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As of right now, these are by far the best cookies I have ever made. Look at them. They are SO CUTE!. Worth all the effort, seeing that I do not own a ghost cookie cutter (although I think my version of ghosts are pretty fantastic) and had to hand cut out each cookie with a knife and a ghost cutout I made a few weeks back. They make me happy just looking at them. That right there is saying something. And I don%u2019t know about you and where you are, but it is getting pretty freaking cold out and I refuse to turn the heat on for a few more weeks so I do what I need to do to stay warm. If that means turning on the oven to bake cookies, then so be it. I have a feeling I am going to be making a few more batches of cookies before the months over. HA! (For reals though.)

These cookies are more or less a traditional sugar cookie with a chocolate ganache type filling, both with a hint of coconut flavor from the use of coconut oil. Something about the whole combination; the cookie, the coconutieness, and the chocolate that really had everyone (I gave them out a Barbs birthday party) praise my amazingness. I guess they are pretty freaking delicious.

Cute and delicious. Best kind of cookie!

And quick note. Yes these are ghosts but think of all the fun shaped sandwich cookies you could make. I am thinking moose shaped cookies next or maybe Christmas trees%u2026 Oh the possibilities!

Now, to the cookies!

The stuff. White sugar, coconut oil, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, almond milk, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. For cookies and filling.

To make cookie dough. Beat toghetet the coconut oil with sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Add in all the dry ingredients and the almond milk and mix until a dough forms.

Wrap dough in plastic and squish tight. Place in fridge for an hour or up to a day.

After dough has had time in the fridge, grab it and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.

Cut out cookie shapes. If you want to cut out eyes or a few different shapes, remember each cookie needs a top and bottom so even numbers folks.

Place cut out cookies on a baking sheet then into the oven they go.

Bakes and ghostly! Place them on a wire rack to cool and keep baking the rest of the cookies.

While cookies are cooling, make chocolate filling. Super soft, almost melted coconut oil goes in a bowl with vanilla and gets beaten together. Add in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and pinch of salt and kept beating slowly anding in a bit of milk until the whole shebang comes together into chocolate filling awesomeness.

Once the cookies are completely cooled, fill them. The filling might have tightened up a bit so if it is not spreadable, pop into microwave for like 8 seconds to get it to move. Scoop or smear equal amounts of filling onto the bottoms of the cookies and top them off with their tops.

Done, and ready to eat.

Ghosts cookies for all your ghost fueled festivities.

-C

makes at least 16 sandwich cookies

For the cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

• 3/4 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extact

• 2/3 cup soft coconut oil

• 5 tablespoons plant milk (I used almond)

For the filling

• 1 1/2- 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2-3 tablespoons plant milk

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350

In a bowl beat together the white sugar with the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and start to mix with a spoon or fork, adding in the milk as you go. Keep mixing until completely incorporated and turns to a ball of dough. Gather together into a ball and wrap in plastic. Pat flat and place into fridge for an hour or up to a day.

To cut out cookies. Roll fridgerated dough out on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out shapes, making sure to have a top and bottom for each cookie. Gather left over dough into a ball and repeat until all the dough is used.

Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes or until they are just starting to lightly brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cook.

For chocolate filling. Beat together the melted coconut oil with vanilla. Add in the lesser amount of powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat on low, adding in 2 tablespoons plant milk. Beat until mixture comes together into a thick but spreadable consistency. If it seems too thick, add more milk, too thin, a little more powdered sugar.

Cookie assembly. 2 cookies at a time. A top and bottom. Spread about a tablespoon of chocolate filling to bottom cookies and pop the top on.

Eat cookies. Store what is not eaten in a airtight container for up to a week, but these ghosts will definitely not last that long.

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

• For the soup

• 1/2 cup dried small white beans

• 1 large onion

• 2 carrots

• 2 small red potatoes

• 3 Swiss chard leaves and stalks

• handful of cherry tomatoes (about a cup or so)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon dill

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon ginger

• 1 teaspoon marjoram

• 1 teaspoon ground mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon sage

• 1/2 red pepper flakes

• 12 cups water

• salt and pepper to taste

• For dumplings

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1 tablespoons oil

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 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.

The bounty of spring is upon us. Asparagus is everywhere and I have been embracing it.. smelly pee and all.%u00a0 And along with all my spring veggies and smells, %u00a0I have grabbing for more springy spices. I go through seasonal spice kicks, like cinnamon and ginger in the fall, curries and chills in the winter. And for spring, I am big on sumac. If you haven’t heard of it or tasted it, it kind of taste like a tangy salty lemon..without actually having any salt. And its a really pretty, a bright red, almost purple color. I use it on a lot of things, especially veggies and bean dishes, sometimes as a lemon replacer, but mostly to add another level of tangy flavor.%u00a0It’s fantastic, really great for all those springy time dishes. Nice and bright!

%u00a0This dish is perfect made and eaten right away, but it’s one of those dishes that tastes even better the day after. Also it’s good and safe to serve room temperature. (think lunch box or a picnic!) And did I mention healthy? Protein packed quinoa and the lean green asparagus, I mean come on. You won’t feel an ounce of guilt for eating a hugmongo bowl of this stuff because you should, so it’s totally ok.

Eat away!%u00a0

The stuff of the stuff. Quinoa and asparagus for the base. Sumac, lemon, garlic, onion, salt and pepper and a little splash of oil for the dressing.%u00a0

Note. Sumac is not always the easiest spice to find. I know that its available online (what isn’t) and that some health food store or herbal apothecaries carry it, but i have ye tot see it at a conventional supermarket. And once you find it, buy a good amount cause you will also fall in love with it and use it on everything.%u00a0

%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0Start by making the dressing. You want to have it sit for at least 10 minutes. It will be perfect by the time the quinoa is done. Mince the garlic, dice the onion and juice the lemon. Stick it all into a jar with the sumac, a pinch of salt and pepper and about a teaspoons worth of olive oil. Stick a lid on the jar and shake shake shake. and let it sit.

Now you should make the quinoa.. Water and quinoa go into pot, high heat until boiling, %u00a0topped with a lid and set to simmer for about 15 minutes.%u00a0

When the quinoa is simmering, cook up the asparagus. Add a drizzle of oil, to a pan and a few splashes of water. Place trimmed and chopped asparagus to pan and sprinkle with salt. Cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until cooked but still has a nice crunch to it. Take off heat and add the dressing to pan. %u00a0Let it sit and marinate for a few minutes.When the quinoa is tender, fluff with a fork and add to the skillet with the asparagus and dressing. Toss around to make sure all the quinoa gets dressed. Take a taste.. does it need a little salt and pepper? Add a pinch if it does.Pile into a bowl, add a bit of cracked pepper.. and eat.

Or%u2026 Idea! Make this dish and pack it into a jar. Maybe grab a baguette and some hummus os some other %u00a0tasty foods and take yourself and a friend out for a picnic.%u00a0

So much good .

Keep it real yo

-C

Quinoa and Asparagus with Sumac Dressing

serves 3-4 %u00a0as a side dish or 2 as a main meal.%u00a0

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 8-10 asparagus%u00a0
• olive oil

For the Dressing

• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 1/2 small red onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 jumbo lemon or 2 small lemons
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Start but making the dressing. Mince the garlic and finely dice the onion. Place in a %u00a0jar with the sumac, the juice of the lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little splash of oil. Top the jar and shake the crap out of it for a minute. Let sit and meld. (This dressing can be made ahead of time and is fantastic on all sorts of everything)

In a large pot, add water, quinoa and a spindle of salt. Bring to a boil, cover , and reduce heat to simmer. Let cook for about 15 minutes or until water has completely absorbed. %u00a0When the quinoa gets going, trim the woody parts of the asparagus and chop the remain asparagus into inch long pieces. Toss into a lightly oiled skillet with a few splashes of water, sprinkle with salt and put on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until asparagus is cooked, but still crispy. Take off heat and add the sumac dressing. Once the quinoa is done, fluff it with a fork and toss it with the sumac dressed asparagus. Scoop into a bowl, add some cracked pepper. Bring food to face and eat.%u00a0

Any leftover? This dish is fantastic serves cold or at room temperature.

HOORAY FOR SPRING!!!!!!!

Yesterday The mister and I went for a walk, a long walk. I was wearing a sweater, a light jacket and I %u00a0left the mittens and hat at home. There was sunshine, huge puddles and mud. Birds were chirping. It was amazing.

After our nice long walk, we got home and I needed to start dinner. It was a little later than I usually so I wanted fast and easy %u00a0I usually always have pesto in my fridge (I had to make some, but it only takes 5 minutes)%u00a0because when it’s in there, I can whip up a big awesome meal in the time it takes to boil some pasta or quinoa or smear on toast or toss with potatoes. It really can be used on everything and can be made out of just about anything. Kale and walnuts are just one of so many fantastic combos. And frozen ravioli is always in the freezer too. I %u00a0used just plain cheese, but use whatever kind you like.

Together, pesto and ravioli, well that’s a quick, easy, and tasty meal, perfect for a spring evening, %u00a0And yea, there will be left over pesto from this recipe%u2026 just stick it in the fridge or freezer%u2026.you will be glad you have it.

%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0%u00a0 %u00a0Pesto stuff. Kale, walnuts, parmesan cheese(nutritional yeast to keep it vegan), garlic, lemon, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

A few little pre steps before the blending.. Toast the walnuts. Just toss onto a dry skillet and stick on medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they start to become n%u00e9e and fragrant. Remove from skillet and add in a bit of water. Add in chopped or ripped kale and cover to let the kale tenderize, but only for about 2 minutes. (you want the kale to still be crispy and fresh tasting) %u00a0Drain water and add kale, garlic, toasted walnuts, cheese %u00a0and the juice of the lemon into a food processor. Turn on and slowly add in olive oil until you get to a nice paste, adding more oil to get to your desired consistency. Oh and don’t forget to salt and pepper to taste!

%u00a0Straight up frozen ravioli goes onto an oiled baking sheet.(make sure that non are overlapping) Place into an oven at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes, flipping after 10. If you want to add mushroom and a few more walnuts, just toss them onto the ravioli when you are flipping over the ravioli.%u00a0

When the ravioli is nice and brown and crispy, remove from oven and dump the ravioli and the mushrooms into a bowl. Add a big old scoop of the freshly made pesto and toss around.%u00a0

Look at this%u2026 fresh, crunchy, light and happy. Kinda like a spring day.

I am the best lady, making the mister a pretty yummy dinner.%u00a0

Have a great Tuesday!

-C

Kale Pesto and Baked Ravioli

• 4-5 cups chopped Kale
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese ( Nutritional Yeast %u00a0to make it vegan)
• 1/2 cup Walnuts
• 1/4-1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 4-5 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Lemon
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 bag of frozen ravioli(use vegan or gluten-free if you want)
• 3-4 mushrooms

Note..There will be plenty of left over pesto%u2026 Just fridge or freeze it

Place walnuts in a skillet and toast on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until the nuts become fragrant. In the same skillet, add enough water %u00a0to cover bottom and add in all the kale. Place a lid on it and let kale wilt on medium heat for about a minutes or 2, Take off heat. Add walnuts. garlic, cheese, salt and pepper, and juice of lemon to a food processor. Blend. Now add in the kale and blend, slowly adding olive oil until a thick paste forms. You can add as much oil as you want to make it as thick or thin as you like.

Preheat oven to 400

Place frozen ravioli on an oiled baking sheet, making sure none are overlapping. Place into oven for about 15-18 minutes, removing after 8 minutes to flip. When you take the ravioli out to flip, slice up the mushrooms and grab a few more walnuts and toss onto baking sheet with the ravioli. %u00a0When the ravioli’s%u00a0are nicely browned and toasty, remove (mushrooms and walnuts too) and place into bowl. Add a big scoop of pesto and toss to mix.

Serve and eat.. fork is optional.

Note..Add a thin layer to the top of any left over pesto to keep it fresh and from turning black%u00a0

You ever have one of those days where its %u00a09 am%u00a0and your ready to call it a day? . Yesterday was one of those day for me. Its spring vacation around here (more like an %u00a0arctic vacation) and I had volunteered my day to babysitting/ hanging out with 2 of my nephews, ages 11 and 13. (I know, I am the greatest sister). I had all of these great ideas and plans of things to do, but when it came down to it, they wanted to do nothing but play video games and not really listen to anything I said. I basically had to drag them outside to go for a walk we me and that’s all I could get them to do %u00a0My great little nephews, I love them so much, but yesterday they had their minds set on being little monsters.

I needed a drink. And I needed lunch. And so I was inspired to make this bloody mary tomato soup. Its got all the essentials to a great drink, the tomato, the spice, the zingy flavors, but warm and thick to eat as soup which was a perfect lift for a freezing cold dragging day. And no, I didn’t add the vodka to it because that would be irresponsible of me. %u00a0I am not about to serve up lunch soup to a couple %u00a0young boys with alcohol in it. I am not a dumb ass%u2026Save the vodka for when the kids go home!

%u00a0What we have going here%u2026… Chopped up onion, celery, and carrot in a pot. Stick that pot on the stove for a few minutes on medium heat to start the cooking process. %u00a0While that happening get the other stuff ready. %u00a0A big can of diced tomatoes, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce*, %u00a0prepared horseradish*, celery salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper And last but not least a good squirt of yellow mustard. Now add it all to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and stick a lid on it.

*I used %u00a0the horseradish that is made with only horseradish and vinegar%u2026..You can use the other stuff that contains sugars and milk, but I don’t know how tastes. And the worcestershire sauce I used did not contain fish but be aware that a lot of the popular brands do, so if you care, check labels!

After about 20 minutes the veggies should be soft and the flavors should all have melded together. Taste %u00a0soup as it is cooking and add any more spice that you want.

Now in goes the emulsifying stick of fun! (Or dump in a blender) Blend blend blend! %u00a0

I stopped when I got to a smooth consistency with the littlest bit of texture.

And now the soup is now%u00a0ready for the bowls!

And there it is%u2026served with a stock of celery and a wedge of lemon (I forgot to add them to the pictures!) %u00a0A bloody Mary to take the edge off%u00a0any drag of a cold weather day. And best part.. %u00a0 left over soup is great served chilled with a shot of vodka to loosen this Mary up!

Have a Happy Day!

-C

Bloody Mary Tomato Soup

The Stuff

Side note%u2026The spicier ingredients…hot sauce, horseradish, and worcestershire sauce are pretty flexible. My advice is to start with the lesser amounts of the ingredient and work your way up until you get to your happy soup place.

• 32 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 small onion
• 2 stalks or celery plus more for garnish
• 1-2 teaspoons horseradish
• 1-2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce or %u00a0ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard%u00a0
• A lemon cut into wedges (To squeeze on as a garnish)
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Dice up carrots, onion and celery and place in a large pot and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the %u00a0veggies are slightly soft, add in the rest of the ingredients plus one tomato can %u00a0worth of water. Bring to boil, cover and turn heat down to low. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until all the veggies are super soft and the flavor have all developed. %u00a0Add salt and pepper, taste and add any additional spicier spices that you want.

When happy with taste, either %u00a0in a blender or with a hand emulsifier, blend soup until smooth (or to your desired constancy)%u00a0Soup is now ready to serve.

Ladle or pour into bowls %u00a0and serve with a stalk of celery and maybe a wedge of lemon. Crackers or croutons are welcome too.

Eat with a Spoon

Soup left overs are great refrigerated and served cold.%u00a0Add a splash of vodka to make it fun.

%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0 Before we get to the fries, I just want to mention that %u00a0yesterday was one of those fantastic winter days that reminds me why I love living in Vermont. %u00a0Pretty white snow everywhere, the sun was out, and 20 degrees without a gust of wind. The trash dog an I were even able to go for a little hike. %u00a0It was so nice and soooo sooo needed!%u00a0 Anyways, the other day as me, my sister and the mister where putting together %u00a0one more piece of Ikea furniture, (I am the master at Ikea assembling!) %u00a0a little runs into the room and presents the mister with a Dominos pizza. Yup, a whole pizza just for him. Why you might ask? Well I guess my sister was %u00a0delivered the wrong pizza and the place didn’t want it back and she didn’t want it, so she gave it to him.

A whole pizza to himself. I didn’t mind too much..he was just going to be eating it for lunch and dinner until it was%u00a0out of the fridge. But for dinner I did want him to eat something of the vegetable matter that didn’t come out of a box. I was going to make him a big salad, but then realized that would mean%u00a0sharing the last of the greens that I had for MY%u00a0dinner and I was not about to do that, so I made him parsnip and carrot fries instead. No biggy, just some slicing, a little tossing and a bit of time in the old oven. And I figured I might as well make a nice sauce for those fries because I be so very nice.

The biggest problem that I ran into when I made these fries was that I didn’t make enough, so you should probably make twice as many as you think you will eat. If you end up not eating them all (which you probably will), well then you now have a great start for a soup or a nice addition to a salad. Either way, you will eat them because they are amazing and addicting%u2026 and as healthy as can be!

The carrots and the parsnips are all sliced up into big matchsticks and ready to be baked to crispy browned perfection. %u00a0I added the oil to the pan to toss the fries in and then sprinkled with a fair amount of salt and pepper. %u00a0If you don’t have and or want to use a cast iron pan, a baking sheet works just the same.

