And that’s how I know that this is a winner. As an awesome aunt, when I have any of my nieces or nephews,  I feel the need to make something special for dinner, something that the kiddos might not get very often, but also keep it on he healthy side. I have 2 littles for the night which gives me the perfect opportunity for a trash food recipe. You know trash food, things like boxed mac and cheese, beefaroni in a can, or, in this case, sloppy joes.

Sloppy yes, trashy, not so much. These are made with beans and bulgur. No meat.

And I figured it is nice enough out that I can make the kiddos some messy food and then just bring them out back and hose them off… I mean, why not right?

The stuff… We start with onion and green pepper, chopped into pieces. Black beans, bulgur, can crushed tomatoes. Chili powder, garlic powder, a bit o apple cider vinegar (which I forgot to picture) ,and some salt and pepper. Oh and cheese if you want… Plus a bun of some sort is necessary.      Toss the chopped onion and peppers into a deep skillet or pot with a drizzle of oil. Cook on medium heat until tender and toss in the spices. Give a stir. Add in the beans, bulgur, and tomato, a splash of vinegar. Stir it all up, cover, and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid and is nice and tender.

If you are a bun toaster… toast while waiting. If not, just get the buns ready And Then dump a good heaping pile right onto a bun. Add some cheese, or not..and eat with wild abandonment,  making sure to get as much on your face as you get in you mouth. 

Fantastic Friday!! Live it up. 

-C

Black Bean and Bulgur Sloppy Joes 

• 2 cups or 1 can cooked black beans
• 1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup bulgur
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 small onion
• 1 green pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• salt and pepper
• a splash of apple cider vinegar
• olive oil
• 4-6 burger or bulky buns
• cheese (optional)

Dice the onion and the pepper and toss with a drizzle of olive oil into a large skillet. Sauté on medium heat until veggies become tender. Add in the spices, stir in and let cook for a minutes, then add in the beans, the tomato,water and the bugler. Cover skillet and let simmer until bugler becomes soft.

When the slop is ready, either toasted or not, scoop a generous portions onto buns. If so inclined, add some cheese. 

Eat with hands… Sloppy is good.

CHILI MONDAY!Well it is, but I am talking about making some super duper, yes I’ll have seconds, tummy filling, bone warming, pumpkin chili.. And heathy oh so healthy to boot. Reals, it’s the best.

This pumpkin chili recipe had evolved over the years. The first time I made pumpkin chili was for my very first dinner party that I  threw back in college.  Instead of cutting the pumpkin and adding it into the chili, I chopped the little pumpkins in half, roasted them, and used the halves as bowls..A good idea except no one at the pumpkin and I was left with a bunch of slobbered on roasted pumpkin halves. ( I probably should have said something, but being a few drinks in, I didn’t think to say anything about the edible bowls and I don’t think I noticed the abandoned pumpkins until the next morning). After that somewhat failed attempt, I started adding the pumpkin to the chili and left the drinking tip after the food is served. ( I learned so much in college)

But yeah, this recipe has traveled a few years with me and every time I make it, I always think, jeez, why don’t I make this every weekend.  Well maybe now I will.

Don’t let this spread scare you.. it’s just veggies from the fridge, a chopped up pie pumpkin and pre soaked beans. Oh and some canned tomato and spices. It took about 10 minutes of hands on time and one big pot. No big mess to clean up and you can get rid of those veggies in the fridge that are on the way out. WIN WIN WIN!

All the chopped veggies, the chopped pumpkin go into the pot with salt. pepper , and spices.( I added a fresh jalapeno and about 5 cloves of garlic to this mixture) Let the mixture sweat for about 5 minutes, giving it a  quick stir or two.

Now toss in the beans and the tomatoes… Add a cans worth of water as well. Bring to a boil, then turn to low heat and cover.

A last minute addition.. I added a few chopped up kale leaves. I wanted a little more bright color and adding kale to anything is a good idea.

I added a little sliced avocado to one of the bowls (I only had enough for one) and cut up some lime wedges to squeeze on top. (I did, Nick didn’t) 

Best chili I have made in a long time…and yes, there is a bunch of left over which is fantastic because now I have lunch for the next couple days… 

HOORAY FOR FOOD!!!

