It%u2019s a smoothie. And no, we have never really been smoothie people in this house, but what can I say, sometimes smoothies happen, especially when you have about 20 ripe bananas in the fruit bowl with no room in the freezer and no need for 7 loafs of banana bread.

So I smoothied. And I like it (a lot).

This is a smoothie of simplicity. Nothing fancy. Simplest of simple. Straight to the point. And all sorts of good.

You might think, does this simple smoothie you speak of taste very good? Yes, yes indeed it does. It is all sorts of fantastic. Basically if you like creamy, nutty, oaty, bananery things, you will like this. And it%u2019s a perfect breakfast, snack, dessert, or just wanting a little treat like thing that is not garbage food. A smoothie of all smoothies with the most basic ingredients. And takes about 15 seconds to whip up. Can%u2019t complain about that.

To the smoothie goodness!

The stuff. A ripe banana, some old fashion rolled oats, a pinch of salt, water, and a smidge of maple syrup if you want it.

Everything goes into blender.

And blended until smooth. Hence the word smoothie.

Pour it into a cup (or if you are feeling primal, drink it straight from the blender%u2026 it%u2019s totally cool)

And done.

A banana oat smoothie.

Let the good time roll!

-C

makes 1 smoothie

• 1 very ripe banana

• 1/3 cup raw old fashion oats

• 1 1/2 cups water

• pinch of salt

• a tablespoon or two of any sweetener you like (optional)

• a pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Place everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a cup, sprinkle with cinnamon if you wish, and drink right away.

It was summer for a day and it was great. Then it rained a bunch the next day and that was equally as great cause I love warm rainy days.%u00a0 And then the weather lady said that there is a chance of snowflakes in the valley Sunday night. (really?) It’s ok, one more cool day will be kinda nice because we all know it’s going to get hot and we will be looking back on this cool weather fondly. But until then, the lilacs are blooming and the trees are like POW with so much green… It’s all happy and pretty and just what I have been needing.

With all this nice weather lately, the mr and I have been spending a lot of time working on outdoor stuff (fencing trimming trees, moving plants) When it’s as nice as it has been, I don’t feel like going inside for a long lunch to feed myself and the food that I do eat, I want to be light and fresh, you know, like summer food. Nothing heavy or that can make me feel gross in warm weather. So my go to for lunch these days. A big ass bowl (usually a jar) of shredded veggies coated in mustard, vinegar, and salt and pepper, all the best things. (the best things being that it’s quick and easy and so tasty and pretty)%u00a0

And note about this salad slaw. It is great when made and eaten right away, but also travels really well. So if you need food to bring on the go (like to the beach, on a hike, or to the airport), this is what you should pack. It only tastes better the longer it sits.

The Stuff. Zucchini, summer squash, a beet, a few carrots, onion, and some cabbage (I used red and green but one or the other is good). Also need yellow mustard, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper.

Shred, shave, or julienne all you veggies.. no precision, just do it.

All the pretty colors in a big bowl ( they don’t need to be separated, I just wanted to see the pretty)

And then it gets tossed all around. Add in a good sprinkle of salt and pepper, a glug glug of vinegar and a big ass scoop of yellow mustard. Give it another big toss.

And you good to go, or, let this sit for a while, it only ends up tasting better.

So simple and easy, but so good. Eat it as it is or toss it with greens, some lentils, on a sandwich or into some rice. Possibilities are endless.

Summertime here we come!

-C

Serves 1 as a meal, 2-3 as a side

• a small zucchini
• a small summer squash
• a beet
• a few carrots
• a small onion
• 1/2 a head of cabbage (red or green or a little of both)
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2-3 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper

Note. Feel free to add more or less of your favorite veggie into the mix, even add one that isn’t on the list. And not a fan of yellow mustard, use stone ground or dijon or some fancy kinda of your liking.

Grab a bowl and all the veggies. Shred, shave, or julienne all of them into the bowl and mix around. Add in the mustard, vinegar and season with salt and pepper and toss around until evenly coated..