%u00a0 %u00a0Oh saucy sauce stuff. Tomato puree, sriracha, and yellow mustard. Add a little bit of honey to lighten it up (can use brown sugar if keeping it vegan), a splash of apple cider vinegar and a couple minced cloves of garlic. Topped off with the smokey delightful spice of cumin. I cold eat this on everything%u2026and I kind of did.%u00a0

All mixed up in an oven safe dish, I stuck it into the oven for a about 8 minutes until it got a little bubbly, just to let all the flavors fuse together%u2026

Fries are done, Sauce is ready. Served in super cute tea cups.(from now on I want to serve everything in tea cups.) A perfect side dish, snack, or even a light meal. %u00a0It lead the mister to ask the question…What pizza?%u00a0

Happy Day!

-C

Parsnip and Carrot Fries with Smokey Sriracha Sauce

The Stuff

For the Fries

• 2 large parsnips
• 2 large carrot
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon oil

For the Sauce

• 1 tablespoon Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 2 tablespoon tomato puree (or 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 1 tablespoon water)
• 2 cloves or garlic
• 1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• a splash of apple cider vinegar
• a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425.

Wash%u00a0and trim%u00a0carrots and parsnips and cut into large matchsticks%u00a0(any shape is good, just make them all uniform) Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on cast iron pan or baking sheet and stick in oven for 30 or so minutes, and rotating after about 20. The fries are done when %u00a0crispy and brown.

For the sauce. Mince garlic and add to all the sauce ingredients in an oven safe bowl. stick into oven for about 8 minutes until slightly bubbly and hot.

Dip fries in sauce

%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0

First off.. Happy Saturday %u00a0and Happy Valantines Day!

Once again, it is so F-ing cold out and I don’t want to leave my house! And because of the cold we%u00a0decided to forgoing the traditional V day hike(kinda sad) but instead are going to just hang at home and watch movies. (which is actually kind of nice because now I get to stay all frumpy and warm , hanging out in my baggy old sweats and oversized sweater (so sexy right?) %u00a0

Anyways.. %u00a0being all cozy usually entails something warm and yummy to drink. Neither of us are really big on hot chocolate, (plus we don’t have the stuff to make it) and sure we could crack open the fancy bottle of wine we bought for dinner (4.99 Trader Joes Special!!!!) or we can save that and I can whip up something a little spicy sweet.

Warm winter lemonade!! We are both big on lemon in everything and I just bought a bunch of sweet meyers lemons, so I think it’s meant to be.

Sweet, a little spicy, and warning%u2026.Perfect for a day of cuddling on the couch or for something to warm you after being outside. Great for anyone who wants a little something tasty that isn’t chocolate or booze, even good for those that might be feeling a little under the weather. %u00a0Kids and adults alike%u2026. this winter lemonade works for it all. %u00a0

So whip some up and stay warm!

And have a fantastic day!!!

-C

Warm Winter %u00a0Lemonade %u00a0

Serves 2

• 1 Meyer lemon (can use regular lemon too)
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoon of honey (use sweetener of choice if vegan)
• A few sprinkles of cinnamon(optional but recommended!)

Slice lemon and place into a pot with water, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit for a minute or two. Transfer to a blender (or use a emulsifier) and blend until frothy. %u00a0Place a tablespoon of the honey or whatever sweeter into each cup. (add more if you like) Strain lemon mixture in equal amounts into mugs. Stir and sprinkle with cinnamon.

If you don’t want to use the blender method, you can juice 1 lemon, split into two mugs , add sweetener and top with hot water.. Don’t forget the cinnamon!%u00a0

%u00a0It’s Friday!!! And what does that mean? Pizza Pizza!!!!But not just Fridays%u2026pizza happens more times then not in our house%u2026It’s the misters favorite food and for real, he could eat it everyday, all day.%u2026He is kind of made of the stuff. As for me, well I don’t mind making it for him because it’s easy. And because I am making it, it doesn’t have 8 million calories, 9 million grams of fat and have 10 million milligrams of sodium like takeout of frozen. %u00a0My pizzas are for the most part pretty freaking heathy. It really depends on how its topped. Like take this one.. Homemade pesto, good quaility cheese, (you can use vegan or low fat)%u00a0chickpeas and tomatoes. Not to shabby. And really, it isn’t any more complicated then calling the take-out place or unwrapping the frozen plastic disk from the box. All you need is some good dough (I guess you could use store bought) and some good quality toppings%u2026 and you’re there%u2026Pizza in your face.

For this pizza I used the skillet cooking method. This crust is one of %u00a0the misters favorites. It is a basic pizza dough but cooked on the stove in a skillet. It’s almost like a pita bread, but not. And I like to make it this way because its really fast (once the dough is made) and I can even make up a few crusts to have on hand for later.

Fast, healthy, and tasty%u2026..Why not eat pizza every day?%u00a0

Not too many ingredients here. 3 cups of all purpose flour or 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat. A teaspoon salt, a teaspoon honey (use sugar if vegan), yeast and warm water%u2026%u00a0

Start with the dough. %u00a0Add honey or sugar to yeast and warm water and let sit to active, which should take about 5 minutes.

%u00a0Mix together the salt and flour(s) and add the foamy yeast mixture. Mix until it all comes together and dump out onto a floured surface. (if the dough seems to dry add a splash of water..if way to wet, add a little flour) Give the dough a good 2-3 minute knead session, adding flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Form a nice ball, place back into bowl and drizzle with oil. Cover bowl with a towel and stick in warm place to rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size.

When dough has doubled, dump back onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal sized balls (or as many balls at whatever size you want)

Now you have a few choices here. You can either cook up all the dough now if you need it, or freeze dough balls for future use. If you think you are going to make pizza again within the next few days, it can be refrigerated, or you could also blind bake the dough and freeze or fridragerate that and have pre baked crusts all ready to go. So many options%u2026 just do whatever works for you.%u00a0

To make the dough in a skillet, oil the bottom of a 15 inch skillet, turn burner on to high and let preheat until the oil is sizzling. Roll dough out to roughly the size of the skillet and when it has preheated, place dough on in there and let cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until the dough starts to bubble and the bottom has started to brown. Turn burner down to medium and flip. Cook this side for another 3-5 minutes.

If you want oven crust, just roll out and place on a baking sheet and bake with topping on at 475 degrees for about 20 minutes

Now the crust is ready for the toppings!!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.%u00a0

Smear the pesto (for this pie, I used the last of my homemade pesto from last summer%u2026sad face) Mince garlic and distribute evenly on top of that. Then do the cheese, followed by the tomato slices and chick peas. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, cracked pepper and some parmesan cheese.%u00a0

Stick into oven for 10 or so minutes or until the chesse is nice and bubbly and the crust os crispy and brown.

And that is pizza. A super duper, yummy, healthy, not too fatty or overly salty%u2026 %u00a0can be eaten breakfast lunch or dinner time, pretty, satisfying, pizza. %u00a0

Make it for yourself, for you lover, for a friend. Make it in the shape of a heart or an elephant. Give you kid(s) a ball of dough and have them make their own%u2026 I know%u2026 such a good idea.%u00a0

Everyday, all day.. Happy Friday and Happy Pizza

Stay warm!

-C

For the dough ..Makes about four 10 inch pizza doughs or three 12 -14 inch doughs. This is also the same recipe I use for all of my pizzas (skillet and oven)

• 3 cups of all purpose flour or %u00a02 cups all purpose and 1 cup white whole wheat
• 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast or 1 packet
• 1 teaspoon of honey or sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups warm water

The Pizza Toppings (for a 15 inch crust..adjust amounts to your need or liking)

• 1/4 cup of pesto
• 1 large %u00a0roma tomato thinly sliced
• a few cloves of garlic minced
• 1/1 cup of prepare chick peas.. rinsed and drained
• 1/2- 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese (or any kind you like..use vegan cheese if you want too)
• salt, pepper, and parmeasan (optional) to sprinkle on top

To start, place honey, yeast and water into a jar or bowl and let sit to active until mixture starts to foam. Mix together flour and salt into a large bowl and add in yeast mixture. Stir until combined and dump onto a well floured surface. Knead dough for a a few minutes and form into a ball. Place back into bowl, drizzle with oil and top with a towel. Place somewhere warm to rise for an hour, or until dough has doubled in size.

When dough is done rising, dump back onto floured surface and divide into 4-8 equal sized balls.( 4 balls make %u00a015 inch pizza%u2026 8 balls are good for individual size pizzas) Place whatever dough you are not going to use into a closable plastic bag and either stick in fridge(if using within a few days) or freeze for future use.

Place skillet on high heat on stove and drizzle with oil. Also, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll out you dough and when the skillet is has gotten really hot, place dough right on in. Let cook for about 3-5 minutes or unit the cough has started to form bubbles and the bottom has started to brown. Turn heat down to low and cook other side for another 3-5 minutes or until browned.%u00a0

Now pizzafy it.. Add on the toppings. Smear with pesto, add minced garlic, then evenly sprinkle cheese. Top with the chick peas and the sliced tomatoes. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and a dusting of grated parmesan%u2026%u2026Right into the oven for about 10 minutes to melt it all together%u2026..

Pizza Pizza!!!

%u00a0 %u00a0 I have been meaning do a post on seltzer and syrups for a while now and this one is perfect%u2026 Everyone around me has been getting sick and I am trying my hardest to not get anything.%u00a0

Citrus and ginger%u2026. Two of my favorite things, combined into one super refreshing, light and crisp, thirst quenching drink. Tasty and packed full of vitamin C from the citrus and blood warming, tummy healing ginger. Its kind of%u00a0a feel better elixir, a good for you drink, a sparkler pop. %u00a0A drink everyone can get into %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 (the mister even liked it), And it has no added sugars or nasty coloring, it can’t get much better.

Feeling Happy, feeling crappy, or just plain feeling, this drink is a good for it all.

%u00a0

I made the ginger date simple syrup ahead of time.. All I did what chop 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger and %u00a0about 3 tablespoons pitted dates and added to a pot with a cup of water. Simmered the stuff until the dates were mostly dissolved, about 15 minutes, took off the %u00a0heat and pureed it. I let it steep for another 5 minutes and strained%u2026.no biggy. %u00a0 This is a milder sweet simple syrup. If you like sweeter add more dates or even add a bit of honey%u2026 Do what tastes the best to you.

Juice the lime and blood orange%u2026..so much pretty!

I ended up with about 12 tablespoons of juice from a the lime and the orange.. If you need or want to, juice an additional orange and lime.%u00a0

Add 2-3 tablespoons of the fresh juice per 12oz glass and add about 2-3 tablespoons of the ginger date syrup%u2026(adjust amounts to you taste) Top off with cold plain seltzer water and maybe an ice-cube or two. ( I would have if I had thought to make ice)

So lovely%u2026. so nice.%u00a0I really got into these flavors. This drink has the ability to make you feel warm and cozy while being cold and fresh. It makes me happy.

Double thumbs up here!

Stay un-sick!

-C

Blood Orange Ginger Lime Sparkler Pop

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped ginger
• 3 tablespoons chopped dates (more if you want sweeter)
• 1 cup water
• 1 lime
• 1 blood orange
• Plain Seltzer water
• Ice (optional)

For the ginger date syrup

In a small pot on low heat, add chopped dates and ginger to a cup of water. Simmer until dates %u00a0have mostly dissolved, about 15 minutes. remove from heat and puree with either %u00a0a blender to a hand emulsifier. Let steep for another 5 minutes and strain, reserving the pulp (add it to soup or salad dressing). Let completely cool.

To assemble drink, juice blood orange, and lime. Add about 3 tablespoons of the ginger syrup and 2-3 tablespoons of the citrus juice per 12 0z cup. Top with plain seltzer water, give it a light swirl with a spoon or straw and add ice cube if you want. Now have at it!

When I was a kid, every once in a while my mom would buy those Entenmann%u2019s marbled loaf cakes, (she still might) and I loved them. Chocolate and vanilla swirled into every slice. Super moist and rich with the soft, fluffy top. I would cut a big slice, toast it, then smother it in peanut butter.

Now when I see these cakes, well honesty, I think they kind of look sad. A cake such as a marbled cake, should not be squashed into a box, stacked away on some display case. No cake should have to deal with that. Cakes should be made then oohed and awed at from the comforts of home, only boxed if 100% necessary like in the case of bringing to a friend or giving as a present. Basically, what I am saying is don%u2019t buy pre-made cakes friends, make the cake at home yourself. The cake will like you better for it.

Anyway, I just was thinking about those cakes and my childhood in general and it made me want to make a quick cake all marbled because of the nostalgia and also, I mean, marbled cakes are pretty pretty and why the heck not. And because it is pumpkin season I had to go with pumpkin and chocolate instead of vanilla and chocolate because we all know it was the right thing to do.

Pumpkin spices, rich chocolate. Two flavors in one bite. Who could complain? I don%u2019t think my 10 year old self would have. I think she would have eaten the whole damn loaf (toasted with peanut butter of course).

Nw to the chocolate and pumpkin loaf cake..

The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, oil, almond milk, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spices, coffee, and apple cider vinegar.

Quick and easy. Oil and sugars get a good mix in a big bowl then in goes the pumpkin puree. Mix that in with the milk and apple cider vinegar. Ina separate bowl, mix the flour baking soda and powder and salt. Mix the dry into the wet.

Split the mix in half (eye ball it) and add the spice mix to one bowl and the cocoa and coffee to the other. Mix them until the new ingredients are incorporated. You will then have a chocolate batter and pumpkin spice batter.

Grease a loaf pan then layer dollops of each of the batters into the pan until both batters are gone.

Before the oven and after of the oven.

Place cooked loaf on a wire rack to cool. Really. It needs it. Just wait a least 15 minutes, you can do it.

And then you cut into the load, marvel at the marble, and then eat it.

Two flavors, one mouth.

-C

makes 1 loaf

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup neutral flavored oil

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup plant milk

• 2 tablespoon coffee (or water if you don%u2019t have coffee)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or 2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and clove

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, mix together the white and brown sugar with the oil until combined and there are no chunks of sugar. Add in the pumpkin puree and the milk and vinegar and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet and gently mix until just combined. Scoop half of the batter (eye ball it) into other bowl. Add the pumpkin pie spices to one bowl and fold it into batter until incorporated. Add the cocoa and coffee to the other batter and fold it in until incorporated.

Interchange scooping the batters into greased loaf pan. One, then the other, to create the marbled effect, until both batters are gone. Place pan into oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove pan from oven and pop bread out and place on a wire rack to cool.

Cut a slices, eat, be happy.

Store bread in airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature or just slice it up and freeze pieces.

When I was a kid, every once in a while my mom would buy those Entenmann%u2019s marbled loaf cakes, (she still might) and I loved them. Chocolate and vanilla swirled into every slice. Super moist and rich with the soft, fluffy top. I would cut a big slice, toast it, then smother it in peanut butter.

Now when I see these cakes, well honesty, I think they kind of look sad. A cake such as a marbled cake, should not be squashed into a box, stacked away on some display case. No cake should have to deal with that. Cakes should be made then oohed and awed at from the comforts of home, only boxed if 100% necessary like in the case of bringing to a friend or giving as a present. Basically, what I am saying is don%u2019t buy pre-made cakes friends, make the cake at home yourself. The cake will like you better for it.

Anyway, I just was thinking about those cakes and my childhood in general and it made me want to make a quick cake all marbled because of the nostalgia and also, I mean, marbled cakes are pretty pretty and why the heck not. And because it is pumpkin season I had to go with pumpkin and chocolate instead of vanilla and chocolate because we all know it was the right thing to do.

Pumpkin spices, rich chocolate. Two flavors in one bite. Who could complain? I don%u2019t think my 10 year old self would have. I think she would have eaten the whole damn loaf (toasted with peanut butter of course).

Nw to the chocolate and pumpkin loaf cake..

The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, oil, almond milk, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spices, coffee, and apple cider vinegar.

Quick and easy. Oil and sugars get a good mix in a big bowl then in goes the pumpkin puree. Mix that in with the milk and apple cider vinegar. Ina separate bowl, mix the flour baking soda and powder and salt. Mix the dry into the wet.

Split the mix in half (eye ball it) and add the spice mix to one bowl and the cocoa and coffee to the other. Mix them until the new ingredients are incorporated. You will then have a chocolate batter and pumpkin spice batter.

Grease a loaf pan then layer dollops of each of the batters into the pan until both batters are gone.

Before the oven and after of the oven.

Place cooked loaf on a wire rack to cool. Really. It needs it. Just wait a least 15 minutes, you can do it.

And then you cut into the load, marvel at the marble, and then eat it.

Two flavors, one mouth.

-C

makes 1 loaf

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/3 cup neutral flavored oil

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup plant milk

• 2 tablespoon coffee (or water if you don%u2019t have coffee)

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or 2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and clove

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, mix together the white and brown sugar with the oil until combined and there are no chunks of sugar. Add in the pumpkin puree and the milk and vinegar and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet and gently mix until just combined. Scoop half of the batter (eye ball it) into other bowl. Add the pumpkin pie spices to one bowl and fold it into batter until incorporated. Add the cocoa and coffee to the other batter and fold it in until incorporated.

