THE LOVELY CRAZY
I eat so much hummus. Everyday, all day. Homemade, store bought. If there is hummus, I will be consuming it. But the thing is, I usually don%u2019t eat more then a little at a time. (A little being like 1/2 a cup). And sure, sometimes that is just fine and enough, but other times, what I really want to do is garb a spoon and a bag of carrots and eat it all. And then I do.
But there is that little voice in the back of my head telling me that if someone where to catch me eating mounds of hummus, they would liken my eating behavior to that of someone eating a jar of mustard (Not going to lie, it happens sometimes) or of a bottle of ketchup (but I don%u2019t eat ketchup) and that have a problem and shouldn%u2019t being eating it like that. Because hummus, for some reason, has been put into the condiment category. It%u2019s treated like a dip or a spread and that is fine and dandy to eat it as such, but hummus is so much more. It can, and should be treated more like a main component to a dish. So let us step outside of that box and eat it how we really want to eat it.
Hummus by the bowlful. I know right! It just makes so much sense to me. And now to you too. We need to stop stopping ourselves from just a scoop or two because really, that is just not enough. Nope, this is for real. A bowl, full of hummus, topped with roasted veggies because that is just more deliciousness. And we get to eat it all.
Life can be pretty great sometime, you know. HA
Now to the bowl of hummus!
The stuff. We got chickpeas, tahini, a lemon, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. And Veggies. Brussel Sprouts, broccoli, onion, Swiss chard, and kale.
Chop up the broccoli, the onion and half or quarter the Brussel sprouts. And separately, chop up the kale and chard.
Toss the chopped Brussels, broccoli and onion into a baking sheet or oven safe skillet and season with salt and pepper. IF you want to toss in a little oil, go for it. Then pop the veggies into a hot oven to roast away.
Once the veggies are just about done to your liking, grab the chopped kale and chard and off to the veggies. Toss and roast for a few more minutes.
Hummus. Chickpeas with liquid, garlic, tahini, juice of lemon, and blend. Creamy smooth and delicious.
Dump that hummus into bowls.
And top with roasted veggies.
Would you look at that. Now all you need to to is dig in. Serve with extra lemon and black pepper. Grab your utensil of choice and eat.
-C
makes 2 servings if eating as a meal
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3 cups cooked chickpeas in liquid
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A lemon
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1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
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2-3 cloves garlic
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1/4 cup tahini
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salt and pepper
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10 or so Brussel sprouts
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A small head of broccoli
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A small onion
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5-6 kale and or Swiss chard leaves
Note. Use whatever veggies you want. Fresh or already prepared. All and any leftovers would be great.
Preheat oven to 450.
Cut Brussel sprouts in half, chop the onion into small pieces, and cut up the broccoli and toss onto a baking sheet or an oven safe skillet. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and stick into the oven to roast for about 20 ish minutes or until nice and roasted. Feel free to toss the veggies in a little oil if you want. Chop up the kale and chard into smaller pieces. Once veggies are just a few minutes from being cooked to you liking, remove from oven, and toss in the greens. Cook for another 5 or so minutes until those are nice and wilted. Remove veggies from oven.
While veggies are roasting, make hummus. Place chick peas with liquid, the juice of the lemon, vinegar, garlic, and tahini into a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Dump into a bowls.
And when you have hummus make and veggies roasted, its time to compile. Dump the hummus into 2 bowls. Dump half of the roasted veggies into each bowl.. Squeeze more lemon juice onto both then grab a fork.
Eat. And yes, lick bowl clean. No shame.
If you are a falafel fan, as I am, then this one is for you. Carrot ginger falafel. Oh yes. Warm and spicy and carroty and all the things that are good, packed into a chickpea ball of mouth sized proportions. When I thought of it it sounded good, When I made it and ate it, it was everything and more I could have asked for in a freaking fantastic falafel. As for the tahini cabbage slaw, I might just be making it in my house every dang day. Super easy, super tasty, goes with the falafel like whoa but is just as good eaten on it%u2019s own. Eaten together the pair make every inch of mouth space happy. A happy mouth space, what more can you ask for?
To the falafel!
The stuff. Cooked chickpeas, carrots, a piece of fresh ginger, tahini, soy sauce, cabbage, an onion, a few cloves of garlic, red wine vinegar, some cumin and red pepper flakes, a lemon, chickpea flour, salt and pepper, and oil.
Start off by chopping the carrots into small pieces. Then cut half of the onion into small pieces. Rough chop the garlic and the ginger as well. No need to peel ginger unless you really want to.
Place it all into food processor and pulse until a small crumble.
Carrot onion garlic ginger mixture.
Dump mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook on the stove for 5-8 minutes until the crumble softens and becomes fragrant.
Dump carrot ginger mixture back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Puree until smooth.
Carrot ginger falafel mixture. Now stick it in the fridge. For a little while to a day, just to let it set up a bit.
And in the mean time you can make the slaw. Shred cabbage and cut up onion all nice and thin.
Dump tahini, soy, vinegar, and a few tablespoons warm water into bowl and mix until creamy and good.
Toss in that cabbage and onion. Now you have tahini cabbage slaw.
Now to cook falafel. Grab the batter, scoop into balls then smoosh into disks. Place in a light oiled skillet and brown each side a nice golden brown.
After browning, place on a baking sheet. Once all the falafel has been browned, place the baking sheet into the oven to finish up cooking. 20 minutes or so and you got yourself falafel.
Then eat it. Falafel topped with tahini cabbage slaw. That is how it%u2019s done, with or without wraps or pitas or whatever your want. Just as it is. Falafel, cabbage slaw, into mouth.
Good things friend.
-C
serves 3-4 people or makes 14-16 falafel balls
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For the falafel
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2 cups cooked chickpeas drained
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3-4 carrots (around 2 cups diced)
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1/2 of a red onion
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2 inches fresh ginger
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2-3 cloves garlic
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1 teaspoon cumin
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1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
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1/3 cup chickpea flour (can sub in oat flour if needed)
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juice of a small lemon
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salt and pepper
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For Tahini Cabbage Slaw
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1/2 head red or green cabbage (about 3 cups shredded)
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1/2 of a red onion
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3 tablespoon tahini
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1 tablespoon soy or liquid aminos
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2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
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a few tablespoons warm water
Grab carrots and red onion. Chop carrots into small chunks and cut onion in half. Cut one half into chunks. Place in food processor. Take the ginger and cut into small chunks (you don%u2019t need to peel it) and peel and slice garlic and cut into small pieces. Add that to the food processor. Pulse the mixture into a very small crumble then dump the mixture into a skillet with a splash of water. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper, and place on medium heat and cook for 5-8 minutes until soft and fragrant. Once cooked, scoop back into food processor along with the chickpeas, chickpea flour, and the juice of the lemon. Turn on and and puree until smooth, stopping when needed to scrap down the side. Then either dump mixture into a bowl or leave in the container you processed it in and place in fridge for 1/2 hour to a day.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400.
After letting the dough sit for a bit, remove from fridge. Grab skillet and lightly oil it and place on medium heat. Take a cookie scoop or just a spoon and scoop balls of falafel into your hand and roll them around so they are packed together. Smoosh then balls a little into disks and place into hot skillet. Let cook until bottom is golden brown then gently flip and cook the other side until browned. Place cooked falafel on a baking sheet. Once you have browned all the falafel, place into oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until the falafel has firmed up to your liking.
To make the tahini cabbage slaw. Shred cabbage and cut the remaining half of red onion into thin pieces. Place tahini, soy, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons warm water into a big bowl. Mix together until light and creamy. If the mixture seems to thick, add another tablespoon of warm water. When happy with consistency, add in the cabbage and onion and toss around until everything is coated.
Now when the slaw is made, the falafel is cooked, you eat it. Serve with warm pita or wraps or a bed of greens or nothing. Just slaw on top of falafel. And FYI, this whole shebang can be eaten hot or cold or anywhere in between.
Every now and then I make something for me. All for me. This is one of those dishes that was not destined to be shared with anyone. That I had no one else in mind to eat besides me. No worring about what anyone else with think. Just a simple little dish that I was craving and wanting.
So I made it and man, was it so freaking satisfying. Cooking for oneself is very much a gratifying experience.
