It is exactly that time of year. Apples galore, cool days in need of a little extra warm, meaning a warm oven is welcome, if not needed. It%u2019s the best time of year, or at least one of them.

And so I bake bread. Sometimes just a roll, and sometime a loaf, almost everyday. I love bread baking because, well just because. Plus it%u2019s what people want to eat and will always eat because I guess bread=love. Makes sense to me.

This bread was made from a small dip in the 2 gallons of applesauce I made the night before. (We had sooooo many apples). The mr isn%u2019t the biggest fan of applesauce, says he would rather eat a fresh apple. I kind of get it, but dude, warm, chunky, slightly cinnamon-y applesauce%u2026 I mean, that is happiness right there. Right? Anyway, I am trying not to eat all the applesauce to my face by myself at once (it has been a challenge) and plus I needed to make the mr some bread, so I figured what the hell. I%u2019ll just use applesauce as my liquid in the bread. And so I did and that is that and now that mr really like applesacue (when it is baked into bread)

This bread is a basic sandwich type bread. The apple taste is there but not overwhelming so it can be used for sandwiches of all kinds, toast, just eating with a smear od something, or not. Just a overall good loaf of bread with a little extra from the apple. And braided because I was feeling classy. It%u2019s amazing what at little braiding of bread dough can do for your self esteem. Made me feel like I was the coolest person in the world. Haha!

Now to the bread.

The stuff. A few apples, regular all purpose and white whole wheat flour, salt, applesauce, maple syrup, yeast, and warm water.

Applesauce, shredded apple, maple, yeast, and a little water get mix up and let to sit for a few minutes to activate yeast. Then the salt gets mixed in, along with all the flour. Stir until dough forms. Dough should be slightly sticky, ut not wet. IF wet, add a handful more flour. To dry, add more water.

Dump the dough onto a floured surface, cover your hands in flour, and knead dough for about 5 or so minutes, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking, until the dough is a nice and cohesive texture.

Nice looking dough. Now roll dough into a ball.

Place dough in a clean wet or oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth for one to one and a half hours or until dough doubles in size.

Dump dough onto floured surface.

Cut dough into 3 equal pieces and roll out into long longs.

Braid logs together. You can stop here bake it this way or%u2026

After placing it on a parchment lined baking sheet, tuck the ends of the braids underneath each other and make it like this. Either way. And once you have the dough on the baking sheet, brush a little water or plant milk on top and let dough rest for 15 minutes of so while the oven preheats.

Before oven and after oven. Classy, right?

Then for shin and soft crust, rub warm loaf with some plant butter.

And for the hard part. Let it cool before slicing it. Ok sure, a little warm is fine, but wait at least 20 minutes (an hour would be best) and then eat you some bread.

Eat you some bread. That%u2019s a t-shirt right there.

Happy Fall friends!

-C

makes pretty one loaf

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour plus more for kneading

• 1 cup unsweetened room temperature applesauce

• 1 large or 2 small apples ( about 2/3 cup shredded apple)

• 1/4- 1/2 cup warm water

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

• 2 teaspoons active yeast

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon or so plant milk or water

• 1 tablespoon plant based butter (optional for rubbing on finished bread)

Grab the apples and shred them until you have 2/3 cup shredded apple. In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, shredded apples, yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and sweetener.and let yeast activate for a few minutes. Add in salt, the all purpose flour and the 1 1/2 cups white wheat flour. Stir together until dough forms. The dough should be a little bit sticky so if the dough seems to dry, add in 1/4 cup more warm water. If it seems really wet, add in a handful more flour.

Dump dough out onto a well floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes adding a little bit of flour to the counter as needed to prevent it from sticking. Once dough is cohesive in texture, roll into a ball and place into a clean wet or oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and allow the dough to double in size. Should take between an hour and an hour and a half.

Once dough doubles in size preheat oven to 400

Dump risen dough back onto a well flour counter. Cut the dough into 3 equal sizes and roll each piece into long logs about 20 inches or so long. Place each roll next to each other and braid. Grab a baking sheet and line with a piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle with a bit of flour and place braided dough onto sheet, either as a braid or if you want, like I did, wrap the braid around itself into a rounded braid situation. Tuck ends into each other and under the loaf. Brush the top gently with a little plant milk or water and let rest for about another 15 minutes or so.

After the rest, place dough into preheated oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes (Less if left long braid, more if wrapped braid) or until the top is a deep golden brown and when tapped on the bottom, it sounds hollow. Also can use an insta read thermometer and check temperature. You want it to reach 190 degrees.

Once bread is baked, remove from oven. If you want the top to stay a little crispy, don%u2019t do anything but let it cool. For a softer, shinny crust, rub the top while it is still warm with some plant based butter.

Let bread cool completely before cutting.

Then eat it like you would eat bread. Any and every way.

Store cooled loaf in a airtight bag on counter for 2-3 days but if not eating that fast, slice and place into freezer. That way you can pull out individual pieces and toast as you want.

What do you do when you have a bazillion ripe bananas? A sweet banana bread? Banaer ice cream? Mash them up in your oatmeal? These are what I usually do, well these things and just stock my freezer full of bananas because I am pretty sure that there should always be bananas in the freezer. .

I went grocery shopping and bought like a billion bananas because they were dirt cheap (19 cents a pound) and why not. There is plenty of room in the freezer.

And it was a bread making day. I wanted to make bread that involved a good knead, that the mr could have as a sandwich loaf, and that had bananas in it. (I love adding fruit and veggie purees to breads) I needed a multi functional loaf that can be used for toast and sandwiches. So I made it.

This bread doesn’t have a crazy powerful banana flavor, just a light bananerness that adds a touch of sweetness and yum to the bread. Perfect for slices and slathering with peanut butter.

Pretty sure I scored on this one. It was well loved by many and eaten within days. Lucky for the mr I have a billion bananas.

The stuff. Some all purpose flour and some whole wheat (with germ) flour. A couple really ripe bananas, a little earth balance, salt, yeast, and water.

Peel and blended bananas into a smooth banana puree.

Add enough water to the bananas to make 2 cups of liquid.%u00a0 Add in the yeast and earth balance and blend that in too.

Wet gets dumped and mixed into the (mixed) flours and salt.

Wet shaggy dough gets dumped onto the floured counter and kneaded for about 10 minutes into a nice uniform and smooth ball

Once risen twice it’s size, dump dough onto counter, shape into a log and place into a well greased loaf pan. Cover with plastic or wax paper and set to rise again. Second rise will take a little less time then the first, just wait for the dough to dome over the sides of the pan.

