There are a million things you can, and should, do with tomatoes. Salsa is one of those things. Especially with the super fresh and ripe summertime tomatoes that may or may not be overflowing every empty surface of your kitchen (my current predicament). And peaches. Now is the time friends to eat your peaches. In season and oh so tasty. Do it now before it%u2019s too late and those oh so deliciously ripe and sweet peaches are gone and all that is left are mealy, gross, supermarket fakes. Only eat in season peaches. That is a life lesson everyone should know.

This salsa is perfect. Super fresh, sweet and slightly spicy, with a hint of tangy goodness and just, you, really freaking perfect. A salsa that hits all the right notes with out being overly anything and underly nothing if you know what I mean. All the tastes of summertime. A darn good salsa. Darn good.

This salsa also makes me a winner at the game I am playing with myself called %u201cGet the mr to eat tomatoes and like it”%u201c. The game started when he told me he was sick of tomatoes and he didn’t want to eat anymore. I made the salsa (which also made me a winner in the other game I play called %u201cGet the mr to eat fruit in his savory dishes%u201d, because he also tells me how much he hates fruit in savory), he tried the salsa, raved about the salsa, and then went and ate the rest of the salsa with his rice and beans. .

I win again! Haha

Anyway, super fast, super fresh, super super. A great way to use up a any of your shit load of tomatoes you might have laying around and to get in a few more of those summertime peaches before they are gone again for the year.

Now to the salsa.

The stuff. Cherry tomatoes, peaches, an onion, a jalape%u00f1o, a lime, a bunch of cilantro, salt and pepper, and a little vinegar.

Start by cutting up the tomatoes into quarters. Do this carefully or else you will have tomatoes rolling around everywhere. Place chopped tomatoes into a bowl.

Then dice up those peaches into small little pieces and toss into bowl with tomatoes.

Onion gets diced up too and placed into bowl.

Jalapeno, seeds removed, diced up nice and small. Get it into the bowl.

And cilantro. Give it a rough chop and into the bowl it goes.

A sprinkle of salt, lots of pepper (to taste of course), the juice of the lime, and a splash of vinegar. Mix it all up and there you have it.

Into a jar (or you can just keep it in the bowl if you want), and it%u2019s ready for eating. Chips, tacos, to top a salad%u2026 This salsa does it all. Heck, just eat it with a spoon. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

-C

Makes about 32 oz of the good stuff

• 1 overflowing pint cherry tomatoes (red, yellow, sun gold or a mix of any)

• 2 ripe but firm peaches

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 1-2 jalape%u00f1os (depending on how hot you want it)

• 1 small red or white onion

• a lime

• salt and pepper

• splash red or white wine vinegar

Grab the tomatoes and carefully, so they don%u2019t roll away, cut each one into quarters. Place in a big bowl. Cut peaches in half, remove pit, and dice the flesh into very small little piece and toss into bowl. Now onion, dice that into small little pieces, along with the jalape%u00f1o and toss into bowl. Cilantro gets a rough chop then into the bowl it goes. Now sprinkle in a little salt and lots of black pepper. Add the juice of the lime and a splash of the vinegar and toss it all around. Let sit for a few minutes, taste, then season with more salt and pepper if needed. Can add more vinegar for more acid if needed too.

This salsa only gets better with a little age so you can definitely make it a day or two ahead of time.

Store in a bowl to serve or a jar for longer storage. Use within a 4-5 days of making it.

Anyone else have a kind of strange week? Maybe not strange per say, it just seemed a little off. But maybe it%u2019s the weather changing and it being pretty much October already and the state of the world being all crazy. Or maybe I am just losing my mind a bit. It%u2019s probably that, and a little bit of everything too.

Last Sunday was camping at Underhill State Park. The place was packed during the day with all of the hikers, but that night, dead silent. It was probably one of the quietest places we have stayed yet. The only sound I heard all night was that of the stream nearby. And the hiking around there, well that is why you go. Unfortunately we got there kind of late so we were not able to hike to the top of Mansfield, before it got dark, but we did hike up a bit, and just turned around and watched the sunset through the trees. Good things happen while hiking in the woods. It is always hard to leave and come back to not camping life, but we do it.

When we got back to the world, it was all hustle and busting. Trying to get in things that needed to be done done. There was a lot of raining so not much painting happening which was kind of ok because there are a ton of things we needed and still need to get done so we did what we can do. I also had a giant unicorn cake and letter shaped cookies to make for Miley and Coco%u2019s birthday party. Miley tuned 11 on Thursday and Coco is turning 2 next week so we did a 2 for 1 family party. It was lots of baking, making fondant and frosting, powdered sugar just getting everywhere and making everything sticky. There was a lot going on in the kitchen this week.

The mr spent one of those rainy afternoons making a unicorn pi%u00f1ata for Miley. That was it%u2019s own mess in itself. But besides the mess, I think he should quit working and just make pi%u00f1ata for a living. The unicorn came out so awesome that I was a little hesitant to let him give it to her to beat apart. He was very excited for it to get smashed and it was all his deal so yeah. And honestly I think I was a little jealous. I hope he makes me a pi%u00f1ata for my birthday, but fill it with like carrots or something. A carrot pi%u00f1ata filled with carrots. That would be amazing.

Friday was work at the studio and then the party. Before work I spent another hour or so with the cake good thing the cookies were already done,, and then had to drop the cake off at Erins before I went to to work. Got to work and loaded and unloaded kilns and felt like I was running around with my head cut off, then straight back to the Erins for the party. Finished assembling cake then that was it. The people showed up, we played and danced around, coco was stealing cookies when no one was watching, Miley and Judah were eating the extra unicorn horn of sugar because why not, and all the kids were high as can be on sugar. Especially Miley. After the mr gave her the pi%u00f1ata, she hung it in her room because she did not want to smash it. But then after cake and all that sugar she took it down, brought it out the the front porch and just body slammed it and starting ripping it apart. It was shocking, and a little scary and made the mr oh so happy. He said it was meant to be destroyed. Lucky the head survived. Miley is going to mount it, like a trophy on the wall. And eat the 5 lbs of candy that were stuffed inside of it.

Yesterday the mr and I did our yearly jaunt to the Harvest Festival in Underhill. Everyone in the town is out having yard sales, there is music and marching bands, freshly pressed hot apple cider (we didn%u2019t get any this year.. I don%u2019t know why) and a view of the prettiest color changing mountains. I scored big too with a sweet 50 cent sweater and a free scale to weigh out my clay. Nothing better then finding something you are looking for, and for free to boot. And did I mention the colors? The trees are really starting to pop now. The reds and oranges, it%u2019s gonna be a fire on the mountain soon.

After we got home the mr ran to fix some toilets and I started cleaning. Boy did we need to clean. To some, my house seemed perfectly fine, but to me, I could feel the days and days of sugar powder and paper m%u00e2ch%u00e9 mud on everything. Every surface just felt sticky. And while I was doing my cleaning thing, I started a load of laundry in the basement and stubbed my toe (the toe next to my big toe that is still healing from the bender dropping on it). Not only did I stub it, I think I spilt it in half. It hurts, it really really hurts. Then I had to wipe up all the blood too. A great way to end the week.

Today is a new day. My toe is throbbing, I slept like shit last night because of the throbbing toe, so I am feeling kind of exhausted already, but that is ok because we are going camping tonight so I don%u2019t have to think too much. I am going to go do a few morning chores, go to the gym ,and off we shall go. Maybe I will let myself have a mid day tent nap, or not. I am just happy to get away again. And this might be the last weekend we get to camp for a while so we really got to make it count.

Internet that interested me from the week.

–These Are All the Foods Being Affected by Trump%u2019s Trade War. The list is long.

-I think there should be a ban everywhere! I don%u2019t know how many time I have almost gotten into an accident on my bike or in the car with someone because they are using their phone while biking. It is stupid and dangerous. Netherlands Proposes Legislation To Ban Use Of Phones On Bicycles

–These Moths Drink the Tears of Sleeping Birds. Doesn%u2019t that just sound like tragic and magical and crazy?

-If you are ever in a bulk section of spices and there are different types of cinnamon, try them, they taste very different. Did You Know That There Are Different Types of Cinnamon?

-No shit. Study: Roundup Weed Killer Could Be Linked To Widespread Bee Deaths.

–This little wood fire stove or this wood fired stove are my kitchen goals in life.

–Every Adult Should Have a Bedtime. Mine is 9, but I will crawl into bed earlier and read. That may seem early to a lot of people, but I wake up at like 430 everyday so yeah.

