Veg*n Cooking and Other Random Musings

Lentil Balls! (Vegetarian)

2011-12-15T20:14:00.000-06:00

So this is a recipe I came up with "on the fly" and Brett has fallen in love with it. Though I am not usually one to try to emulate meat, I have found pasta with marinara to be rather lacking since becoming a vegetarian. This recipe has now become a staple in my kitchen and is something that my meat-loving hubby asks for regularly.

The lentil balls are super easy to make and can be used in a number of applications. You can use 'em with pasta and marinara for spaghetti and "meat"balls, or on a hoagie with cheese, mushrooms, or whatever else you want. You can also mash up the balls and use 'em as a filling for lasagne and other pasta dishes.

Baked Lentil Balls!

Lentil Balls

Makes about 10 lentil balls

2-2 1/2 cups lentils, cooked (brown or green work fine)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

8 whole wheat saltine crackers, crushed

garlic powder (to taste)

onion powder (to taste)

paprika (to taste)

basil (to taste)
oregano (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 450.

Spray a cookie sheet with canola oil.

In a bowl, mash the lentil with a fork, leaving some whole lentils. Season to taste (easy on the salt, the crackers are salted). Add the parmesan and crackers. Mix until well combined.

Crack the egg into the mixture and combine thoroughly.

Using your hands, form mixture into golf ball sized balls.

Bake, uncovered for 15 minutes, flip balls and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!

We Take Requests #1: Black Bean and Veggie Burritos with Sour Cream "Salad" for Selina

2011-12-03T23:19:00.001-06:00

So, guess what? Wait for it...

This post includes a recipe! It has been far too long and I am stoked to be back in the kitchen and cooking like mad.

The inspiration for this recipe came from my best buddy Selina (who is also the author of the awesome blog Selindiana). I love creating recipes based off random ingredients, it sparks my creativity and sometimes ends up being a really good meal. So I mentioned that I was more than willing to take requests and she gave me a list of things she had on hand. I narrowed it down to things that I had on hand and this super tasty burrito and sour cream salad was the end result.

Have I mentioned I take requests? If you have something you want made veggie, or just have a bunch of ingredients lying around and you want me to try my hand at making a meal out of it, leave me a comment and I'll see what I can do. :-)

Anyways, onto the good stuff!

The tasty filling.

Sour cream salad.

The finished product.

Black Bean and Veggie Burritos

Makes enough filling for 3 large burritos.

2 tbsp. canola oil

1 medium potato, washed and cubed

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced (you can use a milder chile like an Anaheim too)

1/2 cup sweet corn (fresh or frozen)

1 1/2 cups black beans, cooked

salt, to taste

Heat oil in a medium sized skillet on medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, onion, and zucchini. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the jalapeno, corn, and black beans and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until everything is cooked and heated through.

Sour Cream Salad

Makes enough to top 3 burritos.

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 cup lettuce, shredded

1-2 tbsp. lime juice

1/2 tsp. Mexican oregano

a pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and chill until needed.

Putting it all together

cheese (optional)

salsa (when I don't use homemade, I LOVE Mrs. Renfro's ghost pepper salsa)

3 tortillas, warmed

Layer cheese and bean/veggie mixture in warmed tortillas and top with salsa, roll up. Top the finished burritos with sour cream salad and enjoy!

Yummy, yummy, yummy!

Alive and Cooking!

2011-11-26T14:48:00.006-06:00

After a flurry of activity, the hubby, kitties and I are finally settled in. We are back at home in Columbia, Missouri, the place we love. There really is no place like home.

Even better news is that I have more free time and spend more time in the kitchen, as well as pursuing other activities I enjoy. That means RECIPES COMING SOON. I've busted out my camera and am going to get back to blogging about FOOD.

AND BOOKS! I started a book review blog so I don't bore those out there looking for vegetarian recipes with my musings on the latest cozy mystery. If you are a fellow book fan, do check out The Eclectic Bookworm.

Over a Year? WTF?!

2011-09-01T13:29:00.005-05:00

Howdy y'all! It has been a long time since I have blogged, and that makes me sad. Things in the Land 'o J&B have been quite hectic, but this veg*n is still cooking up yummy goodness whenever possible. For regular readers, there are a lot of things to catch up on. We are back in (and loving) Missouri, but during our brief stay in Illinois, we managed to add another kitty to our brood (or crowder as it is technically called).

He was a little stray whose Momma we called Gninja and were feeding. One blustery cold Illinois evening, there was this pathetic howling and outside was a little gray cat that we thought, at first, was Gninja. After a bit of coaxing, this little kitty came right up to us. We brought him inside to keep him out of the cold and he attached himself to me. We named him Mr. Lee (pronounced "Missaree") and he is a force to be reckoned with. He is part Russian Blue and part Siamese, so he has a really Asian look, hence the name. Upon moving back to Missouri, my parents cat Stanley (who's name has been changed to Stan Lee) adopted us as well. He's part Maine Coon and "mutt". So we are now kitty parents to five fuzzy little critters. I think we have met our critter limit, but I wouldn't trade one of them for the world. I will post pictures of Mr. Lee and Stan soon.

I just wanted to do a quick post, as I have an Asian-inspired tofu marinade going at this moment. I am hoping to improve upon my original Kung Pao Tofu recipe. It needs a bit more something. I decided to marinate the tofu to add flavor, I'm going to play around with the sauce, and I'm going to serve the mess over soba noodles instead of traditional rice. I have missed blogging and am ready to get back in the proverbial saddle. I'll be updating the "Books J's Read - 2011" section soon, and whittling the recipe index down to just the good stuff.

I hope any of those who are still reading this blog are doing well. I hope to begin to do more regular posting (have you heard that before?) but I am not going to make any promises I cannot keep. When I cook something worth talking about, I'll certainly share it. And I will post pictures of our adorable four-legged fur babies. In time, I hope to revamp my "blogroll" as I'm not even sure how many of my old blogger buddies are still at it. Drop a word if you are, I'm curious to see who is still rockin' the blogosphere.

Fruity Deliciousness!

2010-03-25T03:12:00.005-05:00

I have been on a bit of a smoothie kick lately. A few years back, my mom bought Brett and I a juicer for Christmas, but for some reason, we didn't really take to it until recently. It's a small Black & Decker and we like it well enough, it does the job and we give the pulp to our worms to make compost.

I think the real reason we didn't use it much is because it takes a lot of fruit/veg to juice and I assumed it would be too expensive. What I've found since I've "revived" the juicer is that by using a "base" of carrot and pear juice or carrot and apple juice, the smoothies weren't too expensive at all and the base lends itself to pretty much any fruit additions I have tried as of yet.

I really enjoy having smoothies for breakfast. Not only are they a good way to get in the fruit and veg you need, but I find that I feel all around better after drinking one. Another odd thing I noticed was that when I have a smoothie for breakfast, I don't end up snacking a bunch throughout the day. I don't quite understand this, but it how they effect me, so I'm not going to complain!

I don't exactly know that these would technically be "smoothies" - I don't know the nomenclature of the juicing/puréeing world. I first juice my base ingredients, then I blend in solids using a blender - things like banana, frozen fruit, or ice.

Anyway, I don't think the Juice Nomenclature Police are going to come after me if I use the wrong terminology so let's get to the food! Well, um, drink!

Carrot-Pear-Banana-Peach Smoothie
Makes 3 large drinks.

8 carrots, peeled and juiced
3 d'anjou pears, juiced
2 bananas
1/2 bag of frozen peaches

Pour the prepared juice into a blender and slowly add the remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth.

Carrot-Pear-Banana-Mixed Berry-Extra Strawberry Smoothie
Makes 3 large drinks

10 carrots, peeled and juiced
3 d'anjou pears, juiced
1 banana
1/2 bag frozen mixed berries
1/2 bag frozen whole strawberries

Pour the prepared juice into a blender and slowly add the remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth.

I used some of my homegrown wheatgrass for this booger.

Carrot-Apple-Wheatgrass-Banana-Mango Smoothie
Makes about 3 drinks

8 carrots, peeled and juiced
3 pink lady apples, juiced
1 bunch of wheatgrass, juiced
2 bananas
1 bag frozen mangoes

Pour the prepared juice into a blender and slowly add the remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth.

Carrot-Pear-Banana-Strawberry Smoothie
Makes 3 large drinks

10 carrots, peeled and juiced
3 d'anjou pears (or fuji apples), juiced
1 banana
1 bag frozen whole strawberries

Pour the prepared juice into a blender and slowly add the remaining ingredients. Blend until very smooth.

I know it doesn't seem like too much variation, but I don't need much variety so it works for me. And how else would I ever get Brett to eat that many carrots raw any other way? :-)

Anywho, that's all for now. Enjoy the spring like weather that is hopefully gracing you wherever you are!

'Til next time.

Cranberry Bean and Veggie Burgers

2010-03-19T19:42:00.005-05:00

Howdy, howdy, howdy.

Cranberry Bean and Veggie Burgers
Makes about 4 large patties

3 tbsp canola oil
1 small potato, scrubbed, and diced small
1 onion, diced small
1 carrot, peeled and diced small
1/2 zucchini, diced small
2 anaheim chiles, seeded and diced
1/4 cup sweet corn
6 cloves of garlic, minced
salt, to taste
2 cups cranberry beans, cooked
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup regular rolled oats
1/4 cup flour

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the potato and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the onion, carrot, zucchini, chiles, and corn. Fry for an additional 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Add the garlic and fry for about 2-3 minutes until the garlic gets fragrant. Remove veggies from heat.

In a large bowl, using your hands, mash up the beans and veggie mixture. Then slowly add the dry ingredients.

Form into four equal parts and roll into balls.

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place the balls on the paper and flatten.

Bake for ten minutes, then flip the burgers. Bake for an additional ten minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Top burger buns with your desired fixin's and enjoy!

Well, that's all for now.

'Til next time.

Lots of Tasty Goodness

2010-02-15T14:31:00.009-06:00

Wow, so there has been a lot going on around here lately. I won't bore you all with the details, but I will say it has been work-related - though not my being busy with work. Other than that, Brett and I have been doing just dandy. I have been cooking up a storm as I haven't been working so have had plenty of time to make more involved meals.

I have been having a lot of fun in the kitchen, though I admit, it looks like a disaster area much of the time. :-) It seems that just as I finish one pile of dishes, it is time to eat again. And, while cooking at home is certainly more nourishing and even cost-effective, and well, damn better tasting, it does mean that there will be yet more dishes. I think that dishes and aphids in my garden are going to be my lifelong "Newman" to use a Seinfeld colloquialism.

Anywho, enough of my complaining and onto the goods!

My mom bought us a juicer for Christmas a few years ago, and for whatever reason, we used it once or twice and then it was relegated to the top of the cabinet that I like to refer to as the "Land of Misfit Appliances". Well, I have been wanting to incorporate more raw fruit and veg into my diet, because, well, I like them, and I decided to bust it out again. It has been making up for lost time! We use it all the time now.

One of my favorite juices is nothing special and something I'm sure most of you are already familiar with: Carrot Apple Juice. It is so simple. I just juice 6 apples (my favorite to use are Pink Lady or Honeycrisp, they are tart but also still plenty sweet) and about 8-10 peeled carrots. Stir it up and you are set. Brett even likes these and I got to tell you, there is no way in hell I would get Brett to eat 8-10 raw carrots, but I learned he will drink them. :-)

Wanting something a little different, I came up with this lovely algae looking concoction. I made the Carrot Apple Juice as described above. I them transferred the juice to a blender where I added two bananas, 1 tbsp. spirulina powder, and about 12 ice cubes. Then I just whirred it up! It makes enough for three meal-sized glasses. I know it doesn't look that good, but it certainly doesn't taste how it looks.

There is a blog I really enjoy called Herbivoracious. The author provides mostly authentic Latin/Mexican recipes that have been "vegetarianized". I find that I go there and not only want to try some of his recipes, but I get ideas for my own. You should seriously check out his blog, it is really cool.