Have a good Monday!

-C

•  small sugar pie pumpkin
• 2 cups dried beans..I used a 1 1/2 cups black and 1/2 cup kidney or 2 cans of beans
• 28 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 small onion
• 1 small
• 1 carrot
• 1 /4 head of cabbage
• a small broccoli crown
• 1/4 head of cauliflower
• a few kale leaves
• 1 jalapeño 
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• salt and pepper

Either the night before or morning of, presoak dried beans..(beans in pot with about 4 cups water and a sprinkle of salt)

Take pumpkin and slice in half, de-seed and chop flesh into little chunks. (You can peel it if you want, but really, there is no reason to) Rough chop all the veggies (minus the kale) and stick into a large pot with the pumpkin. Pot on medium heat.. let the veggies sweat for about five minutes.  Now add the garlic and the spices and let cook for a few more minutes.

When the mixture starts to become fragrant… drain, rinse and add presoaked (or canned) beans. Then the tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cans worth of water. 

Bring chili to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low. Let cook for about an hour, giving it a stir every now and then………

Add in chopped kale a few minutes before serving

Serve in a bowl and top with sliced lime, avocado, a sprinkle of cheese….Whatever you want. 

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

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

The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..

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

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

Yea it’s Thursday!!!!

-C

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

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

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

On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard.  

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

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

It rained a lot this week, and it was fantastic. I love summer rain. I love to play in rain, I love to watch the sky turn grey and big storm clouds roll through.. Add in a little thunder and lightning.. even better. I think the only issue with I have when it rains is when it floods the basement. That and wet dog.(Washer smells like something died when he is wet)

And as usual, this week we did, we went, we came back. We took in a little for a the weekend and had the greatest of times. Puddle splashing walks, waffles, carrots, and lot and lot of gardening. But now I am tired. So today, like every Sunday, I am going to try and take a little breather and catch up on my, “me time”.  And maybe I’ll get a nap in since last night I got almost zero sleep because the little and the Mr. were all cuddled up and I ended on the edge of the bed receiving a pretty aggressive kick in the back every time I was about to nod off. (She is lucky I didn’t make her sleep in a laundry basket).

Anyway, here is some internet fun from the week.

-I think this is where I am meant to go to school. Hogwarts Hops The Pond: Rowling Reveals U.S. Version Of Wizards’ School   

 –This  DIY HANGING PLANT LAMP  is cool. I want to make it. 

-These  are cool. Modern Minimalist Bird Houses from Twig & Timber

– This guy is amazing.. Monzter: Artist Hides Monster Murals Inside Abandoned Buildings In Berlin 

– ‘Chunky Knits’ by Anna Mo. I need….

-I love this headboard 

-This house… And check out the tubs next to the beds. Weird, but who am I to say

-12 OF THE BEST IN COFFEE BREWING TECHNOLOGY. Coffee stuff makes me happy.

And some pictures from the past week. 

I have been meaning to make this jam for a while now. I’ll buy a bunch of jalapeños, then slowly, before I get to cooking them down, end up eating them all. But not today, and the rewards are great, Fresh jalapeño jam. So much potential for the greatest of things (I am thinking mango jalapeño sorbet… no, I am making jalapeño mango sorbet) And if you, like me are a jalapeño fan, this is going to make your life amazing. You will find yourself jamming up everything, or maybe just eating it with a spoon.

Whatever you want to do with it, just make it. 

Honey and jalapeños.. All you need, well a little salt and water too, but that’s it.

What you need to do is remove the stems,, most of the ribs and half of the seeds removed. (You could remove all or none of the seeds depending on you heat preference) Chop the peppers into small chunks, toss into a pot, sprinkle with a bit of salt, add in a splash of water. Place the pot on medium heat. Top it with a lid, and give the peppers a good stir every few minutes. While the peppers are cooking, you want to make sure the bottom isn’t sticking and buringin. If that starts to happen, just turn the heat down a bit and add in a little splash more of water.