–Will a Baked Potato Really Explode If You Don’t Prick%u00a0It? I have had a many things (eggplants for sure and spaghetti squash) explode due to not pricking, and also tons of stuff not.. Take the risk?

–Apple Cider Doughnuts Are a Lie. I often wondered%u2026

-This place would totally fuck with my head. A Cafe in Seoul Uses Clever Contour Lines to Appear Like a 2-Dimensional Cartoon

Pictures from the week%u2019

It’s officially kinda official. WE MOVED IN!!!! And yeah sure, we might not have a kitchen or a 100% functional shower, but hey, who needs that when you got a real freakin bed to sleep in. (we are showering and preparing food at the loft) Going form sleeping on a futon on wooden slates in a crawl space to our real bed, with a real frame, all in a giant room with windows….. It’s hella crazy.

Other then the move in, the week has been pretty jammed packed. Still spending every minute plugging away at the house all while making sure all of our tenants are keeping warm with working heaters. (we have spent way to much time at the plumbing supply store this week) Barb, the mr and I ditched a day of work and school to travel to the north and hit up the land of Canadian Ikea. The mission was simple. Get a kitchen sink and maybe a cool rug or a shelving unit, and for barb and the mr, to eat as many hot dogs as they could. Success was had. We go the sink, I got a jar and a rug, towels were bought and an obscene amount of hot dogs were eaten (I think they each ate somewhere between3.5 and 5, plus a fro-yo. Me I was happy with my carrots) We we home before dark and spent the remainder of the day hanging up the Christmas lights. It was a grand day indeed.

As for the mr, well he went and turned himself one year older. And what did we do?%u00a0 We went and had a happy birthday party with family and friends at the newly unfinished house. It was all sorts of fantastic. We frantically ran around to pick up all the construction mess, tossed some plywood on the cabinet frames, ran all over to make paper lanterns for the light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and cleaned the toilet. I made huge vats of soup and kept the warm in slow cookers (I am now a new owner of a vintage 70’s crock pot so I guess I need to learn how to use it) and we borrowed an electric griddle, cut up some veggies and fruit and had a soup and grilled cheese party. (shout out to barb for helping me cut all the everything, oh and having the first official dance party with me) A classic homemade vanilla cake with some Duncan Hines frosting and ice cream topped off the night. I must also mention that even with a house full of people, including a bunch of littles, there was barely any food wasted. My brother even asked where he could find my compost bin to toss the orange peels. That might have been the highlight of the night.%u00a0 After the evening my ass was tired so off to bed we went.%u00a0 Then I woke up. Nothing beats waking up at 5am the day after a party to a plywood covered pile of soup crusted dirty dishes.%u00a0 2 hours later, a rag, some peppermint Dr. Bronners and the bathroom sink made things look good again.%u00a0And now the house is full of every chair we have ever owned, every piece of mismatched bowl, plate, cup,jar, and spoon we could find, and a freezer full of wheat bread and lots of carrot sticks.

Yup, things are moving along. Pretty soon I’ll be cooking up a storm in new kitchen and will be bring you all some food posts to boot.%u00a0 The appliances are set to arrive tomorrow and all we have left to do is build the cabinets, run a few water lines, pour a concrete counter………

Today the mr have to remove the 500 plates, cups, bowls and spoons out and the rest of the birthday cake out of the kitchen area and get back to work to makingt he real kitchen thing happen. But the coffee pot and all the coffee has found it’s permanent home. I’ll have coffee all day long. Whoa hoo!

Things I saw and read on the internet that you can now see and read too.

-Not really a “gingerbread house” but what ev, it pretty fantastical. How To Build An Indestructible Gingerbread House. Gummy bear epoxy seems so right.

-Speaking of gingerbread houses. Holiday gingerbread cookies have a dark and violent past

–Cute Animation Imagines How Day Turns into Night

-A hairy tail has be found.%u00a0 First Dinosaur Tail Found Preserved in Amber

-This is a good guide with lots of good recipes. The Search is Over: This Map Will Find Your Sugar Cookie Soulmate

–I want this.

-Now I know where I have seen you before. Scientists Think Your Face Evolved to Look Like an Ape%u2019s Butt

–Why Nutrition News Contradicts Itself All the Time. One day my diet is super healthy and the next, I am probably going to die cause of it. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. (nah, I think I am good)

–A Brighter Outlook Could Translate To A Longer Life. Doing it

-I get excited every year when this list comes out (I know, I a dork). NPR%u2019s Book Concierge Our Guide To 2016%u2019s Great Reads

Picture fun time.

I made him throw this sock away….. It was time.

Have a fantasticday.

My oldest sister graduated from nursing school this past weekend (wahoo!) and the friends and family had a party for her. I made these cupcakes for the party.But really, I made them just for her.

See, she is not a lady big on sweets. When I asked her what kind of dessert she wanted me to make her, she said if I could make a cake out of french fries, well that would be great. (I was close to making a french fry cake) But instead, I went a slightly different route and made cakes out of thing that I know she loves and can eat. Jalape%u00f1os because she is obsessed. Strawberries cause she likes her some fruit and are in season and I think, go with everything. Avocado frosting because she loves avocado and cornmeal because it makes the cakes a tad less sweet and a little more hearty. I also used GF flour cause she is GF.%u00a0

%u00a0Wow, I am the best sister. And here are a few more reasons why..

• I went to the party (I am not a big party person.. But I did have fun and her friends were cool)
• I changed into a clean outfit for her party (I really didn’t want to)
• I stayed out past my 6 (I made it until 7.. what!!!)
• I make her food
• I am awesome (I think so anyway)

So yeah. The cupcakes. The Nurse lady totally got down with these. I am pretty sure that I heard the words, amazing and oh my good, %u00a0while they were being noshed on. The day after, %u00a0the nurse lady told me that they were the talk of the party (bullshit, but thanks)

Whatever, I was just glad she liked them.

The stuff. For the cupcakes; cornmeal and some pre blended gluten free flour. Sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Soy milk (use whatever milk you want) oil, apple cider vinegar, strawberries and a couple jalape%u00f1os . For the icing; an avocado, a lemon, and some powdered sugar.

This is not a%u00a0hard batter to work, no need for a mixer or to cream anything, it can all be done with a wooden spoon.

%u00a0First, preheat the oven.

Then trim and tiny dice the strawberries, remove seeds and tiny dice the jalape%u00f1os and toss it all into a bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda and powder, salt and sugar. Then add in the rest of the stuff. Stir together until combined.Now fold in the chopped berries and jalape%u00f1os and scoop batter into a well greased (or lined) cupcake tin.

Stick into oven to bake%u2026

Check cakes after 20 minutes and remove from oven when they are golden brown and a tester comes out clean when poked.

Remove from pan and place on a wire rake to cool.%u00a0

While the cakes are a coolin, add avocado to a blender with the zest of half a lemon and the juice of that half of lemon and blend smooth. %u00a0Add in the sugar and blend. %u00a0

The icing should be thick, but spreadable. Using your judgement and you taste buds, add more sugar %u00a0if the icing seems to thin or lemon juice if it seems to dry.

And once the cakes are cooled, spread with icing and top with sliced strawberries.

Your welcome Nurse Shannon!

Happy Friday!!!

-C

Jalape%u00f1o Strawberry Cornmeal Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting

makes 24 cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend (if you don’t need or want it gluten-free, just use all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups nut or plant milk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced fresh strawberries
• 2 jalape%u00f1os

For the frosting

• 1 whole avocado
• 1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
• 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Pre heat oven to 350

Wash, trim and dice strawberries into little pieces and toss into a bowl. Remove stem and seeds from jalepenos and dice into small pieces.. add to bowl. Sprinkle with a little sugar.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, powder, salt, and sugar and whisk together. Now add in the oil, milk, and vinegar and mix together with a wood spoon until combined. Lastly, fold in the strawberries and jalape%u00f1os.

Scoop mixture into well greased (or lined) cupcake tin and stick into oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until cakes are gold brown and a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven, remove form tin, and sick on a wire rack to cool.%u00a0

While the cakes are cooling, take the avocado, sugar, and the zest and juice of half a lemon and blend with your choice of blending drive until smooth. %u00a0The icing should be thick enough to If the icing is to runny, add more sugar, or to thick, a little more lemon juice.

Now Ice cupcakes and top with sliced strawberries.

Eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.