Celeriac, or also know as celery root. Have you ever had it? If not, well duder, you need to. It is in my top 3 favorite vegetables and that is saying a lot. So anyway, celeriac, has a slight celery taste, but also kind of earthy and nutty. It pairs well with anything that a potato might, but also is amazing on it%u2019s own. Roasted, steamed, raw. Just really fantastic. And it is in season so get on it and go find yourself some.
And lentils. In my top 3 favorite foods. Made them crispy because pureed celeriac and crispy lentils just sounded right and I love me crispy things. Again, I was making this dish fo me so crispy was happening.
Together, the creamy, delicious pureed celeriac covered with a bunch of spiced, crispy lentil%u2026.Amazing. Eating it, I couldn%u2019t have been happier. I did myself one good with this one.
I might even have to make it to share someday.
Now to the celeriac and lentils!
The stuff. A bulb of celeriac, some cooked lentils, salt and pepper, chili powder, garlic powder. mustard powder, and oil. (oil is optional)
The celeriac. Ok, so most people peel it. I actually get weird looks from people when I tell them I don’t , but let me do me, you know. So anyway. Peel it if you want, or not, just cut it up into chunks.
Place cut up celeriac into a pot and cover with water. Place on stove on medium heat and cook until fork tender.
Lentils meet spices and get mix all together. Add a pinch of salt and lots of cracked pepper too.
Spread now spiced lentils onto a baking sheet, pop into oven, and bake until crispy. Easy peasy.
And to puree the celeriac. Strain any extra water into a cup. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and grab the hand blender (or regular blender) and blend it, adding back in some of the strained water as needed, to get to a consistency that you like. Me, I liked it pretty smooth, but also with a little chunk. Heck, you could leave it really chunky or go all out completely smooth. Up to you. Also if you want a creamier texture, add in a teaspoon or so of the olive oil. That is a taste preference. I didn’t add oil this time, but I have before. It%u2019s good both ways.
And there you have it. Add the celeriac puree to a bowl, top with crispy lentils, and garnish with something green if you want.
Then eat it.
Not going to lie. After this picture was taken, I busted out the spicy mustard and covered everything with it. And it was amazing.
-C
serves 1 as a meal, or a few as a side dish
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1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils
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1 large celeriac bulb (soft ball sized)
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1 teaspoon chili power
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1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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salt and pepper
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olive oil (optional)
Grab celeriac and peel if you want, or just give it a really good wash. Cut into chunks and place into pot. Add enough water to just cover the celeriac and place on medium heat on the stove. Cook until fork tender.
In the mean time, mix all the spices and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper together with the lentils. Dump them and spread them out onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Place in oven and turn to 400 degrees (you can start cooking the lentils while the oven is preheating). Bake for about 20 minutes or until lentils are crispy.
Once the celeriac is tender, strain water into a cup and either with a hand blender or a regular blender, blend until smooth, adding in some of the poured off water as needed. You can puree as smoothly as you like or leave a few chunks.. Also, you might want to add in a teaspoon or so of olive oil for a slightly richer and creamier taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ehen the lentils are done, take them from oven. Place large amount (or all) of the celeriac puree to a bowl, cover with some (or all) of the crispy lentils and that is that. Eat away.
Serving suggestion%u2026. Mustard. Any kind. So good.
Soup. No joke (although people make jokes about me), is eaten in my house, at lunch and sometime even at dinner. Every. Single. Day. There is just no going wrong with a big pot or veggies, spices, sometimes beans, sometime not. I make it in big batches, in small batches. Sometimes it%u2019s more a bisque, or a chili or a stew, or just a really really spicy broth. Whatever I have in the fridge or freezer, the stuff that might not be great eaten fresh, sad spinach%u2026. It all turns in soup.
Does that make me some kind of weird soup freak? Maybe, but I am ok with that. And to those who see me walking down the street and yell silly things about me having to get home to eat my soup (it happens more then you know) well, you know you are just jealous and secretly wish you were eating soup with my too. So %ud83d%ude1d.
Are you a soup person too? I mean, who isn%u2019t, especially right now that is is fall time and it%u2019s getting chilly and darker out and all we want to do is hibernate. Definitely a soup time if there was ever a specific time for soup. And this soup, made even more hardy and comforting with the addition on dumplings. I actually made it specifically for the mr because, well just because I love him and thought he would enjoy it. And well, he loved it because dumplings of course. Light and slightly chewy, soup thickening dumplings with hot and comforting soup. A perfect end to a day of him working outside in the cold.
So soup. Make it. Dumplings. Add those too. You will be a winner with food, and in life.
To the soup and dumplings!
The stuff. A few stalks of Swiss chard, a couple carrots and a few potatoes. An onion, dried navy beans, some cherry tomatoes. Then there is flour, with salt and baking powder, a little oil, plant based milk, and salt and pepper.
Veggie chopping time. Dice the potatoes, the onion, the carrots, and the stalks of the chard into small mouth sized pieces. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and the chard leaves into small ribbons. Set the tomatoes and greens aside.
Dump the carrots, onion, chard stalks, and potatoes into a very large pot, add all the spices, a good pinch of salt, lots of black pepper, and a few splashed of water. Cook on medium high heat for 5-7 minutes to just kind of sweat the veggies a bit.
Add in beans and water. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to medium and let cook for about an hour. Just give it a stir once in a while.
After an hour check the beans. If they seem close to being done (almost squish in between fingers), then add in the tomatoes, the chard greens, and a few more cup of water. Keep on heat and start the dumpling batter.
Dumpling batter. Mix together the dry ingredients then add in the wet. Mix until combined.
Soup. All nice and looking just about done. The vegges are soft and tender, the beans are cooked. Check and season for salt now then get ready to drop dumplings.
Drop the dumplings. Tablespoons of batter go right into the soup. Thencook, with a lid slightly covering pot, for about 15 minutes.
Look at that. Soup with soft, fluffy, dumpling ready for consumption.
Now all you have to do it serve it up and eat it up.
Soup all day. Every day. Dumplings too!
-C
makes 4-6 servings
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For the soup
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1/2 cup dried small white beans
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1 large onion
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2 carrots
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2 small red potatoes
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3 Swiss chard leaves and stalks
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handful of cherry tomatoes (about a cup or so)
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon dill
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1 teaspoon thyme
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1 teaspoon ginger
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1 teaspoon marjoram
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1 teaspoon ground mustard
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1/2 teaspoon sage
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1/2 red pepper flakes
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12 cups water
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salt and pepper to taste
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For dumplings
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1 cup all purpose flour
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1 tablespoons oil
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1 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon black pepper
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1/2 cup warm water or plant based milk
Couple quick notes. I use water but if you really want, use veggie stalk. I find stalk overpowers soup and makes it taste salty, even when it is low sodium. Plus water is there and free but again, use stalk if you want. Also, you can use just about any veggie that you like so if you want to replace chard with celery and spinach or throw some red peppers into the soup, go for it.
Start by small dicing the potatoes, the onion, the carrots, and the stalks of the chard. Dump it all into a large pot, along with all the spices and a good pinch of salt and pepper, and place on the stove on medium high heat with about 1/2 cup water and cook for a few minutes. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and cut the chard leaves into small ribbons. Set aside.
Once the veggies and spices have had a few minutes on the stove, add in the dried beans and 10 cups of water. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce to a medium heat. Cook for about an hour, giving it a stir once in a while. After an hour, check beans for doneness but removing one or two and pinching between fingers. . They should be close to done by now. If they are still really heard, cook for another 20 minutes, if almost cooked through, toss in the tomatoes, the chard greens and the other 2 cups of water. Keep cooking.
In the meantime, make dumpling dough. Mix the dry together then add in the oil and milk. Mix until just combined. Set aside.
Once the soup is done (the veggies are all soft and tender, the beans are cooked through which should take a total of 1 1/2 hours), it%u2019s time to dumpling. Turn the soup up to a medium high heat and carefully drop tablespoons of the dumpling batter right into the soup. The batter will float. Once all the dumplings are in, half cover the pot and let the dumpling cook for 15 minutes or until the dumplings are big, light. and fluffy.
Remove pot from heat and serve and eat right away. Big bowls, Big spoons. Pinch more of salt if needed. Lots of pepper.
