the ground. This is the weekend to really enjoy the last bit of summer cause fall about to burst. I know its technically summer for a few more weeks, but I gauge the season by food cravings and extra curricular activities. I bought my first winter squash (a butternut) this week, roasted it whole and then ate the whole thing, and then stared to knit a new hat for the mr. It was all fantastic and all fall like and I am now happy to trade in tomatoes for all the root veggies, I am ready. Are you?
Progress on the house. I spent a few days meticulously cleaning up and sanding exposed wooden beams in one of the bedrooms (they look so good) This while I battled a ear infection that I treated by stuffing large amounts of garlic infused coconut oil into my ear and walked around smelling like dinner and oozing oil from my head. All the fun stuff happens to me no? But I am feeling much much better now so I can stop complaining so much. And no more shoving ear phones into these ears. Pretty sure that is why I got the infection in the first place.
The mr has been doing everything and testing out all the electrical. And guess what, ever freaking thing works! We now have lights in each room, even a light in the windowless bathroom we use ( the unfinished bathroom that is actually just a toilet on a sub floor with a door) And instead of having to run extension cords for every freaking thing, we can now use outlets! It’s been a fine fine week. Little sister Barb and I even spent all of yesterday painting the upstairs. Unfortunately after so many days of pouring over color samples and finally thinking I found the color, buying the paint and getting most of the painting done, I have realized that I don’t like the color. (it’s a off white, but just too yellow) BALLS! The mr is being super sweet about it and telling me it’s not big thing and that the walls needed a base coat anyway (no they didn’t, we already primed that walls) and that we will just repaint together and it will take no time and be great. So back to square one with the paint samples (looking for more of a greyish white). AM I crazy? Yes I am, but I would rather repaint now and be really happy with the color then waiting until we move, hate it then, and repaint around furniture and nice clean floors. That would suck even more.
Today the mr and I are going to pick out the new color, get the paint, and clean clean clean! Empty mud bucket piles, pieces of scrap sheetrock and tools everywhere. The house is a pig pen and it’s getting a little much for my liking But after a good clean, if I have some time, I will plant my butt outside on the porch with a enormous cup of coffee and read the rest of the day away. Sunday goals.
If you are interneting (is this a word? If not, I think it should be), here are a few links from the bit of interneting I did this week (didn’t do to much)
-Thinking ahead. Peak Fall Foliage Dates
-A in for science and for all of us. A Lifesaving Transplant for Coral Reefs
– This will be my life someday (hopefully sooner then later) STUDIO TOUR: A QUESTION OF EAGLES.
-I grew up watching Bob Ross, such a big influence. The Real Bob Ross: Meet The Meticulous Artist Behind Those Happy Trees–
-If you know me, you know I have a thing for chairs (I have way way to many and I love the all) This book is for me. Better Sit Down For This One: An Exciting Book About The History Of Chairs
-I avoid antibacterial shit like the plague (I like me some germs) so this makes me happy. Within a year, antibacterial soaps as you know them will disappear from the market
A few pictures of the awesomeness of the week.
Have a great weekend. Hope you get a long one.
-C
Last Sunday of August. Phew, we blew through this month fast.
The past week has been one of many accomplishments. Things at the house are moving along with vigor. You can tell a real difference when you walk into the house because the entire first floor is covered in a thick coating of white dust that came from all the sanding upstairs. But hey, now those walls are all primed and ready for paint!
Highlight of the week. I was at the grocery store and there was local, freshly picked, paula red apple totes for sale. It’s officially apple time. I was so happy I bought like 10 pound and eaten half of them. Does this mean I can unpack all my sweaters and flannel sheets? I don’t know about you, but I am more then ready for some cool fall weather and just a change in season. This summer was hard (emotionally ans physically) and I am over it. Bring on the pretty leaves and warm apple cider, just don’t get to cold to fast before we get any heating installed in the house.
Speaking of heating. I think for today the mr is prepping the new boiler and on demand hot water heater at the house.( This guy, man he is like a superhero, he can do it all) l Me, I think I will be spending a good chunk of time just cleaning up dust. And I will make lunch and bring us coffee. I’ll be good at that.
Internet stuff for internet browsing if you want to browse the internet.
-To all those super duper , always obnoxiously happy people. You’re Not Supposed to Be Happy All the Time
–Gorgeous Architectural Watercolors
–Why Do We Love Some Animals But Eat Others?. Think about it.
-We(or me) are picking paint for the house!!!! Going with all white walls but which white(there are thousands!) No-Fail White Paint Colors Edwards Droplet and Seed Pearl are nice.(but weird ass names) What do you think?