No utensils required, just some teeth.%u00a0

%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0%u00a0I love mustard, and when I say love, I mean LOVE. I eat it on anything and everything. And not just small quaintites, I buy jumbo sized containers of the stuff because I go through it so fast. %u00a0Over the past few years I even %u00a0started taking down others with my mustard eating obsession. Sisters, brothers, even some of the littles are now mustard eating feens. %u00a0One of my little nieces is now just as bad as me. I don’t think I have seen her eat a single meal without a side of mustard. Her favorite snack, clementines and mustard, %u00a0although sometimes she skips the clementines and just goes in with her fingers. Oh so good. I think that child could possible be mine.%u00a0 And yes, it’s mostly the yellow grocery store variety of mustard being consumed, but yellow mustard is just the tip of the ice berg. There is a whole world of flavors, textures and colors when it comes to the humble mustard seed. Whole grain mustard, to me, is one of the best and easiest to adapt to any persons specific taste. You can make it plan or add in just about any spice, vinegar, even a little sweetness that you might like. One of my favorite variations of this mustard is to skip the vinegar and use picked jalape%u00f1o juice. Aah, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

So if you are anything of a mustard connoisseur, you really must, at least once, make your own batch.(It’s so easy!) And you will love it and share it with all your friends and they will think you are a bad ass for making your own mustard and your life will just be so great. All because you are now a mustard maker. %u00a0Yes.%u00a0

Yellow mustard seeds, brown mustard seeds, apple cider vinegar and salt. The most basic ingredients.

Note- If you want, add in a pinch of any spice that you want.. Chili flakes, granulated garlic, turmeric…. And you can use the vinegar of your choice. I like apple cider because its mellow with a slight sweetness but white or sherry or any vinegar would be great. Even left over picked juice is fantastic too.

%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0In a large jar, combine the mustard seed , twice as much vinegar and a pinch of salt. Cover and let sit for on the counter overnight until the seeds have soften and look almost like caviar.%u00a0

Now blend those seeds. You might want to add another splash or two of vinegar to help %u00a0blend and to thin out a bit. Chose how creamy or seeded you like you mustard. I like to make it creamy but seedy so I blend it half way to creamy.

Taste and add another pinch of salt if its needed and%u2026%u2026..

You have got mustard! Make sure you have a good snack ready to eat with it.. My go to is carrots. I could eat this all day long. %u00a0

Enjoy and have a great Tuesday full of mustard and stuff!

-C

Whole Grain Mustard

• 1/4 Cup Brown Mustard Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Brown Mustard Seeds
• 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• Optional..A pinch of %u00a0Garlic Graduals, Red Pepper Flakes, Curry Powder (Anything you want)%u00a0

Combine all ingredients into a large jar that has at least a few extras inches for the seed to expand. %u00a0Leave on counter for 8-12 hours.

Once seeds are nice and soft and have expanded, either eat as is (Mustard seed caviar) or blend the seeds to desired consistency (I like it half smooth, half seedy) Add a pinch more or salt and another splash or two of vinegar to help blend.

Refrigerate and use on anything and everytihng.

No matter what is going on in my day, seeing a blue sky like this puts a smile on my face%u2026.To bad that smile turned to ice and my face froze in place. Because for some reason, winter around here now means below zero all the time. I mean, I love winter, but I am not going to lie%u2026 I wouldn’t mind if the wind would stop blowing and we had a couple of days of above zero weather.. and maybe a good foot of snow. I guess I’ll just have to be patient, cause its bound to happen. I mean, we live in Vermont, and if nothing else, we get weather.%u00a0

Anyways.. another week full of stuff that fills. I am a little taken aback that its already February%u2026 when was it January? Time just keeps going by fast and faster, (especially when I get cabin fever) and I think, “What have I done in the past year?” Well, I have done a lot. I was just looking through pictures from a year ago and found some of our tiny home in working progress. Not to many people can remodel a five unit house and a meat locker to live in, within a year.. by ourselves. (ourselves being Nick and I)..So yeah, that made me feel pretty freaking awesome and accomplished. (I needed to remember that because I haven’t been feeling it) But now I am feeling inspired and am looking forward to some new projects and fun things to come! (hopefully getting my pottery studio up and running, maybe another house remodel and lots of traveling!!%u2026. take that winter blues!)%u00a0

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

The mister called these snow mounds goosebumps%u2026 I think that is exactly what they are%u00a0

The only warm day this week. (20..woo whoo!) Took the little out for a sled ride. She spent the entire time dragging her hands in the fresh snow.%u00a0

And oh how I cannot %u00a0handle how freaking cute she is!! Plus, a shout out to my brother in law%u2026.MADLOVE!

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

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

89 cents a pound for fresh organic cranberries. Score!! Made these Oatmeal fresh cranberry coconut chocolate chip cookies%u00a0with them. Big hit.

This picture was taken exactly a year ago%u2026..The mister and I were finally putting in the bathroom of our tiny little home%u2026. And look at that awesome sink! (another amazing salvage yard find) If you ever need or want to remodel a bathroom, I suggest using a old cast iron utility sink. So practical, so functional, so pretty.%u2026.it makes me happy everyday!

Happy Sunday!

Happy February!

And if you are into it%u2026.

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

-C

It hasn’t stopped snowing, the temperature is dropping fast (it’s getting to the point the dog doesn’t even want to be outside) and the mister is busy hand shoveling three long driveways. So I figured that in between all the laundry folding, plant watering , and all around sitting on my butt %u00a0that I am doing %u00a0INSIDE, that %u00a0I would be so super nice and crank the stove up and make my love some cookies.I love making cookies, especially when I have chores to do. I think part of it is that cookies are baked in batches which breaks up the chores and gives a sort of rhythm to things. Plus everything is nice when the house smells like cookies. %u00a0I was going to make chocolate chocolate chocolate cookies, but realized that I didn’t have cocoa powder, so I went with fresh cranberries (I just scored a pound of organic cranberries for 89 cents!) coconut flakes and chocolate chips. Plus I wanted to make them oatmeal because the mister likes oatmeal and oatmeal makes the cookies a little more hardy. (We need hardy when the temperature dips below zero)The verdict%u2026.. chewy, soft, slightly sweet oatmeal, bittersweet chocolate, nutty floral coconut, and the zing and pop of the fresh cranberries. He told me to hide them%u2026 hide so he will stop eating them%u2026.. because they be amazing!

The base of this cookie%u2026.We are using regular old fashion oats and flour. %u00a0Salt, baking soda and baking powder. %u00a0Vanilla, chia seeds in hot water, coconut oil %u00a0white and brown sugar%u2026. You know, all the cookie stuff.%u00a0 Then all the goodness.. Chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and fresh cranberries. Goodness.Oh yeah, and they are vegan%u2026if that matters to you.Warm%u00a0the coconut oil and mix with the white and brown sugars. Then add the chia seeds soaked in hot water. %u00a0Stir until nice and silky smooth.In goes some more stuff.%u00a0%u00a0I just dumped all the dry right on in that bowl and mixed it up nice and nice.Chopped the fresh cranberries into chunks%u2026 One at a time%u2026%u2026Just kidding, I actually laid a cutting board on top of the cranberries, applied a little pressure and sliced through the cranberries.. Does that make sense? I hope so, because its is much easier and faster and the cranberries don’t all roll away.The chopped cranberries, coconut flakes and the chocolate chips go in to be mix all up.%u00a0I used my hands to form the balls and gave%u00a0each mound a little smoosh, but not completely flat. %u00a0Then into a preheated 375 degree oven for about 13-15 minutes or until a nice golden brown.A cup of hot coffee and a plate of warm cookies%u2026 I am the nicest, right! (After his nice cookie rest I proceeded %u00a0to do a little nagging, so the day evened out)So today is probably a great day for everyone to make cookies. It’s freezing out, %u00a0its saturday and well, just cause. You might even be looking for a great recipe to make for that big party your going to.You should make these cookies.%u00a0Have a Fantastic Weekend!!!-C

Oatmeal Fresh Cranberry Coconut Chocolate Chip Coookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup old fashion oats
• 1 1/4cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon chia
• %u00a04-6 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cranberries
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes

Preheat oven to 375To start, take the chia seed and soak them in the 4 tablespoon hot water for a few minutes. Then in a large bowl, mix together the white and brown sugar with warmed coconut oil. Add in the gelled chia seeds and vanilla and stir until silky and combined. (the warm chia seeds will help everything mix together nicely)%u00a0Now mix in all the dry. I start with the oats, dump on flour, toss in the baking powder and soda and salt. Mix until fully combines. If the dough seems to dry, add in another tablespoon or two of hot water.%u00a0Chop the fresh cranberries into halves or smaller and dump them, the coconut and chocolate chips into the bowl of dough and mix.Using a scoop, spoons, or your hands, make little balls and place on a cookie sheet, giving each ball a little smoosh. Into the oven for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.Remove and cool on rack.Eat a few and hide the rest for later.

