Last night I had my sister and her kiddos come over for dinner. Nothing fancy, nothing to complicated,  just something  fast and something that I knew the littles would eat.  Spaghetti and meatballs, except replace meatballs were bean balls So they came, we played, did a little drawing and had a bit of first grad gossip. Then came  dinner time  when I was told by one little that she was not going to eat.. She had pasta for lunch. Well I made her sit anyway and she mainly just ate carrots (I was ok with that) Then the other little was all into his pasta and bean balls, 1 down, 3 more to go, when the mister let slip that the meatballs were not really meat. He ate around the remaining balls, said he didn’t want them anymore. And my sister, well she doesn’t eat anything that is not pizza.

Good thing a neighbor stopped by while we were eating. He had a few of the balls and told me that they were amazing. I needed someone to tell me that.  

So yeah, the littles were not overly enthused with the ball, but the Mister the Neighbor, and I thought that they were awesome and delicious. Maybe next time I will make sure that  pasta was not lunch and tell Nick to keep his mouth shut and stop talking about balls at the dinner table.

I feel like I don’t need to tell you how to boil pasta or heat up the sauce, so I left that portion of the recipe out. I have faith that you are capable in doing that part without my instruction.

The bean ball stuff. Chickpeas (soaked and cooked or canned), sweet potato, carrot, onion, and some chick pea flour. Dried garlic, basil and oregano. Salt and pepper and a little bit of olive oil. Small chop all the veggies and toss them and the dry spices into a skillet with a drizzle or two of olive oil. Stick on medium  heat and add about 1/4 cup of water to pan. Top with  slid and let veggies cook down until soft and fragrant.

Add the cooked veggies to a food processor or blender with  the rinsed and drained chickpeas. The mixture gets pulsed until combined,  keeping a little bit of chunkiness.  Now go warhead and taste  the mixture. Add another pinch or two of salt , pepper or any of the spices that you think it need.  Dump the mixture into a bowl and mix in the chickpea flour than stink the mixture into the fridge for a least a 1/2 hour. Cooling to off is really important to forming the balls. If you don’t, it’s much harder to keep mixture from falling apart and sticking to your hands.

After the mixture has had time to cool and set, start rolling the mixture into balls roughly the size of ping pong balls. In a shallow bowl, add a few tablespoons of the chickpea flour with a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder. Take each ball and roll in flour and place each ball on a well oiled baking sheet. When the balls are all rolled, stick into the oven and bake away for about 30-40 minutes, flipping balls after about 20.  After you flip the balls, get the pasta ready so its finished about the same time the balls are done.You pasta and sauce is cooked and the balls are all crispy and oh so nice.

Serve balls over pasta with sauce and eat with a fork.

Your day is now complete.. balls and all.

Happy Weekend!

-C

Spaghetti and Bean Balls

makes about 20 balls

• 4 Cups (or 2 cans) Cooked, Rinsed and Drained ChickPeas
• 1 Small Sweet Potato
• 1 Small Onion
• 1 Carrot
• 1/4 Cup Chickpea Flour plus extra to roll balls in
• 1 Heaping Teaspoon Basil
• 1 Heaping Teaspoon Oregano
• 1 Heaping Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Olive or Vegetable Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Your choice of Spaghetti (Use Vegan and or Gluten Free if needed)  Prepared as package recommends
• Marinara or Pasta Sauce of your choice

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees

Small dice the carrot, onion and sweet potato and toss into a skillet on medium high heat with a splash of oil. Add in the dry spices and add in about a quarter cup of water. stir and cover the skillet with a lid and let the veggies cook down until the water has evaporated and the veggies are tender. 

Add rinsed and drained chickpeas to a food processor with the cooked veggie mixture. Pulse together until the mixture is combined and slightly smooth, but still with a little bit of texture left.Place bean mixture in a bowl  and mix in the 1/4 cup of chickpea flour. and stick in the fridge for a least a 1/2 hour to cool. (Mixture can be made a day ahead if you want)

Once the mixture has time to cool and set up , remove from fridge and with a light head, roll mixture into ping-pong sized balls. In a separate shallow dish add a bit of chickpea flour with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roll each ball in the flour mixture and place balls on a well oiled baking sheet. Once balls ae made, stick into the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes, flipping after about 20 minutes. The balls are done when the outsides are once and golden brown and crispy. After about 30 minutes, get to cooking your pasta and mariana sauce.

Once the pasta and sauce is done, plate it and toss on some of those awesome bean balls!

Bean balls also make fantastic bean ball sandwiches or bean balls on a toothpick. 

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  pinching.  In 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.   

Ahh, memories. 

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)  I myself don’t have any littles at home so no little leprechaun games or gross dyed food for me.  Nope, in my house we celebrate with a few beers and a more traditional irish dish, Colcannon. Mashed up potatoes with cabbage and kale… 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. 

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

  The stuff…. 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. 

   Dice up the pretty potatoes and stick them into a pot and fill up with water and add in a good tablespoon of salt.  Stick on high heat and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium  and 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. Sauté on medium heat until soft and tender.

Once the potatoes are super tender, drain the water and dump them into the pan with the sautéed 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  taste. 

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

• 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 sauté in a large cast iron skillet (or any skillet) with a good drizzle of olive oil.  Once the potatoes are done, drain water and add potatoes to the skillet with the sautéed 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….Good hot, warm and cold.