Can eat right away but tastes better after sitting for at least 10 minutes.%u00a0

My baby brothers graduated from high school this week, as well as two nephews from 8th grade. When the hell did these boys get so old?%u00a0 It all just makes me feel like an old lady. I guess I finally realized that compared to them, I am old. ( but am way cooler)

Other then graduating kids, the week has been full and hefty with the things that we do. I picked up our very first farm share of the summer season (hooray!) and wasted no time in pretty much eating it all within a two days. Good thing that as the season goes on, the amount of food doubles or even triples.(I can eat a pound of greens for a meal) I also have been harvesting the rhubarb and eating way to much of it myself. I am on a very slippery path of become a vegetable myself. I should probably eat some peanut butter for balance. We also had to bring the pup and kitty to the vets which I always dread but then after the visit remember how weird our animals are. For some reason (probably the treats) they both like going to to the vets and are always super behaved. If only they acted like that all the time. But yeah, just another week here, getting into the summertime swing.

And it’s Sunday once again. I hear that today is suppose to be a wet and cold day so, let all just embrace it and spend the day reading and making pie. (I have to make a rhubarb pie.. the mr has been patiently waiting for one)

Internet oh internet links.

-AAHHH! So many freaking mosquitoes bites. Repel Mosquitoes with These Plants

-THINK TWICE BEFORE MICROWAVING THAT ‘MICROWAVE-SAFE’ PLASTIC.. Use glass!

-Sad. Light Pollution Hides Milky Way From 80 Percent Of North Americans. Maybe we should turn some freaking lights off, hum?

-Soda is soda, diet or not,so yeah, tax that shit! Philadelphia Is About to Pass America%u2019s First Tax on Diet Soda

–15 Novelty Pool Floats and I want them all (for what, I do not know)

–Floral Food Faces. Why buy regular flowers when you could buy edible ones?

-Picking out a toilet is serious business. A round up of affordable toilets

-Amazing street art.%u00a0 Hyperrealistic Paintings of Children and Animals

-I have been thinking a lot about where to pots and pans are going to live in the new kitchen. Hanging Pots & Pans Solutions in Real Kitchens

–Pantless Ducks. So cute.

An a few pics.

Monday was kind of%u00a0a suck until I made dinner.%u00a0It was hot, I didn’t sleep well the night before, and I spent the morning calling the dentist over and%u00a0over until someone picked up so I could get my butt in there to get my tooth fixed (sometime during eating on sunday I broke my back molar%u2026. and that happened) . Whatever, I got the only appointment that they had available and was just happy that I was able to get in. So went about%u00a0my morning, went to the gym, did my things then%u00a0ran home, took a shower and headed to the appointment. %u00a0When I%u00a0got there, I checked in, sat down,%u00a0and waited..Then waited%u00a0some more, then was called in to the room%u00a0and then did some more waiting. But finally, the doctor came in and%u00a0took two minutes to check%u00a0the tooth%u00a0(the doctors said I was as badass%u2026 couldn’t believe that I don’t do novocain) and left the dental assistant lady to fix it. And ok, I know that people have to practice their craft to learn, but I am pretty sure that I was one of the first solo tooth fixings that this lady has ever done. And that’s cool,%u00a0but I was hungry and just wanted to get the f out there.(did I mention that it was lunch time?)%u00a0So taking her sweet time%u00a0(at least she did a good job) she got it done.%u00a0But then I had to wait some more, in the chair, for the doctor%u00a0to come back and check. Holy hell I was there for way to long.

Then I got home and rushed out.. grabbing a carrot on the way. But%u00a0I was still hungry.. And that just sent me to a dark%u00a0place for the rest of the day.

So when I finally got home, I immediately went to the fridge to get dinner started. While%u00a0aggressively riffling through bags of veggies and greens, I stubbled upon a big bag of mustard greens that%u00a0I%u00a0got last week at the farm%u2026.SCORE.., this made me happy.

Sure, I could have just eaten them right there, fresh and all spicy like, but I if I waited this long to eat, I could wait a little longer and I figured I would share.. and mabye do a little some thing fancy, like toss them with some cooked up onions and sweet potato and that left over quiona that was also in the fridge.%u00a0

And thats what I did. And it was good. And the day didn’t seem so bad. (food always makes me%u00a0better)

The stuff. Mustad greens oh lala. A small sweet potato and an onion (I used half of that big one). Cooked quinoa, garlic, salt and pepper, and a little olive oil.%u00a0

Dice up the sweet potato into little chunks and toss into a big skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place%u00a0skillet on medium heat and cook potato for a few minutes%u00a0just to give it a little head start before adding the onions. When the potato starts to show a little browning, add in the onions and a splash or two of water.%u00a0Stir around, stick a lid over it,%u00a0and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the sweet potato is fork tender.%u00a0

When the stuff is cooked, mince up the garlic and stir%u00a0that in and cook for a little longer.

