We have been super busy the past few weeks and haven%u2019t seen any of the littles for a while and I am starting to miss them. So the other day, (when it was actually kinda cold. its been way to warm here!) when I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by my sisters house after the kids got out of school with pumpkin hot chocolate supplies and to hang out. Unfortunately, one of those littles (Miley Lu) was to cool for me and went to hang out with her friend, but whatever, that just left enough hot chocolate supplies to make the one that stayed the biggest cup he could handle, look through all his pictures, and sit around talking about his fart hole.%u00a0

Pretty great visit it I do say so myself.

This hot chocolate is just a little seasonal twist on regular old hot chocolate. I bet that some of you out there might end up with a bit of extra pumpkin puree come next week and this is a great way to use some of that up. The pumpkin make the hot chocolate a little thicker, a bit more hearty,%u00a0and adds a nice smooth creaminess to the drink. And some fiber, which is always good.

%u00a0Now all we need is some snow.

The stuff. Milk (any kind you drink) pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, crown sugar, and a pinch or so of cinnamon.%u00a0

Oh, and pick out your most favorite kick ass mug (it will just sate better that way).%u00a0I brought over the rainbow bug cause Judah loves him some rainbows.%u00a0

Dump all the stuff into a pot and stick it on stove on medium heat.

Whisk it all around, and continue to whack until the its as hot as you want it to be.

Pour it into a cup (preferably one with rainbows on it)%u00a0and %u00a0top it off with whatever you like on top of your drink %u00a0(I added a bit more milk froth and a spinkle more of cinnamon)

And serve up, to yourself, or to the monster little waiting for his chocolate fix.

Have a great day!

-C

Makes 1 cup%u00a0

• 1 1/4 %u00a0cup milk (cow, nut, soy.. whatever)
• 1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder
• 3 %u00a0tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar(more if you like it sweetness)%u00a0
• a pinch or two of pumpkin spice blend (or just some cinnamon works)

Take all ingredients and place into a pot. %u00a0Whisk everything together until fully incorporated. Place pot on medium heat and keep whisking until the hot chocolate is heated to your preferred temperature.

Pour into a mug and feel free to top with whipped cream, sprinkles, marshmallows or whatever you heart desires.

I have so so so many winter squash. It’s getting kind of out of hand. The mr is even making me a couple of wall shelves specifically for the squash so we can get our table back (it is currently covered in squash and tomatoes).%u00a0I hoard them and I can’t exactly tell you why. I think there is a part of me that is afraid that sometime durning the winter I am going to ran out of squash and am going to be forced to eat, I don’t know, other food. And there also the part of me that knows that I will eat it all and why the hell not hoard them.. they are so pretty and lovely and%u2026..well because I can!%u00a0When I sit here and think about it, %u00a0there is no real logical reason for me to have so many, especially sense I will be doing a winter farm share and we get squash at each pick up all winter long.%u00a0

Hum%u2026.Things to think about..Oh well. I’ll just call it a little werido quork of mine%u2026 squash hoarder, which is much better then a trash hoarder or a “stupid shit I found on the side of the road” %u00a0hoarder (that would be the mr.. but I don’t judge).

So yeah, %u00a0I might need a squash intervention, or I can just make everyone around me happy by baking them sweet ass squash treats. I have shared and I always like to share my squash loot (see, another resin to have so many)%u00a0but I found that most of the people in my life do not have the same kind of hunger for savory cooked squash.(weirdos) But you know what they do like? Cake Everyone will eat cake.

And for this cake I used delicata. It is really sweet,(I think all on its own it taste like a sweet dessert)%u00a0so tasty, and easy to cook, The perfect squash for a cake. Add in the warm fall spices and you got yourself a winner. And bonus.. if you have heard that there is a canned pumpkin shortage this year and are are worried about you pumpkin fix. Stop. You don’t need canned pumpkin. Just make your own puree and make it with all the squashes, especially delicata.%u00a0

Now go bake a cake.. I will probably make another one this weekend while I start on eating/baking with the sweet dumplings and buttercups that are piled on the fridge (seriously.. I have squash EVERYWHERE!)

The stuff. In the big white bowl there is white whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then we have some brown sugar, oil, water with some vinegar and a already baked delicata squash. Also going to need another uncooked squash, earth balance and a little more brown sugar for the upside down part.

First off, grab yourself 10-12 inch skillet, preferably one that you have not just cooked garlic in.%u00a0

Slice up the uncooked delicata into 1/2 inch slices and remove the seeds (to roast later)

Stick the earth balance and the lesser amount of brown sugar into the skillet and place it on low heat, just to melt the butter and sugar down to form a sauce.

Now layer the squash rounds in the sauce. Fill in the skillet as much as you can. (%u00a0any left over can be for %u00a0cooked for lunch)

The already baked delicata squash (minus the seed and skin.. save the seeds to roast, skin you eat right away) goes into a bowl with the brown sugar and oil. Mix it all together until combined.%u00a0

Note.. My squash was still warm when I mixed it with the sugar and oil. which really helped the sugar resolve and for the mixture to be smooth. If you squash is cold,%u00a0warm it up a bit..

Whisk together all the dry and dump in the squash mixture and mix.

And slowly pour in the water/ vinegar mixture and mix until just incorporated.

Now slowly pour batter over the delicata in the skillet.

And into the oven it goes!

After 45-50 minutes, the cake should be browned and beautiful and a tester should come out clean when stuck in the middle. Remove the cake and place on cooling rack for about 8-10 minutes to cool. Don’t get to excited and do it to soon or else the caramelization on the bottom will still be too liquid and completely soak into cake. Giving it a few minutes will let it cool enough to set up and stick to the top%u2026.so just wait!

And for the best and scary part%u2026flip the skillet onto a plate or cutting board and be amazed. oh, but right before you do, run a spatula or knife around the edge to make sure the cake is loose.

It really should have no problem coming out of the skillet, but if any of the squash sticks (one piece of mine did) just scrap it out and place it back on the cake%u2026 no one will notice)

Now time for a slice%u2026 or maybe two!

And for reals, go get yourself lots of squash, even if it’s just to make cakes with!

Have a fantastic weekend!

-C

Makes a 12 inch skillet cake (can be made in a can pan)

For the cake

• 1 3/4 cup white whole wheat pastry flour (can use white pastry, wheat pastry, or all purpose)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup warm delicata squash puree*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup mild flavored oil (canola or veggie)
• 1 cup water%u00a0
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vineagr
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg%u00a0

For the upside down part

• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons earth balance]
• 1 small uncooked delicata squash%u00a0

*Note.. To make delicata puree, simply stick the whole squash into the oven and roast until fork tender. Remove and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half, scoop to the seeds and scoop the flesh into a bowl%u2026.thats it. Oh, save seeds to roast and eat the skin as a snack (skin is my favorite part and the seeds are almost better then pumpkin!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.%u00a0

Grab yourself a 10-12 inch clean cast iron skillet (maybe don’t cook garlic in it before you make this cake). Stick the earth balance and the brown sugar in it and place on low heat until the butter and sugar melt together and form a sauce. Remove pan from heat. Take the raw delicata squash and slice it into 1/2 inch rounds. Remove the seeds(save for roasting) and place the rounds into the bottom of the skillet, fitting in as many as you can, without overlapping. Set aside and make cake batter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and powder and the cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine the cooked warm squashwith the oil and the brown sugar. (if you squash puree is cold, warm it up. It mixes better warm)%u00a0Mix until completely combined. Dump wet into dry and whack together then slowly pour in water/ vinegar mixture and whack until everything is full incorporated.%u00a0

Pour cake batter over the stuff in the skillet and place into the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes , until a nice golden brown and tester in middle comes out clean. Remove and place on a cooling rack or ontop of the oven to cool for 8-10 minutes. Once %u00a0cooled, take a plate, cooling rack, or cutting board that is a least a little bigger therm the skillet, place it ontop pif the killet, and flip. The cake should drop right out%u2026. if anything sticks in the skillet, trust scrap it off and stick it back on the cake.

Now the cake is ready to eat.. so grab a knife, cut a slice and do it.

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)

And for the last few months my mom has been up my butt, trying to get me to make her some. Not going to lie, I have been saying I’ll get her a batch, but for some reason, I haven’t gotten around to making them. So two birds here.. Make the scones and she gets off my back for a least a little while (a month.. maybe 2) and I give her a fantastic Mothers day gift that I know she will love.

So here they are , oh mother of mine. Blueberry scones!

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.%u00a0So into the bowl goes all the dry stuff; flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and the sugar. Give it a good whisk.

Now for my special trick for a perfectly distributed cold butter in a pastry. Freeze your butter and grate it!

With a large wholed grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the bowl with the dry, stoping a few times to toss the butter chunks around so you don’t end up with a huge pile of grated butter. When it’s all grated, gently toss around so the butter is evenly distributed.%u00a0Now 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.%u00a0Cut 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.

Perfect to serve as a breakfast pastry, at brunch, or even as a dessert. A nice little treat for a special lady. (dudes can eat them too)%u00a0

Happy Mothers Day Mom! Thanks for having me!

And Happy Weekend!!!

-C

Blueberry Scones%u00a0

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar plus%u00a02 tablespoons %u00a0to sprinkle on top
• 1 %u00a0teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted %u00a0butter frozen or really cold (use non dairy butter like Earth Balance for vegan)
• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 teaspoon %u00a0vanilla%u00a0
• %u00a03/4 cup buttermilk (use non dairy milk for vegan)

Preheat oven t0 400 degrees

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Take the frozen butter and grate directly into flour mixture, tossing around to evenly disrupted. Add in blueberries and toss around till coated with flour, then lastly, add vanilla to buttermilk and mix into mixture until just barely coming together. Turn mixture out onto counter and with your hands, knead mixture a few times until it forms a solid dough. Shape into a disk and smoosh down until about an inch thick. Cut into 6-10 triangles %u00a0and place on a non greases baking sheet and sprinkle tops with remaining sugar. Stick into oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tops start turning a golden brown and a tester in the middle of a scone comes out clean.%u00a0

Remove from baking sheet and serve warm or let cool on a rack.

Mom gets first dibs, and if she is willing to share, eat one yourself with%u00a0your face.%u00a0

Last week pineapples were on sale everywhere%u2026%u2026So I bought 5. Don’t judge%u00a0

And I bet I am not the only one that got overly excited at $1.50 pineapple and bough themselves a few. We will just call ourselves opportunists. %u00a0Now we have plenty of pineapples and don’t have to pay %u00a0the $4 a piece prices. (Justification) %u00a0

But if you don’t have a pineapple laying around, you must go get one. (Maybe if your lucky, there might still be some sales going on) because you must make this salad. I am on a mission to make everyone I know eat it because, for lake of a better way to say it%u2026%u2026.It will rock your world.

Dill and pineapple are a serious match made in heaven. Pineapple, with its sweet, tangy, citrusness %u00a0and dill with it’s super fresh earthiness. Mixed together with a few other helpers to create a fresh, clean, chunky, tangy, over the top, flavor. I could stop right there, but toss in a handful of lentils, some creamy avocado and a bed of kale%u2026It’s like the best spring time, celebration on you tongue, happiness in you tummy, kind of salad.

A salad that will make you smile. (and maybe buy %u00a05 pineapples)%u00a0

%u00a0Stuff for the goodness. We got the kale, some avocado because all salads should have avocado and some cooked lentils because, well, all salads should have lentils (or beans or nuts.. so you could totally something else) Then a few sprigs of fresh dill, a clove of garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and a bowl of chunked up pineapple.%u00a0The pineapple, dill, garlic, red wine vinegar, a splash of water and a pinch of salt get blended in a blender or whatever blending device you use. Go as smooth or chunky as you like, I recommend going smooth, but leaving a little chunk, like half blended.

The prep is done, now compile. %u00a0Kale in bowl, top with lentils,. Toss on avocado chunks, and, last but not least, the blended pineapple dill mixture.So good%u2026%u2026So so good.

Happy Friday!!

-C

So Good Pineapple Dill Kale Salad

Serves Two

• 3 cups washed and chopped Kale
• 1/2 a avocado, diced
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1-2 springs fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt%u00a0
• 1/2 cup cooked lentils%u00a0(or any bean or nut will do)

Note. No fresh dill? You can use dried, just sub in 1 teaspoon for the fresh and after blending with the pineapple, let sit a little longer to really let the flavors meld together.%u00a0

Place pineapple, dill, pinch of salt, vinegar and garlic into a blender or whatever you own that blends and blend stuff together, leaving it a little chunky. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Kale goes into a bowl and add the lentils and diced avocado. Pour the blended pineapple on. Toss around.%u00a0

Now eat.