Once it looks good, stick the thing into a preheated oven, close the door, and watch it bake (for about 50 minutes)

Golden brown, hollow sounding, and the instant read thermometer reads 190….Bread is all baked.Now hard part. Let that loaf sit and cool completely. (trust, it needs to cool or you will just mush it)

Now that its cooled, you slice and eat. A loaf of bread with a slight hint of banana ready for you face.

The mr has been eating it toasted with peanut butter like I predicted or dipping it into his split pea soup. (he really liked it with the soup) Just suggestions.

Bye.

-C

makes one loaf

• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat with bran flour (plus a little more for kneading)
• 2 rip bananas
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons yeast (or 1 packet)
• 2 teaspoons earth balance (or butter)
• 1- 1/12 cups warm water

Peel bananas and blend them into a smooth puree. Add enough warm water to the banana mixture to equal 2 cups of liquid. Add the yeast and earth balance to the puree and mix until fully incorporated. Let sit for a few minutes to active yeast.

Whisk together the flours (start with the lesser amount) and salt in a large bowl. Dump the wet mixture into the bowl and mix together with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until you can no longer mix. If the dough is really wet, add in the other 1/4 of flour. Dump dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for about 10 minutes.

Place in a clean greased bowl and cover with plastic or wax paper and a towel and place in a warm place to rise. Depending on how warm your place is, it will take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours to double in size. Once risen, dump onto counter, shape into a log and place into a greased loaf pan. Cover again with plastic or wax paper and set to rise again for about 1/2- 45 minutes or until the dough forms a dome over the pan.

Preheat oven to 350.

When dough is done second rise, stick it into the preheated oven and bake. It should be in there for about 50 minutes, but check at 45 for a deep golden color and a internal temperature of 190. Once done, remove from oven, gently remove from pand and set on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled you can go for it.

Stay fresh for about 3 days in a air tight container, but I would slice and freeze any if not gone by then.

Not just sweater weather, which it had been all week and I am LOVING IT, but it%u2019s lamp light weather too. I forgot that I had all these fantastic lights around my house and yesterday when it was dark out at 6 (it was raining so the sky was cloudy) I got to turn on a couple lamps that haven%u2019t had any action in months. It was soooo nice and cozy. This my friends, this is the best time of year!

Camping last week was great and not so great. The campground was pretty, but our fellows campers were very rawdy and loud and there was a party at the picnic pavilion that had a shitty classic rock cover band playing. The noisy people and shitty music echoed through the park for longer then anyone should have had to deal with it. But I guess that happens, especially on a long holiday weekend. And really, besides the buttheads, we had fun. We went for a nice hike through the woods and into giant fields of wildflowers and goldenrod then spent some great time in the kayaks on a nearby lake (away from all the people). Plus after eating dinner and then packing it in for the night, we didn%u2019t get soaking wet, which we could tell by the many car doors slamming and people screaming at 1am , a good few people did. Our tent stayed nice and dry inside and we even managed to stay dry when we got out of the tent and and realized it was sitting in a giant puddle. We even managed to stayed pretty dry packing up and getting on our way home, in the rain! It%u2019s because we are good at coming I guess.

Then the rest of the week came and went in a fast blur. Mostly some same. Had lunch with Barb, cleaned apartments for new tenants,, made cards for artwork, picked up farm share, and you know, other life stuff. I have been busy in the kitchen harvesting garden food and canning or freezing it as well. Trying to stock up on as much food as I can for the winter. Then the littles slept over Friday. We watched Dumb and Dumber and I fell asleep on the couch. Woke up made waffles (I was so excited to use my waffle iron. It%u2019s been too long) and sent them on their way home to be moody tweens because that is now happening.

Oh, and I can%u2019t forget about how some little shithead smashed in the back of our car. Yup, that happened too. But that is pretty much it. I think%u2026.

Now for today. Mt Auscunty State park if all goes to plan. Should be a fun one with lots of hiking and a big high tower and stuff. I know it is gonna get mighty cold tonight so I am packing my winter long underwear and a jacket, hat, and mittens. So excited!

Links to explore on the internet.

–Doctors are now prescribing houseplants to help treat anxiety and depression. Makes a whole heck of a lot of sense to me. And why not try this simple remedy before trying a bunch of drugs?

-I wasn’t;t surprised much when I read this. Junky processed food is so bad, especially if it is all you eat. .19-Year-Old Goes Blind Due to Diet of Pringles, Bread, Fries, and Processed Meats

–Lush Botanical Forms Translated Into Abstract Embroideries%u00a0. So very pretty.

-Another good reason to ditch that pessimistic attitude and to look at he bright side of things. It doesn%u2019t hurt to try. Optimists For The Win: Finding The Bright Side Might Help You Live Longer

–Why do clowns creep us out?%u00a0Because they are creepy, that is why.

-I want, no, I need this cabin. Totally Off-the-Grid Cabin in the New Hampshire Woods

–This Apple Might Be the Most Anticipated Piece of Produce in History. I heard about this apple few years ago. I wonder if it%u2019s gonna live up tp all the hype. We shall see.

-Why don%u2019t we have one of these? The Otter: The 1950s Amphibious Caravan That Time Forgot!

–Can Bullet Journaling Save You? I am a list maker in all the ways. I a ma doodler to no end. I love pretty things and I love hand writing and have a ton of sketch books but besides the occasional list of note in a sketch book, I have never really gotten into Buju. It%u2019s to time sensitive I think, for me anyway.

–Squeeze in a Quick Nap at Work with This Under-Desk Hammock. A new way to sleep on the job. HA.

Pictures from the week.

It’s strange to think that only a few years ago I was not a big eggplant fan. Before I started to experiment with cooking it myself, the only time I had ever really had it was when I was young and it was deep fried, like eggplant parm style. It just wasn’t for me.

So when I started doing my farm share 5years ago and were getting lots of eggplants, I knew I had to figure something out and try new ways of eating it. Well it turns out that I actually love eggplant, like a lot.%u00a0 I went eggplant crazy and for a while was eating a eggplant a day, either roasted or tuned into soup or cooked crispy into chips. And lots of baba ganoush, or what I think of as eggplant hummus (all the hummus stuff minus the chick peas). Smooth, creamy, rich and tangy. I have been know to make a batch and eat it all to my face in a sitting.( there is absolutely nothing wrong with that) It’s that good. And bonus. Being so super busy busy, this is just so dang fast and easy to make. 25 minutes and 20 of those minutes are the eggplant roasting, and you got yourself something tasty to eat. Plus if you have a few eggplant in the fridge that might have seen better days, turning them into the baba ganoush is a great way to go.

Baba ganoush, The name just says it all cause how could something called baba ganoush be anything other then awesome.

The stuff. A couple (or three) eggplants, a lemon, some tahini, garlic, olive oil and salt.

Eggplant get sliced in half and stuck onto a baking sheet to go into a super hot oven to roast. Some people oil it, I don’t, but you can if you want.

