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Guess what guys ….I got myself a sick vintage waffle/ griddle iron. I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! I found this thing at the local recycled goods store the other day, along with a very beautiful old white pyrex mixing bowl. It was one of my best thrift store scores! (Checking out the inventory and the condition of all the old things that day, I would say an old lady had just died and all her perfectly keep, mint condition kitchen stuff had just been donated.  But it’s cool, cause I get the feeling that she was at least 90, with a big loving family, and was happy until the day she died. And I am sure she would be pleased that I have taken over the waffle maker. Thanks old lady!)

 And now I am pretty sure that  everything I make for the next week will be cooked on said waffle/griddle. I am serious, I already have a list of things to try and cook on it; cookies, biscuits, granola bars, potatoes, fruit, some type of pasta situations…. the list of possibilities is endless and I bet that at least 1/2 of these things will be totally awesome and amazing.

But first thing first. I need to make dinner.

So waffles for dinner!! 

Note. These waffles are completely 100% fantastic for any meal you want to make them for. They consist of nothing more then beans, a shit ton of veggies, and just a bit of cornmeal. But don’t let that fool you because they are super packed full of so much flavor, have a really soft tender inside, with a nice crispy outside and are so super pretty. They are wonderful! The stuff. First, we got a big old pile of shredded up veggies which include; carrot, beet, sweet potato, onion, parsnip, celeriac, and a little bit of kale.  A we got a bowl of rinsed and strained white beans, a little bit of cornmeal and salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 

The makings of something amazing!Before you do anything. get your waffle iron out and preheat it. 

While thats going on, take you beans,  add 3/4 cup water and puree until smooth with whatever blending device want to like to use. (I used my hand blender…less to clean)Now collect all the shredded veggies and dump into a big bowl with the bean puree, the spices and the cornmeal. Mix until combined. The batter should be thick, but not dry. If its seems to wet, add more corn meal, or too dry, add a little more water.

Note how my batter turned a magical pink… I love beets, they make everything pretty! And check out that bowl!When your waffle iron is preheated, oil it if needed (if your not sure, add a little oil just to really make sure your waffles don’t stick) and take appropriate size spoonfuls of the batter and stick on iron. Close it and wait…..My iron has a little light that turns on when the waffles are done cooking, so I waited patiently (ok iI did open it a few time) until light tuned on and removed the perfectly cooked waffles.

Did I mention how awesome my new/old vintage iron is?

SO AWESOME!!

I made a little gaucamole and gave the mister and little bowl of plain Greek yogurt with lemon juice, but feel free to top, drizzle, or dump whatever you want onto these beauties… 

Happy waffle Wednesday!!!

-C

Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles

Makes 8-10 waffles (in my iron) feeds 2-3 peeps

• 1 small carrot shredded
• 1 small parsnip shredded
• 1/2 a small celeriac root
• 1 small beet shredded
• 2 kale leaves chopped into tiny bits
• 1/2 an onion, shredded
• 1/2 a small sweet potato shredded
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 cups(or 1 can) cooked, rinsed and strained white beans
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• teaspoon each salt and pepper
• oil for iron(if needed)

Note on veggies… I used what I had in the fridge and shredded, it came to about 3 cups. If you don’t have these specific veggies or only want to use a few.. go for it. Just make sure to have 3 cups of whatever veggies you use.

Take you beans and blend them up with whatever device you would like to use. Once creamy, add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir until combined.

Once the waffle iron is preheated, oil it( if needed) and place the recommended amount of batter right on it there. Close and cook until golden brown and waffly.

Serve on a plate with topping of your choice, A few suggestions.. Guacamole, salsa, hummus, mustard, greek yogurt… anything that tastes good to you.

Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…

Fork into face

Is it really for real April? Where has all the time gone and where the hell is the warm weather? It’s not funny anymore. I am officially OVER winter!  Ok, so now that I got that off my chest…..

Last night the misters Dad came over for a long awaited dinner accompanied by talk of life goals and what her referred to as “narratives” or the story of our lives. Some deep shit to be talking about at dinner, especially with zero alcohol to be had.

Me, being so super awesome, was all up in taking charge in making the food. Except that  last night I didn’t have a bunch of time and honestly, much energy to be doing anything.  And sure, I could have just made a pot of spaghetti, but that just felt like cheeping out. So Polenta it was. And because I just made a hug pot of navy bean, those were going into the polenta too.

Beany polenta baked in the oven with a tomato sauce cooked on the stove. About 5 minutes of hands on time and an hour to cook it all. It’s the perfect meal to make when you have guests coming over. Fast prep, into the oven and on the stove, and then you have an hour to clean and make yourself presentable. See, I am a thinker. (I ended up skipping the making myself presentable part… I stayed in my gym clothes.. no need to impress family right?) Then after about and hour you end up with a hearty healthy pretty meal, all from scratch, that seems like you spent the afternoon cooking. When in fact you spent the past hour vacuuming and watching Gilmore Girls. 

The Stuff. Cornmeal, water, navy beans and parmesan for the polenta. Crushed tomatoes, garlic, dried basil, onion, carrot, zucchini, and summer squash for the sauce. Salt, pepper, and olive oil all around.

Cornmeal and water go into a cast iron skillet (or any oven safe dish) with a pinch of salt and pepper. Give it a little mix and stick it into the oven at 400 degrees .

Once the polenta is in the oven, make the sauce. Chop up all the veggies and stick into a dutch oven or sauce pot with a pinch of salt, the basil and a good drizzle of olive oil. Stick on medium heat and let veggies cook down a bit.  When the veggies are tender, add in minced garlic, crushed tomatoes and another drizzle or oil.  Turn burner to lowest setting and simmer (giving it a stir every now and then) for about 45 minutes or until the polenta is done. After about 30 minutes when the water had pretty much all cooked down, take the polenta out of the oven and stir in the beans, the parmesan, a tablespoon or two of olive oil and salt and pepper. Smooth top out and sprinkle with more pepper, parmesan and drizzle with a bit more oil. Stick back into oven for another 1/2 or until polenta  has formed a crust and no longer giggles when you wiggle the pan.

Pull polntna from the oven and let sit for at least 1o minutes.

Two big spoons and a pile of plates. Have the people serve themselves!

Have a Happy Day! 