And now%u00a0toss on the mustard greens. (Don’t worry if they are overflowing from the skillet, they will cook down really fast). Add another splash of water and place the lid back on. Cook for a couple minutes and mix everything together.

Place cooked quinoa (hot or cold) into a bowl.

And dump the stuff right on top. If your into it, drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar. (I highly%u00a0recommend)

And eat to be happy.

Hears to a better day then yesterday!

-C

• roughly%u00a01/2 lb.%u00a0of fresh mustard greens
• 1 small%u00a0sweet onion or half a big onion
• 1 small sweet potato
• 3/4- 1 cup cooked quinoa*
• few cloves of garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons%u00a0balsamic vinegar(optional)
• salt and%u00a0pepper
• olive oil

Note-%u00a0To cook quinoa,%u00a0use1 part quinoa- 2 parts water. Place quinoa in pot with water, bring to boil, place on a lid, then turn to simmer for 15 minutes. After 15, turn heat off and let sit of a few more minutes then fluff with fork. Also, i f you don’t have quinoa, just use rice or faro or nothing, the greens are good their own.

Dice up sweet potato into small picese and stick in a large, lightly oiled skillet on medium heat. Toss on some salt and pepper and cook potato for a few minutes until they start to slightly brown.%u00a0Slice up onion and toss that into the skillet%u00a0with the sweet potato. Add in a splash of water and place a lid on the skillet, giving it a stir ever now and then. (Watch the stuff carefully, it cooked pretty fast.)%u00a0Cook until both the sweet potatoes and onion are browned and soft. Now mince garlic and mix that it and%u00a0let cook for a few minutes..

Now everything is cooked,%u00a0%u00a0toss in the mustard greens. (It may seem like a lot, but its not)%u00a0Hit with a splash of water, place a lid (it doesn’t have to be a snug fit) on top and cook for a few mites until greens are wilted. %u00a0Toss everything around to mix together.%u00a0Take your quinoa and place in a bowl. Top with cooked stuff and%u00a0drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Eat right away and maybe save a little for later cause it very much good cold too!

Hey there lovely peoples. So nice of you to stop by. Hope all is well and dandy with you. Well and dandy.

Holy crap am I one tired lady. Mentally and physically but mostly mentally because it has been one of those weeks. It all started off with the mr and I both feeling like absolute crap. Sinus infections and some other fun stuff. Heads and brains super dysfunctional (although we can%u2019t blame being sick for all the dysfunction). I blame the ick on the weather and it not being spring yet. But let%u2019s not talk to much about the weather. It%u2019s a touchy subject for me right now and I just can%u2019t. Anyway, the week started slow. We got a few things done that needed doing then got ready to take off for PA to visit with my dad and go to my grandmothers funeral.

Took off mid week, the mr driving the 6ish hours down and over. A super sunny and bright day it was . One might think that sounds kind of nice but I hated it. Brightness while in a car without sunglasses makes for brain pain, at least in my case. So I had my head under a blanket for a few hours. Got to PA alright but as soon as we pulled into my dads driveway the wave of pain knocked me to my knees and I got a full fledge migraine. I haven%u2019t had one of those fun episodes in years and I can safely say that I hope to NEVER get one again. But after a night of zero restless sleep, I got up and rallied and went about the next day as half a human baking machine. Made the breakfast pancakes, some lunch, a birthday cake, cookies, my dinner, and cinnamon buns for the next morning. %u201cDon%u2019t worry%u201d my dad said. .%u201d We can go to the store and get as much flour and sugar as you will need!%u201d And so we did because I used a lot of flour.

The next morning was the funeral. Early to wake, walked the dogs, fed people buns and headed to the Catholic Church. The one my dad and his siblings went to for their entire childhood. OH boy oh boy, what a hoot. Their mother finally got them to go back one last time. HAHA. And as for me, I can say that was the first time I have ever been in a Catholic Church (for church reasons) and seen a catholic funeral. Very interesting to say the least. And I do go to hand it to the priest. He was pretty cool. Hip, sweet, not a typical catholic church man, and he kept calling my grandmother Ava instead of Eva. That got some laughs. My grandmother would have loved it.