Brown and tender. Roasted to perfection.

Toss the roasted eggplant and the garlic into a blender. Add in the juice of the lemon, tahini, olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Blend.

So silky smooth. Taste and add any more tahini, salt, lemon that you want until it taste like it should taste to you.

And into a bowl it goes. Baba ganoush all up in your face. I highly enjoy a good dusting of some zataar on top, but even just a sprinkle of pepper, or sumac, sesame seeds or even thyme is nice. Or nothing, you don’t need anything.

A big bowl of baba served with some chippers (for the mr) and cut up veggies (for me!) I wanted to make pitas but just didn’t have the time. Oh well, next time.

Be careful, this stuff is addictive!

-C

Make about 2-1/2 cups

• 2 eggplants (or 3 smaller sized eggplant)
• 1 lemon
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons tahini ( more if you like)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt
• Zataar (optional)

Crank up the oven to 450

Slice eggplants in half and place on a cooking sheet and into the oven they go.

Bake for 25ish minutes, flipping over after 15 or so minutes, until the eggplant browned is nice and tender then remove from oven.%u00a0 Take the cooked eggplant and dump into a blender.(skin and all)%u00a0 Add in the juice of the lemon, the tahini, the olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Blend it all together until smooth. Taste and add more tahini and or salt if needed.( can even add more lemon too) Once you are happy with the taste, scoop into a bowl and serve with a good pinch of zataar seasoning (if your into it) and a butt load of veggies, pitas, chips or whatever you dip into you baba ganoush.

I eat a lot of hummus. Like a lot. Every day, all day long. (seriously, I am always snacking on veggies dipped in hummus) So I am sorry to all around me that my breath always smells.. (I blame all the garlic in the hummus.)

Recently, during a particularly browsey grocery shop, I ended up in the hummus case (I always end up there) and found a new hummus flavor.%u00a0 Pineapple jalapeno, WHAT.%u00a0 I grabbed it right then and there, convinced that hummus gods were rewarding me for all of my hummus eating and have made me my very own flavor.

Got home, tossed all the groceries into the fridge and busted open the new hummus, a bag of carrots, and went at it. Oh man, it was good.(to often the store bought hummus flavors are not so great) The flavors were all there, sweet and spicy, and creamy.%u00a0 It was fantastic, I ate almost all of it and I knew I had to make my own.

And I did and you know what, it was even freaking better! (Fresh it the best!)

So If you are a hummus person of any kind, this is a fantastic exciting flavor that will make you all sorts of happy.

The stuff for the hummus:%u00a0 chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. And for flavor add ins,%u00a0 fresh pineapple and a jalapeno pepper.

Chickpeas (rinsed and drained) go into the food processor with some tahini, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper.. The garlic I actually pulsed in the processor first (to avoid big raw hunks) and some olive oil are also going in on this.

Blended until a smooth, creamy perfection.

Now for the fun stuff. Dice up the pineapple and remove seeds (or not) from the jalapeno and dice that up too

Toss it all (minus a few little pieces of garnish if you want) into that creamy dreamy hummus.

Pulse pulse pulse until the chunks of stuff are all incorporated . Make it super chunky or super smooth, up to you. I like mine kinda chunky, but not too chunky, if you know what I mean.

Into a big bowl, topped with a few little diced up pieces of jalapeno and pineapple, you know, for prettiness. And lots of cracked pepper.. Lots.

Now eat. With whatever ( I like veggies or just give me a spoon, Ican eat hummus all by itself)

Hummus for life!

-C

Makes about 2 1/2cups

• 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (one can)
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup fresh pineapple
• 1-2 jalapenos
• salt and pepper

Rinsed and drain chickpeas. Add garlic and a little olive oil to the food processor and pulse until the garlic is a little minced. Add in the drained chickpeas,%u00a0 tahini, a sprinkle of salt ans pepper, the juice of the lemon and another tablespoon of olive oil and blend until smooth.

Dice up pineapple into smaller chunks and remove seeds (if you want) from the jalapeno and chop that into smaller pieces . Add to the hummus and pulse until combined. You can leave it chunky or blend until smooth. Just stop blending when you reach you desired consistency . Garnish with more chopped pineapple and jalapeno and lots of freshly ground pepper.

Serve with whatever you eat your hummus with.

Store left over (there probably won’t be any) in a container in the fridge.

%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0Spicy, crispy cauliflower%u2026 um yes please.%u00a0 I really like cauliflower. The mister loves it, or at least likes it better than any other vegetable. So when he asked for spicy cauliflower, well yea I am going to make it because I am so nice and really, could I say no to a veggie request? (I might have said no if it involved deep frying) Also, I found fresh cauliflower on sale! ($2.25) I don’t usually cook fresh cauliflower, but %u00a0I figured at that price, it wouldn’t be bad to cook a head. (If I am cooking cauliflower, which I do a lot, I just use frozen%u2026.casue it be waaaay cheaper)%u00a0

Fresh, cheap and requested veggies%u2026.those are must makes. And the mister was happy with I handed him the plate of oh so lovely looking crispy crunchy loveliness. (I kind of like to make him happy%u2026sometimes)

The stuff. Cauliflower, chopped and broken into pieces. Corn meal mixed with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and because I made this for the mister, parmesan cheese. And in the green bowl, srirsachi and a little oil. The%u00a0cauliflower%u00a0gets a coat of the hot sauce and then tossed around in the corn meal mixture. Handling as little as possible, place coated pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stick those suckers in the oven for%u00a0about a half hour, taking them out and%u00a0flipping half way.And take them out of the oven when pieces tuned golden brown, stik them on a plate, and serve immediately.

A bit of spice, a bit of crispy , a lot a yum. %u00a0Serve with some crunchy veggies, maybe a squeeze of lemon and definitely some type of avocado situation.

A beer would be lovely too!

Have a fantastic weekend!%u00a0

-C

Spicy Crispy baked Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped or broken into florets
• 1/2 cup corn meal
• 3-4 tablespoon sriracha or your favorite hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
• salt and pepper
• Any seasonings you might like (garlic or onion powder,%u00a0parmesan cheese,%u00a0national yeast%u2026. whatever%u00a0floats your boat)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees%u00a0

In a bowl, mix together sriracha and oil. In a separate %u00a0bowl, mix salt, pepper, any seasonings you might like, and corn meal. %u00a0Take cauliflower and toss in sauce to coat. Remove from sauce and toss around in cornmeal mixture till fully coated, but try not to hand too much%u00a0so the coating doesn’t come off. Place pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet and stick into oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, remove and flip pieces. Back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes (depending on you crispy preference) Remove when golden brown (or darker if you like) and%u00a0serve immediately.