I love me some falafel. I love me some peppers. So I guess it is natural that I would want to stuff falafel inside of peppers and eat them all to my face right? I think so.
As we all already know, most of what I cook is depicted by whatever I get at farm share. And the past few weeks we have been getting a lot of peppers. I have been happily eating one or two a day, just as they are, but I figured it was time that I did something else with them. Now what is the first thing that comes to mind with peppers? Stuffed peppers of course. And there you have it, falafel stuffed peppers.
So I am not going to lie and say the mr ate them and swooned. He is not the biggest fan of peppers (I am starting to realize that he doesn%u2019t have all the right taste buds in his mouth. So sad for him.) so he dumped the falafel out of the pepper and ate it with most of the pickled onions, the tahini, and rice. That he really liked. Lucky me, I wanted his pepper anyway because roasted peppers are freaking fantastic amazing and whatever him. Me, as a pepper and falafel lover, I found these stuffed peppers to be everything that I wanted and needed and then some. Eaten pretty much right away warm, with pickled onion and covered in all the tahini, it was a very very satisfying meal. But also a left over stuffed pepper that was stuck in the fridge, eaten cold standing in front of said fridge, right before bed. That was something great as well. I might have even gone in for a second one%u2026%u2026
Anyway, a pepper stuffed with falafel is a good idea if you want food, like peppers, like falafel, and are cool. Just saying.
To the falafel stuffed peppers!
The stuff. A few sweet peppers, some cooked chickpeas, chickpea flour, an onion, a bunch of fresh cilantro and parsley, a few cloves of garlic, red wine vinegar, a little water, tahini, cumin, chili pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.
First, take the onion and cut in half. Take one half and cut into very thin slices, place in a bowl, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss with the vinegar and a few tablespoons of water. Set that bowl aside. The other half of onion just cut into a few smaller chunks.
To make falafel. Add the chunks of onion and garlic to food processor and pules a few times to start chopping it up. Add in the cilantro and parsley, the chickpeas and chickpea flour, the cumin and chili pepper flakes, and a good few pinches of salt and lots of pepper. Pulse until completely combined but still a bit chunky. OR pulse until smooth if you would rather it like that. It%u2019s up to you.
Grab peppers and cut each in half. Remove the ribs ad the seeds.
Take falafel mix and stuff it into peppers.
Place peppers onto a baking sheet and into the oven they go.
In the meantime while the peppers are cooking, toss the onions around in the brine a few times. Then right before you take the peppers from the oven, drain the brine from the onions into a jar with the tahini and mix until smooth. Add a splash of water to the mix if you need to loosen it up a bit more to make the consistency of the tahini drizzle-able.
And out they come when all roasted and crispy and my oh my, so good!
Now you eat. Garb a bowl, maybe a grain of some sort if you like (I made the mr rice), plop a pepper down, add some pickled onions and drizzle that tahini all over.
Eat.
-C
Makes 6 half peppers stuffed
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3 medium sized sweet peppers
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2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas (or one can)
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1 large onion
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1 bunch (about 1/2 cup packed) cilantro
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1 bunch (about 1/2 cup packed parley
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2-3 cloves garlic
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2 teaspoons cumin
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1 teaspoon chili peper flakes
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1/3 cup chickpea flour or oat flour if you don%u2019t have chickpea
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salt and pepper
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1/4 cup tahini
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a few tablespoons water
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3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Preheat oven to 425
Grab the onion and cut in half. Take one half and cut into very thin slices and place in a bowl. Spinkle with a pinch of salt and dump in the vinegar along with about 2 tablespoon water. Toss around until all the onion is coated and set aside.
Take remaining half onion and cut into big chunks. Toss into a food processor along with the garlic and pulse a few times until the onion is chopped up. Add in the cilantro, parsley, chickpeas, chickpea flour, cumin, chili pepper flakes, and a good pinch of salt and lots of pepper. Pulse the hole shebang until the mixture is combined, the herbs are incropeted, but there is a little chunk left. Or you could make it smooth if you wanted too. It%u2019s up to you.
Grab the peppers and cut them in half. Remove the ribs and seeds then take the falafel mixture and evenly distribute it between the peppers halves.
Place stuffed peppers on a baking sheet, falafel side up, and place into oven to bake for about 45 minutes. You want the falafel mix to have a chance to cook inside and out and to get nice and golden brown and crispy on top.
Right before the peppers are done, grab the onions and the tahini. Toss the onions one last time in the briny mix it%u2019s been sitting in, then drain that brine into the tahini. Mix around until smooth. The tahini should be at the consistency to drizzle so if it is still to thick, add in a splash of hot water to loosen it up.
Once peppers are cooked, remove fro oven. Place on a plate with or without some grain, toss on some pickled onion and drizzle tahini all over.
Eat.
Store left over peppers in a the fridge. To eat, just reheat or eat cold. I really enjoyed eating one cold.
Spit peas are one of my go to%u2019s when camping. Besides taking up no room at all to pack, they are also super easy to make. Plus they only take about an hour to cook, which is the perfect amount of time to prepare the rest of the food for a meal and sit and chill out before eating. Not to mention that they are damn freaking tasty, especially after a day frolicking through woods and paddling on water. I mean, who doesn%u2019t like split peas? (If you say you don%u2019t, you probably should try again because I bet you would like these)
Constnaly thinking of our next hiking, kayaking, and camping adventure has got me with split peas on the mind. Especially now that the nights are getting a little cooler. Knowing that I am gonna have a hearty, protein pack and filling meal after a day of activity is just the greatest.
And collard greens. A green that gets overlooked a lot. No super popular, well, not around these parts, which is crazy because they are SO good! They have a more pronounced flavor (in a good way) then most greens. More pungent and earthy, and slitghy salty, if that makes sense. And hold up better then any green when cooked making them perfect to toss into pots with things like spit peas . Plus they travel well. I can bring a bunch camping with me and not worry that if I leave them out for to long they will turn into slimy green mush. If it is really hot, sure they might wilt up a bit, but stick the stems in a little water, they will last all day fine. And that is all you need them to do.
So yeah, this dish is perfect for camping, but also perfect for not camping and just making at home too. Again, super easy, fast and is just a great tasting dish.
Split peas and collard greens. Topped off with mustardy cabbage slaw. Can%u2019t wait to make this again this weekend!
To the spit pas and collard greens!
The stuff. A bunch of collard greens, some split peas, an onion, a couple carrots, some cabbage, stone ground mustard, spices which include garlic, ginger, dill, thyme, and ground mustard. And salt and pepper. And you are gonna need water too.
Start by removing the stems from the leaves of the collards. Then small dice up the carrots, the onion and the stems. Grab the collard leaves, roll them up together, then slice then into thin ribbons.
All that stuff you just cut up now gets tossed into big pot, along with all the spices.
Add in the dried peas and water. Lots and lots of water. Bring pot to boil, then reduce heat to low and loosely cover pot. Cook foe 45-50 minutes or so.
While the peas and greens are cooking, shred up some cabbage.
Add a good dollop or two of some good stone ground or Dijon mustard and mix.
Cooked until the split peas are tender and starting to fall apart. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
And then you eat. A big bowl full of the slpit peas and greens, topped with some mustardy cabbage slaw.
This is good food. Really freaking good.
-C
serves 4-6 folks
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2 cups dried split peas
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8-9 cups water
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1 large onion
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2 carrots
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1 bunch collard greens (about 6-7large leaves)
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1 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 teaspoon ginger powder
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1 tablespoon dill
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1 tablespoon thyme
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1 teaspoon ground mustard
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salt and pepper
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2-3 tabespppms Dijon or stone ground mustard
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1/2 head of cabbage (red and or green)
Start by removing the stems from the collards. Grab the carrots and onion and dice them up small, along with the stems. Then take the leaves of the greens and stack and roll them up together. Slice the roll into thin ribbons. Place all of it, carrots onions stems, and greens, into large pot, along with all the spices, (don%u2019t add any salt until the end) and stick o the stove. Add in the split peas and 8 cups of water. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to low and place a loose lid on pot. Let cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the spit peas are tender and just about to fall apart. If you think you might need to add more water to cook the peas through, then add another cup.