When something goes on sale at the grocery store, I tend to buy it. Being that it is Valentines Day this week, all the stores are having specials on all sorts of sexy things%u2026 and strawberries are one of them.%u00a0 Now I am not a huge fan of buying produce that is terribly out of season, but I can’t help myself%u2026a good deal is a good deal and the strawberries were a super good deal. I was just going to make some sweet ass strawberry jam or maybe a lovely strawberry cake with them (and I probably still will), but these strawberries are actually super juicy and full of flavor, and it’s always nice to eat some full flavor freshy strawberries%u2026 especially soaked in balsamic vinegar. %u00a0And yeah, %u00a0I think that this salad is pretty sexy, so it makes for a perfect Valentines day dish.

A handful of ingredients and 5 minutes will get you to a fantastic salad experience.

A bowl of %u00a0baby spinach, a few chopped up strawberries*, %u00a0half a sliced avocado and a small handful of toasted almonds.. Oh, and don’t forget the balsamic vinegar%u2026.%u00a0

*Note.. Strawberries are kind of heart shaped already so if you want, reserve a few slices to fancy up you salad presentation, but chop up the rest into smaller pieces.

Pour the vinegar on the strawberries and let sit for at least 5 minutes. (the longer the strawberries can sit with the vinegar, the better)

%u00a0Pile it on.. %u00a0thinly slice avocado.. rough chopped toasted almonds%u2026 It’s pretty much as easy as it can get.And last but not least, toss on the balsamic soaked strawberries and drizzle the remaining vinegar. (if you made hearts, place on top to make pretty) Sprinkle with a pitch of salt and pepper and pow! Fancy, sexy, delicious salad.

Not to shabby for %u00a05 minutes and a handful of ingredients. %u00a0Anyone (don’t feed to a person with nut allergies) would be so syked to be fed a salad like this%u2026 You yourself should be pretty excited to eat a salad like this. Heck, I am excited to eat a salad like this!

A love salad for everyone and everyday!

YAY for Thursday and Happy meal planning!!!!%u00a0

-C

%u2665 Balsamic%u00a0Strawberries on Spinach Almond Avocado Salad%u00a0%u2665

Ingredients for 1 large or 2 small salads

• 3-4 ripe strawberries
• handful of roasted almonds (slivers or whole)
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar%u00a0
• 3 cups baby spinach
• Pinch of salt and pepper%u00a0

Dice strawberries into small pieces (reserve a few whole slices for heart shapes if you want) and toss in a small bowl %u00a0with the balsamic vinegar. Let sit for at least 5 minutes. Rinse and dry spinach. Place in a bowl(s) and top with thinly sliced avocado, chopped almonds and balsamic soaked strawberries. Drizzle the residual vinegar on top and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.%u00a0

Eat with a fork

I needed something quick, something everyone would like and I needed it to come from food I had in the house%u2026%u2026Pretzels, peanut butter and chocolate chips turned into little nutty nuggets. A last minute christmas treat. %u00a0I have stumbled apron something that I am sure to make many more times to come. People were really into them and for real, so easy and %u00a0took so little time to make..%u00a0Fast, happy, peanut butter and pretzels dipped in chocolate, I mean, do you know anyone that would say no to that? And just because I made them for Christmas does not mean that we cannot make these for any occasion, like New Years, %u00a0maybe a birthday party or even laundry day. You can even make these as a fun afternoon activity with the kiddos.%u2026Make them whenever you need a fun little treat!%u00a0 Note%u2026.This is one of those treats that is vegan, gluten-free%u00a0(just get gluten-free pretzels) and doesn’t have a ton of sugar..Eveyone can eat them! Hooray!!!!!! (Maybe don’t feed them to a child with a peanut allergy)

Simple as this%u2026.Half a bag of pretzel rods(any shape would work)%u2026 A big scoop of peanut butter and some chocolate chips%u2026

.%u00a0%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0Pretzels go into the food processor and pulsed until a mostly fine crumbly crumble. Now in goes the big ol scoop of peanut butter. Pulse until mixture comes togetherGo ahead and take a bite%u2026%u2026so good right?..Start turning the mixtures into small balls..think grape sized.

Once the mixture is all rolled out, stick into the fridge or freezer for a little about a 1/2 hour to set up.

Right before you take the balls out of the fridge%u2026melt down the chocolate. %u00a0Like my make shift double boiler? I know%u2026.jealous. If you have one, use it, but if not, a big pot with water and a smaller thin metal or a glass bowl works.. The pot or bowl should fit onto the big pot, but I was having a hard time and couldn’t find any of my bowls%u2026..so i did what I could. Bring water to a boil then turn to simmer. Place chocolate in small bowl on big pot and stir until chocolate is melted, silky and smooth. Remove bowl from boiler and start to dip those balls! Reheat chocolate if needed but be careful to not get any water into chocolate or else it will seize up and you won’t be able to melt it anymore.

Drop a few balls into the melted chocolate. I%u00a0was doing 2-3 at a time. Take a spoon or spatula and gently roll %u00a0or coat entire nugget. Remove and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

That’s it…Imperfect little perfect candy nugget truffle thingys%u2026.I sprinkled the tops with colored sugar.. you know, for a little holiday fun.. 3 simple ingredients( oil doesn’t count).. and 10 minutes of hands on time%u2026can’t get much better then that.%u00a0

Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
• 10-12 Pretzel rods
• 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• tablespoon coconut oil

Pretzels go %u00a0into food processor and pulse until a fine mealy constancy.. Add peanut butter and pulse until combined and is easily handled. Add a bit more peanut butter if the mixture seems to dry or another pretzel if mixture is too loose.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Roll mixture into small grape sized balls. Pace in the fridge or freezer for 1/2 hour.

After the balls have chilled, place chocolate chips and coconut oil into %u00a0a double boiler and heat until chocolate is fully melted. Place balls 2-3 at a time into melted chocolate, roll around to completely coat, then transfer back %u00a0onto wax paper. Once all balls are chocolate coated, sprinkle with something( if you want) and place back in fridge to set up.

Share(if you feel like it) and Enjoy!!!

It%u2019s hot out and we are thirsty. Water is good, water is great, but sometimes a little somethin%u2019 somethin%u2019 is called for, for you know, being that we need to deal with it being so freaking hot out. and sticky and gross. (BLAH. This past week we have had some temperatures it had make me crankers.)

Anyway, what is more refreshing then cucumber? Not much. And so we blend up cucumber, add some mint and lime juice and stick it into a glass with ice and bubbles. What can be more refreshing then that? Plus look at how pretty it is. Bright ass green. A true summertime drink.

To the Spritzer!

The stuff. A thin skinned cucumber, a lime, a spring of mint, club soda, and if you want, a little simple syrup.

Chunk up the cucumber and into the blender it goes with the juice of the lime and a couple mint leaves.

Grab a couple glasses, add in some ice, and fill each glass half way with the cucumber juice. (mix in liquid sweetener in now if you want it.)

Top off with club soda, a mint leaf and a few slices of cucumber and you are golden cool and fancy free.

Stay cool%u2026..as a cucumber.. HAHA!

Makes 2 or 3 drinks

• 1 cucumber (thin skinned and 6-8 inches long)

• a lime

• a few mint leaves

• club soda or plain seltzer

• 1-2 teaspoons liquid sweetener (optional)

Take cucumber and place into blender along with the juice of the lime and a couple mint leaves. Blend until smooth. Grab a couple glass, fill each with ice, then fill each glasses half way with cucumber mixture. Add in any liquid sweetener if using and stir. (I recommend trying without sweetness, that is that way I like it, and then add sweetener if you need it.) Top glasses off with club soda. Garnish with sliced cucumber, lime wedges, and or mint leaves if you want.

Drink away.

I have a bag of coconut flour that I need to use up so I have made coconut snack cake a few times the past couple weeks. Once with orange instead of lime. Once I added chocolate chips. This time I stepped it up made a little glaze action, toasted a little coconut for some extra coconutiness and took these here pictures and wrote down the recipe. Just. For. You.

Not that I don%u2019t know already that my snack cake creation is good, but I guess it was just super A+++. I threw this one together right before the mr and I headed down to PA to hang with my dad. As soon as he (and sister and nephews) started in on it, well the responses were more then average. My dad even snuck a piece off and hid it for later. They really, really, really were into it. Wanted me to make another right then and there. Normally I would but my dad doesn%u2019t keep coconut flour on hand and I don%u2019t make it a habit to travel with any myself. (I might have to change that.) Next time he will know to stock the coconut flour.

I didn%u2019t realize my people were such coconut people. Good thing for them that I like coconut people. As a matter of fact, I consider myself a coconut person. And coconut is not code for awesome, but I am that too. HA

Anyway enough about me. Coconut snack cake is what you want to know about. It is soft and dense. Moist, not overly sweet. Lots of lime and coconut flavor and is just perfect for snack time. Eat it with a fork on a plate with coffee or tea or grab an piece and eat it walking down the street while thinking about green leaves and warmer weather. Or wherever and whenever. If you make it then it%u2019s up to you when and where you eat it. That only seems fair.

Now to the snack cake of your coconut lime dreams.

The stuff. Gonna need all purpose flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, a couple flax eggs, some warmed coconut oil, plant milk, brown sugar, vanilla extra, apple sider vinegar, a couple lime, some powdered sugar, and some lightly toasted shredded coconut.

Grab a big bowl. Add in the brown sugar, flax eggs, warmed coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Mix it all up until evenly incorporated.

Dump in the flours, baking soda and powder, and salt. Zest in lime, squeeze in lime juice and start to mix. Add in the milk as you are mixing.

Cake batter mixed and done. Now to bake it.

Dump the cake batter into a well greased baking pan and level it off with a spoon or spatula.

Now it%u2019s oven time to bake into a great and well cake.

A cake out of the oven, great and well. Golden brown and smells of all the goodness that a coconut cake could possible smell.

While cake is cooling, which it should be now, make the glaze. Powdered sugar, lime zest, and lime juice. Mix until it%u2019s glazy.

Pour the glaze all over cooled cake.

Don%u2019t forget the shredded coconut. Get it on before the glaze starts to set.

And then it%u2019s just the matter of cutting cake%u2026%u2026.

You know once you cut it, that means snack time right? Coconut lime snack cake for all of your coconut time, lime time, hungry snack time needs.

Keep it good.

-C

Makes a 9×9 cake

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 cup coconut flour

• 3/4 packed cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 cup coconut oil (warmed to liquid)

• 1 1/4 cup plant milk (I used almond)

• 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax seeds with 1/2 cup warm water)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• A lime

• For the glaze

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar

• a lime

• 1/4 cup or so toasted shredded coconut to sprinkle on top (optional)

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, mix together the bbrown sugar, flax eggs, warmed coconut oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar until completely incorporated. Next dump in the flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Zest the lime into bowl. Start mixing, adding in the juice of the lime and the plant milk. Mix it all together until completely incorporated.

Dump mixture into a well greases 9×9 baking pan and level off with a spoon or spatula. Place into oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a tester stuck into the middle of cake comes out clean.

Once baked, remove from oven, let cool in pan for a few minutes then carefully remove cake from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Just zest other lime into powered sugar then add the juice (or as much juice as you needed) of the lime until a pourable glaze forms. If your lime is not particularly juicy enough and the glaze is still really thin, just add a splash of water to thin out as needed.

And when cake is completely cooled, pour glaze all over cake and cover with toasted coconut flakes.

Now cut. And eat.

Store left over cake in a air tight container for 3-4 days. Individual pieces freeze well for all your future snacking needs.

I picked up the first summer farm share this week. (Whoo Hoo!!)%u00a0In it included lettuce, spinach, kale, cilantro, and potatoes. A heavy on the greens,%u00a0start to the season, but I am never going complain when it’s heavy on the greens. I could eat greens, any greens, by the bucket full (and basically do).%u00a0And there was pyo cilantro, which I wasn’t expecting for a least a week or two so that was just fantastic because oh how I have missed fresh herbs.%u00a0

So greens went directly to my stomach without a chance, but the potatoes and cilantro I left so I could make something to share with the mr. Roasted potatoes because that’s my favorite way to eat a tater and covered in lots and lots of cilantro because yes, and when you eat cilantro, you must eat a lot of it. Lime juice for good measure and you got yourself a dank little potato dish if I do say so myself.%u00a0

The stuff. Potatoes, cilantro, limes (you probably only need one), garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

After washing your potatoes, dice them into mouth sized pieces and place them into a pot of cold water%u00a0

Dice potatoes go into pot and need a little boil. If you have a pinch of salt to toss into the water, well you should do that.