–10 INSPIRING CHILDREN’S PLAYSPACES. Am I told old to play on these?
-Elmore Mt. Bread! Back in the early days, the mr and I used to save our pennies to buy fresh baguettes from them. Bread Grains: The Last Frontier In The Locavore Movement
-I am going to live forever! Friendships Might Not Help You Live Longer, But Family Does
–Tiny animals with tiny casts.
-I love this little bungalow
-And because we all love her of some version of her (don’t deny it) Britney Spears has been a pop icon for 20 years. To understand her, you need to understand her hair.
And a few pictures…I kept the camera away most of the week, didn’t want to get it full of dust.
It’s strange to think that only a few years ago I was not a big eggplant fan. Before I started to experiment with cooking it myself, the only time I had ever really had it was when I was young and it was deep fried, like eggplant parm style. It just wasn’t for me.
So when I started doing my farm share 5years ago and were getting lots of eggplants, I knew I had to figure something out and try new ways of eating it. Well it turns out that I actually love eggplant, like a lot. I went eggplant crazy and for a while was eating a eggplant a day, either roasted or tuned into soup or cooked crispy into chips. And lots of baba ganoush, or what I think of as eggplant hummus (all the hummus stuff minus the chick peas). Smooth, creamy, rich and tangy. I have been know to make a batch and eat it all to my face in a sitting.( there is absolutely nothing wrong with that) It’s that good. And bonus. Being so super busy busy, this is just so dang fast and easy to make. 25 minutes and 20 of those minutes are the eggplant roasting, and you got yourself something tasty to eat. Plus if you have a few eggplant in the fridge that might have seen better days, turning them into the baba ganoush is a great way to go.
Baba ganoush, The name just says it all cause how could something called baba ganoush be anything other then awesome.
The stuff. A couple (or three) eggplants, a lemon, some tahini, garlic, olive oil and salt.
Eggplant get sliced in half and stuck onto a baking sheet to go into a super hot oven to roast. Some people oil it, I don’t, but you can if you want.
Brown and tender. Roasted to perfection.
Toss the roasted eggplant and the garlic into a blender. Add in the juice of the lemon, tahini, olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Blend.
So silky smooth. Taste and add any more tahini, salt, lemon that you want until it taste like it should taste to you.
And into a bowl it goes. Baba ganoush all up in your face. I highly enjoy a good dusting of some zataar on top, but even just a sprinkle of pepper, or sumac, sesame seeds or even thyme is nice. Or nothing, you don’t need anything.
A big bowl of baba served with some chippers (for the mr) and cut up veggies (for me!) I wanted to make pitas but just didn’t have the time. Oh well, next time.
Be careful, this stuff is addictive!
-C
Make about 2-1/2 cups
Crank up the oven to 450
Slice eggplants in half and place on a cooking sheet and into the oven they go.
Bake for 25ish minutes, flipping over after 15 or so minutes, until the eggplant browned is nice and tender then remove from oven. Take the cooked eggplant and dump into a blender.(skin and all) Add in the juice of the lemon, the tahini, the olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend it all together until smooth. Taste and add more tahini and or salt if needed.( can even add more lemon too) Once you are happy with the taste, scoop into a bowl and serve with a good pinch of zataar seasoning (if your into it) and a butt load of veggies, pitas, chips or whatever you dip into you baba ganoush.
Where did the past week go. I feel like the days are just flying by and before I know there is going to be snow on the ground. I mention snow cause right now I am to stinking hot and my eyes itch like crazy (allergies) that I am fantasizing of cooler days, cozy sweaters, and no mosquitoes. And apples. I am very excited for apple season. It will all be happening soon enough so I should just stop whining and enjoy the sunshine and tomatoes.
Like that picture of the mr right there? We ended up pulling that claw foot tub out of a yurt in the middle of the woods. That was fun, a little crazy given that we were dragging 600lb of cast iron on a tiny little hobbit path, and I might have ripped half the skin off of my finger while moving it, but hey, we got a sweet ass tub that’s got a little history.
Not much new news. The week was full of work so I don’t need to tell you about that but I did manage to make a cake this week. I am really starting to miss my kitchen time but so soon I’ll have a brand new kitchen to cook in so kitchen time for now will have to wait. Yesterday we played hooky for the afternoon and headed out of town to check out a vintage camper show. So many sweet little campers and cute old people that drive around the country in them. It was so cool seeing what people do with a little metal shell on wheels. Life goals right there.
On this fine Sunday the mr and I will find ourselves over at the house, doing some house work, talking about the floors once again. The upstairs is no longer a crazy work zone so I get to move all the tools and lifts downstairs and into the basement, clean,and get ready for priming, painting and eventually sanding the floors. I can just barely see the light at the end of the tunnel.