-C

Baked Navy Bean Polenta with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Serves 4 hungry people

For the Polenta

• 1 1/2 Cups Course Ground Corn Meal
• 4 Cups Water
• 3 Cups Prepared Navy Beans (Or just use to cans)
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese or Vegan Parmesan (Optional)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

For the Sauce

• One 28oz Can of Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 large Carrot
• 1 Small Onion
• 4 (or more ) Cloves Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
• 1 Small Zucchini
• 1 Small Summer Squash
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400

In a large skillet, mix together the cornmeal and the water and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Place into oven for about 30 minutes or until the polenta starts to congeal at the edge of the skillet nd most of the waster has cooked down.

Remove skillet from oven and with a whisk or wooden spoon, mix in the beans, the parmesan (if using) and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Smooth out mixture, sprinkle with salt, pepper, parmesan and drizzle with olive oil. Stick back into oven for another 30 minutes or so.  Polenta is done when it no longer wiggles when you giggle the skillet.

For the sauce

Small dice the carrot and the onion and stick into a medium dutch oven oor sauce pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat and cook until the veggies are tender. Add in tomato, minced up garlic and basil. stir and let simmer on stove top for about 45 minutes. When you place the polenta back into the oven for the second bake, dice up zucchini and squash and add to sauce. Stir and keep on simmer until ready to serve.

Once the polenta has completely cooked, remove from oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes…10 is better to solidify.

Spoon big piles of polenta on a plate or in a bowl, top with a big heap of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with a little more parm  and maybe another dash of pepper .

Eat…..Spoon or fork is recommeded.

Happy Food!

 Being that it was St. Patricks day this week and lots of folks buy up a good amount of cabbage, I figured that this is a good time to get people to try one of my most favorite of favorite meals…..Beet bean and cabbage steaks. I love to play around with food, how to pair textures and colors plus tastes while trying to make whatever I am making healthy and balanced. This is one of my fav creations. And sure,  this may seem like a somewhat weird combo, maybe a little like a extremely hippy dippy vegan fake meat thing, and you might be kind of right, but screw if it doesn’t taste like A-mazing. First off, notice how freaking dang pretty this thing is. The roasted beets bring a earthy hearty flavor but also pack a huge punch of color, especially when blended together with the ever so sweet white bean, which  brings a nice mellow taste and a great serving of protein. (Beets and beans are meant for each other). Spread that  brightly colored, tasty mixture onto of a huge slab of one of my favorites, roasted cabbage with all its crunch and cabbagy flavor and you got yourself a hearty healthy meal of deliciousness.  

So maybe this might seem a little out of your normal food routine, but why not try it? Trust me….you will love it and everyone you make it for will think you are a number 1 badass too.

Cabbage, white beans, and beets. There is a lemon involved, but it didn’t make it into the picture.

Notes…. I used white beans, but I have also done this with chick peas and lentils. All are fantastic. Also, I did not peel my beets because I never do.(I do not peel anything the skin is full of goodness and I love the taste) If you don’t want to eat the skin, then peel them. Cabbage is cut into inch thick slabs… I like to us the inter most part of a cabbage head cause I like the core. But use any cut that you want.  2 beets are chopped into chunkers and both the cabbage and the beets are placed on a lightly oiled baking sheets, seasoned with salt and pepper,  and stuck into the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Once the beets are tender and the cabbage is cooked to a nice withered golden pretty, take out of the oven, but leave the oven on.  Leave the cabbage on the pan but throw the beets into a blender or a big bowl if using a hand blender  with the white beans

    Beans and beets get pureed together. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon (or the whole lemon, depending on your taste) and a pinch of salt and pepper. With a big spoon or spatula, scoop equal amounts of the bean/beet mixture on top of the cabbage steaks and spread around. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes. (You could totally skip the second bake, but I like my cabbage well done and crispy)

Oh ho boy… And with a good squirt of mustard to finish off… I could eat this all day, everyday 

And now I am #1

Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!

-C

Beet and Bean Cabbage Steaks 

Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks

• 1/2 head of cabbage (green or red)
• 2 cups or 1 can of cooked white beans
• 2 medium beets
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• Mustard (Optional)

Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees

Cut two 1 ish inch thick rounds of cabbage from the widest part of the head. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Chop beets into chunks and toss on same baking sheet.(Peel if you want) Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Stick into oven for 20-25 minutes or until the beets and cabbage  are tender. Remove veggies from oven and place roasted beets into a  blender (or bowl if using a hand blender) but leave the cabbage on the baking sheet. Add the white beans, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to the beets and puree until smooth. Scoop equal amounts of the mixture to each cabbage steak, sprinkle with pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes to give the beans and beets a nice crunchy crust (You can skip this step if you don’t want to be crusty)

Remove from oven, stick on a plate and drizzle with mustard….Fork and knife are good ways to eat it, but eating it with you fingers makes less dirty dishes.

It rained a lot this week, and it was fantastic. I love summer rain. I love to play in rain, I love to watch the sky turn grey and big storm clouds roll through.. Add in a little thunder and lightning.. even better. I think the only issue with I have when it rains is when it floods the basement. That and wet dog.(Washer smells like something died when he is wet)

And as usual, this week we did, we went, we came back. We took in a little for a the weekend and had the greatest of times. Puddle splashing walks, waffles, carrots, and lot and lot of gardening. But now I am tired. So today, like every Sunday, I am going to try and take a little breather and catch up on my, “me time”.  And maybe I’ll get a nap in since last night I got almost zero sleep because the little and the Mr. were all cuddled up and I ended on the edge of the bed receiving a pretty aggressive kick in the back every time I was about to nod off. (She is lucky I didn’t make her sleep in a laundry basket).

Anyway, here is some internet fun from the week.

-I think this is where I am meant to go to school. Hogwarts Hops The Pond: Rowling Reveals U.S. Version Of Wizards’ School   

 –This  DIY HANGING PLANT LAMP  is cool. I want to make it. 

-These  are cool. Modern Minimalist Bird Houses from Twig & Timber

– This guy is amazing.. Monzter: Artist Hides Monster Murals Inside Abandoned Buildings In Berlin 

– ‘Chunky Knits’ by Anna Mo. I need….

-I love this headboard 

-This house… And check out the tubs next to the beds. Weird, but who am I to say

-12 OF THE BEST IN COFFEE BREWING TECHNOLOGY. Coffee stuff makes me happy.

And some pictures from the past week. 

Wowzers…Is it for real Memorial day weekend? Where has all the time gone? Let’s talk about a week gone by fast. My brain is on complete overdrive and I am having a hard time keeping it from exploding…SO MUCH TO DO! (Not bad stuff, just a lot of stuff) But lo, that’s life right? There is always a lots of “stuff” to do, but today I am going to try and let that stuff chill and maybe give myself a few hours of coffee, (so much coffee) reading a book in the sunshine, gardening, and just some overall chillin. 