I saw a recipe on his blog awhile back for Bocoles. Bocoles are bean and corn masa patties that are then fried. They are a popular Latin street food and don't they look damn tasty? Well they are. I adapted his recipe a little bit using refried pinto beans instead of black and using carrots instead of sweet potatoes for the spicy topping.

I also made a nice spicy table chile sauce to go with it. It is really spicy so use sparingly.

de Arbol-New Mexico Table Sauce
6 de arbol chiles, wiped clean
4 New Mexico chiles, wiped clean
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
salt (to taste)

Heat up a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the chiles on both sides being careful not to burn them. This should take less than 20-30 seconds on each side. You can often see the color being intensified and this is a good sign that they are ready to be flipped.

Once the chiles are toasted, let cool for a few minutes. Then remove stem, seeds and ribs. Transfer to a blender or bowl and pour the boiling water over the chiles and cover. Let the chiles reconstitute for about 15-20 minutes.

Then add the garlic, citrus juice, and salt and blend.

Now you have yourself a basic table chile sauce. You can use whatever dried chiles you want for this recipe. Making a basic table sauce is also a good way to get to know the different flavors and subtleties of each chile.

I had lots of refried beans left over from the Bocoles, so I decided to turn the remaining beans into a nice soup. And it sure was tasty!

Refried Bean Bisque
2-4 tbsp safflower oil
2 red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
2 pimento sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 cup refried pinto beans
4-6 cups water
salt to taste

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, as though you were stir-frying veggies.

Add the potatoes, chiles, and onion, and fry for about 10 minutes until they start to get a little color. By caramelizing the veg, we will get a much deeper array of flavors than if you simply boiled them.

Add the garlic and fry for about 5 minutes, until the garlic begins to get fragrant.

Add the refried beans and water and simmer, covered, for about an hour or until all the veggies are nice and soft.

Remove the mixture from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Transfer to a food processor and blend until very smooth.

Using a wire mesh strainer, begin to strain the soup over the soup pot in batches.

Once done, heat thoroughly and add salt to taste.

Side Note: If you have a vermicomposting system as we do (a worm farm), the left over veggie pulp from both soup making and juice making is the perfect food for a hungry worm. This also means that there is absolutely no waste. That I dig. Pun intended. ;-)

I don't know how everyone else feels about this, but I think that soup on it's own is just not going to cut it. I needs bread to make it a complete and satisfying meal.

Now, I will be the first to admit that breadmaking is not my forte. I am more of a punk in the kitchen, I like to let things happen organically and with breadmaking, you can't really do that. Let's just say I have had a lot of messy failures in my attempts at breadmaking.

This was one of my more successful attempts and I even managed to "punk it up" a little.

I used this recipe for Whole Wheat Rolls, but instead of the herbs used in the recipe, I kneaded in ten jalapenos, ten cloves of minced garlic, 1 tbsp cumin, and 1 tbsp Mexican oregano. Instead of making small rolls, I made six large-ish loaves. After they were baked, I brushed the tops with butter and sliced them into breadsticks, which we dipped in that tasty soup.

And finally, though it doesn't look like much, this is the gem of this post. This is the best soup I have ever made/had. It was an idea I had when I wanted to be lazy, but still have something tasty and healthy and I never imagined it to be as amazing as it really is.

This is like the Mexican equivalent to Chicken Noodle Soup, except without the icky meat. It is comforting like you wouldn't believe and it has perhaps the most amazing smell I have ever had the pleasure of smelling. And it is EASY TO MAKE.

I am not one to toot my own horn but this really is an amazing soup. I encourage you all to try this and let me know what you think. Maybe I'm just crazy, but it seems like the perfect comfort food to me.

Black Bean-Tomatillo Soup
1 onion, chopped
4 jalapenos, seeded and minced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can tomatillos, chopped
2 cups black beans, cooked
4-6 cups water
a couple dashes of cumin
salt to taste
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine

In a large soup pot, combine all the ingredients except the cilantro. Simmer, covered for 2-3 hours or until the veggies are soft.

Right before serving, stir in cilantro.

Serve with saltine crackers and enjoy!

That really is all you do. It is such a clear soup, it tastes and smells so clean. The cilantro added at the end gives it the crisp brightness and the tomatillos add an almost lime like flavor.

Brett and I were talking and thought that if you removed the beans, added cucumber, and pureed the whole mess that it would also make a nice cold soup for summer. Very refreshing.

Well, that's all for now.

'Til next time!

Things To Stuff In A Tortilla (and some other random things)

2010-01-27T14:01:00.014-06:00

Check out the new blog layout! I was doing some other "administrative" tasks and decided I wanted to make a little change. I hope it is still easy to read and navigate - comments are welcome.

I also re-did the recipe index. It was quite hard to navigate and required lots of scrolling. Some funky things also happened with the HTML and it would have been a pain in the ass to try to fix manually, so I just started fresh and created a new index. I hope this one is easier to manage.

And finally, I also updated the J's Recommended Reads post, it was out-of-date and also needed a bit of editing.

Needless to say, lots of work has been going on behind the scenes here at Veg*n Cooking.

It has been quite a week or so too with the arrival of Butters. Things are slowly moving along, but the "peace" between the cats is tentative. And Butters is a kitten - all he wants to do is play and whenever the other cats come to try to sniff him, he bats at them and changes the whole mood entirely. He is kind of a punk though - he has a tendency to bite, which we are hoping we can discourage him from doing (it hurts, the little shit!) and he bothers the other kitties when they try to go to the bathroom and that is frustrating too. But he's also really sweet. He likes t have his belly and chin rubbed, he lets you hold him and get in his face, and he is really soft.

Admittedly, he has been far more interested in Gabby and Nermal than Brett or I and I am just having to deal with that at the moment and try not to smother him in love like I want to. :-)

When Butters was found, he was starving in a dumpster - on his vet forms they called him "Orange Dumpster Kitty" at first. When I read that on the papers the first day we had him, it made me tear up a little bit - it is pretty sad, BUT he was lucky. In the little over a week he has been here, he has put on weight, his coat looks shiner and thicker, his coloring is brighter, and he is active and playing. Hopefully things stay on the up and up and the little guy is okay. He was found during an unreasonably cold time here in Missouri - it is hard to believe her survived. But he made friends at the vets office, they sent him with food, bowls, a bed, toys, medicine, all sorts of stuff. It is amazing what a cute kitten can do to a person. :-) He is gaining weight incredibly quickly. I had taken to calling him "Butter Bean", but I might have to start calling him "Butter Ball". :-)

Check out some recent pictures.

I love the tongue!

Brett did buy this giant stuffed elephant (we call him Packie) for me, but both Nermal and Butters have claimed him and I don't have the heart to take him from them. I mean, see?

So cute when he isn't biting you...

Gabby doesn't realize that Butters is sleeping with her. :-)

Though this picture is blurry, it is my favorite we have of Gabby - it captures her essence - curious and super sweet.

Alright, enough with the kitties and onto the food!

What follows are three simple meals - 30 minutes or less, that are tasty when stuffed into a tortilla or taco shell. We really like our tortillas and taco shells...

Option #1
2 tbsp safflower oil
2 red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 red New Mexican chiles, chopped
1/4 cup sweet corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup black beans
salt

Heat oil in a large skilled and add the potatoes and cover, stirring often, for about ten minutes or until they begin to soften a little bit.

Add the onion, chiles, and corn. Cook for an additional ten minutes.

Add the garlic and beans and cook for an additional five to ten minutes.

Stuff ingredients in a warmed tortilla and serve with super hot salsa!

If you eat cheese, Manchego is a good addition to this option.

Option #2
2 tbsp safflower oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup sweet corn
1/2 cup black beans
chipotle chile powder
New Mexican oregano
cumin
salt

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the sweet potato and cook for about ten to fifteen minutes until the begin to caramelize and soften.

Add the corn and black beans and season to taste. Cook until heated through.

Again, you just need to stuff your ingredients into a warmed tortilla and serve.

If you eat cheese, Cotija is a good pairing with this option.

Option #3 (Vegetarian)
2 tbsp safflower oil
2 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
5-6 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt
2 eggs, scrambled

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the potatoes, mushrooms, and onions and cook for about fifteen minutes or until potatoes begin to brown and soften. Stir often.

Add the garlic and season with salt to taste. Cook for an additional five to ten minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Layer potato mixture in a warmed tortilla and top with some scrambled egg. Enjoy!

If you eat cheese/dairy - shredded Mexican cheese blend and/or sour cream are a nice addition to this option.

And now for something completely different...

Doesn't that just look so darn appetizing? Well, it might not look good, but it sure tastes good.

J's Pink Egg Salad
1 egg, hardboiled and chopped
2 tbsp yellow onion, chopped
1/2 small carrot, peeled and microplaned (hence the pink color)
2 tbsp hot pepper relish (instead of the cucumber kind, I like spicy, that's just how I roll)
2-3 tbsp mayo or Veganaise
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
a few dashes of cayenne

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and adjust ingredients to your liking.

I serve this on toasted Jewish rye bread with lots of baby spinach.

And finally, here are a couple of other things I've made as of late...

Banana cake! I had some bananas on the counter I've been using for smoothies get a little too ripe on me, so what to do? Make banana bread! Brett and I prefer it to be more "cakelike" than "breadlike", so I just used my Banana Bread recipe but put it in an 8x8 pan and cooked it for an hour instead of an hour and fifteen minutes or more.

I also used all whole wheat pastry flour instead of just part.

When Brett was at the store the other day, they were out of his beloved cookies. I have been in a bit of a baking mood so I decided I would make him some. I just used my Super Yummy Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and subbed in a mixture of M&M's and Reese's Pieces for the chocolate chips. He hasn't missed his store bought cookies after all...

AND - I was able to get at least something semi-wholesome into his cookies but using whole wheat pastry flour. :-)

'Til next time.

Peanut Butter Kitty (a.k.a Butters)

2010-01-19T19:07:00.005-06:00

I don't feel too much like blogging today - I'm pretty tired. We've been staying up late and have had family visiting each of the last few days and it has caught up with me. But I DID wan to make sure that I got some pictures of our new kitty Butters up for everyone to see. He is quite the sweetie and we've had a blast with him so far.

I hope to be back in a day or so - I have some recipes to post!

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

If you look closely, you can see a kitty snuggled up in the blanket. Of course, it's Gabby, not Butters, but it is so cute I couldn't help but share. She is such a photogenic kitty.

And now introducing Butters, 5 pounds of orange kitty goodness!

Black Bean Shepherd's Pie and a New Addition to the J&B Household

2010-01-14T12:27:00.001-06:00

Yes, um, I actually made this quite some time ago, but seeing as I've been afflicted with that horrible Lazy Syndrome, I'm only getting around to it now. Many, many moons ago, Jessy from the oh so awesome blog, Happy Vegan Face, posted about a Shepherd's Pie recip e she had made.

I'd never had Shepherd's Pie before vegetarian or otherwise, but who doesn't like mashed potatoes, veggies, and beans? Why not put them together? I know! Great idea! So I decided to make up my own recipe based on what I had around and it was pretty darn good. I think I'm going to try using green lentils in place of beans next time I make this.

Black Bean Shepherd's Pie

The Taters:
4 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (leave the skins on for some excellent fiber!)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup milk
2-3 tbsp butter or Earth Balance
1/2 cup gouda or non-dairy cheese shreds
salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes and garlic. Boil until potatoes are tender and drain.

Combine all the ingredients with a mixer or potato masher, seasoning with salt to taste.

Rest of the Stuff:
2 tbsp safflower oil
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup sweet corn
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small can tomato sauce
2 cups black beans

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the veggies and cook for 10-15 minutes or until soft. Add the tomato sauce and black beans and cook until heated through.

In an 8x8 pan, spread the bean/veggie mixture and top with the potatoes.

Place, uncovered, in the oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until top is nice and golden.

Enjoy!

Yum, just posting about it makes me want this again, it was hearty, filling, and super tasty. I just wish I had had some green beans or peas to add to the mix. Or broccoli like Jessy used. Mmmmmm, green veggies...