The past few weeks, whenever the mr and I have a free couple of hours, we have been hitting the countryside, in such of the best rivers (for me to play in and for him to fly fish) 

We have been to many, but this one is my new favorite. There is shade to sit in, sun to bath in, and hiking trails to hike. There are little wading pools, deep spots that are great for fishing, and lost and lots of the most amazing rock formations. And bonus, the was not a mere person in site, only a few cute little frogs.

 No matter that I think I broke the bottom of my foot walking barefoot in the water and jumping hard onto a rock, or that the mr came back with a touch of poison ivy (poison something). We still both love it and are looking forward to our next trip back with shoes and long sleeves!

You got any plans this weekend? If not, I am recommending that you hit a river. Bring a book, bring a picnic, and bring a little bucket for your river treasures. Soak up the last bits of the summer, take a break from the crazy, and just go. Trust, you will be happy you did.

Sometime the best things in life are the simplest things. For example; a walk through the woods, a really pretty smooth rock, a perfectly timed 80’s ballad song for the last push during a workout, or falling asleep on the couch and managing to not drool all over the newly washed pillows.(You know what I am talking about). I mean, can one really ask for much more?

Same goes with food. The simplest foods can really the best. Take this cashews cheese for example. All it is is soaked and blended up cashews with a bit of seasoning to cheese it up. Nothing fancy, nothing labor intensive, just straight up and straight out. You can up the greatness by adding thick cuts of fresh, sun kissed, bright and happy tomato, and a chunk of fresh bread…Not much better then that. So simple and yet so good.

 And bonus. No need to turn on any heating units in order to make this cause that would suck, given that we are again having another fucking heat wave. 

Agh stupid hot weather. STUPID!!!! But enough about that..

Cheese time.

The stuff. Cashews that be soakin for a while in some water, nutritional yeast (to give it that cheesy flavor), lemon, garlic, and salt and pepper. That’s for the cheese, but you are, and should, want to eat it with a large, so fresh and juicy, tomato and some kind of fresh bread situation. So you need that too!

Simple as can be. Strain cashews from soaking water and dump into a food processor with the garlic, nutritional yeast, juice of the lemon, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little water.  Turn on processor.

And it’s done when its all smooth and creamy .Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Tranfer  the goodness to a lovely jar 

And that’s that.. some cheese of the cashew.

But wait, you need to eat it.. Smear all over the bread situation, cut up the tomato, place big fat slabs directly onto cashew butter and spinkle with a salt and pepper.

SImply the best… Better then all the rest!

Happy today! Stay cool my friends…stay cool.

-C

makes about 1 1/2 cups of creamy, cheesy goodness

• 1 cup of raw unsalted cashew soaked in water for about an hour 
• 1/2 cup fresh water
• 2-4 tablespoons nutrional yeast 
• juice of a lemon
• 2-3 cloves garlic (optional )
• salt and pepper

And not that you have to, but having some freshy tomatoes and some nice bread to eat the cheese on is pretty fantastical. 

After you cashews have been soaking for about an hour, strain water and add them and all of the other ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Scoop into a jar.

Eat some right away on a hunk of fresh bread with lots of thick cuts of fresh tomato and place the rest in the fridge.

The cheese will get a bit thicker after being refrigerated for a while.

Use on anything , in anything, or all on it’s own. Licking jar clean is encouraged.

HEY Hey Hey… It’s Taco TUESDAY, which means that you are obligated as consumer of food to eat some tacos today!

So ok, I am not going to lie, these tacos were not actually made on a Tuesday (GASP) but were made in lu of pizza Friday (another GASP!!) 

But guess what? No one died. People were happy. Food was fantastic, and there was no mention of the pizza that was not.  So sure, taco tuesday is totally a thing around here, but  you know how “Nobady puts baby in a corner”..  well nobody buts tacos in a corner. We don’t let the day of the week depict when tacos are eaten cause we think tacos are for everyday!

And these tacos, well, I got down with these. Made with lentils, cause lentils are the best, and topped with a hearty scoop of super fresh, chunky veggie salsa…. Not much is better then that. Easy and fast with lots of pretty in every bite, these tacos are a great addition to any taco dinner rotation!

Now lets get taco-ing!!!

The stuff. First off, you are going to need some type of taco shell.. soft or hard or both , that is entirely up to you.( I made taco shells a little early in the day, but store bought is totally cool.) Also need lentils, water to cook the lentils, a jalapeño (optional), taco seasoning (pre blended or your own blend) and onion. Also needed is a gigantic tomato, some red cabbage, a few kale leaves, a lime, and salt and pepper.

To get this party started, chop up half the onion, the tomato, cabbage ,and kale and toss into a big bowl. Oh, and chop up the cilantro and toss that in as well.

Sprinkle with salt and add the juice of the lime. Mix oh mix and set aside to let all the flavors meld.

Now that the salsa is doing it’s thing, chop up the jalapeño and the other half of onion and toss into a big skillet and place on medium heat.

And when the bits start to brown like so…

Dump the lentils in to the pan with water.Bring it all  to a boil then turn heat down to low.. Add in the taco seasoning and sprinkle of salt and pepper and place some type of lid on ithe pan.

And simmered until cooked.

Note. Check the lentils every few minutes while they are cooking. If you think they seems to dry, add in another 1/2 cup of water.