Cucumber, celery, and carrots are great accompaniments.. also a little mashed avocado or guacamole is much appreciated.

Peas scream spring to me. The bright green color with that nice bright fresh taste%u2026.. kind of like a fresh spring day. Ah spring, so lovely, so nice, so hasn’t made its way here yet. So I guess I am left to eat my spring.%u00a0And what better way to highlight those lovely spring tastes? A fantastic pesto my friends, and it can be made lickidy split.

Pesto is one of those things that I am constantly making, and not just the kind most people think of with basil and nuts, I pesto everything..peppers, greens, carrots, squash. %u00a0And yea, I used this post to make a pesto pasta dish, but pesto has so many other fantastic uses. Like as a sandwich or wrap spread or a dip for veggies and crackers. I have used it as a soup base, a pizza sauce, on roasted potatoes and marinated tofu with pestos. It can also be thinned down and used as a salad dressing. See, so many uses.%u00a0

And this pea pesto is no exception. It has such a great light, almost fruity, super bright taste. I mean, it’s peas so it taste just like peas but somehow even better. It really works in my mouth. I could eat a bowl of this stuff and be happy.%u00a0

Whatever you plan on using it for, make the pesto. You will be thanking me later.%u00a0

Pesto Stuff. We got the peas, garlic, lemon, oil, cheese if you please, and salt. %u00a0Take a handful of peas and set aside for later. Juice the lemon and take that and the rest of the stuff and stick in%u00a0a food processor and puree until smooth.%u00a0

Oh my, so green, so good. %u00a0I first made it without cheese and %u00a0scooped a little out for me. It was perfect. Like the most brilliant bright pea flavor ever. It made me happy. After I added in the cheese, the mister said it tasted even better%u2026. so cheese or not, it’s going to be good!The%u00a0pesto is made, and it only took about 2 seconds, now boil up the pasta. %u00a0If you were a thinker, you could start the pasta and make the pesto while its boiling. (I wasn’t being a thinker) I used bow ties cause they are super cute, but use whatever pasta you’re feeling. Shells or the ones that look like little brains would be good options.

Once the pasta is cooked, strain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the water. Add that bit of water back to the pot, add in the pesto, give a stir and dump pasta back into the pot. Toss in a handful of peas, maybe sprinkle some cheese and give it a good crack of some pepper.

Into a bowl and served with a fork to eat it with. %u00a0A super green fresh springy meal of happiness. And all under 15 minutes in the kitchen.

Oh you want to thank me for this…

Hey, not a problem%u2026.not a problem at all.

-C

Spring Pea Pesto and Bow Ties

Makes enough pesto to coat a pound of cooked pasta and have some left over for sandwiches or to spread on crackers.

• 1 lb. fresh or frozen peas (thawed if frozen)
• 1 lemon
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 2 ish tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmesan, really or vegan (optional)
• salt
• 1 lb (an average box) of bow tie pasta (use any whole wheat, vegan, gluten free variety)

Place peas, (remove a handful and set aside to toss into the pasta) garlic, the juice of the lemon, olive oil and the parmesan (if you are using) into a food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and salt as needed.

Pasta%u2026 Boil per instructions on box. Strain pastas but save about a 1/4 cup of starchy water. Toss pasta, starchy water and pesto together, adding in the handful or more of the whole peas. Sprinkle with more parmesan and or cracked pepper ,if wanted, and serve in big bowls.%u00a0

Use a fork. Eat, smile and be happy.%u00a0

%u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0 Before we get to the fries, I just want to mention that %u00a0yesterday was one of those fantastic winter days that reminds me why I love living in Vermont. %u00a0Pretty white snow everywhere, the sun was out, and 20 degrees without a gust of wind. The trash dog an I were even able to go for a little hike. %u00a0It was so nice and soooo sooo needed!%u00a0 Anyways, the other day as me, my sister and the mister where putting together %u00a0one more piece of Ikea furniture, (I am the master at Ikea assembling!) %u00a0a little runs into the room and presents the mister with a Dominos pizza. Yup, a whole pizza just for him. Why you might ask? Well I guess my sister was %u00a0delivered the wrong pizza and the place didn’t want it back and she didn’t want it, so she gave it to him.

A whole pizza to himself. I didn’t mind too much..he was just going to be eating it for lunch and dinner until it was%u00a0out of the fridge. But for dinner I did want him to eat something of the vegetable matter that didn’t come out of a box. I was going to make him a big salad, but then realized that would mean%u00a0sharing the last of the greens that I had for MY%u00a0dinner and I was not about to do that, so I made him parsnip and carrot fries instead. No biggy, just some slicing, a little tossing and a bit of time in the old oven. And I figured I might as well make a nice sauce for those fries because I be so very nice.

The biggest problem that I ran into when I made these fries was that I didn’t make enough, so you should probably make twice as many as you think you will eat. If you end up not eating them all (which you probably will), well then you now have a great start for a soup or a nice addition to a salad. Either way, you will eat them because they are amazing and addicting%u2026 and as healthy as can be!

The carrots and the parsnips are all sliced up into big matchsticks and ready to be baked to crispy browned perfection. %u00a0I added the oil to the pan to toss the fries in and then sprinkled with a fair amount of salt and pepper. %u00a0If you don’t have and or want to use a cast iron pan, a baking sheet works just the same.

%u00a0 %u00a0Oh saucy sauce stuff. Tomato puree, sriracha, and yellow mustard. Add a little bit of honey to lighten it up (can use brown sugar if keeping it vegan), a splash of apple cider vinegar and a couple minced cloves of garlic. Topped off with the smokey delightful spice of cumin. I cold eat this on everything%u2026and I kind of did.%u00a0

All mixed up in an oven safe dish, I stuck it into the oven for a about 8 minutes until it got a little bubbly, just to let all the flavors fuse together%u2026

Fries are done, Sauce is ready. Served in super cute tea cups.(from now on I want to serve everything in tea cups.) A perfect side dish, snack, or even a light meal. %u00a0It lead the mister to ask the question…What pizza?%u00a0

Happy Day!

-C

Parsnip and Carrot Fries with Smokey Sriracha Sauce

The Stuff

For the Fries

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

For the Sauce

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

Preheat oven to 425.

Wash%u00a0and trim%u00a0carrots and parsnips and cut into large matchsticks%u00a0(any shape is good, just make them all uniform) Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on cast iron pan or baking sheet and stick in oven for 30 or so minutes, and rotating after about 20. The fries are done when %u00a0crispy and brown.

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

Dip fries in sauce

I was informed yesterday that if I was going to make tortilla chips, that I better make some sweet ass dips to go with them. %u00a0I kind of agree%u2026 tortilla chips need dip%u2026 or better yet, two dips. Queso and guacamole. It’s what needed to be done, and so I did it.

