Yes you read that right. Corn. In a popsicle.

What?

No it is not weird or gross or anything. I wouldn’t do that to you. These popsicles are down right deeee-lightful. Rich and creamy and sweet. Both the creamy coconut and the toasted coconut pair perfectly with the sweet corn flavor. They truly are delicious and I think that if you give them a try, you will think so too. And really, now that it is like almost summer, who doesn’t have a little extra corn laying around. So you might as well just make a batch.

And then you will thank me for introducing you to the goodness that is a toasted coconut and corn popsicle. Heck, the mr even ate one and he (still, after I have proven him wrong on a many occasions) says he hates corn. So if a corn hater likes these, imagine what a corn lover will think. HAHA. Corn lover.

To the popsicles!

The stuff. Corn, full fat coconut milk, shredded coconut, and maple syrup.

First, remove corn from cob and place on a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 10-ish minutes until corn is cooked and all nice and sweet.

And don%u2019t forget to toast the coconut. A few minutes in the oven is all it needs.

Now to blend. Corn and coconut milk go in first to blend until nice and smooth. Then add in the maple and coconut and blend until just combined. That will leave a little coconut texture. If you want it smooth, well just blend until completely smooth. Do what feels right to you.

Thick, rich and creamy popsicle mixture.

Now pour it into the molds and stick into the freezer. You could probably stick the sticks in now or wait a little while for the mixture to set a bit, but just don%u2019t forget to get sticks in those popsicles before they completely freeze. That would suck.

Pop those lovelies out of the molds and there you go.

The anticipation is over. Eat a popsicle

-C

makes 4 average sized popsicles

• 2 ears corn (about a cup of corn kernels)

• 1 cup full fat coconut milk (the canned stuff)

• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

• 2- 4 tablespoons maple syrup

Note. If you have left over cooked corn, just use that. You don%u2019t need to recook it so skip the cooking corn step.

Preheat oven to 400

Remove corn kernels from cob and place on a baking sheet pretty evenly. Pop into the oven for 10 minutes of so or until the corn is cooked through and nice and sweet.

Remove corn and dump it into blender and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Place the coconut onto the baking sheet and pop into the oven for 3-4 minutes to just lightly toast. When the coconut is toasted, remove from oven.

Grab the blender with the corn and pot in the coconut milk. Blend until smooth. Add in the maple (start with 2 tablespoons and work your way up to the sweetness you like) and the toasted coconut. Blend quickly just to combine for a slightly more textures popsicle or blend completely smooth if you would rather a smoother popsicle.

Pour mixture into popsicles molds and place into freezer. After the mixture sets up (about an hour) pop sticks into molds. Continue to freeze until completely frozen. Usually 4-6 hours.

And then when it is popsicle time, remove popsicles from molds and eat them.

Here’s one for the cabbage lovers our there, maybe even the haters as well. (I don’t understand those people, cabbage is king in my stomach).%u00a0I really believe that a good bit of cabbage can really change a persons perspective on the humble cruciferous vegetable, maybe even the world. To far? Maybe but what I always say is, “When in doubt try it out!” Either way, this bit of cabbage is vey very good good.%u00a0%u00a0

A quick little warm up in a skillet with some sesame soy flavor and crunch and you got yourself a A plus little salad. It hits all the right notes for when a) its winter and fresh greens are more sparse (which it currently is and they currently are) b)%u00a0its cold out (again currently because it’s winter) and c) when you only have a head of cabbage in the fridge (was the case but I have sense remedied that).%u00a0

Chop it, toss, it, eat it. Quick and easy good food. Get on it.