Now it’s ssembly time! Lentils in shell, topped with a generous amount of  salsa. That’s it! Maybe some guacamole would be nice (I had an avocado saved for guac, but it was rotten on the inside.. I was super pissed) But with or without, these are some freak yeah yummy tacos! I served my next to a bed of some jasmine rice which was nice, but do what you want my friends. 

Happy Taco Tuesday! (or any taco day!)

-C

Makes about 8 -10 tacos

For the Lentil Filling

• 1 cup dried lentils
• 2 1/2 -3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning*
• 1/2 of an onion
• 1 jalapeño 

Fot the Garden Veggie Salsa

• 2 big tomatoes (or one gigantic tomato)
• 1/4 head of red(or green) cabbage (about 2 cups shredded)
• 1/2  of an onion
• 4-5 kale leaves
• 1 juicy lime (2 if they are not very juicy)
• a bunch of cilantro 
• salt and pepper

And don’t forget the taco shells!

*Note. You can use any type of taco seasoning that you like, store bought or home made. I make my own with cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and a little coriander. 

Dice the tomato and 1/2 the onion into small chunks and toss into a big bowl. Finely chop the cabbage an the kale into small shreds and toss that into the bowl. And chop up as much cilantro as you would like and that goes into the bowl as well. Spinkle with some salt and add in the juice of the lime.  Mix everything all around and set aside.

Once the salsa is made and sitting, chop the jalapeño and other half of onion and toss into a large skillet. Place on medium heat for a few minutes until the pepper and onion start to brown. Now dump in dried lentils and 2 1/2 cups of water. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, them back down to low. Seaosn with salt, add in the taco seasoning, and stick a lid (or cover with something), and let simmer for about 20- 25 minutes or until the lentils have absorbed  all the water and are nice and soft. If you find the lentils are still hard and there is no liquid, , add in another 1/2 cup of water. 

Once the lentils are cooked to your liking, remove from heat and get assemble tacos. 

Scoops some lentil mixture into shells. Add on a big scoop of the fresh veggie salsa and eat with you face.

Guacamole, cheese, sour cream, or whatever are optional topping that you may consider adding but are definitely not necessary.  . 

Hey there people! How’s it going? Good right.. cause it’s SUNDAY!

Ok, so I know that some people don’t like sundays, but me, it’s my day. The one day of the week that I try to do as little crap as possible and relax, It also means the house is spotless, the fridge is stocked, (so so so stocked..a farm share and garden explosion!) and the sheets have been changed on the bed…. I LOVE clean sheets!  

This past week was for sure one of those dragging, nagging, just want it to be over type of weeks. Why? I am not exactly sure. We have  had us some good time; a back to school dinner, banana ice cream cake, garden time and a few playground trips. But I think I am just feeling the pull towards fall and am just clicking the days away until  we have the crisp cold days full of apple, pumpkins, cozy sweaters, and colorful leaves. Call me crazy, but I can’t wait for the warm weather to GO AWAY!

Anyway,  today I am going to relax a bit. Maybe I’ll finish my book, restart my knitting (I have knitted about 3 hats and keep pulling them apart because I don’t end up liking them.. I have pattern commitment issues) or do a little more painting. (on canvas, not walls).  I hope to take the mr and the pup for a little hike and of course, drink a much coffee as my heart can handle. 

How about you? Got any plans for the day? 

Note about picture above…. Saw the stuffed bear on a walk with the pup.. He went BATSHIT when he saw it. I don’t know how I even managed to take a picture cause he was barking like an ass at the thing…. Thats my dog.

Here is internet stuff from the week

-No more squares on Instagram. I am not going to lie, haven’t noticed 

-Uh, no shit. Turns Out Sarcastic People Really Are Better at Everything 

-Can You Use That In A Sentence? Dictionary Adds New Words…Awesomsauce!

-Plants all around!!! 

– This house and this house

-Why isn’t this happening everywhere? Streamlined Berlin Grocery Store Creates No Packaging Waste

–If only I had a library.. These are tops! 

-The Complete Guide to Gluten Free Baking. Thanks King Arthur Flour!

-Human Face Coffee Lids.. hahaha 

-Indiana Brewery Is Now Making a Beer for Dogs. I know my pup would like one.

And a few pictures from the week (All taken with my I phone 4.. I kept forgetting my camera)

You ever have that problem where your clothes start to smell a little on the funky side, even when you wash them, remember to swtcich to dryer right away (I forget to switch a lot, which leads to a bad smell as well), and really, fully dry them?  Maybe it’s just our washer and dryer or maybe it’s because we use the non smelly non yucky laundry soup that might actually just be made of thickened water, or maybe it’s because we are just extra dirty people. But no matter what it is, our clothes as of late have been coming out of the dryer kind of stale..

. I want my clothes to smell fresh, or else why do I bother washing them (ok, I know why, but still)

Being the  problem solver that I am, I made these little satchels of good smelling herbs. Sure I could go and buy dryer sheets, but those just smell like chemical ass to me and I might actually prefer the smell of stale clothes. I also  have a ton of the nieces oh nice smelling rosemary growing outside my door. It just made sense. Good smelling herbs stuck into a sack and tossed  into the dryer with the clothes.

It works like a charm! Our clothes have been smelling nice and freshy fresh! No more stale ass clothes!