I was informed yesterday that if I was going to make tortilla chips, that I better make some sweet ass dips to go with them. %u00a0I kind of agree%u2026 tortilla chips need dip%u2026 or better yet, two dips. Queso and guacamole. It’s what needed to be done, and so I did it.

Guacamole is amazing%u2026 anything avocado is amazing%u2026this guacamole is amazing. White bean guacamole is amazing. And not that we really care, but this guac is half the fat then straight up guacamole. %u00a0Plus it’s packed full of protein making it a kind of super duper, must eat all of it, kind of dip. %u00a0And sweet potato anything will make me happy. %u00a0Making queso dip with sweet potato and cauliflower is probably one of my best food combos so far. (after eating a butt load, I felt like I was a genius and made an amazing discovery) Again, not that we need it to be, but this is also a fat-free, vegan, gluten-free, super healthy, packed full of B12,%u00a0%u00a0fiber and nutrients, dip for all kind of dip.%u2026. just another reason why you cannot feel bad when you finish off half a batch before you get a chance to stick it in a serving bowl. (I might have done that)

%u00a0Here is what you need for a good time:

%u2212These tortilla chips%u00a0%u2026.Check.

%u2212Some %u00a0Chopped Veggies (I want the veggies)%u2026..Check

%u2212Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso.%u2026Check.

%u2212White Bean Guacamole%u2026Check.%u00a0

You are now ready for it. It being this party, that party, the Super Bowl, or a Wednesday afternoon. %u00a0

%u00a0%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0

To the left we have the makings for the cauliflower sweet potato queso.. Steamed cauliflower, a baked sweet potato, nutritional yeast, garlic, and chopped up red onion, red bell pepper and jalape%u00f1o. To make all you need to do it take the chopped peppers, onion, and garlic and saut%u00e9 for a few minutes just to slightly soften and bring out flavors. While that’s going on, take the steamed cauliflower and sweet potato(skin off..but eat it, or save it for soup or feed it to the dog) and puree together with a blender or food processor. Add in nutritional yeast, about a tablespoon or two of hot water and, salt and pepper to taste. Blend for about 5 minutes until super creamy smooth. Add in saut%u00e9ed stuff and pulse just enough to incorporated the veggies but not complete blend in. %u00a0Stick in a bowl.

To the right we have white bean guacamole stuff. %u00a0Two cups (or one can) rinsed white beans, one ripe avocado, a lime, a few cloves of garlic,(I also added a bit of garlic powered%u2026I like my garlic) and some chopped up red onion and tomato. %u00a0Place beans, garlic, avocado and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and toss in the chopped tomato and onion. Blend for sec to mix that in%u2026Stick in a bowl%u00a0

Perfect…

To think that both of these dips took about 10 minutes total to make. (I had pre baked the cauliflower and sweet potato) %u00a0And for real, I would spend much more time if I had too because both of these dips are so freaking good, I%u00a0definitely will be making these on the regular.

So there , dips for those sweet ass chips or whatever you want to dip or them spread them on.%u00a0

And he guys%u2026It’s FRIDAY! Have a fantastic day!

-C

White Bean Guacamole%u00a0

• 2 cups white beans (or 1 can) rinsed and drained
• 1 ripe avocado
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 lime
• 1/4 %u00a0small red onion
• 1 small tomato
• 1-2 teaspoons salt

Finley chop onion and tomato. Set aside. Place the beans, avocado, garlic, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the juice from one lime into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed to help keep things moving. Taste and add more salt if needed. When smooth, add %u00a0the onion and tomato and pulse a few times to mix in. Scoop into a serving dish and finish with a squeeze of lime and a bit of chopped onion and tomato.%u00a0

Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso

• 1 1/2 cups pre cooked steamed or roasted cauliflower
• 1 medium pre baked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1-2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 a small red pepper
• 1/4 small red onion
• 1 jalape%u00f1o
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper

Finely dice the red pepper, jalape%u00f1o, onion and garlic and saut%u00e9 in a skillet for a few minutes until slightly soften and fragrant. Take the pre-cooked cauliflower, sweet potato (skin removed), and nutritional yeast and place in a blender or food processor. Blend for about 5 minutes until creamy and smooth. Add in a tablespoon %u00a0of water %u00a0to keep things moving. When completely smooth, add in saut%u00e9ed veggies and pulse a few times to combine. Scoop into a serving dish. If your feeling it, %u00a0top with scallions and cracked pepper.

Serve dips with chips, veggies or anything you want. Also make great spreads for sandwiches and crackers too!

Salad season is here. Green salads, fruit salads, potato salads, and grain salads. All the salads and we are not mad about it.

This is a good grain salad using millet, which I am sightly surprised to hear that a lot of people have never had. Millet is kind of like quinoa, but not. I cooks fluffy and looks kind of the same, and is gluten free like quinoa. I think the biggest difference is that millet is slightly softer and tastes a bit more nutty. It also is really good at absorbing liquid flavors.

But who are we to compare. The main thing is that it is nutritious and delicious so we will eat it.

Back to the salad. This is one of those grain salads that is good cooked and served warm but only gets better with a little age (like an hour or a day) in the fridge. Served hot or cold or room tempature, and is hearty enough to be meal like but is also a fantastic addition as a side to any of you meal plans. Like maybe a BBQ? Whatever the occasion, or non occasion, this is just a really good grain salad situation and I think you will be pleased, smiling all smiles while eating it.

To the millet salad.

The stuff. Millet, a couple handful of greens, a few mushrooms, an onion, dijon mustard, a little maple syrup, red wine vinegar, a lemon, a couple cloves or garlic, some toasted sunflower seeds, and salt and pepper.

Start by giving the millet a little toast, just enough to really up the nutty flavor and make it that much more yummy. It only takes a few minutes in a skillet on medium heat. Not an entirely necessary step, but you should do it.

Toasted millet goes into pot with water. Bring pot to a boil and then turn to the lowest simmer and cover.

While millet is cooking, get to the mushrooms and onions. Chop the onion thin and small and the mushrooms thin and small as well. Place them into the skillet with a drizzle of oil and place on medium heat. Mix around every now and then and cook until the mushrooms and onions are soft and a nice golden brown.

And make the vinaigrette. Minced garlic, mustard, vinegar, the juice of the lemon, and maple syrup get put into one place.

Mixed and now all is one.

Millet. Cooked and fluffed and ready to go.

Cooked mushrooms and onions go into the pot, along with the greens, the sunflower seed, and the vinaigrette. This step can be right away or you can wait a little while for things to cool as to not wilt the greens. Up tp you.

Mixed with love and hunger.

Even if you are making it ahead of time, just do yourself a favor. Grab a bowl, grab a fork, and get down on it.

-C

Seves 4-6

• 3/4 cup uncooked millet

• 2 cups water

• 1 sweet onion

• 3-4 big button mushrooms

• Large handful or two of bitter greens like arugula, spinach or a mixture.

• 2 tablespoon brown or dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

• 2 cloves garlic

• salt and pepper

• handful toasted sunflower seeds

To start, toast millet. Dump the uncooked millet into a pan and place on a medium heat tt for about 5 minutes or until you start hearing the millet crackle.This gives the millet a slightly more nutty flavor but you can skip this step if you don%u2019t care.

Dump millet and water into medium pot. Place on high heat until water starts to boil then tun heat down to simmer and over. After about 15 or 20 minutes, when most of the water is gone, turn pot completely off. Let sit, covered for another 10ish minutes then take a fork and fluff it.

While the millet is cooking, cook the veggies. Grab the onion and slice it up into thin pieces. Clean off the mushrooms and chop them into small thin pieces too. Place the chopped stuff into the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on a medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes or until the onion and mushroom are a nice dark, golden brown.

And make the mustard vinaigrette. Mince garlic and place into a jar or bowl with the vinegar, the mustard, the maple, and the juice of the lemon. Mix and set aside.

Once the millet is cooked, the mushrooms and onions are cooked, and the vinaigrette is made, all you have left to do is mix everything together. You can do this while things are slightly warm which will wilt the greens a bit, o let them cool so the greens stay fresh. Up to you. (I like the greens fresh)

Finally, dump cooked mushrooms and onions into pot with cooked millet. Add in the greens and sunflower seeds and drizzle the vinegertte all over. Toss around until fully mixed. Sprinkle with lots of fresh cracked pepper.