Interchange scooping the batters into greased loaf pan. One, then the other, to create the marbled effect, until both batters are gone. Place pan into oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove pan from oven and pop bread out and place on a wire rack to cool.

Cut a slices, eat, be happy.

Store bread in airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature or just slice it up and freeze pieces.

10 years ago, or maybe even longer, the mr and I planted 2 little blackberry canes in the way way back yard of our first house. Nothing big and we were not expecting much, which was good because for the years we lived there after that, nothing really happened with them beside becoming bigger and more thorny.

And then we moved and I kind of forgot about them.

But the other day while the mr was over there (we still own the building and have a barn that the mr works out of) he told me to go check out the bushes. Holy shit, those suckers are humongous, viscous as all hell, and were dripping (literally) with big, fat, juicy blackberries. So many in fact that I could barely pick them off before they all started to just fall off. I filled up two big containers, after eating like 2 pounds at least, and could have gotten more but I had no where else to stick them. Plus I was covered in gashed from the thorns. So I left the rest for another day.

I asked what the mr wanted me to make with the berries (in between eating big handfuls of the berries) and he asked for scones. So scones it was. Easy enough but I felt that I needed to add a little something something to spice it up a bit and that is why I added the black pepper. And because I like pepper and berried together and figured everyone will too. And let me tell you, so far they do, like really really do.

I mean who wouldn%u2019t like a sweet and spicy scone made with hand picked berries from berry bushes long ago planted with love that grew into monsters with thorns the size of knives that nearly killed me?

No one wouldn%u2019t. Everyone wants a scone.

And don%u2019t worry if you don%u2019t have killer blackberry bushes in which to harvest berries from. You can buy them too. Just won%u2019t be as special is all. HA.

To the scones.

The stuff. Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt are in the big bowl. Then there is coconut oil, almond milk, sugar, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. And course ground black pepper and blackberries that I froze. You need to use frozen berries or else you will have yourself a hot mess.

Easy peasy. Dump pepper and sugar into the bowl with the rest of the dy and mix well. Dump in the solid coconut oil and cut it in like you would butter, until it is crumbly. Add in the milk, vinegar, and vanilla and gently mix until most the dough starts to come together, then add in in frozen berries.

Dump the dough onto a lightly flour surface. Yes, the dough is barely sticking together but that is alright, just smash and pat it until it sticks and comes together. Once together, pat it down into a round disk about an inch thick. Just know, as you are working it, the berries are gonna start to break apart which is totally fine, but your hands will turn purple.

Flatten and cut. Just about scones now, but not quite.

Place scones on a baking sheet and brush the tops with a little milk then lighty sprinkle more sugar and black pepper on the tops and then pop them into a hot oven.

Bakes and lovely and cooling ever so slightly..

Grab a plate, something hot to drink, and more berries because you can never have to many berries.

And eat. Still warm and all sorts of good.

Blackberry black pepper scone. Now you have them and everyone will want them. But know, there is no shame in hiding what you don%u2019t not want to share.

-C

makes 8-12 scones (depending how big you cut them)

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/3 cup white sugar plus a tablespoon more for dusting tops

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 1/2 teaspoons course ground black pepper plus a little more for dusting tops

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup solid coconut oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 hefty cup frozen blackberries

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 3/4 cup cold plant milk plus about a tablespoon more for brushing on top

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar, and pepper until well combined. Dump in the solid coconut oil and using a fork or pastry cutter, cut it into the dry until the mixture becomes crumbly. You do not want to fully incorporate the oil. Now dump in the cold milk, the vanilla, and the vinegar and gently mix until a dough starts to form. Dump in the blackberries and continue to gently mix until the dough just start to stick together.

Dump dough onto a lightly flour surface and gently squish, mush, and part the dough until it forms a ball. The berries will start to break apart and that is ok. Then flatten the dough into a disk that is about an inch thick. Take a knife of dough cutter and cut in half, then those halves into half, and then those halves in half. (8 pieces) You can even cut a few smaller if you want.

Place cut scones on a baking sheet and brush the tops with remaining milk then sprinkle tops with sugar and a little more pepper

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Once baked, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Eat, warm of room temperature. Just don%u2019t wait too long.

Store left overs in airtight container at room temperature for 2 day, 3-5 in fridge, or freeze individual scones for months. Just pop them back into a hot oven for 10 or so minutes to reheat.

What with all the holiday and family get togethers we have had over here at my house the past few week, we have had quite a few bags of chips and pretzels left over. Always almost empty%u2026 Always dumped into the compost because I mean, I am not so keen on seeing bags of little bits of chips and pretzels in the pantry that I know will never get eaten. Plus it is not like I am saving carrots or grapes or anything I would eat, it%u2019s junk food. But still. I hate the food waste. That is why I made these cookies. To not waste food. And because we had people coming over to the house for dinner and I cannot not have something for dessert. That would be just wrong. And lastly because I am pretty sure that chips and pretzel pieces only make a plain chocolate chunk cookie into an amazing sweet and salty cookie that will just blow your mind.

And I was right. I made the cookies, I feed them to the mr, the sister, friends and all the littles and they just couldn%u2019t get enough.

Current thought. I am sitting here typing and have come to the conclusion that I should start a bakery that makes cookies out of people almost empty bags of chips, like a Cheeto dust cookie, or a peanut butter Funyun cookie or chocolate chocolate chip Dorito cookie.

Yes. this is a good idea. Oh man, I am a genius.

But back to theeese cookies. Start with these. I%u2019ll let you know when I open the storefront to Garbage Cookies (that is what I’ll call the place) You can stand in line for the peanut butter Funyun cookies. I have a feeling about that flavor. Until then%u2026

To the cookies!

The stuff. The small bowl has flour, baking powder and baking soda. The big bowl has brown and white sugar. Then you need oil, almond milk, vanilla, chocolate chunks, some pretzels and some plain salted potatoes chips.

Start with the wet. Mix the oil, the milk, and the vanilla into the sugars until completely smooth

Whisk together the dry stuff.

And mix until its a cookie dough. Now here is the thing, you need to stick the dough in the fridge for a couple hours and if you mix in the chips and pretzels now, well I think that might make them extrealemy soggy, so hold off. For now, cover dough and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

When the time comes for baking, grab the mix ins and with whatever method you chose, crush the chips and pretzels into small bits. (avoid turning into a dust, you want bits)

All salty and crumbly and ready to go

Grab the dough from fridge and dump in the stuff that needs to go in (crushed chips and pretzels and chocolate chunks).

Scoop dough into balls and place on a baking sheet.

Into the oven and out they come all golden brown and smelling like yes and mmmmmm.

Get those cookies on a wire rack to cool and to free up the baking sheet to keep baking.

Look at this proud cookie. Chips, pretzels, and chocolate chunks all on display.

Now is when you get yourself a plate, pile it up high, and eat.

Remember, sharing is caring so maybe share a cookie or two. (but like you don%u2019t HAVE to)

Stay happy this weekend.

-C

makes about 2 dozen cookies

• 2 cup all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1/2 cup canola oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 6 tablespoons plant milk

• 1/2 cup crushed potato chip

• 1/2 cup crushed pretzels pieces

• 3/4 cup chocolate chunks or chips

In a large bowl, mix together the sugars, oil, milk, and vanilla until completely combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda. Dump the dry into the wet and mix until the dough comes together. Gather the dough together in the bowl and cover with plastic and stick in the fridge to rest for at least 2 hour and up to a day.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350

Right before you take the dough from fridge, get your chocolate chunks, pretzels, and chips out. If the chips and pretzels are not already in little bits, place them in a bag (just use the chip bag if you have it) and smash with a heavy object until you turn the chips and pretzels into bits. Be carful that you don%u2019t turn it all into a dust, look for small bits. Pull dough from fridge and mix the stuff in. Scoop out balls of dough and place on baking sheets. Bake cookies in oven for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browed. Remove from oven and immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

And now you eat.

Store uneaten cookie in a airtight container for up to a week or freeze them but I doubt you will have too. The cookies went fast.

Currently it is like 50 degrees outside and raining buckets of cats and frogs and what not. I live in Vt for a few reasons, and one of them is winter, so the warm rain is just not nice. Apparently these cookies are the closest thing to snowflakes I will be seeing for a little while%u2026(sad face inserted here) But I am hoping that juuuust maybe it will turn, and all of a sudden it will be snow coming down and not rain. And that it snows and snows and snows, like a foot or 2 of it. I want so much snow that I am stuck in my house for a least a solid 24 hours (of course with the power still on and all the necessities I would need) and the only way out being by foot or sled. And you know what I would do if I was snowed in? Lounge around in my pj%u2019s all day (or at least until like 10 am), have a never emptying cup of hot coffee in hand, play around outside and make a snow fort, and definitely make cookies. Doesn’t that just sound so nice?

But I am not snowed in, and wasn%u2019t snowed in and probably will not be snowed in for the foreseeable future. But I can still, and did make cookies so there is that. Chocolate cut out snowflakes with orange glaze to be exact. A good all around chocolate cookie jazzed up with a citrus kick. Simple, elegant and perfect for all of your holiday cookie needs. Plus it is just a really pretty cookie. I just might make a few more batches and liter the front yard with them. I%u2019ll make my own freaking snow, even if it is out of cookies. Then I really wouldn%u2019t be able to leave my house due to the crazy fat squirrels attacking the lawn. That would be something. HA.

To the snowflake cookies! (They can be any shape really, but snowflakes are so nice)

The stuff. Sugar, vegan butter, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, canola oil, brewed coffee, grind chia seeds, vanilla extract, an orange, and some powdered sugar.

First, mix the ground chia seeds with the coffee for caffeinated chia eggs.

Beat the butter with the sugar to give it a good fluff, then add in the oil, vanilla, and chia eggs to the mix.

Place all the dry into a bowl and whisk together until fully incorporated.

Dump the mixed dry into the were and grab a wooden spoon. Start mixing.

Cookie dough is a-formin.

Collect the dough in some plastic and smash into a disk. Place in fridge to rest for at least a few hours, but a day is good too.

Chilled dough, flour, a cookie cutter, and a rolling pin. I think you know what to do. Just really make sure to keep the counter and rolling pin floured or else the dough will stick and that is just so annoying.

Yes this dough is a little delicate, but not in a bad way. It might tear or slightly crumble but you just smoosh it back in there and you are all set. Anyway, after rolling dough out to about 1/2 inch thick, cut cookies out with a well floured cutter.

Cookies on the baking sheet ready for the oven.

Cookies on a baking sheet right out of the oven.

Now those cookies got to cool so get them on a rack.

While cookies are cooling, fix yourself some glaze. The powdered sugar, zest of orange and juice of orange will do the trick.

A good looking glaze. Thick put drizzable consistency.

And to finish. Drizzle the cookies with glaze, dunk the tops in the glaze, or do a little of both (I say both). The glaze does harden after a few minutes so these are very much stackable cookies.

And then what you do with the finished cookies is up to you. I let the mr eat a good few, saved a few for Christmas and dropped some off to some peps. They were well received for sure.

Hope you are enjoying the weekend and are able to get in on some cookie making.

-C

makes about 3 dozen cookies

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/3 cup vegan butter

• 1/2 cup oil

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 2 tablespoons ground chia seeds

• 6 tablespoon coffee or water (coffee brings out the chocolate flavor more)

• 1 orange

• 1 cup powdered sugar

In a large bowl, cream together the white sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in the oil, vanilla, and coffee chia eggs. Mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, cocoa. salt. and baking powder. Dump dry into wet and mix until a dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and place in plastic and flatten into a disk. Place in fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350

Take dough from fridge and unwrap. Place on a well floured surface and roll until it is about 1/4 inch thick. The dough is delicate and a little crumbly, but don%u2019t worry to much, just squish it back together and keep rolling it out. With a floured cookie cutter, cut your shapes and gently place them on a cookie sheet. Gather remnants of dough back into a ball and re-roll out and cut more cookies until you have used up all the dough. Place cookies into oven and bake for 11-12 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up a bit and the bottoms are slightly browned. Once cookies are cooked, let cool on a wire rack.

While cookies are cooling make the glaze. Mix about a tablespoon of the zest of the orange with the powdered sugar and add in a few tablespoons of the juice of the orange until the glaze is slightly runny. Once cookies are cooled either dip the tops in the glaze or drizzle the glaze on top of cookies (or do some of both). Then eat. If you wait a little while, the glaze will harden and then you can stack them and then if you want, maybe wrap on a few in little packages to give to someone you like. Either way, place uneaten cookies in a airtight container. Should last about a week, but can you not eat them for that long?

What is any good holiday season without some sort of gingerbread? Am I right, or am I right? I am right. The smell alone smacks a smile on my face. Spicy and sweet and all sorts of comforting. If smells could be objects, the smell of gingerbread would be a warm soft blanket that you can curl up next to a fire, with hot beverages and a good book. Yup, that is exactly what gingerbread smells like.

Gingerbread cookies were an option for all the gingerbread goodness but right now there is a heavy influx of people making cookies of the gingerbread variety so I figured I should do something a little different and honestly, a heck of a lot easier and faster. Plus scones are a way more expectable breakfast food then cookies (who am I kidding, cookies are a completely expectable for breakfast) and I was looking for a good breakfast treat to feed the mr this week because its his birthday week and I wanted a little something special for him for breakfast. I know, I am just so great.

Anyway, these scones fit the holiday gingerbread bill. I mixed them up, added the chocolate chips for a little extra something, then tossed them into the oven and bathed in the smell as they were baking. Pulled them from the oven, poured some coffee, and set out a delightful afternoon snack for the mr, right after he was finished laying on the freezing ground trying to fix the tire on the truck. I think he really appreciated the smell of a warm blanket. And he really enjoyed the scones too. All birthday week long.

So what are you doing this weekend? I think probably making scones. Yeah, do that.

Here we go.

The stuff. In the bowl there is flour, old fashion oats, baking soda and baking powder, and salt. Also need the spices of ginger, cinnamon, clove, and black pepper. Molasses, brown sugar, vegan butter, soy milk, and chocolate chips finish of the list.

In the bowl add in all the spices and the brownl sugar. Mix until completely combined and there are no brown sugar lumps. Drop in the cold butter and cut it in with a fork. You don%u2019t want it blended, you want the butter in little bits.

You want it to look like this. Crumbly.

Toss in the chocolate chip.

Dump the molasses into the milk and mix until combined. Doing this helps minimize the amount of mixing you do which will help make sure your scones are not tuff. So don%u2019t not do this.

Pour the molasses milk into the mixture

With a fork, lightly fold and mix batter until it just starts to come together.

Dump dough out onto a lightly flour surface and gather together with your hands.

Flatten into a big disk and cut into 8 equal wedges. Or as equal as you want to make them%u2026 you could even make a few more wedges if you want more. You do you.

Place the scones onto a baking sheet. Brush a little milk on each then sprinkle the tops with a little brown sugar and some oats.

Pop them into preheated oven and let bake.

Gold brown and ready for the world.

After letting them cool for a bit on a wire rack, stack onto a plate and feed them to your people. And yourself of course.

Chocolate chip oatmeal gingerbread scone and a cup of coffee. A perfection in all the ways.

Enjoy the weekend. It will be great, especially if you make some of these scones.

-C

Makes 8 scones

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup old fashion oats plus 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons more to sprinkle on top

• 2 tablespoons molasses

• 1/2 cup cold vegan butter

• 2/3 cup soy or your favorite plant milk

• 2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder and soda, salt, all the spices, and the brown sugar. Make sure there are no big lumps of brown sugar in the mixture. Once dry mixture is all mixed up, cut in (do not blend in) the cold vegan butter until the mixture looks crumbly. Toss in the chocolate chips.

Grab your measure out milk and mix in the molasses until completely mixed together. Dump the mixture into the bowl of dry and lightly mix with a fork until a dough forms. Dump out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it all together with your hands .Flatten dough out into a circle about and inch thick them with a knife or dough scraper, cut into 8 even sized wedges. Place scones onto a baking sheet and lightly brush a little milk onto the tops.. Mix together the extra oats and brown sugar and sprinkle on the tops. Place into preheated oven and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Once baked, remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

Eat. Store left over scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Individual scones freeze well.

The day started off with rhubarb soup and ended in cinnamon walnut rhubarb bread. The bread was a star,%u00a0the soup, not so much, which sucked because I was so excited and so sure it was going be fantastic. Tomatoes, rhubarb, and fresh ginger.%u00a0Doesn’t that sound good? I still have hopes for the combination, but the batch I made was way way to acidic and thick and spicy because I added so much fresh ginger to it that it made the mr’s eye water and my nose run a little. So yeah, the soup needed work, but I was not going to end my day of rhubarb cooking with a fail. Also I felt like I owed it to the mr to make him something that he found edible. He really did not like the soup.