The stuff. Cabbage (I used savoy but you can use any cabbage you want) soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, and a lemon. The lemon is optional, but a little acid is alway welcome in my mouth.%u00a0

Chop the cabbage. Unless %u00a0you are making this for more then 2 people, you probably only need half a head. However much you use, chop in up into 1-2 inch peices. You could %u00a0also shreds it if you want, but I like the bigger pieces.%u00a0

Toss the cabbage into a hot skillet that has been drizzled with a little olive oil and toss the soy sauce in with it too.%u00a0

Cook on medium high heat until the cabbage has slightly soften.%u00a0

While the skillet is still hot, drizzle in a touch of toasted sesame oil and a good amount of sesame seeds. Give it a toss. Taste and add more toasted sesame oil if you want.

Pile it Into a bowl and that’s that. Serve with a wedge of lemon or lime if you like the addition of the acid.%u00a0

-C

serves 1-2 people

• 1/2 of a head of cabbage (green savoy, or red work)
• 1 tablespoon soy or tamari%u00a0
• 1/2-1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil%u00a0
• sesame seeds
• lemon or lime (optional)

Preheat a large skillet to medium high with the olive oil. While its getting hot, chop the cabbage into 1- 2 inch pieces. When the skillet is hot, dump the cabbage in and toss around with the soy sauce. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, giving it a toss a few times, until the cabbage starts to soften. Depending on your preference you can stop cooking it now, or keep cooking until it reaches you preferred doneness. (I like it with a little crunch so I cook it for 5-6 minutes) Once it’s done but the skillet is still hot, drizzle in the toasted sesame oil and toss in the sesame seeds. Taste for flavor and add more toasted sesame oil if needed.%u00a0

Serve right away although cold left overs are also fantastic. A wedge of lemon or lime is a well received addition.%u00a0

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

Nothing here but a mere craving, the fact that I had a fresh head of cauliflower, and I really wanted tahini. TA DA. I made exactly what I wanted and it was so so sooooo good. Maple Cumin is one of those super A+++ taste pairings and anything roasted cover in tahini is basically going to be a win so I had no fear when making this dish that it was going to be anything but fanatic.

And of course I was right. It was so freaking good, like now I am going to make it again and again because I don%u2019t want make cauliflower any other way ever or at least until I get sick of it or of roasted vegetables. But that probably won%u2019t happen for a while.

So if you like cauliflower and tahini and amazingness, here, make this.

To the cauliflower

The stuff. A head of cauliflower, tahini, maple syrup, cumin powder, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and olive oil.

Break or cu the head of cauliflower up into florets and toss with a little oil, the maple and cumin, and a little salt and pepper.

Scatter on a baking sheet and stuff it into a hot oven.

Meanwhile mix tahini with vinegar, salt and pepper, and enough warm water to thin out.

Roasted all nice and crisp and delightful.

And now you gather up all that cauliflower and cover with all the tahini you want. Grab a bowl, or just eat off baking sheet, and get to it.

And there is no shame in eating a whole head of cauliflower because hey, its cauliflower.

-C

Makes a meal for one or a side for a few

• a head of cauliflower

• 3 teaspoons cumin

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• olive oil

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2-3 tablespoons warm water

• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450

Break or cut the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Place in a bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon or so olive oil and toss around. Drizzle in maple, add in the cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss until coated then dump the cauliflower onto a baking sheet. Place in hot oven for 25-30 minutes or until roasted to your liking.

While that%u2019s roasting, mix up the tahini, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in warm water until the mixture is a drizzlable consistency.

Once cauliflower is out of oven, cover with tahini.

Now eat.

There will be no left overs so don%u2019t worry about it.

My morning walks as of lately have had me doing a bit of raspberry, cherry tomato, and husk cherry picking.%u00a0 Can it gt any better then that? (I sometimes pick flowers too). And yesterday I got my first pie pumpkin of the season. It is so cute and pumpkiny that I kind of want to keep it sitting on my counter for a while, but no.. My plan is to roast that shit for dinner tonight and eat it all to my face. There will be plenty of pumpkins to decorate with soon. This one is meant for my belly.