After boiling for a few minutes, give the poe test, if you can kind of pierce a potato with a fork, they are done.%u00a0%u00a0You don’t want to completely cook the potatoes, you just want them juuuust barely fork tender.. Once they get there,%u00a0strain them.

Let the potatoes drain for a minutes or two to make sure all the water is gone. In the mean time, mince up the garlic.

Add the garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper and a glug glug of olive oil back to the pot (you could use a new bowl, but why dirty another dish?)

Add in the drained potatoes and toss around until they are all evenly coated.

Dump potatoes onto a baking sheet (if you think of it, preheat the oven with the baking sheet in it… just make sure to be careful when handling hot pans)

Into the oven those taters go to roast and be great.

And sometime between putting the potatoes in the oven and taking them out, chop up the cilantro.

Once potatoes are all nice and golden roasted, remove from oven and drizzle and toss the juice of the lime all over. Place the potatoes back into the oven for a few minutes to let them crisp up again.

And then you toss all that chopped cilantro all over those potatoes.

And then eat them. Maybe serve with salsa and whipped avocado because that is what I did and I did good.

-C

Serves 2-4 peoples

• 2 1/2 %u00a0pounds small yellow potatoes
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 4-6 cloves garlic%u00a0
• 1 juicy %u00a0lime
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 with the baking sheet preheating in the oven as well.

Wash potatoes well and chop into pieces about an inch or so big and place in a big pot of cold water. Once you got all the potatoes in the pot, add a pinch of table salt and bring the potatoes to a boil. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the potatoes are just barely fork tender.. don’t over boil them. Drain potatoes.

In either the empty pot (less dishes) or a bowl, combine 2 tablespoon oil with the garlic, a good pinch or two of pepper, and same with salt. Mix around then add in the potatoes. Toss to coat and if you feel that you might need little more oil, drizzle in a bit more.%u00a0

Dump coated potatoes onto a %u00a0preheated baking sheet and place in oven for about 40-50 minutes, giving the potatoes a good stir after 30. You want the potatoes to be a nice roasted brown. Once roasted, pull potatoes from oven and squeeze the juice of the lime all over the potatoes. Toss and place the potatoes back into the oven for a few minutes just to crisp up a bit. While the potatoes are crisping up,%u00a0chop the cilantro. After the few minutes, pull the potatoes back out and toss with the cilantro. Season with more salt and pepper if needed and then just eat them. I like to serve with salsa and some avocado situation, but ketchup or naked works too.
%u00a0

Have you heard of switchel? A lot of people haven’t so don’t feel bad if you don’t know what the hell I am talking about (like my computer. It keeps auto correcting switchel to switched). So switchel. It’s basically a drink made from water and apple cider vinegar. But wait, don’t grimace and click away, it’s also has fresh ginger, lime, and maple syrup mixed in and is really really really freaking refreshing and tasty and just really good. I guess it was even used back I the day as a sort of sports drink, like Gatorade because it has all sorts of electrolytes and anti-inflammatory properties from the ginger.%u00a0%u00a0Plus apple cider vinegar has got all sorted or health benefits,%u00a0so it’s a tasty treat with benefits. Who doesn’t love the benefits?%u00a0

You can drink the switchel %u00a0straight up hot or cold, add it to seltzer for a bubbly soda like drink or even %u00a0mix some cocktails with it. I enjoy a nice cold glass when I am feeling thirsty but what I usually do it fill up half a %u00a0jar with boiling water, then fill the rest of the jar up with the cold switchel. It’s a nice tangy, spicy,%u00a0refreshing and warming drink that I look forward to every day. I even got the littles to try it.%u00a0%u00a0One thought it to be nasty (can’t win them all), but the other one really liked it too, so you know it’s not just me that thinks it good.%u00a0

The stuff. Apple cider vinegar (the good stuff that is raw and has the mother), fresh ginger, limes, maple syrup, and water.%u00a0

Fresh ginger is the best. Give it a little peel with a spoon, just to maximize gingerness exposure then chop into small pieces.%u00a0

Ginger and water goes into big pot. Bring it to a boil then turn down to a high simmer for 10-15 minutes to really get the ginger infused into that water.%u00a0

After it’s cooled a bit, strain the now ginger water into a pitcher or a big jar.

Add in the vinegar, the juice of the limes and a bit maple syrup. Start off with a little maple, you can alway add more later if needed.%u00a0

After the switchel has some time in the fridge to cool (at least 2 hours, but I like it best when it’s sat overnight) grab a glass ,some ice cubes, and a slice of lime. It’s go time.%u00a0

A drink to you my friends

-C

Makes bout 6%u00a0 cups%u00a0

• 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother. Braggs is a popular option)%u00a0
• 5-6 inch piece of fresh ginger%u00a0
• 2 limes
• 5 1/2 cups water
• 1-4 tablespoons maple syrup%u00a0

With a spoon, gently peel ginger . Not perfectly, just get some of the skin off. Chop it into small pieces and place it into a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil then let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Strain ginger water int a large pitcher or jar.

Add in the apple cider vieager, the juice of the limes, and a tablespoon or two of maple syrup. Give it a good stir then place in the fridge until cold (about two hours but overnight is best)%u00a0

When it’s cold, give it a good stir again, taste, and if it needs more maple, add it in. And then it’s ready.

You can drink it on ice, maybe add some seltzer to it, or mix it into some fancy cocktail. It can also be reheated for a nice spicy warming treat.%u00a0

The mr was being awesome and spent the afternoon in the pantry adding a few finishing touches I requested ( more shelves and more supports) There really isn’t enough room in there for the both of us and the air compressor, but I needed to be close by to tell him what to do (in a non annoying way) so I figured the best way I could help was to be in the kitchen and make cookies. That’s helpful right? Answer is yes, cookies are always helpful.%u00a0

It’s been a while since I made cookies and I am pretty sure that these were the first cookies that I have made in this kitchen which seems crazy and I should go on a cookie making binge. I finally moved all of my food and baking stuff over from the loft so now I can bake on a whim. Cookies, cakes, bread… whatever I want whenever I want.%u00a0 It is so nice having my baking things all around me. I feels like home.

And I think from now on whenever we have a house project that I am not to interested in doing (like we need to empty and clean out he basement) I will just make cookies instead. I’ll be like “Oh, I could help with that or….I can make you favorite cookies” (with a wink, wink and a kissy face)%u00a0 We will see if that floats with the mr. I’ll let you know.

The stuff. Coconut flour, regular flour, and a little bit of salt. Sugar, coconut oil, ground chia seeds with water and a lime.

Zest the limeand mix into the flour.%u00a0 Add the juice to the chia seeds.

Mix together the chia seeds, sugar and melted coconut oil until evenly combined

Then dump dry into wet and mix until it turns into dough.

Take any liberties in shape you want here. I rolled some into balls and some I made into hearts. These cookies don’t spread so pretty much any shape you make it’s going to stay that way. Just make sure to smoosh the doughwith you hand or a fork to an even 1/2 inch so it bakes evenly.

Once the baking sheet is full, stick it in the preheated oven.

12-15 minutes laterthe kitchen smells all nice and the cookies are golden and ready. Stick them on a rack to cool.

Oh but wait, why not add some chocolate drizzle.%u00a0 Easy easy. Justmelt some chocolate chips with a bit of coconut oil.

And drizzle it all like yeah

Sweet coconut lime goodness. My pantry is all done and the mr got some love cookies. All in a days work.

bye!

-C

makes about 12-15 cookies

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 1 lime (juice and zest)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons plus 4 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips and teaspoon coconut oil for drizzling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl, whisk the flours, the salt and the zest of the lime. After zesting lime, juice it and mix2 tablespoons of the juice into the chia seeds along with the water. In a separate larger bowl, mix together the sugar and coconut oil until combined then mix in the chia seeds. Dump the dry mixture into the wet and mix until combined and dough has formed.

Roll cookie dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place on cookie sheet and about 1/2 inch smoosh flat with either your hand or a fork. If you want, shape the dough into a shape (like a heart) just make sure to flatten it so it bakes evenly. The cookies don’t spread so you can place then really close together on the cookie sheet. Place i oven and bake for about 13-15 minutes or until the bottoms of the cookies are a nice deep golden brown. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool. Now they don’t need it, but I was told the chocolate drizzle was awesome…

Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and place in microwave at 30 second intervals until the chocolate and oil can be mixed together into a drizzable consistency. Now take that and drizzle all over tops of cookies.

Eat. Store uneaten cookies in airtight container

This little guy asked me to make him some%u00a0popsicles, and of course I said yes because, well look at him.%u00a0

So we made a date. A popsicle and playground date to be exact.

For these particular%u00a0pops, I decided to use watermelon, mainly because I had just broken into%u00a0one and once I open a melon, I have a race with myself as to how fast I can consume the in entire%u00a0thing. ( It’s a sick form of watermelon gluttony) But also because%u00a0the little was really really excited to hear that I%u00a0could in fact make%u00a0watermelon popsicles.%u00a0And the other stuff I added because I had it and it all tastes really good together.%u00a0

%u00a0I made the popsicles the day before %u00a0so they would be ready for our date.%u00a0%u00a0He came over, we ate lunch,(peanut butter sandwich and carrot sticks)%u00a0wondered around the neighborhood with the pup,%u00a0and made a quick stop at%u00a0the playground. (we only managed a couple runs on the%u00a0slide %u00a0before it was too hot and%u00a0our sweat had us sticking to the slide%u00a0and it was more of a painful scoot then a glide) We then%u00a0made our way home and rewarded ourselves for a walk well done%u00a0with these%u00a0amazing, super refreshing, and healthy frozen treats that I made just%u00a0for us. While we were eating the popsicles, our conversation turned to food. We talked about%u00a0all the different varieties of popsicle that we could make, and how we could eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner because they are%u00a0made of only good things and are really healthy (he is really trying to eat healthy)%u00a0%u00a0It was the perfect ending to a fantastic afternoon with a five year old, or any human for that matter…

I would have a popsicle date with this kid every day

The Stuff. %u00a0Fresh seedless watermelon (make sure to have lots on hand cause you are going to be eating it as you make these), a fresh lime, a handful of blueberries and a sprig of fresh mint. And don’t forget%u00a0%u00a0a mold of some kind that form%u00a0the liquid into a popsicle (if you don’t have a mold, little paper cups work too)

Remove watermelon from rind and cut into small chunks. Juice the lime and add that, the watermelon chunks, the mint and the blueberries to a blender or vessel if using%u00a0a hand blender) and blend everything%u00a0until smooth.%u00a0

Look at how pretty that is.%u00a0%u00a0And so tasty%u2026.%u00a0I am not going to lie and say that I didn’t make a little%u00a0extra to drink, cause I did.

Now pour the puree into your molds to the fill line%u00a0(follow the%u00a0instructions that your molds give you) and place into the freezer.

And yes Shannon, these are in fact, your popsicle molds. Don’t worry, I’ll bring them back soon. (I am thinking some type of booze infused situation)

Once the freezer has done its job freezing%u2026 pop those suckers out.. (I let the mold sit on the counter for a few minutes so the popsicle pops out clean)

And heres to%u00a0the best popsicle date ever!

Happy Summer!%u00a0Happy Tuesday!

-C

• A big chunk of seedless Watermelon (aboutt 11/2%u00a0cups)
• 1/2 ish cup of blueberries%u00a0(fresh or frozen)
• Juice of 1 lime
• a few fresh mint leaves

note. The popsicle mold that I used only needed 2 cups of popsicle juice. If you have a larger mold, just use%u00a0more of everything to get the amount you need

Remove rind from watermelon and add to a blender with the lime juice, mint and blueberries. Blend until eveytthing is pureed%u00a0and mixed all together. Pour liquid into popsicle molds and stick in freezer for at least 4 hours.

