THE LOVELY CRAZY
Let us talk about how winter squash is like one of the best foods ever. Seriously. Hardy, creamy, rich, and full of the nutty, sweet flavors of all the good things. How anyone says they don%u2019t like winter squash is beyond me. I sometimes even feel like I put myself in danger of exploding when I am around enough cooked squash. I can eat and eat it until it%u2019s gone, which is fine if it%u2019s a serving or two, but when you roast up a 10 pound butternut, well, that is when the danger is real. I am getting better at holding back, but man, sometimes I just can’t (or don%u2019t want to?) help myself. ( You might also wonder why I cook 10 pounds of squash at a time. It%u2019s because I will eat it all in a few days and I might as well cook a bunch at once, for efficiency sake.)
Now the delicata squah. If you haven%u2019t had it before, stop what you are doing and go get one. You need to try it because it is amazing. Sweet, nutty, creamy. So good! And another good thing is that they are not giant, so you can buy one and eat the whole thing and not worry about overeating until you can%u2019t move, unless that is the goal. In that case, just buy a bunch. HA.
Anyway, it%u2019s getting to that time of year where salad is still great, it is just great warm. And with winter squash. Don%u2019t you agree? So we cook up the squash, grab the kale and make one heck of a salad to eat all to your face. Because that is what will happen. You will make it , taste it, and not want to share it. It is too good to share. (Yes salads can be too good to share, so if you are planning on feeding others, plan accordingly)
To the salad!
The stuff. Kale, a delicata squash, red onion, some balsamic vinegar, a touch of maple, spicy brown mustard, a handful of toasted seeds, and salt and pepper.
Start with the squash. Cut it in half and scoop seeds from booth sides (these seeds are great roasted). After deseeded, cut both pieces into 1/4-1/2 inch thick rounds. And NO!!!!, do not peel the skin.
Grab the onion and cut into 1/4 inch rounds too.
Place the squash on a very lightly oiled baking sheet so the pieces are not overlapping each other. Then toss on the onion which is fine if it overlaps. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and lots of cracked pepper and pop into a hot oven.
In the meantime, mix the dressing situation together. Mustard, maple, and balsamic in a jar, mix and done.
Chop the kale too. Into mouth sized pieces.
Once squash is cooked all nice and tender, remove pan from oven. Take all the kale and toss on top then take the dressing and drizzle it all over the kale. Pop the pan back into the oven for a minutes or two, just until the kale starts to ever so slightly wilt.
Pull the pan back out and give it a good toss.
Dump it all into a big bowl, toss in the toasted seeds, and call it. Now grab a fork and start eating.
-C
Can be a main dish for 1 or a side for a few
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1 delicata squash
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1 bunch of kale (around 3/4 pound)
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1 smallish red onion
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3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
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1 -2 teaspoons maple syrup (more for a slightly sweeter, maple-y flavor)
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2 tablespoons brown or dijon mustard
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1/4 cup toasted seeds of choice (I used pumpkin and sunflower)
Preheat oven to 400
Cut delicata squash in half and scoop out all the seeds (you can save seeds to toast up later if you want), then slice the squash into 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick rounds. Grab onion and cut into thin slices. Take onion and squash and place them onto a very lightly oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don%u2019t let the squash overlap, but it is fine for the onion to overlap the squash and itself. Pop the pan into the oven and bake until the squash starts to brown and is fork tender, which should take about 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, chop kale into small mouth sized pieces and set aside. And mix the balsamic, mustard, and maple together to create the dressing.
Once the squash and onions are cooked, toss the kale onto the pan and drizzle the whole thing with the balsamic mixture. Toss it all around and pop pan back into oven for another minute or two, just to let kale get a touch wilted.
Remove pan from oven, dump everything from pan onto a plate, and toss in the toasted seeds.
Grab a fork. Eat.
Salad season is here. Green salads, fruit salads, potato salads, and grain salads. All the salads and we are not mad about it.
This is a good grain salad using millet, which I am sightly surprised to hear that a lot of people have never had. Millet is kind of like quinoa, but not. I cooks fluffy and looks kind of the same, and is gluten free like quinoa. I think the biggest difference is that millet is slightly softer and tastes a bit more nutty. It also is really good at absorbing liquid flavors.
But who are we to compare. The main thing is that it is nutritious and delicious so we will eat it.
Back to the salad. This is one of those grain salads that is good cooked and served warm but only gets better with a little age (like an hour or a day) in the fridge. Served hot or cold or room tempature, and is hearty enough to be meal like but is also a fantastic addition as a side to any of you meal plans. Like maybe a BBQ? Whatever the occasion, or non occasion, this is just a really good grain salad situation and I think you will be pleased, smiling all smiles while eating it.
To the millet salad.
The stuff. Millet, a couple handful of greens, a few mushrooms, an onion, dijon mustard, a little maple syrup, red wine vinegar, a lemon, a couple cloves or garlic, some toasted sunflower seeds, and salt and pepper.
Start by giving the millet a little toast, just enough to really up the nutty flavor and make it that much more yummy. It only takes a few minutes in a skillet on medium heat. Not an entirely necessary step, but you should do it.
Toasted millet goes into pot with water. Bring pot to a boil and then turn to the lowest simmer and cover.