After about 20 minutes, the peppers are fully cooked and falling apart. The liquid is cooked down and the peppers are starting to caramelize on the bottom of the pan. When that happened, remove the pot from heat.

Now you can either blend the peppers, mash the peppers with a fork, or leave it chunky. Thats a choice Ill leave to you. ( I like to blend, but keep some chunks)

And drizzle in a bit o honey. As little or as much as you like.

And scoop into a jar. Eat the jam on anything you want. (I found myself eating it with a spoon)

Keep it Real!

-C

Makes about 1 1/2 cups of jam

• 10 large jalapeño peppers
• a pinch of salt
• About 1 tablespoon of honey, but add more if you like (And if you want to keep it vegan, use agave or sugar)

Wash, remove ribs and most seeds (the more seeds you leave the hotter it will be) and dice jalapenos into small chunks. Place in a pot with a few splashes of water and a sprinkle of salt. Turn on medium heat and cover, stirring every few minutes. If the peppers seem to be sticking  o the pot and burning, turn heat down and add another splash of water. After about 20 minutes, the peppers should be really tender and falling apart. The liquid should be completely cooked out and the peppers will start to caramelized at the bottom of the pot. When that starts to happen, remove from heat.  Now either mash with a fork, blend with a hand blender, or leave superr chunky. Drizzle in honey (or sweetener) and stir. 

Eat right away or stick in a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week (It won’t last that long)

Happy summer!! Happy Fathers Day!! Happy happy!! 

Can you believe it? We are already getting toward the end of June. This is just crazy to me. I feel like I should have gotten more summer stuff done already. Aaaaaaaaah! Pulling my hair out! Whatever, it’s all cool. I’ll get there (where?  not exactly sure) but I think this week was a good start. We did a little road trip to Montreal, a few good bike rides, hung out with some littles that are officially on summer vacation (again. AAAAAHHHHH), a drive to the country to collect wildflowers…. I mean, I did a good amount of awesome stuff this week.  I also did a fair amount of not so much fun crap, but we don’t need to go there. All this summer talk got me thinking.. What do I want to do this summer? So I made a list

SUMMER BUCKET LIST

1. Hike Camels Hump (and some other mountains)
2. Start knitting a sweater so it will be ready for fall
3. Fly a kite
4. A kayaking Day Trip
5. At least one EPIC bike ride
6. repot all my house plants
7. spend a n entire day in bed (or at least at home)
8. Make popsicles at least once a week
9. Fly somewhere
10. go swimming in a river
11. Clean out the barn
12. A few good camping trips (can combine with #1,2,3,4,6, and 9)
13. Road Trip!!! (another one)
14. Shave my legs and get a hair cut
15. Every kind of berry picking

I could add a few more, but this is a good start.  Do you have a summer bucket list? If so, something you got that I am missing? I am open to suggestions,

Anyway, here is what this week in internet had for me…

 –  I am in love and inspired by this. STUDIO TOUR: KIKI SLAUGHTER

– A Gallery of Beautifully Eclectic Living Rooms 

–Yes, Coffee Can Actually Improve The Power Of Your Power Naps

-Nick and I were just listening to this TED talk. Very interesting. Shifting Time  

 – I love  a good  Horseshoe.

-This hotel room, I could live in.  AN APARTMENT-LIKE HOTEL ROOM FOR THE TRAVELING PROFESSIONAL 

-Your Inner-Child Will Love This Playground Decor I think I want the side.   

And some pictures from the week.

The gardens looking good, no?

Sticks and farting noises make the best of times.

Weekly CSA…..so AMAZING!!!

I rode the mr’s  bike for a few days after my tire popped. I liked having a basket, I felt like the wicked witch of the west.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a Happy Day! 

-C

Baked Navy Bean Polenta with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Serves 4 hungry people

For the Polenta

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

For the Sauce

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

Preheat oven to 400

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

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

For the sauce

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

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

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

Eat…..Spoon or fork is recommeded.

Happy Food!