So, in some exciting but completely off topic news - Brett and I are getting ready to welcome a new addition to our home.

A couple of weeks ago, Brett and I went to St. Louis for the weekend to celebrate (belatedly) the holidays with my parents and brothers. I met my first little nephew - Gabriel - and he seemed as scared of me as I was of him. Perhaps when he is older we will both be more comfortable...

Anyway, while we were up there, my parents took our Cocker Spaniel, Sadie, to the vet to have something checked out. While there, they discovered that a kitty had been found very sick in a trash can and was brought to the vet by a daughter of one of the nurses who found him. He was this tiny little orange puff ball who was scared, thin, malnourished, and in need of love and food. Stacey fell in love but was torn - she might have an infant in the house soon and a little kitty and babies don't usually mix. But the kitty was so sweet and unless someone took him, he would be taken to an animal shelter and likely put down because he was a runt and they couldn't guarantee his long-term health. So she asked Brett and I if we might want to take him.

Now, as a little aside, I would love to take ALL animals in need of a home. But we cannot. We live in an apartment and are limited in both funds and space, so we can only have so many critters and still be able to provide a good home with plenty of love. There is a shelter here in Columbia called Second Chance. They don't have a facility, rather, all the animals are put in "foster homes" where they live until they are either adopted or, well, they've lived out their days. They are no-kill. I think this is one of the most amazing organizations I've heard of and I would love to be able to help foster one days.

Anyway, back on topic. While we can't have all the animals that need a home, the more I got to thinking about it, the more it seemed like we had more than enough room for another kitty. I spoke to Brett about it and he agreed that we could go see the kitty at the vet. He knew (as I did) that as soon as he agreed to go see it, we were going to be adopting the cat, whether it had three legs and one eye, it didn't matter, we were going to give this unwanted kitty a home.

So we went to the vet and the nurse brought out this tiny orange fluff ball. He is so cute! He was very shy but took to me instantly. He let me love on him and didn't cower as he usually did. He was just the sweetest little thing. We decided we would call him Peanut Butter (we will call him Butters for short, like South Park :-)) and that he would definitely be welcome in our home.

Since he was so thin and was having some problems with his kidneys, they kept him at the vet to fatten him up and get his insides working a little better. Oh, and they are also going to fix him. EEEEEEK! Word from the vet is that he is really coming out of his shell and is starting to play a lot. They think he is 10-11 months old. He will be ready to come home on Saturday and my parents will be bringing him down. We can't wait!

Except...we have to introduce a new cat into our home and though I've only had to do it once before, it was not fun and was quite a stressful time. So while we are looking forward to him coming home, we are not looking forward to the introduction process. Yuk.

Anyway, that's about all the news I have for now. I'll get some pictures of Butters this weekend and post them for all to see.

'Til next time.

Super Yummy Green Smoothie

2009-12-31T14:33:00.000-06:00

I have been making more of an effort lately to make sure that Brett and I are getting adequate vitamins and minerals and have really become fond of juicing and making smoothies. Not only are they tasty and make a great breakfast, they are easy and so very healthy.

Below is one of my very first experiments and it is really good. I will make up a batch of this in the mornings and Brett and I will split it for breakfast. Super yummy and really easy, can't get much better than that.

Super Yummy Green Smoothie
2 apples (you want to use a tart variety, I used organic Granny Smith), cored
2 bananas
a couple handfuls of spinach
juice of half a lime
1 heaping tsp. spirulina powder
5-6 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Enjoy!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year!

'Til next time.

Random Grub We've Made (and remembered to take pictures of)

2009-12-30T23:46:00.010-06:00

So yeah, promises, promises, right? I said, oh let's see, a month ago, that I was going to try to start blogging more regularly and look, it has been over a month. I really suck sometimes. I have all sorts of excuses, but I will not bore you all with them.

Needless to say, I have been a lot better about taking pictures of the things I have been cooking and have tried out some tasty new things I am going to be blogging about in just a little while. I guess you could say that my New Year's "resolution" will be to be more organized and a better blogger, because, you know, I've missed it.

Anywho, here is some of the random things I have made lately:

Spicy Smashed Kidney Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos.

Potato, Mushroom, and Egg Burrito.

Potato, Mushroom, and Egg Burrito cut open. I just simply cut up 3 small red potatoes, sliced half a container of button mushrooms, a bell pepper, a jalapeno, half an onion, and a couple of cloves of garlic, sautéed it and seasoned it with cumin, cilantro, chipotle chile powder and salt. The I scrambled an egg and stuffed it all in a warmed tortilla.

I hope everyone out there had a wonderful holiday. B and I stayed home this year, and seeing as how we didn't cook anything special on Thanksgiving, we decided to make all our favorite sides for our just-for-two Christmas dinner. After we gorged on the goodies you will see below, we spent the evening playing Sim City 4 together - so much fun, probably my favorite computer game ever. Anyways...

Candied yams for Brett. He really, really likes these. I'm not a marshmallow person, and while I loves sweet potatoes, this isn't really my thing, I make it for Brett.

Garlic mashed red potatoes.

Green bean casserole.

Herbed stuffing.

As you can see, it was a really tasty meal.

Well, I wish everyone a safe and happy New Year's. We will be joining a small contingent of friends and then heading to St. Louis on Friday to spend the weekend with my family. My brother Zac and his wife Brittine just had their first child, Gabriel, and I get to meet him for the first time. I'm Aunt J! The only problem is I am scared shitless of children, particularly little babies and B is hell bent on getting me to hold him.

I will mention one of my excuses for not blogging - I fractured a rib and it is hard to get comfortable. It is finally starting to feel better - there isn't much that can be done for a rib except for giving it time, but I plan on keeping that in my arsenal of excuses as to why I don't need to hold Gabriel. I will get down on the carpet and have a chat with him, where there is no chance of my dropping or otherwise injuring this tiny little human, but that is about as far as it goes. Is it weird to have adult like conversations with infants? I have VERY LITTLE experience and contact with children/babies and I am never sure how to approach/handle them. And my goodness, being pregnant? That has to be one of the creepiest things - ever. I don't think I could ever get comfortable with some creature in my belly, that is just, well, creepy. But I have the maternal instinct of most commitment-phobic males (though, obviously, since I am happily married I am not a commitment-phobe). It has made my grandparents and mother quite sad that I have no desire whatsoever to have children. My dad doesn't really care, he just wants me to be happy, and besides, I have three step-brothers to provide plenty of pitter-pattering little feet. I have a feeling I will do the "cool Aunt from afar" thing - I will bring cool gifts and play with the kid when I am around, but then will happily give him back to Mom and Dad. Nice.

Anywho - I will be writing and scheduling some more recipes to be posted in the next couple of days.

Have a great night everyone!

'Til next time.

Books J's Read - 2011

2009-11-28T16:47:00.003-06:00

The new start of a new year means yet another Books J's Read list. It will likely contain mostly cozy mysteries, and the occasional non-fiction book, but if you are looking for something to read, and you trust my humble judgement, read on for my list of reads of the year.

Fiction:

A Peach of a Murder (Fresh-Baked Mysteries, 1) - Livia J. Washburn - 4 out of 5
Accessory to Murder (Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper 3) - Elaine Viets - 5 out of 5
An Uplifting Murder (Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper, 6) - Elaine Viets - 5 out of 5
Bantam of the Opera (Bed & Breakfast, 5) - Mary Daheim - 3 out of 5
Cat Sitter Among the Pigeons (Dixie Hemingway, 6) - Blaize Clement - 4 out of 5
Cat Sitter On a Hot Tine Roof (Dixie Hemingway, 4) - Blaize Clement - 4 out of 5
Curiosity Thrilled the Cat (Magical Cats Mystery 1) - Sofie Kelly - 4.5 out of 5
Dune to Death (Bed & Breakfast Mystery, 4) - Mary Daheim - 3 out of 5
Curiosity Killed the Cat Sitter (Dixie Hemingway, 1) - Blaize Clement - 4 out of 5
Duplicity Dogged the Dachshund (Dixie Hemingway, 2) - Blaize Clement - 4 out of 5
Even Cat Sitters Get the Blues (Dixie Hemingway, 3) - Blaize Clement - 4 out of 5
Foul Prey (Bed & Breakfast Mystery, 2) - Mary Daheim - 3 out of 5
Dying in Style (Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper, 1) - Elaine Viets - 5 out of 5
Holy Terrors (Bed & Breakfast Mystery, 3) - Mary Daheim - 3 out of 5
Just Desserts (Bed & Breakfast Mystery, 1) - Mary Daheim - 3 out of 5
Killer Crab Cakes (Fresh-Baked Mysteries, 4) - Livia J. Washburn - 3 out of 5
High Heels Are Murder (Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper, 2) - Elaine Viets - 5 out of 5
Murder By the Slice (Fresh-Baked Mysteries, 2) - Livia J. Washburn - 3.5 out of 5
Murder With All the Trimmings (Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper, 4) - Elaine Viets - 5 out of 5
Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs (Dixie Hemingway, 5) - Blaize Clement - 4 out of 5
Shot Through Velvet (Crime of Fashion Mysteries, 7) - 3.5 out of 5
The Christmas Cookie Killer (Fresh-Baked Mysteries, 3) - Livia J. Washburn - 3 out of 5
The Fashion Hound Murders (Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper, 5) - Elaine Viets - 5 out of 5
The Pumpkin Muffin Murder (Fresh-Baked Mysteries, 5) - Livia J. Washburn - 3 out of 5