While millet is cooking, get to the mushrooms and onions. Chop the onion thin and small and the mushrooms thin and small as well. Place them into the skillet with a drizzle of oil and place on medium heat. Mix around every now and then and cook until the mushrooms and onions are soft and a nice golden brown.
And make the vinaigrette. Minced garlic, mustard, vinegar, the juice of the lemon, and maple syrup get put into one place.
Mixed and now all is one.
Millet. Cooked and fluffed and ready to go.
Cooked mushrooms and onions go into the pot, along with the greens, the sunflower seed, and the vinaigrette. This step can be right away or you can wait a little while for things to cool as to not wilt the greens. Up tp you.
Mixed with love and hunger.
Even if you are making it ahead of time, just do yourself a favor. Grab a bowl, grab a fork, and get down on it.
-C
Seves 4-6
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3/4 cup uncooked millet
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2 cups water
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1 sweet onion
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3-4 big button mushrooms
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Large handful or two of bitter greens like arugula, spinach or a mixture.
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2 tablespoon brown or dijon mustard
-
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
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1 teaspoon maple syrup
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2 cloves garlic
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salt and pepper
-
handful toasted sunflower seeds
To start, toast millet. Dump the uncooked millet into a pan and place on a medium heat tt for about 5 minutes or until you start hearing the millet crackle.This gives the millet a slightly more nutty flavor but you can skip this step if you don%u2019t care.
Dump millet and water into medium pot. Place on high heat until water starts to boil then tun heat down to simmer and over. After about 15 or 20 minutes, when most of the water is gone, turn pot completely off. Let sit, covered for another 10ish minutes then take a fork and fluff it.
While the millet is cooking, cook the veggies. Grab the onion and slice it up into thin pieces. Clean off the mushrooms and chop them into small thin pieces too. Place the chopped stuff into the skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and place on a medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes or until the onion and mushroom are a nice dark, golden brown.
And make the mustard vinaigrette. Mince garlic and place into a jar or bowl with the vinegar, the mustard, the maple, and the juice of the lemon. Mix and set aside.
Once the millet is cooked, the mushrooms and onions are cooked, and the vinaigrette is made, all you have left to do is mix everything together. You can do this while things are slightly warm which will wilt the greens a bit, o let them cool so the greens stay fresh. Up to you. (I like the greens fresh)
Finally, dump cooked mushrooms and onions into pot with cooked millet. Add in the greens and sunflower seeds and drizzle the vinegertte all over. Toss around until fully mixed. Sprinkle with lots of fresh cracked pepper.
Then eat. Or place in a container to bring to the BBQ.
I love pomegranates but barely ever buy them because they are usually really expensive. A few weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised to find that that the grocery store was selling them at a reasonable price so I bought one. Duh. Anyway, that was a few weeks ago and I have had the pomegranate chillin in the fridge, just waiting for the perfect time to bust open and retrieve all the bright pink jewel like seeds. But I also kind of forgot about it. It was hiding behind a giant rutabaga. When I finally grabbed the rutabaga for some soup, the pomegranate reviled itself again. It was time, it needed to be eaten. And me being me, I can%u2019t not share right? So I asked the mr what he wanted me to bake. He said muffins, and that is how I came to pomegranate orange and poppyseed muffins. Look at me, poster child for sharing good things. I should get a gold star!.
Anyway, these muffins came out awesome. First, they smell so good because anything baked smells good but the orange really shines and the smell is still lingering in my hair. Secondly, people really were into them. The mr said they were amazing when I finally let him eat one (two actually because I made them mini) and when I brought them over to Megans house for dinner, my Dad at one, then two, then three.. ..He stopped at 5, and this was after dinner. When a guy eats 5 muffins and is not a muffin man, you take it as a good sign.
Do yourself a solid this cold ass weekend and bake something. These muffins are a good place to start.
To the muffins!
The stuff. Flour, baking soda and powder, and salt in a bowl. Poppy seeds, an orange, a pomegranate, sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and a little apple cider vinegar.
First, remove arils from the pomegranate. Cut the fruit in half, hold the cut side face down in your hand and place over a large bowl. Take a wooden spoon and wack the outside of the fruit and the seeds will just fall out. And yes , the juice stains so watch out.
Next, whisk together all the dry ingredients and add in the sugar, poppyseeds and the zest of the orange. Whisk again to combine.
And then add in the oil, milk, vanilla, and the juice of the orange.
Mix until just combined. Don%u2019t over mix or the muffins will get gummy.
Last but not least, fold in the pomegranate arils.
Such a pretty muffin batter.
Scoop batter into well greased muffin tins and pop into a preheated oven.
Orange and crimson and golden brown goodness.
Out of tins and onto a rack to cool
And now you eat.
Stay warm this weekend and bake some muffins.
-C
makes 24 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins
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2 cups all purpose flour
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2 teaspoon baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 cup white sugar
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1/3 cup canola oil
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
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1 cup soy or plant based milk
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1 orange
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1/4 cup poppyseeds
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1 cup pomegranate arils
Note. To easily remove arils (the seeds) from a pomegranate, cut it in half, hold the cut side down in the palm of your hand over a large bowl and wack the outside of the fruit with a wooden spoon. The arils will fall right out into the bowl.
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Zest the orange into the bowl and add in the poppyseed and whisk. Next add in the oil, juice of the orange (about 1/4 cup) the milk, and the vanilla. Mix until just combined. Fold in pomegranate seeds.