Stuff you will need

• A bunch of fresh or a handful of dried, good smelling herbs (rosemary, lavender, cinnamon stick. dill..whatever smells good to you)
• citrus peels (totally optional)
• Scrap faric
• needle and thread or use your sewing machine

Directions .

Just sew up a little sack roughly the size of your hand,, leaving one side open. Stuff with herbs and peels of your choice and sew the last side up and toss into your next dryer load… 

Can be reused 4-5 times. And when it starts to lose its effectiveness, the sack can be riped open on one side and refilled with fresh herbs.

Happy Clothes Washing!

-C

It’s official, all of the littles started school yesterday……HOORAY! (I say hooray cause school is cool and the start of school means it’s going to be fall so soon!. Also I like hanging out with the littles more when they are in school. There is more to talk about and any time away from school is cool time so they like to do more stuff and not just be summer bums)

One of the littles had his very first ever day of school. So me, being the bestest most awesomest aunt ever, made that little a celebration, hooray for school, banana ice cream cake.

This little  has been bugging me for a while now to make him an ice cream cake. It all started a few months ago when I gave him a bowl of banana ice cream and told him that when he sleeps over he can have ice cream for breakfast  That blew his little mind. We then proceeded to have a converastawtion about healthy food and what was ok to eat for breakfast. (He is very interested in being healthy) I then told him that whenever he sleeps over I would make a banana ice cream cake for breakfast cause bananas are healthy. But every time he is over, I never seems to have enough bananas.

Well I had the bananas and there is no better excuse then the first day of kindergarten to make a cake.. A very delicious peanut butter banana ice cream cake!  And no, it wasn’t for breakfast, but the left overs can be! (there were no left overs here)

The stuff… Crispy rice cereal, peanut butter (I have some chiunky stuff  at the moment, but any nut butter is good) and 4 frozen  chopped up bananas.

Rice ceareal goes into a food processor with the peanut butter. Pulse until everything is all combined and starts to come togerter.

And ump the mixture into a spring for pan. If you do not have a spring form pan, a pie plate will work just as well.

Such a nice looking crust if I do say so myself. Now stick it in the freezer while you make your ice cream.

Frozen bananas go into the processor, get blended for a few mounters, and come out as ice cream…. freaking magic!

Now dump the magic ice cream into the crust.

And smooth it all nice like..and into the freezer it goes until its frozen.

After a few hours, you take it out of the freezer, remove from the pan (or leave it in the pan)

And gather your toppings. A handful of the rice cereal, some melted peanut butter, and a little melted nutella. (use whatever you want.. fruit would be great, some nuts, graham crackers, sprinkles. You get the idea)

 Now, Wait for it….

Go crazy! Toppings all over!

And serve up, and watch out.. I almost got my hand eaten for kids going for seconds..

Have a fantastic day and happy back to school. to littles and parents alike!

-C

Makes a 6 inch cake 

For the cake

• 4-5 frozen bananas
• 2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
• 4 tablespoon peanut butter 

To garnish (use any, all or none of what you would like… and maybe not the super sugary ones if a breakfast cake)

• melted peanut butter
• melted chocolate
• Nutella
• handful of rice cereal
• fresh fruit
• jam
• coconut flakes
• sprinkles
• anything else you would like!

Place cereal and peanut butter into a food processor and pulse until crumbly and combined and starts to come away from bowl.

Dump mixture into a 6 in spring form pan (or if you not have one, a pie plate works too) and press it down evenly on the bottom. Stick into freezer

Take bananas out of freezer and place into food processor. Blend until smooth. If needed, you can drizzle a tiny amount of water into it if you think it needs a little help to blend. 

Once smooth, take crust from freezer and dump the nanaer ice cream on top and carefully smooth it out. Stick back into freezer (a pier of plastic over to prevent ice crystals )for at least 2 hours, or until the ice cream has completely frozen.

When it’s time to serve, remove cake from spring form (or leave it in the pie plate).and drizzle the top with melted peanut butter, melted, chocolate and another handful of crispy cereal. Or leave it bare. Or add sprinkles… the toppings are all unto you!

Eat like a camp, for breakfast or dessert.. Or eat some for dessert and then some for breakfast.

Finally, it’s safe to turn the oven back on. No more heatwave (PLEASE NO MORE!!!) Last week was such a bust of life, I still feel like I am recovering. But let’s not talk about anymore. Lets talk about this cauliflower situation that was a highlight of my week.

I have been meaning to do this for a while now. And I have attempted, I’ll have the intention, get the cauliflower and peppers,  then somehow forget that I was going to cook it and just feed it to the mr raw, or he will just start eating at it and then the head is not intact anymore (He loves raw cauliflower). And sure, you don’t need to have a whole head of cauliflower to roast it and enjoy it, but come on, doesn’t it look super badass and pretty whole? And you can slices of it like you would a cake, a really yummy veggie cake. So yeah, it should be a whole head. Anyways, besides being pretty, this thing was freaking amazing. I love cauliflower, roasted cauliflower even more. Add to it some slightly sweet and cheesy pepper sauce, holy ho…I almost ate the entire thing myself. It was everything and more how I wanted it to turn out and am now forever going eat my cauliflower exactly like this (but probably not always). And the sauce…. I am going to make giant jars of it and stick it on everything. So good.

Now lets get to it.