Once cooked, season with salt pepper to taste.
For the cabbage slaw,which you can make right after your start the peas, just shred up cabbage and mix it together with the mustard and set aside.
And once the split peas and collard greens are all cooked, scoop into bowls, top with some of the cabbage slaw, and eat to your face.
We have officially kicked off our summer camping adventures. And with camping comes all the greatness of all the things, including camping food.
Recently a friend asked me what it is that we do for camp food. So I told her. Camp food is basically aways the same and consists of a big pot of spiced warm lentils or split peas (both cook really fast and have lots of protein), a shredded summer squash in the summer, or pumpkin in the colder months, maybe fresh tomatoes or a bunch of kale to chop and mix in, and a side of cut up carrots, cucumbers, green beens or whatever else I have.. Then I’ll bring a hunk of bread for the mr to eat and me, usually a small head of cabbage to squirt mustard on and crunch into. (Always have the mustard on hand.) And I bring apples to snack on too, but that usually it. (Sometime I%u2019ll back a desert for the mr. If I am feeling nice.)
She was a little taken aback. Said when she (and basically everyone in the world, which I disagreed with) goes camping it is bags of chips, cookies, meat, and everything and anything that she (they) wanted. Basically that camp food was junk food and that she though we were weirdos. But cool weirdos so you know.
So our camp food%u2026 not like many others. But honestly it is everything that I want to eat and I love it so whatever whatever. As for the mr, he is happy with the food and when he is not, he brings along something else, but that rarely happens because my lentils be so good. HA!
But she got me thinking that I should have a few more snack options beside cut up carrots and apples. So that is why I made crackers. These chickpea chili lime, freaking amazing crackers. Because crackers are a very appropriate snack food, and these crackers in particular are even greater because they are made with the goodness of chickpea flour which is packed full of protein and is well received after a day of hiking or other fun outdoor camping activities. And how can you go wrong with chili lime? Well i%u2019ll tell you, you really can%u2019t
So the plan was to make a batch, eat a few, save the rest for this camping weekend. But guess what? I have to make another batch. They didn%u2019t make it. We ate them all. (not sorry) At least I know we will be liking our new camping snack addition well and right.
So if you like crackers, camping or elsewhere, you should really gives these a go. They will not disappoint.
Now to the crackers!
The stuff. Chickpea flour, chili powder, a lime, a little baking powder, olive oil, salt and pepper, and water.
Combine the flour, zest of the lime, half the chili powder and half the salt, and the baking powder and some pepper in a bowl. Mix until completely combined then add in the oil, water and the juice of the lime.
Mix until dough forms. It might feel a little sticky, if that is the case, just mix other tablespoon of chickpea flour.
Knead dough on a well chickpea floured surface for a good minute until the dough is a even consistency then let it sit for a few minutes to rest. Once rested, cut dough into 2-3 pieces because working smaller is easier.
Roll out your first piece of dough about 1/8 inch thick. (Again, make sure to really flour your work surface and rolling pin.) Mix salt and chili powder together and sprinkle on top. Cut out your crackers (squares are nice but triangles would be nice too) then poke each cracker with a fork.
Crackers on a baking sheet before baking and after baking looking all crackery and delicious. And yeah, they shrink a bit.
And lastly, cool the crackers on a cooling rack. They will crisp up a even more. Then it%u2019s all you.
Ready to eat whenever you make the move. You can pack them away for later or place these delicious crackers in a very pretty bowl and eat them away. Or both.
A cracker win!
-C
make 75 crackers
-
1 1/2 cups chick pea flour plus about 1/3 more for dusting and rolling
-
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-
1 tablespoon olive oil
-
1/3 cup room temp water
-
1 teaspoon chili powder split in half
-
1 lime
-
1 teaspoon salt split in half
-
1/2 teaspoon fresh crackers pepper
Preheat oven to 350.
In a bowl combine the chick pea flour, baking soda, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder, and half a 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix until evenly incorporated. Add in oil, the juice of the lime, and and water and mix until a dough forms. Dump dough onto counter and knead until completely uniform in texture. Add more flour if the dough is really sticky. Set dough aside for a few minutes to rest.
To make the crackers, really dust the counter with chickpea flour. Cut the dough into 2-3 pieces and roll1 piece out at a time to about an1/8 inch thin. Again, really flour the surface and rolling pin or else the dough will stick Once rolled, combine the remaining chili powder and salt and sprinkle the top with it. And then cut the crackers. Take a knife of bench scrapper or pizza cattier and cut the dough into inch long strips vertically, then diagonally. Poke each cracker with a fork then gently place them onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake crackers for 15-20 minutes or until a nice deep golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
And then eat.
Store uneaten crackers in an airtight container for about a week.
Summertime is in full swing. Hot ass days, garden fresh veggies, zucchinis as big as whales, and did I mention that hot ass heat? If you have been around here before, you know how well I handle the heat. (NOT WELL AT ALL!)
I think we are all hot these days. But really, lets just focus on the good things, like fresh summa veggies!
This sandwich is all about summertime and not having to turn on a single flame or heat source and takes all of 5 minutes to make. Zucchini because it is everywhere, beans for more substance and they are delicious, all mixed up in a creamy bean and tahini sauce. Super fast, fresh and oh so delicious. I made a big batch for sandwiches but also I was just eating it with a fork. It%u2019s a tasty one that will be on the summer rotation for sure for the next few months, or until the zucchini runs out and I dare to turn the oven on again. (Ok, I am being a whine ass. It%u2019s not THAT bad and I did turn the oven on, early morning, to bake bread. So yeah.) But for real. This is a great, super fast, throw together, fresh, light but filling, sandwich situation for any and all of your summertime eating needs. What more do we need? The mr said all he needed with the sandwich were chips. Chips and a nice cold drink.
Done sir. Done.
Now to the sandwich!
The stuff. White beans, a zucchini, and a fresh spring onion. Also some tahini, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic, a little vinegar and water, and salt and pepper. And to serve as a sandwich you need bread. lettuce, and tomato. Well you only need the bread, but you get what I am saying.
Fist off. Half the white beans go into blender or jar with the tahini, the juice of the lemon, garlic, vinegar and a splash of water. Blended unit nice and creamy smooth. And yes, it is basically hummus but whatever.
Julienne the zucchini and chop up the onion.
Note. You don%u2019t have a mandolin or done%u2019t want to julienne with a knife, well just chop the zucchini into small little chunks.
Bean, onion, and zucchini in a bowl. Add in the bean tahini mixture and mix. And ta da, all done. All of 5 minutes and no heat. Good for us.
Now here is the thing. This salad is ready to eat now. You can continue onto the sandwich path or just eat it like it is with a fork. What I really liked to do is scoop spoonfuls into lettuce cups with a slice of tomato and a squirt or mustard. So yes sandwich, but also whatever else you want it to be.
But as a sandwich%u2026. Bread. And lettuce and tomato and heck, whatever else you want to throw on there. (Again, mustard is A+)
Now stop. Sandwich time.
Stay cool!
-C
makes 3-4 sandwiches
-
1 medium sized zucchini
-
2 1/2 cups cooked and strained white beans (a can will do)
-
1 spring onion (or a small white or red onion)
-
3 tablespoons tahini
-
2-3 cloves minced garlic
-
1 lemon
-
1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
-
2-3 tablespoons warm water
-
salt and pepper
-
And to serve as a sandwich
-
bread or wrap of your choice
-
tomato slices
-
lettuce
-
anything else you want
Place half of the beans, tahini, garlic, juice of the lemon, and the vinegar into a jar and use a immersion blender or a regular blender and blend until creamy smooth. Add in a tablespoon at a time of water until the consistency is just slightly thinner then hummus.
Grab zucchini and using a mandolin or a knife and julienne it. (You can also just cut into small little cubes.) Dice the onion up into small pieces and toss with zucchini, onion, and the other half of beans into a big bowl. Dump the bean tahini mixture all over and veggies bean mixture and toss around. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To make it a sandwich%u2026 Place a scoop onto a bread situation, add some lettuce and tomato and whatever else you want, and eat it.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
January 5, 2020 by maximios • Blog
December my friends. No way around it. But I am excited because I love Christmas time with all the fun christmasy things that we can do in next few weeks (there is an A Frame gingerbread village planned !). Also it%u2019s birthday season so I have already made one cake and stuck it in the freezer and only have like 10 more to make. And then there is snow, and lights, and trees%u2026 How can you not like December? Plus cookies. Need to start making cookies because what is December with cookies?