When ready to eat%u2026, pop those suckers out of there molds and%u00a0EAT!%u00a0

%u00a0How awesome will you be when you bring the most freaking amazing tortilla chips to the party this weekend? You will be like..”what, it ain’t no thang.. I am just good like that” Yes, yes you are.

And yes, I am assuming that you will be making these awesome%u00a0chippers to share at a Super Bowl part this weekend. I say this because even as I sit here writing this (with the TV on) there has been nothing but football talk%u2026deflated balls, hot wings, half time shows and commercials. It’s almost as big as Christmas. %u00a0Got to get the decorations, the special game day food and your football jerseys. It’s crazy and all over the place. So that’s why I am assuming you are making these for the game. %u00a0But if you not going to be participating in any football parties.. by all means, make these chips for yourself anyways. Celebrate you day! Have a non football watching party. Or just make these whenever. %u00a0Jalape%u00f1o Lime chips for everyday!%u00a0

Note: You can make these chips without the jalaeno and or the lime if you need or want to. You can also stop after the first step and have some dank corn totillas for tacos ands stuff..But definitely make the chips%u2026 worth it for sure!

%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0

All the stuff.. Masa harina, hot water, salt, a lime and a jalape%u00f1o. Zest lime and place half the zest into a glass bowl with oil and either sit on warm oven or microwave for 30 seconds to infuse. %u00a0Puree the jalape%u00f1o with a cup of hot water and add the puree and half the zest of a lime, plus salt, to the masa harina. Mix it all up with another 1/2 cup of water or enough to make the dough resemble play dough%u2026 You can add more water or masa if you dough is to wet or dry.%u00a0

Knead dough a few times just to make sure it’s completely uniformed and divide %u00a0into 12-14 equal pieces. Place balls on a plate and cover with a wet paper towl to keep from drying out.

%u00a0I do not own a tortilla press so I used what I had%u2026 wax paper, a wooded cutting board and brunt force. I took each ball and place it between the two pieces of the waxed paper, placed the cutting board on top, and with all my might and body weight, pressed down to smoosh. %u00a0It works like a charm.

My%u00a0cast iron skillet is big enough to cook 2 -3 at a time, but doing one at a time is cool too. Preheat the skillet to medium heat. Cook each tortilla for about 2-3 minutes ( or until starting to brown) on each side. Half way there to chips!!!

With my fingers ( you can using a basting brush for sure), I rubbed a little of the lime oil all over %u00a0both sides of each tortilla. Stacked a few high, %u00a0then sliced those tortillas into triangle shapes. If you %u00a0want to go crazy, you could cut them into strips or even use a cookie cutter and do some fun shapes%u2026 but triangle are easy, classic, and practical. A good shape for dipping!

Placed all nice and cozy on a baking sheet. trying not to overlap. Into a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes to complete the chip making process.. After about 15 minutes, check for doneness. When nice a crispy, remove from oven, squeeze %u00a0lime juice all over and sprinkle with salt. I then stuck them back in the oven for a few more minutes just to dry the lime..

After cooling down, take those chips and stick them in a bowl.%u00a0

Eat a few, but wait and save them for the party. Or better yet, make a few batches. Bring a batch, eat a batch. (Its ok, you are allowed)

Eat with some salsa, maybe some of%u00a0this guacamole, or just as they are%u2026Anyway is the right way as long as you are eating!

Have fun making these and have fun getting read for the party this weekend (Super Bowl or not!)

-C

Jalape%u00f1o Lime Tortilla Chips

Makes 12-14 tortillas.. then made into a medium bowl of tortilla chips.

Ingredients%u00a0

• 2 cups masa harina
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups hot water
• 1%u00a0teaspoon salt
• 1 lime (juice and zest)
• 1 large or 2 small jalape%u00f1os%u00a0
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt

To start, zest lime and add 1/2 of the zest to bowl with the oil. Place oil on warm spot on stove to let the oil infuse the limeness.%u00a0

Take jalapeno and puree with 1 cup of hot water. In a large bowl, add puree %u00a0and remaining lime zest to the masa harina and mix, adding an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water until the dough %u00a0resembles %u00a0play dough, not to soft, but not to dry and completely incorporated

Divide dough into 12-14 balls and place on a plate %u00a0under a wet paper towel to keep dough from drying out.%u00a0

One at a time, take a dough ball and place between two pieces of wax or parchment paper. Place either a plate or cutting board on top and press down as hard as you can (you could even stand on it). Remove flatten tortilla from paper and place in medium hot skillet. Cook each tortilla for 2-3 minutes on each side.

When all tortillas have been made, lightly rub lime oil on all over both sides. Stack a few on top of each other and cut into triangles. Place pieces on a baking sheets (I used 2) and bake at 400 for 15- 20 minutes or until lightly browned and crunchy. When chips are done, remove from oven, squeeze or sprinkle lime juice on chips and sprinkle with salt. Stick back into oven for another 2 or so minutes to re-crisp%u00a0from the lime juice.%u00a0

Remove and let cool completely, then dump into a bowl

Enjoy!

%u00a0 %u00a0 I have been meaning do a post on seltzer and syrups for a while now and this one is perfect%u2026 Everyone around me has been getting sick and I am trying my hardest to not get anything.%u00a0

Citrus and ginger%u2026. Two of my favorite things, combined into one super refreshing, light and crisp, thirst quenching drink. Tasty and packed full of vitamin C from the citrus and blood warming, tummy healing ginger. Its kind of%u00a0a feel better elixir, a good for you drink, a sparkler pop. %u00a0A drink everyone can get into %u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0 (the mister even liked it), And it has no added sugars or nasty coloring, it can’t get much better.

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

%u00a0

I made the ginger date simple syrup ahead of time.. All I did what chop 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger and %u00a0about 3 tablespoons pitted dates and added to a pot with a cup of water. Simmered the stuff until the dates were mostly dissolved, about 15 minutes, took off the %u00a0heat and pureed it. I let it steep for another 5 minutes and strained%u2026.no biggy. %u00a0 This is a milder sweet simple syrup. If you like sweeter add more dates or even add a bit of honey%u2026 Do what tastes the best to you.

Juice the lime and blood orange%u2026..so much pretty!

I ended up with about 12 tablespoons of juice from a the lime and the orange.. If you need or want to, juice an additional orange and lime.%u00a0

Add 2-3 tablespoons of the fresh juice per 12oz glass and add about 2-3 tablespoons of the ginger date syrup%u2026(adjust amounts to you taste) Top off with cold plain seltzer water and maybe an ice-cube or two. ( I would have if I had thought to make ice)

So lovely%u2026. so nice.%u00a0I really got into these flavors. This drink has the ability to make you feel warm and cozy while being cold and fresh. It makes me happy.

Double thumbs up here!

Stay un-sick!

-C

Blood Orange Ginger Lime Sparkler Pop

Ingredients

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

For the ginger date syrup

In a small pot on low heat, add chopped dates and ginger to a cup of water. Simmer until dates %u00a0have mostly dissolved, about 15 minutes. remove from heat and puree with either %u00a0a blender to a hand emulsifier. Let steep for another 5 minutes and strain, reserving the pulp (add it to soup or salad dressing). Let completely cool.

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

I know it’s early an I know it’s Sunday, but other than that I am having a hard time concentrating on much of anything. All I can think about is paint color, well that and the kitchen stove. (I am getting closer to making that decision. I am secretly hoping Bluestar will just gift me one.) Oh, and how I want to hang some lights on the house because what is the point of having a house without hanging the holiday lights. So I guess I am thinking, just not very clearly.

How was your week? Good I hope. Ours was kind of quite. We spent most of our time at the house working and feeling sick. I might have convinced myself at the beginning of the week that I had listeria due to the fact that I ate a shit ton of some hummus that was recalled due to contamination. But I am alive so I think I am ok. We did get to see lots of family, spend a little time in some woods, and even got to take a afternoon nap .(mostly because I was sick) And it snowed!!!! There is no more snow now, but there was and it was so white and fluffy and great. I am looking forward to having an actual winter this year with some actual snow.

The mr and I are working our butts off, trying to maybe move in soon, like as soon as possible. Yesterday at the house, the mr was downstairs patching up the pantry walls and I was upstairs, painting. The plan was to touch up all the paint and to paint the closet doors. Sounds simple right? Well it wasn’t. Long story short, I spent the entire day painting, hating, remixing, then repainting the closet doors in the bedroom. I didn’t get to anything else. I almost tore my eyes out of my head. I seriously repainted those freaking doors5 times, each time thinking that I likes the color. Then an hour later, after painting front ans back of both doors (they are louved so they take longer) then I would hate the color and start all over again. I was going a little crazy. I blame it on the fumes.

Today I am going to bring over a scented candle (to mask he smell of urethane), put on some Christmas tunes, touch up all the paint in the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs and paint those stupid closet doors one last time, color be damned.%u00a0%u00a0 We are getting there. It’s going to be great

There might even be some time to bust out the Xmas lights!

Internet for the looking.

-My hometown. America%u2019s First All-Renewable-Energy City

–Your Brain Can Barely Handle Conversation and Eye Contact at the Same Time.

–Cool Ass Lamps. The peacock is the best.

-My siblings.. Best friends, worst enemies. Love them all to pieces even when I want to punch them in the face. Give Thanks For Siblings: They Can Make Us Healthier And Happier

-I could spend forever in one of these (Cornell is my favorite). THE 15 MOST BEAUTIFUL COLLEGE LIBRARIES IN AMERICA

-Maybe someday I will sit around and make bird houses, but they have to be this cool. These Modernist Houses Are Literally For the Birds

-Can’t wait to go crazy and cover my life with all the green, it makes me happy. Green and Peaceful

-So I for sure talk to myself, sometimes just saying lists out loud, but sometimes….The mr always thinks I am talking to him. I have to tell him to stop budding in on my conversation. The Running Conversation in Your Head

-The mr always get me purple carrots in my stocking and my birthday. WTF ARE PURPLE CARROTS AND WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?

And photos from the week.

I am feeling pretty sleepy at the moment. Actually, all week I have been tired due to the fact that the mr has been snoring so loud that it wakes me up in my sleep. We both have some allergy stuff going on, but he has got it really bad and so he snores really loud. All. Night Long. And I don%u2019t sleep. It is really annoying.

Other then that, well things are just fine and dandy. HA.

The week started off with camping at Half Moon Pond State Park and oh was that place fantastic. A sweetie little pond in the middle of the woods. We got a camp site pretty much right up against the water and there were not a lot of people so it was super quite. This time of year most camping is pretty sparse as far other campers go which is just the way I like it. After setting up camp we took a great hike to another cute pond high up, went back down and did some kayaking. The mr fished, I paddled around in circles. After that we hung out for a bit and then it started to rain just pinch so we walked around until it stopped. Even the rain was lovely, especially watching it hit the water. It was just one of those times when all was feeling right and good.

And then after we ate, sang kumbaya by the fire, slept, and woke up, we made the coffee and headed back as usual.

Then life. Work, people, dinners with the littles. Picked up farm share where we are getting less and less of the sweet summer produce. I trained a person on how to load glaze kilns. Made banana bread. I also managed to spent way to much time on hold on the phone. The mr kept nice and busy spending half his time painting at one of the houses and half his time digging the hole on the back of the house which made for a slight anxious me due to all the dirt he has been trailing into the house. And best yet, I got my first PUMPKIN. Sure, it is just a little bitty pumpkin, but I got it and I will not eat it until I get a few more to strategically place around the house as edible decor. (Why not buy pumpkins that you can look at AND eat?) Plus the weather. All week, all super great. So yeah, a good hardy week.

Yesterday was Jackson%u2019s 18th birthday! (Happy Birthday buttface!) which just sounds freaking crazy. Sure he is not my kid, but I have a nephew that is now a legal adult. That just seems wrong but it is what it is and I am just tuning into a old lady. Ha. And so we partied family style with food and cake and absence birthday cards (thanks to the mr). We jokes (many to dirty to mentioned) we laughed, we ate, then we left. Early because being a Saturday night the boy (man) had his own parting to do. And I am old so I needed to go to bed.

Back to Sunday. Today we head to Gifford Woods State Park. Really excited about this one. Just last week the mr and I heard a story on VPR on how there are very few parts of the forest in VT that have any old growth (over a hundred years) left and there is old growth forest at this park. I am hoping we get to see lots and lots of big ass trees!!!! What more can you ask for? Maybe a long ass nap on the drive down there. Jeez I am tired.