I am such a sucker for the reduced price produce at the grocery store. I save at least half of the original price for stuff that might look a little weird or have a brown spot or something. Sometimes I can’t believe what ends up on in the bin, stuff that I wouldn’t consider reduced bin material, but hey, if they want to stick it in there, then I will be more than happy to buy it. A couple days ago I found some good looking roma tomatoes in that said reduced produce bin..the skins the tiniest bit wrinkled (like I could care less), least hen 50 cents a pound. Um, yea, I bought those and put them to good use. 

Tomatoes roasted until they fell apart with a few other chunks of stuff, then piled onto a base of spinach and couscous.  This meal cost me pennies and was stupid easy and fast to make. And pretty to boot. Perfect for a quick healthy meal on a busy day or maybe for those people looking for a tasty, not too completed dinner to make for  a special someone for Valentines day? Or make just for yourself…its pretty much the perfectly dish. Anyone can get into it. And if you don’t happen to have a grocery store with a reduced produce bin full of tomatoes…it’s cool, you’ll just have to pay full price for the perfect ones.

    So simple. A little olive oil in pan. Chunk the tomatoes and throw in pan with the chopped onion, carrot, cauliflower, garlic and chick peas. Drizzle a bit more oil and top with salt and pepper. Give it all a toss and stick into oven. That’s that. Just leave it in there until everything is so nice and soft and falling apart.

One of the best things about couscous is that you don’t even need to dirty a pot or a bowl to make it,  just add dried couscous to the bowl you are going to eat out of with a cup of boiling water and a pinch of salt.  (I added the spinach with the water too) After about 8 minutes, the couscous absorbs all the water and you just fluff it up with a fork. Easy, freaking Peasy!!! Out of the oven and piled on…..

I mean, if this isn’t one classy looking meal, then I don’t know what is.

Sprinkle with a little parmesan or nutritional yeast if you want and step back and admire. And now eat it to you face.

And barely any dishes to wash. No big mess to clean up.  I could get used to that. 

-C 

Chunky Tomato and Stuff Couscous

Ingredients                 

Serves 2

• 3/4 cup Couscous
• 1 cup boiling water
• Handful of chopped spinach
• 4-5 roma tomatoes chopped
• 1 medium carrot diced
• Half of an onion diced
• Cup or so of cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
• Cup of prepared chick peas
• 4 or 5 cloves garlic minced
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400

Place onion, carrot, cauliflower,tomatoes, chick peas and garlic into a large skillet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and give everything a light toss. Stick into oven for 35-40 minutes until tomatoes are falling apart and everything is nice and roasted.

In a medium bowl, (or serving bowl) add cup of boiling water to dry couscous and spinach. Sprinkle with salt and cover. Let sit for at about 8 minutes, or until the couscous had fully absorbed all the water. Fluff with a fork and top with roasted tomato stuff.

Top with parmesan or nutritional yeast if you are into it.

Enjoy!

One of the best things about winter is that I can have something in the oven at any time and not worry about how hot the house is going to get.  I get to spend my free time (or my in between free minutes) baking up all the thing that I would not dare bake in the summer. (lots of bread and cakes) Yeah, I might complain a little about how cold it is outside (to my defense, -20 is kind of a bitch) but then I think of the super hot humid days that come during the summer and cringe.  At least when its cold out I am able to get warm, (que oven)  but when its super hot and humid, I just turn into something that border lines a wet towel and the rabbit animal… Not so pleasant.   I much prefer cooler weather. So no big surprise….I made bread.. or focaccia to be exact. And now you should too because first off, you want to eat it, and secondly, you can probably whip this up faster then it would take to get all of you winter warmies on and leave the house. Don’t leave, just turn the oven on.  The stuff, which isn’t a whole lot… Flour and salt.  A mixture of honey, water, and yeast. And olive oil. Its pretty much my pizza dough recipe, tweaked with the addition of oil, less flour and no kneading.  Mix together the wet and dry…I used my nifty dough whisk, but a wooden spoon or even your hand works. Mix mix mix. The dough should  be really slack and sticky.  And guess what.. no need to knead! Just make sure the dough is uniformly incorporated…hehe.. uniformly incorporated… sounds weird.         Drizzle the dough (don’t worry about making it into a ball, a blob is good) with a little oil and place in a nice warm place topped with a towel to rise for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size. Once is has fully risen, drizzle 2 tablespoons oil in two 9 inch cake pans.  Divide dough in half, and kind of smoosh dough into pans. Cover and let rise for another 20 minutes or so. When dough has finished its second rise, drizzle each  with another tablespoon of oil and with your fingers, fill out the pan and indent the dough, kind of like playing a piano or tickling a puppy(?)….Then layer your toppings (if you want any)  Start with any herbs, then the veggies. Then last, any cheese you got. I used thyme, cracked black pepper, tomato, onion, topped with parmesan cheese. And the other one is just plain old salt.  Pulled from the oven when nice and golden brown..set on a wire rack to cool for a few minute and removed from the pans. The mister was practically salivating waiting for a slice… and he was so not disappointed. Crispy outside with soft airy insides… Everything a perfect focaccia should be. The one with the toppings was the favorite for the first night, but for a peanut butter and cheese panini for lunch the next day…plain is the way to go.. My suggestion, do what I did, jazz one up and leave one plain. And then make more if you need too because the forecast call for another week of below zero!!! Oh the things that I’ll get to make! (me being positive) Stay warm! -C