The stuff. A whole head of cauliflower, a couple colorful peppers, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper, and a little bit of olive oil. 

Start with the cauliflower, Trim away any big leaves from the bottom and stick the whole head into a oven safe pot big enough to hold it.. Add in a little water and stick on the stove top on medium heat to cook for a few minutes, just to give it a little head start.

And preheat the oven

Pre roasted, slightly streamed cauliflower goes into the oven until a nice golden brown and all pretty like.

While the cauliflower is roasting, roasted the peppers too.I place mine whole onto a lightly oiled cast iron pan* and stick into the oven.

Once the peppers are starting to char and have become soft and tender, remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes or long enough for you to handle them. When cooled enough, remove the stem, seeds and any of the skin that is coming off.

*Last year I used the same cast iron pan over and over to rasot peppes and never cleaned it, or bothered to oil it. By the end of the summer, there was a 1/2 inch thick layer of hard as rock caramelized pepper juice that I had to chip it away with a chisel… so yeah. be careful of pepper juice.

Toss the roasted peppers into a food processor along with the garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, a splsh of oil and s little salt and pepper.  

And taste.. and try not to eat it all right now (It is so f ing good) 

And take that sweet, so delocouis sauce and smother all over the roasted cauliflower.

If you want, stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to crust up a little bit, but not a necessary.You can call it here and go to town.

I stuck in back in the oven for a few minutes… But again, not necessary.

And now you have this giant, amazing, head of delicious cauliflower, waiting to be eaten. I recommend removing the head and sticking it on a cutting board, you know, for easier cutting, and also it looks pretty badass. 

Cut into chunks and serve right away.  

Goodness gracious was this thing so freaking good!

Have a fantastic day!

-C

• 1 fresh head of cauliflower
• 2 red(yellow or orange work too) peppers
• 2 -3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (the more the cheesier)
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• juice of a lemon
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Take whole head of cauliflower and trim any big leaves or stem off bottom. Stick into a big oven safe pot with about 1/2 inch of water. Place a lid on pot and stick on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, or until water has evaporated. and cauliflower is slightly tender.

Preheat oven to 425.

After the brief cook on the stove top, remove lid, drizzle cauliflower with a tiny bit of oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stick into oven without the lid.

Now that the oven is on, toss peppers into oven, either on a baking sheet, pan, or on the rack if you have the space and cook until all roasted and soft (should take about 15 minutes). Remove when cooked and let cool off for a few minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove seeds and stem and any of the skin that want to come off and stick into a food processor. Add in the garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Once the head of cauliflower is cooked and browned, remove from oven and dump/ smear with the red pepper sauce. If you want, place back into oven for a few more minutes, or not. Good both ways.

Remove from pot and cut into big ass chunks. Garnish with something green and eat until you can’t eat anymore.

If by chance you have any left overs (which I highly doubt) try blending it up as soup. It is freaking fantastic!

How was your week? Was it as straight up nasty humid and gross as mine was? Stupid heat wave.. I was not impressed. 

I will be the first person to admit it, that I am not my best person when the tempature rises and humidity levels get so high that it starts to creep into my soul. I go a little crazy/ crazy bitch and just am not pleasant to be around.  Or maybe it’s that everyone around me is not pleasant to be around. Either way…. just not good. 

And I forget things, like to pick up the  farm share this week. Now I am forced to go grocery shopping to buy most of our veggies (we are still getting a good clip from the garden) until next week. And Let’s not mention the pup.. cause he is just as miserable, if not more then we are.

So to beat the heat, the mr and I found ourselves traveling around, river hopping. He fished, I stuck my feet in the water and read, did some watercoloring, or knitted. It was fantastic and probably saved a few of the lives of the people around me. 

We also took my little brother and sister up to the Bio dome in Montreal for the day, which was pretty cool. And of course we didn’t leave the city without making the manditory stop at Ikea, where I got myself a nice new green jar and my sister ate not 1, but 4!!!! hotdogs, and topped it off with a dessert frozen yogurt. It was the highlight of her summer. and maybe the lowlight as well. Now that I think of it, it makes sense why she was so  quite on the way home. She was in a Ikea hotdog coma.

So yeah, the heat and humidity have finally broke and we are now (hopefully) going to finish off the rest of summer with a delightfully non humid and hot, weather pattern.

And then it will be fall and  we will go APPLE PICKING!!!! 

Some stuff  on the internet this week.

–Is coffee a vitamin? I think so.

-Finally, a fantastic spork. 

-Vermont Farms Grow Some Surprising Fruits

-Pop Tart beer… Where will they stop?

–Do animals blow their noses? Good question. 

-Good to know. Is washing fruit effective in reducing exposure to pesticides?

–I think I want to be a Globe Maker

-This is my house in Sweden (Someday!?!)

-And my house in San Francisco(One more to my collection)

-An NPR Story About Homemade Vegetable Broth 

And pictures from the week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Tuesday!

-C

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

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

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

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

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

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

Eat with at knife and fork like a fancy person.

 All I want to do is make everything into hearts and turn everything pink…Is that a problem?

I’m going to admit it, I am one of those girls that love Valentines day! And no, I don’t love it for the flowers (although I do love flowers..but never roses..yuk) No, I don’t want a box of candy or the silly store-bought cards. I don’t want to get all gused up and go out to dinner, and I definitely would be pissed if the mister bought me any jewelry. What I love is a day of spending time with my lover. We always take the day to do something special together, and for each other, and to be happy……and there is always hearts involved. I love hearts. 