Scoop batter into well greased muffin pans and place in oven to bake until golden brown and a tester stuck into the muffins comes out clean, which should take about 15 minutes (22 fish if normal sized)
Once baked, pull form oven and pop from pans. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Eat at your leisure.
Roasted veggies of any kind can get this girl in trouble. Place a sheet pan meant for many full of roasted veggies and watch out, I will probably eat them all. I can%u2019t stop, won%u2019t stop and you know what, I am not sorry, especially if its roasted brussel sprouts and squash.l I am grabbing at every last bit, especially all the really crispy, almost burnt pieces. Burnt food is one of my favorite flavors.
This dish is pretty basic, but also not. A slightly overlooked grain, spelt, makes for a hearty backdrop to the magic of roasted sprouts and squash, covered with a sunflower butter sauce which is a nice spin on a traditional peanut sauce. It%u2019s pretty easy to make and pretty to look at as well. A nice hearty and warming meal for all of those cold winter nights. And it%u2019s not going to make you feel heavy or gross, like if you sat and ate an entire lasagna. No, you will feel full and fantastic and ready for a cookie (it is the holidays after all).
The ingredients in this dish are mainly inspired by the half eaten jar of sunflower butter a friend of mine gave me at the gym, plus the fact that I have been getting a few stocks of brussel sprouts each week at farm share so we are eating them at ever meal, (plus I LOVE brussel sprouts) and me trying to use up all of the grains and such in the pantry before restocking anything more or new. A dish of convenience sure, but also a damn delicious one at that. With this being said, if you had a different grain you wanted to use, or an abundance of some other veggies that you have or prefer, well go ahead and use them. You do you my friend.
And really, I was thinking of you when I made this dish. Sometimes at this time of year people tend to forget to eat, or tend to eat on the not so healthy side. This grain bowl situation is just what your body is in need of. Simple delicious nourishment.
The stuff. Spelt that has been soaking in water for a while, half a butternut squash, brussel sprouts, a red onion. Also sunflower butter, a few cloves garlic, a lime, soy sauce, a touch of maple, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
The spelt will probably take the longest so get it on the stove. Strain away the soaking water and place into with fresh water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on pot ans let it go.
Next, get to the veggies. Halve the big sprouts (small ones can stay whole) chop onion into chunks and cube the squash.
A drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a good toss around and it ready for the oven.
Meanwhile, make the sunflower butter sauce. Its pretty basic. The sunflower butter, minced garlic, soy, maple, and juice of the lime all into a vessel that can hold it. Add a couple tablespoons of warm water to thin it out and done. Sunflower butter sauce. Easy Peasy.
After about an hour, your slept should be cooked (that sounds aggressive to me) Tender and chewy and just right.
The veggies should be roasted and done too. Crisp as you like ( I actually like mine even darker, but the mr does not so I went a light roast this time)
And it%u2019s all ready for you to eat.
Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on a warm bed of spelt covered in sunflower butter sauce. Living the good life here.
Take care of yourself this week, and always for that matter. Eat some good food. Your body will be happy for it.
Bye.
-C
Serves 2-3
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1 cup spelt berries (soaked in water overnight if you remember)
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3 cups water
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about 1/2 of a butternut squash
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about a pound of Brussel sprouts
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a medium red onion
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1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
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2 tablespoons liquid amionos or soy
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1 teaspoon maple or honey
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1 lime
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2 cloves garlic
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salt and pepper
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olive oil
Preheat oven to 425
Place soaked spelt berries in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring a boil then reduce heat, place a lid on pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until spelt berries are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
While spelt is cooking, cut sprouts in half (unless they are very small), cube the butternut into pieces about an inch big, and chop the onion up into chunks. Place all that you just chopped onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle the veggies with a pinch or so of salt and pepper and pop into the hot oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until roasted to your desired doneness. (I like things a lot darker then the mr so I would leave my veggies in for closer to an hour)
For the sunflower butter sauce. Mince garlic and place into bowl or cup with the sunflower butter. Add in the maple, soy, and the juice of the lime. Mix together and add in a 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin out. Add more water if needed to get to a thick but pourable consistency.
Once the spelt is cooked, the veggies are roasted and the sauce is made, well you can assemble and eat. Spelt in a bowl, toss on some roasted veggies, and cover in the sauce. And then you eat it.
I love making cookies. There something about having to keep a close eye on the oven, the anticipation of the perfect time to pull them from the oven. Not too early, but never to late. You have to pay close attention. A cookie is not very forgiving if left in for a minutes or two too long. Those minutes can make or break a great cookie. OS baking them is , to me anyway, like a form of meditation. You can%u2019t be distracted, thinking about things like %u201cwho came up with the name Banana Republic and then used it for a clothing store?%u201d, or looking up %u201c large metal rolling balls%u201d. No, you need to pay attention to cookies, or else your cookies might burn. But don%u2019t let that scare you, and really, you can totally think of all the random, but important, things you want while baking, just use a timer or think those thoughts while watching the oven.
These cookies are the cookies that you want to make. A cookie yes, but almost like little soft cakes, full of chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds and warm spices to elevate the pumpkiness of the pumpkin. A perfect cookie to bake when you are freezing and want nothing else then to sit in front of a warm oven, spacing out, and revealing in the smell of a fall kitchen.