Books J's Read - 2010

2009-11-28T08:37:00.002-06:00

44 Scotland Street (44 Scotland Street, 1) - Alexander McCall Smith - 5 out of 5
A Charmed Death (Bewitching Mystery, 2) - Madelyn Alt - 3 out of 5
A Hoe Lot of Trouble (A Nina Quinn Mystery, 1) - Heather Webber - 3 out of 5
A Killer Workout (A Fat City Mystery, 2) - Kathryn Lilley - 3 out of 5
A Rose from the Dead (Flower Shop Mystery, 6) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Arsenic and Old Paint (Annie Kincaid, 4) - Hailey Lind - 3.5 out of 5
A Toast to Murder (Wine Lover's Mystery, 6) - Michele Scott - 3 out of 5
A Vintage Murder (Wine Lover's Mystery, 4) - Michele Scott - 3 out of 5
A Wedding to Die For (Yellow Rose Mysteries, 2) - Leann Sweeney - 4 out of 5
A Witch in Time (Bewitching Mystery, 6) - Madelyn Alt - 3 out of 5
Acts of Violets (Flower Shop Mystery, 5) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Armed and Glamorous (Crime of Fashion, 6) - Ellen Byerrum - 3 out of 5
Bed Rest - Sarah Bilston - 4 out of 5
Better Off Wed (Annabelle Archer Mystery, 1) - Laura Durham - 3.5 out of 5
Bookmarked for Death (Booktown Mystery, 2) - Lorna Barrett - 4 out of 5
Bookplate Special (Booktown Mystery, 3) - Lorna Barrett - 4 out of 5
Bride and Doom (Carnegie Kincaid, 6) - Deborah Donnelly - 3.5 out of 5
Brush with Death (Annie Kincaid Mystery, 3) - Hailey Lind - 4 out of 5
Catch As Cat Can (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 10) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Catering to Nobody (Goldy Schulz Catering, 1) Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Cat On the Scent (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 7) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Cat's Eyewitness (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 13) - Rita Mae Brown - 3 out of 5
Chapter & Hearse (Booktown Mystery, 4) - Lorna Barrett - 3 out of 5
Chopping Spree (Goldy Schulz Catering, 11) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Class Mothers - Katherine Stewart - 3 out of 5
Claws and Effect (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 9) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Clubbed to Death (Dead-End Job, 7) - Elaine Viets - 3.5 out of 5
Cooking Up Murder (Cooking Class Mysteries, 1) - Miranda Bliss - 3.5 out of 5
Corked By Cabernet (Wine Lover's Mystery, 5) - Michele Scot - 3 out of 5
Crossing the Lion (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 9) - Cynthia Baxter - 3.5 out of 5
Damsel Under Stress (Katie Chandler, 3) - Shanna Swedsen - 4 out of 5
Dark Tort (Goldy Schulz Catering, 13) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Dead Air (A Talk Radio Mystery, 1) - Mary Kennedy - 3.5 out of 5
Dead Canaries Don't Sing (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 1) - Cynthia Baxter - 4 out of 5
Dead Giveaway (Yellow Rose Mysteries, 3) - Leann Sweeney - 3.5 out of 5
Dead Men Don't Get the Munchies (Cooking Class Mysteries, 3) - Miranda Bliss - 3.5 out of 5
Dearly Depotted (Flower Shop Mystery, 3) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Death By Panty Hose (Jaine Austen Mystery, 6) - Laura Levine - 4 out of 5
Death of a Trophy Wife (Jaine Austen Mystery, 9) - Laura Levine - 4 out of 5
Death Takes a Honeymoon (Carnegie Kincaid, 4) - Deborah Donnelly - 3.5 out of 5
Death Takes the Cake (Della Cooks Mystery, 2) - Melinda Wells - 4 out of 5
Decaffeinated Corpse (Coffeehouse Mystery, 5) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Designer Knockoff (Crime of Fashion, 2) - Ellen Byerrum - 3 out of 5
Died to Match (Carnegie Kincaid, 2) - Deborah Donnelly - 3 out of 5
Digging Up Trouble (A Nina Quinn Mystery, 3) - Heather Webber - 3 out of 5
Dirty Rotten Tendrils (Flower Shop Mystery, 10) - Kate Collins - 3.5 out of 5
Don't Hex With Texas (Katie Chandler, 4) - Shanna Swedsen - 4 out of 5
Double Dog Dare (Kendra Ballantyne, 6) - Linda O. Johnston - 3 out of 5
Double Shot (Goldy Schulz Catering, 12) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Dying for Chocolate (Goldy Schulz Catering, 2) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Dying for Dinner (Cooking Class Mysteries, 4) - Miranda Bliss - 3.5 out of 5
Dying to Be Thin (A Fat City Mystery, 1) - Kathryn Lilley - 3 out of 5
Dying to Call You (Dead-End Job, 3) - Elaine Viets - 3.5 out of 5
Enchanted, Inc. (Katie Chandler, 1) - Shanna Swedsen - 4 out of 5
Espresso Shot (Coffeehouse Mystery, 7) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Espresso Tales (44 Scotland Street, 2) - Alexander McCall Smith - 5 out of 5
Evil in Carnations (Flower Shop Mystery, 8) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Fatally Flaky (Goldy Schulz Catering, 15) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Family Affair - Caprice Crane - 3 out of 5
Feline Fatale (Kendra Ballantyne, 9) - Linda O. Johnston - 3 out of 5
Fine Feathered Death (Kendra Ballantyne, 3) - Linda O. Johnston - 4 out of 5
For Better or Hearse (Annabelle Archer Mystery, 2) - Laura Durham - 3.5 out of 5
French Pressed (Coffeehouse Mystery, 6) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Fundraising the Dead (Museum Mystery, 1) - Sheila Connelly - 3 out of 5
Feint of Art (Annie Kincaid Mystery, 1) - Hailey Lind - 4 out of 5
Grave Apparel (Crime of Fashion, 5) - Ellen Byerrum - 3 out of 5
Half-Price Homicide (Dead-End Job, 9) - Elaine Viets - 3.5 out of 5
Hare Today, Dead Tomorrow (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 4) - Cynthia Baxter - 3.5 out of 5
Hex Marks the Spot (Bewitching Mystery, 3) - Madelyn Alt - 3 out of 5
Holiday Grind (Coffeehouse Mystery, 8) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Homicide in Hardcover (Bibliophile Mystery, 1) - Kate Carlisle - 4 out of 5
Hostile Makeover (Crime of Fashion, 4) - Ellen Byerrum - 3 out of 5
Howl Deadly (Kendra Ballantyne, 8) - Linda O. Johnston - 3.5 out of 5
How to Crash a Killer Bash (Party Planning Mystery, 1) - Penny Warner - 4 out of 5
How to Host a Killer Party (Party Planning Mystery, 2) - Penny Warner - 4 out of 5
Hunger Point - Jillian Medoff - 3.5 out of 5
If Books Could Kill (Bibliophile Mystery, 2) - Kate Carlisle - 3.5 out of 5
Killer Blonde (Jaine Austen Mystery, 3) - Laura Levine - 4 out of 5
Killer Cuts (Dead-End Job, 8) - Elaine Viets - 3.5 out of 5
Killer Mousse (Della Cooks Mystery, 1) - Melinda Wells - 4 out of 5
Killer Pancake (Goldy Schulz Catering, 5) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Killing Bridezilla (Jaine Austen Mystery, 7) - Laura Levine - 4 out of 5
Last Writes (Jaine Austen Mystery, 2) - Laura Levine - 4 out of 5
Latte Trouble (Coffehouse Mystery, 3) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Lead a Horse to Murder (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 3) - Cynthia Baxter - 3.5 out of 5
Love Over Scotland (44 Scotland Street, 3) - Alexander McCall Smith - 5 out of 5
Love You To Death - Melissa Senate - 3 out of 5
Makeovers Can Be Murder (A Fat City Mystery, 3) - Kathryn Lilley - 3 out of 5
May the Best Man Die (Carnegie Kincaid, 3) - Deborah Donnelly - 3 out of 5
Misery Loves Cabernet - Kim Gruenenfelder - 3 out of 5
Meow for Murder (Kendra Ballantyne, 4) - Linda O. Johnston - 3.5 out of 5
Monkey See, Monkey Die (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 7) - Cynthia Baxter - 3.5 out of 5
Mum's the Word (Flower Shop Mystery, 1) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Murder At Monticello (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 3) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Murder Between the Covers (Dead-End Job, 2) - Elaine Viets - 3.5 out of 5
Murder By the Glass (Wine Lover's Mystery, 2) - Michele Scott - 3 out of 5
Murder Had a Little Lamb (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 8) - Cynthia Baxter - 3.5 out of 5
Murder Has A Sweet Tooth (Cooking Class Mysteries, 5) - Miranda Bliss - 3.5 out of 5
Murder is Binding (Booktown Mystery, 1) - Lorna Barrett - 4 out of 5
Murder Most Frothy (Coffeehouse Mystery, 4) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Murder On the Menu (Cooking Class Mysteries, 2) - Miranda Bliss - 3.5 out of 5
Murder on the Prowl (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 6) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Murder Uncorked (Wine Lover's Mystery, 1) - Michele Scot - 3 out of 5
Murder Unleashed (Dead-End Job, 5) - Elaine Viets - 3.5 out of 5
Murder, She Meowed (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 5) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Murder with Reservations (Dead-End Job, 6) - Elaine Viets - 3.5 out of 5
Never Say Sty (Kendra Ballantyne, 7) - Linda O. Johnston - 3 out of 5
Nothing to Fear but Ferrets (Kendra Ballantyne, 2) - Linda O. Johnston - 4 out of 5
No Rest of the Wiccan (Bewitching Mystery, 4) - Madelyn Alt - 3 out of 5
On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery, 1) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Once Upon Stilettos (Katie Chandler, 2) - Shanna Swedsen
Pawing Through the Past (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 8) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Pay Dirt (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 4) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Pick Your Poison (Yellow Rose Mysteries, 1) - Leann Sweeney - 3.5 out of 5
Prime Cut (Goldy Schulz Catering, 8) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Pushing Up Bluebonnets (Yellow Rose Mysteries, 5) - Leann Sweeney - 3.5 out 5
Puss 'n Cahoot (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 15) - Rita Mae Brown - 3 out of 5
Putting on the Dog (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 2) - Cynthia Baxter - 3.5 out of 5
Rachel's Holiday - Marian Keyes - 3 out of 5
Raiders of the Lost Corset (Crime of Fashion, 3) - Ellen Byerrum - 3 out of 5
Rest in Pieces (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 2) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
Reel Murder (A Talk Radio Mystery, 2) - Mary Kennedy - 3 out of 5
Rich Again - Anna Maxted - 3 out of 5
Right from the Gecko (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 5) - Cynthia Baxter - 3.5 out of 5
Roast Mortem (Coffeehouse Mystery, 9) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Santa Clawed (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 17) - Rita Mae Brown - 3.5 out of 5
Shoes to Die For (Jaine Austen Mystery, 4) - Laura Levine - 4 out of 5
Shoot from the Lip (Yellow Rose Mysteries, 4) - Leann Sweeney - 3.5 out of 5
Shooting Gallery (Annie Kincaid Mystery, 2) - Hailey Lind - 4 out of 5
Shoots to Kill (Flower Shop Mystery, 7) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Shop Till You Drop (Dead End Job, 1) - Elaine Viets - 3.5 out of 5
Silenced By Syrah (Wine Lover's Mystery, 3) - Michele Scot - 3 out of 5
Slay it with Flowers (Flower Shop Mystery, 2) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Sleeping with Anemone (Flower Shop Mystery, 9) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Snipped in the Bud (Flower Shop Mystery, 4) - Kate Collins - 3 out of 5
Sour Puss (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 14) - Rita Mae Brown - 3 out of 5
Sticks and Scones (Goldy Schulz Catering, 10) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Sweet Revenge (Goldy Schulz Catering, 14) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
The Accidental Virgin - Valerie Frankel - 1 out of 5
The Cereal Murders (Goldy Schulz Catering, 3) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund - Jill Kargman - 2 out of 5
The Fright of the Iguana (Kendra Ballantyne, 5) - 3.5 out of 5
The Girl's Guide to Witchcraft - Mindy L. Klasky - 3 out of 5
The Grilling Season (Goldy Schulz Catering, 7) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
The Hunt (Rachel Benjamin, 4) - Jennifer Sturman - 4 out of 5
The Jinx (Rachel Benjamin, 2) - Jennifer Sturman - 4 out of 5
The Key (Rachel Benjamin, 3) - Jennifer Sturman - 4 out of 5
The Killer Hair (Crime of Fashion, 1) - Ellen Byerrum - 3 out of 5
The Kitchen Witch - Annette Blair - 2 out of 5
The Last Suppers (Goldy Schulz Catering, 4) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
The Main Corpse (Goldy Schulz Catering, 6) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
The Pact (Rachel Benjamin, 1) - Jennifer Sturman - 4 out of 5
The PMS Murder (Jaine Austen Mystery, 5) - Laura Levine - 4 out of 5
The Proof is in the Pudding (Della Cooks Mystery, 3) - Melinda Wells - 4 out of 5
The Purrfect Murder (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 16) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
The Tail of the Tip Off (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 11) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
The Ten Best Days of My Life - Adena Halpern - 4 out of 5
The Trouble with Magic (Bewitching Mystery, 1) - Madelyn Alt - 3 out of 5
The World According to Bertie (44 Scotland Street, 4) - Alexander McCall Smith - 5 out of 5
The Unbearable Lightness of Scones (44 Scotland Street, 5) - Alexander McCall Smith - 5 out of 5
This Pen for Hire (Jaine Austen Mystery, 1) - Laura Levine - 4 out of 5
To Love and To Perish (Annabelle Archer Mystery, 3) - Laura Durham - 3 out of 5
Through the Grinder (Coffeehouse Mystery, 2) - Cleo Coyle - 3 out of 5
Tough Cookie (Goldy Schulz Catering, 9) - Diane Mott Davidson - 4 out of 5
Trophies - Heather Thomas - 4 out of 5
Trouble in Bloom (A Nina Quinn Mystery, 2) - Heather Webber - 3 out of 5
Trouble in Spades (A Nina Quinn Mystery, 4) - Heather Webber - 3 out of 5
Undead and Unappreciated (Queen Betsy, 3) - MaryJanice Davidson - 3 out of 5
Undead and Uneasy (Queen Betsy, 6) - MaryJanice Davidson - 3 out of 5
Undead and Unemployed (Queen Betsy, 2) - MaryJanice Davidson - 3 out of 5
Undead and Unfinished (Queen Betsy, 9) - MaryJanice Davidson - 4.5 out of 5
Undead and Unpopular (Queen Betsy, 5) - MaryJanice Davidson - 3 out of 5
Undead and Unreturnable (Queen Betsy, 4) - MaryJanice Davidson - 3 out of 5
Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, 1) - MaryJanice Davidson - 4 out of 5
Undead and Unwelcome (Queen Betsy, 8) - MaryJanice Davidson - 3 out of 5
Undead and Unworthy (Queen Betsy, 7) - MaryJanice Davidson - 3 out of 5
Veiled Threats (Carnegie Kincaid, 1) - Deborah Donnelly - 3 out of 5
Weeding out Trouble (A Nina Quinn Mystery, 5) - Heather Webber - 3 out of 5
Where There's a Witch (Bewitching Mystery, 5) - Madelyn Alt - 3 out of 5
Whisker of Evil (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 12) - Rita Mae Brown - 3 out of 5
Who's Kitten Who (Reigning Cats and Dogs, 6) - Cynthia Baxter - 3.5 out of 5
Wish You Were Here (Mrs. Murphy Mysteries, 1) - Rita Mae Brown - 4 out of 5
You May Now Kill the Bride (Carnegie Kincaid, 5) - Deborah Donnelly - 3.5 out of 5

J's Onion Soup

2009-11-09T08:20:00.001-06:00

Well not only have I been a bit obsessed with soup lately, Brett and I have both been fighting a nasty cold that doesn't seem to want to go away. So soup has been an even bigger part of our lives lately.