Guacamole is amazing%u2026 anything avocado is amazing%u2026this guacamole is amazing. White bean guacamole is amazing. And not that we really care, but this guac is half the fat then straight up guacamole. %u00a0Plus it’s packed full of protein making it a kind of super duper, must eat all of it, kind of dip. %u00a0And sweet potato anything will make me happy. %u00a0Making queso dip with sweet potato and cauliflower is probably one of my best food combos so far. (after eating a butt load, I felt like I was a genius and made an amazing discovery) Again, not that we need it to be, but this is also a fat-free, vegan, gluten-free, super healthy, packed full of B12,%u00a0%u00a0fiber and nutrients, dip for all kind of dip.%u2026. just another reason why you cannot feel bad when you finish off half a batch before you get a chance to stick it in a serving bowl. (I might have done that)

%u00a0Here is what you need for a good time:

%u2212These tortilla chips%u00a0%u2026.Check.

%u2212Some %u00a0Chopped Veggies (I want the veggies)%u2026..Check

%u2212Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso.%u2026Check.

%u2212White Bean Guacamole%u2026Check.%u00a0

You are now ready for it. It being this party, that party, the Super Bowl, or a Wednesday afternoon. %u00a0

%u00a0%u00a0 %u00a0 %u00a0%u00a0

To the left we have the makings for the cauliflower sweet potato queso.. Steamed cauliflower, a baked sweet potato, nutritional yeast, garlic, and chopped up red onion, red bell pepper and jalape%u00f1o. To make all you need to do it take the chopped peppers, onion, and garlic and saut%u00e9 for a few minutes just to slightly soften and bring out flavors. While that’s going on, take the steamed cauliflower and sweet potato(skin off..but eat it, or save it for soup or feed it to the dog) and puree together with a blender or food processor. Add in nutritional yeast, about a tablespoon or two of hot water and, salt and pepper to taste. Blend for about 5 minutes until super creamy smooth. Add in saut%u00e9ed stuff and pulse just enough to incorporated the veggies but not complete blend in. %u00a0Stick in a bowl.

To the right we have white bean guacamole stuff. %u00a0Two cups (or one can) rinsed white beans, one ripe avocado, a lime, a few cloves of garlic,(I also added a bit of garlic powered%u2026I like my garlic) and some chopped up red onion and tomato. %u00a0Place beans, garlic, avocado and lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and toss in the chopped tomato and onion. Blend for sec to mix that in%u2026Stick in a bowl%u00a0

Perfect…

To think that both of these dips took about 10 minutes total to make. (I had pre baked the cauliflower and sweet potato) %u00a0And for real, I would spend much more time if I had too because both of these dips are so freaking good, I%u00a0definitely will be making these on the regular.

So there , dips for those sweet ass chips or whatever you want to dip or them spread them on.%u00a0

And he guys%u2026It’s FRIDAY! Have a fantastic day!

-C

White Bean Guacamole%u00a0

• 2 cups white beans (or 1 can) rinsed and drained
• 1 ripe avocado
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 lime
• 1/4 %u00a0small red onion
• 1 small tomato
• 1-2 teaspoons salt

Finley chop onion and tomato. Set aside. Place the beans, avocado, garlic, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the juice from one lime into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed to help keep things moving. Taste and add more salt if needed. When smooth, add %u00a0the onion and tomato and pulse a few times to mix in. Scoop into a serving dish and finish with a squeeze of lime and a bit of chopped onion and tomato.%u00a0

Cauliflower Sweet Potato Queso

• 1 1/2 cups pre cooked steamed or roasted cauliflower
• 1 medium pre baked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• 1-2 tablespoons hot water
• 1/2 a small red pepper
• 1/4 small red onion
• 1 jalape%u00f1o
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper

Finely dice the red pepper, jalape%u00f1o, onion and garlic and saut%u00e9 in a skillet for a few minutes until slightly soften and fragrant. Take the pre-cooked cauliflower, sweet potato (skin removed), and nutritional yeast and place in a blender or food processor. Blend for about 5 minutes until creamy and smooth. Add in a tablespoon %u00a0of water %u00a0to keep things moving. When completely smooth, add in saut%u00e9ed veggies and pulse a few times to combine. Scoop into a serving dish. If your feeling it, %u00a0top with scallions and cracked pepper.

Serve dips with chips, veggies or anything you want. Also make great spreads for sandwiches and crackers too!

Pomeamole!! %u00a0That’s what I want to call it, so that’s what it is. Guacamole with the addition of tiny little pearls of sweet and tangy juice.. I mean, come one, it can’t get much better. This is what happens when avocados are on super sale, I buy a lot%u2026and then eat a lot%u2026.and then eat some more. %u00a0I start to get a little crafty and, wa la.. add pomegranate seeds. I also inflict anyone eating around me with avocado, even if they believe that they don’t like it because that’s not possible. I know this because there was a time where I believed that I didn’t like avocados%u2026 and that’s just crazy. I remember the very moment I realized I was wrong. It was the first food Nick ever made for me. I was working at a pottery studio and wasn’t able to leave because of a raku firing %u00a0and I was starving. My love saved me with a sandwich, and it was the best I had ever eaten. %u00a0A sandwich that contained hummus, greens, sun-dried tomatoes, and yup, big slices of avocado. That sandwich change my life. I knew from that moment on%u2026. %u00a0I loved avocados%u2026%u2026oh and that I loved Nick too. I know, we are so cute that you want to barf. Well go ahead, just do it before you eat the pomeamole.

It’s all pretty simple…One very tasty ripe avocado, about 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds, %u00a0a little chopped onion, a bit of chopped tomato, %u00a0a lemon, a few cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt. %u00a0It’s what dreams are made of.

Mash it all together minus the pomegranate seeds%u2026 As smooth or as chunky as you like it%u2026.

Fold in 1/2 the seeds

And top with the rest! And another squeeze of lemon%u2026 just like that. You can eat this magic with anything you want; %u00a0chippers, rice cakes, tacos, toast, or even top a kale salad with a big scoop. %u2026..we at it with carrots and broccoli. SO GOOD!

Pomeamole! (Pomegranate Guacamole)

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 a small red or sweet onion
• 1/2 a small tomato
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• salt
• %u00a0a lemon or lime

Pit and scoop avocado into a medium bowl and smash until desired consistency. Finely chop onion, garlic and tomato and mix together with avocado and half the juice of the lemon. Fold in most the pomegranate seed. Top with the rest and the squeeze the other half of lemon on top.

Serve with food, or just eat with a spoon.

Hooray for on-sale avocados!!%u00a0

-C

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Tuesday!

-C

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

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

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

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

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

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

Eat with at knife and fork like a fancy person.