Hopefully.

And hopefully you party people out there will be able to do a little of the same, or at least the chillin part. It is a 3 day weekend after all (not for us, but whatever)

Some internet fun finds.

-Sleeping in a loft that I have to crawl to get to the bed… this  Gallery of Gorgeous Attic Bedrooms makes me so jealous..

-This new startup wants to sell you ugly fruit and veggies. I still don’t get it, it’s not ugly, its awesome.

-So cool and reminds me of my late brother in law. Wet Fold Origami Technique Gives Wavy Personality to Paper Animals by Artist Hoang Tien Quyet

-Could this be my new home? And I love a good plant lady. BURSTING WITH PLANTS, A 1910 PORTLAND FOURSQUARE FOR A FLORIST AND BARISTA

-Its so weird how try this is. Going, Going, Gone: 30+ Items That Are Disappearing from Our Homes

-We are doing this is the humongus pot hole in front of our house(we want to anyway) Treats in the Streets: Artist Jim Bachor Fills Potholes with Ice Cream Mosaics

-Holy shit is this the mister. 5 Conditions That Afflict the Reluctant Dishwasher. (1 and 2  really hit the nail)

A few photos from the weekGoodbye fiddleheads…. Hello ferns 

On our way to a geo catch…. And note clothing options for 2 in the afternoon. I am much fond of that little guy wearing a rain jacket without a shirt in when its sunny and 80 degrees. And a pink poke dot bath robe.. I mean, it’s so the cool thing to do. 

We didn’t find the geo, but we found this gigantic mushroom. Just as cool, maybe even cooler.

I love brick and there is one street in all of burlington (that I know of) that has brick sidewalks. I like to walk down it a lot. 

Nurse lady making food… I compare this to a big foot sighting. I have heard stories that she cooks,but have never actually witnessed it myself. (Just kidding….kinda)

Happy long weekend! (if you are lucky to have one!)

-C

No matter what is going on in my day, seeing a blue sky like this puts a smile on my face….To bad that smile turned to ice and my face froze in place. Because for some reason, winter around here now means below zero all the time. I mean, I love winter, but I am not going to lie… I wouldn’t mind if the wind would stop blowing and we had a couple of days of above zero weather.. and maybe a good foot of snow. I guess I’ll just have to be patient, cause its bound to happen. I mean, we live in Vermont, and if nothing else, we get weather. 

Anyways.. another week full of stuff that fills. I am a little taken aback that its already February… when was it January? Time just keeps going by fast and faster, (especially when I get cabin fever) and I think, “What have I done in the past year?” Well, I have done a lot. I was just looking through pictures from a year ago and found some of our tiny home in working progress. Not to many people can remodel a five unit house and a meat locker to live in, within a year.. by ourselves. (ourselves being Nick and I)..So yeah, that made me feel pretty freaking awesome and accomplished. (I needed to remember that because I haven’t been feeling it) But now I am feeling inspired and am looking forward to some new projects and fun things to come! (hopefully getting my pottery studio up and running, maybe another house remodel and lots of traveling!!…. take that winter blues!) 

Anyway.. here are a few little bits from my week that made me happy.

The mister called these snow mounds goosebumps… I think that is exactly what they are 

The only warm day this week. (20..woo whoo!) Took the little out for a sled ride. She spent the entire time dragging her hands in the fresh snow. 

And oh how I cannot  handle how freaking cute she is!! Plus, a shout out to my brother in law….MADLOVE!

Fresh snow..Even though it was -15, I had to stop and take this picture. The colors were amazing

Cabbage at the farm share pick up! Love ICF!!!

89 cents a pound for fresh organic cranberries. Score!! Made these Oatmeal fresh cranberry coconut chocolate chip cookies with them. Big hit.

This picture was taken exactly a year ago…..The mister and I were finally putting in the bathroom of our tiny little home…. And look at that awesome sink! (another amazing salvage yard find) If you ever need or want to remodel a bathroom, I suggest using a old cast iron utility sink. So practical, so functional, so pretty.….it makes me happy everyday!

Happy Sunday!

Happy February!

And if you are into it….

Happy Football Super bowl Game and or party! ( If you need any awesome fast party recipes, I have bunch, just check out the recipes page!)

-C

I want  to make something tasty and fast and just for me. I don’t want to worry about making anyone happy besides me.  I don’t want to make a mess of my super clean kitchen.

A simple granola. I want to toast a handful of oats and mix it with some chunks of apple and enough pumpkin puree to bind it together. I want to just toss in some cinnamon and a pinch of allspice.

I made just enough for me. And besides, everyone is eating a shit ton of halloween candy.

I forgot the oat bran in the picture.… I wanted a little more heft to the granola,  and I just happen to notice it on the shelf when I was mixing this stuff up.

This is a guide line recipe. Do whatever feels right to you.. Add more sweet.. add some nuts… hell, add some chocolate chips if you want.

Simplest Apple Pumpkin Granola

• 1 1/2 cup of oats
• 1/4 cup of oat or wheat bran
• 1 medium apple
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• tablespoon cinnamon(more or less depending on your taste for it)
• a pinch or two of allspice
•  tablespoon of honey or maple if you want a little sweetness

Grate the apple into a bowl. Mix in pumpkin, spices and sweetener if you are using some.. Now add the oats and bran. Stir it all up. If it seems dry and crumply, add a tablespoon or two or water. Just enough were it all kind of sticks together.

Stick it on a greased cookie sheet or a parchment line cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 45 minute. If you prefer a crunchier texture, bake for closer to an hour…. just keep your eye on it. Let it cool down for a few minutes before handling it, and then just eat it, and don’t share with anyone because sometimes you shouldn’t have to share… Let them make there own.