Internet links from the week.

-There is hope yet. Young People Lead Millions To Protest Global Inaction On Climate Change.

–21 Comforting Dumbledore Quotes To Make You Feel Slightly Better About How Shitty Everything Is Right%u00a0Now. Thanks Dumbledore, I needed to hear this.

-There is a spider that has been living in our bathroom for a least a few months. They don%u2019t bother us so yeah, we just let them be. Why You Really Shouldn%u2019t Kill the Spiders in Your Home, According to an Entomologist

–3 Tips to Keep Apples Fresh for Much%u00a0Longer. Always a hassle. I always want to stock up on a years worth of fresh apples but know that they will not last THAT long.

-Pictures of how people store books always makes me happy. UPDATE: BOOK SMART.

–Speaking of books, I just finished this one and it was really good. The writing, the story. Just a good book.

–You can%u2019t be productive without routines and rituals. Here%u2019s why. I am all about routine and ritual, like crazy stuck on them to almost a fault. I sometimes think I need to get out of them%u2026.

-Tell me this isn%u2019t freaking cute as hell. Stop and Smell the Flowers: Dick van Duijn Captured a Squirrel%u2019s Floral Delight

–The Woman Who Convinced Me That Everything Bad Is Actually Good. Going to take a look at this book for sure.

-I want to go see this DRIED FLOWERS CAVE. –

Pictures from the week

First official week of summer plus #popsicleweek means we all have to make popsicles. It is not a option, it’s a must. The question is what kind of popsicles to make.

Well here you go, I got one for you right here. Pineapple, cucumber, spinach popsicles.%u00a0I highly, highly recommend them because they are amazing and you and everyone will love them.%u00a0No joke. I had two littles tell me that they are the best popsicles they have ever eaten. Then Koko damn near ate my hand off when I was trying to slow the baby down while he was eating his so he didn’t get brain freeze. After he finished off his popsicle, he turned around and went after his brothers popsicle. It was crazy. Screaming, green faced, baby charging after a popsicle. It was like an animal planet episode.%u00a0

%u00a0And so there you have it, all the littles we into them, the mr was into his, and me, I might eaten one or two and maybe I was licking all of them in between taking pictures. Ha. And big plus, unlike a lot of popsicles,%u00a0there is no extra shit in these, like no added sugar. And there is veggies in them.%u00a0They are basically an all around, eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or dessert popsicle.%u00a0%u00a0How can you even go wrong with that.%u00a0

You can’t.

Now it’s popsicle time!

The stuff. Fresh pineapple, fresh spinach, a cucumber, and a lime. That’s it, nothing else.%u00a0

Pineapple and juice from lime into the blender. Blend until smooth.

Add in the cucumber, blend until smooth%u00a0

Last but not least, add in spinach, blend until smooth.

Bright green goodness. And that’s pretty much it. And really, you could just stick it all into blender at once, I just blended the ingredients one by one for the sake of the pictures.

Pour that goodness into popsicles mold and either stick th sticks in now if they don’t sink or wait about an half hour after they have been in the freezer, just don’t forget the sticks (I almost did).

Mid freeze stick sticking.

Once they are frozen and when it’s feeding time,%u00a0%u00a0you pop them out of the mold and feed the people. Watch your fingers.%u00a0

Happy summer, Happy #popsicleweek

-C

Make 8 3.5 onze popsicles%u00a0

• 2 1/2 cups fresh pineapple*
• 1 Lebanese %u00a0cucumber (or half of an English cucumber)
• 3 large handfuls of spinach%u00a0
• Juice of a lime

*Note. You can use frozen pineapple, just thaw it out so it starts to release some of it’s juices. That way you don’t need to add water to the blender to blend everything up.%u00a0

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour puree into popsicle molds and stick into freezer. After about 1/2 hour, remove from freezer and stick the popsicle sticks into the molds. Place popsicles back into freezer until completely frozen (about 4-6 hours)%u00a0

Enjoy anytime.

Summer is pretty much here and, unlike last year, I plan on making the most of it, even if that means not doing a bunch of things at all times.%u00a0Last year we were finishing up the house and were constantly on the go go go. And yeah, we had lots of fun and did some things, but I don’t think we really spent much time just being and relaxing and really letting ourselves sink into the summer vibes. %u00a0I have goals for us this year, to be more, well, less. To take it easy when we need to, relax a bit,%u00a0and make enjoying ourselves a priority. We forget to do that sometimes.%u00a0

All week I have been thinking about some of the things I really want out of my summer and here they are.%u00a0

Summer bucket list 2018.

• Kayak the Winooksi River to Lake Champlain. This was our goal last year but things got crazy and we never got the chance.%u00a0
• Camping with the littles and Barb. We promised them all we would take them camping because get this, none of them have ever camped.%u00a0(GASP!)
• Find coffee table for downstairs. I have been on the look out for a,%u00a0kind of specific,%u00a0coffee table for months. I NEED to find one this summer. It’s driving me crazy.
• Hang more art around the house. We have a lot of artwork and I have hung up some stuff, but I really need to hang more.%u00a0
• Visit the Lavender fields. There is a farm in the tip top parts of Vermont that lets you walk through their fields of lavender.I hear it is like magic.%u00a0
• Stay on top of gardening. Don’t get lazy%u00a0
• Make studio/creative time a priority. I am busting at the seems.with things I want to create.%u00a0
• Hike Camels Hump. One of my favorite hikes and we haven’t done it in a few years so I really want to do it this year. And if we didn’t do it until fall, that would be ok too.
• Take it easy.%u00a0This is a big one. I want for us (me and the mr) to not get so crazy and to let ourselves be a little low-key and maybe spend a day or two doing no much of anything. Last year we didn’t really take any time off. We need to do that this summer.%u00a0

Do you have a summer bucket list? %u00a0What’s on yours?%u00a0

I am channeling all my summer time feels here in hopes for warmer weather. As of yesterday there was still a pile of snow outside of my house and I am still leaving every morning in a hat, mittens, and a winter jacket.

I want t-shirts and shorts, I want sandals, and I want to set my winter jacket on fire (not really, but kinda).

This cold weather has crept back into my soul and I needed something to remind me that there will be warmer days to come and I will soon be bitching about how hot I am and blah blah blah.. you know how it goes.

So I make lemonade. This lemonade as inspired by my favorite tea as of late, raspberry zinger. It’s a nice and tangy tart and really tasty. I make great big jar of it at night and add a little squeeze or two of lemon to it for that little extra zing. I figured if it tastes good hot, it will taste great cold, which in fact, it does. It taste really freaking good. And it just occurred to me that there is probably a little subliminal inspiration from Beyonce in wanting lemonade, so thanks for the B.

Anyway, it’s suppose to me nice and seasonably warm this weekend. Maybe bust out your lemonade game and try a batch of this one.

The stuff. Lemons, a raspberry zinger tea bag, honey (or any sweetener you like to use) water and ice.

Bring some of that water to aalmost boil and pour it over the tea bag (make sure you stick the bag into a jar or pitcher)

While the tea is steeping, juice the lemons. And a personal preference, you can strain out the pulp or not. I use the strainer to catch the seeds but then stick the pulp back in cause I like pulp. All up to you.

While the tea is steeping and still hot, add in any sweetener that you want to use. ( I used a little honey) Stir until that sweetness is all dissolved.

And after the tea has had a good steep, dump the brewed tea into the pitcher with the lemon juice then add in the really cold water. Stir it all around.

Add acouple thin slices of lemon to make it all fancy anda few big chunks of ice to make it super cold

Refreshing, crispy, tangy with a touch of sweet….Perfect for all those warm summer days to come (hopefully)

Have a great weekend people.

-C

Makes 5 cups

• 1 raspberry zinger tea bag( I used Celestial Seasonings)
• 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3-5 lemons, depending on size)
• Anywhere between no to 1/2 cup of sweeter (can use sugar, honey or maple, I like a touch of honey)
• 4 cups water (2 hot, 2 cold)
• ice

Place tea bag in 2 cups of hot water (can be done directly in a pitcher) Add in the sweetener while its still hot and mix until completely dissolved. Let steep for about 10 minutes.

Remove tea bag and add in the lemon juice, 2 more cups of cold water and mix, Top with ice and garnish with a few more lemon slices if your feeling fanciful.

Serve in a glass full of ice with a wedge of lemon and a smile on you face.

Has you week been full of fun and lots of crazy like mine has been? Whatever your answer is, just watch this cinnamon toast crunch commercial%u2026%u00a0%u00a0I laughed my ass soft so hard that I actually went to the you tube to watch it again.%u00a0

Yes indeed. A week full of fullness. I managed 3 cake (not including pies and muffins and the such), kindergartener soccer practice, a end of summer hot-dog dinner, a few parties, work stuff, and have managed to not run away screaming from all the crazy that has been my life. (Hooray for me!) As always, the end of September has turned into %u00a0family crazy, which then leads too the beginning of the holiday nutters and the snowball effect sets in. So to but in lightly, the next few months are going to be LIKE WHOA!

But it’s all good. I like some of that crazy (SOME!) Plus me and the mr always can find some time to do a few things that are just the two of us. Like yesterday, we went to our favorite harvest festival out in Underhill,%u00a0where I scored some cool %u00a0jars and a vintage roasting pan and walked around looking at junk for like 3 hour. %u00a0Then we headed to the mountains where we leaf peeped a little (not much color yet), and the mr did some fishing. Then the day ended with a cuddle on the couch while we watched Moonrise Kingdom.(again) It was the most perfect day!

%u00a0Now for today. After a few life chores that need to be done,%u00a0I am going to bust out the flannel sheets and the wool blanket for the bed,%u00a0grab a few more long shirts, sweaters, and socks, and bundle myself up,%u00a0sit out side and read, knit, and drink coffee all afternoon. Oh and take a nap at some point so I can be awake for the eclipse tonight!!! (being awake at 10 is pushing it for me)

Anyways, Hope you peoples’ are having some fun this weekend and getting yourself outside to enjoy the world!

Here, some fun and interesting internet stuff to check out.%u00a0

A bit of information on tonights Lunar Eclipse

-Don’t Toss That Sour Milk! And Other Tips To Cut Kitchen Food Waste

-I NEED THIS..%u00a0And I would totally live out of it and bike across the country

-Back-splashes%u00a0 that make me like backslashes

–Harry Potter themed bar%u2026 I am so there!

–This apartment in Paris.. so nice, so jealous%u00a0

-And I really like this one too

-Going here is now on my “must do before I die”%u00a0list

-Finally someone has designed a %u00a0napping desk

-These Garage Doors are fantastic.%u00a0

-‘Ingredients’: An Eye-Opening Look At The Additives In Our Food

And a few pictures from the week.%u00a0

%u00a0 I use to suck the juice out of the seeds (they are actually called arils)%u00a0of the pomegranate and spit out the actual seeds…%u00a0I thought that the seeds were poisonous. (I blame my sister for this .She is the one that told me that). %u00a0And it turns out that it is an actual thing. That other people think that the seeds are not edible, so I guess don%u2019t feel so duped.%u00a0But I leaned. The seeds, they are very much edible, and very much tasty. I love biting into a pomegranate seed, letting the juice flood my mouth, followed by a nice little crunch from the seed inside, just like little crunchy red jewels.%u00a0And the method of removing the seeds just makes them that much better. When you have to whack a fruit for it’s edible parts, it got to be good. And to make this clear%u2026.%u00a0to all the people out there that thick the seeds are poison%u2026 the seeds are NOT POISION. In fact, they are quite good for you.

Now that that has been established, we can get to eating these little pearls the right way.%u00a0 And being all holiday and jolly lala, I was thinking of some classic side dishes that are typical around this time.%u00a0 Creamed spinach came to mind, but that just seemed a little boring. That%u2019s where the pomegranate comes in. %u00a0You add pomegranate to anything and it%u2019s not boring anymore. Also I switched out the creamed part and replaced it with cashew cream, and spinach with kale%u2026 cause that%u2019s what I do. And the results are fantastic! Sweet, creamy, crunchy, earthy… All the best flavors. And even though I ate most of it hot, it%u2019s definitely a side that moves from hot to cold and still taste super great. Would even make a nice sandwich or maybe add a little bed of grains and you got yourself a nice little lunch.

But the again, you probably wont have any left overs

The stuff. A bunch of kale, some cashews that have been soaking for a little while,%u00a0 and a pomegrante %u00a0(I only used half of one). We also need us some more fresh water, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic and salt and pepper.