I knew the mr wanted (or at least he hinted at) pie but I had no time for pie. I already spent the morning making not so good soup and I had shit I needed to do. Pie would just take a little to long.%u00a0Quick bread was more in my time frame. A few minutes to chop and mix,%u00a0toss it into the oven for a while. and done.%u00a0%u00a0I had time to cleaned up, run to the post office and bank (I should probably tell you not to leave your oven on when you are not in the house, but I do, but only for short periods of time. And don’t tell the mr. He will kill me) and come back to the house not on fire and fresh cinnamon walnut rhubarb bread. I felt redemption,%u00a0even this it was not pie. The mr didn’t complain, not one bit.%u00a0

And by the way, the soup made it’s way into a different batch of soup that had other stuff in it and it WAS fantastic.%u00a0

The stuff. Rhubarb and walnuts and a bowl with flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Also have coconut oil, brown sugar, soy milk, and a little dish or more brown sugar, cinnamon, and coconut oil for the topping.%u00a0

Chop rhubarb and walnuts into small pieces, not tiny pieces, but not big ones either.%u00a0

Mix the brown sugar and coconut oil into dry mixture, then add in the milk and vinegar and mix until just incorporated (don’t over mix).

Don’t forget to mix in the rhubarb and walnut pieces.%u00a0

Pour batter into a greased pan and then its %u00a0time for the cinnamon sugar topping. (cinnamon+sugar+coconut oil=rainbows?)

Cinnamon sugar topping %u00a0gets crumbled on and I found a few stray walnuts so I tossed those on top too. %u00a0

Now it’s time for the oven.

Look at that, fresh from the oven. So handsome.%u00a0%u00a0Pop it out of the tin and get it onto a wire rack to cool.%u00a0

And when it’s cooled a little and you are ready to take a seat, you slice and eat.

-C

makes one loaf

• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cups brown sugar%u00a0
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 cup soy or another plant milk
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 stalks rhubarb (2 cups chopped)
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 hefty tablespoon cinnamon%u00a0

Preheat oven to 350

Chop rhubarb into small 1/2 inch pieces. If your walnuts are whole, chop those up into small pieces as well.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix together then add in the brown sugar and %u00a0the melted coconut oil and mix. Then add in the say milk %u00a0and apple cider vinegar and mix until all is incorporated. %u00a0Stir in the chopped rhubarbd and walnuts.

Pour batter into a well greases bread pan. For the cinnamon topping, just add the cinnamon and brown sugar to the melted coconut oil and mix. %u00a0Crumble the mixture on top of the bread. if you have a few more walnuts, you can toss those on top too.%u00a0Pop bread into preheated oven.

Bake for 60 -70 minutes %u00a0or until a tester stuck into the middle comes out clean.

Remove from pan and let cool on wire rack. When ready, cut and eat.

Bread lasts 3 day in airtight container on counter, a few days longer in the fridge. %u00a0Freezes well.%u00a0

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

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.

I finally looked at all the pictures from the family get together last weekend. Got a few good shots, but man oh boy do I need to get a new camera. It’s on my list of shit to do this coming week. (Blah, I hate buying stuff)

So here they are, the pics of the fam in Belivdere Vt. The cabin in the mountains with no %u00a0internet or cell signal, no TV, no news, no other people. Just hanging out with all the goobs, swimming and hiking, finding salamanders and fossil, and spent some good time with the old man before he headed back to PA. And so what if a little almost got swept down the river or if our tents were washed away in a flash flood. Nothing we can’t handle. It was quite and beautiful and a hell of a lot cooler then back in the city. It’s a little magical kingdom. No better place to be.%u00a0

-C

Every year, the second weekend in August, the Stem family ,%u00a0siblings, %u00a0cousins, even my 94 year old grandmother makes the trip from Easton PA,%u00a0%u00a0come %u00a0together at, what we call, “the cabin.” (It’s more a house, but it started out as a cabin) . Its a little crazy, but such a good fun time.

This cabin, oh this place is %u00a0magic. The air, the tree’s the streams, the mountains, and of course the people.%u00a0%u00a0It’s all the things that I love about life. Some of my earliest memories are from this place. Hanging out with my siblings, running around the meadow or through the woods. Playing in the swinging holes. My grandfather pulling taffy or making orange juice box houses with my grandmother. The giant rocking chair that my uncle made and all of us kids used to play on. %u00a0So many camp fires and s mores.%u00a0There are just so many memories because it’s been a part of my life, my whole life. It’s one of my favorite places in the world.%u00a0

A little background on the place (what I can remember)%u00a0Sometime in the late 70’s, my uncle and my grandparents bought a big chunk of land on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere Vt.%u00a0%u00a0After doing %u00a0some clearing of trees, they went to building a cabin.%u00a0(my aunt, grandmother,%u00a0and dad helped a bit too). It was amazing, but quaint.%u00a0A 2 story situation with a kitchen living area and one door to get in and out. At some point %u00a0my grandparent ended up selling their share to my uncle and he took over the entry of the place.%u00a0Over the years my uncle, (who is a carpenter, furniture designer,design professor,%u00a0%u00a0and all out crazy amazing person),%u00a0continured to work on the place. He has added on a kitchen, a second floor bathroom, new this, and that, but never has it once felt like a patchworker pieced together place. And now the place is more like a amazing craftsman home, with just the right touches of cabin, but with two running toilets,%u00a0a beautiful kitchen, electricity and running water ( There is even internet access, which sucks, but still).It is a little gem nestled on a side of a tiny mountain in one the most beautiful places.%u00a0

So an awesome cabin in the woods with a bunch of crazy, but awesome people= Stem family reunion.%u00a0

Here are some pictures of the shenanigans..%u00a0

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

• For the falafel

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas drained

• 3-4 carrots (around 2 cups diced)

• 1/2 of a red onion

• 2 inches fresh ginger

• 2-3 cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

• 1/3 cup chickpea flour (can sub in oat flour if needed)

• juice of a small lemon

• salt and pepper

• For Tahini Cabbage Slaw

• 1/2 head red or green cabbage (about 3 cups shredded)

• 1/2 of a red onion

• 3 tablespoon tahini

• 1 tablespoon soy or liquid aminos

• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 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

• 1 1/2 cups cooked green lentils

• 1 large celeriac bulb (soft ball sized)

• 1 teaspoon chili power

• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder

• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• salt and pepper

• 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.

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

• 3 medium sized sweet peppers

• 2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas (or one can)

• 1 large onion

• 1 bunch (about 1/2 cup packed) cilantro

• 1 bunch (about 1/2 cup packed parley

• 2-3 cloves garlic

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon chili peper flakes

• 1/3 cup chickpea flour or oat flour if you don%u2019t have chickpea

• salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup tahini

• a few tablespoons water

• 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.

Farm share started last week (HOORAY!!!!) but always, at the beginning when things are still getting on growing, we are only getting a few things. Lot of greens which I will never get enough of, and lots of potatoes. Also, I made the mistake of buying a very large bag of potatoes last week right before farm share and now I am basically swimming in potatoes. And so the story goes%u2026.

So what do you do with a shit ton of potatoes? Yeah, I thought potato cannon to but then I realized that I would have to use my potatoes and sure I have a lot, but I am not wasting them on that. So gnocchi they became. Gnocchi. Basically a boiled french fry or a mashed potato meat ball. Or maybe more like a ravioli. Whatever they are, they are loved by potato loving people and are fun to make. I mean, when do you ever get to use the ricer? ( Don%u2019t worry, you can make gnocchi without a ricer.)

To the gnocchi.

The stuff. Potatoes, flour, an onion, some tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Note. Make sure to use russet potatoes because they make the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi. You could probably use Yukon gold, but any hard wax potato just won%u2019t do.

First step is to make baked potatoes. Place potatoes in oven, directly on rack, and bake for 30-45 minutes until nice and soft and tender. Just like you would when you eat it as a baked potato. Once cooked cut them in half and let them cool off for a few minutes.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop all the flesh out of skins. Keep skins for soup or a snack for later.

And the fun part. Flour the counter then rice the potatoes. You can also do this with a food mill or even grate the potato with a box grater. Once all riced, cover with flour and start to fold and mix the potato into the flour gently until the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems really sticky and wet, add in a tablespoon or two of flour, to dry and crumbly, add in a tablespoon or two of water. The goal is a nice fluffy dough that hold it shape but is not overly dense.

Cut off a potion of the dough, roll it into a rope about an inch thick, then cut into inch long pieces.

To cook gnocchi. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and carefully drop in a handful of gnocchi into the water. They are gonna sink, but after a minute or two they start to float. Once floating, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked.

Cooked and ready%u2026 Ready for what? For anything you want but these are going into a tomato and onion situation.

Mince garlic and dice tomatoes and place into skillet with a good pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Place on stove and cook until slightly tender. Dice up tomatoes into small chunks and add to skillet along with a cup of water (if you have gnocchi water, use that) Turn heat up and cook until mixture start to bubble, then turn heat down to low and cook until the tomatoes are mushy.

And then drop in gnocchi. Keep on heat until the gnocchi are warmed completely all the way through.

Sprinkle of salt, lots of pepper, and something green if you want to be fancy.

And then you eat them.

-C

Makes 3-4 servings

• 2.5 pounds russet potatoes

• 2/3 cup of all purpose flour

• 1 large onion

• 3-4 tomatoes

• few cloves garlic

• salt and pepper

• olive oil

• water

Place potatoes directly into oven on one of the oven racks and bake on 450 degrees until soft and tender. Should take about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, depending on size of potatoes.

Once cooked, remove from oven carefully, cut in half, carefully, and let cool for a about 10 minutes, just so you can handle the potatoes without burning yourself. In the mean time, get a large pot, fill it with water, and set it on the stove to boil.

When the potatoes are not to hot to touch, grab them and with a spoon, scoop out all the potato flesh from the skin (keep skin for a snack or for soup). Lightly flour the counter and start ricing the potatoes directly onto the counter. (You can also use a food mill or a box grater if you don%u2019t have ricer). Once all potato is rices, cover with floor and gently fold potato over into flour, over and over, even using a knife, to kind of cut the potato into the flour, until it all mostly comes together. Be careful to not overwork the dough or else it will become dense make the gnocchi chewy. If the dough seems is sticky, add in a few more tablespoons of flour, to dry and seems crumbly, add a few tablespoons warm water.

Once you have the dough, make sure the water on the stove is still there and has not evaporated and is at a gentle boil. Cut dough in thirds then roll out a portion into a rope about an inch thick. Cut the rope into inch long pieces. Repeat with the rest of dough.

When all the gnocchi are made, grab a rimed baking sheet, coat with oil, and place close by the boil water.

Now to cook them. Drop a handful of gnocchi into water carefully. They will sink. Watch and after about a minute or two, they will start to float. Once floating, take a slotted spoon and take them out of water. Place them on the greased baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked. (when done cooking, save a cup of the cooking water)

After the gnocchi is cooked, you can do whatever you want with it, like eat it right away with salt and pepper or whatever, but to make the quick tomatoes onion situation, dice up the onion and mince the garlic. Place into a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on stove and start to cook. Dice up the tomatoes and once the onion is tender, add in the dice tomatoes and about a cup of the gnocchi cooking water. Turn the heat up until the water is bubbling then reduce to low and cook until the tomatoes are mushy and tender. Once cooked, add in the gnocchi, toss them around, and cook until the gnocchi are fully warmed through.

And then eat it. Maybe a little more salt if needed, definitely lots of pepper, and whatever else you want.

It is spring yes? I know it is officially spring but around here it has been more or less still winter which is to be expected but is, at this point, no longer welcomed. I, as well as everyone else I talk to, are over it. Enough snow. enough of the hats and jackets. Just enough.

But the bright side of the chilly, cold weather is that we can and still want to turn the oven on and cook things. And because I turned the heat off a little prematurely, I am cold so I really want the oven on.

One skillet, a little chop action, a stir, some good time in the oven and there you go, food for your belly. Not a ton of dishes to do, steps to fallow, thoughts to think (other then eating thoughts). A good old, hearty, simple to toss together, spicy, delicious skillet of goodness. Prepare it fast, pop into warm oven, sit in kitchen drawing up plans for the spring veggie garden, and then eat yourself warm. What more can we ask for?

We can ask for spring weather because seriously. But other then that.

To the goodness of cajun lentils and rice!

The stuff. Lentils, brown rice, cajun seasoning, some crushed tomatoes, an onion, a carrot, a few cloves garlic, some cauliflower, water, oil, and salt and pepper.

First off, mince garlic and chop up the cauliflower, carrot, and onion into small pieces.

Toss it all into a good sized oven safe skillet with a splash of oil. Mix in the cajun seasoning too and stick o nth stove on medium heat for a few minutes.

Cook until fragrant and slightly tender. Taste it, it is good.

Dump in the lentils and rice. Then dump I the tomatoes and the water. Give it all a mix.

And after. All done. Now dinner.

Grab some green thing to chop and toss on for some color.

Now grab some bowls, a few forks, and get to eating.

-C

Serves 4-6

• 3/4 cup uncooked brown or white rice

• 3/4 cup dried green lentils

• 2 cups crushed tomatoes (preferably not salted)

• 2 1/4 cups water

• 3 tablespoons cajun seasoning (see note)

• 1 large carrot

• 1/4 head of cauliflower (about 2 cups chopped)

• 1 large yellow onion

• 2-3 cloves garlic

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• salt and pepper

Note. Store bought cajun seasoning usually contains salt and pepper so when seasoning, be aware of the amount of salt (if any) you choose to use.

Preheat oven to 350

Start by chopping the carrot, onion, and cauliflower into small pieces. Mince the garlic and toss it all into the skillet with the olive oil. Stir in the cajun seasoning and sprinkle in salt and pepper if it needs it. Place skillet on medium high heat and cook veggies until fragrant and slightly tender which should take about 5 minutes then remove from heat. Dump in the lentils, rice, water and tomatoes. Stir until mixed then either place a lid or foil over the top. Place into preheated oven for about an hour, removing the lid or foil after 40ish minutes and giving it a stir when you do. The bake is done when the rice and lentils are fully cooked, but if you are into a crispy top and crunchy sides, by all means, cook a little longer.

Remove from oven when fully cooked and you are happy with crispness. Let cool for a few minutes, toss on some chopped green something or another if you want, and serve it up.

Left overs store great in the fridge for a few day and freeze well too.

Barb has been bugging me for a few months to make her pierogi and I keep telling her I will. But for some reason I just kept forgetting and ever time she came over for dinner I would just end up making her lentils . I make lentils for people when I care about them because lentils are perfect and I always figure she could use the nutrients. But finally, FINALLY, I remembered and figured it was about time. Time for Barb to get her pierogi. I got the ingredients, made up a plan, and went about making them thinking she was coming over for dinner. But guess what. She didn’t come over. After all that, she decided it was better for her to go to her classes and then go to her shift at work, that it was not a good idea to skip out on all that just because I decided to finally make her pierogi. Well whatever I guess.

And full disclouse, I don%u2019t think I made actual plans with her for the particular day that I made these pieorgi. I might have just assumed she was coming over%u2026. So maybe my bad. Good thing these things can be made ahead and cooked whenever. So I saved her half for whenever she does come over (today I think). I did make them for her after all.

Anyway. Pierogi. Pretty much a stuffed ravioli I filled these with the potato, chickpea, and onion mixture, tossed a little dill in for the hell of it, and there they were. The mr got the first half, covered in cashew cream. But I bet these would be equally fantastic with marinara sauce. Or ketchup? I could see that if you are into that sort of thing. Ha.

Also have to note. I keep wanting to write pierogies but I think that is wrong. Pierogi is the plural for pierog.. I think.

To the pierogi.

The stuff. Flour, oil, salt and pepper. Cooked chickpeas, a couple russet potatoes, a big onion, some dried dill (optional), warm water, soaked cashews, and a little red wine vinegar.

First make the dough. Flout, salt, water, and oil get mixed together until la shaggy dough is formed. Dump onto a floured surface ans give ut a good knead for a minute until lit comes together into a nice ball. Place dough back into the bowl (clean it out), cover it with a towel, and set aside to let the dough have little rest.

Meanwhile get the potatoes boiling. You are more then welcome to peel your potatoes but I don%u2019t. Chop the potatoes into small pieces, dump into a pot of cold water and cook them (boil until fork tender)

And cook the onions too. Chop the onion into small little bits and place in a skillet with a couple slashes of olive oil. Medium heat and a good stir until they are nice and golden brown.

Cooked onions and cooked ans drained potatoes.

Now to make the filling. Add the potatoes, onions, chickpeas, and ill to a bowl. Sprinkle in salt ans pepper

Mash it all together, small chunks are ok, but not big.

Taste and season with more salt and or pepper if needed. And stop eating all the filling, you need it.

Wen the filling is made, grab the dough, rolling pin, and a large biscuit cutter or a cup.

Roll out dough, then cut out circles.

And to make a pierogi, grab a dough disk, add a mound of filling, then fold in half and pinch closed. Simple. IF the dough doesn%u2019t want to seal, run a wet finger around the edge of the dough. That will do the trick.

All made, and not perfect by any means but perfect to me. Once you have made them, they need a little rest before cooking. Just a half hour or so. Enough time to clean up the mess that you just made and ge ta pot of water boiling on the stove. This is also a good time to prepare some to save for freezing. Any that you do not plan on eating in the next few days, place on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in freezer. Once frozen, remove from sheet and place in an airtight container or freezer bag and stash away for another day. They can also go I the fridge for 3-4 days without being frozen, just make sure that you give each one a good dusting of flour so they don%u2019t stick to each other.