But before pumpkin, the mr and I ARE GOING to figure out the paint situation. I have never in my life had such a hard time picking colors for any apartment or house we have painted (and we have painted a lot) We nailed the wall color(on the second try) and both love it. I spent a good part of the week repainting the entire upstairs, but now we need to figure out the trim. I picked out a lovely grey that I looked fantastic for about a minute, but now I kind of hate it. I blame it on all the light and angles of the space. No two walls look the same color so I might just have to go with white trim and call it a day. Either way we go, I need to get the paint at least picked out today, its driving me fucking crazy.

I really should stop bitching, we have had such a productive week. We ended up picking up a new set of cast iron radiators, which I will tell you was no easy feat (the first or second time we did it, each of those things weight like a 800 lbs a piece) The old ones we got were not big enough to heat the space efficiently but the new ones, they are perfect and pretty and work. Score on that one. (thanks Mark the plumber) And while I was painting away upstairs, the mr was downstairs doing all sorts of stuff like moving all the tools and trash out, figuring out the radiant flooring for the first floor and sanding and painting the ceilings. The house looks so good that I am almost tempted to just move on in now, but then I think back to all the places we have lived during construction and the temptation goes away. Far far away. I can wait, at least for a bathroom with a sink that is not a hose and bucket.

Yup, another busy crray cray week. After we get paint, I think I am going to crash for a while, let my body and brain have a little time to shut off. We really should try to go apple picking or something, but honestly, I think we are both just really tired and could use a bit of time not doing anything. I say this but I know the mr will keep on working until his arms fall off, me, I will just fall asleep on the floor.

One thing I really need to do at some point today is to bust out all of my cozy sweaters. I am so very excited because sweaters are my jam and I have me aplenty of them. My wardrobe triples once the sweaters come out and I don’t look like such a bum wearing all my big baggy paint covered t shirts. A sweater classes me up bit.

Yes, I can be classy (kinda)

Internet findings from the week.

-What a bad ass lady. Urban Beekeeper Delivers Pollinators by Bike to Community Gardens Across Chicago

–A Dictionary Is Telling Everyone to Calm Down About Using %u2018Literally%u2019 Wrong

-So jealous. I would have loved to have taken a coffee class in college. STEM To Steam: How Coffee Is Perking Up Engineering Education

-Thinking we might go with black doors. (maybe, what do you think?)

-Always thought these windows were a bit strange.The Bizarre Story Behind This Common Home Amenity In Vermont

-I am serial lane switcher. To Pick the Fastest Line, Follow People With the Most Items

–The Power Vegetables Pantry. The 12 ingredients that will supercharge your vegetable cooking.

-This dude spent a lot of time and energy figuring out how to best drink a coke. (coca-cola, not coke like the drug) The 24-Year-Old Coca-Cola Virgin

-This place has got to be amazing. WHERE DOES LOST AIRLINE LUGGAGE GO? TO AMERICA’S GREATEST THRIFT STORE.

-I have a mini dance party to this song every day. Also love it cause it reminds me of Alana and Abby from Broad City (when is season 4 coming???? I NEED it)

Now for a few pictures

It%u2019s a smoothie. And no, we have never really been smoothie people in this house, but what can I say, sometimes smoothies happen, especially when you have about 20 ripe bananas in the fruit bowl with no room in the freezer and no need for 7 loafs of banana bread.

So I smoothied. And I like it (a lot).

This is a smoothie of simplicity. Nothing fancy. Simplest of simple. Straight to the point. And all sorts of good.

You might think, does this simple smoothie you speak of taste very good? Yes, yes indeed it does. It is all sorts of fantastic. Basically if you like creamy, nutty, oaty, bananery things, you will like this. And it%u2019s a perfect breakfast, snack, dessert, or just wanting a little treat like thing that is not garbage food. A smoothie of all smoothies with the most basic ingredients. And takes about 15 seconds to whip up. Can%u2019t complain about that.

To the smoothie goodness!

The stuff. A ripe banana, some old fashion rolled oats, a pinch of salt, water, and a smidge of maple syrup if you want it.

Everything goes into blender.

And blended until smooth. Hence the word smoothie.