 I want to spread that loving love love feeling because no matter what your love situation is during this holiday..we should all be happy and spread love to each other and to ourselves… And what better way to spread happy and love then with a pretty heart shaped baked good?  Chocolate because almost everyone is into chocolate. Coconut because I can’t stop eating whipped coconut cream and pink coconut sprinkle because that’s what make me happy. (I am a little obsessed with sprinkling things) These little hand-held pies of love are  really easy to make and always a big hit, especially with the little ones.(I am thinking they are perfect for a Valentines Day school party)  And yes, they are vegan so you can share with all your vegan friends! 

So in the spirit of the coming Valentines Day holiday….Lets make WHOOPIE!!!! (pies)

 Flour, baking soda and powder, salt  and cocoa powder. Soy milk with  vinegar. Vanilla, coconut oil, and chia seeds jelling. Brown and white sugar…. you know whoopie stuff.

The dry in one bowl… sugar and all the wet in another. 

All the whoopie stuff mixed together and scooped into a large zip top bag. So fancy with my bag…a real pro here!

Snip the tip of the bag, do a little squeeze test, and have at it. squeeze hearts onto a lightly oiled baking sheet or use a piece of parchment paper.  

You might get a little  frustrated if you are trying for perfect. I was for the first two batches,  but once I stopped trying to hard, I really got into how cool some of the hearts came out. Embrace the funky lop -sided hearts, because any heart is a good heart.So lovely. Shadow hearts while the whoopie hearts cool.

Whoopies all paired up

Stuffed with a generous dollop of whipped coconut cream ( a cold can of coconut cream whipped with a splash of vanilla and a tad bit of sweetener)  and sprinkled with my home-made beet dyed coconut sprinkles…..

Are you happy now? Because I know that I couldn’t stop smiling when I was making these… they are just to cute!

A couple bits of advice… Try to assemble before serving.. I was trying to put them together  while a punch of kids were trying to eat them. Things got a little messy and sprinkles ended up everywhere. Also, The coconut cream should stay fairly cold, so my suggestion is to make the hearts and fill only when you are going to serve them. Or if you want to make far in advanced, cover and refrigerate to keep from coconut cream from melting….But other than that…

Have fun making Whoppies!

-C

Coconut filled Chocolate Heart Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cups cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup  soy milk or milk of choice
• 1 Tablespoon  apple cider vinegar
• 2 Chia eggs ( 2 tablespoons seed mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup  brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375

To start, make chia eggs( chia seeds in water) and add the vinegar to the milk. Let both sit for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda,baking powder, and salt. 

In a large bowl, mix together chia eggs, sugars, and coconut oil. Add in dry ingredients and mix while slowly adding in the milk and vinegar mixture until fully combined.

Scoop Mixture into a large ziplock bag or piping bag. Clip tip and gently squeeze out heart shapes onto a lightly oiled or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake each batch for 8-11 minutes, or until a toothpick come out clean.

Let hearts cool completely on a wire rack. Pair up like sized hearts and fill with desired amount of *coconut cream. If your feeling festive, dust sides and or tops of cake with sprinkles

* To make coconut cream, refrigerate a can or coconut milk or coconut cream for at least 4 hours. Open can, drain liquid and place the  remaining coconut cream in a large cold bowl. Beat with a splash of vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the sweetener of your choice. …. (careful because this stuff is super addictive)

Now share.. and watch how happy everyone is when they receive a heart shaped whoopie pie!! That’s love!

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

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

But first thing first. I need to make dinner.

So waffles for dinner!! 

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

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

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

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

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

SO AWESOME!!

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

Happy waffle Wednesday!!!

-C

Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…

Fork into face

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Tuesday!

-C

Mustard Roasted Celeriac with Split Pea Gravy

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

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

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

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

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

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

Eat with at knife and fork like a fancy person.

Because I love beets, I love celeriac and I love to pickle things…. And I love hearts. And Valentines Day is just around the corner so I though it appropriate to share these little darlings with you because even if you are not a fan of pickled beets or celeriac, you have to admit that these are just the cutest pickles you have ever seen. I have made a batch, sitting in the fridge, awaiting some sweet little dinner date that me and the mister will have come Valentines day. Or not, we might just eat them all before hand… because everyday is like Valentines day for us! (blah, barf, but awe, we are so cute!)

This is my basic pickling recipe….I figured you will want to pickle everything and anything once you realize (if you haven’t already) how amazing pickled everything is! And how easy it is to do it yourself.

My Pickling method……

1. Choose the jar that the pickles will live in
2. Prepare and pack the stuff  that is going to be pickled into the jar… leave about and inch of head space
3. Fill the jar to the top with a half water and half vinegar solution (I usually use apple cider vinegar because I think it adds a bit of sweetness.. I don’t like to pickle with sugar)
4. If going for a crispy pickle (like green beans or crunchy carrots)…. strain liquid into a pot with a teaspoon of salt per cup of liquid and any spices* that you want to use and bring to a boil  Add back to jar
5. If going for a more tender pickle (like beets or celeriac), dump the liquid and the veggies into a pot with a teaspoon of salt per cup of liquid and any spices* you want to use. Bring to a boil for a few minutes, then remove and replace back into jar.
6. Place lid and stick in fridge for at least a day….(I alway cheat and end up taking a bite within the first few hours) The flavor only gets better after being in the fridge for a couple of days.