The funeral ended and we all went to a restaurant and did the food thing with the family love fest. It was very bittersweet. Sad because of the loss but we were celebrating a freaking amazing lady and her amazing long life. Oh Grammy. She was the greatest, coolest, funniest little lady ever and I will miss her deeply. So yeah. Then after all the food we topped it off with the birthday cake I made for Teena cause it was her birthday too. My family, we packed it all in because that is how we do it.

After hugs, pictures, Shannon falling asleep in a booth, we headed back to the car and away we went, a long drive home with lots of shitty weather and bad roads. But we made it. And I even unpacked the car and managed to shower off before passing out. And a pass out was exactly what I needed and still kind of do. I told myself I would let myself sleep in a bit, but 430 came and look at me, awake.

So it%u2019s today and I must do some stuff. I%u2019m going to go to the gym for the morning, Run run run until I cannot possibly run anymore. Then I will come home and eat eat eat until I can not possible eat any more. After that it is a bunch of chores that need to be done and I need to go see the littles because I miss them. And I know I will need a nap at some point because I am feeling the even all the coffee in the world will not be enough to keep my brain afloat for a full day. Or maybe I%u2019ll just go to bed at a unreasonabley early hour. (5ish sounds good to me. Ha. But really) Yup yup, looking forward to that.

Until then.

Internet link from the online.

–Greener Childhood Associated With Happier Adulthood. NO SHIT for reals.

-My Library even lends out baking pans and garden tools! 8 Unexpected Perks of a Library Card. And I don%u2019t think the article mentions, but library cards are cool people card to. HA

–Thank a cloud today. Five reasons you shouldn’t take cloud cover for granted. OH how I love me a nice cloudy day.

-Nothing like FRESH HORSERADISH ROOT. Might be picking up a piece today to knock out my sinus crud.

–Do anxious owners make for anxious dogs? Yes. There is no question in my mind what so ever.

-I listen to a story about this article on NPR. It%u2019s really crazy how people, especially in our culture, are living to work,n to working olive. Workism Is Making Americans Miserable

–A scientist on the myth of ugly produce and food waste. Interesting, very interesting.

-I don%u2019t need a baby nursery but if I did (or ever do) I want it to look just like this. MARIGOLD%u2019S NURSERY TOUR

-What. I thought they were real. Balloon Birds by Terry Cook Mimic Their Real-Life Counterparts

–Vanuatu Has One Of The World%u2019s Strictest Plastic Bans. It%u2019s About To Get Tougher. We all (the entire world) should be getting tougher.

And some pictures from the week.

What can I say, Ireland was everything and more that I thought it was. The landscape is amazing, the people are so kind and friendly, stone walls a plenty, a pub or 5 on every corner, and the driving.. Oh man, that shit was cra cra!

It all started from Boston, after a four hour drive in the snow, we made it to the airport to sit around for a few hours before boarding my first plane ride ever. The excitement and fear were real, sending me into a walking fit where I went from bathroom to bathroom to pee (I pee when I am nervous… TMI?) But then we boarded and squeezed into out sets and the plane took off. And let me tell you, after taking 6 flights over the course of 2 weeks, that very first flight was a nightmare. The entire flight was constant turbulence and I had gotten a touch of vertigo. I though I was going to barf and was pretty sure the plane was going to crash. But I didn’t and it didn’t and that was that.

So three plane rides and one 8 hour layover later, we landed safely at the Dublin airport. It was late, to late to get our car, so we ended up sleeping (but not really) in the food court where the seats we plush and there was free wifi. At the very first second we could we rushed to the car rental place and got out sweet little ride, with the steering wheel all wrong. It was fantastic. The mr was the driver, for reasons of many, mostly I am a chicken shit and was to scared so I never did any of the wrong side driving, which was great cause the mr, he was a pro, like he had been driving on that side all his life.

And off we went, over the hills, into the countryside, around and around all the roundabouts. Hoping around every few days from bnbs (we did airbnb all the way and it was awesome) and just kept on going, going and going. We saw so much. Little towns, ocean for miles, the cliffs, the beaches, the green. Huge stone ruins all over the place. Castles, churches, sheep and cows. Everything was so lovely, so green even in the winter, and just so dang pretty.%u00a0 The weather was fine, never to cold, always a little drizzly (which I kind of liked) but the wind.. The wind was ferocious and nearly blew me away on many occasions. And again, the people.. We talked to so many folks and every one of them were so kind and helpful, it really made the place feel homey. Oh, and the produce. I ate my weight in fresh cabbage ans carrots, all grown in the country! But the one not so great thing that I must mention is the coffee. We had a heard time finding a decent cup anywhere. It was all about the tea. Tea and scones everywhere. I was coffee depleted by the end of the first day.