Pour it into a cup (or if you are feeling primal, drink it straight from the blender%u2026 it%u2019s totally cool)

And done.

A banana oat smoothie.

Let the good time roll!

-C

makes 1 smoothie

• 1 very ripe banana

• 1/3 cup raw old fashion oats

• 1 1/2 cups water

• pinch of salt

• a tablespoon or two of any sweetener you like (optional)

• a pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Place everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a cup, sprinkle with cinnamon if you wish, and drink right away.

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.

 Some days making an effort is just too much. The upcoming holidays are taking up most of my brain capacity. I need the day to decompress and I don’t want to worry making any meals. Not to mention I am running low on food in the house, my winter farm share doesn’t start until next week (HORRAY!!) and I really don’t want to go to the grocery store. I have avocado, I have tomato, I have bread. Smoosh avocado on toast, top with a few slices of tomato, and give it a sprinkle of salt. Wa La..There you have it. Easy and delicious and is suitable for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Don’t like avocado? Well today, that’s not my problem. I am sure you can find  jar of peanut butter. Note: Peanut butter anything is also suitable for any meal replacement. Thursday Thursday!!

Sometime you look back at a week and think, blah, or whatever, or that sucked. This week I look back and smile. It was a good week. Nothing to special, just springy and warm. I got to hang out with my peoples, see the world turn green and lush, and I didn’t stress too much about anything because what is the point? Plus I bought a single pink carnation at the grocery store at the beginning of the week for the mr. and every time I see it, I smile a little. Sometimes just a little something something is all we need.

So yeah, the week was good. There was the normal stuff of work and what not but also a fair amount of not work stuff. I saw my moms for Mothers day and brought her food. The mr and I went for some long walks that did not involve any outdoor clothing (just normal indoor clothing) We hung out with the littles for a good afternoon of tree house chilling, baby running, three wheeling, and all sorts of other fun. Miley was super pumped to show off her new shoes that are partially gold. She was obsessed and needed to wash them off at the end of the day. Those were the days,when you cared about your shoes? (I am assuming you don’t now , like me, but maybe you do.) Also Barb finally come back to me (school is over so she has time again) me and I feed her soup. Megan also came over for a soup lunch and a walk because that is what we do. (We are a family of eaters and walkers.) I worked on some clay rainbows, planted some more plants, and cleaned under my fingernails. The one big thing that I tried to accomplish and haven’t yet managed is the bike thing. I have been shopping for a new bike and it is so so so HARD! I am not good at buying anything in general, especially when it is for me, and not food, and costs more than 5 bucks. But not just that, it’s that there are so so so many bikes to choose form. I am all like , YIKES! And so I did myself a favor and just gave myself another week to ponder and look and decide. The right bike will present itself when it is suppose to, or when I finally break down and just buy this one.

Yesterday was a good solid day of getting shit done. I got the winter tires changed to summer (thanks Justin!) and hung with Alex while it was happening. We talked music and cassette tapes and how music is everything. Then I went home to the yard and all the massive piles of leaves, dead tree(so sad) and over all lawn degree and the mr and I got it all into the truck to send off to compost land. After hitting the transfer station to offload we made a really quickly stop over to see Anthony getting ready for his prom….Oh my shit. The kid is like not a kid anymore and was wearing a tux and looking all old and what not. The shinny ass shoes alone were too much for me. (more shoes that need cleaning). How is it possible that I have a sister that is old enough to have a kid that is old enough to be going prom? OH, because I am getting old. That is how. Ha.

And after that, it was back home to finish cleaning and eat dinner and water the garden and feel exhausted but accomplished. I don’t mind being super tired, just as long as I have something to show for it (The yard looks A+ so I am happy)

I think today mainly going to be a work day. The mr has a project that he is in the middle of so he is going to be doing that all day and I have a few things I need to get done and then a ton of other things that need doing as well. Don’t worry, I will be spending some of that time outside with the green things in the dirt, making sure I have sun screen on, listening to some good tunes and drinking coffee like it is going out of style.