Fall pro tip. Place outwear in the kitchen while baking. I had my jacket on a stool close by while the cookies were baking and even now, a few days later, it still smell like cookies.
To the cookies!
The stuff. Brown and granulated sugar, flour with salt, cinnamon, allspice ,nutmeg, and baking soda and baking powder. Pumpkin puree vanilla extract, canola oil, chocolate chips, and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Mix the sugars, oil, vanilla, and pumpkin puree together until completely incorporated.
Whisk together all the dry
Add dry to wet. Mix gently, until just incorporated.
A now you have cookie batter. But wait, can%u2019t forget the chocolate and seeds.
I like to give the chocolate chips a rough chop to make the chips a bit smaller. You can skip this step or just use small chips if you want.
Chocolate chips and toasted pumpkin seeds go into batter.
After a gentle mix, it%u2019s time bake.
Scoop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet (important to line or use a splat mat, or else they will stick)
Into the oven and out of the oven. Bakes to a plump golden brown perfection.
All the cookies cooling on a wire rack like all cookies should.
And then thats it.
Cookies for you and cookie to share, if you are nice like that.
Happy weekend!
-C
make 2 dozen or so cookies
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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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2 teaspoon cinnamon
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1/2 allspice
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1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
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3/4 cup cane sugar
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1/2 cup packed brown sugar
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1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
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1/2 cup vegetable oil
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
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2/3 cup chocolate chunks or chips
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, mix together the sugars, purlin puree, oil, and vanilla until completely incorporated. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder, salt, all spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Once whisk, dump into the bowl with the wet gas gently mix together until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
Dump your chocolate ships onto cutting board and give them a rough chop just to break some of the chips apart. (or use small chips) Add the chop chocolate and the toasted pumpkin seeds to the batter and gently fold them, just to even distribute them.
Line being sheets with either parchment or use a splat mat and scoop equal size ball of dough onto the baking sheets. Leave enough room for the cookie to rise and spread. Place baking sheets into oven and bake fir 12-14 minutes or until the cookies have risen, are golden brown, and a tester stuck into the middle of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from oven and place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.
Then you eat them.
Any not eaten cookies should be store in an air tight container and can be left out at room temperature for a day or two but should be refrigerated or frozen for longer storage. The mr likes to eat them straight out of the freezer.
If you come around my house in the cold months, you will more times then not find yourself faced with fresh bread. Why? Well because I like to bake bread. But mostly, if I am honest, when I am cold, I bake. (We keep the house heat off until at least November 1. After that we keep the heat at a low 60 when it%u2019s on.) I like the house to be kept on the colder side, but sometime, it%u2019s a little brisk so if I am home and cold, I am probably just going to bake something, to stay warm of course. This focaccia was my first foray baking to stay warm of the cold season. It was 40 degrees out and the heat still wasn%u2019t on, and I just so happen to be going through my spice drawer and found a batch of everything bagel seasoning that I had mixed up a couple months ago that needed to be used. Hence the bread.
Cold weather+found seasoning+I should make something for dinner=everything bagel focaccia. Or you can just make it because it is super easy and every time I make focaccia it gets gobbled right up. Especially this time. Barb and the mr ate half of it at dinner. And I think the other half was gone by the next day. To quote the mr. %u201cThis focaccia is professional%u201d. He said it with a mouth full of bread. No shit dude. I am professional. Ha
The stuff. Flour, yeast, warm water, everything bagel seasoning, sea salt, pepper, and olive oil.
Start with getting the yeast and warm water mixed together. Let it sit for a minute or 5, just to make sure it is active (this is more important to do if you are not using fresh yeast)
Once you are sure your yeast is alive, add in the flour and mix together until you are having a hard time mixing anymore.
Dump dough onto a floured surface and start to knead. Probably for 5 minutes, until you dough looks like%u2026.
This. Kneaded until smooth and beautiful .
Place dough into a deep bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Make sure the whole ball is coated. Then cover with a damp cloth and stick in a warm place to rise for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Once dough has doubled, grab your baking sheet (can use a pan) and coat the pan with about 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Place the dough into pan and spread it out using your fingertips. Flip the dough over if you need to and keep dimpling the dough until it hits all the sides. Drizzle on another tablespoon of oil on top.
And don%u2019t forget the seasoning. Sprinkle on all the everything seasoning along with the sea salt and some cracked pepper. Make sure to be somewhat liberal with the seasonings too because you know that%u2019s what you want.
Into the oven for 30ish minutes then out of the oven
Look at all the everything.
Drizzle the top of the bread with a little more olive oil, pop it out of the pan, stick it on a cutting board, and that%u2019s it. Now watch your slab of bread disappear.
Happy bread baking. Stay warm.
-C
make a 9×13 slab of bread
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4 cups all purpose flour (plus a little more for kneading)
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2 cups warm water
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2 teaspoon yeast (or one packet)
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3 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning*
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1 tablespoon sea salt
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cracked pepper
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about 1/3 cup very good olive oil
*Note To make your own everything bagel seasoning mix up equal parts dried minced garlic, dried onion flakes, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds. Or I think you can buy it now at the store with all the other spices. But it%u2019s probably cheaper to make it yourself.