Remove the arils (thats what the juicy seeds ae called) by placing half the pomegranate into a bowl and whacking %u00a0it with a big wooden spoon. (martha stewart taught me this)

Strain the soaking cashews and dump them into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, some fresh water and some salt and pepper.

Turn blender on and blend until a nice smooth consistency

Chop up the kale and place into a really big skillet with a few splashes of water.

Once the kale has wilted, pour the cashew cream all over it.%u00a0

Add in the pomegranate %u00a0seeds

And get yourself a fork (bowl is optional( and eat.%u00a0

Creamed food never tasted this good!

-C

makes 3-4 servings%u00a0

• 1 bunch (abut a pound) Kale
• 1/2 cup cashews that have been soaking in water for a little while
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 lemon
• 2-3 loves garlic
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1/2 a pomegranate)
• salt and pepper to taste%u00a0

Take your pomegranate , slice in half, and place half seed sside down into a bowl. Take a big wooden spoon or something like it, and whack the outside of the fruit. The seeds will all fall out.. but check for any stuck seeds

Strain cashews from soaking waterand dump into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, %u00be cups of water, and a pinch or two of salt. Blend until a smooth a creamy cream. If you think the cream is to thick, add in another splash of water

After washing kale, chop it up into smallish pieces. (remove stems if you want.. I don’t,%u00a0I like the stems) Stick the kale into a large skillet with a few splashes of water and a sprinkle of salt and place on the oven on medium high heat. Stir around until kale is wilted and the water has evapotated. Pour on the cashew cream, mix around and top with the pomegranate seeds.

and eat..hot or cold. Its all good.

Had some littles over for dinner halloween dinner the other night %u00a0and I made them some mac n’ cheese.

Kinda, cause it wasn’t really cheese. Let me explain.%u00a0

These particular littles are tough. Getting them to eat things that are not pizza, hot dogs,%u00a0or some other crap is not always easy.(although they will always eat carrots)%u00a0So whenever they come over, I try to feed them a healthier version of something that I know that they like, %u00a0like tofu dogs or homemade whole wheat pizzas. So this night, I though I would give my vegan mac and cheese and try.%u00a0%u00a0I mean,what kid doesn’t like it? But what kind is the question. If you ask them, its got to be boxed Kraft mac and cheese.%u00a0I knew when I was making it that there was a great chance that I might have to make peanut butter banana sandwiches as well, but whatever These little littles need to stop being such picky crappy eaters and yeah. Even if that means I make them eat what why don’t like or that on the ride home I tell them that any pizza that is not home made will probably end up killing them)%u00a0So I try, and sometimes it works.%u00a0

So I made it, no cheese in sight and served it up.%u00a0The verdict…. The mr, he loved it. My sister (she came too) she was into it as well. One little ate almost an entire bowl, and the other, well he spit it out,%u00a0but he is more a hot dog guy then a mac and cheese guy so his opinion doesn’t count. So to conclude,%u00a0yes, this is a fantasic mac and cheese that just happened to be cheese less,%u00a0%u00a0full of veggies, and damn tasty!

And serving suggestion DON”T LET THE LITTLE KNOW IT”S NOT REAL CHEESE!!! They don’t need to know

To the mac!

The stuff. A small butternut squash, a potato, an onion, and a carrot. Also needed is nutritional yeast (the cheeze), garlic powder, olive oil, salt and pepper, and some water. And pasta.. don’t forget the pasta.%u00a0

Start with the onion and carrot in a big pot with some oil. Stick that on the stove and turn on the heat, and when that’s going, chop up the butternut sqauh and the potato and toss that into the pot too. Let the stuff cook for just a few minutes.

Pour in water (enough o submerge all the veggies) %u00a0and add in the garlic powder and some salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil then turn heat down to medium and stick a lid on the pot.

Now is a good time to boil up your pasta situation (cook it the way the package says too)

When it’s done, strain it. And if it happens that it is done a little before the sauce, it’s cool, just drizzle it with a little oil so that the noodles don’t all stick together and set aside.

Back to the sauce. Once the pot of veggies is all tender and falling apart, take it off the stove.

And blend the crap out of it with your blending method of choice (a hand o a regular blender)

Oh, and mix in the nutrioanl yeast (can add it in at the blending stage%u2026 I just forgot too) and season with any more salt and pepper if needed.

Grap the cooked noodles,%u00a0dump them into the sauce and give a good mix.

Scoop into food eating vessels,(handled coffee mugs are great for the littles.. and cute)%u00a0Maybe sprinkle on some chopped green stuff(my people enjoyed the addition of chopped up kale) and serve right away!

Now you can eat all the mac n cheeze.%u00a0

Happy Thursday!

-C

Serve 6 or so people

• 1 lb macaroni noodles (any kind you like. vegan, gluten free, whole wheat)%u00a0
• half a small butternut squash (about 2 1/2 ish cups chopped)
• 1 medium white potato
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large carrot
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil
• water

Chop up the onion and the carrot and stick into a large heavy bottom pot with a splash or two of olive oil and stick on the stove on medium heat.%u00a0While that’s %u00a0going on, chop up the butternut and potato into reasonable small chunks and toss that into the pot with the other stuff. Add in the garlic powder, season well with salt and pepper, and add enough water to full submerge the contents of the pot. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to medium and stick a cover on the pot.

While the veggies are boiling, boil the pasta up, slightly al denta (follow what the pasta people on the package tells you to do)

Once all the veggies in the pot are super tender, even falling apart (about 20 minutes) remove pot from heat and using your blending method of choice (hand or normal blender)%u00a0%u00a0blend everything together until smooth and creamy and then add in the nutritional yeast. Taste and if you think it needs it, add more salt and %u00a0pepper.%u00a0If you find that the sauce seems to thick, add in a splash or two of water.. to thin, stick back on stove and cook long to reduce.%u00a0

So you got you cooked pasta and you sauce. Mix it all together. And wa la%u2026 Mac N’ Cheeze

serve right away and eat it all. But any left overs can be refrigerated. Tastes great %u00a0the next day warmed in a skillet with a little oil.%u00a0

Two days ago,%u00a0%u00a0I was doing my least favoritie thing on my computer (bills) when the computer started to act a little funny and throwing me off the internet and just vein stupid. So what did I do?%u00a0Well, like every other electronic that I have ever had issues with, I just turned it off and restarted the thing. When I turned it back on, already in a bad mood (stupid bills), I was greeted to a blank blue background where one lived a really cute picture of the mr and the pup. “Weird” was the thought that passed through my mind but didn’t think to much about it,%u00a0just that I needed a new photo. So I went to my iPhoto library to pick out a new picture and what did I find? NOTHING! Not a single f*king picture. My entire photo library from the past 5 months…GONE!! Yup. I totally freaked out. I have no clue what happened. I searched and looked up all sorts of things, but found no help. I even brought the computer to my sisters, who told me that I should have no problem getting the stuff back, I just need to %u00a0time machine you computer. But guess what, that little nifty function was turned off on my commuter. WHAT THE F!(I have sense turned it on)%u00a0Long story shot.. the picture, they be gone.. and I am not willing to fork over hundreds of dollars to see if someone in a fancy blue shirt %u00a0might be able to get them back.%u00a0

Just going to take it as a lesson learned to BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER!!!!!! %u00a0

Agh. So that happened, but so did this soup.%u00a0These pictures are %u00a0the last pictures that I had on my camera sim card that I accidentally %u00a0didn’t remove the last time I loaded up my pictures. After the afternoon and evening of franticly trying to restore my pictures, it was nice little surprise to find one thing left. %u00a0I think it was meant to be, to have to share this soup with the world cause this soup be banging! %u00a0Made all creamy and nice with one of my favorite veggies,%u00a0%u00a0celeriac and broccoli , and a touch of cheeeniess from a little nutritional yeast. A spin on the classic cream of broccoli. A soup so good I ate 3 bowls in one sitting (ok, so they were small bowls, but still) And the last of the photos from before that day that I will recur to now as “Stupid Fucking Computer Day, or SFCD”%u00a0

Anyway, a fantastic soup, a shitty day. But you know what? It could have been a lot worse. I could have totally destroyed everything on my computer or even broke the thing. Sure, I lost a bunch of pictures, but I am ok with it now. I am just taking it like I have a clean slate. %u00a0And now I am going to be way better about backing shit up. %u00a0I will think about it everytime I make soup.%u00a0Maybe it will be my new thing, back computer up %u00a0while I make soup.

The stuff. A big head of broccoli, with a big stalk, some super knobby celeriac, an onion and a couple carrots. Also gonna need a lemon, some garlic and garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and a little olive oil.%u00a0

Start by dicing up the carrot, onion, and the garlic and toss it into a large heavy bottom bot with a drizzle of olive oil. Stick that pot on the stove on medium heat and let those veggies get a kick start in cooking. And now is a good time to dice up the celeriac (I do not peel it, but you can if you want) %u00a0and cut the broccoli florets off of the stalk and dice up the stalk.

Dump the stalk and celeratic into the pot as week, giving it a sprinkle of salt and a splash of water. LEt everything cook for a fe wore minutes, or until the stuff starts to brown and the water is evaporated.

Now pouter in water.. enough to full submerge the veggie goodness. SPrinlle the whole pot with a bit more salt and pepper and add in the garlic pepper. Bring the pot to a boil, then turn heat down to low, stick a litd on it, and list simmer for about 20-25 minutes.

And the veggies are all super nice and tender%u00a0

Now grab your hand blender%u2026 and do what needs to be done. Turn the burner off and %u00a0blend until smooth and creamy. If you need to, add in more water, as much as you like. The more water, the thinner your soup.( IF you add to much, just simmer soup longer and let it cook out)%u00a0Now chop chop chop the broccoli florets into little pieces and dump them into the creamy goodess. Turn the burner back on to medium heat.

Add in the nutritional yeast and the zest of the lemon and and any more salt sand pepper that you like, give it a good stir, and let cook for a few more minutes or unit the little pieces of broccoli are nice and tender.%u00a0

And right when you are ready to serve, add in the juice of the lemon.. or just serve each bowl with a wedge. Garnish with pretty green chopped up broccoli if you like.. some cracked pepper or whatever.%u00a0

And don’t forget a spoon !

Souping.. that what I do.

Now go back up your computer!

Have a great day!

-C

Makes enough for 4-5 people

• 2 celeriac bulbs (softball-ish sized)
• 1 large head of broccoli with a big stalk
• 1 large yellow onion
• 2 carrots
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder (optional..I like a lot of garlic)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 lemon%u2026 zest and juice
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4-5 cups water

Grab yourself a big heavy bottom pot and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Chop up the carrot, onion and garlic and toss that stuff %u00a0into the pot. %u00a0Give it a stir and let cook for a few minutes on medium heat.. Meanwhile, chop up the celeriac into small chiunks and %u00a0chop the florets from the broccoli, set floteets aside ,and dice up the remaining parts and stalk of the broccoli. %u00a0Toss the chopped broccoli stalk and the chop celeriac into the pot with the onions and carrots , give the pot a big splash of water, a sprinkle of salt and give it a good stir. Let the veggies cook for a few more minutes or until the water has completely evaporated.%u00a0

Now add in %u00a0water.. enough to fully submerge all the veggies. Add in a little more salt, pepper and the garlic powder, give it all a good stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heart to medium low and cover the pot with a lid. Let veggies simmer for about 20- 25 minutes or until the veggie are nice and tender.%u00a0

Turn heat off and grab the emulsifying blender and blend until smooth (can use a normal blender) Once smooth, chop %u00a0the broccoli florets into little pieces and add to the pot , along with the nutritional yeast, the zest of the lemon,%u00a0%u00a0and any more salt and pepper that you would like. %u00a0Turn heat back on to medium low and continue to cook until the little piece of broccoli are tender.Once ready to serve, add in the juice of the lemon.

Serve in bowls, sprinkle with broccoli bits, pepper or whatever, and eat you heart out. (I ate 3 bowls in one sitting)

FRIDAY%u00a0YEAH YEAH!!!!