The week was good. After spending all of Sunday cleaning and putting up the Christmas lights, things went as usual with the ways of world. Tuesday Barb and I had lunch and went for a hike, just us girls, to take in nature and talk life things. She hugged trees while I deposited my knowledge that comes with my old age. HA. Later that day, Emma (the mr%u2019s sister), came over to catch up on life and teach the mr how to embroider. She was a great teacher and , I must say, the mr did a really good job being a learner. Although I was not surprised because he picks up everything so fast.
Then Thanksgiving eve. The mr gone for the day, me hanging hanging at home taking phone calls and going through the stack of papers that has been mocking me for the past few weeks. On his way home he picked up Miley so she could sleep over. We made a spaghetti dinner, she watched Nailed It Holidays and I walked her through making cinnamon star bread. The little lady kneaded, rolled, and shaped the whole thing pretty much all by herself. It was for sure a proud aunt moment for me. And then we watched Juno (I hadn%u2019t seen that movies in forever. I forgot how good it was) and I passed out. Bed for me and the mr. Miley, well I am not sure what time she actually went to bed. We let her stay up and watch whatever.
Thanksgiving day I woke up, cooked the star (Miley finished it by making and drizzling the glaze) and we just hung out until Erin and the other two littles showed up. We fed them, played them, and off they went to the Grandparents. The rest of the day was just me and the mr. We went for a nice, if not blustery cold, hike, then just putzed around the house. I read, he hung a new light fixture, then we made dinner. Being thanksgiving and all he felt the need to grill some turkey breasts and if you really want know how that went you can ask him. Me, I ate a humongous bowl of veggies and lentils and hand fulls of spinach. After an after dinner walk we crawled into bed and tried to watch a movie, but I passed (again) out and that was that.
Then the rest of the weekend has been pretty slow. Basically just hanging around the house doing little chores and some little projects. Mellow. And it has been pretty nice.
I am really excited for today. We are going to the Green Mountain Nation Forest to find us our Christmas tree!!!! My most favorite part of Christmas . And so we will head out late morning with our lunches packed, our snow pants tossed into the truck, the saw nice and sharpe, and head out into the mountains.And better yet, tt is suppose to snow later today and I am so very much hopping that we get a nice, (safe) amount of snow on our hike and tree cutting adventure. That would just be the best. YAY!
Internet links from the week, if you want to know what I know now.
-I didn’t know this about thanksgiving. And now I do. Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving On The 4th Thursday Of November
-Uh Duh, I could have told you this. Want to live longer? Surround yourself with plants
–A Brief History of Word Art, the Decor Everyone Loves to Hate. And I really REALLY hate it.
-I have been known to sit in front of the oven and watch the bread bake. Super satisfying. Here’s 36 Blissful Seconds of Bread Rising in the%u00a0Oven
–Photos of How Families Eat In The Arctic. And that is why I don%u2019t live there, it%u2019s a lot of meat.
-This makes me happy to look at. A Multicolored Library of the World%u2019s Ochre Pigments%u00a0
–Here’s To Grown-Up Siblings And The Ties That Bind. Siblings. Even when I want to punch them in the face, I still love them.
-I guess I just don%u2019t understand. Meet the $50 Strawberries That NYC%u2019s High-End Chefs Are Fawning Over
–Homemade Christmas baking is a joy %u2013 even if it is not to your taste. Agreed. Something about baking this tie of year, it is just so, well, joyful.
-On my reading list. Good Husbandry: A Memoir by Kristin Kimball. I read her first Memoir, The Dirty life, and it was A+
And pictures from the week…
Are you aware that it is the last week of November? I know right. Every year this happens but seriously, it%u2019s just flying by so fast.
The mr and I did the norms for the week. Went for a amazing hike in nice snow. We worked on work, the mr made paper, I cut up the paper. I spent some time with clay, works the studio, organized some stuff and watched it snow and loved every bit of it. Then it rained and got kind of sad that all the snow melted.%u2639%ufe0f We picked up farm share, had dinner with my mom and Paul, hung out with the littles for a bit, and fed Barb some soup. Nothing terribly exciting, besides feeding Barb. She makes every exciting.
And then we get to Saturday. Family thanksgiving plus is was Erin%u2019s birthday. (Happy Birthday Beotch!) Always crazy, what with every one of my family members together in my house, eating food, and hopped up on booze and sugar. The day started early with me running away to the gym to get in some sane time, then one last stop at the grocery store before heading home to finish baking and getting all the food ready. Barb came over early to help cut up veggies but really, for her and the mr to make fun of me and gossip like little old ladies. So food got prepare, then I cooked it all. (Minus the main which mom made. She made a crazy chicken thing, cooked in her oven, and brought it over. No meat gets cooked in my house.) And then the family descended on the house, hungry and crazy. Food got served/ thrown all over and for a few short minutes, everyone was sitting down all at once together. But that lasted 2 seconds, and the kids went off and I ran back to the kitchen while everyone was eating to straighten up a bit and because I don%u2019t need to see people dropping chicken bits all over. I just let them eat in peace while I hid for a few minutes in the pantry and snacked on roast Brussel sprouts, carrots and mustard.
After everyone ate, we all ran around the house, picked secret Santa names, had a massive dance party in the kitchen and did dessert and birthday cake. Erins birthday yes, but Coco got to blow out the candles. So cute, that little loving the candles and all but I am going to be watching out for him. I think he might turn into a little pyromaniac. HAHAHA. But for real. Dinner ended with everyone leaving except Barb, Megan,and So. We picked up a little but basically just sat in the pantry eating raw Brussel sprouts from the stock, with mustard of course, and talking about boys. Then they left too and the mr and I were left alone to assess the damages.
The house. Oh my, oh my. It is a FUCKING DISATSER! I know I tell you all that I spend a good chunk of time every weekend cleaning%u2026Well this time, today, all Sunday, I%u2019m a be cleaning. Cleaning the cake and ice cream and cookies crumbles all over. Cleaning up the dinner rolls behind the couch, all the ripped paper, smashed potates, food and drinks particles. Chicken bits, which everyone was super awesome about and tried not to get anywhere, are everywhere. All. Over. The house. Then the kitchen. Every single piece of silverware and then some plus at least 40 plates and bowls are waiting for cleaning. Not to mention the the pots and pans. The compost is overflowing. The recycling is a mess, and I have at least 2 laundry loads of rags and napkins and dirty towels to do. The fridge looks like a freaking bomb blew up in it with tons of half lidded containers precariously stacked on top of each other, waiting for just the right movement of the neighboring jar or the movement of the hot sauce to have it all come crashing down. Aye ya ya. But all worth it because I love my family and we had a blast. I just need to remember next time I am at one of their houses to like pee on their toilet seat or mash some frosting into their couch cushions, you know, to be fair and all.
Anyway, so today I clean and maybe try to hang up some Christmas decorations? The mr is off to do very nice things for people that might not appreciate it, but do it he is going to do (he is too good a person). Hopefully by the time he comes home later tonight, I will be done cleaning, he will be done helping for a good long while, and we can eat soup and maybe watch a movie together. Or more realistically, he watches a movie while I read and probably fall asleep on the couch. Real life.
Reads I read from the internet this week.
-A long but good read. RuPaul: The Philosopher Queen. who doesn%u2019t love RuPsul?
-I just pulled out a nice tablecloth, covered in stains mind you, but maybe i%u2019ll be able to get some of them out now. A Cheat Sheet to Get Rid of Every Type of Holiday%u00a0Stain. Or not. I don%u2019t think I care enough. HA
-This is so appealing to me especially since the mr loves his heavy comforter and I just want a light blanket with the window thrown open in 20 degree weather. The Scandinavian Sleep Secret: Mine and Yours Duvets. HE is always covering me up at night.
–The best health foods? Soup, garlic and cake. Food is healing, and if cake makes you feel better, well then cake it be.