To start, place yeast and warm water in a big bowl. Mix until incorporated and let sit for a minute or two or until you see little bubble form, just to make sure the yeast is active. When your sure it%u2019s good, add in 4 cups of flour. Mix with a wooden spoon or dough mixer until it becomes hard to mix anymore. Dump the dough onto a flour surface and start to knead, adding a little bit of flour as you go if it became to sticky, until the dough is smooth and uniform. Should take about 5 minutes. Place the kneaded dough back into bowl (scrap any of the extra bits out first) and drizzle with olive oil. Make sure the whole dough is coated. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and place in a warm spot. Let dough rise for an hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 375.
Once dough has doubled, grab a 9×13 baking sheet or pan and coat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Really make sure the pan is well greased. Place dough into pan and with the tips of your fingers, smoosh and spread dough until it has filled up the pan. Drizzle with another tablespoon of oil then take your seasoning and evenly spread it all over the top. Sprinkle with salt and add a little cracked pepper. Now pop it into the preheated oven. Bake for 30 -35 minutes or until the bread has turned a nice golden brown.
Remove from oven and right away drizzle on another tablespoon or so of olive oil. Let sit for a few minutes to absorb then pop the bread out of the pan and place on a rack or cutting board and either let cool, or not. Warm focaccia is loved by all.
Whatever you do, do not turn on your oven this weekend! But I guess if you have air conditioning and don’t mind cranking it… well then go for it. And can I come stay with you?
But for the rest of us doing this weekend without the old A.C., we need to feed ourselves, feed ourselves without any fire because 100 degrees is no joke and any added heat from anything will likey tip us over the edge. I am already so close to that edge and it’s a long way down..(Just ask the mr, he could tell you a thing or two about heat and me.. not good)
Enter hummus and veggies.
You can’t really go wrong with a good hummus and veggies meal situation and sometimes it’s all that can be right. I for one could eat bowls and bowls of hummus, and sometime do, so this is not a stretch for me. Especially this hummus. I knew I would like it, but man, was (was because I ate it all) it freaking delicious. The sunflower seeds really did it for me, gave it a little something extra, like a freshness that is still creamy and earthy, but is not quite, I don’t know, dark as tahini? %u00a0It’s kind of hard to explain without having you taste it (so make it and you tell me)%u00a0%u00a0Don’t get me wrong, I love tahini, but sometimes you just %u00a0got to mix it up. (Plus sunflowers seeds are dirt cheap. Tahini is not nearly as cheap so bonus there too.)%u00a0%u00a0Maybe its because the sunflower seeds bring the sunshine to your mouth. A sun filled mouth of pureed seeds and beans.%u00a0 Yup, that’s what it is.
So here ya go, a no heat meal (or snack or spread).%u00a0We got this.
The stuff. %u00a0Cooked chickpeas (no need to cook your own, canned is a okay), sunflower seeds, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, a little water, and some herby green like parsley or cilantro.%u00a0
Hummus is pretty basic, it’s just stuff blended up, but because we are starting with raw sunflower seeds, we need to really bend the shit out of them until they turn into a paste, so do that, which is going to a take about 8-10 minutes. Then once its pasty, add in the garlic and the juice of the lemon and blend until its all smooth.
Could almost stop here at this point. Sunflower seed goodness all emulsified. Taste it, it is so good.
Now add in the chickpeas and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Blended until smooth with a little drizzle of water to give just the right consistency. %u00a0And that’s it.
Pile a bowl full enough that you can call it dinner them top with a good amount of fresh herbs. Serve with chopped up fresh veggies or whatever you like and we are good to go.
Creamy, dreamy sunflower hummus, no heat required!%u00a0
Stay not melted!
-C
Makes about 2 3/4 cups
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can) drained
- 3/4 cup raw (can use toasted)unshelled sunflower seeds
- l juicy lemon
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons ice water
- salt and pepper
- handful fresh herbs like parsley,cilantro and or dill (optional)%u00a0
Place the sunflower seeds in food processor and turn on until seeds turn into a paste, which will take about 8-10 minutes. After every few minutes, scrap the sides down to make sure it all gets blended. Once the seeds reach paste consistency,%u00a0add in the juice of the lemon and the garlic. Blend until smooth. Last off, add in the chickpeas and a pinch or salt and pepper and blend until smooth, adding %u00a0in a tablespoon or two of water to get the hummus to the consistency of your liking. Once blended taste and check for seasoning (add more salt and or pepper if needed)%u00a0
When the hummus is done, scrape into bowl(s), and top with lots of fresh herbs and a sprinkle more of sunflower seeds. Now eat it. Eat with veggies, with bread, with pretzels, or with a spoon (or finger). Do what you need to do.