*You can spice your pickles anyway you see fit…. I like to use peppercorns, garlic, mustard seeds, celery seeds red pepper flakes. Or for a little sweeter and more fragrant pickle, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods or star anise…the possibilities are endless.

Pickles are usually good for about a month, but I have never been able to keep them that long!

A little about these specific pickles……

I used one medium celeriac root, and 2 small beets. Sliced about a 1/4 inch thick and then used a cookie cutter to make the hearts.  The chosen vinegar was apple cider, and yeah ,you must pickle both the inner and outer hearts….don’t waste the outer heart! And the spices I used were black mustard seed and peppercorns. 

And they be amazing!!!!

Have a Fantastic Weekend!! Hopefully full of  warm weather, fluffy clouds, and lots of pickles!

-C

Before we left for the weekend, I was was trying my hardest to empty the fridge out of all food with the intention of leaning it empty so I could leave it open to defrost while were were gone. Unfortunately I was not able to make it happen. What I did make happen was emptying it almost completely so that when we got home, we had pretty much no food in the house, except for a few things that probably should be eaten.  Plus one of the last things that I want to do after sitting in a car for 6 hours is go to the grocery store, or anywhere for that matter, so I was determined to make with what wet had in the fridge:

• Carrots
• half of a gigantic kohlrabi
• soy milk
• iced tea
• bananas that needed to be frozen
• strawberries

Perfect!  A few carrots and half of a gigantic kohlrabi.. plus at the hotel we were staying at, there were fruit bowls in he lobby full apples. Every time I went past the apples (which was a lot) I grab one or two, so I have a few apples (I actually have a lot of apples now). All the things I need for a super awesome salad slaw. Apples with their  nice sweet crispiness and kohlrabi with its cabbagey, crunchy earthiness, tossed together with some vinegar, some toasted walnuts and some carrots, I mean, so freaking good. And to make it a bit more of a meal, I made some lentils to go with it. But the best part was there was no need to leave the house!!

     The stuff… A huge hunk of a bigger then my head kohlrabi (or 2 normal bulbs). A carrot, an apple, toasted walnuts, red wine vinegar, and some salt.

Pretty simple stuff going on here. Just peel and julienne the kohlrabi, carrot and apple. (no need to peel the carrot or apple unless you want too) and stick it all into a bowl.  I used my mandolin, which is one of my favorite kitchen tools ever, but if you don’t have one, a box grater works too.Sprinkle with salt and a good glug glug of red wine vinegar. Chop up the walnuts (some big chunks and some very small pieces makes for good eating), toss it all together and, well that’s it. But wait…. let it sit for a few minutes before serving to really let the flavors draw out.And there we have it. Super fast, full of flavors and crunchy texture. A salad slaw after my own heart.

Serve it as it or add to a bed of greens, rice, or lentils… and make sure to save at least as little… cause its an awesome little pre-bed snack.

Happy Week!!

-C

• 2 medium sized Kohlrabis 
• 1 medium apple   
• 1 small carrot
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
• red wine vinegar
• salt

In a large bowl, julienne kohlrabi (after peeled) apple and carrot. Sprinkle with salt, add in vinegar. Rough chop walnuts and toss the whole bit together. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, if not longer before serving. (A great salad to make ahead of time)

Eat as is, or toss onto a bed of greens, plate of rice or a bowl of lentils.

Any left overs only end up tasting better the next day.

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. Jalapeños 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. 

 Wow, 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,  while they were being noshed on. The day after,  the 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 jalapeños . For the icing; an avocado, a lemon, and some powdered sugar.

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

 First, preheat the oven.

Then trim and tiny dice the strawberries, remove seeds and tiny dice the jalapeños 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 jalapeños and scoop batter into a well greased (or lined) cupcake tin.

Stick into oven to bake…

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. 

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.  Add in the sugar and blend.  

The icing should be thick, but spreadable. Using your judgement and you taste buds, add more sugar  if 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

Jalapeño 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 jalapeños

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 jalapeños.

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. 

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.  The 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. 

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

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

Eat away! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

So much good .

Keep it real yo

-C

Quinoa and Asparagus with Sumac Dressing

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

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

For the Dressing

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

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

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

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

HOORAY FOR SPRING!!!!!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great Tuesday!

-C

Kale Pesto and Baked Ravioli

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

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

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

Preheat oven to 400

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

Serve and eat.. fork is optional.

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

You ever have one of those days where its  9 am and your ready to call it a day? . Yesterday was one of those day for me. Its spring vacation around here (more like an  arctic vacation) and I had volunteered my day to babysitting/ hanging out with 2 of my nephews, ages 11 and 13. (I know, I am the greatest sister). I had all of these great ideas and plans of things to do, but when it came down to it, they wanted to do nothing but play video games and not really listen to anything I said. I basically had to drag them outside to go for a walk we me and that’s all I could get them to do  My great little nephews, I love them so much, but yesterday they had their minds set on being little monsters.

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now the soup is now ready for the bowls!

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

Have a Happy Day!

-C

Bloody Mary Tomato Soup

The Stuff

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

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

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

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

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

Eat with a Spoon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Day!