Yesterday I spent the entire day (ok maybe not the entire day), but a the better part of the afternoon defrosting my freezer. Sure, I do the occasional chip chop here and there, just enough from around the freezer door so it will close, but ever few months I notice that everything in the fridge is not staying cold and that the freezer is not freezing stuff. Thats when I know its for real time to defrost. So a few days ago when I noticed my bananas were turing to liquid in the freezer, I knew it what I had to do….Completely empty the fridge  and melt/hack away the 2-4 inches of ice build up that accumulated. It is such a freaking pain in the ass.So on this defrosting day, I took all the stuff from the freezer, stuck it in a cooler, and the rest of the stuff, which is basically all veggies, I just tossed on the table. As I am hacking away with a metal spatual, a wooden spoon, and a constant rotation of pots of boiling water, I was thinking about dinner. I figured I might as well just eat up as much of the veggies as I could, you know, so I didn’t have to put them back in the fridge. And also, I was getting pretty annoyed because this particular defrosting session was taking way longer the anticipated, which made making dinner seem like another pain in the ass.  I figured I might as well just eat everything that is already out on the table, which pretty much narrowed down the “whats for dinner” conversations because it was already all over the place. And so dinner was a humongo salad for me, and for the mister, I made him a monster of a veggie sandwich. (my salad was exactly the same stuff as the sandwich, minus the bagel) Easy, fast, super duper yummy, pretty and piled so high with tons of veggies that the fridge is pretty much empty now. 

Look at the is beast. I don’t call it a monster sandwich for nothing.

The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..

Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado for there is not real sandwich without them. Thinly sliced radishes, cucumber,a and onion for nice crispy crunch. Shredded beets, carrots, and purple cabbage to give  more crunch and a bit of sweetness. Then of course there needs to be something pickled, so I used banana peppers cause they are the SHIT!! And lastly some hummus for a nice creamy finish (plus a bit of protein) and yellow mustard because mustard on everything is just right.  Heres to a mountain if goodness that is no longer in the fridge! Served with a another mountain of roasted parsnips and carrots (more stuff from the fridge) and a tall glass of iced tea.

Lucky that today is farm share pick up cause the fridge is pretty much on empty. 

Yea it’s Thursday!!!!

-C

A Monster Veggie Sandwich

Note. This is just a guide.. Feel free to use whatever veggies you fancy. 

• Either a bagel, 2 slices of bread, or a big chunk of baguette (use a gluten free bread if you want or need too)
• Hummus- Homemade or store bought
• Mustard
• Something pickled like pickles, banana peppers , jalapeños or all three 
• Lettuce, spinach or some kind of leafy green
• Tomato
• Avocado
• Onion
• Radishes
• Cucumber
• Shredded Carrots
• Shredded Beets
• Shredded Cabbage

To assemble. Ready your bread.. Toast if you want, and stick it on a plate

On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard.  

Pick a side, start to stack by evenly disrupting veggies on top of veggies. Place the second piece of bread on top and  giving a little smooth to keep it together.

And go at it. Cut in half or don’t. Have a napkin or a long sleeve ready to wipe your face.

 Being that it was St. Patricks day this week and lots of folks buy up a good amount of cabbage, I figured that this is a good time to get people to try one of my most favorite of favorite meals…..Beet bean and cabbage steaks. I love to play around with food, how to pair textures and colors plus tastes while trying to make whatever I am making healthy and balanced. This is one of my fav creations. And sure,  this may seem like a somewhat weird combo, maybe a little like a extremely hippy dippy vegan fake meat thing, and you might be kind of right, but screw if it doesn’t taste like A-mazing. First off, notice how freaking dang pretty this thing is. The roasted beets bring a earthy hearty flavor but also pack a huge punch of color, especially when blended together with the ever so sweet white bean, which  brings a nice mellow taste and a great serving of protein. (Beets and beans are meant for each other). Spread that  brightly colored, tasty mixture onto of a huge slab of one of my favorites, roasted cabbage with all its crunch and cabbagy flavor and you got yourself a hearty healthy meal of deliciousness.  

So maybe this might seem a little out of your normal food routine, but why not try it? Trust me….you will love it and everyone you make it for will think you are a number 1 badass too.

Cabbage, white beans, and beets. There is a lemon involved, but it didn’t make it into the picture.

Notes…. I used white beans, but I have also done this with chick peas and lentils. All are fantastic. Also, I did not peel my beets because I never do.(I do not peel anything the skin is full of goodness and I love the taste) If you don’t want to eat the skin, then peel them. Cabbage is cut into inch thick slabs… I like to us the inter most part of a cabbage head cause I like the core. But use any cut that you want.  2 beets are chopped into chunkers and both the cabbage and the beets are placed on a lightly oiled baking sheets, seasoned with salt and pepper,  and stuck into the oven for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.

Once the beets are tender and the cabbage is cooked to a nice withered golden pretty, take out of the oven, but leave the oven on.  Leave the cabbage on the pan but throw the beets into a blender or a big bowl if using a hand blender  with the white beans

    Beans and beets get pureed together. Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon (or the whole lemon, depending on your taste) and a pinch of salt and pepper. With a big spoon or spatula, scoop equal amounts of the bean/beet mixture on top of the cabbage steaks and spread around. Sprinkle with cracked pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes. (You could totally skip the second bake, but I like my cabbage well done and crispy)

Oh ho boy… And with a good squirt of mustard to finish off… I could eat this all day, everyday 

And now I am #1

Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!

-C

Beet and Bean Cabbage Steaks 

Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks

• 1/2 head of cabbage (green or red)
• 2 cups or 1 can of cooked white beans
• 2 medium beets
• 1 lemon
• salt and pepper
• Mustard (Optional)

Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees

Cut two 1 ish inch thick rounds of cabbage from the widest part of the head. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Chop beets into chunks and toss on same baking sheet.(Peel if you want) Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper. Stick into oven for 20-25 minutes or until the beets and cabbage  are tender. Remove veggies from oven and place roasted beets into a  blender (or bowl if using a hand blender) but leave the cabbage on the baking sheet. Add the white beans, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to the beets and puree until smooth. Scoop equal amounts of the mixture to each cabbage steak, sprinkle with pepper and place back into oven for another 5-10 minutes to give the beans and beets a nice crunchy crust (You can skip this step if you don’t want to be crusty)

Remove from oven, stick on a plate and drizzle with mustard….Fork and knife are good ways to eat it, but eating it with you fingers makes less dirty dishes.

I eat vegetables like I breath air… constantly and almost mindlessly.  Some people are addicted to sugar or coffee, but me, I am addicted to veggies. ( I am also extremely addicted to coffee) This is my truth, but I am ok with it.  

All week long I have been hearing about this big game going on this weekend, something to do with a ball and running up and down a field….not quite sure, but I think it might be a big deal to some people.(I know it’s the Super Bowl, and I have heard about some deflated balls, but that’s the extent of my knowledge)  I have also have been hearing a lot of party planning around this game, food planning, which is something that I do understand. So I wanted to bring a party snack to the mix, and because of my addiction, my mind goes straight to vegetable. I know that there is traditionally a lot of meat, cheese and hot sauce at these said parties, and that’s totally cool, but I think everyone wants to have a least one awesome meatless cheese-less piece of food to snack on during half time.  So I give the people what they want. 