Then eat. Or place in a container to bring to the BBQ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now I am #1

Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!

-C

Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks

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

Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now I am #1

Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!

-C

Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks

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

Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees

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

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

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

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

But first thing first. I need to make dinner.

So waffles for dinner!! 

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

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

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

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

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

SO AWESOME!!

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

Happy waffle Wednesday!!!

-C

Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…

Fork into face

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a Happy Day! 

-C

Baked Navy Bean Polenta with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Serves 4 hungry people

For the Polenta

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

For the Sauce

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

Preheat oven to 400

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

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

For the sauce

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

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

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

Eat…..Spoon or fork is recommeded.

Happy Food!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now I am #1

Happy Wednesday… Keep it good!

-C

Beet and Bean Cabbage Steaks 

Makes 2 Thick Cut Steaks

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

Preheat Oven to 4oo degrees

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

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

     I love mustard, and when I say love, I mean LOVE. I eat it on anything and everything. And not just small quaintites, I buy jumbo sized containers of the stuff because I go through it so fast.  Over the past few years I even  started taking down others with my mustard eating obsession. Sisters, brothers, even some of the littles are now mustard eating feens.  One of my little nieces is now just as bad as me. I don’t think I have seen her eat a single meal without a side of mustard. Her favorite snack, clementines and mustard,  although sometimes she skips the clementines and just goes in with her fingers. Oh so good. I think that child could possible be mine.  And yes, it’s mostly the yellow grocery store variety of mustard being consumed, but yellow mustard is just the tip of the ice berg. There is a whole world of flavors, textures and colors when it comes to the humble mustard seed. Whole grain mustard, to me, is one of the best and easiest to adapt to any persons specific taste. You can make it plan or add in just about any spice, vinegar, even a little sweetness that you might like. One of my favorite variations of this mustard is to skip the vinegar and use picked jalapeño juice. Aah, my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

So if you are anything of a mustard connoisseur, you really must, at least once, make your own batch.(It’s so easy!) And you will love it and share it with all your friends and they will think you are a bad ass for making your own mustard and your life will just be so great. All because you are now a mustard maker.  Yes. 

Yellow mustard seeds, brown mustard seeds, apple cider vinegar and salt. The most basic ingredients.

Note- If you want, add in a pinch of any spice that you want.. Chili flakes, granulated garlic, turmeric…. And you can use the vinegar of your choice. I like apple cider because its mellow with a slight sweetness but white or sherry or any vinegar would be great. Even left over picked juice is fantastic too.

    In a large jar, combine the mustard seed , twice as much vinegar and a pinch of salt. Cover and let sit for on the counter overnight until the seeds have soften and look almost like caviar. 

Now blend those seeds. You might want to add another splash or two of vinegar to help  blend and to thin out a bit. Chose how creamy or seeded you like you mustard. I like to make it creamy but seedy so I blend it half way to creamy.

Taste and add another pinch of salt if its needed and……..

You have got mustard! Make sure you have a good snack ready to eat with it.. My go to is carrots. I could eat this all day long.  

Enjoy and have a great Tuesday full of mustard and stuff!

-C

Whole Grain Mustard

• 1/4 Cup Brown Mustard Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Brown Mustard Seeds
• 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• Optional..A pinch of  Garlic Graduals, Red Pepper Flakes, Curry Powder (Anything you want) 

Combine all ingredients into a large jar that has at least a few extras inches for the seed to expand.  Leave on counter for 8-12 hours.

Once seeds are nice and soft and have expanded, either eat as is (Mustard seed caviar) or blend the seeds to desired consistency (I like it half smooth, half seedy) Add a pinch more or salt and another splash or two of vinegar to help blend.

Refrigerate and use on anything and everytihng.

We made it ! FRIDAY!!! Fridays always make me think about Steve Urkel, you know, the geeky guy from the show Family Matters who’s catch phrase was “Did I do that?.  Weird, I know, but when I was a kid, Fridays meant TGIF on abc (the Tv show line up) It was something I looked forward to all week.  Get out of school, go home, have dinner (usually pizza) and spend the night in front of the Tv. And honestly, not mush has changed. We still keep Fridays the same. Work, Pizza, and Tv.. Just now its not Family Matters and Urkel, but Netflix binge watching and me making the mister a fancy ass pizza. But if Family Matters makes it to Netflix… I will for sure be watching that!

 So anyways, This particular pizza was inspired by a small batch of kohlrabi and red cabbage sauerkraut I made, plus a block of swiss cheese that I found hidden in the back if the fridge. I guess it was meant to be.  The mister was much into this concoction… like I will be making this again and maybe again after that. Its kind of like a reuben, but without the corn beef, which you could totally add if you wanted, or the mayo and ketchup dressing, which you could swap in instead of the mustard sauce.  You can even make it vegan if you use vegan cheese. Do what ever you need to do here cause hey, its your pizza to eat.

The stuff. Pizza dough, stone ground mustard, shredded swiss cheese, kraut, and caraway seeds. 

The dough is rolled out and smeared with the mustard. (The mister said I could have added more)

Cheese goes next and a good sprinkle of caraway seeds too.  Now stick that lovely into the oven.

And after 15 minutes, this is what you get… Bubbly, cheesy, crusty pizza.  

And it’s for real one of the prettiest pizzas that I ever have made.  Slice and serve…. and eat in front of the TV.

HAPPY WEEKEND!!!!

-C

Kind of a Reuben Sauerkraut and Swiss Pizza

This is the stuff you will need..adjust the amounts to you liking 

• Pizza dough (this doughor store bought)
• 1/4 cup Stone Ground Mustard
• 1 cup Cabbage and Kohlrabi Sauerkraut ( or just regular sauerkraut)
• 1 cup Swiss Cheese (Use vegan cheese to make this pizza is vegan)
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Preheat oven to 450

Roll out the pizza dough to desired thickness and place on skillet or baking sheet. Smear with mustard, then layer the sauerkraut then cheese, and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Place into oven to cook for about 15 minutes. Pizza is done when dough s cooked and cheese is all nice and bubbly. 

Remove from oven, let cool for a minute, cut into slices, and eat. 

Spit peas are one of my go to%u2019s when camping. Besides taking up no room at all to pack, they are also super easy to make. Plus they only take about an hour to cook, which is the perfect amount of time to prepare the rest of the food for a meal and sit and chill out before eating. Not to mention that they are damn freaking tasty, especially after a day frolicking through woods and paddling on water. I mean, who doesn%u2019t like split peas? (If you say you don%u2019t, you probably should try again because I bet you would like these)

Constnaly thinking of our next hiking, kayaking, and camping adventure has got me with split peas on the mind. Especially now that the nights are getting a little cooler. Knowing that I am gonna have a hearty, protein pack and filling meal after a day of activity is just the greatest.

And collard greens. A green that gets overlooked a lot. No super popular, well, not around these parts, which is crazy because they are SO good! They have a more pronounced flavor (in a good way) then most greens. More pungent and earthy, and slitghy salty, if that makes sense. And hold up better then any green when cooked making them perfect to toss into pots with things like spit peas . Plus they travel well. I can bring a bunch camping with me and not worry that if I leave them out for to long they will turn into slimy green mush. If it is really hot, sure they might wilt up a bit, but stick the stems in a little water, they will last all day fine. And that is all you need them to do.

So yeah, this dish is perfect for camping, but also perfect for not camping and just making at home too. Again, super easy, fast and is just a great tasting dish.

Split peas and collard greens. Topped off with mustardy cabbage slaw. Can%u2019t wait to make this again this weekend!

To the spit pas and collard greens!

The stuff. A bunch of collard greens, some split peas, an onion, a couple carrots, some cabbage, stone ground mustard, spices which include garlic, ginger, dill, thyme, and ground mustard. And salt and pepper. And you are gonna need water too.

Start by removing the stems from the leaves of the collards. Then small dice up the carrots, the onion and the stems. Grab the collard leaves, roll them up together, then slice then into thin ribbons.

All that stuff you just cut up now gets tossed into big pot, along with all the spices.

Add in the dried peas and water. Lots and lots of water. Bring pot to boil, then reduce heat to low and loosely cover pot. Cook foe 45-50 minutes or so.

While the peas and greens are cooking, shred up some cabbage.