Nothing feels better on a sore throat than a flavorful, brothy soup. At least that is how I feel.

I wanted something simple, tasty, and that would also do the trick. I've never been much of a chicken noodle girl (or a "No Chicken Noodle" girl as it now stands), and I really love the taste of caramelized onions, so I thought I'd give this a shot.

It turned out good - darn good, and it was easy to make, and that is the only tolerable cooking that can be done when sick. Not that I don't like quick and easy meals on a good day though either...

Anyways, check it out.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

J's Onion Soup

Mushroom Broth:
1 package portobello mushrooms
1 yellow onion, halved
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2-3 tbsp Earth Balance or butter
6 cups water

Melt EB or butter in pot over medium-high heat.

Add the mushrooms and onion and cook until they begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 10 minutes.

Add the water and simmer over low heat for about an hour.

Strain broth with a wire mesh strainer. Reserve at least 3 cups.

Rest of the Soup:
2 tbsp safflower oil
2 red onions, peeled and sliced
2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
6 cloves of garlic, peeled
salt
pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften and caramelize, about 15-20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add the mushroom broth in batches until it is at your desired consistency.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Very simple, very good.

J's Songs of the Day:
Japura River - Philip Glass
Paru River - Philip Glass

'Til next time.

Citrus-Marinated Veggie Sandwiches

2009-11-08T08:16:00.000-06:00

As a vegetarian, I tend to be at a loss for ideas for sandwiches. I don't like tofu or any meat substitutes and one can only eat so much egg salad. We also prefer Mexican food, and I just don't picture sandwiches when I imagine Mexican cuisine.

But you can improvise, no?

I decided to get a bit creative when I saw this gorgeous Sourdough French loaf at the DanJo Farms stand when I was picking up our CSA. Brett and I have fallen in love with the Herb Focaccia, so I decided we needed to try this.

I wanted something spicy, yummy, filling, and at least reminiscent of Mexican flavors, so this is what I came up with...

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Citrus-marinated Veggie Sandwiches

Citrus-marinated Onions and Mushrooms:
3 oranges, squeezed
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup white vinegar
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 guajillo chiles, washed
1/4 cup cilantro *
a few dashes of cumin
1 large red onion, halved and sliced
1 pack button mushrooms, sliced

Combine and cover. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Once onions and mushrooms are marinated, heat 2 tbsp safflower oil over medium-high heat. Remove the onions and mushrooms from the marinade and tranfer to hot oil.

Cook until caramelized and cook through, about 15 minutes.

Other Fixin's:
1/2 loaf of Sourdough French bread, sliced in half
1 avocado, smashed with a little lime juice and salt
mayo or Veganaise mixed with two chipotle chiles in adobo
pepper jack cheese or "cheese"
Preheat broiler.

Place bread halves on a pan, if using cheese, top one slice of each pair with cheese. Place under the broiler and remove when bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Spread chipotle mayo on the "dry" slice of bread and avocado mixture on the cheesy slice, layer on half the onion/mushroom mixture for each sandwich.

Enjoy!

*These could also be prepared to be eaten "open faced".

'Til next time!

Southwestern Lentil and Veggie Bisque

2009-11-07T20:10:00.010-06:00

I've been on a soup kick for quite some time now, so nobody should be surprised that this is...yet another soup post.

I have been into trying out smooth soups lately, perfecting the arduous process of pressing everything through a wire mesh strainer feels like quite an accomplishment when you get a beautiful tasty soup in the end. And it is a good arm workout.

So without further fanfare...

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Southwestern Lentil and Veggie Bisque

1 cup green lentils, rinsed
water

2-3 tbsp safflower oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped *
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped *
4 New Mexico chiles, seeded and chopped (red if you can get 'em) *
1 red onion, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced **
3 red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed *
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup sweet corn
1 tomato, cored and chopped **
5 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 cup veggie broth
1/4 cup cilantro *
cumin to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Put lentils in a small sauce pan and fill with water.

Bring to a boil and simmer until done, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high heat and saute peppers, onions, potatoes, carrot, and corn until they begin to soften, about 15-20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for an additional ten minutes.

Tranfer veggies to a blender or food processor and puree. Add the veggie broth and cilantro. Slowly add the lentils (with cooking liquid) in small batches and puree until smooth.

Over a large soup pot, smash the mixture through a wire mesh strainer.

The resulting soup should be very smooth.

Season to taste with cumin, salt, and pepper.

This was a really tasty soup and quite filling too!

I will be working on updating the recipe index this evening, as well as responding to the comments I have been neglecting (I suck sometimes).

I hope everyone is have a great weekend!

'Til next time.

Who Says Homework Has To Be Lame?

2009-11-02T20:17:00.011-06:00

First off I am not going to bother to make excuses for my absence. Laziness is, of course, part of it, but I've also been writing (135 pages!), reading, cooking, and as you will see, creating invaluable works of art.

Those of you out there who are astute might be wondering why I am talking about homework - I graduated two years ago and have a full-time job, I have moved "beyond" homework. BUT...(of course there is a but or there would be no point in this post), Brett is still in school, having followed along in my footsteps (copy-cat!) in pursuing a degree in psychology even though he doesn't want to actually do anything related to psychology. In both of our defense, the courses are so fascinating and it gives you quite and interesting perspective. I tended to prefer sociology to psychology in all honesty, but at least a degree in psychology is fairly useful in the job market (well, when there was one).

Anyway, he is currently taking Research Design, a core psychology course. I may be giving away the extent of my nerdom here but Research Design was one of my very favorite classes. I recall a fascinating paper I wrote about sampling procedures...you all will have to trust me, it was really an interesting thing to explore in depth but I won't bore you with the details.

MOVING ON.

(I get off on tangents easily.)

One of B's assignments was to watch an hour of television and write down all the commercials aired within a one hour program (there is obviously more that went into it, lest you think upper level psychology courses involve you doing random observations, I just don't want to bore you with the details). B and I, being super nerds, already make comments about the commercials and their content, so I decided I would help him out because, well, I like learning and with B taking it, it is like getting to take the class a second time without having had to fail to do so. Yes, I am that lame.

However, we rarely watch TV besides NFL football and only have one of those digital coverter box things because B's mom got one for us. Our pair of rabbit ears is old and antiquated and because of that, the digital "transition" has been a wee bit on the irritating side. It is incredibly hard to pick up the stations and it requires a lot of jostling around to get reception between the channels. B says there is some boosting thing we can get that would fix that, I've told him he could get one, but we both hate going out places and have just dealt with it.

So, it was 9:00 - what we both thought was a good time to watch TV. Oh - and by the way NBC, I am quite bitter that there was a stupid NICK CAGE movie on last night instead of football. NICK CAGE OR FOOTBALL? C'mon! Anyway, what we ended up finding to watch was something on CBS called Cold Case which has to be one of the worst television shows I have ever seen. I was bored, irritated, confused, and I actually looked forward to the commercials because they were more entertaining. But I am a devoted wife and I said I would write down all the commercials as we watched the show, so I stuck it out (it was tough and tentative at times). I survived by doing some doodling - bad bubble letters, the return of Stickman, bad spelling errors and missing words, it really was what made the time bearable.

I present you - alongside the commercials aired during our 60 minutes of torture they call "entertainment" - my doodles, we thought you might enjoy...

You may need to look at the full screen image to see what they say.

Well, have a good one. I hope to be back soon with some tasty recipes!

'Til next time.

Spicy Chile-Garlic Green Beans and Tomatoes

2009-10-16T09:30:00.000-05:00

When we got home from market last week, we were looking for something simple for lunch, and I was in the mood for something savory and spicy (when am I NOT in the mood for spicy, right?). I remembered awhile back seeing a recipe for Green Beans and Tomatoes on Leng's blog A Fat Cat Created A Vegetarian and wanted to make something similar with our tastes in mind and what we had on had.

What we came up with is a spicy, tasty, and wonderfully savory snack or light meal that would be wonderful with some sauce or soba noodles to soak up the extra sauce. Mmmmmmm.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Spicy Chile-Garlic Green Beans and Tomatoes
2 tbsp. safflower oil
3 cups fresh green beans, snapped into 1/2-1 inch long pieces **
1 large yellow onion, chopped *
3 large tomatoes, cored and chopped **
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. chile-garlic sauce (I used Huy Fong)
a few splashes of shoyu
salt
black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the green beans and stir-fry over medium-high heat. Cook until beans begin to soften and get some blistering on them.

Add the onions and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, chile-garlic sauce, and shoyu. Cook until tomatoes exude their juices and begin to form a nice sauce.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*If you wanted a milder version, halve the chile-garlic sauce or use a milder chile sauce.

'Til next time!

Roasted Onion, Garlic, and White Bean Bisque

2009-10-15T09:30:00.000-05:00

More soup!

I have been wanting something creamy and tasty, but not heavy. I watched an episode of Iron Chef recently where they made French Onion soup and that got my mind to working. I have never had traditional French Onion soup, so I am not sure what it is supposed to taste like. I also need to figure out how to make it vegetarian. But I loved the idea of a mild savory soup flavored with onions, as they have an excellent taste and this is what I came up with:

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Roasted Onion, Garlic, and White Bean Bisque
2 red onions, peeled
2 yellow onions, peeled *
1 bulb garlic, 1/2 inch of the top removed
1 cup white beans, soaked overnight and cooked
2 1/2 cups veggie broth (homemade if possible) *
dash oregano
dash basil
salt
pepper
safflower oil

Preheat oven to 400.

Cover onions and garlic evenly with oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, turning the onions half way through cooking.

In a blender, puree the beans and veggie broth.

Once veggies are roasted, add those to the bean mixture and blend until very smooth.

Transfer to a large soup pot and season to taste.

We ate this with some of the DanJo Farms foccacia cut into breadsticks and toasted in the oven. So flippin' tasty!

'Til next time!

Crockpot Chile Chili

2009-10-14T09:29:00.000-05:00

The weather is starting to get chilly here in Mid-Missouri and there is nothing better (at least in my opinion) to eat when it is blustery than a hearty soup, stew, or chili. So I decided to make chili!

I like my chili to be really spicy - well, if I am honest, I like EVERYTHING to be really spicy, but Brett has complained many times that the reason he does not like me to make chili is because it is too hot. I decided to be nice and use chiles for flavor, and just a little bit of heat and we ended up with this super tasty chili that we enjoyed with Fritos!