-These cakes remind me of my 5ht grade volcano science project. I made it out of cake and whipped cream. It was awesome. Antarctic Research Takes The Cake In These Science-Inspired Confections
–Vegan man sues Burger King claiming meatless burger is cooked on same grill as meat. This is one reason I do not eat out. Oe of the last times I did eat out, there were egg shells in my scamp bled vegan tofu dish%u2026.. So yeah.
-Who doesn%u2019t love a good TV tray? A Brief History of the TV Tray
-HAve you ever raised a adolescent dog%u2026 It is crazy to say the least. Animal adolescence is filled with teen drama and peer pressure
-So there is this ti look forward to. Cockroaches Are Evolving And in the Future They can Become Impossible To Kill
–A Brief and Buttery History of Libby%u2019s Pumpkin Pie Recipe. The pie of my childhood.
And pictures from the week.
The heat is officially on in the house because well, it got kind of freezing out and also because we got some snow! So awesome and unexpected. Sure, it was only an inch and came at the exact wrong time making for a very sketchy driving situation, and also it froze all the chard in the garden I had left (I harvested it and just tossed it in the freezer for soups), but whatever. I was, and am just so happy to see it. I really do love this time of year, even if everyone else hates it.
The week started off slow. The extra hour was welcomed but also really kind of screwed with my body clock. I have been getting better throughout the week, but the first few days we changed the clock, I was waking up at like 3 am. Yes, I was going to bed at like 630, but when your tired, your tired. Anyway, besides being a little groggy, it was the usual as usual. Work stuff, getting ready for winter weather, dealing with the dealings. We had lunch with Megan, a spaghetti dinner with Judah, and I picked up the first winter farm share of the season. Lots of roots, greens, Brussels sprout, and peppers. All the best food a lady could ask for. I am also feeling like a queen with my new, permanent, gold crown in my mouth. And now I am officially sick of going to the dentist. Going to try really hard to not have to go back ever again, or at least 6 months when I am due for a clean.
Oh, and lets not forget how I busted out the new toilet brushes. Who doesn%u2019t love a fresh toilet brush? Highlight of the week. HA.
Today the mr and don%u2019t have much in the way of plans besides getting the winter tires thrown on the car and getting out of town for the afternoon for a hike. So I am going to the gym and dropping off the library books this morning, we will then deal with the car, and then off we will go, heading out to conquer a mountain. Or a small trail. I am fine with either. Just as long as we are outside.
Links from the internet for your reading and browsing enjoyment.
–Why You Should Find Time to Be Alone With Yourself. Alone time is the best. I cannot stress how important alone time for me is%u2026 I NEED IT!
-I didi%u2019t know how awesome and strong ginkgo trees were. Consider the ginkgo. These ancient trees survived the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.
-First, how is Emma Watson turning 30? Second, Yes lady. Did Emma Watson Just Coin the Next %u201cConscious Uncoupling%u201d?
-Why haven%u2019t I don%u2019t this yet? The Tangy-Sweet Pickled Fruit I Put on Absolutely%u00a0Everything
–Very Generous People Are Way Happier (and Have More Friend)
-Looking for new shoes is the worst. But I found some that are not exactly winter friendly, but maybe I can make them work? Teva%u00a0Voya Infinity Sandals. OR these appropriate footwear. I love them but jeez, I am not paying that much for a shoe.
-Give me roots, all the roots. Root, root, root for rutabaga, turnips and those other unappreciated vegetables
-This is me! %u2018It%u2019s cool to be cold%u2019: Confessions of frigid-weather fanatics
–The Cookie Sculptor. I think I need to spend more time sculpting cookies.
–Scrubbing Your House Of Bacteria Could Clear The Way For Fungus. I am a clean freak, but I don%u2019t use any chemicals whatsoever. Vinegar, water, vacuum. How that keeps the bad fungus away.
And pictures from the week.
I don%u2019t know what the hell I was just reamng about, but I woke up with Celine Dion %u201cThats the way it is%u201d stuck in my head. I am pretty sure I haven%u2019t heard that song in like 10 years so it had to have made it%u2019s way out of my deep, deep subconscious. What does it mean? And why won%u2019t it stop replaying in my awake head!
What a ear worm to have on a Sunday morning. I need to plug my headphones in and listen to something, anything. It%u2019s driving me nuts!
The past week involved our last camp of the year. We went to Little River State Park (the last place open) in the pouring rain and crazy wind and did our thing. Set up camp, hiked, made food. All drenched and loving every second of it, even the rm, who was fighting off a pretty crappy head cold. One thing that I did not love was that I was trying to dry out my soaking wet hiking boots a bit by the fire and ended up melting them. Yup, they actually melted, but lucky the mr brought extra shoes so those got me through the rest of the time. Anyway, so that was it, no more camping (due to the fact that it gets dark at 4 now and everything is closed for the season). And yes, I am sad about it. Until next year I guess, or until I convince the mr that winter camping is a good thing.
The rest of week involved me breaking and swallowing half of the second temporary crown. This time I did not bother going back for a third because my new permanent gold one goes in this week so I am just dealing for the time being. Then there was Halloween, which by hat time in the week, I was starting feel icky and sick, but still good enough for Barb to come over for dinner, watch me hand out a few handfuls of candy and walk the block in the rain. That storm was crazy with some freaky rain. The downpours were so intense at times that I though our house was going to wash away.
Not much else. I worked the studio and cut my hand open again. There was no farm share this week so I have had to go to the grocery store more then I would have liked. I cleaned the back porch off and backed away most of the summer stuff, and I found a few pairs of wool socks hiding in my closet. That was really nice. We didn%u2019t see the littles cause they were all busy being cool with their fiends and between the mr and I both feeling under the weather, we choose to not infect the masses. We thought it better to lay a little low because we are good, caring people. Ha.
Yesterday was an Ikea day. Paul and Barb both wanted to go, so go we did. Left early morning, got stuck in dumb stupid traffic, then got to Ikea just in time for everyone else in Montreal to get there too. I peed, they got hot dogs. They shopped, I shouted. I peed again, they checked out and loaded up on more hot dogs. And then home we went. Me and Barb basically sitting on top of each other because Paul bought a shelf that took up half the car but you know what, traffic did not suck, the boarder was fine, and all and all not a bad trip. Minus the smell of the hotdogs, it made me want to barf.
And then I came home, the mr ran to rescue one of our tenants, I made dinner, we went for a walk, then I went to bed. Still feeling off and was more then happy just to get underneath all the covers and sleep.
Today the mr and I are not camping, but we are going hiking, so there is that. And we plan on making soup for dinner and maybe%u2026maybe, turning the heat on tonight if we are feeling extra cold. But probably not. We might just wait til it snows.
Some links to look at from the internet.
–Is A Diet That’s Healthy For Us Also Better For The Planet? Most Of The Time, Yes. Get on board people.
-On the drive to Ikea, we got into the conversation of seltzer because it%u2019s always about seltzer. Is Seltzer Bad for You?
–This map shows how food travels from farms to your home. Some things really travel so far, it%u2019s kind of crazy. Let us all try to eat more local, yes?
–Why do people hate vegans? Why indeed.
-Keep your brain alive and healthy. 5 Daily Habits That Negatively Affect the Brain and Should Be Stopped Before the Damage Becomes Irreversible
–How Jane Fonda%u00a0Convinces Her Famous Friends to Get Arrested. I would get arrested with Jane Fonda. Hell, I Would do just about anything with Jane Fonda.
-Bulk all the way, but done right. The Problem With America%u2019s Bulk Food Bins
-Thank you Dutch science people for making the world embrace Brussel sprouts. From Culinary Dud To Stud: How Dutch Plant Breeders Built Our Brussels Sprouts Boom
-Yes please! MAKE MINE AN A-FRAME.
–I Tried the Wim Hof Method to Find Happiness Through Suffering%u00a0. I don%u2019t know, I could see this working for me. Huh.
And pictures from the week.
The idea of turning on the heat hasn%u2019t really yet occurred to me. Sure I have been a little on the chilly side, but when I am cold my mind doesn%u2019t think about turning on the house heat, it thinks I need more layers, a hot drink, and to bake a loaf of bread. That being said, after the littles came over and were complaining about how cold they were, I finally realized that yes, we don%u2019t really need to be this cold. But I still didn’t turn the heat on. (I know, I am so mean.) We have one more week until the end of the month and then maybe I will switch it on. To keep the plant alive I suppose, and so I don%u2019t turn into a popsicle too I guess.