Add a good dollop or two of some good stone ground or Dijon mustard and mix.

Cooked until the split peas are tender and starting to fall apart. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

And then you eat. A big bowl full of the slpit peas and greens, topped with some mustardy cabbage slaw.

This is good food. Really freaking good.

-C

serves 4-6 folks

• 2 cups dried split peas

• 8-9 cups water

• 1 large onion

• 2 carrots

• 1 bunch collard greens (about 6-7large leaves)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon ginger powder

• 1 tablespoon dill

• 1 tablespoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon ground mustard

• salt and pepper

• 2-3 tabespppms Dijon or stone ground mustard

• 1/2 head of cabbage (red and or green)

Start by removing the stems from the collards. Grab the carrots and onion and dice them up small, along with the stems. Then take the leaves of the greens and stack and roll them up together. Slice the roll into thin ribbons. Place all of it, carrots onions stems, and greens, into large pot, along with all the spices, (don%u2019t add any salt until the end) and stick o the stove. Add in the split peas and 8 cups of water. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to low and place a loose lid on pot. Let cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the spit peas are tender and just about to fall apart. If you think you might need to add more water to cook the peas through, then add another cup.

Once cooked, season with salt pepper to taste.

For the cabbage slaw,which you can make right after your start the peas, just shred up cabbage and mix it together with the mustard and set aside.

And once the split peas and collard greens are all cooked, scoop into bowls, top with some of the cabbage slaw, and eat to your face.

Here’s one for the cabbage lovers our there, maybe even the haters as well. (I don’t understand those people, cabbage is king in my stomach).%u00a0I really believe that a good bit of cabbage can really change a persons perspective on the humble cruciferous vegetable, maybe even the world. To far? Maybe but what I always say is, “When in doubt try it out!” Either way, this bit of cabbage is vey very good good.%u00a0%u00a0

A quick little warm up in a skillet with some sesame soy flavor and crunch and you got yourself a A plus little salad. It hits all the right notes for when a) its winter and fresh greens are more sparse (which it currently is and they currently are) b)%u00a0its cold out (again currently because it’s winter) and c) when you only have a head of cabbage in the fridge (was the case but I have sense remedied that).%u00a0

Chop it, toss, it, eat it. Quick and easy good food. Get on it.

The stuff. Cabbage (I used savoy but you can use any cabbage you want) soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, and a lemon. The lemon is optional, but a little acid is alway welcome in my mouth.%u00a0

Chop the cabbage. Unless %u00a0you are making this for more then 2 people, you probably only need half a head. However much you use, chop in up into 1-2 inch peices. You could %u00a0also shreds it if you want, but I like the bigger pieces.%u00a0

Toss the cabbage into a hot skillet that has been drizzled with a little olive oil and toss the soy sauce in with it too.%u00a0

Cook on medium high heat until the cabbage has slightly soften.%u00a0

While the skillet is still hot, drizzle in a touch of toasted sesame oil and a good amount of sesame seeds. Give it a toss. Taste and add more toasted sesame oil if you want.

Pile it Into a bowl and that’s that. Serve with a wedge of lemon or lime if you like the addition of the acid.%u00a0

-C

serves 1-2 people

• 1/2 of a head of cabbage (green savoy, or red work)
• 1 tablespoon soy or tamari%u00a0
• 1/2-1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil%u00a0
• sesame seeds
• lemon or lime (optional)

Preheat a large skillet to medium high with the olive oil. While its getting hot, chop the cabbage into 1- 2 inch pieces. When the skillet is hot, dump the cabbage in and toss around with the soy sauce. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, giving it a toss a few times, until the cabbage starts to soften. Depending on your preference you can stop cooking it now, or keep cooking until it reaches you preferred doneness. (I like it with a little crunch so I cook it for 5-6 minutes) Once it’s done but the skillet is still hot, drizzle in the toasted sesame oil and toss in the sesame seeds. Taste for flavor and add more toasted sesame oil if needed.%u00a0

Serve right away although cold left overs are also fantastic. A wedge of lemon or lime is a well received addition.%u00a0

Every year I look forward to St Patrick’s day.. And not because I am Irish, (which I am) or because I want to drink on excess (which I do not) and no,%u00a0 green eggs and ham are not something that I plan on making. No Ido not look forward to any of those things (although I actually do like to pinch the littles that wear no green and talk about pots of gold and rainbows) I love this time of year because cabbage is always on a freaking super sale everywhere you go.%u00a0 Something that is usually 80-99 cents a pound goes down to like 20 cents a pound. And for someone that eats like 10 heads of cabbage a week, this is a hug savings. SO yeah, I buy so so much (I have already bought 12 heads, but I actually plan on buying a full case before the sale is over)

No, I am not crazy, I will eat it all….. and I am going to be making so much sauerkraut. Woo hoo!

But until then. A cabbage pot roast. Yes. I remember growing up my mom would make pot roasts once in a while. A big pot full of big chunks of veggies topped with a big slab of some kind of meat. I never liked the meat, but I always loved the big chunks of the veggies at the bottom of the pot. So I figured I would make a big pot roast, replace the meat with a head of cabbage (I have so much) and add beans because protein and because they are just so good. . And when it’s all cooked and said and done, you end up with a big pot of plump and so flavorful veggies and beans and the most tender wedged of roasted braised cabbage.%u00a0 This is my kind of pot roast.

Now go quick.. the cabbage sales will be over soon.

The stuff. One good sized head of cabbage, a few carrots, a big onion, and a hunk of rutabaga. Also have some dried kidney beans, caraway and fennel seeds, dried ground mustard, a bay leaf, some garlic, and salt and pepper. And water… water is needed.

Note. You can use just caraway or just fennel and you can replace or even add a potato in place of the rutabaga.

Dried beans, fennel and caraway into a pot with water. Stick the pot on the stove ans bring to a boil, then to a simmer to give the beans a quick head start before going into the oven.

While the beans are simmering, dice up the garlic and chop up the veggies into big chunks… you don’t want small chunks or they will kind of turn to mush while cooking.

And turn over the cabbage head, take a knife, and slice a deep x into the core. DO THIS or else the inside of the cabbage will not cook through. Oh and preheat the oven to 375.

Beans looking a bit plumped..

Top those beans with all the chopped veggies,(don’t stir them in., you want to keep the bean under submerged in the water) sprinkle those with the mustard, salt and pepper and place that lovely cabbage head right on top…

Place a lid on the pot and slide it into the oven to cook away. It’s going to take a bit of time (about an hour) but it’s pretty much hands off. Just take a look after about 45 minutes, check the bean doneness, add in another cup or so of water and place lid bacck on and cook for another 12-20 minutes until the beans are done. When they are, take the lid off, crank the oven to 450 and cook for another 15 or so minutes until the cabbage gets all golden brown

Look at that… Tender roasted veggies, plump beans. Everything about this is right.

Grab a knife and cut the cabbage (its so tender) into big wedges.

A wedge into a bowl along with a big spoonful or two of the beans and veggies..

Finished with a dash of salt and pepper and (not shown here,) lots of mustard.. Oh cabbage… you are so good!

Eat away and Happy St Patrick’s Day.

-C

serves 3-4

• 1 cup dried kidney beans
• 3-4 cups water
• a medium sized head of cabbage
• 2-3 carrots
• 1 large onion
• %u00a0a potato or a a small rutabaga(or both)
• 1 heaping teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 heaping teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 heaping teaspoon ground mustard
• a bay leaf
• salt and pepper

Place the fennel, the caraway, and the bay leaf into a large dutch oven along with the dried beans and 3 cups of water. Place on the stove and being to a boil then, turn heat to low and simmer the beans for about 15 minutes.

While beans are simmering, chop up the carrot, onion and rutabaga into big chunks and dice up the garlic. Take head of cabbage and slice a deep x into the core.

Preheat oven to 375

Once the beans have simmered a bit, add in the chunks of veggies, the ground mustard and salt and pepper (Don’t stir, you want to keep the bean submerged in the water). Place the head of cabbage right on top of the veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place a lid on the pot and stick the whole thing into the oven. After about 45 minutes, check the roast and the beans for doneness and adding in another cup of water id needed. Back into oven with the lid for another 15-20 minutes or until the beans are tender Onnce they are, remove the lid form the pot and crank the oven up to 425. Cook for another 15 minutes or so until the cabbage turns a nice golden brown.

Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, cut the cabbage head into wedges and serve it up with big spoonfuls of beans and veggies.

Eat until your full.

.

%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.