Oh, and before you finish cooking the pierogi, make a the cashew cream. Place soaked cashews into blender with the vinegar and a splash of hot water. Blend into creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and that is that.

Now to cook those pierogies. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, drop (gently) the pierogies one by one into water. A few at a time as to not over crowed, boil until they start to float to the top, which should take 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, scoop them out and place them on a plate or pan while you boil more (if you are indeed cooking more)

After the pieogies had a boil, they then need a little crispness (you can skip this step if you don%u2019t want them crispy). Use the frying pan you cooked the onions in and add a splash more oil. Heat on medium and when pan is hot, add in the boiled (not sopping wet) pierogies. Cook each side for 3-5 minutes or until nice and and browned then flip and cook the other side.

And then all is left is eating. layered on a bed of cabbage carrot slaw and dolloped with a good dollop of the cashew cream. Done and done and ready to for the face.

I don%u2019t know. Maybe Barb should have skipped school and work for dinner.. Just saying

-C

makes about 25

• For the dough

• 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting

• 1 cup warm water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• For the Filling

• 1 large sweet or vidilla onion

• 2 medium sized russet potatoes

• 1 cup cooked chick peas

• 2-3 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon dill (optional)

• salt and pepper

• For the Cashew Cream (Optional for serving)

• 1/2 cup soaked cashews (soaked for at least 1/2 hour)

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 3 tablespoons hot water

• salt and pepper

First off, make the dough. Mix the flour with salt then add in oil and water. Mix together until a shaggy dough forms then dump out onto a lightly flour surface and knead a few times to form a uniform ball. Place dough back into (cleaned) bowl and cover. Set aside to rest.

Once dough is made, chop onion into small little pieces and place in a large skillet with 2-3 teaspoons of oil. Stick on medium heat and cook until tender and browned. Also cook the potatoes. Chop the potatoes into small pieces (peel if you want but you don%u2019t need to) and place into a pot of cold water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until they are fork tender, almost falling apart.

Once potatoes are cooked, strain from water and place in a big bowl. Add in the cooked onion and the chickpeas. Sprinkle in dill if you are using and season with salt and pepper. Grab a potato masher or a fork and mash the mixture together. It can be a little chunky, but you don%u2019t want really big chunks. Taste and season if it needs it.

Filling is done so now grab the rested dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface, cut in half, place one half back in bowl and roll the other out about 1/8 inch thin. Take a large biscuit cutter or a large cup and cut out circles. Gather remaining dough and re roll out. Do this until you can%u2019t. Repeat with second half of dough.

Once the circles are cut out, place about a tablespoon of filling into the center of each. Fold the dough in half and pinch closed. If the dough has dried out to much, brush a little water on the edge of circle to help it seal. Place the pierogi on a floured surface (so they don%u2019t stick) And don%u2019t worry if you have a little extra filling.. Just eat it.

When all the pierogi are made, let them rest for about 1/2 an hour. There are a good amount of pierogi here so if you want, stick some in a container and in the fridge to have in the next few days. Just make sure to flour them so they don%u2019t stick together. Or if you prefer, place however many you to want to save on a lightly floured baking sheet and stick in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen, place into a freezer safe bag or container. They will keep for a few months.

Also, before you finish cooking, make the cashew cream (if you want it) Just add soaked cashews to a blender with vinegar and the water. Blend until smooth and creamy then season with salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture seems to thick, just add a splash more water until it is a desired thickness.

To cook the pierogi, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place pierogi, one at a time, into pot. 5-7 at a time as to not crowd them, and cook until they start to float. Remove the cooked ones with a slotted spoon and stick on a plate. Boil as many as you are going to eat. Grab a skillet and add a few teaspoons of olive oil. Heat to a medium heat and place the pirogies into pan. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip and cook the other side.

Remove form pan, place on a plate, dollop with cashew cream (if desired) and eat.

Potatoes in tomatoes. It just has a nice ring to it. And to tell the truth, that is the only reason I made this dish, because it sounds good.

Ok, not really the only reason, but it was the start, that and I have been sitting on some potatoes for a little while and it was time for them to be eaten. Enter in the tomatoes. I figures cooking the potatoes in tomatoes is alike to a ketchup and french fry situation. Not completely the same, but you get the idea. Add in chickpeas for good measure and onion because I wanted to and that is that. Nothing fussy, one pot, easy, hearty, and good.

Also not hurting anyone that these potatoes take a little while to bake. I could have made this dish in a way that made them cook faster (like parboil the potatoes) but I wanted the heat from the oven. It has been pretty freaking dang cold out so I liked having the heat, it adds another dimension to the term comfort food (as in me being comfortable hanging out next a hot oven).

Anyway, nothing too fancy, just all around tasty dish. It is just what you need to bake and eat on any given cold winter day. And it sounds nice too. Just say it aloud. Potatoes in Tomatoes. Right? Now you see, it had to be done.

To the potatoes in tomatoes!

The stuff. Potatoes, crushed tomatoes, cooked chick peas, an onion, a few cloves garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil.

Start by chopping the onion and mincing the garlic.

Get it all into a cast iron pan or oven safe skillet with a little olive oil. Add the spices and give it some heat on the stove top while you cut potatoes.

Now cut those potatoes nice and thin. A mandolin works wonders but a knife will do just as well, just try to keep the thickness all the same.

Potatoes are cut and onion mixture has sweated a bit so now you add in the chick peas (with liquid) and half the crushed tomatoes. Stir it all up.

Layer on potatoes, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and give them some salt and pepper love.

Dump the rest of the tomatoes on top then add in water, enough that all the potatoes are completely submerged.

Now into the oven they go.

Doesn%u2019t that just look all fantastic? I mean really really , A+ good, no? If you are feeling extra crispy, you could even stick the skillet under the broiler for a few minutes right before you pull it out.

And that is that. Potatoes in tomatoes with chick peas and onions. A simple but very satisfying dish to keep your cold belly full of warm goodness.

Be well.

-C

• About a pound or so of white or red potatoes

• 3 cups (or a 28oz can) crushed tomatoes

• 2 cups (or a 16 oz can) cooked chickpeas in liquid

• 1 large onion

• 2-3 close garlic

• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

• 2-3 cups water

• olive oil

• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400

Grab onion and dice into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Grab a medium sized oven safe skillet and toss the onion and garlic in with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and the seasoning. Place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes until the the onion is slightly cooked and fragrant. Remove from heat. Mix in the chick peas with liquid and half of the crushed tomatoes.

Rinse potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place tomatoes into the skillet, layering any way you want. Drizzle the top with like a teaspoon olive oil then sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Spread the rest of the crushed tomatoes over the potatoes then pour the water in. If the potatoes are not completely submerged in water, add more until they are. Cover the skillet with a lid or tin foil.

Place skillet in oven and bake 40ish minutes then remove lid or foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender and slightly crispy on the edges. Depending on the type of patotoes you use,(like a really firm and waxy yellow potato) you might need to add more water to the skillet and cook for longer. If that is the case, just pour more water over until the potatoes are submerged again and keep baking until cooked.

For extra crispy, when potatoes are done, place skillet under broiler for a few minutes until crisp to your liking.

Pull from oven, let cool a minutes or two then dig in.

Roasted veggies of any kind can get this girl in trouble. Place a sheet pan meant for many full of roasted veggies and watch out, I will probably eat them all. I can%u2019t stop, won%u2019t stop and you know what, I am not sorry, especially if its roasted brussel sprouts and squash.l I am grabbing at every last bit, especially all the really crispy, almost burnt pieces. Burnt food is one of my favorite flavors.

This dish is pretty basic, but also not. A slightly overlooked grain, spelt, makes for a hearty backdrop to the magic of roasted sprouts and squash, covered with a sunflower butter sauce which is a nice spin on a traditional peanut sauce. It%u2019s pretty easy to make and pretty to look at as well. A nice hearty and warming meal for all of those cold winter nights. And it%u2019s not going to make you feel heavy or gross, like if you sat and ate an entire lasagna. No, you will feel full and fantastic and ready for a cookie (it is the holidays after all).

The ingredients in this dish are mainly inspired by the half eaten jar of sunflower butter a friend of mine gave me at the gym, plus the fact that I have been getting a few stocks of brussel sprouts each week at farm share so we are eating them at ever meal, (plus I LOVE brussel sprouts) and me trying to use up all of the grains and such in the pantry before restocking anything more or new. A dish of convenience sure, but also a damn delicious one at that. With this being said, if you had a different grain you wanted to use, or an abundance of some other veggies that you have or prefer, well go ahead and use them. You do you my friend.

And really, I was thinking of you when I made this dish. Sometimes at this time of year people tend to forget to eat, or tend to eat on the not so healthy side. This grain bowl situation is just what your body is in need of. Simple delicious nourishment.

The stuff. Spelt that has been soaking in water for a while, half a butternut squash, brussel sprouts, a red onion. Also sunflower butter, a few cloves garlic, a lime, soy sauce, a touch of maple, salt and pepper, and olive oil.

The spelt will probably take the longest so get it on the stove. Strain away the soaking water and place into with fresh water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on pot ans let it go.

Next, get to the veggies. Halve the big sprouts (small ones can stay whole) chop onion into chunks and cube the squash.

A drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a good toss around and it ready for the oven.

Meanwhile, make the sunflower butter sauce. Its pretty basic. The sunflower butter, minced garlic, soy, maple, and juice of the lime all into a vessel that can hold it. Add a couple tablespoons of warm water to thin it out and done. Sunflower butter sauce. Easy Peasy.

After about an hour, your slept should be cooked (that sounds aggressive to me) Tender and chewy and just right.

The veggies should be roasted and done too. Crisp as you like ( I actually like mine even darker, but the mr does not so I went a light roast this time)

And it%u2019s all ready for you to eat.

Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on a warm bed of spelt covered in sunflower butter sauce. Living the good life here.

Take care of yourself this week, and always for that matter. Eat some good food. Your body will be happy for it.

Bye.

-C

Serves 2-3

• 1 cup spelt berries (soaked in water overnight if you remember)

• 3 cups water

• about 1/2 of a butternut squash

• about a pound of Brussel sprouts

• a medium red onion

• 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsalted and unsweetened)

• 2 tablespoons liquid amionos or soy

• 1 teaspoon maple or honey

• 1 lime

• 2 cloves garlic

• salt and pepper

• olive oil

Preheat oven to 425

Place soaked spelt berries in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring a boil then reduce heat, place a lid on pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until spelt berries are tender and all the water has been absorbed.

While spelt is cooking, cut sprouts in half (unless they are very small), cube the butternut into pieces about an inch big, and chop the onion up into chunks. Place all that you just chopped onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle the veggies with a pinch or so of salt and pepper and pop into the hot oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until roasted to your desired doneness. (I like things a lot darker then the mr so I would leave my veggies in for closer to an hour)

For the sunflower butter sauce. Mince garlic and place into bowl or cup with the sunflower butter. Add in the maple, soy, and the juice of the lime. Mix together and add in a 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin out. Add more water if needed to get to a thick but pourable consistency.

Once the spelt is cooked, the veggies are roasted and the sauce is made, well you can assemble and eat. Spelt in a bowl, toss on some roasted veggies, and cover in the sauce. And then you eat it.

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

• For the soup

• 1/2 cup dried small white beans

• 1 large onion

• 2 carrots

• 2 small red potatoes

• 3 Swiss chard leaves and stalks

• handful of cherry tomatoes (about a cup or so)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon dill

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon ginger

• 1 teaspoon marjoram

• 1 teaspoon ground mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon sage

• 1/2 red pepper flakes

• 12 cups water

• salt and pepper to taste

• For dumplings

• 1 cup all purpose flour

• 1 tablespoons oil

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 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.

%u00a0Being 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%u2026..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, %u00a0this 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 %u00a0brings a nice mellow taste and a great serving of protein. (Beets and beans are meant for each other). Spread that %u00a0brightly 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. %u00a0

So maybe this might seem a little out of your normal food routine, but why not try it? Trust me%u2026.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.%u00a0Cabbage is cut into inch thick slabs%u2026 I like to us the inter most part of a cabbage head cause I like the core. But use any cut that you want. %u00a02 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, %u00a0and 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. %u00a0Leave the cabbage on the pan but throw the beets into a blender or a big bowl if using a hand blender %u00a0with the white beans

%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0Beans 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%u2026 And with a good squirt of mustard to finish off%u2026%u00a0I could eat this all day, everyday%u00a0

And now I am #1

Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!

-C

Beet and Bean Cabbage Steaks%u00a0

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 %u00a0are tender. Remove veggies from oven and place roasted beets into a %u00a0blender (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%u2026.Fork and knife are good ways to eat it, but eating it with you fingers makes less dirty dishes.

%u00a0%u00a0There is irish soda bread in your future. I can see it. A nice hardy hunk slathered in butter and honey, crumbs all over the place.%u00a0 So all you have to do know is make it.%u00a0

I remember reading somewhere (I wish I could remember where) that irish soda bread is just four ingredients, flour, sea salt, baking soda and buttermilk and adding %u00a0anything else would make %u00a0it a cake. So when I decided to make irish soda bread, thats all I used. ( I made it with some wheat flour) What you end up with is a highly dense, super fragrant, soft, chewy bread with a crunchy crust. Definitely not a cake.

Note%u2026.You can for sure add in a bit of sweetener or even little fat to make it richer and softer, but then it wouldn’t be bread (or so that’s what I read) There are tons of other recipes out there that have other stuff in them. This is just a really simple basic recipe.%u00a0

White whole wheat flour and all purpose flour mixed together. Salt baking soda and buttermilk. That’s it.All the dry whisked together and in goes the buttermilk. Mix together until dough starts to form then dump onto a floured surface. %u00a0Handling dough as little as possible, knead into ball.

Place on a baking sheet and dust with flour. Take a sharp knife and cut %u00a0an X through the top about 1/2 inch deep.

Stick in into the oven for 50 ish minutes, or unit la tester stuck into the middle comes out clean and there is kind of a hollow thunk when tapped on.%u00a0

And now you have a very pretty, dense hunk of irish soda bread.%u00a0

Cut and serve with butter and honey (thats how the mister likes it) or whatever you want to eat it with.

-C

Irish Soda Bread

• 1 cup all purpose flour%u00a0
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (or you can use all purpose)%u00a0
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (or your choice if milk plus a tablespoon lemon juice)%u00a0

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda and salt. Mix in buttermilk until the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems to dry, add another splash or two of milk. Dump out dough onto a floured surface and shape into a ball. transfer onto a baking sheet, dust with flour and cut a x about 1/2 inch into the top. Stick into oven for 50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the bread makes a hollow sound when tapped.

Let cool enough to handle.

Cut into and serve with a smear of whatever you want

Best eaten within a day or two

You ever have one of those days where its %u00a09 am%u00a0and your ready to call it a day? . Yesterday was one of those day for me. Its spring vacation around here (more like an %u00a0arctic vacation) and I had volunteered my day to babysitting/ hanging out with 2 of my nephews, ages 11 and 13. (I know, I am the greatest sister). I had all of these great ideas and plans of things to do, but when it came down to it, they wanted to do nothing but play video games and not really listen to anything I said. I basically had to drag them outside to go for a walk we me and that’s all I could get them to do %u00a0My great little nephews, I love them so much, but yesterday they had their minds set on being little monsters.

I needed a drink. And I needed lunch. And so I was inspired to make this bloody mary tomato soup. Its got all the essentials to a great drink, the tomato, the spice, the zingy flavors, but warm and thick to eat as soup which was a perfect lift for a freezing cold dragging day. And no, I didn’t add the vodka to it because that would be irresponsible of me. %u00a0I am not about to serve up lunch soup to a couple %u00a0young boys with alcohol in it. I am not a dumb ass%u2026Save the vodka for when the kids go home!

%u00a0What we have going here%u2026… Chopped up onion, celery, and carrot in a pot. Stick that pot on the stove for a few minutes on medium heat to start the cooking process. %u00a0While that happening get the other stuff ready. %u00a0A big can of diced tomatoes, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce*, %u00a0prepared horseradish*, celery salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper And last but not least a good squirt of yellow mustard. Now add it all to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to low and stick a lid on it.

*I used %u00a0the horseradish that is made with only horseradish and vinegar%u2026..You can use the other stuff that contains sugars and milk, but I don’t know how tastes. And the worcestershire sauce I used did not contain fish but be aware that a lot of the popular brands do, so if you care, check labels!

After about 20 minutes the veggies should be soft and the flavors should all have melded together. Taste %u00a0soup as it is cooking and add any more spice that you want.

Now in goes the emulsifying stick of fun! (Or dump in a blender) Blend blend blend! %u00a0

I stopped when I got to a smooth consistency with the littlest bit of texture.

And now the soup is now%u00a0ready for the bowls!

And there it is%u2026served with a stock of celery and a wedge of lemon (I forgot to add them to the pictures!) %u00a0A bloody Mary to take the edge off%u00a0any drag of a cold weather day. And best part.. %u00a0 left over soup is great served chilled with a shot of vodka to loosen this Mary up!