The ways of the internet this week.

– The news of abortions and women reproductives rights has been front and center this week. The lengths women have to go to to do what is right for themselves is shameful at best, but basically pretty fucking grotesque. These are the people that are trying to help. The Secret Baby Catchers of Alabama.

–Report: U.S. Navy Cracks Case Of Majestic Sky Dick. Phew. Now we know who to hire for our own sky dick.

-Can’t wait for that new pool to be build around the corner…NOT. And really, didn’t we all know this already? Your Neighborhood Pool Is Full of Unshowered Pee-ers

-A lot of breakfast food in America is basically junk food if you really think about it. Muffins (really cupcakes), pancakes (really cake covered in maple sugar), Pop tarts (pie) yogurt (almost ice cream)… Its all just desert with a different name. I Broke Breakfast. Americans eat a narrower variety of foods for breakfast than anyone else. 

-Imagine the magic.. I get feels just thinking about this place. A Fleeting Dandelion Wish Processing Facility Appears For Two Days Outside of Los Angeles

–ECLECTIC DINING STYLE.. I want all the tables and chairs. Just where to put them……????

-After reading the list, I feel pretty dang awesome cause I clean all that shit! Cleaning Supplies Might be Spreading Dirt Around Here’s How to Clean Them This Weekend

–How Did Chickpea Flour, A Staple Of Indian Cuisine, Become A Health Food Sensation? Because it is amazing. See recipe for Socca.

–Have you tried plogging, the Instagram trend that might be the sustainable sport of the future?. Even if it’s trendy and a way to be cool, well it is pretty cool and great and I am all for it.

–Can “Indie” Social Media Save Us? Something needs too.

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.

Nothing here but a mere craving, the fact that I had a fresh head of cauliflower, and I really wanted tahini. TA DA. I made exactly what I wanted and it was so so sooooo good. Maple Cumin is one of those super A+++ taste pairings and anything roasted cover in tahini is basically going to be a win so I had no fear when making this dish that it was going to be anything but fanatic.

And of course I was right. It was so freaking good, like now I am going to make it again and again because I don%u2019t want make cauliflower any other way ever or at least until I get sick of it or of roasted vegetables. But that probably won%u2019t happen for a while.

So if you like cauliflower and tahini and amazingness, here, make this.

To the cauliflower

The stuff. A head of cauliflower, tahini, maple syrup, cumin powder, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and olive oil.

Break or cu the head of cauliflower up into florets and toss with a little oil, the maple and cumin, and a little salt and pepper.

Scatter on a baking sheet and stuff it into a hot oven.

Meanwhile mix tahini with vinegar, salt and pepper, and enough warm water to thin out.

Roasted all nice and crisp and delightful.

And now you gather up all that cauliflower and cover with all the tahini you want. Grab a bowl, or just eat off baking sheet, and get to it.

And there is no shame in eating a whole head of cauliflower because hey, its cauliflower.

-C

Makes a meal for one or a side for a few

• a head of cauliflower

• 3 teaspoons cumin

• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

• olive oil

• 3 tablespoons tahini

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 2-3 tablespoons warm water

• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450

Break or cut the cauliflower into medium sized florets. Place in a bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon or so olive oil and toss around. Drizzle in maple, add in the cumin, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss until coated then dump the cauliflower onto a baking sheet. Place in hot oven for 25-30 minutes or until roasted to your liking.

While that%u2019s roasting, mix up the tahini, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in warm water until the mixture is a drizzlable consistency.

Once cauliflower is out of oven, cover with tahini.

Now eat.

There will be no left overs so don%u2019t worry about it.

HEY Hey Hey%u2026 It’s Taco TUESDAY, which means that you are obligated as consumer of food to eat some tacos today!