Happy St Patricks Day!!!! As a kid, St Patricks day always meant green milk, green eggs, and those nasty gold foil covered chocolate coins. (you know, from the pot of gold) Not to mention all the leprechaun hunting and %u00a0pinching. %u00a0In my family, if you were unlucky enough to forget to wear green, you ended up as a walking target. It all started out nice an innocent, a pinch here or there, but by the end of the day, someone would end up pinching a little to hard or maybe just one too many times and the game would go from pinches to punches. %u00a0%u00a0

Ahh, memories.%u00a0

Now as an adult (kinda adult) St Patricks is celebrated a little differently. The little ones in the family still get their green milk (which they are told is leprechaun pee) and those nasty gold coins, but I think the pinching has stopped.( a great tradition lost) %u00a0I myself don’t have any littles at home so no little leprechaun games or gross dyed food for me. %u00a0Nope, in my house we celebrate with a few beers and a more traditional irish dish, Colcannon. Mashed up potatoes with cabbage and kale%u2026 I mean, can it get much better? It can when you use red potatoes and red cabbage. Not only is it so tasty tasty, but it is so pretty pretty. No need for green milk or nasty candy.%u00a0

But I still make sure to wear green and you might find me doling out a pinch or two.%u00a0

%u00a0 The stuff%u2026. Super pretty red potatoes, red cabbage, shallots, kale, salt and pepper, and olive oil.

Note. If you do not have or want to use red potatoes, russet or white will work, it just won’t be as pretty.%u00a0

%u00a0 %u00a0Dice up the pretty potatoes and stick them into a pot and fill up with water and add in a good tablespoon of salt. %u00a0Stick on high heat and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium %u00a0and cook those taters until super fork tender. (bring them to the edge of falling apart)

While the potatoes are boiling, chop up the cabbage, shallots, and the kale and stick into a big skillet with a good drizzle of olive oil. Saut%u00e9 on medium heat until soft and tender.

Once the potatoes are super tender, drain the water and dump them into the pan with the saut%u00e9ed veggies. With a potato masher or a fork, mash up the potatoes and mix in the veggies, adding a drizzle or more of olive oil as you go. (Start with a drizzle and work your way up until it tastes good to you) Salt and pepper to %u00a0taste.%u00a0

The most pretty pan of smashed up potatoes that I have ever seen. Eat as a side dish or even a light main dish. Fork is a good utensil to use, but I found that my fingers worked just as well.

Have a great happy day full of green, potatoes, and pinches. Maybe even a leprechaun or two!

-C

Red Potato Colcannon

• 5-10 Red potatoes Red Potatoes depending on the size (about 3 1/2 – 4 chops chopped)
• 1 Cup Chopped Red or Green Cabbage
• 1 Cup Chopped Kale
• 1-2 Shallots
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Rinse and dice potatoes and place into big pot. Cover potatoes with water and add about a tablespoon of salt. Place on high high heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium low and let potatoes cook until super fork tender. While potatoes are boiling, chop up cabbage, shallots and kale and saut%u00e9 in a large cast iron skillet (or any skillet) with a good drizzle of olive oil. %u00a0Once the potatoes are done, drain water and add potatoes to the skillet with the saut%u00e9ed veggies. With a potato masher or fork, mash the potatoes and mix with the veggies, adding a drizzle or two (depending on your taste) of olive oil as you go. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve from skillet or dump into a fancy dish with a big spoon.

Eat as a main dish or as a side%u2026.Good hot, warm and cold.

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

No matter what is going on in my day, seeing a blue sky like this puts a smile on my face%u2026.To bad that smile turned to ice and my face froze in place. Because for some reason, winter around here now means below zero all the time. I mean, I love winter, but I am not going to lie%u2026 I wouldn’t mind if the wind would stop blowing and we had a couple of days of above zero weather.. and maybe a good foot of snow. I guess I’ll just have to be patient, cause its bound to happen. I mean, we live in Vermont, and if nothing else, we get weather.%u00a0

Anyways.. another week full of stuff that fills. I am a little taken aback that its already February%u2026 when was it January? Time just keeps going by fast and faster, (especially when I get cabin fever) and I think, “What have I done in the past year?” Well, I have done a lot. I was just looking through pictures from a year ago and found some of our tiny home in working progress. Not to many people can remodel a five unit house and a meat locker to live in, within a year.. by ourselves. (ourselves being Nick and I)..So yeah, that made me feel pretty freaking awesome and accomplished. (I needed to remember that because I haven’t been feeling it) But now I am feeling inspired and am looking forward to some new projects and fun things to come! (hopefully getting my pottery studio up and running, maybe another house remodel and lots of traveling!!%u2026. take that winter blues!)%u00a0

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

The mister called these snow mounds goosebumps%u2026 I think that is exactly what they are%u00a0

The only warm day this week. (20..woo whoo!) Took the little out for a sled ride. She spent the entire time dragging her hands in the fresh snow.%u00a0

And oh how I cannot %u00a0handle how freaking cute she is!! Plus, a shout out to my brother in law%u2026.MADLOVE!

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

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

89 cents a pound for fresh organic cranberries. Score!! Made these Oatmeal fresh cranberry coconut chocolate chip cookies%u00a0with them. Big hit.

This picture was taken exactly a year ago%u2026..The mister and I were finally putting in the bathroom of our tiny little home%u2026. And look at that awesome sink! (another amazing salvage yard find) If you ever need or want to remodel a bathroom, I suggest using a old cast iron utility sink. So practical, so functional, so pretty.%u2026.it makes me happy everyday!

Happy Sunday!

Happy February!

And if you are into it%u2026.

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

-C

I eat vegetables like I breath air%u2026 constantly and almost mindlessly. %u00a0Some people are addicted to sugar or coffee, but me, I am addicted to veggies. ( I am also extremely addicted to coffee) This is my truth, but I am ok with it. %u00a0

All week long I have been hearing about this big game going on this weekend, something to do with a ball and running up and down a field%u2026.not quite sure, but I think it might be a big deal to some people.(I know it’s the Super Bowl, and I have heard about some deflated balls, but that’s the extent of my knowledge) %u00a0I have also have been hearing a lot of party planning around this game, food planning, which is something that I do understand. So I wanted to bring a party snack to the mix, and because of my addiction, my mind goes straight to vegetable. I know that there is traditionally a lot of meat, cheese and hot sauce at these said parties, and that’s totally cool, but I think everyone wants to have a least one awesome meatless cheese-less piece of food to snack on during half time. %u00a0So I give the people what they want.%u00a0

So simple, fast and easy to make. Tasty and healthy as can be. Grab and eat with you hands%u2026. and nice to look at. We got the whole package here. %u00a0%u00a0

Pretty much a little bit of everything that I have in my fridge%u2026.Shredded red cabbage, carrots, beets. Some sliced of red onion, tomato and red pepper. Hummus and a little mashed avocado

Yes, it may look like a mess, but that’s just me trying to make five different things at once. But really, making %u00a0these wraps are simple simple. Just take rinsed and dried green or red leaf lettuce, smear on hummus and mashed avocado and pile on the veggies. Roll and stick with a toothpick to keep from unrolling. See%u2026. simple.So many colors%u2026%u2026 so much pretty.%u00a0Wrapped and rolled…Sliced down the middle, just to see all the pretty inside.

These might be veggie wraps, but man, look at those sausage fingers%u2026(hehehe)

Make for lunch, dinner, party, or snack. Eat them for breakfast, dessert or midnight nosh. Whenever, wherever%u2026..YUMMY YUMMY YUM!%u00a0

Happy hump day!%u00a0

-C

Lettuce Wraps%u00a0

Ingredients

Use whatever you want%u2026 but this is what I included in mine

• Green leaf lettuce
• Shredded red cabbage
• shredded %u00a0beets
• shredded carrots
• %u00a0thinly sliced tomato
• thinly sliced red pepper
• thinly sliced red onion
• hummus
• avocado

With each wrap, take a large lettuce leaf and cut out the crunchy rib.(you can slice it up thinly and add to wrap. Smear %u00a0leaf with hummus and smashed avocado, then layer on a bit of each of the veggies. Wrap or roll leaf in on the veggies and stick a toothpick in center to keep from unrolling.%u00a0

Place on a plate and eat or share%u2026 Extras are fantastic to have in the fridge!

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

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

The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..

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

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

Yea it’s Thursday!!!!

-C

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

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

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

On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard.  