%u00a0Any left over, if there is any, can be store in the fridge for 2-3 days.%u00a0
I am one of those people that hangs out for far to long in the grocery store, mostly in the bulk section, looking al all the types of rice, and grains, and beans, and seeds, admiring the variety and colors and also wishing I was one of those people that had an extra $25 to drop on a pound of pistachios.%u00a0%u00a0(Them were some pricey pistachios fo sho.) I take my time, peruse the bins, maybe take a little taste or two, %u00a0and go for what I need. And maybe if something is on sale, get a little of that too. Things that usually make the list are spices,%u00a0oats, beans, maybe rice or quinoa, flours, and seeds. Pumpkin seeds were on sale so those were the seeds of choice and I also got some barely because when I was starting at all the grains,%u00a0it dawned on me that I don’t know many people that eat barley, or even care about it, which is a shame because it is awesome. It might not be trendy like farro or freekeh, but it is just as good, and damn if it is not a hell of a lot cheaper.%u00a0
With the barley and pumpkins seed in hand, I had the start of a salad. So I grabbed some oats, a few spices, some beans and ran away from the builk section, past the nuts before things got bad and I either a) got kicked out for eating my weight in cashews and almonds,%u00a0pretending to just need a taste, or b) paid the $25 for a pound of pistachios that I might not eat because I would need to save them for something really special because they cost $25 a pound. Then I grabbed veggies, walked around the wellness section for good measure, did another lap around the store just in case I forgot something, then finally made my way out of the store only to realize when I got home that I forgot something. (I always forget something)%u00a0
But I had all I needed for a barley salad situation so things went well. This is a fantastic salad. It’s quick and easy and tasty and good. Barley, tahini, veggies and pumpkin seeds… It’s all you need for a just right dinner, or a fantastic side to any meal. Or as a snack at anytime. Bring it to a BBQ, a graduation party, or a pot luck. it will get eaten, and if by chance you end up with a little left over, bring it on home and eat it for breakfast. It will still be just as good.%u00a0%u00a0
The stuff. Pearled barley, tahini, pumpkin seeds and garlic. And some red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, kale, a carrot, some cauliflower, a lemon, a red onion, and a cucumber. (you are not going to need the full amount of all these veggies)%u00a0
First off, cook the barley. The barley and water go into a pot, brought to a boil, then left on low %u00a0to cook until tender. Once cooked, strain away excess water
While barley is cooking (or is cooked) chop up the veggies into mouth sized pieces. I used half the cucumber, half the onion, some of the cauliflower, all the kale, and all the carrot. It’s not an exact measurement, you just want a good amount to toss into the salad.%u00a0
Barley in bowl, topped with the veggies and pumpkin seeds…. The pretty before the mix. You don’t need to add it like this, I just did it cause it looks good.
And the tahini sauce. Mince garlic and add to a jar or bowl with the juice of the lemon, vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and give it a really good mix.
Creamy, zippy, oh so good.%u00a0
Drizzle and toss the dressing with the barley and veggies.
And that’s that. Now you are ready for eating.%u00a0
Enjoy wherever this salad takes you.%u00a0
-C
If eaten as a meal, serves 2-3. As a side dish, serves 6-8
- 1 cup pearl barley%u00a0
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup tahini%u00a0
- 1 large lemon%u00a0
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 of a cucumber%u00a0
- 1 small carrot
- 2 large kale leaves
- 1/2 of a red onion
- 1 cup of cauliflower florets%u00a0
- 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Note. The vegetable amount and type is more of a preference. You could use all cucumber and onion or add %u00a0broccoli and pepper, just make sure to have a least 3 good cups of some chopped up color.%u00a0
Place barley and water into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and continue to cook until barley is tender, but not mushy, which should take about 45 minutes. Once cooked, strain excess water.
While the barley is cooking, chop all the veggies into small mouth sized pieces.%u00a0%u00a0And make the tahini sauce. Mince garlic and place in a bowl or jar. Add in tahini, the juice of the lemon, and the vinegar. Mix well until smooth then season with salt and pepper to taste. %u00a0
When barley is cooked and drained, let cool for a few minutes then place in a big bowl. Add in all the veggies and the toasted pumpkin seeds, then drizzle with the tahini sauce and toss all around. Season with salt and pepper to taste..%u00a0
Now eat still warm, or later at room renature, or place in fridge for it to get cold. It can be a filling meal or a great side dish.%u00a0It’s good all ways, any way.
Another note. This salad is great for parties and BBQ’s and can be made a day or two ahead. If you do make ahead, hold off on mixing the pumpkin seeds and the tahini sauce with the rest of the salad until you are about to serve it.%u00a0
It’s Mother’s Day weekend which means that you and I and everyone out there should feel the slightest bit obligated to at least do a little something nice for your mom for the mere fact that you were borned. And really what better way to celebrate mom than with food%u2026 It really is the least that you can do. (I think mom’s also like flowers and cards and handmade pasta necklaces) My mom is defiantly about the food. (she has had her fair share or pasta necklaces) %u00a0A many years back on Mother’s day, this sweet little girl (me) made her mother a special %u00a0breakfast treat%u2026blueberry scones. And ever since that day, for every freaking holiday, birthday, whatever day, my mother requests (demands) a batch of those scones. She is always saying that these are her favorite treat and that no one has ever made them as good as I do. (I guess that just reiterates that I am her number 1 child)
The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. A bit of sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, and butter (use vegan butter and nut milk if you want to make them vegan) And of course we need the blueberries which can be fresh or frozen. I usually use fresh, but the store I stopped at only had really big containers of fresh that were like $1000 dollars a piece and the organic frozen happen to be on super sale. So you know, the cheap in me won that battle.%u00a0
So into the bowl goes all the dry stuff; flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and the sugar. Give it a good whisk.
Now dump the blueberries into the flour mixture. Toss them around to give them a coat of flour. Add in the buttermilk and vanilla and give a little mix until liquid is absorbed. We are trying to handle the dough as little as possible.
Turn mixture onto counter. It’s very loose, but thats what it should look like. 