I could keep telling you every little detail, but I won’t,%u00a0 Ill just leave you with lots of pictures (I have so so so many pictures) and let you imagine yourself there.

And now I can’t wait to go back, but next time we want to bring our camping stuff and maybe rent some bikes Travel around like cool kids. (I would be ok with not driving over there anymore)

Have a great day and maybe go plan a trip to Ireland.

Bye

-C

Another week gone by so fast and now it’s the first week of June. Wow, I don’t even know how hat happened. I need to up my summer game and get some summer stuff done!

It’s been a super busy week, what with a bunch of our old tenants moving out and new ones moving in. Apartment turn over is always such a bear especially June ones. There is always a bunch of things that need fixing or painting and it all needs to be done within a matter of a few days, if not a few hours.%u00a0 Then there is the overwhelming amount of garbage people seem to accumulate and then dump when they move. Needless to say, we (the mr even more) have been super duper busy. But its coming to an end and so far so good, our new tenants all seem great and things are starting to calm down so we can get back to the serious of finishing our house. And guess what,we have officially move the location of the downstairs toilet to it’s new bathroom home at the new house. Yay for toilet!

Today I am planning on spending a little time over at the house, transplanting kale to the little 4×4 raised bed that I have permitted myself for the year (I want to spend all my time outside, but it’s the inside that needs to be done first). Then probably going to harvest a shit ton more rhubarb before it starts to rain, come home and make a pie and jam and then sit on my butt and read for the rest of the day. I am so looking forward to an afternoon of reading, drinking coffee and maybe even taking nap.(I am already ready for a nap). I am definitely in need of a little rest today.%u00a0

Things from the world wide web that caught my attention.

-Your Dog Has an IQ..Huh, I wonder what Washers would be (no genius, that’s for sure)

-I have been toying with the idea of adding some black to the kitchen.

-Really into the look of these tattoos

-All the pretty house plants and the many reasons to have them

-Check out this, totally not needed, but totally awesome 16 person tent

-I love all of these wallpapers.

-The Lasting Benefits of Growing Up Around Books..So many benefits.

-An answer to a question I didn’t know I wanted to know until now. WHY THE HELL DID WOMEN START POPPING OUT OF CAKES, ANYWAY?

-A little info about your store bought tomatoes and why they taste just mah. The Search For Tastier Supermarket Tomatoes

-You could get paid to poop%u2026for science. Sounds gross, but is really cool.

A few pictures fro the week.

Happy May Day!!!%u00a0 Now that it’s May, it can’t snow any more! (right?)

Did you get some of that early week snow storm? Yeah, it was freaking fantastic. I left the house early on my bike with a few little n=snow flakes hitting my face, thinking it would clear up soon, only to have to walk my bike home by lunch time because it turned into a snow storm (I might be over extravagating, we got like 2 inches at most) but still!.) But now it’s lovely out, the trees are budding, the flowers are blooming and I have got my normal itchy as hell allergy eyes and sandals on my feet. No more winter jacket, i just can’t.

Lets see, what else. Oh, the mr installed all the windows at the house which has turned our little bungalow shell into an actual living space. Crazy what a few pieces of glass has done.. It’s no longer a outside/inside situation and the birds can’t get in anymore.%u00a0%u00a0 Things are moving along quite well and I am actually starting to see myself living there. Woo HOO! All I do now is daydream about hanging out in the kitchen or what colors I am going to paint the trim (medium dark grey with pops of colorful window trim?) and which room I am going to sit in a read every morning( I think I am going to have to move from room to room, too many choices) I guess I am on a good high from the windows so am ready to just blast through and get the rest of the house done.

As for today, I think I am going to try and put in some outdoor time. I will plug in my ears with some good tunes, grab me a ho.. and a rake and fluff up all the pretty things popping out of the ground! I am really excited, I haven’t spend any real time in the dirt yet this year so I hoping to get really really dirty.

Some stuff the internet had this week.

– I really want one of these Froob shirts…but which one?