August. Then gem of the summer. Warm days, cool nights. The knowledge that yes, it is still summery now, but soon it will be crisp, and cool, and all fall with sweaters and apples and%u2026 I am getting ahead of myself. Still summer here, and I should just enjoy it will it lasts. So that is what I will do.

This past week was busy and a little on the stressful side at times. It started with camping on Sunday which was good, maybe not the best, but no camping is bad camping, unless it is bad. It just that is was terribibly hot and there was a lot of people around and poison ivy everywhere which made me anxious because I was also getting attacked by mosquitoes so I kept thinking I was starting to get it. (I am very allergic to poison ivy). Also I woke up in the middle if the night to the mr yelling because someone was looking into our tent. I didn%u2019t see said person because I was asleep until I wasn%u2019t and I did questioned whether or not he might have dreamed it, but needless to say, I didn’t not sleep much after that. So yeah, other then that, not bad. And then we got out of the tent early, made the coffee and went on our way home. To life. We had (and still have) a lot of stuff going on, all at once because that is how it goes. But we got stuff done, and then some. And we even managed to get in a couple kayak sessions! First of the year because we are butts and also we just finally got around to getting racks for the car.(No more truck to throw them into. Sad). We also made time to look at a big chunk of land that I was sooooo expecting to love but nope, wasn%u2019t for us. We test drove a newer van that was awesome, but again,wasn;t for us. We picked up farm share together and ate ten thousand tomatoes, and are now officially 100% filed and finished our taxes. Checks were wrote, I might have cried a little, but done they are.

So yeah, the week went, we did, I am tired, the mr is really tired, and we are ready to get out of here for the night. Our camping stuff is packed and ready to go. Now where are we going is the question%u2026..Somewhere without night creepers would be nice.

Links from the internet for you to take or leave.

-Plastics Or People? At Least 1 Of Them Has To Change To Clean Up Our Mess. A beach of flip flops. How depressing. People, let%u2019s all just stop buying plastic!

-I don%u2019t know what the heck is wrong with people but curly parsley is the shit! It%u2019s delicious and I can eat handfuls of it. For real. How Did Curly Parsley Get So Uncool?

-Reading this made me sad and angry. Greenland Is Melting Away Before Our Eyes

–This Must Be What It%u2019s Like to Live Inside a Rainbow. I can appreciate it and I would love to say there but I don%u2019t think I could actually live with that much color. Sensory overload!

-Now these rooms. I could live in. Cool Pics Show Hotel Rooms of the U.S in the 1950s and ’60s

-This reminded me so much of my sister Erin. She would do something like this (or already has) Three Cats in Japan Have a Closet Full of Custom-Made Hats Felted From Their Shedded Fur

–This Remote Corner Of Nevada Is One Of The Darkest Places In The World. I want to go. I will go. And I bet everyone else wants to to, so lets all not be assholes and trash the place like happens when cool places are discovered.

-I am a slut for bedding. Just pictures of pretty textiles make me happy. BOHO BEDDING.

–At Burger King, Your Meat-Free Burger Might Come With a Coating of Real Meat Juice. This is another reason why I don%u2019t ever go out to eat. And this 1 In 4 Food Delivery Drivers Admit To Eating Your Food. I trust no one!

–Japanese Way of Making Iced Coffee. Do you drink Iced coffee? I love it but rarely drink it because I have no will power when it comes to coffee and will basically chug it and then it is gone and I am sad. Hot coffee slows me down, if only a little bit.

And pictures from the week.

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

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

But first thing first. I need to make dinner.

So waffles for dinner!! 

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

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

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

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

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

SO AWESOME!!

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

Happy waffle Wednesday!!!

-C

Veggie Bean Wonder Waffles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eat as breakfast, lunch or dinner…

Fork into face

Spit peas are one of my go to%u2019s when camping. Besides taking up no room at all to pack, they are also super easy to make. Plus they only take about an hour to cook, which is the perfect amount of time to prepare the rest of the food for a meal and sit and chill out before eating. Not to mention that they are damn freaking tasty, especially after a day frolicking through woods and paddling on water. I mean, who doesn%u2019t like split peas? (If you say you don%u2019t, you probably should try again because I bet you would like these)

Constnaly thinking of our next hiking, kayaking, and camping adventure has got me with split peas on the mind. Especially now that the nights are getting a little cooler. Knowing that I am gonna have a hearty, protein pack and filling meal after a day of activity is just the greatest.

And collard greens. A green that gets overlooked a lot. No super popular, well, not around these parts, which is crazy because they are SO good! They have a more pronounced flavor (in a good way) then most greens. More pungent and earthy, and slitghy salty, if that makes sense. And hold up better then any green when cooked making them perfect to toss into pots with things like spit peas . Plus they travel well. I can bring a bunch camping with me and not worry that if I leave them out for to long they will turn into slimy green mush. If it is really hot, sure they might wilt up a bit, but stick the stems in a little water, they will last all day fine. And that is all you need them to do.

So yeah, this dish is perfect for camping, but also perfect for not camping and just making at home too. Again, super easy, fast and is just a great tasting dish.

Split peas and collard greens. Topped off with mustardy cabbage slaw. Can%u2019t wait to make this again this weekend!

To the spit pas and collard greens!

The stuff. A bunch of collard greens, some split peas, an onion, a couple carrots, some cabbage, stone ground mustard, spices which include garlic, ginger, dill, thyme, and ground mustard. And salt and pepper. And you are gonna need water too.

Start by removing the stems from the leaves of the collards. Then small dice up the carrots, the onion and the stems. Grab the collard leaves, roll them up together, then slice then into thin ribbons.

All that stuff you just cut up now gets tossed into big pot, along with all the spices.

Add in the dried peas and water. Lots and lots of water. Bring pot to boil, then reduce heat to low and loosely cover pot. Cook foe 45-50 minutes or so.

While the peas and greens are cooking, shred up some cabbage.

Add a good dollop or two of some good stone ground or Dijon mustard and mix.

Cooked until the split peas are tender and starting to fall apart. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

And then you eat. A big bowl full of the slpit peas and greens, topped with some mustardy cabbage slaw.

This is good food. Really freaking good.

-C

serves 4-6 folks

• 2 cups dried split peas

• 8-9 cups water

• 1 large onion

• 2 carrots

• 1 bunch collard greens (about 6-7large leaves)

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon ginger powder

• 1 tablespoon dill

• 1 tablespoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon ground mustard

• salt and pepper

• 2-3 tabespppms Dijon or stone ground mustard

• 1/2 head of cabbage (red and or green)

Start by removing the stems from the collards. Grab the carrots and onion and dice them up small, along with the stems. Then take the leaves of the greens and stack and roll them up together. Slice the roll into thin ribbons. Place all of it, carrots onions stems, and greens, into large pot, along with all the spices, (don%u2019t add any salt until the end) and stick o the stove. Add in the split peas and 8 cups of water. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to low and place a loose lid on pot. Let cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the spit peas are tender and just about to fall apart. If you think you might need to add more water to cook the peas through, then add another cup.