Focaccia with out without stuff

• 3 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon salt plus 2 teaspoons for topping (can use more or less if you want)
• 2 teaspoons active yeast (or one package)
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 tablespoon honey (or sugar if vegan)
• 6 tablespoons olive oil

Optional toppings

• Fresh cracked pepper
• Thyme or any other spices
• Thinly sliced tomato
• Thinly sliced onion 
• Parmesan Cheese 
• Anything you want!

In a bowl or jar, mix honey (or sugar), yeast and warm water together and let sit for about 5 minutes or until yeast is activated and starts to foam In a large bowl, whisk together flour and 1 tablespoon of salt. With either a wooden spoon, dough whisk, or if you have one, a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the yeast mixture with the flour. The dough is going to be really sticky so mixing might get a little gloppy, but keep at it until everything is full incorporated.. for about 3-5 minutes and don’t be afraid to use your hand… you can wash it off.  Once mixed drizzle with oil and cover with a towel. Let rise for about an hour or until dough has dubbed in size. When dough has double, coat two 8 or 9 inch cake pans each with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Dump dough onto floured surface and cut in half. Take each half a place in pan. cover and let rise again for another 20ish minutes. preheat over to 400 degrees After second rise, lightly take your fingers and push down dough, making little indents all over the surface. Drizzle each with another tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle each with a teaspoon of salt. If using spices or any other toppings, nows the time to layer them on. And do any cheese last! Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. When done, place on a wire rack and let cool a bit before removing  from pans. Done!!  To store, place in a paper bag.. best eaten within a few days!

Happy summer!! Happy Fathers Day!! Happy happy!! 

Can you believe it? We are already getting toward the end of June. This is just crazy to me. I feel like I should have gotten more summer stuff done already. Aaaaaaaaah! Pulling my hair out! Whatever, it’s all cool. I’ll get there (where?  not exactly sure) but I think this week was a good start. We did a little road trip to Montreal, a few good bike rides, hung out with some littles that are officially on summer vacation (again. AAAAAHHHHH), a drive to the country to collect wildflowers…. I mean, I did a good amount of awesome stuff this week.  I also did a fair amount of not so much fun crap, but we don’t need to go there. All this summer talk got me thinking.. What do I want to do this summer? So I made a list

SUMMER BUCKET LIST

1. Hike Camels Hump (and some other mountains)
2. Start knitting a sweater so it will be ready for fall
3. Fly a kite
4. A kayaking Day Trip
5. At least one EPIC bike ride
6. repot all my house plants
7. spend a n entire day in bed (or at least at home)
8. Make popsicles at least once a week
9. Fly somewhere
10. go swimming in a river
11. Clean out the barn
12. A few good camping trips (can combine with #1,2,3,4,6, and 9)
13. Road Trip!!! (another one)
14. Shave my legs and get a hair cut
15. Every kind of berry picking

I could add a few more, but this is a good start.  Do you have a summer bucket list? If so, something you got that I am missing? I am open to suggestions,

Anyway, here is what this week in internet had for me…

 –  I am in love and inspired by this. STUDIO TOUR: KIKI SLAUGHTER

– A Gallery of Beautifully Eclectic Living Rooms 

–Yes, Coffee Can Actually Improve The Power Of Your Power Naps

-Nick and I were just listening to this TED talk. Very interesting. Shifting Time  

 – I love  a good  Horseshoe.