My internet browsing history this week.
-Love the modern cabin look
-The firefly of the ocean I had to look it up after cause I didn’t believe it was a real thing. Blue Rivers of Bioluminescent Shrimp
–Simple little trivets that I think I have to make
-The Best Time to Do Stuff You Hate Is When You’re at Your Happiest.
-To me, cooking anything down, sweet it savory, to a jam like consistency is a jam. What Makes A Jam A Jam? Surge In Savory Spreads Presents Riddles For Purists
-The mr loves the smell of pools. Little does he know. EVERY SWIMMING
POOL IS FULL OF PEE. hahaha, he is smelling pee.
-Pesticides on Produce: The New ‘Dirty Dozen’ List
-Toast beer?Sound interesting. Artisanal Food Waste: Can You Turn Scraps Into Premium Products?
-The dark side of a food trend. This explains why many are requesting that we STOP eating avocados.
-I think we are going with this tile for bathroom floor….to boring?
And pictures from the week.
Do you have a gazillion tomatoes, like so many that they are practically coming out of your ears? Me too…. Me too. This year the tomatoes have been gang busters, a explosion of the sweetest and most delicious fruit and now I have tomatoes littered everywhere, tucked into all the corners and baskets all over the house. It’s getting kinda tomato crazy over here.
I can only eat so many tomatoes a day before all I have eaten are tomatoes and I start to feel slightly sick. Same with the mr, he has been a tomato eating champ as well but I think he was getting a little bored with all the tomato salads that I have been making. So I thought I would try something new and make a tomato cake. I figured why the heck not, tomatoes are technically a fruit and fruit and cake are great together and yeah. So tomato cake is going to be fantastic. I also wanted to make something that the mr would eat for breakfast. I have been doing this new thing in the mornings for the mr. I have coffee ready, some breakfast food (its been zucchini bread for a while), and a little vase of fresh flowers that I pick on my morning walk, all set out on the counter for when he wakes up. I know, I am so great right. Really I do it cause I want him to eat something before working all morning and plus if I am all sweet in the morning, he can’t be an old man cranky pants (at least he tries not to be). Now for the next few days the tomato cake is breakfast cake and all is good.
Anyway, the cake come out great. Bright reddish orange, dense but fluffy and most, and smells so good. The mr tells me it’s amazingand I shared a chunk with some of my family and everyone (minus a little) where fans. I am for sure going to be making this again soon, although I have been toying with the idea of eggplant sweet bread (too far??) but I’ll get to that later.
Now for the tomato cake!
The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt (all in the bowl). Brown sugar, oil, vanilla, apple cider vinegar and a few nice and juicy tomatoes.
First off, remove the core from tomatoes and cut into some chunks. Stick the chunks into a blender and blend.
Fresh and smooth tomato puree.
Now just dump the rest of the liquid stuff into the blender now and give it a whirl to mix it all up.
And pour the blended wet into the dry and mix until incorporated.
Pretty pink batter goes in a well greases bundt pan. I had got brown sugar everywhere while I was measuring it out and decided to just toss it on the cake as not to waste it…doesn’t hurt.
And now the batter goes into a preheated oven to bake .
A bit of time later you have yourself a cake.
The scary part. Flip the pan and hope all that grease does it’s job and the cake pops out. Lucky me this one popped out like a champ.
One de-panned, let the cake cool for a bit before cutting into it.
And now all you have left to do it eat it, so eat it.
Have a great weekend. Eat lots of tomatoes and make lots of cake.
-C
Makes one bundt cake
Preheat oven to 350
Start by whisking together all the dry ingredients into a big bowl. Take tomatoes, remove core, chop into chunks, and place into a blender. Blend tomatoes until a smooth and frothy puree. Now add in the sugar, oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar and blend until incorporated. Pour wet mixture into dry and stir until combined.
Pour the cake batter into a greased (and floured if you want. I find it helps to make sure all the nooks are greases) and stick into preheated oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes until it’s a dark reddish golden brown and a tester (I use a fork) comes out clean when stabbed.
Remove from oven and let cool for a minute or two then invert cake, give the pan a few tap taps and hope that it comes out all nice and clean. (don’t worry if a piece gets stuck, you can just dust the top with some powdered sugar)
Let cake cool and when ready, cut a slice and eat it up. I was told no glaze, but I was going to make a simple lemon glaze (lemon juice and powdered sugar) for the top. The mr said it was perfect, but glaze would have been pretty. So glaze it up if you want.