So simple, fast and easy to make. Tasty and healthy as can be. Grab and eat with you hands…. and nice to look at. We got the whole package here.   

Pretty much a little bit of everything that I have in my fridge….Shredded red cabbage, carrots, beets. Some sliced of red onion, tomato and red pepper. Hummus and a little mashed avocado

Yes, it may look like a mess, but that’s just me trying to make five different things at once. But really, making  these wraps are simple simple. Just take rinsed and dried green or red leaf lettuce, smear on hummus and mashed avocado and pile on the veggies. Roll and stick with a toothpick to keep from unrolling. See…. simple.So many colors…… so much pretty. Wrapped and rolled…Sliced down the middle, just to see all the pretty inside.

These might be veggie wraps, but man, look at those sausage fingers…(hehehe)

Make for lunch, dinner, party, or snack. Eat them for breakfast, dessert or midnight nosh. Whenever, wherever…..YUMMY YUMMY YUM! 

Happy hump day! 

-C

Lettuce Wraps 

Ingredients

Use whatever you want… but this is what I included in mine

• Green leaf lettuce
• Shredded red cabbage
• shredded  beets
• shredded carrots
•  thinly sliced tomato
• thinly sliced red pepper
• thinly sliced red onion
• hummus
• avocado

With each wrap, take a large lettuce leaf and cut out the crunchy rib.(you can slice it up thinly and add to wrap. Smear  leaf with hummus and smashed avocado, then layer on a bit of each of the veggies. Wrap or roll leaf in on the veggies and stick a toothpick in center to keep from unrolling. 

Place on a plate and eat or share… Extras are fantastic to have in the fridge!

This past week my dad has been in town to spend some time with the family. Besides going about my normal life,  every day I have been with at least one, if not a bunch of my siblings and or father (Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!). Spending as much time as I have with them this week has made me realize how much I love them, and how crazy they are.  I am happy to have spent all this time with everybody, but am very much excited to have a day to myself, because again, they are all f ing crazy. 

But today is not a reclusive day.

Today is our annual  Stem family reunion. We all get together, immediate and extended, at my uncles cabin, up in the sticks of Vermont and gossip, hike around, eat,  and try not to drive our 94 year old grams completely cray.  It’s one of the highlights of my summer. 

So now, before heading out, I am trying to figure out what exactly I have for ingredients to throw together some type of  peach situation… so I gots to get to that. And of course the coffee. I need the coffee, and lots of it.

Hope you folks are living up the end of summer!!!

Here is some internet fun stuff.

-This is so great  I want to draw on my walls now

-The world we live in.  Could Sexting Help Your Relationship?

– I love these cabins, the pictures are beautiful 

-Another place I could totally live in

– Why is the world so beautiful. A theoretical physicist searches for the design behind nature’s beauty.

–These or these I can’t decide 

-I love maps. Lithuanian Artist Makes Incredibly Detailed Paper Cuts Of City Maps 

-Only in VT. One Vermont Ballet Group Is Mixing Dance With Cows In ‘Farm To Ballet’ 

And some pictures from the week

 Today I am going to spend the day hiding inside (it’s suppose rain all day) binge watching Top Chef, while baking as many cakes and cookies as I can. For I stumbled upon the amazing world of aquagfaba (bean water, which when whipped, act almost exactly like egg white). It’s freaking amazing and I now I must devote my life to it. (no, not really).

Other then the bean juice, this week had been good. Lots of amazing clouds in the sky, more super fresh summer veggies, bke rides, gardening, summertime fun. We really wanted to go camping this weekend, but sadly our plans fell through, which is probably a good  because I really don’t think my body can survive any more bug bites. I think I might have contracted west nile from the 100 trillion bug bites that I got while strawberry picking. I also might have gotten a little poison ivy (can’t tell if its just more  bug bites). Either way, my skin is destroyed and I am ready to tear it all off. Oh well, we did get to spend  a day on a river where the mr fished and I played with rocks. Good times.

So today, baking with aquafaba, a little T.V, some watercolor painting, and maybe a little of that stinky pink lotion on my legs. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Sounds like a pretty good day to me. Hope that you out there are going to do the same (maybe not play with bean water, but have a relaxing day) 

Some fun and awesome internet stuff to peruse if you are hanging around the old computer.

– This is such a great design… I want one.  Tiny Footprint: A Prefab Home for Two, in 183 Square Feet by Michelle Slatalla  

– How To Make Slime…. My life is now complete.

-2015’s Crime Stories Are Riddled With Hangry People . My headline  would be ..”Vegan girl reverts to cannibalism. Eats boyfriends arm off while stuck in traffic on the way to the farmers market”… HAHAHA

-Are You Flossing Or Just Lying About Flossing? The Dentist Knows. Just so you know.  

– J.K. Rowling Announces ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Will Hit London Stage. And of course it’s all the way in London. What about me?

– Really need to get me one of these. Camp in the Air: New Suspended Treehouse Tents and Hammocks

-Andrés Jaque’s giant water purifier unveiled in MoMA PS1 courtyard 

– I am so going to be making this as soon as the chard is ready in the garden .A Genius Trick for Lighter, Smoother Hummus 

-This is Real: The Baby Cage. NOO..but YES!!!!

And some pictures from the week.

Ah Sunday…Monday-Saturday  would suck without you. The past week has been glorious with all the warm sunny days. I have even managed to give myself a slight sunburn on my face (time to whip out the real sunscreen!!)   I am really looking forward to today because honesty, I need a down day. Not complaining, but when the weather is nice, I try to do my life and spend as much time as possible being and playing outside, so I have burned myself out a bit.  So today I have very little planned except a bike ride to the library to return and retrieve a few books that will keep me occupied for the rest of the day and maybe I’ll get to the baskets of dirty laundry and mop the floors… maybe. All I know for sure is that I have a least one pot of coffee coming my way.  Much excitement!!!!!

Some Internet things to check out.

-I have the seeds and the plot, just waiting a little longer for the weather to hold!!!! .7 Secrets For A High-Yield Vegetable Garden

-Washed Up: Alejandro Duran’s Site-Specific Found Plastic and Trash Installations…. Sad about trash but so awesome and pretty.

-Why Asparagus make you pee smell funny…… So now you can tell everyone.