-This hotel room, I could live in.  AN APARTMENT-LIKE HOTEL ROOM FOR THE TRAVELING PROFESSIONAL 

-Your Inner-Child Will Love This Playground Decor I think I want the side.   

And some pictures from the week.

The gardens looking good, no?

Sticks and farting noises make the best of times.

Weekly CSA…..so AMAZING!!!

I rode the mr’s  bike for a few days after my tire popped. I liked having a basket, I felt like the wicked witch of the west.

      I figured now is a good time to get this recipe out there before we get to far into spring and summer recipes because there is going to be a lot of banana ice cream filled recipe coming and I figured its a good idea to have the basic banana ice cream recipe ready for people to refer too.  And because I made so much fantastic naner ice cream, I also made a cookies and cream naner ice cream for my sisters and the mister.

Comments that I got from my sisters and the mister when I made them this ice cream

-Sister one.”I give this my sister seal of approval.. It’s so good.  The first dessert you have made that I liked! (not including all the other desserts that you have made that I liked)”

-Sister two- “Wow.. it looks like ice cream and feels like ice cream and tastes like ice cream.. You should make me this ice cream!” (I was confused too because I was pretty sure I just made her some)

-The mister- “I am so excited for my new fly fishing pole!”

Ok, so the naner ice cream isn’t new to the mister and he IS very much excited for his new fly fish pole. So excited that he forgot to tell me how amazing that I am and to thank me for making him a big bowl of yumminess. (It’s ok, I forgive him)

And yes, this is probably one of the easiest, most delicious, healthy and amazing frozen dessert that you will ever eat. You will probably find yourself buying mass amounts of bananas and stocking the freezer until things just start falling out. (which is also ok because it’s only bananas and you can’t have too many frozen bananas)

   The stuff you need for this ice cream…. Nice and ripe bananas, peeled and then frozen* That’s it.

To make it, place frozen bananas into food processor and hit the on button. Process the crap out of the namers until nice and silky smooth. 

*Note, the smaller the frozen chunks are , the faster and maybe a little easier for the blender to blend the naners into ice cream. So if you think of it, chop bananas into pieces before freezing or even after.

After all blended and smooth, either eat right away or scoop ice cream into a freezer safe container and stick in freezer. That’s the banana ice cream…  And it is amazing and so so so so so addictive. I make a batch, think I am only going to eat a scoop, then find myself eating half of what I have made, but it’s ok cause it’s only bananas. 

Now for the cookies and cream banana ice cream..One batch of banana ice cream, either freshly made, still in food processor or made ahead and placed in a food processor and given a good pulse to smooth it up.

Add cookies in, crushing a bit beforehand and pulse till combined. Now you have cookies and cream naner ice cream…. and everybody is happy.

Scoop into a cup, a bowl, a freezer safe container, or directly into your mouth. Be careful…. You can still get brain freeze from eating naner ice cream too fast!

Keep it real hump day drum bum!

-C

Basic Banana Ice Cream

Makes one batch. Good for 3-4 servings

• 4-5  ripe bananas peeled and frozen

Peel  bananas and stick in a freezer bag or container and freeze. When bananas are completely frozen, break into pieces and stick into a food processor or blender and puree until silky smooth. 

Eat right away or scoop into a freezer safe container for later.

Cookies and Cream Banana Ice Cream

• 1 batch banana ice cream
• 5-10 (depending on your cookie need) cream filled cookies like oreos or Trader Joe’s Joe Joe’s (These are gluten free)

In a food processor, blend banana ice cream with cookies.

Eat right away, with a utensil of choice in a container of choice.