Once cooked, season with salt pepper to taste.

For the cabbage slaw,which you can make right after your start the peas, just shred up cabbage and mix it together with the mustard and set aside.

And once the split peas and collard greens are all cooked, scoop into bowls, top with some of the cabbage slaw, and eat to your face.

It%u2019s officially fall and officially fantastic. All of my sweaters are so happy to see me, and me them. So are the sweatpants and the socks. They are here for me to keep me all cozy and warm. Nothing like coming home on a cold dreary day and throwing on a big chunky sweater, a oversized pair of soft sweatpants, and thick wool socks. Add a cup of hot tea, a good book, and a lap blanket and heading out tp sit on the front porch and breathing in all that fresh fall air. So good. So freaking good.

Last Sunday camp was at Gifford State Park. Another Vermont gem. So pretty, so quite, the colors starting to show in the trees. We went for a nice hike into a forest of old growth trees, then launched out the kayaks on a nearby pond and paddles around for awhile. Back to the campsite for lentils and zucchini then the mr fired up some wood and we watched the sun set behind the golden trees. Laid under a sky full of the brightest stars and watching the trees whip around and listened to the wind blow hard and wild all night long. It was dang near perfect. And after the morning coffee making and tent taking down, off into the week we went.

Back in town we got back to it as per usual. The this and that of life. I made gallons of applesauce, fed Barb and went on a tea and pumpkin run (fall essentials). Went over to Moms for dinner and so the mr could fix her sink. I harvesting the last bits of summer from the garden then went to Costco to find a Christmas tree??? (They had them set up right next to the bathing suits and halloween candy. %ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f) We did some more stuff that needed doing. Looked at land in the wilds of Vermont (found a piece but there were offers on it already. So bummed) I worked the studio, picked up farm share, and I worried about the mr after he stabbed himself in the eye with a screwdriver and almost lost the eyeball. Then we had the boys sleep over Friday for Mileys birthday so she could have a sleep over with her friends at her house. We made pizza, went to the park, and all cuddled up in pile of blankets while they watched a weird cartoon something that I paid zero attention to and I read and kind of fell asleep. The next day after pancakes we dropped the off, the mr and I did the chores and then went back over for a little family party for the birthday lady. The mr made spaghetti, Miley and I decorated her cake, then they ate the pasta, then the cake, and then the mr and I peaced out to come home. Straight up, I was feeling way over stimulated from days of human interaction. So I pretty much passed the F out when we got home. I love my family but jeez can they make a lady tired.

Sunday for reals and I am feeling ready. Today is suppose to be another fantastic day, slightly on the chilly side maybe but not raining so that is good. We are heading out for one of the few camps we have left for the year. Zack Pond Woods. A little pond with a couple of undeveloped designated campsites. It is first come, first to use so we are super hoping that we get there and there will be a place available to set up for the night. If not, we might have to boogie over to a campground near by that we have already been too. But I am feeling like there might not be a ton of people trying to camp out on a Sunday night when it is suppose to get into the 30%u2019s overnight and maybe rain the morning. I am ok with all that, especially if that means other people aren%u2019t and leave us be. HA.

Anyway, hope you all are having a grand old weekend and taking in all the fall and focusing on eating all the apples and pumpkins. We know your priorities!

Links to things that I read and looked at n the internet this week.

-Today is National Coffee day!!!!! Everywhere You Can Get Free Coffee for National Coffee Day

–You%u2019ll Be Shocked by How Much Food Americans Waste Each%u00a0Year. Sadly, I was not shocked.

-Fall medicinal shopping list. These to make a syrup for cold and flu, and this for everything. Get it before you need it (and it%u2019s out of stock)

–Tree-Poaching Is On the Rise. What the fuckers. Also, so sad for trees and for the people.

-If telling people a little more gets them to recycle, well tell them what they want to hear! This simple tweak could drastically raise our pathetic recycling rates

–Vegans are more than what they do not eat. Hear Hear!!!!

-Did you know? Peanuts Aren’t Real Nuts (And More Essential Nut Info). Especially good to know when allergies are involved

–Is corn a fruit, a vegetable, or a grain? What were you thinking?

-IF you are going to smoke weed around people, you have to share it. No way around it unless you are an asshole. HA. How to politely smoke weed

–Why Millennials Are Suddenly So Obsessed With Houseplants. I grew up with a million house plants so thats one reason, but also I need real living things around me to feel good feels.

Pictures 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

It%u2019s officially fall and officially fantastic. All of my sweaters are so happy to see me, and me them. So are the sweatpants and the socks. They are here for me to keep me all cozy and warm. Nothing like coming home on a cold dreary day and throwing on a big chunky sweater, a oversized pair of soft sweatpants, and thick wool socks. Add a cup of hot tea, a good book, and a lap blanket and heading out tp sit on the front porch and breathing in all that fresh fall air. So good. So freaking good.

Last Sunday camp was at Gifford State Park. Another Vermont gem. So pretty, so quite, the colors starting to show in the trees. We went for a nice hike into a forest of old growth trees, then launched out the kayaks on a nearby pond and paddles around for awhile. Back to the campsite for lentils and zucchini then the mr fired up some wood and we watched the sun set behind the golden trees. Laid under a sky full of the brightest stars and watching the trees whip around and listened to the wind blow hard and wild all night long. It was dang near perfect. And after the morning coffee making and tent taking down, off into the week we went.

Back in town we got back to it as per usual. The this and that of life. I made gallons of applesauce, fed Barb and went on a tea and pumpkin run (fall essentials). Went over to Moms for dinner and so the mr could fix her sink. I harvesting the last bits of summer from the garden then went to Costco to find a Christmas tree??? (They had them set up right next to the bathing suits and halloween candy. %ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f) We did some more stuff that needed doing. Looked at land in the wilds of Vermont (found a piece but there were offers on it already. So bummed) I worked the studio, picked up farm share, and I worried about the mr after he stabbed himself in the eye with a screwdriver and almost lost the eyeball. Then we had the boys sleep over Friday for Mileys birthday so she could have a sleep over with her friends at her house. We made pizza, went to the park, and all cuddled up in pile of blankets while they watched a weird cartoon something that I paid zero attention to and I read and kind of fell asleep. The next day after pancakes we dropped the off, the mr and I did the chores and then went back over for a little family party for the birthday lady. The mr made spaghetti, Miley and I decorated her cake, then they ate the pasta, then the cake, and then the mr and I peaced out to come home. Straight up, I was feeling way over stimulated from days of human interaction. So I pretty much passed the F out when we got home. I love my family but jeez can they make a lady tired.