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

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

This time next week the mr and I will be on our jolly (the word jolly is way underused) journey through the hill of the Irish countryside.%u00a0 I am getting a bit nervous. First off, we have yet to book a single b and b (we are air bnb-ing it the whole time.) We still haven’t reserved a car, have just starting looking at baggage requirements and have no clue how we are getting home from the airport. But we did print out the plane tickets last night, so that’s something!!%u00a0 I make it sound like we have been slacking, but it really isn’t our fault (most of it). We have most of the stuff we need to book ready to pay for, but our credit card we ordered for this trip was lost in the mail and we can’t book anything without it. Aagh!%u00a0 But hopefully the new one will be in the mailbox today and we can get on our way to planning the best trip ever

With the trip getting so close, my mind is doing this weird thing where it doesn’t want to research things anymore. It is sick of looking up attractions or prices of this, or how to translate that. I have done all the research that I can handle and am mentally tired. I just want to chill on the internet stuff and spend the rest of this week cleaning the house and baking things until we leave. You know, smash in as much domestic things as I can.

So clean I do and bake things I am. The other day I bought 4 beautiful vanilla persimmons (yeah persimmons!)%u00a0 and instead of hoarding them all to my face, I baked a little persimmon cornbread concoction for the mr(he doesn’t get excited about fresh persimmon like I do) This way he gets in on some of the persimmon action and I don’t feel as guilty about buying 4 persimmons.

Dense, moist on the inside, crispy on the outside. A nice sweet maple glazed layer of soft persimmon nicely layered on top to take it to the next level .This bread, it’s and all sorts of good. It hugs the boarder of a bread and cake. but still makes a great side to a big bowl of squash soup, black bean chili, or whatever.%u00a0 The mr, he ate a piece for a snack after I made it, then a chunk with his dinner, a little slice for late night snacking and then a piece for breakfast. I might just make him a lunch situation with the rest of it for him today. And then it will be gone.. whoa.%u00a0 I guess that means it perfect for anytime and it’s just that good.

I am that good. But we can talk about me later, for now, the cornbread.

The stuff. A persimmon, some white whole wheat flour, yellow cornmeal, baking soda and powder and salt. Maple syrup, melted earth balance, and some soy milk are going in too.

Start by preheating the oven and then thinly slicing the persimmon into the prettiest little rounds

And now whisk together all the dry stuff in a big bowl then dump in all the wet stuff.

Mix it all together until full just incorporated. (don’t over mix.)

Grease a 9 inch pan (can use a 9 inch square) and coat the grease with cornmeal.

Spread the mixture in the pan then layer the top with the sliced persimmon.

Lovely right.

Now stick it into the oven.

After about 25 minutes, the cake is just about done. Remove it from the oven and quickly brush the top with maple syrup then stick it back into the oven to finish baking.

And when the bread is completely baked, the persimmons nice and soft and glimmering,%u00a0 remove from the oven and sit on a rack to let cool.

And when you can’t wait any longer….. cut yourself a big piece

Along with a cup of coffee…..

Nothing to worry about here.

Have a great day.. Wish me luck!

-C

make a 9 inch round bread cake

• 1 cup white wheat flour
• 1 cup yellow or white corn meal
• 1/3 cup melted earth balance
• 1/4 cup maple syrup plus about 2 tablespoons more for brushing the top of bread
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• pinch of salt
• 1 large ripe but firm vanilla or fuyu persimmon (If you have smaller ones, you might need 2)

Preheat oven to 375

First off, slice the persimmon into really thin slices.

Next, combine the flour, the cornmeal, baking soda powder, ans the salt into a large bowl and whisk together. Add in the maple syrup, the soy milk, the melted earth balance and the apple cider vinegar. Mix together until just combined.%u00a0 Dumb the batter into to a greased and cornflour coated 9 inch cake pan and layer persimmon slices on top, starting with the outer edge and layering inward (or whatever way you want to)

Place bread into oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the cornbread has risen and is starting to brown, but could use a few more minutes. Take cake out and brush the persimmons with maple syrup. Place back into over to bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the cornbread is completely cooked.(tester comes out clean)

Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack

Slice, serve, and eat.

I am one of those people that hangs out for far to long in the grocery store, mostly in the bulk section, looking al all the types of rice, and grains, and beans, and seeds, admiring the variety and colors and also wishing I was one of those people that had an extra $25 to drop on a pound of pistachios.%u00a0%u00a0(Them were some pricey pistachios fo sho.) I take my time, peruse the bins, maybe take a little taste or two, %u00a0and go for what I need. And maybe if something is on sale, get a little of that too. Things that usually make the list are spices,%u00a0oats, beans, maybe rice or quinoa, flours, and seeds. Pumpkin seeds were on sale so those were the seeds of choice and I also got some barely because when I was starting at all the grains,%u00a0it dawned on me that I don’t know many people that eat barley, or even care about it, which is a shame because it is awesome. It might not be trendy like farro or freekeh, but it is just as good, and damn if it is not a hell of a lot cheaper.%u00a0

With the barley and pumpkins seed in hand, I had the start of a salad. So I grabbed some oats, a few spices, some beans and ran away from the builk section, past the nuts before things got bad and I either a) got kicked out for eating my weight in cashews and almonds,%u00a0pretending to just need a taste, or b) paid the $25 for a pound of pistachios that I might not eat because I would need to save them for something really special because they cost $25 a pound. Then I grabbed veggies, walked around the wellness section for good measure, did another lap around the store just in case I forgot something, then finally made my way out of the store only to realize when I got home that I forgot something. (I always forget something)%u00a0

But I had all I needed for a barley salad situation so things went well. This is a fantastic salad. It’s quick and easy and tasty and good. Barley, tahini, veggies and pumpkin seeds… It’s all you need for a just right dinner, or a fantastic side to any meal. Or as a snack at anytime. Bring it to a BBQ, a graduation party, or a pot luck. it will get eaten, and if by chance you end up with a little left over, bring it on home and eat it for breakfast. It will still be just as good.%u00a0%u00a0

The stuff. Pearled barley, tahini, pumpkin seeds and garlic. And some red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, kale, a carrot, some cauliflower, a lemon, a red onion, and a cucumber. (you are not going to need the full amount of all these veggies)%u00a0

First off, cook the barley. The barley and water go into a pot, brought to a boil, then left on low %u00a0to cook until tender. Once cooked, strain away excess water

While barley is cooking (or is cooked) chop up the veggies into mouth sized pieces. I used half the cucumber, half the onion, some of the cauliflower, all the kale, and all the carrot. It’s not an exact measurement, you just want a good amount to toss into the salad.%u00a0

Barley in bowl, topped with the veggies and pumpkin seeds…. The pretty before the mix. You don’t need to add it like this, I just did it cause it looks good.

And the tahini sauce. Mince garlic and add to a jar or bowl with the juice of the lemon, vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and give it a really good mix.

Creamy, zippy, oh so good.%u00a0

Drizzle and toss the dressing with the barley and veggies.

And that’s that. Now you are ready for eating.%u00a0

Enjoy wherever this salad takes you.%u00a0

-C

If eaten as a meal, serves 2-3. As a side dish, serves 6-8

• 1 cup pearl barley%u00a0
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup tahini%u00a0
• 1 large lemon%u00a0
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 of a cucumber%u00a0
• 1 small carrot
• 2 large kale leaves
• 1/2 of a red onion
• 1 cup of cauliflower florets%u00a0
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Note. The vegetable amount and type is more of a preference. You could use all cucumber and onion or add %u00a0broccoli and pepper, just make sure to have a least 3 good cups of some chopped up color.%u00a0

Place barley and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and continue to cook until barley is tender, but not mushy, which should take about 45 minutes. Once cooked, strain excess water.

While the barley is cooking, chop all the veggies into small mouth sized pieces.%u00a0%u00a0And make the tahini sauce. Mince garlic and place in a bowl or jar. Add in tahini, the juice of the lemon, and the vinegar. Mix well until smooth then season with salt and pepper to taste. %u00a0

When barley is cooked and drained, let cool for a few minutes then place in a big bowl. Add in all the veggies and the toasted pumpkin seeds, then drizzle with the tahini sauce and toss all around. Season with salt and pepper to taste..%u00a0

Now eat still warm, or later at room renature, or place in fridge for it to get cold. It can be a filling meal or a great side dish.%u00a0It’s good all ways, any way.

Another note. This salad is great for parties and BBQ’s and can be made a day or two ahead. If you do make ahead, hold off on mixing the pumpkin seeds and the tahini sauce with the rest of the salad until you are about to serve it.%u00a0