And for your Friday, I made these awesome little raw/ vegan/ gluten free cookies.%u00a0

Now wait a minute. Don’t let all the labels of what is not in these cookies scare you away. Just focus on all the stuff that these cookies are made of. Almonds, Cashews, Coconut, Cocoa, Oatmeal. They are cookies made with lots of good yummy stuff that just happened to be enjoyed by those with%u00a0specific food diets as well as%u00a0those who eat anything. A cookie for all!%u00a0%u00a0See, don’t they sound excellent? Yes, yes they do. And they are good. So, so, good.%u00a0Even the mr. is into them. And he is far from being%u00a0raw/vegan/ gluten free.%u00a0

And because these cookies are made%u00a0with all sorts of good for you stuff (lots of proteins,%u00a0good healthy fats, and%u00a0complex carbs) you can pretty much feel zero percent guilt eating them.%u00a0They a%u00a0are a no joke, healthy, energy packed cookies of goodness. A fantastic way%u00a0to start the morning, eat with lunch, as dessert, post work out,%u00a0or eat as a late night snack. (Just don’t eat them all at once)%u00a0

Now go for it!

The raw stuff. A cup of old fashion rolled oat that have been soaking in water for about an hour.%u00a0%u00a0Almonds(which I spent 20 minutes deshelling) cashews, dehydrated coconut flakes, some cocoa powder and a few medjool%u00a0date. If your nuts are unsalted, add a pinch of salt too.%u00a0

Dump everything into %u00a0a food processor. BUT WAIT! Make sure to remove the pits from the dates)I have broken a blade in the past form a date pit)

Blend unit combined and a kind of rough dough is formed. It will be a little sticky. If it;s to sticky to handle, place into the fridge for a few minutes to set up.

Now take blobs of mixture and roll into balls

And you could totally leave them as balls%u2026 you can%u00a0even play with your balls%u2026.

But I think they look nicer squished flat and topped with pieces of nuts and coconut. They look almost fancy, if I do say so myself.

Now have yourself a cookie, and place the rest in the fridge (they get harder and, if you can imagine, taste even better after a few hours of%u00a0cold)

Freak Yeah FRIDAY!%u00a0Do fu stuff!

-C

Makes 15 normal sized cookies (you can make more or less, depending on the ball size)

• 1 cups oat fashion oats soaked in 1%u00a0cup%u00a0water for at least an hour (use gluten free oats if needed)
• 1/2 cup raw%u00a0almonds
• 1/2 cup raw%u00a0cashews
• 5-6 medjool%u00a0dates
• 1/2 cup dehydrated%u00a0flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• a pinch of salt (if your nuts are unsalted)

Add all the ingredients into a food processer and blend until the mixer forms a %u00a0cohesive%u00a0dough. It;s going to be a tad sticky, but if it seems to sticky to handle, refrigerate for a little bit so it’s easier to handle. (I have no problem handling right away)

Scoop %u00a0and roll into balls and either%u00a0leave them as is or%u00a0squish them flat. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and%u00a0coconut

Eat one or two right away, then stick the rest in%u00a0fridge.

A ok to eat as breakfast, with lunch, at dinner, as as snack, a post workout protein, or when sitting on the couch and watching TV.

The past week was freaking gross hot, like sweaty, smelly, I want to live in the Costco walk in freezer hot. But today, well today was the most lovely day. A cool dry 70 with a nice breeze and sunshine. Then around dinnertime, a little bit of rain, followed by a rainbow.%u00a0It%u00a0was the most fantastic perfect weather.This is why I love living in Vermont. We get weather.

.Last night, dinner%u00a0was all about trying to make some more room in the fridge for the farm share pick up tonight and to make something that I didn’t%u00a0have to really watch. (the mr and I were moving the beehive to the roof of the%u00a0house%u00a0so%u00a0I wanted to make something that I could leave%u00a0on the stove and not have to babysit (just stir every now and then).%u00a0With the%u00a0weather being%u00a0so freaking amazing, with a cool crispness in the air,%u00a0%u00a0I was craving something a little more on the warm and comfy side.%u00a0And what do you know, the stuff%u00a0I had%u00a0left in the fridge (there is still a basket of zucchini on the table) was what was%u00a0needed for a big pot of stewed summer ratatouille with lentils.%u00a0It was everthing that I ever could need and want for a meal. Full of the best veggies and%u00a0lentils,%u00a0easy to make, nothing fancy to do. Just stick stuff into a pot and cook until done.%u00a0

Cooler, light long sleeve, kind of%u00a0weather. %u00a0Enough rain where I didn’t have to water the garden, the most perfect pot of the best ratatouille shared with the mr.%u00a0and a feeling of accomplishment and excitement (bees on the roof!).

The perfect night.

The stuff. Zucchini, yellow summer squash, eggplant, onion, tomatoes and lentils. And we have some fresh basil, fresh oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and some salt and pepper.

To get this party started, chop up the onion and toss it into a big heavy pot with a little%u00a0%u00a0olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Stick on the stove on medium heat.

While the onions are cooking, %u00a0mince up the garlic and chop%u00a0up all the other veggie into%u00a0medium sized chunks.%u00a0

When the onions start to become translucent and smell fantastic,%u00a0add in all the veggies and garlic. Give it a big stir and place back on the stove to cook for a few minutes to let the veggies release some of their liquid.%u00a0

Then add in the lentils along with a equal amount of%u00a0water and top with a lid.

After about 30%u00a0minutes, the lentils should be near done and the veggies tender, the tomatoes pretty much dissolved. Now chop up the basil and oregano and toss it in along with a few swigs of the balsamic vinegar. Give it a stir and keep on cooking for another 10ish%u00a0more minutes or until the lentils are nice and tender.

Scoop onto bowl%u00a0then into mouth. If you like, finish off with a bit more fresh basil or,ike the mr, top with parmesan cheese.

Have a fantastic day! So close to the weekend!!

-C

Makes 2-3 big servings (if serving with pastas or rice, its more like 4-5 servings)

• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow summer squash
• 1 medium onion
• 1 small eggplant
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1/2 %u00a0cup water
• 3 medium to large tomatoes
• handful fresh basil leaves
• a few glugs of balsamic vinegar
• couple sprigs of fresh oregano
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Drizzle a little olive oil into a large pot. Dice up the onion and place on medium heat and cook for a few minutes. Mince up the garlic and chop up the remaining veggies into medium sized pieces. Once the onion is cooke a bit and strting to smell oh so nice,%u00a0toss the veggies and garlic into the pot. Mix, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a lid on it.%u00a0Cook for a few minutes to draw out a bit of liquid from the veggies. Now add in the lentils and the water. Stick the lid back on and let cook for about 30 minutes on medium low heat or until the lentils are starting to soften.

When the lentils are mostly soft, but still have a bit of biet, dice the fresh herbs and toss into pot with a few swings of balsamic vinegar. %u00a0Stir and cook %u00a0for another 8-10 minutes or until the lentils are full cooked.

Remove from heat and ladle into bowls..

Serve with rice, pasta, bread, a big old pile of fresh greens, or just as it is.

Eats fantastic right aways, or cold late at night standing in front of the fridge..

%u00a0The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are%u00a0%u00a0oh so lovely”%u00a0and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them%u00a0grow for%u00a0a day or two. Then%u00a0when you come back to look, they%u00a0have%u00a0turned into %u00a0humongous squash that, in fact, look%u00a0like giant green beached whales.

We have been eating%u00a0a lot of those%u00a0beached whale these past few weeks..

Take yesterday for example. I%u00a0%u00a0made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which%u00a0means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash.%u00a0And%u00a0did I mention that there are%u00a0currently%u00a06%u00a0large zucchini sitting on my table.

My new life motto as of lately is %u2026.When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit%u00a0out of them.

These noodles are%u00a0by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious%u00a0ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And%u00a0you%u00a0can do it every day.%u00a0I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well%u00a0he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he%u00a0said%u00a0last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”

So%u00a0yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at.%u00a0

The stuff. 2%u00a0big%u00a0zucchinis, a%u00a0large tomato,%u00a0a%u00a0few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice)%u00a0and a%u00a0handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the%u00a0and salt and pepper.%u00a0

Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.

Now chop tomato into chunks and%u00a0%u00a0mince garlic. Add to a%u00a0large skillet with a%u00a0drizzle%u00a0of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit %u00a0garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften.%u00a0

Now add in the noodles. %u00a0Just toss right%u00a0into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash %u00a0of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)

Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.

%u00a0Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.

And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.

Have a good today!

-C

• 2 medium to large%u00a0medium zucchinis%u00a0
• a handful of fresh basil
• 1 large tomato or%u00a02 handfuls of cherry tomatoes%u00a0
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• 1 lemon
• salt and%u00a0pepper
• olive oil

Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline, %u00a0a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills,%u00a0make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop%u00a0the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet%u00a0with%u00a0a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until %u00a0the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked,%u00a0place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste%u00a0%u00a0with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook%u00a0until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle)%u00a0Remove from heat. Chop or rip%u00a0up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.

And now it’s time.

Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.

This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that%u00a0I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.

Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way%u00a0too hot to make anything in the oven.%u00a0So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes.%u00a0

I love popsicles.%u00a0

But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)

So get it while you can and make these%u00a0popsicles!%u00a0

The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.

Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer.%u00a0

Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl.%u00a0

Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff%u00a0is the%u00a0rhubarb butter.

Place the%u00a0rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever)%u00a0if you want and eat with anything and everything%u00a0%u00a0(%u00a0I’ve been adding%u00a0%u00a0it to the mr’s%u00a0yogurt and just%u00a0eating it with a spoon)

And now add the juice of the%u00a0lime%u00a0to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever%u00a0sweetness to taste.

And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.

When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.

A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You%u00a0%u00a0have the rhubarb butter%u00a0to eat while%u00a0you wait%u00a0for the popsicles to freeze.%u00a0So smart

Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!

-C

makes 6%u00a04oz popsicles and about a cup of jam

• 3 cups chopped rhubarb
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 lime
• Anywhere from 4%u00a0tablespoons honey (2 for popsicles and 2 for jam)

Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam

Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours.%u00a0

When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.

For the longest time now, I have been drinking a little turmeric with a little lemon first thing in the morning. It started as a medicinal drink, but quickly became a tasty habit. I have some stupid weird circulation condition called raynaud’s where changes in temp turn my fingers and toes into icicles. And for me, the worst time of the year for this condition is the spring (but spring is still my favorite). All the up and down of temperature and the wet cold damp weather is my trigger, not to forget to mention that those temp swings can get a girl sick. (I can’t get sick!!)

So way back when I started to drink for my health and the feeling in my fingers. Turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon , all super warming spices that help greatly with blood circulation, not to mention a whole bunch of other good things. (I could tell you and go on and on, but you can just look it up yourself) Ever since I started drinking and eating lots of these spices, my raynauds has gotten soooo sooo soooo much better. I still get cold finger and toes, but no where as severe and the way less often.

Now a few weeks ago the mr started making himself an afternoon turmeric tea. He read something on the internet about how it’s the best anti-inflammatory and good for achy joints. (Sure dude, listen to the internet and not me) Being a big guy doing construction and such, he gets really achy joints and there is only so much arnica and frozen peas a guy can do. So now he drinks this and I think he is starting to notice a difference. (less time with the frozen peas) And since he is making himself tea every afternoon, I started to make a spicy tea for myself in the afternoons too. I figured that a little extra goodness to ward off the chills and any larking illness is only a plus. It’s our after lunch treat that tastes good, is warm and soothing and is doing the body all sorts of good.

Spicy turmeric tea. You will get addicted and feel like awesomeness.

The stuff. Ground turmeric, ground ginger, saigon cinnamon and hot water. Additional yums with a little lemon and some honey if you like it sweet or have a scratchy throat.

Spices into a drinking vessel (I like a big jar)

And in goes the hot water. Give it a good stir and a squeeze of lemon (and sweeten if your gonna)

And watch it swirl. A drink that keeps this girl happy and healthy.

Something great to look forward.

-C

• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground saigon cinnamon (can use regular, but it’s not as spicy sweet)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2- 2 cups hot water (not quite boiling)
• honey to taste (I only use if my throat is sore)
• lemon juice (optional)

Note… My measurements are just guidelines. You might like a little less turmeric or more ginger so make this drink any way that tastes best for you.