Sorry for the horrible picture. Hopefully someday I will figure out how to use my camera.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Crockpot Chile Chili
1/4 cup Anasazi beans, rinsed ****
1/4 cup cranberry beans, rinsed ****
1/4 cup pinto beans, rinsed ****
1/4 cup navy beans, rinsed
1/4 cup black beans, rinsed
1 cup kidney beans, rinsed +
2 pasilla chiles, stems removed and rinsed
2 ancho chiles, stems removed and rinsed

4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 habaneros, seeded and minced *
2 gypsy (or other sweet peppers), seeded and minced *
2 yellow onions, chopped *
4 large tomatoes, cored and chopped *

2 red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed *
1/2 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed *

cumin
cilantro
salt
pepper

(Start this chili in the morning.)

Combine beans and dried chiles in a crockpot and let simmer on low all day.

Before you go to bed, add all the vegetables except the sweet and regular potatoes.

In the morning, add the potatoes, and season to taste. Let cook for an additional hour or so or until potatoes are soft.

This chili was super tasty and would also be excellent with tortilla chips or on a baked potato. Mmmmmm.

'Til next time.

Vegetarian Baked Ziti

2009-10-13T07:28:00.000-05:00

As most of you who have read this blog with any regularity know, I don't really "do" Italian food. I'm not the biggest pasta fan (I know, I am a freak, I also don't like ice cream either, believe it or not), and I went vegetarian before I really learned too awful much beyond homemade pasta sauce and pesto.

But Brett is a fan of the Italian food, vegetarian, meat laden, or otherwise, so I decided to be nice and make something he would really enjoy. When I asked him if I should get some meat to put it in, he requested a vegetarian version of Baked Ziti, so that is what I made!

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Vegetarian Baked Ziti
For an 8x8 pan

1/2 box penne pasta (we used "mini penne"), cooked according to package directions
1 jar pasta sauce or 3-4 cups homemade (we used the St. Louis made Zia's pasta sauce, local and delicious!) +
1 package white button mushrooms, sliced
1 large yellow onion, chopped *
1 ball of fresh mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup Gruyere, shredded
1 container whole milk fresh ricotta
2 tbsp safflower oil
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

While noodles are cooking, heat oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and onions, and saute for about 10 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile combine ricotta with half the mozzarella and half the Gruyere. Combine the other half the of mozzarella and Gruyere.

Add the pasta sauce to the veggies and season with salt and pepper. Heat through.

Combine pasta and sauce/veggie mixture.

In an 8x8 baking pan, layer half the noodles and the ricotta mozzarella mixture, then the last layer of noodles and top with the mozzarella/Gruyere mixture.

Bake uncovered for about an hour until top is golden brown and contents are bubbling.

Enjoy!

Weekly Local Booty - Farmer's Market and CSA - October 10, 2009

2009-10-12T09:27:00.002-05:00

Yes, so it is becoming apparent that I cannot focus on very many things at one time. I have been very much into reading and writing, and while I have been cooking, I realized that I haven't been blogging - at all. It has been a few weeks! Eeek!

In good news though, I have read quite a few good books. Even better news though is that I have been writing up a storm and now have 94 pages on my piece. 94 pages! That is a LOT. I am going to have a lot of editing to do! I am very pleased where it is going. The story line and dialogue need to be "beefed up" a bit, but overall I am very pleased.

Like I mentioned earlier, I have been cooking, and even taking pictures. I have just yet to blog about any of that. Well, do not despair (as I know you all so very much are), I plan on getting those posts written and schedule before I have a chance to forget about it again.

And though it is a bit late, I will now show you the tasty local booty we got from market this weekend.

First off, our Week 22 (only three weeks left!), DanJo Farms, quarter share veggie CSA:

Starting from the bottom right: a turnip, 2 tomatoes, collard greens, lettuce, lots of green beans, a little butternut squash, and radishes.

And check out our haul from the farmer's market!

From the bottom right: Goatsbeard Farm feta, lots of little yellow onions, 2 packages of DanJo Bakeries foccacia, and 4 acorn squash.

Though I haven't been documenting it, I have obtained a few other winter squash for storage in the past couple of weeks and also gotten more chiles to freeze. I need a few more sweet chiles and I was hoping to find some serranos to freeze, but I'm not sure that is going to happen. At least we have tons of jalapenos though!

Anyway, I hope everyone had a great weekend and keep your eyes posted for an onslaught of posts this week.

'Til next time.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

2009-09-16T06:04:00.004-05:00

Not long ago, I was not a huge fan of the idea of soup during summer. It seemed to boggle my mind as to why someone would want to eat something hot, while it is hot.

Not too long ago, I got the craving for soup and made a recipe for the cookbook and it turned out that I actually loved soup in the summer. I like to eat light in the summer, I hate being really full when it is hot and humid outside, and soup is a great option and a way to take advantage of all the veggies of summer.

And who doesn't like tomato soup? I've always been a huge fan of tomato soup, but I think I have outgrown the ability to eat Campbell's canned soups. Especially with all the gorgeous tomatoes available at the farmer's market. So I decided to try my hand at making a home-made tomato soup and it wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was pretty darn tasty!

(Sorry for the crummy picture.)

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
6 red tomatoes, cored **
1 heirloom tomato (we used a pink variety), cored *
1 yellow onion, skin removed **
1 head of garlic, top removed to expose some of the garlic clove
3-4 tbsp. canola oil
salt
pepper
1 cup veggie broth
1 cup non-dairy or cow's milk
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped ***

Preheat oven to 400.

Drizzle oil over tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 30 minutes, turning the onion about halfway through. Be watchful, you don't want to overcook the tomato.

Peel garlic cloves and transfer the veggies and veggie broth to a blender or food process. Blend until very smooth.

Strain mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a small pan on medium heat on the stove. (We fed the left over pulp that remained after straining to the worms, and they liked it!)

Add the milk and basil and heat through.

Serve with crackers, bread, or the classic grilled cheese sandwich.

Yum!

'Til next time!

Simple Roasted Veggie Quesadillas

2009-09-14T06:02:00.004-05:00

I believe I promised to post about these a week or two ago, but alas, I suck and am have been a bad blogger, but hey - better late than never right?

I am a self-taught cook, and have also "developed" my own palette, and one thing I continually discover is that the simplest things are not only often the best, but in a strange way they are also the hardest. It is because with fewer ingredients there is less room for error, you can't cover up an overcooked tomato if tomato is one of three ingredients in the dish. Anyway, there were no mishaps in this little simplistic kitchen adventure, but I have had my fair share. This isn't really anything special, but it is a great combination of flavors and textures that really showcase all the abundance that is available at this time of year.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Simple Roasted Veggie Quesadillas:
1 yellow summer squash, ends removed **
1 red bell pepper, washed **
2 tomatillos, husked and washed ***
2 serranos, seeded and minced ***
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, sliced thin *
4-6 tbsp. canola oil, divided evenly
salt
pepper
flour tortillas
queso fresco or non-dairy "cheese"
salsa *

Preheat oven to 400.

Drizzle half the canola oil over squash, bell pepper, and tomatillos. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast in oven for about 30 minutes, turning the veggies about half way through to get even cooking.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Add the serranos, garlic, and onions, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

When veggies come out of the oven, allow the veggies to cool. Once cool enough to handle, chop the stem off the bell pepper, peel it (the skin should slide off easily), remove the seeds, and slice. Slice the squash and tomatillos.

Layer veggies and cheese in a warmed flour tortilla and fry if desired. Serve with salsa - the hotter the better.

'Til next time.

Two Weeks of Local Booty - Garden Grub, CSA, and Farmer's Market - September 5th and 12th, 2009 (aka J Sucks)

2009-09-12T22:51:00.017-05:00

So, um, yeah, I suck, I'll admit it - I've been a bad blogger as of late. I realized mid-week last week that I never did a local booty update last weekend (and we got some really good stuff!).

Not to worry though, my reasons for my lack of blogging are not necessarily bad ones. First off, I have been really into writing. I had been working on one fiction piece, a more serious work, and got bogged down with it. So I put it down and began to pursue another idea I had and it has just been pouring out of me. At the current moment, I am up to page 33 and I am very pleased with it. With my more serious work, I saw its potential, but I also knew it was going to take an awful lot of work to make it something I could be proud of. And in all honesty, the subject material, while initially therapeutic, began to get a little depressing and I decided to put it down. That wasn't easy for me to do, as I like to finish things, but I knew if I continued to force myself, what I produced wasn't going to be very good.

So I put it down and began to work on a piece with a plot that wasn't quite so close to home. It is funny, quirky, and I have had a blast writing it. The writing is coming quite naturally and I think it might actually be, well, decent. In all honesty, I wasn't really expecting that. But when I began reading over what I had written to edit it, I found myself interested in the plot, in the characters. When I discussed it with Brett, he seemed really into it, making comments along the lines of "that sounds like something you would actually want to read". That might sound really lame, but it is harder to do that one might imagine, and in all honesty, I read a lot, there is a lot of crap out there. More crap than quality.

What I've discovered too, with some of my favorite books, TV shows, movies, is that humor can be used in very interesting ways. For example, one can broach and incredibly difficult topic like religion in a light, non-offensive way, while still making a point. Daily life for average folks is also fun to write about because we are all secretly closet weirdos with strange hobbies, habits, and behaviors. I've always been one to say that the ordinary, when looked at closely, is almost always more interesting than the extraordinary.

Anyway, along with writing, I have also been firmly ensconced in reading mode. Like I noted above, there is a lot of crap out there. If any of you actually look at the 'Books J's Read - 2009' list, you will notice that not a lot of the fiction books are rated very highly. This might also make you wonder why I bother to read books that I know I wouldn't rate highly. The explanation for that is fairly straight forward, to me a good book is one that is novel, well written, not predictable, one that makes me think or laugh, with solid characters, good plots, and whenever possible, a good dose of humor. But, a book doesn't have to be an award winning or best selling work to be entertaining, and I think entertainment, the light and fluffy variety are fun too. So while I wouldn't never dare to call a lot of what I read literature, I still enjoy it in its own right. (And I am always open to book suggestions, if you have 'em, send 'em my way.)

Occasionally, very occasionally, I come across something really good, and I rate it accordingly. These are books that I wouldn't be afraid to recommend or defend the merits of to a friend. My tastes in books is also just that - my taste. You all might disagree with my ratings and would have valid reasons for doing so. I will admit that I am much more forgiving of non-fiction than I am fiction. Even if a non-fiction work isn't all that interesting, if I learn something, something of value, a new perspective, whatever, I am going to give it a high rating even if the person has a tendency to have really freakin' long paragraphs and horrible punctuation (like the first edition of Clive Ponting's awesome environmental history novel A Green History of the World).

Anyway, I will admit that I have also been into watching old episodes of Iron Chef lately too. So all and all, those are my excuses.

Since I didn't post a local booty update last weekend, I am going to do last week's and this week's in one post.

We got some garden grub last weekend from our container garden:

Starting from the bottom right: a hot Hungarian wax chile, a sweet banana, 15 serranos, and 2 more cayennes.

Here is last weeks CSA:

Starting from the bottom right: a green bell pepper, a red bell pepper, a small yellow summer squash, a large yellow onion, and 4 tomatoes.

And this week's Danjo Farms quarter veggie CSA share:

Starting again from the bottom right: a cucumber, a zucchini, 2 yellow onions, 4 tomatoes, 2 New Mexico chiles, and 5 ears of sweet corn.

Here is our farmer's market haul from last week:

Again from the bottom right: a quart of jalapenos from Danjo Farms (I froze them for use over the winter), cilantro, fingerling potatoes, an heirloom tomato (we didn't catch what variety), and two gorgeous acorn squash (one of which has been roasted with pure maple syrup, cinnamon, and a touch of brown sugar, so yummy).

And this week's farmer's market haul:

Okay so this is the best picture of this week's farmer's market loot and it is at kind of an odd angle, I apologize.

Let's start from the rightish area: a quart of banana peppers from Danjo Farms (going to be frozen for use over winter), home-made focaccia from Danjo Farms (more on that below), sundried tomatoes from Danjo Farms (what can I say? we are loyal and their stuff rocks), a pie pumpkin (I broke the stem off because I needed it to fit in my bag without puncturing everything else and we plan on eating it soon), and one freakin' massive sweet potato.