-Some scientist is saying that hugging your dog can increase their stress level. I can see that, but I swear that my pup wants to be hugged (or man handled)

-I think I want to go to all of these Fairy Tale Villages, and you can actually visit all of them.

-INSPIRING STUDIO SPACES.

-Do you know the difference between cold brewed and iced coffee? And which one is better? Cold Brew Versus Iced Coffee:Which Is Actually Better? (I like them both!)

-Drug sniffing dogs, bomb sniffing dogs… Its about time for bee sniffing dogs. Keeping Bees Safe: It’s A Ruff Job, But This Doggy Detective Gets It Done

-Hell Yeah!!! 1 Minute of All-Out Exercise May Have Benefits of 45 Minutes of Moderate Exertion

-Get your mail and you lawn mowed..smart move Finland. Finland’s postal workers to mow lawns

-Hahahaha.. For all the crazy cat ladies (and gentleman) These Linguists Want to Help You Speak Fluent Cat but this new collar will give your cat an ACTUAL voice… Oh boy oh boy!

–EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY ON HOT SAUCE

And a few pictures that I managed to take this week.

Earlier this week, the mr and I took a little Vermont drive. We grabbed some coffee,%u00a0went to the country side, down some dirt roads, and struck apple gold. This road was lined with apple trees.(no, it was not an orchard) Trees all over the place, of all sorts of different variety apples, just falling from the trees. It was crazy. So We stopped, tasted, and picked picked picked. We filled up the trunk of the car.

This is after a few days earlier we picked about 2 bushels of heirloom apples that are growing all around our garden.So yeah, we might have a few apples laying around the house

But we picked with purpose.%u00a0The mr is in processes of making , from scratch, his own hard apple cider. He has 2 of these humngo 5 gallon glass carboys (is that what they are called) or glass jugs %u00a0that he was attempting to fill with cider. No problem right? We have an abundance of apples. Well that’s all well and good, but guess what? We don’t have a press. The mr didn’t seem to see this as a problem. He will just borrow a juicer%u2026HAHAHAH. that worked, for about 2 cups of juice, then the motor blew out. So I let him use my blender. He spent 4 house deseeding and blending apples to a pulp and squeezing the juice through a piece of cotton. It was ridiculous and amazing and he actually got about 3 gallons of juice through the process, which is now fermenting in the basement, but he did not get anywhere near the ten gallons that he was looking for. So next project%u2026 build an cider press.(seriously)

But we still gots about half of the shit ton of apples that we picked. Luckily,most of them are good keepers so I can store them for a while (until I eat them all) but some of them are starting to smell so super apple-y that I can tell that they need to be used %u00a0asap. And thats fine by me cause that just mean applesauce!%u00a0

Applesauce!!! It is a must,%u00a0an apple season stable. Sure you can make all sorts of pies, tarts cakes, salads,%u00a0pretty much apple anything, but applesauce is apple at it’s most delicious %u00a0purest state( besides fresh).%u00a0Plus applesauce can be used to make all of those %u00a0apple cakes, breads, salads and such. IT’s also %u00a0what you do when you have any apples that need to be eaten, might taste a little on the meh side,are too sour,%u00a0might look a little to funky to eat, or just because applesauce rocks and you want some.%u00a0

So yeah, applesauce is awesome-sauce and you need to make some May you apples be store bought, orchard pick, or wild foraged.%u00a0Any apples will do!

Applesauce time!

The stuff. Apples, apple and apple.%u00a0

Cut up the apples, removing the seeds and stems. (peel if you really must)

Toss all those apples into a pot and add in a few couple of water. Place lid on the pot, stick one medium heat, and let it cook.

Until it looks like this. %u00a0Applesauce.. a little on the chunk side(the way I like it) but if you want it smooth, just use a masher or a blender to smooth it as much as you like. This applesauce is all about you my friend.

Spoon into jars%u2026 and into you mouth.

Add some stuff (cinnamon, peanut butter, fresh raspberries…)%u00a0add to stuff, (yogurt, muffin batter, salad dressing%u2026)%u00a0or eat straight up.%u00a0The possibilities are endless!

Happy Wednseday and Happy First day of Fall!!!