-The Space Station Gets A Coffee Bar. I know I  would for sure not go to space unless there I could have coffee.

 -I am looking forward to this cook book.  Honey & Jam: Seasonal Baking from My Kitchen in the Mountains. 

– I still don’t have one, but its good to know. How Microwaves Heat Your Food.

A few shots from the week

The sky has had the most amazing clouds all week.A walk leading to a free rain barrel. Love free stuff! (and everyone pictured)We took the car  through a car wash… My first time, it was thrilling. Only and his yearly bath. Wet cats look so pathetic, but he was a champ. Neither nick or I suffered any wounds.So much asparagus… I can’t get enough! (and my pee doesn’t smell)

And I’ll just leave you with that.

Hope your day is full of coffee refills and leisurely outdoor activities!

-C

This has been the week of broken things. My immersion blender broke. 2 of the 4 new bowls I bought were smashed. The hand mixer broke while I was making frosting (F**CK). The steam mop is finally completely broken and the mister smashed the screen on his phone. All in a weeks time. Oh, and not broken, but the front end of my car got stuck in a muddy sink hole. It took five badass farmers to help me push it out. It was crazy, but thankfully the car and I survived. But’s it cool. I can replace all that crap and my arms are getting a great workout now that I have to hand mix everything and hand wassh the floor on my hands and knees. ( I do it like a beast!) Because what I really am having a hard time with is that it is nearly April and still have most of my winter clothes out. I just want to but the boots away and get my chaco sandals out. It’s getting a bit ridiculous if you ask me.

Things I tell myself to keep from losing my shit

• 20 degrees.. That’t tropical compared to the -30 we were having
• I will be bitching about how hot it is in just a few short months so try to enjoy the cold now.
• Hopefully most of the mosquito population all dies this winter  and only enough  survive to be eaten by things that eat them
• Because it still so cold, its ok to spend an entire day at home in my pjs baking cookies and bread and  binge watching Kimmy Schmidt. 

See.. there is a bright side.

Here is some cool internet stuff form the week

-Love this house and will some someday have plants in every nook and crank of my home. PEEK INSIDE WORLD’S END FARM + SAIPUA PLANT SALE

-I am ready to move into a tree, if only for a little while. This one would work for me

-I looked before I read. and didn’t realize what I was seeing. Behold! The Cosmos Created From The Contents Of A Kitchen

-The Most Effective Alarm Clock Ever Brews Your Morning Joe If only it came in jumbo size.

-I love/ hate this story. I get so excited for the produce that is marked down because its not perfect. If people realize how silly it is to look for “perfection in food”  then I won’t get awesome stuff for cheap. Think Nobody Wants To Buy Ugly Fruits And Veggies? Think Again

And here are a few life pictures 

WHAT WHAT!!! The first sign of green that I have seen in the neighborhood. 

This little came over and hung out with me. I gave him a muffin and a bowl of “Carrot Chips” (really thinly sliced carrots) He at a few bites of the muffin but ate  all the carrots and wanted more…… I love him!

Oh the old man trash dog. His butt hair is finally starting to grow back after he chewed himself a big hot spot. I love this pattern for a driveway. 

March 29, 2011. Yeah sure we were in California, but still, we were camping outside.

COME ON SPRING!!!!And who doesn’t love a pineapple, or 4? 

Have a fantastic Day!

We are looking at a high in the 30’s here in VT.. WA HOO!

-C

My winter farm share is coming to an end this week. One more pick and then a three week stretch until the summer share starts… WHAT AM I GOING TO DO!!! Stock up as much as I can is what.

I have been strategic about the roots and veggies that I have chosen to bring home the past few weeks.(My farm lets you pick what you want)  I know what I can buy at the store, things like carrots and potatoes, so I have been passing those up, but the roots like beets and celeriac… I have been bringing home baskets of those and hoarding them in the fridge and basement in preparation for the laps in farm fresh food and knowing that if I want to by these at the store it s going to coast me a million dollars  a pound. (a for real million dollars)

Yup, lots of roots around here, especially celeriac root which is fantastic. I am kind of obsessed with celeriac, with its fibrous, knobby exterior, soft but almost meaty texture inside, and a flavor that  is close to celery but so much better.  I don’t know why it has taken me so long to do a posting featuring this amazing root vegetable  (I eat it almost every day)

So here, an amazingly tasty, hearty but not heavy, celeriac recipe.  Perfect for spring and the change into summer…. Mustard roasted celeriac with an fanatic split peas gravy that will have you licking you bowl clean.

 The stuff….For the split pea gravy we have a carrot, a parsnip and a large onion chopped into small chunks.  Salt, thyme, a bay leaf and of course the split peas. Then there is the celeriac root* sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds and some plain old yellow mustard .

*Note. I don’t peel my celeriac root. I really enjoy the fibrous exterior but realize that some don’t(The mister does not like it) so peel it if you want. 

Toss the chopped parsnip, carrot, onion and the spices into a pot on medium heat and let veggies sweat a few minutes until tender.  Add in the split peas and enough water to cover everything.  Turn pot on high and bring to a boil, then cover and turn to low. Make sure to give the pot a good stir ever few minutes and add more water if needed 

While the gravy is cooking,  take the celeriac rounds and brush each side with yellow mustard, sprinkle with pepper, and place on a baking sheet. Stick into the oven to roast for about 25 minutes, flipping the rounds after about 10 minutes.

Once the peas have soften, remove the bay leaf and puree until smooth and oh so creamy. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. If you find that the gravy seems to thick, just add in more water until it’s the consistency that you want. The gravy is made, the celeriac is roasted… now we are ready to eat!! Stick the celeriac on a plate and dump good amount of that gravy right on top. Feel free to add a bed of spinach, or a grain or anything you want, because why not, and also some chopped tomatoes for a little acid and prettiness.

Serve with the fanciest knife and fork you can find. Extra yellow mustard and sriracha sauce are great condiments to have close by.

Happy Tuesday!

-C

Mustard Roasted Celeriac with Split Pea Gravy

• 2 medium celeriac roots
• 6 tablespoons mustard
• 1 large carrot
• 1 medium parsnip
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2/3 cup split peas
• 2-3 cups water 
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons thyme or italian spice mix
• salt and pepper
• spinach (optional)
• diced tomatoes(optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Small dice the carrot, parsnip and onion and throw into a large pot. Spinkle with salt and pepper, add in the thyme and bay leaf and add a splash of water. Stick on stove on medium heat and stir. Let cook until the veggies become soft and fragrant. Now add in the split peas and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil then cover and turn heat down to medium low. Let cook until the split peas become tender (about 25 minutes) string on occasion and adding more water if the peas are not completely summered while cooking.