So ok,%u00a0I am not going to lie, these tacos were not actually made on a Tuesday (GASP) but were made in lu of pizza Friday (another GASP!!)%u00a0

But guess what? No one died. People were happy. Food was fantastic, and there was no mention of the pizza that was not.%u00a0 So sure, taco tuesday is totally a thing around here, but %u00a0you know how “Nobady puts baby in a corner”.. %u00a0well nobody buts tacos in a corner. We don’t let the day of the week depict when tacos are eaten cause we think tacos are for everyday!

And these tacos, well, I got down with these. Made with lentils, cause lentils are the best, and topped with a hearty scoop of super fresh, chunky veggie salsa%u2026. Not much is better then that. Easy and fast with lots of pretty in every bite, these tacos are a great addition to any taco dinner rotation!

Now lets get taco-ing!!!

The stuff. First off, you are going to need some type of taco shell.. soft or hard or both , that is entirely up to you.( I made taco shells a little early in the day, but store bought is totally cool.) Also need lentils, water to cook the lentils, a jalape%u00f1o (optional), taco seasoning (pre blended or your own blend)%u00a0and onion. Also needed is a gigantic tomato, some red cabbage, a few kale leaves, a lime, and salt and pepper.

To get this party started, chop up half the onion, the tomato,%u00a0cabbage ,and kale and toss into a big bowl. Oh, and chop up the cilantro and toss that in as well.

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

Now that the salsa is doing it’s thing,%u00a0chop up the jalape%u00f1o and the other half of onion and toss into a big skillet and place on medium heat.

And when the bits start to brown like so…

Dump the lentils in to the pan with water.Bring it all %u00a0to a boil then turn heat down to low.. Add in the taco seasoning and sprinkle of salt and pepper and place some type of lid on ithe pan.

And simmered until cooked.

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

Now it’s ssembly time! Lentils in shell, topped with a generous amount of %u00a0salsa. That’s it!%u00a0Maybe some guacamole would be nice (I had an avocado saved for guac, but it was rotten on the inside.. I was super pissed) But with or without, these are some freak yeah yummy tacos! I served my next to a bed of some jasmine rice which was nice, but do what you want my friends.%u00a0

Happy Taco Tuesday! (or any taco day!)

-C

Makes about 8 -10 tacos

For the Lentil Filling

• 1 cup dried lentils
• 2 1/2 -3 cups water
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning*
• 1/2 of an onion
• 1 jalape%u00f1o%u00a0

Fot the Garden Veggie Salsa

• 2 big tomatoes (or one gigantic tomato)
• 1/4 head of red(or green)%u00a0cabbage (about 2 cups shredded)
• 1/2 %u00a0of an onion
• 4-5 kale leaves
• 1 juicy lime (2 if they are not very juicy)
• a bunch of cilantro%u00a0
• salt and pepper

And don’t forget the taco shells!

*Note. You can use any type of taco seasoning that you like, store bought or home made. I make my own with cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and a little coriander.%u00a0

Dice the tomato and 1/2 the onion into small chunks and toss into a big bowl. Finely chop the cabbage an the kale into small shreds and toss that into the bowl. And chop up as much cilantro as you would like and that goes into the bowl as well. Spinkle with some salt and add in the juice of the lime. %u00a0Mix everything all around and set aside.

Once the salsa is made and sitting, chop the jalape%u00f1o and other half of onion and toss into a large skillet. Place on medium heat for a few minutes until the pepper and onion start to brown. Now dump in dried lentils and 2 1/2 cups of water. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, them back down to low. Seaosn with salt,%u00a0add in the taco seasoning, and stick a lid (or cover with something),%u00a0and let simmer for about 20- 25 minutes or until the lentils have absorbed %u00a0all the water and are nice and soft. If you find the lentils are still hard and there is no liquid,%u00a0, add in another 1/2 cup of water.%u00a0

Once the lentils are cooked to your liking, remove from heat and get assemble tacos.%u00a0

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

Guacamole, cheese, sour cream, or whatever are optional topping that you may consider adding but are definitely not necessary.%u00a0%u00a0.%u00a0

I probabaly have already told you, but August is for sure my favorite month of the year (well,one of my favorites)

There is bounties of bounties of fresh, sweet and colorful, oh so juicy, crispy crisp, just so f ing %u00a0amazing, produce exploding all over the place. I have probably gained like 75 thousand pounds in the past month due to all of the fruits and veggies that I have been consuming. I am starting to consider it a full time job just to keep up with the eating.