-C

Parsnip and Carrot Fries with Smokey Sriracha Sauce

The Stuff

For the Fries

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

For the Sauce

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

Preheat oven to 425.

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

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

Dip fries in sauce

First off.. Happy Saturday  and Happy Valantines Day!

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

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

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

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

So whip some up and stay warm!

And have a fantastic day!!!

-C

Warm Winter  Lemonade  

Serves 2

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

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

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

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

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

Fast, healthy, and tasty…..Why not eat pizza every day? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Now the crust is ready for the toppings!!

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 

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

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

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

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

Everyday, all day.. Happy Friday and Happy Pizza

Stay warm!

-C

Skillet Pizza Dough and Pesto Chickpea Pizza

Ingredients

For the dough

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

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

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

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

When dough is done rising, dump back onto floured surface and divide into 4-8 equal sized balls.( 4 balls make  15 inch pizza… 8 balls are good for individual size pizzas) Place whatever dough you are not going to use into a closable plastic bag and either stick in fridge(if using within a few days) or freeze for future use.

Place skillet on high heat on stove and drizzle with oil. Also, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Roll out you dough and when the skillet is has gotten really hot, place dough right on in. Let cook for about 3-5 minutes or unit the cough has started to form bubbles and the bottom has started to brown. Turn heat down to low and cook other side for another 3-5 minutes or until browned. 

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

Pizza Pizza!!!

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

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

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

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

Juice the lime and blood orange…..so much pretty!

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

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

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

Double thumbs up here!

Stay un-sick!

-C

Blood Orange Ginger Lime Sparkler Pop

Ingredients

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

For the ginger date syrup

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That sums up the week…Stay warm!

-C

I am a year round maker and consumer of soup.

With that being said, the nature of my soups change seasonally. My summertime soups are usually on the lighter side, made with the fresh bounty of the season, and spiced more on the light and floral side, opposed to the really deep and warm spices that I use all winter long,

This corn chowder is made just right. It had the perfect balance of hearty and creamy from the potatoes and use of pureed onion cream, but  still light and refreshing from the sweet fresh corn and the lemony fresh thyme. It is for sure a great summertime soup (chowder) Even the Mr. was even really into it, and he claims he doesn’t like corn. (I say bullshit to that.. he eats corn all the time)

Now to chowder!

The Stuff. Some super fresh corn on the cob, a couple onions, a few chopped up potatoes and a chopped up carrot. Then we have a little oil, a lemon, dried thyme and salt and pepper. 

To start, take an onion, chop it up, and toss into a large heavy pot with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick pot on stove on medium heat and cook until  onions are soft and traslutcent. When the onions are done, remove and add to a blender or bowl. (if using a hand blender) Add in the juice of the lemon and blend it all up until nice a smooth. 

You have now made a nice creamy cream that will help make the final product more, well more creamy without the use of cream (lets say cream on more time !) .Set aside.

When the pot is empty again, add in the rest of the stuff, including the cobs of the corn, (they hold a butt load of flavor) the dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Place on stove and add enough water to completely submerge the veggies. Keep pot on a medium heat, add a lid, and stir ever once in a while. Cook until the potatoes are nice and tender. (when the potatoes are done, so is everything else)

Now that everything is all cooked up, remove the cobs and stir in the onion puree.

Now with a hand blender, blend up until the chowder is thick and smooth, but still nice and chunky. (If you are working with a blender, just remove about half of the soup and blend up, then dump back in) The optimal chunkiness  is up to you , so  blend, check the chunk,  then blend a little more if needed. If you feel that the soup is to thick, add in a little more water, or to thin, just cook down o little longer.

 Once you like the constituency,season to taste with salt and pepper and place pot back on a simmer until you are ready to serve. 

And thats how we make corn chowder

It tastes best serves in the daintiest of the cups, sprinkled heavily with cracked pepper, and with a side of some cracker situation (Saltines would be best, but sometime there are only triscits in the house)

Summertime is for chowder!

HAPPY Humpday Wednesday!!!

-C

Makes a pot big enough for 4-6 nice decent sized servings

• 2 fresh ears of corn
• 3 medium (tennis ball sized) red or white potatoes
• 2 white or yellow onions
• 1 carrot
• Juice of a lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2  tablespoons dried thyme
• salt and pepper

To start, peel and dice one whole onion and toss into pot with olive oil and stick on medium heat. Cook onions until translucent and fragrant. Remove from pot and add cooked onions and the lemon juice to a blender and puree until smooth and set aside.

While you are cooking down the onions, dice up the carrot and onion, remove the corn kernels from the cob, and chop up the potatoes. Once you have removed the first batch of onions, toss in corn, onions, carrot, potatoes, and the dried thyme. Stir around in the pot on medium heat for a few minutes just to warm up the spices. Add the cobs into the pot and fill with enough water to cover the stuff in the pot. Place back on medium heat with a lid and cook for another 20ish minutes, or until potatoes are super tender and almost falling apart.

Remove cobs from pot and add in the onion puree. Now either remove about half the soup and place in the bender and blend up til smooth, or use a hand blender and blend up chowder until you get your desired chunkiness. If you think the chowder seems to thick, add in more water, or to thin, just cook down a little longer on the stove.

When ready to eat, ladle chowder into a cup or bowl and add lots of fresh cracked pepper. 

Serve with a cracker and a spoon to eat it with.