Very gently and with as little handling as possible, gather dough up, knead a few times till everything %u00a0just comes together. Press dough into a disk that is roughly an inch thick%u2026. and it doesn’t need to be perfect.%u00a0
Cut the disk into even sized pieces. Do 6 big, 8 normal, maybe even 10 smaller. Whatever size you like. (I did 8) Place the scones onto a baking sheet, using a spatula to transfer, and sprinkle the tops with a little bit of sugar. Into a preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
And when the scones look all nice and browned and a tester comes out clean. remove and either serve right away warm, preferably with huge cup of coffee or tea, or stick on a rack to cool before storing in %u00a0air tight container.
I had to share the last of the 5 pineapples cause if I didn’t, that would mean %u00a0I ate 5 pineapples by myself. (I ate 4 pineapples by myself) So donuts were made and delivered to my sisters house where I proceeded to make her and her kids and another sister dinner. (hand made pizza on a weekday!) I then whipped out these pretty little upside down pineapple donuts for dessert, right after I cleaned up and made whipped cream. The kids were swallowing them hole and trying to steal just one more %u00a0and my sister and the mister, well they had to eat their donuts all elegant like with forks. (weirdos)
%u00a0The stuff. Flour, salt, and the baking soda whisked together into a bowl. Fresh pureed pineapple, milk, egg, melted butter, and white sugar. Than there is more melted butter, brown sugar and fresh pineapple for the upside down.%u00a0
%u00a0This batter is pretty simple, just make sure to whisk all the dry really well. Dump all the wet stuff into the dry and mix until combined. Don’t over mix!
Grease the donut pan really well and mix the brown sugar with the remaining melted butter
%u00a0 %u00a0 
%u00a0 Drizzle the bottom of each donut round with the butter/ sugar mix %u00a0then layer thinly sliced pieces of pineapple around the hole maker. (not as perfect as a pineapple ring, but still pretty)
%u00a0When donuts are all nice and golden brown, remove from oven and let sit and cool for about 5 minutes to give the donuts time to cool and the brown sugar to thicken. Dump donuts out onto a wires rack
And serve them all upside down like. Maybe with a scoop of whipped cream or ice cream or nothing.%u00a0
%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0
My Moms birthday was this past week, and naturally, I made the cake for our big family birthday gathering. (and I bought and made dinner and cleaned everything up, although the mister did do all the dinner dishes) Word to my sisters%u2026 You guys suck! (but I still love you)
Cake Stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt whisked together in a bowl. Butter, a little oil, vanilla, eggs and buttermilk. Then of course we have strawberries cause it wouldn’t be a strawberry cake with out them.
First things first. Wash, trim and dice up the strawberries. Stick them into a pot and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of sugar. Heat on low and let the strawberries cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently,%u00a0until they turn into a thick syrup. 
The sugar and the butter get beaten together until light and fluffy. Then goes in the oil, eggs, and vanilla. The milk is then added to the strawberry mixture. Add half the dry mixture to the wet, mix, then mix in half the strawberry mixture to that. Mix the rest of the dry in and finish off with the strawberry mixture.
Cake gets pulled from the oven and set on a rack to cool.
Tomato can cutout. (I couldn’t find my biscuit cutters) %u00a0A biscuit or cookie cutter would probably work a little better.. The cakes kept getting stuck in the can. 
Frost the cake!! Place frosting into a piping bag or a big plastic zip lock with the tip cut off. %u00a02 rounds to a cake. A squeeze of frosting goes on one, topped with another and given a little smoosh. A nice big dollop of frosting on top then%u2026.
%u00a0What is better for a bake sale then Oreo cookies?%u00a0 Oreo cookies made from scratch!.
Cookie Time!%u00a0Whats going on here is brown sugar and butter %u00a0have be beaten together until nice and fluffy Then a good big splash of vanilla and another 2 big splashes of coffee are added to that.(I sacrificed my last few sips of my coffee for these cookies) %u00a0The dry stuff, flour, salt and cocoa powder, are whisked together, waiting to be added to the wet. %u00a0
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet and mix. I ended up just using my hand and kind of squish mixing everything together until in tuned into a nice lovely uniformed dough. %u00a0Form the dough into 2 balls and give each a few kneads to get any air bubbles out. Place dough back into bowl and stick in the fridge to sit for 10-15 minutes( it makes the dough a little easier to work with)
Once the dough has had a little time to rest and cool, remove from fridge, one ball at a time. Place on a lightly cocoa or powdered sugar dusted surface and roll out the dough. Grab any size circle (or other shape) cookie cutter and get to shaping the cookies. Notice the tin can in the bowl? I could’t find my biscuit cutters anywhere but the can was the perfect size, and it worked really well. Keep a little bowl of either powered sugar of cocoa to dip the cutter in in between making the cookies. It really helps the dough from sticking and breaking.%u00a0
%u00a0While the cookies are getting their cool on, make the cream filling. All you need is a stick of butter, about 4 cups of powdered sugar, some vanilla and a few splashes of heavy cream. Beat that all up until nice and creamy thick and spoon it into a pastry bag (I used a big old ziplock bag) to be piped on the cookies. 
Filling the cookies is for sure the best part. Separate the cookies into pairs and pipe a big blob of filling onto one of the two cookies. Take the names cookie and place on top, giving it a little smooth to the disperse the cream. Keep doing that until the cookies are all filled.