Sunday for reals and I am feeling ready. Today is suppose to be another fantastic day, slightly on the chilly side maybe but not raining so that is good. We are heading out for one of the few camps we have left for the year. Zack Pond Woods. A little pond with a couple of undeveloped designated campsites. It is first come, first to use so we are super hoping that we get there and there will be a place available to set up for the night. If not, we might have to boogie over to a campground near by that we have already been too. But I am feeling like there might not be a ton of people trying to camp out on a Sunday night when it is suppose to get into the 30%u2019s overnight and maybe rain the morning. I am ok with all that, especially if that means other people aren%u2019t and leave us be. HA.

Anyway, hope you all are having a grand old weekend and taking in all the fall and focusing on eating all the apples and pumpkins. We know your priorities!

Links to things that I read and looked at n the internet this week.

-Today is National Coffee day!!!!! Everywhere You Can Get Free Coffee for National Coffee Day

–You%u2019ll Be Shocked by How Much Food Americans Waste Each%u00a0Year. Sadly, I was not shocked.

-Fall medicinal shopping list. These to make a syrup for cold and flu, and this for everything. Get it before you need it (and it%u2019s out of stock)

–Tree-Poaching Is On the Rise. What the fuckers. Also, so sad for trees and for the people.

-If telling people a little more gets them to recycle, well tell them what they want to hear! This simple tweak could drastically raise our pathetic recycling rates

–Vegans are more than what they do not eat. Hear Hear!!!!

-Did you know? Peanuts Aren’t Real Nuts (And More Essential Nut Info). Especially good to know when allergies are involved

–Is corn a fruit, a vegetable, or a grain? What were you thinking?

-IF you are going to smoke weed around people, you have to share it. No way around it unless you are an asshole. HA. How to politely smoke weed

–Why Millennials Are Suddenly So Obsessed With Houseplants. I grew up with a million house plants so thats one reason, but also I need real living things around me to feel good feels.

Pictures from the week

Two weekends ago (jeez, has it really been two weeks? Yeah, to answer my own question. ) the mr and I ventured down and over to PA for a quick visit to the dad, the grandmother, and the aunt. Our own little tour de family. Driving down then all the driving around once we got there….not gonna lie, my ass was sore. But it was oh so worth it. I got to chat away with Grammy and hear all about new animal facts, funny jokes, and just get some Grammy love. Then we packed Grams into Dads car (he was doing all the driving around) and ventures to my aunt Tina’s farm for lunch where we were re-introduced to my uncle who me or any of my siblings haven’t seen in years. It’s been a long standing joke between us that he didn’t really exist.( he is real guys!) We walked the farm in our long sleeve t-shirt, ate some amazing food prepared by Tina herself, and spent the afternoon talking and watching the late February lightning storm while petting the cats. It was the perfect visit with some amazing people.

So here are picture, mostly from the the farm (Red Cat Farm) Every time we visit I fall in love a little more. Small farm, school house full of awesome old stuff, happy chicken, veggies all over, and a kick ass stove. #lifegoals.

Cool sunny days, Chilly billy nights. Darker out earlier every day. You don%u2019t really need an excuse to make cookies, but this weather is a good of an excuse as any. All I want to do is throw on my coziest warm sweater, make a humongous hot cup of coffee or tea (or both), grab a book or one of the knitting projects I abandoned last spring, and bake. It%u2019s not just me right? It%u2019s that time of year. Hunker down and be cozy. And it%u2019s just the best.

So cookies. I knew I wanted to make them, and honestly I was just going to go straight up peanut butter, but something in my brain just told me I needed to add jalape%u00f1os. It might have to do with the peanut sauce I was making the night before which I add jalape%u00f1os sauce to, or maybe it was the fact that a couple of a days before I picked a million (not really, but probably like 200) jalape%u00f1os at the farm to pickle and freeze for the coming winter months and just happen to have jalape%u00f1os on the brain. Whatever the reason, I just did it.

Going to straight out and say it. No, these are not gross or weird. They are sweet nutty peanut buttery with bits of slight hot spicy jalape%u00f1o goodness. For real, these cookies are things of greatness. The people that I have given them too have declared them the best. So good that the mr said I had to tell everyone that he thinks these cookies are over the top AMAZING! He ate 5 before I was even done baking the second batch.

I had to hide the rest and now I deal out cookies for good behavior. Haha

So when that feeling of the need to bake hits, why not grab a few hot peppers and get down on it with there cookies. You will not be sorry. Or maybe you will because you will end up eating shit load of cookies. (But that is totally A-okay)

To the cookies!

The stuff. Brown and white sugar, peanut butter, jalape%u00f1os, and flour, baking powder and soda, salt, vanilla, and plant butter and plant milk.

Cream together the butter and peanut butter with the sugars until completely combined and kind of fluffy. Add in the vanilla and milk and mix until completely incorporated, Mix all the dry ingredients together then add those in and mix until it forms dough. The dough might look a little crumbly but when you pick up a chunk, it is easy squished into a ball.

And for jalapenos, just remove stems and seeds and dice into little tiny pieces.

Mix in jalape%u00f1os. Yup, it;s happening.

Grab chunks of dough and roll into balls. Roll each ball in a little sugar then place on baking sheet. Using a fork (or whatever you want) squish each ball down to about 3/4 inch thick.

Cookie dough going in to oven and cookies coming out. All green studded and golden brown. And the small, Amazing! I love going through the day smelling like a giant cookie. It%u2019s the best.

Make sure to cool those cookies on a wire rack when they come out of the oven.

And there you have it.

Cookies for you but share if you care. Or not. HAHA

-C

makes about two dozen cookies

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/4 cup vegan butter

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar plus about 1/3 cup for rolling dough in

• 1/3 cup plant milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 jalape%u00f1os (2/3 cup finely diced)

Preheat oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and the 1/2 cup white sugar until competlety combined and slightly fluffy. II used a wooden spoon but you could do it with a mixer if you wanted to) Add in the milk and vanilla and mix to combined. In a sepereate bowl mix together the flour salt, baking soda and baking powder. Dump the dry into the wet and mix until combined. The dough might seem a little crumbly but when you pick up a hunk is should easily form a ball.

For jalape%u00f1os. Just remove the stems and seeds then dice into very small little pieces. Then toss them into the cookie batter and mix until evenly inpcorporated.

Grab a baking sheet and a little bowl for remaining sugar. Scoop tablespoons sizes chunks of dough and roll them into balls. Roll each ball in the remaining sugar and place on baking sheet. Using a fork or a the bottom of a cup, squish each ball down to about 3/4 inch thick. Then when the baking sheet is full, place cookies in oven.

Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and place cookies on a wire rack to cool.

Then eat them.