Have a Happy Day!

-C

Bloody Mary Tomato Soup

The Stuff

Side note%u2026The spicier ingredients…hot sauce, horseradish, and worcestershire sauce are pretty flexible. My advice is to start with the lesser amounts of the ingredient and work your way up until you get to your happy soup place.

• 32 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 small onion
• 2 stalks or celery plus more for garnish
• 1-2 teaspoons horseradish
• 1-2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce or %u00a0ground cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard%u00a0
• A lemon cut into wedges (To squeeze on as a garnish)
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and cracked pepper to taste

Dice up carrots, onion and celery and place in a large pot and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once the %u00a0veggies are slightly soft, add in the rest of the ingredients plus one tomato can %u00a0worth of water. Bring to boil, cover and turn heat down to low. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or until all the veggies are super soft and the flavor have all developed. %u00a0Add salt and pepper, taste and add any additional spicier spices that you want.

When happy with taste, either %u00a0in a blender or with a hand emulsifier, blend soup until smooth (or to your desired constancy)%u00a0Soup is now ready to serve.

Ladle or pour into bowls %u00a0and serve with a stalk of celery and maybe a wedge of lemon. Crackers or croutons are welcome too.

Eat with a Spoon

Soup left overs are great refrigerated and served cold.%u00a0Add a splash of vodka to make it fun.

Yay%u00a0Tuesday! Which means its lentil day in my house. Ok not really, because everyday is lentil day in my house. Why? Because they are pretty much the best. %u00a0And with the addition of lots of garlic and lemon%u2026..whoa nelly!!! Eat your heart out.But for serious, not only are these little bits of happy legumes oh so tasty, they also are a nutritional whomper. %u00a0So much protein, iron and zinc, magnesium and a bunch of other good stuff. Low in calorie and fat. Shelf stable, cheap, and fast and easy to cook. They are fantastic in soups, sauces, casseroles and salads. Eat them warm, cold, plain or covered in mustard. There possibilities with these little guys are endless. If you do not have lentils in your pantry right now, you are crazy. Make it %u00a0priority to get some. Do it today, and make these fantastically yummy lentils for dinner. Trust, you won’t be sorry.

Lentils, water (not shown but I think you know what it looks like) lemon, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Cabbage and kale to make it that much better.

Add a cup of lentils to a pot with minced or pressed garlic, the zest of the lemon and the juice of half the lemon. (save the other half to squeeze on top later) Add in 2 1/4 cups water , a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Place a lid on pot and turn heat down to low. Let cook for about 15 – 20 minutes or until lentils are just about done.

Now top the almost done lentils with %u00a0the cabbage and the kale. Add a splash of water and a pinch of salt %u00a0and replace lid. Keep pot on simmer for another 5-8 minutes until the veggies are wilted. %u00a0This gives you a slightly cooked, but still nice and crisp veggie. If you like you veggies a bit more soft, just add them into the lentils a little earlier or don’t even cook them at all. It’s whatever you want.

After a few minutes take the lid off and%u2026aahh. Smells like cozy lemony garlicy happiness.%u00a0

%u00a0A big steaming bowl of everything that is good. Serve with an extra wedge of lemon to squeeze on top!

Tuesday Ah HA!

Make your day AWESOME!!!

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• Salt and pepper
• some shredded cabbage
• a few kale leaves

Add water, lentils, the zest and juice of 1 lemon and about a teaspoon of salt and pepper to a pot. Mince garlic and add that in too. %u00a0Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn down to simmer. After about 15 minutes, give lentils a stir. At this point the lentils should be a al denta, but just about done.( If you notice the lentils seem dry, just add a bit more water) Layer on the cabbage and kale, adding in a splashof water. Replace lid and let simmer of another 5-8 , or until lentils are cooked and the veggies are you cooked to your liking.%u00a0

%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0 WOO WHOA!! MARDI GRAS! I wish I was down in New Orleans today celebrating%u2026 and soaking up some warmth and sunshine, catching beads, maybe even %u00a0taking my shirt off(?!!?)%u00a0

No, I keep my shirt on today because I am not like that, and also, I would die of hypothermia. Today I wear a shirt, underneath 5 other shirts ad sweaters. %u00a0Because today is just another day of -20 below here in Vermont.%u00a0

To keep me from going completely crazy, I am thinking of warm weather and I am thinking of New Orleans (love that place!) and the humongo celebration that’s been going on there for the past week. Everyone partying out in the streets. Big floats and beads all around. I might be feeling a little jealous, (more of the weather then the partying) but thats ok, I have TV to watch and a warm comforter to wrap myself up in. And maybe I should have done a post of fried donuts or of some type of alcohol party drink to celebrate the day, but I really just wanted to make something warm and spicy, so I went with some dank cajun beans. And also I wanted to sing%u2026. “Beans Beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot!!” hehe

But for real, these beans %u00a0are sooooo f-ing tasty and super versatile. You can serve the spicy beans with the rice or just eat just the beans. You could do the beans and %u00a0add to a bed of kale (me) or add cheese, guacamole and a few %u00a0corn tortillas to the mix (the mister). %u00a0Simple to make, super tasty and full of flavor! %u00a0And pretty freaking heathy to boot! This dish%u00a0gets an A+!

This dish is so full of flavor but so simple to make. We start with presoaked black beans drained and rinsed. Cajun seasoning (which is basically 1 part onion powder, thyme, oregano, %u00a0and 2 parts paprika, garlic powder, cayenne power, and salt and pepper) Sliced onion and jalapeno, and a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Oh, and the rice.

%u00a0%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0Beans are in a pot filled with water unit beans are completely sumerged. Add in the onion, jalape%u00f1o, tomato paste and cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil then cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes%u2026.. %u00a0After about a half hour, start up the rice. Water in pot with rice, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.%u00a0

The rice is done and fluffed with at fork. The beans are cooked with just the tiniest bit of bite, bathing in a thick spicy tomatoey sauce. The chunks of onion and jalape%u00f1o have broken down and are hiding in every bite%u2026. Oh so good!

%u00a0Now get ready for the bowl!!!%u00a0Bringing a little spice and %u00a0nice to this crazy cold winter day or any fun festivities you may have planned. %u00a0

Have a Fantastic Day.. Stay Warm or if you already are.. lucky you!

-C

Cajun Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried black beans* soaked for at least 4 hours or overnight..Rinse and strained
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 1 Jalape%u00f1o
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 tomato (I used a large roma)
• 1 1/2 cup of dried rice plus 3 cups water

*If you want to use canned beans, go for it%u2026Just sub in 2 cans rinsed and strained black beans and only add a cup of water to the beans. Pre saut%u00e9 the onion and the jalape%u00f1o before adding to the beans and only simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.%u00a0

Place you soaked beans into a pot and fill with water until the beans are completely summered. %u00a0Slice the jalape%u00f1o and onion and add to the pot along with the %u00a0tomato paste and the cajun seasoning. %u00a0Bring to a boil then place a lid on it and turn heat down to low. Let simmer for about 45 minutes or until the beans are completely cooked.

When the beans are about half way done, add rice to water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, place a lid on pot and turn heat down to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or %u00a0until all water is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork.

To sever. place a scoop of two of rice to a bowl and top with a scoop of two of beans.%u2026 Top with diced tomatoes and scallions%u2026 (The mister added shredded pepper jack to his and thought it was excellent)

Eat with a fork or spoon.

I need a good snack.. Something healthy, hardy, fast, and of course, something tasty.

Rice cakes%u2026%u2026..basically a flat somewhat crispy disk of puffed rice. Kind of boring, kind of dull, kind of blah. But Add a little somethin somethin%u2026.say like this here rice cake that I smeared with peanut stock, topped with banana, sprinkled with coconut flakes and cinnamon and a few raisins%u2026well thats just freaking fantastic!

And because they are pretty much nothing but air.. there is no need to feel guilty about eating a few. Have a rice cake snack party%u2026 spreads of nut butters, bean dips, smashed fruit, avocado, mashed sweet potato, heck%u2026just some mustard or hot sauce would be nice. The list of topping goes on and on. And shelf stable for a long time to boot. I mean, you can keep a bag hanging around for quite a bit of time, just as long as you keep them air tight.

What I am trying to say is%u2026rice cakes are awesome little vessels for all things nice.

HaPPY Snacking!

-C

%u00a0 Whenever me and the mister get invited / show up for dinner at someone’s house, I like to bring at least one thing to contribute to the meal. First, because I am nice like that. Secondly, because I get to make food for other people besides Nick and get new feedback on recipes. (Sometimes I think he tells me things taste amazing when they might not) And thirdly, its nice to mess up someone else’s kitchen besides my own. So last night we went to my sisters and %u00a0I made a salad. %u00a0A very easy and virtually mess free salad%u2026%u2026.I still made a mess (I cleaned it up myself!)

%u00a0The salad I made was a light, crisp, and citrusy%u00a0thing of beauty. Not exactly what one would think to eat on a freezing my face off cold day, but hey, you can’t help what the body craves. Plus, if you %u00a0make it for. lets say, a sister that is making french fries and hamburgers for dinner..then a light and citusy salad is just what you need. Feedback from the mouths that ate it%u2026.Fanstastic combo! Best Salad ever! Never going to eat anything else! Ok, not so dramatic, but this was a winner. And for real,%u00a0this salad takes about five seconds to compile and all the ingredients are really accessible right now so really, why not?%u00a0

%u00a0%u00a0

%u00a0Nice crisp %u00a0kale. Thinly slices red onion for a nice bite. Orange for that sweet citrusy%u00a0and juicy smack and avocado to add a perfect creamy finish. Lime to make it perfect.%u00a0%u00a0Start with the%u00a0%u00a0base layer of kale%u2026 then first goes the sliced onion. (Make sure it’s thinly sliced or else it will be to overpowering)%u00a0%u00a0Add thinly sliced oranges%u2026oh boy, your half way there!!!

Top with thinly sliced avocado, a sprinkle of salt and drizzle with lime juice. I also served with an extra wedge of lime, there is never too much lime.

Now you can stand back, take a picture, send to all your friends and make them jealous of you fantastically pretty and oh so delicious salad. They will ask, “What is that amazing looking dish you are eating?” Your response will be..”Check out the blog..the lovely crazy%u2026and make it yourself! ” (yes, I am shamelessly plugging myself here)%u00a0

Anyway, enjoy the day and try to keep warm!

-C

Citrus Avocado Salad (Makes 2)

Ingredients

• A few good handfuls of kale leaves
• 1 orange
• 1 avocado
• 1 lime
• 1/2 a red onion

Remove tough stems from kale and chop leaves into small month sized pieces. Thinly slice %u00a0onion, peel and thinly slice orange and cut avocado into%u2026yup you got it, thin slices.%u00a0

Kale into bowls, top with %u00a0onion, orange and avocado. Top with the juice of half a lime%u2026Add a sprinkle of salt.%u00a0

It is kind of hard to believe that it is October already. I thought I was ready, but I feel a little like I am falling behind. There is so much fall stuff to do and I need to do it all. Like hiking up all the mountains and then a lot of sitting in a pile of bright fall leaves, wrapped in blankets, wearing my coziest socks, drinking hot drinks, and reading/knitting/napping. All three at once, while the apple and pumpkin things bake and the little paper bats hanging from the ceiling sway in the breeze. Yeah, that sounds about right. And I am getting some of it done, just need to get more of it done. Especially the napping. Haha.

Last week, camping at Zack Woods Pond, was for sure, some of the best we ever have done. Before we got to the middle of nowhere that was camp, we stopped at a harvest festival and did some poking around. Found letters for all the games, a washing machine, and unicorns. Then we drove away some more and checked out a chunk of land that we want to buy but won%u2019t because it is almost unaccessible in the best of times, so yeah no, not gonna work. But the search continues. After the land we headed to the place where we were camping but got a little lost. We had to go to a nearby state park to talk to the ranger and get a hand drawn map to find the place. Well hidden to say the least, but we found it and pretty sure not many other people know about it because we didn%u2019t see a soul. It felt like we had the entire world to ourselves. And oh was it beautiful. The colors were starting to pop, the air was crisp and clean and brisk. The campsite was, well it was a small rock fire pit and trees. Perfection. After setting up the tent we took the kayaks out on the pond and paddled around in all the greatness that was there. Then we hiked around and the hung out by the fire because it was cold. Had dinner facing the pond and all the pretty trees, then the mr did a little sunset fishing. More campfire sitting and off to bed. As it got dark out a couple girls ended up having a fire or something that far away where we couldn%u2019t see them, but we know it was a couple girls because they were very LOUD. And annoying, but they only stayed for an hour or so and their echoing mouths were gone and it was back to being the most silent night and back to sleep. Then the painful part. Waking up the next morning. 33 degrees was the number of the air. We didn%u2019t complain but we did packed up really fast, jumped into the car, and blasted the heat. Cozy and warm and full of happy outdoor feelings. The best way to start a week.

Back home the days did their thing. Work, dealing with stupid stuff, me breaking everything. I dropped my camera and smashed the lens. My phone all of a sudden didn%u2019t want to work right and the battery is now basically dead. The shower head decided to break mid shower and spray water all over the freaking place. I broke a chunk of finger off pugging clay at the studio. Then the stem of my pumpkin broke off right before I broke a flower pot. All not the worst individually, but goodness gracious, give me a freaking break.. Ah hahaha. Oh well. Shit break I guess.

Other then all that, there was a 14th birthday party for Alex. I found a new cute pyrex bowl for 50 cent which made me happy. I went down to the farm mid week and picked bags and bags of parsley to freeze for the winter. Then there was actual farm share with celeriac back in rotation! I worked at the studio (the chunk of my finger is still there), did another birthday party for Coco, who is now 3, and took the littles pumpkin picking with the mr and Barb as per our tradition. They got their jack o lantern pumpkins, I got me my pie pumpkins, and we found a garden snake. A game of tether ball and that was that. I came home after dropping them off and spent the day trying to warm up because it was freezing. And yeah I know,I could turn the heat on but no, not yet. I refuse to turn the heat on for at least 3 more weeks. November 1st. Until then, all the sweaters and socks will have to do to keep me warm.

Today we are doing it, camping at Branbury State Park, even though it miiiight rain. Hoping that it holds off until at least 830 tonight (we will be in the tent by then) or maybe even until we wake up in the morning and are on our way home? That would be great. We will see, and either way it will be good. And not going is not an option. There are only 2 more weekends of camping before everything closes up and it starts to snow. Yup, before it snows. That is happening and I don%u2019t think I can convince the mr to set up the tent in the snow.

Links from the week from the internet of stuff.

-All the pretty colors! What Causes Leaves To Change Color?

-Got a garden? These are the Frost Tolerance of Vegetables. My tomatoes are caput but the chard is looking oh so fine.

–How Gen-Z Is Dealing With a Looming Climate Apocalypse. Yup, shits hitting the fan and everyone knows it,

-Kneadable erasers are the best and I guess work for more then there attended purpose. The best $1.50 I ever spent: a kneadable eraser

-Swetaer weather for sure, but what is sweater weather? What %u201cSweater Weather%u201d Is

–The Female Founders Disrupting the Vagina Economy. Of course they are not.

-Philip Pullman and his dark materials. A new book. I an SO EXCITED, I might just buy it!!! ‘The Secret Commonwealth’

–How to charge your devices the right way. I have been doing it wrong for so long.

-I am good. Actually, even better then good. I change towels pretty much every day. Here%u2019s How Often You Should Be IWashing Your Dish Towels, According to Microbiologists

-I am in love with this little place.

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.

Farm share started last week (HOORAY!!!!) but always, at the beginning when things are still getting on growing, we are only getting a few things. Lot of greens which I will never get enough of, and lots of potatoes. Also, I made the mistake of buying a very large bag of potatoes last week right before farm share and now I am basically swimming in potatoes. And so the story goes%u2026.

So what do you do with a shit ton of potatoes? Yeah, I thought potato cannon to but then I realized that I would have to use my potatoes and sure I have a lot, but I am not wasting them on that. So gnocchi they became. Gnocchi. Basically a boiled french fry or a mashed potato meat ball. Or maybe more like a ravioli. Whatever they are, they are loved by potato loving people and are fun to make. I mean, when do you ever get to use the ricer? ( Don%u2019t worry, you can make gnocchi without a ricer.)

To the gnocchi.

The stuff. Potatoes, flour, an onion, some tomatoes, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Note. Make sure to use russet potatoes because they make the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi. You could probably use Yukon gold, but any hard wax potato just won%u2019t do.

First step is to make baked potatoes. Place potatoes in oven, directly on rack, and bake for 30-45 minutes until nice and soft and tender. Just like you would when you eat it as a baked potato. Once cooked cut them in half and let them cool off for a few minutes.

Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop all the flesh out of skins. Keep skins for soup or a snack for later.

And the fun part. Flour the counter then rice the potatoes. You can also do this with a food mill or even grate the potato with a box grater. Once all riced, cover with flour and start to fold and mix the potato into the flour gently until the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems really sticky and wet, add in a tablespoon or two of flour, to dry and crumbly, add in a tablespoon or two of water. The goal is a nice fluffy dough that hold it shape but is not overly dense.