Once the peas are tender, let cool for a few minutes, remove bay leaf, and either dump into a blender or blend with an immersion blender until nice and creamy. If gravy seems to thick, add in more water. 

Scrub or peel celeriac roots and slice them into 1/2 inch think rounds. Place on a baking sheet and brush mustard on both sides and spindle with pepper. Stick into oven for about 10 minutes, flip, then back into the oven for another 15 or so minutes, or unit the celeriac is tender.

When the celeriac is done remove from oven and  stick a few rounds on a bed of spinach (or not, or any kind of grain or green you like) Top with a hearty helping of the gravy and toss on some chopped up tomatoes.

Eat with at knife and fork like a fancy person.

     I have never in my life seen, let alone received, a kohlrabi as big as the one I picked up from my farm share last week. It was, no joke, bigger then my head. (completely nuts)  If I didn’t know the farm and the farmers of my CSA, I would have to question whether or not it was grown in radioactive sludge…(kind of like the dandelions in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie from the 90’s)

What is a kohlrabi you ask? It’s kind of a cross between a turnip and a cabbage that is usually the size of a baseball. It can be eaten raw (I like chunks dipped in mustard) or cooked. (roasted chunks dipped in mustard)  It pairs well with sweet stuff like apples and honey, or in any savory stuff. Its one of my favorite vegetables (I say that about them all!)

So now that you know about kohlrabi (if you didn’t already) its time to get yourself some and make this soup. Because for real,  I am not kidding when I say that this is one of the best soups that I have ever made.  You really must try it. And do it soon because hopefully in the next few weeks the soup weather will turn into fresh pea weather and we might not want soup as much (I eat soup all year long)

A gigantic kohlrabi cut in half ( I only used one of the halts) A whole yellow onion and 2 large carrots. I also added in 4 cloves or garlic

Peel the kohlrabis tough skin off and chop up into chunks. Chop the carrot, garlic and onion as well .

   All of those chopped veggies get thrown into a pot with two cups of water and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover and place on medium heat for about 20-25 minutes. (give a stir ever now and then) Keep cooking until the veggies are fork tender. 

Once the chunks are all cooked up, its time for the  immersion blender. (or into a regular blender) Add in at least 3 cups of water, but more to thin out to your desired consistency and let it rip. Stop blending once the soup is nice and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Leave on low heat to bring back to a good soup  eating temperature.

 Now the soup is done.. and you can eat it just as it is, but you should really add in the asparagus. It is just so f*ing good. Just grab a few spears, dice them nice and small, and throw into the soup pot. Let it cook for another 5 minutes and wa la.. Soup is done. Ladle into bowls and if you want a little fancy presentation, add a swirl of mustard (it’s so good) and a whole cooked asparagus spear.

And eat one of the greatest soups ever!

Happy Day Wednesday!

-C

Creamy Kohlrabi Soup with Asparagus

• 3-4 kohlrabi (or 4 cups chopped Kohlrabi)
• 2 large carrots
• 1 large onion
• 4 or more cloves of garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• 4-6 spears of Asparagus (extra if you want to garnish)
• Yellow Mustard (optional)

Peel outer layer of kohlrabis. Roughly chop the onion, carrot, kohlrabi and garlic and stick it all into large dutch oven or stock pot. Add water until veggies are half submerged . Add a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and place on burner on medium heat and cover. Check ever 5 or so minutes and give the pot a good stir. After about 25 minutes, all the veggies should be very tender and almost fall apart when stuck with a fork. With an immersion blender or regular blender, blend till smooth, adding water until soup is at your desired constancy. Return soup to medium heat. Small dice asparagus and add to pot. (I added 2 extra whole pieces and fished them put once cooked for garnish.) Keep on heat for another 5-10 minutes until asparagus is cooked. 

Scoop into bowl and squirt top with yellow mustard and top with a spear of cooked asparagus.

Eat with a spoon and lick bowl clean.

Miraculous.

And the best part, it’s as easy as eating way to many slices of pie! Roasted beets, rutabaga and sweet potato. A little salt…A food processor…no joke, so easy and it tastes so freaking good. A real show stopper. Everyone will whip out their phones to snap a pic.

Let me break this down for you.  Rutabaga. Sweet Potato. Beet. That’s what I was working with. I chose these roots for color as well as for taste. Separately the flavors are amazing. Together they are out of this world. If you wanted you could omit any of these and sub in, lets say, pureed cauliflower, or maybe parsnips. I would stay away from potato, it’s a little to starchy, but maybe acorn or butternut squash.  Oh man, now I want to make celeriac, carrot and acorn squash marble. Pureed vegetables are trouble for me. I can’t stop eating when they are around. I know, but don’t judge, instead lets prepare.

Peel the rutabaga..To be honest, I don’t peel, but this one that I got at the grocery store had a layer of wax on it…so yeah, I decided to peel that. You can also peel the beet if you want, but again, I don’t do that.

I diced up the baga and the beet, and tossed into separate pans to roast. I gave each pan a tiny splash of oil and a sprinkle of salt. The sweet potato, well that just got tossed into the oven as it was. I wouldn’t mix the beet with the rutabaga, the juice will turn it pink. Here the thing, If you want to boil or steam you veggies, go right ahead. I roast because I like the roasted flavor and its easier for me to throw things into the oven on a cast iron pan then to boil onto of my tiny stove. Bonus, I don’t wash my cast iron so less dishes! Just make sure with any method, your vegetables are cooked throughout and that they are tasty.

So you got a pile of roasted rutabaga, a pile of roasted beets and a baked sweet potato.

Remove the flesh from the skin of the sweet potato.. then eat it. Ok you don’t have to eat it but it is SOOOOOOO good. At least try it.I used my handy emulsion blender to puree everything but a food mill or a food processor is equally as good. Puree each root separately . Start with the rutabaga. Go to the sweet potato, then end with the beet. That way you don’t have to clean in between purees. Add little amounts of water when pureeing if it needs a little help to loosen up. Blend until smooth.