-C

Makes about 2 pints%u00a0

• 5-6 pounds apples (use any variety or varieties that you like)
• 2 1/1- 3 1/2 %u00a0cups water

Note. I am not an apple peeler kind of lady. I get that some of you are, so by all means, peel your apples if you want.%u00a0

Chop apple into chunks, removing the seeds and the stem and toss into a heavy bottom pot. Pour in aout 2 cups water and stick on on a medium high heat and top the pot with %u00a0lid. After about 5 minutes, give the apple a good stir and turn heat to medium low. Let simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring every now and then,%u00a0adding more water if needed, until the apple are completely soften and falling apart. %u00a0Turn burner of and %u00a0either with a masher of some kind, or even a wood spoon, smash apart any large chunks of apples. If you like a smooth sauce, add it to a blender and puree until you are happy with the consistency. Want it thinner, add a little more water. Thicker, cook a little longer.

Note that once it’s refrigerated, it will become thicker too. Store in jars for up to a week (if it lasted that long)

Eat as is, or add %u00a0anything that you heart desires to it. Cold is great, warm is amazing. Can be used in just about any baked good or savory recipes that you can think up!

Yesterday was kind of a shit show as far as the weather was concerned.%u00a0 I woke up early to a lovely light blanket of snow, the temperature hovering around 32 degrees. The air was nice and crisp, the sky was a light grayish blue. The neighborhood was quite. I walked the pup and then took off for the morning. It was so nice.

How that changed fast. Walking home a few hours later I was a hot , drenched, cold and damp mess. All that snow turned into slush and gigantic puddles and it was raining a good steady soaking rain. And I had to walk my butt home. So that was great.

But you know what these weather make me think of… Spring!!!! Yes, warmer, slushy, mushy weather. Mud all over the house and a wet smelly dog All the things that should not be happening right now but are. And now I have the springtime feels hard.

With things all springy, I was thinking of spring veggies and just wanting something bright and pretty and tasty. Peas! Peas are a good spring veggie, and where there is peas, there carrots. (or should be)%u00a0 But not plain, run of the mill peas and carrots. First off I got the prettiest colorful purple, white, and orange carrots because I needed some color. Right there that made me super happy, Then instead of just steaming them with some peas, I did roast those carrots to bring out all the sweet juicy flavors. Then those pea. Not really in season yet, so I went with frozen (I love frozen peas)%u00a0 and made the brightest, most amazing creamy pea sauce infused with garlic lemon, and dill. (all spring time flavors)

The results… I love roasted carrots so no surprise there but the creamy peas…KA-POW amazing!!!! My mouth has never been so happy to eat peas. and it really loves peas. Fresh, clean, tangy…I made, I ate, I though about them all night. And of spring and all the peas and carrots I am going to plant…and eat.

The stuff. The prettiest bright and colorful carrots and some green as can be frozen peas. Dill, garlic, and lemon to add to the peas and some olive oil, salt and pepper to roast up the carrots.

Chop up the carrots and tossed with salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil. And onto a baking sheet and into the oven to roast.

Dump those peas into a pot with water, garlic, and the dill. Stick the pot on the stove ans bring to a boil for a few minutes then remove from the heat.

You see that? It’s amazing . Its gets blended until smooth and seasoned with salt, pepper, and the juice if half a lemon.%u00a0 Give it a taste but don’t eat it all. (I almost ate it all) and pour into a nice little cup or jar and wait for the carrots.

Oh roasted lovely colored carrots.. So good all on your own.

But slathered with this pea sauce…. Always and forever. I am in love.. could eat all day every day.

I wish my stomach was big enough to eat all the peas and carrots….. All!

Lots of spring thoughts… It’s going to be official soon.

Have a great day. Stay dry!

-C

serves 2-3

• 1 lb carrots (I used a variety of colored carrots but plain old orange carrots are always fantastic too!)
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 3/4 cup water
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoon dill
• 1/2 a lemon
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

preheat oven to 450

Cut carrots into quarter and in half (can cut in any size and shape you want)%u00a0 Place the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with a wee bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss it all around. Stick the carrots into the oven to roast.

Now grab those peas and stick them into a pot with the water, the dill, and the garlic. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil. Let boil for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat. Either with a hand held blender or a regular blender…. blend until smooth. Add in the juice of half a lemon, season with salt and pepper, and then try not to eat it all before the carrots are roasted.

Once carrots are tender and browned and yummy looking (about 30 minutes) remove from oven and slather on the pea sauce.

Eat right away….. Make more tomorrow.