%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0
%u00a0%u00a0 TGIF!!!! For reals, because Monday-Thurday were monster days. And now that its friday, I can dig a hole and hide in it until it’s at least 30 degrees with some sunshine. (I might never get to come out.)
Simple lemon cake stuff. Flour, baking powder and salt whisked together, Sugar and soft butter in a bowl. An egg, some vanilla, milk, and of course, the lemon.%u00a0
Frozen bites ready for the chocolate coating%u2026 Bittersweet chocolate chips and a little bit of coconut oil. Melted together all nice and shiny smooth.
Now dip and slather those bites in the melted chocolate.%u00a0
Fully coated and placed on a rack for the chocolate to harden. I %u00a0ended up sticking the rack in the freezer for 10 minutes%u2026They harder really fast in there.
Sunday Happy — The Lovely Crazy
January 8, 2020 by maximios • Blog
I woke up this morning with a very vvid recollection of the dream I was having. In it I was the inventor of a thing called The Fire Stick, which essentially was a fishing pole with fire on the end that you stick in water( know, it makes no sense ) and it somehow propels you around. In the dream, I was using my Fire Stick to cruise down a river on a makeshift raft because I was fleeing something and I needed to leave by water. Thats it, but I know in my dream I was damn proud of my Fire Stick. Dream me is very strange and scares me a little.
The mr and I have no big projects going on right now so he is doing a bunch of side work and I am doing little things around the house plus trying to get through the taxes (I am procarsinationg so hard) I am getting a touch of cabin/spring cleaning fever and am starting to think about running away or repainting all the walls… which is crazy because it hasn’t been more then a year since I last painted. So I guess that leaves running away. Ha. What I really need to do is build a shit ton of shelves and reorganize the closets, but that takes measuring and buying wood and power tools and the mr so it will have to wait. ( I have to sweet talk him into having a shelf making day with me.. I would do it alone, but it will be much easier and nicer if he helps) And the running away part, well we are working on that part too.
Other then my crazy, the week has been pretty good. The mr got me another new power tool (I am returning the scroll saw in favor of band saw) The back porch has unofficially turned into a wood carving studio. And not just for me, the mr is really into wood carving right now too. We even braved negative temperatures to walk around on the beach to find cool pieces of drift wood to make spoons out of. (he gets pretty jazzed about stuff and there is not stopping him) Before that freezing cold returned there was a day where we were able to walk the wold without jackets and that was the day we took Shannon out for a walk. That lady just got a new hip and already she is walking better then I can. Maybe I will get myself a new hip too. Or new knees. I could be unstoppable.
Qui came over for a vegan banana bread baking how to, which got me thinking that I should start teaching vegan baking. Then Barb came over for chili and a dance party party, and then we had the little over for a sleep over and all around house trashing. I don’t know how they do it, but those littles make the biggest mess out of nothing. And they are sticky and gross and even surface needs to be wipes after they leave.
We did treat ourselves to a little culture and went to the Shelburne Museum to check out the Sweet Tooth art exhibit. It was cool, but not exactly what I was expecting. It was only a small room with a handful of pieces and I wanted more, and bigger and more, like the giant ring pops. Those were cool. I want a room full of giant candy, but no candy wrappers. The wrappers freak me out. But the next exhibit I am really interested in seeing too. It’s a puppet exhibit and that’s got be be some kind of fantastic.
Are you super bowling today? Yesterday the mr and I ran into the grocery store and it was packed with people, with shopping carts all full of chips and beer and garbage food. It was kind of crazy. We figured it was all for the football game. Then we started to blame everything that was annoying on the football game. It’s nice to have a reason for it all. This football game day thing always makes me feel like it is a holiday that I am not celebrating and I am ok with that.
So no football here today, just keeping it easy, maybe getting out into some woods at some point then maybe some reading or Netflixing some Grace and Franky. Keeping it low on this non holiday day. People be crazy and I want to stay away from them. Plus I have the Fire Stick to think about. Haha.
Stuff from the internet that I read this week.
–The ‘IKEA Effect’ — And Getting Kids To Eat Their Veggies. Eat what you make and be proud of it, veggies and all.
-Things we should all know. Why Dogs Have Floppy Ears: An Animated Tale
–It’s Reportedly Becoming ‘Normal’ to See Whole Foods Employees Cry at Work. I think I cried a little when I worked at Heathy Living.
-I have had a conversation with the littles about what shape carrot tastes better (when they are cut into chips) Does Chopping Change Your Vegetables?
-Interesting planned, one that I think humans should leave alone. It’s enough to destroy one plant, lets stay away from the others. Pictures of Mars
–The Many Questions We Have About These Cookbook Covers. When I saw this, all I could think was douche bags. If anyone came up behind me while I was chopping anything, well there might be a unintentional stabbing.
-I don’t know if I ever will do this, but I really like the idea. HOW TO MAKE A LARGE SCALE (PATCHWORK) DIY RUG
-This is no Why Procrastination is Good for You
–What to Do When You Worry Yourself Awake. Do your worrying during the day.
–Axe-Throwing Bars: Why Mixing Weapons And Beer Is Surprisingly Good Business. But is it? Got to keep the hipsters happy. I guess it is kind of like really big darts, which I could totally get behind, but there is some real potential for some crazy shit to happen.
Pictures from the week.