Cut off a potion of the dough, roll it into a rope about an inch thick, then cut into inch long pieces.

To cook gnocchi. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and carefully drop in a handful of gnocchi into the water. They are gonna sink, but after a minute or two they start to float. Once floating, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked.

Cooked and ready%u2026 Ready for what? For anything you want but these are going into a tomato and onion situation.

Mince garlic and dice tomatoes and place into skillet with a good pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Place on stove and cook until slightly tender. Dice up tomatoes into small chunks and add to skillet along with a cup of water (if you have gnocchi water, use that) Turn heat up and cook until mixture start to bubble, then turn heat down to low and cook until the tomatoes are mushy.

And then drop in gnocchi. Keep on heat until the gnocchi are warmed completely all the way through.

Sprinkle of salt, lots of pepper, and something green if you want to be fancy.

And then you eat them.

-C

Makes 3-4 servings

• 2.5 pounds russet potatoes

• 2/3 cup of all purpose flour

• 1 large onion

• 3-4 tomatoes

• few cloves garlic

• salt and pepper

• olive oil

• water

Place potatoes directly into oven on one of the oven racks and bake on 450 degrees until soft and tender. Should take about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes, depending on size of potatoes.

Once cooked, remove from oven carefully, cut in half, carefully, and let cool for a about 10 minutes, just so you can handle the potatoes without burning yourself. In the mean time, get a large pot, fill it with water, and set it on the stove to boil.

When the potatoes are not to hot to touch, grab them and with a spoon, scoop out all the potato flesh from the skin (keep skin for a snack or for soup). Lightly flour the counter and start ricing the potatoes directly onto the counter. (You can also use a food mill or a box grater if you don%u2019t have ricer). Once all potato is rices, cover with floor and gently fold potato over into flour, over and over, even using a knife, to kind of cut the potato into the flour, until it all mostly comes together. Be careful to not overwork the dough or else it will become dense make the gnocchi chewy. If the dough seems is sticky, add in a few more tablespoons of flour, to dry and seems crumbly, add a few tablespoons warm water.

Once you have the dough, make sure the water on the stove is still there and has not evaporated and is at a gentle boil. Cut dough in thirds then roll out a portion into a rope about an inch thick. Cut the rope into inch long pieces. Repeat with the rest of dough.

When all the gnocchi are made, grab a rimed baking sheet, coat with oil, and place close by the boil water.

Now to cook them. Drop a handful of gnocchi into water carefully. They will sink. Watch and after about a minute or two, they will start to float. Once floating, take a slotted spoon and take them out of water. Place them on the greased baking sheet. Repeat until all the gnocchi are cooked. (when done cooking, save a cup of the cooking water)

After the gnocchi is cooked, you can do whatever you want with it, like eat it right away with salt and pepper or whatever, but to make the quick tomatoes onion situation, dice up the onion and mince the garlic. Place into a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on stove and start to cook. Dice up the tomatoes and once the onion is tender, add in the dice tomatoes and about a cup of the gnocchi cooking water. Turn the heat up until the water is bubbling then reduce to low and cook until the tomatoes are mushy and tender. Once cooked, add in the gnocchi, toss them around, and cook until the gnocchi are fully warmed through.

And then eat it. Maybe a little more salt if needed, definitely lots of pepper, and whatever else you want.

I can’t believe it is Sunday already. The last week has just blown by so fast. These summer days, they can do that. But they are coming to an end and I might be a tad sad about it but I caught myself %u00a0longingly looking at all of my sweaters the other day…%u00a0I will leave that one alone for a little longer.%u00a0

Our camping adventure last week started off with us under a bridge. It was so freaking hot out that my earwax was melting so the mr found the coolest place he could think of to fish, and that was under a bridge. After that, we just headed up the mountain to our campsite. %u00a0When we got there to check in we were pretty much guaranteed %u00a0to see a bear because there had been so much bear activity, especially at our site. So I was a bit nervous, a lot excited, and ready and prepared. %u00a0After the mr started a fire from logs he threw into the air and dropped so they would break (we forgot a saw) and ate our dinner, all traces of food were then packed away in the car. %u00a0All evening every little noise we heard, I was expecting bear but nothing. So we went to bed.%u00a0I had my noise maker ready at my head, my shoes untied and ready to slip on, and my camera because I would need to get a picture. Every time I woke up (I wake up a lot)%u00a0I would poke my head out the tent window looking for a big fury mass, but all night I did not see one. We didn’t get a bear.%u00a0So much for that.%u00a0

After packing up camp super early, it was back to a river for some prime fishing and coffee and reading before heading back to the real world of noise and work and people. And we needed to get back to the cat, which I keep finding in piles of leaves next to the house looking dead. I was scared once or twice but it turns out he just likes looking like a dead cat in a pile of leaves. %u00a0Yup.%u00a0

Tuesday we had the littles over for a sleep over. We gardened, drew pictures, sat around and read, ate lots of corn, and walked down to the neighborhood cornerstone for creamees. After we sent the baby back to it’s mother, the littles and the mr watched another inaproperate Adam Sandler movie, I went to bed, they stayed awake all night watching cooking shows, and I had to shake them awake the next morning in order to feed them all the brightly colored pancakes before %u00a0dropping them off at camp.%u00a0Those guys are doing summer vacation right.%u00a0

Wednesday the mr and I had to quick quick run up to see our friends in the north at Ikea. It was last minute, we needed a countertop, so no I did not have time to call everyone I knew to see if they wanted me to buy them anything. But shitty shit, when we got there, the countertop we needed was not there, so that kinda sucked. But I did end up getting a new toilet paper roller, a toilet brush, and the mr picked out a new pillow. We drove all the way up there, we couldn’t leave empty handed.%u00a0

And how is your fresh farm and garden food these days?%u00a0Farm share is at it’s peak and so is my food consumption. I find myself eating more then I really want to just because we have so much fresh and beautiful goodies that I just can’t stop myself. The tomatoes are so ripe and sweet, how can I not eat like 10 a day? (my acid reflux is kicking up a little) %u00a0And not only are the tomatoes going gang buster at the farm, but my garden is like a tomato jungle. There is probably going to be a day when I am buried alive by the tomatoes. It so could happen.

Saturday was work at the studio. I was on fire and unloaded %u00a02 kilns (someone piece blew up in one) and loaded a glaze kiln in record time. After that I was pretty tired, my hip was sore (to much bending over kilns) so I came home, had a snack, cleaned the shit out of my house (there was watermelon stickiness on everything) and called myself ready for bed at like 8. The days are getting shorter again so I don’t feel so bad crawling into bed earlier. HA

Today is family day. Our cousins are up in Vt at the camp so we are heading there to spend the day with them. After that, the mr and I are camping in some field somewhere (probably a baseball field?) outside of the city to each the meteor shower. It’s at it’s peak tonight and I am super excited to sleep under the stars and watch. Hopefully we don’t get any shit for illegally camping in a park. We aren’t going to have a fire (so we can see the starts, duh) so it really shouldn’t be a problem. Right?%u00a0

Some reads from the internet this week.%u00a0

-It’s tonight guys!%u00a0How to See the 2018 Perseid Meteor Shower

–It%u2019s Time to Admit That Iceberg Is a Superior Lettuce. I wouldn’t call it superior but I have to admit, I do like me some iceberg. It’s kind of like my junk green. Not much nutritional value but taste so mighty fine dipped in mustard. Crisp an refreshing.%u00a0

-I know some people (mom..) that might have a slight buying books addiction, even when they won’t necessarily read them all.%u00a0Tsundoku: The art of buying books and never reading them. I stopped buying books (or rarely do and its usually a book I have read and love so much) and just do the library. It would be very expensive if I just bought books… I read to much.%u00a0

–Angry People Tend to Overestimate Their Intelligence. Ever have to deal with an angry know it all…. its enough for me to run away screaming. So frustrating.%u00a0

-“If you’ve ever seen someone with testicles get kicked in the groin, then you probably know that male genitals %u2014 often portrayed as a symbol of male strength and virility %u2014 aren’t actually that tough.” hahaha, what a great opening paragraph.%u00a0Boxers Or Briefs? Experts Disagree Over Tight Underwear’s Effect On Male Fertility

–What’s the Difference Between Zucchini and Yellow Squash?.%u00a0One is zucchini and one is yellow squash.%u00a0

–Spent $200 on a Weighted Blanket, and It’s Changed My Entire F*cking Life. I don’t think I will ever spend $200 on a blanket, but I am really into the idea of getting a weighted blanket..I think Ikea sells one for like $30.

-I could live in a state of natural silence for ever (or for a very long time)%u00a0Are You Listening? Hear What Uninterrupted Silence Sounds Like

–8 Fruits and Vegetables You Shouldn’t Be Refrigerating

Pictures from the week.

We are moving into the house!!! Oh wait, no we are not, at least not for real, but we are thinking about setting up the tent and sleeping in the yard for a while. It’s summer and it’s been so freaking hot and why the hell not right?

And to prolong our move in date some more, the mr and I have decided to re-floor the entire downstairs. HA! We figured we kinda wanted to but weren’t really sure if we should. And so we said screw it, lets just do it now and get it over with. So keep that in mind if you offer to help cause we might just take you up on it.

Other then house stuff, the week has been full of all the little littles, birthday parties, flowers, and tomatoes! The farm started dishing out the fattest, juiciest, most lovely tomatoes. I have found myself on a few occasions devouring whole tomatoes by accident, like i look at them and just need to eat them. (they take away my will power) Thinking I might have to make a cake with a few of the this week (if i don’t eat them all) and frost them all twirly, whirly sparkly like the cupcakes that I made this week, (they looked so awesome)%u00a0 I think the mr would like that.

But for today, no baking. I would actually like to stay away from anything that creates heat (besides coffee) because it is finally not so hot and humid and my brain needs time to reform from the melt. We will probably just go floor shopping (blah) but that way I can ride with windows down and my head sticking out of the window like a dog. Fun fun.

Some stuff on the internet that isn’t about pokemon (I still don’t quite get it…)

-Slice, Dice, Chop Or Julienne: Does The Cut Change The Flavor?

-I want to turn a really old industrial building into a house.

-Nineteen of Roald Dahl%u2019s Most Important Food Inventions

-This is one bad ass Nike ad. India’s first Nike ad is gorgeous, sweaty, intimidating, and totally inspiring

-And this..A Modern Day “Green Acres”: Family Home with Rustic Mid-C Trailers, Yurts & Cute Critters.. So cool. I oculd totally see doing something like this for the family. A compound of yurts. Ha

%u00a0-Living Room Hammocks & Hanging Chairs.. Huh, thinking I might be needing one.

-Crazy, beautiful. OSSA: The Unwilling Dance Performance of a Deconstructed Puppet

– Not fair. Forget Beanbag Chairs. Amazon Is Giving Its Workers Treehouses.

-In love with these pieces from Henry Street Studio

-Whoa, that’s a lot of people. PHOTOS: For #WorldPopulationDay, How Earth’s 7 Billion Live

And some pictures from life this week.

I am running extremely low on food in my house, like there isn’t a can of beans or a box of pasta left. Yeah, I have a few zucchini left, but I think that mr might be getting a bit sick of it. (He has had zucchini noodles for lunch and dinner for the past few day). And I was going to go to the grocery store before dinner, but then I didn’t. Why? well because I didn’t really feel like it.

Turns out that I didn’t need to go to the store for dinner.I had a few mushrooms, an onion, and a few stalks of chard left in the fridge. (but pretty much nothing else) I just bought a 25 lb bag of flour so I am all stocked up on that and last minute I found a avocado that I thought was a beet in the fridge. All I needed to make a dinner, and a quick and easy, and really tasty one to boot. Plus being so mother F*ing hot, it was perfect because there was no need to turn on the oven.

Now the question is,now that dinner was made and being that the fridge is so empty, should I clean and defrost it? Answer is yes, yes I should, but am I going to? Probably not. I just don’t have it in me to stand in font of the fridge, hacking ice away with a large spoon and boiling water for an hour. It’s to hot. I’ll do it later.

The stuff. Flour, baking powder, olive oil, salt ans water for the skillet bread. A few humngo stalks of red chard, a couple mushrooms (I would have used a few more if I had them). an onion, and a few cloves of garlic.%u00a0 Missing is the pepper and the avocado and lemon that I found while rummaging the fridge.

The bread is super easy. Just whisk together the flour salt, and baking soda then add in the oil. Mix until it’s crumbly then mix in the water until it turns into a soft dough. Gather into a ball and stick in bowl then into fridge for a few minutes to let the dough rest.

After the dough has rested, take it and cut into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into ball and then roll out as flat as you can. Heat up a skillet to high heat and once hot, place rolled out flat onto (dry) skillet. Cook first side for about 3-4 minutes or until browned and cook, then turn heat down a bit, flip and cook other side until browned. Remove bread, turn heat back up, and repeat with remaining flats.

For the rest. Remove the leafy part of the chard and set aside .Thinly hop up the mushrooms, onion, and the chard stalk. Mince up the garlic. Toss it all (not the garlic yet)into a lightly oiled skillet , season with salt and pepper, and cook on medium heat until starting to brown. Now toss in a few splashes of water and the minced garlic, mix around, and cover wit a lid. Cook for another 8-10 minutes until the veggies are nice and soft.

Cooked and ready, but wait, chop up the chard leaves and toss them into skillet. Another splash of water and a few more minutes under a lid will wilt them up real quick.

Skillet beads are made, veggies are all nice and cooked up. The avocado and lemon where found, sliced.

Not bad for a last minute-lean out the fridge of all food-dinner. Not bad at all.

Don’t melt

-C

Make 4 flatbread

For the skillet bread

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4-5 tablespoons cold water

For the rest

• 2-4 white mushrooms
• 2-3 large stalks of chard (any color)
• 1 sweet onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• water
• An avocado and a lemon (optional)

To make the skillet bread. Mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Pour in olive oil and mix until crumbly then add in 4 tablespoons of water (5 if it seems to dry) until a dough forms. Gather dough into a ball, stick in bowl and cover, and place in the fridge to rest for about 10 minutes. Once dough has chilled, remove and cut into 4 equal sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball then, on a clean surface, roll out as flat as you can. Grab a skillet and place on high heat. Once skillet has heated up, place a rolled out dough on hot, un-oiled surface and let cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the bottom cooked with golden brown spots. Turn heat to medium and flip bread. Cook the other side for another 4-5 minutes or until browned. Remove flat and turn heat back up. Cook the rest of the bread like the first one.

For the rest. Remove leafy parts of the chard from the stalk and set aside. Take stalk and chop into pieces about 1/ 2 inch think. Slice onion and mushrooms up as thinly as you can. Mince garlic. Garb a skillet, stick on medium heat and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss in chard stalk, onions, and mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix around until the stuff starts to brown a bit. Add in a few good splashed of water and the garlic and then place a lid on the skillet. Cook for about 10 minutes, giving the mixture a good stir every few minutes. Once the veggies are all soft and yummy, chop up the remaining chard leafs and place them into the skillet. Add another splash of water and place the lid back on. Cook until the leaves have wilted.

To assemble. Flat bread on plate. Scoop some of the sauteed veggie mixture on top. A few slices of avocado on top with a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of cracked pepper…You are good to go.

Ah summertime. I hope that you are finding yourself on a beach or river(or someplace you want to be) with nothing but time to relax and enjoy yourself. It’s Sunday and we all need to relax today. We deserve it.

The past week has been pretty satisfying. The house is going gang busters. We had some insulators come and blow insulation into the walls on the first floor and later next week the upstairs is going to be spray foamed insulated…. And then we can move it (No not really) but this is huge. But now got to get ready for the guys to come and finish so we have to hall ass ans finish wiring, prepping and all the good stuff that they need us to do. We got a deadline to meet, but once that’s done its on. We can start hanging sheet rock (who wants to help?) and finish the bathrooms and kitchen and everything!1 AAAAHHHHH!, but we are all good. It’s getting done and starting to seem like we might actually get to move in before the winter.

But it wasn’t all work. The days when the insulators where at the house we took off for the mountains and found some rivers. The mr went fishing, the pup went swimming (and now I don’t need to give him a bath for a while) and I played with river rocks and read. We also visited with the bees up on the roof just to check how the ladies are doing and so far this season they are doing great, buzzing along like the bees do.

Today is one of those days that could go either way. We can work, maybe we really should work, but it’s suppose to get hot and humid and I really don’t want to. What I really want to do is go to the library and pick up (and drop off) books, go see the littles that just got back from Germany and share the watermelon that has been sitting on my counter all week with them. Maybe even go for a bike ride and take a nap.%u00a0 Sounds nice right?%u00a0 Hum. We shall see. At least I know there is a carrot popsicle in the freezer with my name on it.

Stuff of interest on the internet.

– A Golden Girls-themed caf%u00e9….And now I have the theme song”Thank you for being a friend” stuck in my head.

– A USED CARGO VAN BECOMES A MOBILE STUDIO.

-I have all sorts of ideas for making myself a little reading nook. NOTHING QUITE LIKE A PRETTY NOOK.