This week started as usual, with hiking and camping. We hiked to some waterfalls that were gorgeous but the area we went to was packed with smelly (Cologne and perfume.. gross) tourist so it was a little annoying. But then we made out way up to Belvidere and set up camp outside my families cabin in the woods . That was amazing and fresh and happy. There was no going inside (locked up for the year) but the land there is the most amazing place and we just soaked up the good, hiked around some more, the mr fished, we ate, watched the sunset, had a fire, then crawled into the tent. Woke up, packed up, drove back to life and that was that.
The rest of the week was the week. It involved another trip to the dentist. Not to get my permanent crown, but to replace the temporary crown that I accidentally swallowed. Yup. So new temp crown (which already has a chip in it. No I do not eat rocks but jeez, what the heck?) until my real one goes in sometime next week. Gotta say, I am pretty sick of going to the dentist. What else? Oh, there was farm share pick up, the last summer share of the year. A little sad, but not too sad because winter share starts in a two weeks and I have a freezer fulled to the brim with food so I will survive. Oh, and the dirt pile form the mr digging under the house that was in the middle of the back yard is gone thanks to my smartly pants self. Our neighbors needed dirt for a project that they are doing around their house and instead of buying it, I had the idea that they could just take our pile, and they did! They got free dirt and we got rid of the dirt for free (we were going to rent a u Haul this week to move it all). So success was had with that and I feel all sorts of smug about it.
Any who. Friday, after spending the day loading kilns at the studio, we had the littles over for a pumpkin carving party. It tuned mostly into a throwing pumpkin seeds and guts at each other party, but it was a party involving pumpkins no less. The thing with the pumpkins that we get from the farm is that they are supper heavy and hearty and thick. Like 3 inches thick and a bitch to cut into, making it hard for the littles to actually cut. The mr and I did what we could do for the young ones but we let Barb do her own because she is old enough to almost cut a hand off. All in all the pumpkins were cut up enough and turned out great. I got most of the guts wiped up and collected the seeds to roast. Then we all lit pumpkin, walked some of the marshmallow sugar off, and the mr and I sent them to watch movies in the nook while he did whatever he did and I passed the f out. Woke up, fed them, and sent them all home. I spent the rest of my day running errands and cleaning seeds and pumpkin guts off the walls. For real. All over the house. I don%u2019t know why I still get surprised when the littles managed to do the impossible when it comes to messes. When will I learn?
And it%u2019s Sunday. And yes, we are suppose to go camping. The last hurrah of the camping season. But here is the thing. It is suppose to rain all day. So the question is..do we go anyway? I say yes but I am not so sure the mr is sold. What I am thinking is I am going to go the gym, the library, and maybe stop at the coop this morning and be home by lunch. If it is pouring, well we might rethink our plans, but a little misty rain, we can take it. Because I need this. Our last camp. I am already sad that the season is over. What I am hoping for is the weather to be wrong and that maybe we will only get a sprinkle or two and today will be the best camp ever. Wish us luck.
Weekly internet stuff.
–Hocus Pocus%u00a0Sequel. Maybe I am being skeptical, but is it going suck? Maybe it%u2019s best they just leave a good thing alone%u2026. yeah right
-What do you think about this? I am kind of intrigued to tell the truth. Anything for a tree I guess. Halloween Trees Are Having a Moment%u2014Here’s How to Pull Off the Decorating Trend at Home
–Dog People Live Longer. But Why? Dog people know why.
–What Happens to Your Body When You Take Naps Every Single Day? Naps for the win. Now I need actually start taking them more often.
-Cemeteries are always so pretty, even the ones that are tucked away, into the trees. I think I actually like those the best. Here are 7 cemeteries with views to die for.
–Science can do cool things.Artificial Leaf to Replace Petrol? Find Out How it Works!
–Brooklyn Townhouse in Pinks, Greens, and Grays. I am not usually one fore dark surroundings, but I am into this house for sure.
–Want to Reduce Your Waste? Do This First.%u00a0 Reduce. Reduce REDUCE!!!!!
–How I Got My Job: Making Custom Ceramics for Restaurants. A potters life
–Weed over booze. What Does It Mean to Be %u2018Cali Sober%u2019?
Pictures from the week
The week started off a okay because camping and camping is camping and is always good. We went to Branbury State Park which is right in between Lake Dunmore and the Green Mountain National Forest. We didn%u2019t bring kayaks because we wanted to spend most of the time hiking plus I can%u2019t get wet and be outside in these temperatures%u2026. I will freeze to death. After a nice drive of foliage peeping, we got to the park, picked our site, made tea, and as we were setting up, the mr somehow knocked over his cup and covered his socked foot in boiling hot water. Blisters, big nasty ones, formed right away, but he championed on. Even managed to hike around all afternoon which in hindsight was not the smartest because his sandals were digging into the burns. But he survived and we camped on. He fished, I read, we ate dinner, watched the fire, crawled into the tent, and listened as the rain began. Woke up at the usual time in a slight puddle (it rained hard) tossed the wet stuff into the car, and headed on home to tend to wounds and the business of life.
The rest of the week, well, not going to lie, has kind of sucked for reasons that I am not going to get into. But let%u2019s just say that sometime people can really fucking suck. The shit show has been mostly affecting the mr but the stress is palpable. On top of dealing with our usual life stuff, he has been making so many phone calls, dealing with unhelpful people, driving back and forth long distances on a moments notice. I have been trying to make things easier on him by not being a pain in the ass, making him pumpkin bread and wearing strips on prints and all the bright colors. I think the outfit might have been lost on him, but it made me happy. And he liked the pumpkin bread so that was a win.
Anyway, even as things are kind of shitty, there was still some good things, like having dinner with my mom and Paul, farm share a plenty, and harvesting the scarlet runner beans (the prettiest bean ever!). I got into the studio to glaze my ceramic pumpkins and ghosts with Barb (I dropped a pumpkin and smashed it. That was after I cut my hand open an hour before. Good times) and I saved a kiln from being misfired which I patted myself on the back for. We also stopped over and hung with littles for a hot minute just because we missed them and then made the realization that we just need to get the hell out of here for a while. Fresh places, fresh faces, you know?
Back to Sunday. As of right now we are camping tonight. Suppose to go to Coolidge State Park in the heart of the peak of the foliage with lots and lots of hiking to be had. Hopefully there isn%u2019t more shitty shit that will prevent us from taking off. I will probably lose it if we don%u2019t go and end up running away into the woods anyways. Then maybe someone will find me in a week of two. Yeah, at least a week of staying away from the crazy cray cray. But it would be nice to take the mr with me. He needs the break more then I do.
Internet from the week
-Dressing up for Halloween? Here is some inspiration. 8 Sexy Outdoor-Themed Halloween Costumes. Sexy Matterhorn%u2026.Done.
–California’s massive power outage is a wake-up call for the whole country. Is this going to be a new normal? Shit is getting real, for real.
-Noodle art is cool. Meet the Illustrator Who Turns Noodle Soup Into Art
-There is a whole lot of snow meatless meats these days and it can be confusing. Everything You’ve Ever Wondered About Meatless Meat, Explained
–It’s so much more than cooking. I felt like I cold have wrote this article%u2026.. Soooo much more then cooking.
–Why You Never See Your Friends Anymore. Real life.
-Beans or soup. Soup or beans. Why not both? When You’re Cooking Dried Beans, You’re Already Halfway to Soup
–Water Bottles Have Long Been the Unexpected Status Symbols of High School. For real. I was part of the colored Nalgene wave%u2026. Blue with a yellow top and covered in Phish stickers because that was how I rolled.
-Eat them all, except the ones that are not edible. The Ultimate Guide to Winter Squash (for Your Front Stoop & Your%u00a0Stew!)
–The 4 Ingredients That Make Up the Perfect Reading Space. I agree but would add one more%u2026.quite!
Pictures from the week.