A note on the focaccia: anyone in Columbia with a heartbeat, get to Danjo Farms stand and try their focaccia - but don't buy too much, leave some for 'ol J&B. I'm not normally one to be out there championing people to buy things, but there are rare times that come along where it would be wrong not to share. This stuff is so good I cannot begin to describe to you how wonderful it is. I want a focaccia share - now there is an idea. Seriously though, this bread is amazing, both B and I agree that it is probably the best bread we've every had - light, fluffy, slightly chewy, with just enough seasoning so as not to overpower the tastiness that is good home-made bread. Mmmmmm.

So, I promise to try to be a better blogger, though I am really into the writing and I apologize in advance to poor Selina for having to read my long winded ramblings.

J's Song of the Day:
"Elevator is Temporary" - The Lilys

Have a great weekend everyone!

'Til next time!

Weekly Local Booty - Garden Grub and CSA - August 29, 2009

2009-08-30T13:45:00.007-05:00

It has been a wonderful, lazy weekend for us here in Mid-Missouri - a little reading, a little writing, lots of yacking, some programming, pretty much the usual. I actually read a couple of really good fiction titles this weekend - they are some of the few fiction titles that I gave decent ratings on the "Books J's Read - 2009" post. I am pretty tough of fiction as there is a lot of crap out there, it can still be entertaining, but that doesn't mean I think it is quality writing that is worth a high rating.

Moving on.

The weather has been mild, and our walk to market yesterday was probably the most gorgeous thus far. We didn't get very much, yet again, but I will be getting more grub next week to start testing out some of the "fall recipes" for the cookbook.

We got some garden grub this week too! I hate to say it, but our community garden efforts have been, well, a complete failure this year. We have 11 tomato plants and have yet to see a tomato. We've seen lots of them rot though. I don't know if it is the weather or the moisture, or just us, but the tomatoes are tiny and they crack and rot before they are even fully red. I've given up and decided to just plan for market tomatoes. If we get some from our garden - great - but I won't expect it.

Anyways, our tomatillo plant didn't disappoint. We are going to have to go back down soon as there were quite a few tomatillos that were getting close, but not quite ready to be picked.

Check out about 2 1/8 lbs. of green husk tomatillos! I've already used a couple of them in a tasty quesadilla recipe I will be posting soon, the rest are either going to go in a soup or a sauce, I haven't quite decided yet.

Not pictured are two serranos I stole from the plant on our porch. I have included them in the Garden Harvest element on the sidebar though.

And here is our week sixteen DanJo Farms quarter share veggie CSA:

Starting from the bottom left: a red and green bell pepper, three tomatoes, two gorgeous yellow summer squash, two onions, a zucchini, and an English cucumber.

Yum!

Well, I'm off to do a little writing, and of course, a little reading. Have a great weekend!

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - CSA - August 22, 2009

2009-08-22T12:42:00.005-05:00

So yeah, I have been a bit of a bum with the blog as of late - if anyone can tell. We went to the farmer's market last weekend and somewhere along the way, I completely forgot to post a local booty update, or anything else for that matter. It was a rough week, lots going on, but things are starting to settle down and I am looking forward to a weekend of reading, writing, and perhaps a bit of cooking as well. I have always loved writing and awhile back Selina and I started working on a creative writing project which really brought writing back to me, so I have been playing around with a little bit of fiction - nothing good really, but it has been a lot of fun to work on.

Anyways, we didn't get much at market this weekend - we just picked up our CSA. I am taking it a bit easy in the cooking department and our CSA was packed with goodies that all work for the rough meal plan I had going in my head. I'm thinking a nice Mexican-inspired creamy soup sounds nice...

But enough of my yammering, check our our week 15 DanJo Farms quarter CSA share:

Starting from the bottom right: 2 tomatoes, a ripe jalapeno, a banana pepper, 4 New Mexico chiles (some ripe, one not), a cayenne, 2 sweet peppers, a yellow squash, a zucchini, an onion, and a mighty large acorn squash.

So as I mentioned earlier, we haven't been focusing all that much in the kitchen. I have been on a reading kick - if you look at the Books J's Read - 2009 post you will see how I spend a good deal of my time and have now been writing as well. Brett is working on programming a baseball simulation game he developed and is having a couple of friends help with the things needed for implementation. It is really exciting - I am so proud of him! I love seeing him so dedicated, so passionate about something he is doing. He has a really good concept for the game and it is an interface that hasn't been done yet but that fans of this genre have been interested in for years. Y'all might want to watch out, Brett could be the next big internet game designer, and you can say you knew him way back when... :-)

Maybe that will help to explain our absence in the blogosphere, we've both got our head in creative projects and often get sucked in for days at a time! But it is nice to use your mind, to be creative, and who knows what will come from it.

I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - Garden Grub, CSA, and Farmer's Market - August 8, 2009

2009-08-09T12:15:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was one of the hottest days of the year, so that made our trip to the farmer's market a bit less pleasant than usual, but the variety available at market during the height of summer makes all the sweating and heat worth it. We even got a bit more garden grub this week. I think our chiles are finally starting to take off, though our tomatoes are suffering horribly from "brown thumb" and too much rain.

Anyways, check out our garden grub for this week:

12 more ripe cayennes to add to our ristra!

3/4 lb. Clemson Spineless Okra. We are going to have some fried okra with brunch and I am also making an Asian dish tonight I think some of this might find its way into.

And onto week 13 of our DanJo Farms quarter CSA share:

Starting from the bottom right: long green beans, a zucchini, a cucumber, a yellow pepper, an eggplant, a green bell pepper, and beet greens.

Here is this week's farmer's market haul. I don't remember exactly what this ran us, but I know it was less than $30.

Starting from the bottom right: epazote, 6 jalapenos, a quart of spicy, beautiful, and perfectly rip New Mexico chiles, 3 red bell peppers, 6 ears of sweet corn, yukon gold potatoes, red boiler onions, two yellow onions, and 4 tomatoes. Not pictured is a bunch of cilantro that for some reason didn't make it into the photo.

We have some tasty eats in the works this week.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend - I wish it weren't almost over!

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - Farmer's Market and CSA - August 1, 2009 and Some Errant Eats

2009-08-01T12:32:00.011-05:00

The Columbia Farmer's Market runs from 8-12 every Saturday morning. We generally try to get there as early as possible for two people who like to sleep in, usually sometime between 9:30-10:00. Well, I woke up this morning to rain pouring down, only to realize that I had left our only umbrella in my office at work. Drat! So we waited awhile, a bit worried that there wasn't going to be much left at market by the time we got there, but resigning ourselves to the fact that, well, Mother Nature is going to do what she does. The rain let up and we headed to market at 11:00 to find it packed - with both people and produce.

I overheard a conversation at Brett's preferred meat vendor that the rain had driven everyone away and there was a good span of time with few patrons. Once the rain let up, folks ventured back out and it was pretty darn packed when we were there. But needless to say, we were still able to find everything we wanted. Wahoo for that!

I have been a bit lazy in the kitchen these past couple of weeks - cooking yes, but not anything very involved or for our cookbook. That is about to change this week, I've got tons of fresh and tasty ingredients to work with and an arsenal of recipes I've created for the cookbook to try out. I am getting hungry just thinking about it!

Anywho - check out our week 12 DanJo Farms quarter CSA veggie share:

Let's start from the left this week: a zucchini, two cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, some rosemary, some long green beans, a red bell peppers, and a yellow bell pepper.

And this week's farmer's market booty:

Starting from the top left: 4 ears of sweet corn, cilantro, 4 large-ish yellow potatoes, 1 lb. Sho-Me-Farms beef for Brett, squash blossoms, 6 tomatoes, 2 heads of Bogatyr garlic and 1 Georgian Fire garlic from Chert Hollow Farm, 5 fish chiles, 2 gypsy peppers, and 3 Anaheim chiles.

I had mentioned last week that I would take some pictures and do a "some of what we ate this week" post, and I did take pictures, I just never got around to posting it, so here she be.

This was something that was just supposed to be a quick, after work, weeknight meal, but it ended up being so tasty, it is going to be considered for inclusion in the cookbook.

It is black beans, with veggies and seasonings, roasted yellow zucchini, and cotija cheese.

This was my falafel plate which included homemade falafel, local feta cheese (turns out goat cheese doesn't really stuff me up), local tomato, kalamata olives, homemade hummus, local cucumbers, lettuce, pickled peppers from Selina, and a pita.

This was Brett's gyro.

Tomato bruschetta on Uprise Bakery ciabattini. The tomatoes, garlic, and onion were from the market, the basil was from our garden, salt and olive oil from the store.

And finally Brett's garlic and herb Boursin and local veggie sandwich.

Well, I am off to make some bagel sandwiches with local veggies for a quick lunch, and then I will be spending the rest of my day reading novels - one published, one from someone who very soon could be published. That is my idea of a darn fun day.

Have a great weekend everyone!

J's Song of the Day:
"Caravan" - Chet Atkins and Les Paul

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - Garden Grub, CSA, and Farmer's Market - July 25, 2009

2009-07-25T12:39:00.012-05:00

Well, my cold decided to stick around for most of the week, which means I didn't cook very much. I made a couple of rounds of fried zucchini, we ate lots of tomatoes and salt, but aside from that, Brett was doing "husband duty" and keeping me loaded down with soup, orange juice, and plenty of tissues.

With that said, happily, I am feeling much better. We still had quite a bit left from the farmer's market last weekend, so we didn't need to pick up much today. I've got plans this week for some things we have been craving for awhile.

Selina has been torturing me via email with her tales of her wonderful-sounding roasted squash, onion, and hummus sandwiches on sourdough rolls. This got me to thinking hummus, which also got me to thinking falafel, which in turn got me to thinking about Greek salads. So needless to say, I am going to make a batch of Classic Hummus, falafel, tzatziki, and keep plenty of cut tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled peppers, and kalamata olives around. I also have the fixin's to make her roasted veggie and hummus sandwiches. We've also been craving our Super Easy Tasty Taco Salad, so I am going to make up a batch of Traditional Refried Beans and season up some cooked green lentils with fresh garlic, onions, chiles (sweet and hot), cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper and we are going to have taco salad with some local Country Goodies hot salsa. While I'm not planning on working on any cookbook tester recipes this week, we are going to be eating some damn tasty grub, starting with a bruschetta I am making as sooon as I am done with this post. Stay tuned, I'll take pictures and take a cue from Heather from Simple-Green-Frugal and her Market to Table posts (so drool worthy, I am telling you), and do a little "what we've eaten this week" kind of post - that is if I don't go all lazy on y'all. :-)

Anywho, our cayenne plant is working overtime! Check it out:

Another 13 gorgeous cayenne peppers.

When we were at the community garden last week, a fellow gardener was there as well. She tends to at least half a dozen plots and as a result has far more produce than she and her husband can handle, so she gives away the excess to her fellow gardeners, check out what she gave us:

First off, how cool is it that she shared? As soon as our gardens start to produce, if she is ever there with us again, we'll try to share as well. Though I'm not sure there is much we are growing that she isn't. Starting from the bottom right: a ripe banana pepper, 3 gypsy peppers, onions, baby garlic, a tomato, and a cucumber.

And here is our week 11, DanJo Farms quarter CSA veggie share:

We seriously get hooked up, I am so pleased with our CSA, the variety, the quality, and the farmer's themselves. I have heard horror stories of CSA's filled with limp and rotting vegetables, no shares at all, but we've been nothing but happy with DanJo Farm. I just wish we could afford a fruit share as well. Sigh. Someday maybe...

Starting from the bottom right: 3 tomatoes, boiler onions, a cucumber, 2 sweet peppers, a cantaloupe (!!!!!), a head of cabbage, a zucchini, and a summer squash.

Here is this week's farmer's market haul. Most of this, obviously, was for Brett. As I mentioned earlier, we still have a lot of stuff from market last week, and with our CSA share, we didn't need much from the general farmer's market area. This haul ran us $37.