–Summer Produce Guide from Saveur

-Did you know there is a naked restaurant? I don’t know about you, but IF I wanted to eat naked, I would just do it at home, for free.%u00a0 The Fascinating (and Infuriating) Experience of Dining in the Nude

-I feel like I have lucid dreams, but that could be just in my dreams….What to Do During the Day to Increase Your Chances of Lucid Dreaming at Night

-I want a concrete bathroom floor. The mr does not. What do you think (that I am right, right!) Raw Beauty: 14 Gorgeous Spaces with Concrete Floors

-I am getting this app just as soon as I can figure out my apple ID. THE %u2018SHAZAM%u2019 FOR PLANTS WILL IDENTIFY ANY PLANT FROM A PICTURE

-All about the shoes. Gravity-Defying Shoes Installed on the Streets of London

–Inside the World of Large-Scale Food Heists. It’s for real, even around these parts (stolen maple syrup happens more then you think)

Pictures of some of the awesome that happened this week.

Have a great summertime Sunday.

-C

Let’s see, what did I do yesterday?

Nothing. Well, not completely nothing. I did wake up and go to the gym, but then came home and fell %u00a0asleep on the floor for more then an hour and woke up in a puddle of drool.%u00a0I also continued my binge watching %u00a0of the Mindy Project so I can be up to speed when season 4 started tonight on hulu!!!!!. And I %u00a0cut up a cantaoplue. That’s a good amount of stuff for one day, right?

Anyway. even when I am gone from home for just a few day, I never really quite feel right when I get back until I cook something inn my kitchen.. So after my floor nap, I got up with a hankering for some of the juicy cantaloupe that I got from last weeks farm share (and forgot to stick in the fridge before we left so I came home to very ripe cantaloupe)%u00a0Cut it into chunked, tossed with slightly toasted caraway seeds and then caramelized a bit more. Super fresh and clean and a very almost fall like way to eat the melon. And even though it took me about 4 minutes to do, it’s all I needed to make me feel normal again.

Ah, home and food and Mindy.. Nothing better, Now to back doing stuff all day.

The stuff. Some cantaloupe and some caraway seeds.%u00a0

Place caraway seeds into a dry skillet and place on the stove on high heat. While the seeds are toasting, remove seeds and rind of the cantaloupe and cut into mouth sized chunks and place into a bowl.%u00a0

Once you hear the fist pop from the seeds, dump them in the bowl with the cantaloupe and toss around. Then dump the seed covered chunks back into the hot skillet.%u00a0

%u00a0Sear each side until browned.

And scoop it back into the bowl.%u00a0

Eat right away. IF you want to get down with a scoop of yogurt on top or maybe a bed of some green, I think you should.%u00a0

Enjoy you Tuesday my friends.%u00a0

-C

• 1/4 of a cantaploupe
• 2-3 teaspoons caraway seeds

Toss caraway seeds into a dry skillet and turn heat onto high. Toast seeds for about a minutes or so or until you hear the first seed pop. Dump seeds onto cantaloup chunks and toss around then dump the cantaloupe into hot skillet. Let chunks sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until they are starting to caramelize.%u00a0Remove from pan when you are happy with doneness.%u00a0

Eat right away.

I love watermelon, I mean, who doesn’t, but i don’t often buy them for myself for one main reason. They are so freaking big and once you cut open a melon, the rest of what is not eaten needs to be refrigerated which would be fine but I have a very tiny fridge and sticking a watermelon in there takes up about half the space. And sure, I could maybe eat a whole melon all to may face in one sitting, but then I would explode. And yes, I know you can buy smaller wedges of melon at the store, but I refuse. Those wedges just seem gross and expensive and wrong to me.%u00a0 When I buy watermelon I take my chances and buy the whole thing and just eat the crap out of it until I make room for other food in the fridge.

It has been so hot out (too hot) and I really just needed a watermelon, so I bought a watermelon (the biggest one I could find because of course). I waited for a day until the fridge was near empty and cut the beast up. Half went into the fridge right away (I had just eaten the last of the greens to make room) and the other half, well only a 1/4 was eaten. I could have kept going and eaten the rest or I figured I would just make a nice tea drink with the rest. And that what I did and that’s this drink I show you here. Smooth, bright, and earthy iced green tea with fresh sweet watermelon, it’s all summertime up in you mouth. And pureeing up watermelon into a liquid definitely takes up way less space in the fridge. I am a genius.

The stuff. Some watermelon, a few green tea bags, a lime( or a lemon), a spring or two of mint, and some water.

Start off with making the tea. Hot water to tea bags, steep for 5 or so minutes then remove bags. Stick tea in fridge to cool.

Now for the watermelon. Remove the rind from the fruit , and cut it up into chunks. Toss in a few mint leaves and…..

So you have cooled tea, pureed watermelon and the juice of a lime.

Pour it all together and mix it all up.

And there you have it. Fresh watermelon green ice tea, ready for your drinking.

All you need now are glasses full of ice and little wedges of melon.

All the summertime, all the watermelon.

Hope you are all staying cool.

-C

make 6 1/2 cups

• 4 green tea bags
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 of a watermelon (about 2 1/2 cups liquid watermelon)
• 1 lime (lemon works too)
• a few sprigs of mint (optional)

Bring water to an almost boil (I let my tea pot whistle, turn it off and sit for a minute or two) and pour hot water over tea bags. Let steep for about 5 minutes, then remove bags and refrigerate tea until cold.

When the tea has cooled, take you melon, remove the rind, and puree the fruit along with the mint, with a blending device of you choice. Squeeze in the juice of the lime and give it all a good stir.

Pour tea over ice, garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of watermelon if you want some fancy.

Have you ever have lice as an adult? Wait hold on, let%u2019s back up. No I don%u2019t have lice, but I a few years ago I did and whoa that was some shit. (Thats what happens when you hang with littles all the time.) This week my head starting itching like crazy so there was a minute when I thought I might have gotten them again. But I have had it checked, a few times, and it is just dry skin. From all the hats. Because it has been pretty chilly and I have been cold. So no lice, just hats and cold weather making my head itch. Phew!

Anyway, week was up and down. Started off with camping which was amazing. The drive alone down there (Cooliadge State Park) was freaking fantastic. The peak of foliage and oh boy was it peak. And then when we got to the campground, we went on a nice long hike in the most vibrant world of colors. That was a A+ hike fore sure. Then back to the campground to make fire, eat food, cuddle cause it was super duper cold (got to 33) and crawl into the tent for the night. Woke up, very cold, jumped in o the car and hit the road. Back to town we came.

Then another week of stuff. Life stuff. Not fun stuff. Very very stressful stuff. But stuff that needed dealing and is still being dealt with. Mostly the mr, but when the mr is ain%u2019t happy, ain%u2019t nobody happy (HAHA!) so it was kind of another pretty stressful week. And so that is life.

But the good is still good. I don%u2019t have lice, the world is gorgeous, we had a chilly rainy day which are some of my favorite days. I picked up second to last farm share and heavy stocked up on squash and starting knitting a new hat. I made the cutest cookie ever and went to the dentist which actually sucked but is always good to go and be responsible about dental health. Made an ice cream cake and dinner for Barb for her birthday at my moms for her family party (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) The lady turned 20 and I can’t even. Then I made her birthday pancakes on her actual birthday and we went grocery shopping so she could run up and down the isles with the mr collecting all the packages of batteries. Because she is now 20 and needs batteries? Yeah, we will just say that was it. And napped. I took a nap this week and it was amazing. I don%u2019t think I nap enough.

Other then that, the week just flew by. Dealing with the stuff, hanging with the people, doing the work thing.

Now its Sunday and yes, we are doing it, camping. Second to last, if not the last time. Depends on if we get that rain next weekend that the weather people say we are suppose to get. So we are making tonight really count. Going to some land on a mountain out in the middle of no where. We are so in need of this, to get the heck away for the night. And it is going to be beautiful and amazing and we have a great hike planned out and there is not cell service. Winter jacket, hats and mittens, and all the blankets we can fit into the are. I am excited.

Interent links from the week.

-You can now live like Barbie. Oh freaking jeez. Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse!

–Am I Drinking Too Much Seltzer Water? Good question, one I hear all the time.

–Jesus Shoes. For real? For real.

-I want these toilets. I get these toilets. 10 Easy Pieces: Designer Toilets. Tankless toilet..what a dream!.

–Eat, Drink And Be Wary: Ex-CIA Officer Reveals How Eateries Are Key To Spycraft. Totally makes sense.

-Currently in the middle of reading this book. It is so good. Only problem is that I started reading it a few days ago and it is due back at the library in 2 days (I forgot I had it out). It is 550+ pages long and I am not sure I am going to be able to finish it before it is due back. Might have to occur some late fees for this one.

-Coffee without the beans. The day has come. Inside the Seattle Company Plotting Lab-Made %u2018Coffee%u2019 Without Beans

-Another reason to read. Reading Before Bed Might Make You Healthier and Happier

–What Does Sunny D Taste Like? My dad used to buy it when we were kids and all I can remember it tasting like was shit. I think it actually made me throw up once. I was way more a Hi-C girl.

–6.6 lb bucket of tahini%u2026.It%u2019s in my shopping cart.

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.

For the past few days the mr has been telling everyone that yesterday was the official last day of Summer. For some reason he truly thinks September first is the first day of fall. It%u2019s not true as you probably know (the last day of summer is September 22nd) but around here is sure is starting to feel a lot like fall so I%u2019ll take it.

Last weekend camping was a blast. First we headed to Maidstone, the most remote state park in Vt. Left early in the morning, stopped at a yard sale or two then drove down a very long and bumpy dirt road until we got there.. Maidstone was amazing, a big lake in the middle of nowhere off the edge of nowhere in the nowheres of the NEK. The weather was amazing, our campsite was cool with wooden stairs, the hiking was fantastic, and the loons were all loud and vociferous. And the weather, it was just perfect. Cool and partly cloudy. I got to wear a sweater while hiking and pull on my wool socks in the evening. There are few things that can top a cool night under the stars with the sound of water lapping the shore and loons making sweet loon noises all night and right now I can%u2019t think of them.

After waking up maybe a weee bit to early (I can%u2019t help it), we packed up and headed to the next park, Brighton. A pond in little town still in the middle of nowhere, although it felt more somewhere then Maidstone due to the fact that there was a store and a gas station in town. And there was an actual town. We stopped and walked around the little neighborhood and along the train tracks then we found a few little hiking trails in random places, and hiked them. The mr did some fishing, I did a lot of reading, all before we even got the the park at lunch time. Once we got there, the usual occurred with a good hike, chillin by the fire, eating food, and after being out and about all over for the past few days, we were dead beat. So we crawled into the tent as soon as the sun set and passed the F out. Woke up freezing and happy but then kind of sad. Had to get on getting on home.

Then we were home. The mr went straight away to work, I might have passed out a little bit, but then stuff needed doing so I got on that.

As far as the rest of the week, there was the last day of summer vacation surprise dinner and park play we had with the littles which was followed by first day of school. I spent a good chunk of time finishing up a bunch of rainbows (and clouds) and installed them for Art Hop next week. The floors at the apartment were sanded (the mr all the way) and are now in the process of being urethaned. I picked up farm share (I missed it last week so I was running scarily low on veggies), maintained a casual relationship with my own garden, and watched the 15 foot tall sunflower in the front yard bloom. Did this and that and ran all over. Typical stuff.

Now we are back to Sunday again and we are raring and ready. Gonna grab the camping stuff, toss the kayaks on the car, and head out. Going south this weekend to lake Bomoseem. I am very much excited. The weather looks terrific for the day, (it is suppose to rain in the middle of the night but that is totally fine) and we are just ready to be out of town for the day again. And hopefully tomorrow being labor day and all we can not do to much and just chill. Rainy and cool. Perfect weather for a blanket, a book, and hot coffee all day long. I might even get some knitting out%u2026..

Internet for you.

–The Life of a Person Who Wakes Up Really, Really Early. That%u2019s me, an extreme lark!

-If I ever need to plant grass. A Miracle No Mow Grass. Actually looks so nice and soft.

–The Difference Between Pepitas & Pumpkin%u00a0Seeds. Nope, they are not the same but kinda are?

-Could you imagine nit having a summer vacation from school? Honestly, I think I would rather have a winter vacation, or 4 smaller vacations if I had a choice I the matter. The Case For Summer Vacation

-It%u2019s back. A short cultural history of tie-dye

–On Being a Great Aunt. I am a great aunt%u2026 right? I think so anyway.

-Among other things I want to protect myself from Gwyenth. Dr. Jen Gunter Wants to Protect Your Vagina From Gwyneth Paltrow

–FOR THE CHAIR COLLECTORS OUT THERE. Love a good chair.

-We are drowning in plastic. U.S. Recycling Industry Is Struggling To Figure Out A Future Without China

–Battle of the Bubbles. I should have started a seltzer water business when I had the idea 10 years ago. Oh well.

Pictures from the week.

Feels like we are nearing the end of summer, no? I am all on board, feeling that feeling one gets when the season starts to change over. It%u2019s that deep down in my bones feeling, the feeling my body gets because it knows whats coming and is getting ready. The shift is coming on fast. Grasp those last summer days as much as you can.

Another intense week. After a super duper good camp at Ricker State Park, it was full steam ahead. The mr has been super crazed, all out, sanding and assembling bowling alleys into gigantic countertops for a local restaurant. Most days he is gone as I get home, home when I am in bed. But not quite as bad as last week. We have managed a few meals together and an adventure or two, like when we went to a church in the islands,, had ourselves a picnic and picked their apples. The apples were not good yet. But the church was lovely.

Other then being busy busy, there was other stuff. Barb and her man child came over for dinner and brought along Coco. We ate, he cried. I gave him a cookie, he laughed and ran around like a lunatic. (Coco, not barbs boyfriend) The older littles have been away at summer camp all week so we saw none of them.(We miss them!) We had dinner at my moms with the boys and Barb and I was lucky enough to see the world greatest tan lines ever. I also worked the last day of art camp (YAY!), picked blackberries, gave the mr a haircut, and scrubbed the shit out of the bathtub. All the fun stuff. Not fun stuff was when the car battery died when I Was trying to leave the house, the underglaze I was bringing home to use dumped all over me and the inside of the car (I was so pissed!) or when I was at the grocery store, lost my credit card, freaked out and ran around the store, then drove home, and back to the store looking for it, only to find it underneath one of my canvas bags in the shopping cart. The whole freaking time. At least I found it though cause I was about to cancel it. Look at me seeing the bright side.

Then I picked up farm share and all the tomatoes. Coming off of last weeks tomato hall, and all the tomatoes that are starting to come in in my garden, I am up to my ears in so many tomatoes. I have been cooking down pots and pots, freezing and jarring and of course eating. Eating so many tomatoes that my belly is on fire. And of course I have no help from the mr. He says he is officially tomatoed out. I wonder how is that possible? I think he is just being a butt is all. But whatever, no more tomatoes for him. (that he will know of. HAHA) And I%u2019l just have to keep on keeping on and eat them. The season only lasts so long.

Yesterday the mr and I took a few hours to get away. We packed lunch and went in search of land. Picked a few properties to look at (but only made it to one) and hiked around the property. It was really nice, had a lot of what we are after but probably not THE property. But close so we are getting there and hopefully we will get there sooner then later. Ready to build our cabin life. And then we went home, I started cleaning and the mr went back to work and didn%u2019t get home until like 3 am this morning.

Not gonna lie, I am bumming. We are not going camping today because well, the mr is still working like a madman and installing those bowling alleys today and tomorrow and we just can%u2019t make it happen. So today, well I am going to make good use of it. Probably going to weed out some dead shit from the garden, maybe do a little replanting. Grocery shopping, clean the car, do a few loads of laundry, return books to the library, process food like a boss. (More tomatoes, hot sauce, freeze chard and pickles!) That and probably do some porch reading. And coffee all day. All. Day. It%u2019s no camping but it will do. Next weekend we are back at it.

Internet read by me, shared with you.

-Are you a camper? If you are, here is some things to consider to optimize a good time. 10 rules for picking the perfect campsite

-Eat all the plants. Gorgeous Portraits of America%u2019s Wild (and Surprisingly Delicious) Edible Plants

–You Should Pour Vinegar into Your Washing Machine%u2014Here%u2019s Why. What can%u2019t vinegar do?

-Always a good idea when you pack lunches or any food. HOW TO MAKE REUSABLE SANDWICH BAGS AND SNACK BAGS

-I don%u2019t consider myself a cat person or a person who wants a book of cats, but this book looks, well, it freaking awesome. A New Book Compiling Hundreds of Timeless Feline Photos by Walter Chandoha is the Cat%u2019s Meow

–Oatly and the quest for the perfect alt-milk. Have you had Oatly? I haven%u2019t but I do really like me some oat milk.

–Is crying truly cathartic? I think it can be. Can also be annoying and exhausting.

-Why does anyone ever listen to anything that guys says, ever? Greenland is not for sale. Seriously, why?

–Don%u2019t Burn Trees to Fight Climate Change%u2014Let Them Grow. I just thought that was common sense but what do I know.

-I don%u2019t know about you, but I start baking a lot more around this time of year. So this is good to know. The Best Substitute for Cake Flour and Self-Rising Flour in%u00a0Baking

Pictures from the week