Not just sweater weather, which it had been all week and I am LOVING IT, but it%u2019s lamp light weather too. I forgot that I had all these fantastic lights around my house and yesterday when it was dark out at 6 (it was raining so the sky was cloudy) I got to turn on a couple lamps that haven%u2019t had any action in months. It was soooo nice and cozy. This my friends, this is the best time of year!
Camping last week was great and not so great. The campground was pretty, but our fellows campers were very rawdy and loud and there was a party at the picnic pavilion that had a shitty classic rock cover band playing. The noisy people and shitty music echoed through the park for longer then anyone should have had to deal with it. But I guess that happens, especially on a long holiday weekend. And really, besides the buttheads, we had fun. We went for a nice hike through the woods and into giant fields of wildflowers and goldenrod then spent some great time in the kayaks on a nearby lake (away from all the people). Plus after eating dinner and then packing it in for the night, we didn%u2019t get soaking wet, which we could tell by the many car doors slamming and people screaming at 1am , a good few people did. Our tent stayed nice and dry inside and we even managed to stay dry when we got out of the tent and and realized it was sitting in a giant puddle. We even managed to stayed pretty dry packing up and getting on our way home, in the rain! It%u2019s because we are good at coming I guess.
Then the rest of the week came and went in a fast blur. Mostly some same. Had lunch with Barb, cleaned apartments for new tenants,, made cards for artwork, picked up farm share, and you know, other life stuff. I have been busy in the kitchen harvesting garden food and canning or freezing it as well. Trying to stock up on as much food as I can for the winter. Then the littles slept over Friday. We watched Dumb and Dumber and I fell asleep on the couch. Woke up made waffles (I was so excited to use my waffle iron. It%u2019s been too long) and sent them on their way home to be moody tweens because that is now happening.
Oh, and I can%u2019t forget about how some little shithead smashed in the back of our car. Yup, that happened too. But that is pretty much it. I think%u2026.
Now for today. Mt Auscunty State park if all goes to plan. Should be a fun one with lots of hiking and a big high tower and stuff. I know it is gonna get mighty cold tonight so I am packing my winter long underwear and a jacket, hat, and mittens. So excited!
Links to explore on the internet.
–Doctors are now prescribing houseplants to help treat anxiety and depression. Makes a whole heck of a lot of sense to me. And why not try this simple remedy before trying a bunch of drugs?
-I wasn’t;t surprised much when I read this. Junky processed food is so bad, especially if it is all you eat. .19-Year-Old Goes Blind Due to Diet of Pringles, Bread, Fries, and Processed Meats
–Lush Botanical Forms Translated Into Abstract Embroideries%u00a0. So very pretty.
-Another good reason to ditch that pessimistic attitude and to look at he bright side of things. It doesn%u2019t hurt to try. Optimists For The Win: Finding The Bright Side Might Help You Live Longer
–Why do clowns creep us out?%u00a0Because they are creepy, that is why.
-I want, no, I need this cabin. Totally Off-the-Grid Cabin in the New Hampshire Woods
–This Apple Might Be the Most Anticipated Piece of Produce in History. I heard about this apple few years ago. I wonder if it%u2019s gonna live up tp all the hype. We shall see.
-Why don%u2019t we have one of these? The Otter: The 1950s Amphibious Caravan That Time Forgot!
–Can Bullet Journaling Save You? I am a list maker in all the ways. I a ma doodler to no end. I love pretty things and I love hand writing and have a ton of sketch books but besides the occasional list of note in a sketch book, I have never really gotten into Buju. It%u2019s to time sensitive I think, for me anyway.
–Squeeze in a Quick Nap at Work with This Under-Desk Hammock. A new way to sleep on the job. HA.
Pictures from the week.
It%u2019s been a week of weeks if you know what I mean. The world. There is a lot to process, good and bad. And now I think I need to catch up with my mind. I feel like I have let it run to far ahead of the rest of me. Or maybe I am running away from it? Either way. I need to reign it it and focus. That is the goal anyway.
As our routine, we went camping on Sunday and it was just the best, an unexpected greatness. We started with a great hike through pastures and woods and to a gorge and then headed to the park to pitch the tent. D.A.R State park. Neither of us had ever been there before and hadn%u2019t heard anything about it, so we were not sure what to expect. And it turned out to be just fantastic. Big and spacious, pretty, relaxing, and right on the lake. Very few campers, all of which were old people. So quite. Our site was perfect and there was a sink near the bathrooms to wash dishes in. What more can you ask for? We played on the rock beach, made dinner, hug out by the fire, walked around the camp, went back down to the beach and skipped rocks while watching the sun set, and then crawled in to the tent for the night. The stars were crazy bright, the fireflies were everywhere, the sounds of the waves were faint but there. I was just as happy as as clam. Even when I woke up chilly. And then we woke up, made coffee, the mr fished for a few while I read and watched the sun come up then off and back to life we went.
After we got home Monday things got really busy and completely out of the norm. First off, the mr has been working a time sensitive job that has had him leaving as soon as I walk in the door in the morning and not getting home until I am in bed. And that in itself is not usual, but if that does happen, we will see each other during the day, at least for meals. It might not seem like such a biggy to most people, but for the past 17+ years, we have eaten almost every single meal together, and this week, no meals. I have been eating alone all week. At first I loved it because I love reading while I am eating and only ever do it on the very rare occasion that the mr is not home for a meal. But all week for lunch and dinner, alone. I have read 2 books, but I was starting to get lonely. I missed my mr. So sad. HAHA.
Anyway, while he was gone all week, I did some work, had coffee with my mom, made cookies with the littles, met Barb%u2019s boyfriend, and ate ten thousand tomatoes. I also spent a good chunk of time cleaning out the loft (again) for my dad, and oh, I don%u2019t even know, a bunch of other stuff. Then Jeff Dad came to VT. We went for a hike with couple littles at a state park, sat in traffic on the interstate for far too long, and then went to Megans house where I made dinner for everyone. I got to meet Anthony%u2019s girl friend ( a week of meeting the significant others), got a glimpse of the butterfly chrysalis, and made Sophia cry because we picked all her basil for pesto and she really really didn%u2019t want to share it. So I owe the girl a new basil plant.
Yesterday was family reunion up in Belvidere. The whole crew. Great as always. Seeing family is always the best. I love them all, even if they exhaust me and maybe make me want to run away screaming. But isn%u2019t that the way it suppose to be?
And then we came home, the mr left again to finish this job last night and came home while I was in bed. Again. But now he is done. And I am so excited to have him around, although this week is a new job that will be taking him away again. At least we have today. Camping. Ricker Pond State Park. I am excited. No work for the mr. Just him and me heading out into the wilderness with our tent and sleeping bags and a socks! Socks cause it had been getting chilly at night%u2026.YAY for cool late summer nights! I am so ready for some cool weather and to bust out all my sweaters!!!!
Internet from the Internet.
-It%u2019s that time of year again. One day theres one, the next there are a million! How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Before They Take Over Your%u00a0Kitchen
–Call Me Crazy, but I Think an Active Vacation Eases Stress More Effectively Than the Beach. No, not crazy at all. I need activity all the way, whether it is hiking, biking, or just walking 20 miles around a city. No beach reading for me.
-Avoid the toilet plume! Hey, Just Always Close Your Toilet Lid, OK?
-I don%u2019t really get it, but it is awesome. Watch the New, Brilliant Trailer for Season 10 of %u201cThe Great British Bake Off%u201d
–It%u2019s the Season for Fruit, and Also for Writing About Cutting Fruit as an Act of Love. I always cut fruit up for the ones I love. HAHAHA, but for real.
-Oh fuck. A New Study Reveals Just How Toxic a Bee%u2019s World Has Become
–Collards vs. Kale: Why Only One Supergreen Is a Superstar. Strange how people perceive certain things%u2026
-I like. ON TREND: THE ART DECO BED.
–Fun People Order Pancakes: What Your Diner Order Says About You. Black coffee all the way.
-Can you imagine%u2026 3 feet tall. Super bad ass and super scary! I wonder if they could talk too? This three-foot-tall parrot proves New Zealand is the mecca of giant weird birds
–Give Up Your Gas Stove To Save The Planet? Banning Gas Is The Next Climate Push. Would you? I think we all are going to need too. I am already thinking of induction. Definitely next kitchen I remodel.
And pictures from the week.