Grab yourself a big mug or jar, add in the spices and hot water, honey if you want it and a squeeze of lemon juice if using. Stir with a spoon and drink. Keep spoon handy to give it a good stir every now and then

Last week pineapples were on sale everywhere……So I bought 5. Don’t judge 

And I bet I am not the only one that got overly excited at $1.50 pineapple and bough themselves a few. We will just call ourselves opportunists.  Now we have plenty of pineapples and don’t have to pay  the $4 a piece prices. (Justification)  

But if you don’t have a pineapple laying around, you must go get one. (Maybe if your lucky, there might still be some sales going on) because you must make this salad. I am on a mission to make everyone I know eat it because, for lake of a better way to say it…….It will rock your world.

Dill and pineapple are a serious match made in heaven. Pineapple, with its sweet, tangy, citrusness  and dill with it’s super fresh earthiness. Mixed together with a few other helpers to create a fresh, clean, chunky, tangy, over the top, flavor. I could stop right there, but toss in a handful of lentils, some creamy avocado and a bed of kale…It’s like the best spring time, celebration on you tongue, happiness in you tummy, kind of salad.

A salad that will make you smile. (and maybe buy  5 pineapples) 

 Stuff for the goodness. We got the kale, some avocado because all salads should have avocado and some cooked lentils because, well, all salads should have lentils (or beans or nuts.. so you could totally something else) Then a few sprigs of fresh dill, a clove of garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and a bowl of chunked up pineapple. The pineapple, dill, garlic, red wine vinegar, a splash of water and a pinch of salt get blended in a blender or whatever blending device you use. Go as smooth or chunky as you like, I recommend going smooth, but leaving a little chunk, like half blended.

The prep is done, now compile.  Kale in bowl, top with lentils,. Toss on avocado chunks, and, last but not least, the blended pineapple dill mixture.So good……So so good.

Happy Friday!!

-C

So Good Pineapple Dill Kale Salad

Serves Two

• 3 cups washed and chopped Kale
• 1/2 a avocado, diced
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
• 1-2 springs fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
• Salt 
• 1/2 cup cooked lentils (or any bean or nut will do)

Note. No fresh dill? You can use dried, just sub in 1 teaspoon for the fresh and after blending with the pineapple, let sit a little longer to really let the flavors meld together. 

Place pineapple, dill, pinch of salt, vinegar and garlic into a blender or whatever you own that blends and blend stuff together, leaving it a little chunky. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Kale goes into a bowl and add the lentils and diced avocado. Pour the blended pineapple on. Toss around. 

Now eat.

       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.)

A few things I will bring in my hole:

• food (lots of food and coffee, lots of coffee)
• a soft blanket and pillow
• a few books, preferably with pictures, on farming and gardening (think spring!)
• the entire series of the Fresh Prince of Bel-air and a device to watch it on
• toothpaste (I can use my finger to brush my teeth)

But before I leave for my hole in the ground, I made these little cake bites to get my people through the weekend. Sweet little lemony bites of rich dense cake dipped into bittersweet chocolate. (I am just so nice)  They have all the pleasure or cake without the need of a fork and are much easier to give away then a big slice of cake. Plus, they are fun to make. My little sister helped and did most of the chocolate dipping. Then she and another little used their mouths to clean up the chocolate mess. It was an afternoon of chocolate all over the kitchen fun day. 

So make some bites to have and to share. Or if you, like me, are digging a hole to hide in, make a batch of bites to bring with you. That’s the beauty of cake covered in a harden chocolate shell, they travel really well.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. 

To make the batter, cream the soften butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Zest lemon(1 big or 2 small) into bowl with the juice of the lemon(s), the vanilla and the egg. Beat until combined. Now beat in the dry and then the milk. Keep beating for another minute until all mixed. Batter should be light and fluffy.

Batter goes into a greased and floured  9×13 baking sheet and stuck into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes (You can use a 9×9 baking pan. Just bake fir another 10 minutes and you will end up with thicker bites). Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes and flip to remove cake from baking sheet. Cut cake into small pieces (I cut 4×6   to get 24 bites) and place bake into sheet and into freezer (I stuck mine outside, it was -2 degrees ) for at least 2 hours. 

Frozen bites ready for the chocolate coating… 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. 

Oh what a lovely sister I have.. Look at her dunk….. like a boss!Fully coated and placed on a rack for the chocolate to harden. I  ended up sticking the rack in the freezer for 10 minutes…They harder really fast in there.

And now you have some it, bites of cake covered in chocolate. 1 bite, 2 bites…5 bites. Eat however many you want because its Friday and because there small little bites and just because you can.

Now if you need me, I’ll be in my hole. 

-C

Chocolate Lemon Cake Bite

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup  white sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large or 2 small lemons
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Add butter  and sugar to a large bowl and beat on medium unit light and fluffy. Ass in vanilla egg, the zest of the lemon and the juice of the lemon. Beat to incorporate. Now beat in the dry and lastly the milk.

Grease and flour either a 9×9 pan or a 9×13 baking sheet. dump batter in and smooth out.  Stick in oven and bake for about 3o minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean. Remove and let cool  for a few minutes on a  wire rack. Flip cake to remove from pan. Cut cake into bit sized pieces, 4×6 is a good size, and place back on baking sheet and stick into freezer for at least 2 hours.

When cake bites are as good as frozen, get the chocolate ready. Take the chocolate and the coconut oil and either melt in a double boiler or the microwave. Mix until smooth and make sure to full incorporate the oil. Now remove the cake bites from the freezer and dip each bite into chocolate, trying to full coat all sides. Stick onto a wire rack or a parchment lined pan to harden. They can be stuck back into the freezer to harden faster.

Once chocolate has harden, your good to go!

Nothing to fancy….. just a little warmth and spice to fancy up a quick snack. Word!

Sliced apples sprinkled with cinnamon and stuck in oven at 425 for 5-8 minutes. Easy Peasy. Topped with a squeezey….of lemon. (Yes..I am a dork)

Happy Friday! 

-C

Oh boy we made it! Ate our way through another Thanksgiving. I hope yours was a good as mine, lot of family and friends…an abundance of pies, and lot of warm lovely goodness.

So now what?? Is there a butt load of laundry waiting to be washed and the floors are in need of mopping after dropping that pie? Are you eagerly anticipating the departure of your quests, in-laws, or your own departure from your current digs?  Or are you just plan looking forward to getting your house clean and life back to normal? (I hear that).Maybe you are the guest and are dreading the day after food and booze hangover and don’t want to be rude, but don’t want to get out of bed. Well you are in luck cause I have declared this day, the day after Thanksgiving, Left Over Friday!

I always feel the great build up to any major holiday, get to the day, have a wonderful time, then feel the crash. My house is messy. I have used all of my clean dish towels and every dish and pan is in the wrong place in the kitchen. .I really need a rug for the front door to collect snow.(my floor is nasty) and the refrigerator looks like a food bob went off inside.  There is so much to do and I need a break. For those who spend the week(s) before thanksgiving gearing up, planning, and stressing out about producing this one great feast for this one day of the year, I am suggesting to you and myself that we take this day to let it all out. A day of decompression. Go head, let everyone eat leftover pie for breakfasts. Why not stay in  your pjs all day reading and drinking coffee.  Maybe like me, you feel like cleaning. Go for it, but why not slap on some sweet tunes and a hit that stack of dishes dancing with no expectations. If you don’t get to all those pots, well there is always tomorrow. Say you are a guest, then maybe you try not to be demanding of your host(s) but suggest a hike or even a movie. And if you want to go shopping, well that one is on you. If it makes happy to shop with a bunch of crazy people, then go to town. Whatever you do today, just remember to take it easy.Do what makes you feel good.. It’s ok to take a break, to let things be, to enjoy your friends and loved ones, but let them take care of themselves and you take care of you.

Now Saturday..well there is no excuse. We both know that leaving those pots any longer and they might not ever be right again. You might not want you littles eating pie for breakfast lunch and dinner for the third straight day. Maybe you should do the laundry so you’re not using your bath towels to dry the dishes. And anyway, its time to start planing for the next major holiday craziness. Hey, I know I am already excited! Today I might even dig out some Christmas decor…but with no pressure, just cause I want to!

Take care of yourself and enjoy today.. Left Over Friday!!!!!!

Just a few ideas for the Thanksgiving leftovers…….

• Mashed potato pancakes..Add an egg and a 1/4 cup of flour for every cup of mashed potato. Season with salt and pepper
• Cranberry sauce and rolls….Spread the cranberry sauce on a toasted roll
• Squash Soup….Throw into a big pot with a little veggie stock or water, even a bit of curried powder would be nice
• Roasted Veggie Salad….Toss veggies together with a touch of vinegar and add to a bed of green.
• Smashed stuffing cheese sandwich.…2 cups of stuffing and 1 egg. Mix and separate into 2 balls. Smoosh them down and cook each side in a frying pan. When both sides are cooked through, place a bit of you choice or cheese on one smash and top with the other. Let melt.
• Turkey wrap…add a scoop of hummus and stick into a wrap with some greens
• Pie yogurt…..Mix a slice into a cup of plain yogurt
• Sweet potatoes… Save them. I’ll give you an amazing recipe tomorrow for a Sweet potato Coconut custard. It will blow you mind!

It’s melon season!%u00a0The past few farm shares have included at least 2,, if not 4, watermelons and cantaloupes… Can you imagine. eating 4 watermelons a week? That’s a tall order, even for someone like me who could probably eat a whole watermelon in one sitting, it’s just doing it 4 times a week might be a problem. %u00a0It’s a whole lot of melon and not enough stomach, you know what I mean?%u00a0

So what do I do with so much melon? Well first off, whenever anyone comes over I try to get them to %u00a0eat as much of it as they can, which helps a great deal. Secondly, I cut it up and freeze some. But here is the thing, I love eating chunks of frozen cantaloupe, but frozen watermelon,%u00a0never been my favorite so I usually just pass on sticking in the freezer, until now.

There is something magical that happens when you stick the frozen watermelon and cantaloupe together into a blender and making it into a slushy. It’s like eating a ray of sunshine or maybe even a rainbow, just really satisfying and juicy, and sweet but not overly sweet, and just really freaking good. Especially with all the stupid hot and humid weather we have had lately, these slushies have really been hitting the spot. %u00a0Even the mr who says he dislikes watermelon was all into these melon slushies. (he likes things that he says he doesn’t like all the time. I am pretty sure he is taste confused) Like %u00a0he was really into them. Usually I have to prompt him to tell me how something tastes, but not the slushy, he told me right away how good it was. I was like, I know dude, I just drank 2 of them myself. And I could have drank 2 more but I was trying to not get tot far ahead of myself. Moderation is key, plus I didn’t;t have any more of the melons frozen. Time to restock the freezer.%u00a0

Go make yourself a slushy, it’s juicy deliciousness will make you happy.%u00a0

The stuff. Watermelon and cantaloupe. There should be a lime in there too but it must have rolled away….%u00a0

Chop some of each of the melon up, remove the rinds, and place on a big baking sheet and stick into the freezer until frozen. You can do as little as 2 cups %u00a0of each or as much as a whole melon, it’s up to you. (I suggest freezing extra)

Frozen melon. And now you can slushy.

Equal parts watermelon and cantaloupe go into blender, along with the juice of half (or more to taste)%u00a0a lime and you are probably going to need to add about 1/2 a cup of water, to help the blender blend it all together. %u00a0And that’s it. You blend until it’s all slushy.

Pour into cups, garnish with a lime and/or little chunks of melon and you are good as golden.%u00a0

From now on, or until summer is over and I run out of melon, I will be keeping the freezer stocked, especially because I know that the next few weeks are suppose to be stupid hot again.%u00a0

Waterloupe slushies. Summertime goodness.%u00a0

-C

• about 2 cups %u00a0of a watermelon
• about 2 cups of a cantaloupe%u00a0
• 1 lime
• 1/2- 1 cup water%u00a0

Note. The amounts above are for two%u00a0 2 cup slushies. You can, and should,%u00a0freeze a crap load more melon for future slushies. %u00a0Also, no one would fault you for maybe adding a little nip of some clear alcohol to this slushy situation to make it more of an adult drink……

Cut up a watermelon and a cantalopjue. Eat some and reserve at least 2 cups of each. Remove the rinds from the melons and cut into cubes. Place melon on a baking sheet and stick into the freezer until frozen.%u00a0

Once frozen,%u00a0place equal parts frozen watermelon and cantaloupe into the blender with the juice of a lime. Turn blender on. Slowly add in water until the blender can handle blending the frozen fruit. Blend until smooth. Pour into cups, garnish if you want with more melon and lime, then get to drinking.%u00a0