%u00a0Another reason why I love August so much is becauuse the days are still nice and warm, but the nights are starting to cool which means I get to make so much soup!!!!!.%u00a0

This soup is the freshest freshy soup yet. Everything is from the farm and or the garden (except the salt pepper, vinegar and oil), some picked within hours of me making this.

. I am a lucky/spolied veggie brat.

Anyways. This soup. The fresh tomato base gives it a sweet, slightly acidic kick.%u00a0So super creamy due to the lovely earthy stocks of the chard. Slightly spicy and earthy from the arugula* and chard green green. This soup…%u00a0it just tastes so fresh and clean, yet hearty and satisfying. A perfect soup for a mid August night, eating outside, watching the sun slide behind the mountains and the temperature dropping just enough that you might want a light sweater. Or you can just eat it from the pot in the kitchen while watching TV. It’s good eating anyway you want.%u00a0

*Here in America, it’s called arugula.%u00a0%u00a0Else where , it’s %u00a0called rocket. I wish we all called it rocket, although I do like the name arugula, but for like my first born child or maybe a pet goldfish. Anyway, rocket is arugula,%u00a0%u00a0or vice versa.

Soup time!.

The stuff. Some big %u00a0fresh tomatoes, a few stalks of chard, and a few handfuls of arugaula (aka rocket). A couple carrots, an onion, some garlic, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil.. Oh, and I added some balsamic vinegar, which for some reason didn’t make it into the picture (sorry vinegar)

Start by removing the chard leaves from the stalks. Set aside leave with the arugula. Chop up the carrot, chard stems, onion and garlic and toss into a big pot with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of water,%u00a0and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir around and stick o nthe stove on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the veggies start to soften up.

Now chop up the tomatoes into chunks and toss those right into the pot with the other stuff. Add in a few cups water and a few glugs of balazmic vinegar. Bring everything to a boil and then turn heat to medium low and place a lid on pot and let cook at medium heat for another 20 ish minutes, or until the tomatoes are falling apart.

Now that everything is all cooked up, blend it up.

And now take the chard leaves and the aruglula and chop into little pieces%u2026.into the pot they go.

Mix it all up.. and take the blender to the soup again%u2026.if you want a smaller sized bite.

Soup Into bowls..Then into mouth.

Happy August!!

And hey hey hey.. Have the best weekend!

-C

• 4-5 large fresh tomatoes
• 4 large stalks of rainbow chard
• 2-3 big handfuls of arugula%u00a0
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large or 2 small carrots
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 2-3glugs (about 2 tablespoons) balsamic vinegar%u00a0
• 3 cups water%u00a0
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

To start, remove stalks of chard from leaves and chop stalks, onion, carrot and garlic into chunks and place int a big pot with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash or water,%u00a0and spinkle of salt and pepper. Place on stove on medium low heat sand cooke the veggies down until starting to soften and garlic is becoming fragrant. While that cooking, remove core from tomatoes and dice them up. Toss into pot with the cooked down veggies with the vinegar and water. Place a lid on the pot and let cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are falling apart.%u00a0

When cooked, using with a hand blender or a normal blender, blend the soup until smooth. (if using blender, pour back into pot)

Now take the arugula and chard leaves and chop them into wee little picese and mix into soup. If you want to, blend the greens into the soup.. but not until smooth, unless thats what you want.%u00a0%u00a0Cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowl and serve with lots of fresh cracked pepper, maybe a little balsamic drizzle or even some mustard (I at left overs with mustard and it rocked my world)

spoons work eel las eating utencils.