Three beautiful purees. My sister and I stood in the kitchen prior to preparing the plate and stuck our fingers in the puree. That right, and we licked then and went back in for seconds. In my family, as long as there is not disease being transmitted, a little bit of shared germs is ok.  So now that you have tasted and tried not to eat to much of the purees, let’s get crazy….I just took a spoon and threw piles in that bowl. I could have done more of a checkerboard pattern to make it a more uniform marble, but I just went for it. Do it any way you want.  Don’t be afraid, you can’t screw this up!I took a fork and kind of rain it throw the top to start the effect. I then took a cake knife and just leaved it out. That’s what I did and then I was done. After all the oohing and aching, I stuck the dish into the oven for another 10 minutes just to keep hot, but you can serve this at room temp as well. Now tell me that isn’t a thing of beauty. I fell in love. I want to puree and marble everything. This could be my thing.Empty bowl…Ok, I’ll admit I ate half of it..I couldn’t help it. Next time I will have to make a bigger batch.

P.S. You could totally make this dish today and serve it tomorrow. Just plastic wrap the top and refrigerate. When your getting ready for you meal, stick in oven for 20 minutes or until it’s the temperature you want it.

Happy Thanksgiving and Yeah!

Marbled Roots

Choose at least two, preferable three contrasting  root vegetables. I;ll give you the version in the pictures.

• 1 large beet
• 1 medium rutabaga
• 1 large sweet potato
• olive oil
• salt

Preheat oven to 425

Dice rutabaga and beet. Toss with splash of oil and sprinkle of salt.  Place on spereate baking sheets and move to oven. Place whole sweet potato in oven Cook until veggies are fork tender, usually about 40 minutes.

Remove veggies  and place into separate containers and puree each veggie, starting with the lightest colored one. Add small amounts of water to help loosen if needed.

In a shallow  casserole dish or pie plate, pile small amount of puree in dish, alternating the colors. With a knife, swirl the veggies around…Dont go to crazy or it will end up blended. You could stop here, I know, it looks amazing, but I finish it all off by taking a  cake knife and smooth out the top.

Pop the roots back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes just to completely warm and meld the flavors together.

How cool are you now? People will be talking about you marbled roots for weeks.. maybe even until next thanksgiving.

Enjoy!

      And that’s how I know that this is a winner. As an awesome aunt, when I have any of my nieces or nephews,  I feel the need to make something special for dinner, something that the kiddos might not get very often, but also keep it on he healthy side. I have 2 littles for the night which gives me the perfect opportunity for a trash food recipe. You know trash food, things like boxed mac and cheese, beefaroni in a can, or, in this case, sloppy joes.

Sloppy yes, trashy, not so much. These are made with beans and bulgur. No meat.

And I figured it is nice enough out that I can make the kiddos some messy food and then just bring them out back and hose them off… I mean, why not right?

The stuff… We start with onion and green pepper, chopped into pieces. Black beans, bulgur, can crushed tomatoes. Chili powder, garlic powder, a bit o apple cider vinegar (which I forgot to picture) ,and some salt and pepper. Oh and cheese if you want… Plus a bun of some sort is necessary.      Toss the chopped onion and peppers into a deep skillet or pot with a drizzle of oil. Cook on medium heat until tender and toss in the spices. Give a stir. Add in the beans, bulgur, and tomato, a splash of vinegar. Stir it all up, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid and is nice and tender.

If you are a bun toaster… toast while waiting. If not, just get the buns ready And Then dump a good heaping pile right onto a bun. Add some cheese, or not..and eat with wild abandonment,  making sure to get as much on your face as you get in you mouth. 

Fantastic Friday!! Live it up. 

-C

Black Bean and Bulgur Sloppy Joes 

• 2 cups or 1 can cooked black beans
• 1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup bulgur
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 small onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper
• a splash of apple cider vinegar
• olive oil
• 4-6 burger or bulky buns
• cheese (optional)

Dice the onion and the pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil into a large skillet. Sauté on medium heat until veggies become tender. Add in the spices, stir in and let cook for a minutes, then add in the beans, the tomato,water and the bugler. Cover skillet and let simmer until bugler becomes soft.

When the slop is ready, either toasted or not, scoop a generous portions onto buns. If so inclined, add some cheese. 

Eat with hands… Sloppy is good.

 I spent a lot of time indoors this week, due to the fact that my eyelids would freeze shut when going out for more than a few minute..(for real, walking to the gym the other day, I had my head tightly wrapped and the condensation from my breath went up, into my eyes, and froze.)  I mean, I love winter, I love the cold, but I am not a huge fan of -30 with wind chill… I get cold bones.  After that morning, the mister insisted on diving me…Love. So we (me, Nick, and especially Washer) might have felt a little trapped this week, and when trapped inside, we get a little antsy, but we have been trying to make the most of it. Cooking, baking, cleaning, drawing, reading, knitting, drinking lots of coffee and tea, and overall trying to stay warm (and sane) Yup. trying to ward of the cabin fever, especially this year, living in a little tiny bit of a room with one window..has been a little difficult. And I know it’s going to be a bitch when it hits. But it’s all cool, We have plans in the making, places to look forward to, things to see. It always helps to have an adventure awaiting to keep the fever at bay.

Anyway, not a bad week, maybe a little stuffy, but nothing to complain to much about. Here are a few of highlights that made(make) me happy.

The kitchen, living room, dinning room, office…all over great room., covered in piles of clothes. Sometimes listening to music and folding laundry can be so, I don’t know, peaceful. I just felt happy at this moment. (might be the fact that I know have some clean clothes and dish cloths)

The trash dog and I went for a lovely little hike by ourselves…It was so nice to get out of the house. We both really really really needed it that day. And look how handsome he looks.. so red against the world. 

 Standing in line at the grocery store, saw this magazine and started to laugh. I love Oprah…but now…I really love Oprah. Best magazine cover ever!

Another picture of the pup. Letting his rino toy have the bed. A little pathetic…A lot cute

  I am doing little recipe testing and this situation in this pot is so freaking good! Just trying to work out a  few technical kinks. 

I love to look up… don’t forget to look up.

I made a large quantity of banana dream (what I call banana ice cream). This stuff is like crack.. Once I start eating it, I can’t stop. I might overdose on bananas but I am ok with that. 

I went to a granite and marble showroom this week. And like whoa, so freaking cool. Walking among huge pieces  of gorgeous slabs of stone is kind of magical… and a little cold.

A basket of roots….More like a basket of rainbows. 

I currently don’t have a pretty vase of zinnias on my table, (these beauts are from this past summer) but I really wish I did. Fresh flowers are one of my favorite  things. This picture has inspired me, I am on the hunt for some pretty fresh. 

That sums up the week…Stay warm!

-C