Bowl licking is acceptable. 

I don’t think I need to tell anyone about how weird the past few weeks of weather have been, so I will just leave it alone because we don’t need to keep thinking about how stupid cold it is outside or that the next week is only suppose to get worse. Booooo, but oh well. More time for cooking, reading, and trolling the internet (I have spent a little more time then usual getting sucked into the world-wide web.) Beacause I have been spending a little more time interneting, I have added an addition to  my usual happy bits,  a few links that I have stumbled upon that I think are cool and of things that I want or want to make… Cool internet stuff…..a bit of internet happy. 

• So I recently discovered that I can waste a good amount of time on pintrest, especially looking at interiors and architecture and clothes (which I found really weird, but with one pin, an open can of worms…Dangerous stuff). I have a long way to go before I have nearly as many pins as other folk, but I am getting a good a start. Check out my boards…
• I smiled so much when I read   this article.    So sweet and are some of the coolest tattoos  ever.
• The original nomad. I am not a hot tub person (it makes me feel like I am being cooked..) But I might be able to get into one of these when doing some camping.
• I practically started salivating when I saw this falafel.  I am so going to make it for a special mister and me dinner!
• I don’t have any big kitchen utensils… like a kitchen aid or a panini grill, and for now, I am ok with that, but I really want this waffle iron. I could so use the crap out of it.

So that’s some internet stuff and here are a few life moments…..

I got to hang out with my little sister for the first time in like a month… She is just so busy being busy. I guess high school,play practices and boys and friends can fill up ones time at 15… but I miss her so much! I was very excited that she was able to hang out with me this week.  What did we do? Well we spent most of out time together taking pictures of her in my glasses, making food and then taking pictures of her eating food.  (She is eating whipped carob moose… like one should eat it) A fantastic day of silliness. 

I have been feeling like I might be fighting off an illness so I have been eating this Turmeric Ginger Garlic Carrot soup which I have been adding cabbage and topping with these pickled heart beet, all week long. So tasty and full of so much good.

 Oh yeah. Me, the mister, my sister, and her lovely little little went to Ikea this week. (the littles first international trip!!! Over the border and into Montreal) And of course at the end of any good shopping trip there is some type of food…. She  was so excited for the hot dog and frozen yogurt cone at check out. Champion food eater this one is.

And what’s not to love about pretty flowers (primrose)…..Sadly this is not a current picture. I need to get me some color today. 

Which leaves me with my goals for the day..

• Get 2 new library books (and return the huge stack by the door)
• Make something tasty good for dinner and prep food for the week
• clean bathroom and change sheets
• buy flowers
• Take a nap

Hope you all have a great day and the most splendid week!

Stay warm!

-C

Chomp Chomp Chomp… The sound I make as I eat this freaking fantastic crunchy granola. You know it’s good when the person sitting next to you is annoyed by the sound of you face while eating.  I eat a lot of crunchy stuff. And I am pretty sure I annoy the mister a lot. 

Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.

So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces. 

This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level.  It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)

The simplest of stuff. 1 smashed banana, a cup of pureed butternut squash, Vietnamese cinnamon*, honey, and old fashion oats. (and a dash of salt, not shown)

*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t  cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated. 

Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for  people.

Dump the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and give it a little pat, you know, to settle all the bit and pieces together, all cozy and evenly spread out. Now stick into a preheated oven and after about 20 minutes, take out of oven and give the granola a toss, breaking apart any super big chunks or overly wet pieces. Put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (I like my granola super crispy crunchy so I cook it a little longer, like 30 more minutes)And when you are happy with the crunchiness of you granola, remove from oven and let cool, trying not to eat all of it while it sit’s on the counter looking all pretty and smelling like happiness. 

Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!

-C

Banana Butternut Granola

• 3 cups old fashion oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
• 1 ripe banana, mashed 
• 1 cup butternut squash puree (can use canned)
• 2 tablespoons Vietnamese cinnamon (or 2 tablespoons regular cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice)
• 1-3 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice (use greater amount for sweeter)
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.

Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.

Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on  baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.

Eat as is, as a cold cereal,  dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.