Starting from the bottom right: a pound of Susie's Grass Fed Meats gyro meat (on a plastic bag so it doen't drip anything icky on our chair), a pound of Sho-Me-Farms ground beef (on the plastic bag for the same reason), Goatsbeard Farm feta, 2 bulbs of garlic from Chert Hollow Farm - one German Extra Hardy and the other Bogatyr, Country Goodies hot and regular salsa, and a bag of Uprise Bakery ciabattini.

Well, I've got some cooking to do and then there is much laziness to be had, the weekend is still young.

J' Song of the Day:
"Long Line of Cars" - Cake

Have a great weekend everyone!

'Til next time!

Garden Update - Community Garden Pictures - 7/18/09; Container Garden Pictures 7/23/09

2009-07-24T11:59:00.012-05:00

Wow, I have been horrible with the garden updates this year! We have had many 'a setbacks this time around and we have finally got things in fairly decent order.

Not sure if any of you recall or not, but we had two community garden plots at the beginning of the year. Now we have one. Let me explain why. You see, planning and attending a wedding during the first part of the growing season is just not the best idea. The plots got a little neglected with our being out of town and busy so often with wedding planning. So after the wedding, we went down to the garden and our plot with herbs, greens, squash, cucumbers, beans, and sugar snap peas was loaded with weeds. So we took to working on the weeds. We got about half way through the plot and realized there was no hay left to cover the plot with. We decided to wait a little while before really weeding to see if some hay would show up.

We wrote the community garden coordinator who said he would get some more hay to the garden whenever he had the time. These wonderful folks also have full-time jobs and family and other obligations and yet take their time to do something like make sure folks have what they need at the community garden. Anyway, it ended up taking a few weeks for him to get around to retrieving and delivering the hay. In that time, we just neglected the plot more as we would not have been able to keep up with the weeds due to constant rain, and we don't have a car, it isn't as if we could go get our own ground cover. Needless to say, we went back to look at the plots and the plot with the squash and such was just overrun. The plants were being choked out by all the grass and it was really beyond repair. Our tomato, tomatillo, carrot, and okra plot was, however, salvagable. As much as we didn't want to do it, we wrote to the community garden coordinator and asked him if he would till up the plot for someone else to use or for use next year.

So last week, with hay being available and the time being right, we went down and took care of our other plot. It was a few hours of intense weeding, but we got the plot weeded, hay put down, and all the plants tied up or tied to tomato cages. We only had one bit of trouble with our second and now only plot. Brett had gone down last Friday to begin the task, as it was a big one, crab grass really gets rooted and is hard to get out. He did about a quarter of the plot, and left our tools, tomato cages, and stakes down in the plot so we could go finish the next day. We had two tomatillo plants, one near each end of the plot. Now sadly, I didn't get to see this tomatillo plant before it was too late, but one had reached a massive height of about 4 feet tall and was loaded down with blooms. It was also hanging a bit over into the neighbors plot. Not a big deal, thought Brett, since we were coming down the next day to finish taking care of it, and our plot had been seemingly unattended for weeks prior and nobody had bothered it. Well the next day when we went to finish the job, Brett found our prized tomatillo plant ripped out of the ground and laying next to our plot. Our neighbor thought it was a weed and pulled it. We were a bit pissed as tomatillos really don't look anything like weeds and why now? Why after it had been in his plot for weeks did he decide when we were actually staking up and taking care of the plot to rip it out? We sent out a respectful, but slightly angry email indicating that the proper course of action is to contact the community garden coordinator, not just start messing with other people's plots. But it was too little too late for that tomatillo. I guess on the bright side, we do still have one.

Okay, check out the selected pictures of the community garden plot. I am really lazy, I know, as these pictures were taken last Saturday.

Not the greatest picture, but it gives you an idea of what our plot now looks like.

This is our remaining tomatillo plant. It's just a regular 'ol green husk tomatillo plant.

It has a lot of fruit developing on it! It seems that the tomatillos plants are the bumble bees' favorite. They flock to this plant like I've never seen them do with other plants.

Some Moneymaker tomatoes.

Here is a picture of some nicer looking Moneymaker tomatoes.

Some lovely striped Tigerella tomatoes.

A bad picture of some okra.

The only thing I didn't get a picture of were the carrots. I'll try to remember to get a picture of them when we go down next time.

And on to the container garden.

A week or so ago, I checked last years' garden updates to try to gauge our pepper plants' progress at this point. It seemed like they were behind, and looking at our updates from last year, our hunch was substantiated. We started all but the serrano plants from seed this year and had a bit of trouble starting out. We weren't very on the ball with things - I was dealing with a bit of anxiety troubles and in February, gardening isn't always on the brain. So long story short, the seedlings that actually did take hold were started a few weeks later than they should have been. BUT, the plants are starting to flower and produce, so I can't complain too much. Gardening is a learning experience and I am just thankful that I don't rely on, for my livelihood, their doing well. We'd be in a bit of trouble if that were the case. :-0

So here are the pictures of the container garden that I took yesterday morning.

This cayenne plant, one of the few successful early starts has produced more already than our cayenne from last year did. And they are so darn good looking cayennes too. These are in various stages of ripening.

Here is another picture of the cayenne plant, you can see there are green ones, some that are starting to ripen, and some that are just about there.

I need to get off my lazy butt and get that ristra started!

Some jalapenos.

A blurry picture of a New Mexico chile.

Wow, I am stoked that I finally did a garden update. I gotta stop slacking so much. I mentioned, I believe, two weeks ago something about a cookbook teaser post I would be doing that I have still yet to do. I think I just have to accept it, I am lazy. So I will say this, I would like to get a cookbook teaser post up at some point in the near future. That is about as much detail as I am willing to give.

Happy Friday everyone!

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - Garden Grub, CSA, and Farmer's Market - July 18, 2009

2009-07-18T12:10:00.013-05:00

It is a gorgeous day here in Columbia this fine Saturday. Not even 70 yet, sunny, with a slight breeze - you really couldn't ask for better weather. Which is why, I suppose, Mother Nature determined that I was due for a cold. But, we did have a very successful trip to the farmer's market and I also stopped by the library yesterday for a new haul of books, so I think I'm going to open up the apartment and settle into a book for the day, try to rest and keep the cold from getting too bad. The uncontrollably runny nose, cloudy head, and slight cough really feel out of place in the summer, but hey - what are you going to do? Spending a Saturday in a comfy chair reading a good book doesn't sound too bad, eh? Always gotta look for that bright side, that silver lining, and all those other cliches that I can't think of at the moment.

Anyways, we got a bit of garden booty this week, check it out:

Twelve ripe and beautiful cayennes. There are probably close to that number of chiles on the three plants in various stages of ripening as well. The cayennes do quite well here I must say. Looks like I'm going to have to start a ristra tomorrow.

And this lovely load of booty below is our week ten DanJo Farms CSA quarter veggie share, I'm telling you, it just keeps getting better and better each week!

Starting from the top: 3 ears of sweet corn, an onion, green beans, 2 cucumbers, and a zucchini.

Check out this week's farmer's market haul. This ran us $24 and not pictured is a pound of Sho-Me-Farms ground beef we got for Brett that was put into the freezer before the picture was taken.

Starting from the top: cilantro, 6 ears of sweet corn, 5 tomatoes, 6 small boiler onions, 12 jalapenos, 6 unripe cherry bomb chiles, a yellow zucchini, a regular zucchini, and a quart of Country Goodies zesty dill pickles (they put a jalapeno in the brine with the cukes!).

We made out quite well this week. I am always surprised when folks say that the farmer's market is too expensive. While processed things like bread, cheese, salsa, jam, etc., do cost a little bit more than the corporate versions at the grocery store, the quality is far better and the produce is where the real savings lie. Try getting the haul above at the grocery store (it is almost all organic too mind you) for $24, I don't think it would happen.

Well, I'm off to do a little garden work at the community garden with Brett while I still feel good enough to do something, then we'll have some corn on the cob, and I will settle myself into a good book.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - Farmer's Market and CSA - July 11, 2009

2009-07-12T11:02:00.010-05:00

Happy Sunday everyone. It is a rainy day here in Mid-Missouri, but we aren't going to complain, now we don't have to water the gardens, nature will do it for us! A bit of an aside - I apologize for the lack of Garden Updates this year, we have had some issues with our community garden that we have finally figured out a solution to, so hopefully next week I can get some pictures of both gardens and give an update.

As you will notice, we didn't get much from market this week. We decided it would be nice for me to have a bit of a break in the kitchen, so this week we are going to do really easy, tried and true meals, instead of 3-5 tester recipes that I have tried to plan each week. It will be nice to have a break, it is no fun when cooking feels like a chore. Not to mention, I still have some goodies from last week's market left over to use up.

Enough of my rambling, check out this week's goodies!

This is this week's DanJo Farms quarter veggie CSA share:

I decided to take the pictures outside this week for better lighting and a little change-up. Starting from the bottom: green beans, carrots, a cucumber, a very large zucchini, and four orange tomatoes.

And this week's farmer's market haul. This ran us a whopping $7.

Two heads of German Extra Hardy garlic from Chert Hollow Farm and two of the first of the season cantaloupe. To me, summer hasn't really begun until the cantaloupe have arrived. And I'm not sure if any of you care or are aware of this but cantaloupe is my favorite food - period, it even tops out sriracha and spicy food, there is nothing like a perfectly ripe cantaloupe.

Speaking of our cookbook though, I have enough new recipes for another teaser post which I will work on sometime this week.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend - though I must say, weekends are never long enough.

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - Garden Grub, CSA, and Farmer's Market - July 4, 2009

2009-07-05T11:11:00.011-05:00

This week's market fell on the 4th of July, but that didn't stop anyone from coming out - neither vendors nor patrons. It was an excellent market, albeit the weather was overcast, but it was also fairly cool so I won't complain. My grandparents, known as Nanny and Papa, came down on Saturday and went to market with us. After market we came back and went through wedding pictures and had a nice brunch served family style. We had veggies and scrambled eggs, spicy black beans, plain brown rice, roasted potatoes, sour cream and cheese for the dairy eaters, small tortillas, and Indiana salsa from the one and only Selina. I also made corn on the cob slathered with butter, chipotle chile powder, garlic, and cotija cheese. I had mine sans cotija and it rocked nonetheless. All around it was an awesome visit complete with good food.

We also got a tiny bit of garden grub this week, so let's start off with that.

3 more cayennes from the cayenne plant we refer to as "the Big Cayenne". We have three cayenne pepper plants, but one was started inside back in February and got a mighty head start on the others.

Check out this week's Danjo Farms quarter CSA share. We didn't have to get nearly as much from market after getting our CSA share, it had all sorts of needed goodies in it:

Starting from the bottom right: carrots (!!!!!), a yellow summer squash, 3 zucchini, 4 cucumbers, and 2 orange tomatoes.

And finally, this week's farmer's market haul. This ran us $32.

Starting from the bottom right: epazote (!!!!!), 2 black Hungarian peppers, 4 jalapenos, 2 gypsy sweet peppers, 2 Anaheim peppers, 6 ears of sweet corn, a pinto of yellow new potatoes, cilantro, 3 heads of green garlic from Chert Hollow Farm (one is Georgian Fire like we got last week, I cannot remember what the other two were called but it was a fairly "standard" variety in terms of flavor), Country Goodies zesty dill pickles, and 2 bunches of small, sweet red onions.

We tried the Georgian Fire garlic last week at the suggestion of Eric, from Chert Hollow. He suggested it as it was a spicier variety of garlic and we were planning on using it in Mexican food. I was a bit nervous as I know that some varieties of garlic, especially the strong ones, can have a bit of a bitter quality to them. Not this garlic, it is very, very good garlic. It is spicy, and the flavor is bold, but it is also smooth, and not bitter at all. It is even a bit creamy. We used it in both Mexican and Asian food (the Manchurian-ish Mushrooms) and we really enjoyed it. I'd like to try Georgian Fire out in refried beans, but we were only able to get one head of it this weekend and it is almost already gone. Eric informed us that the cured garlic, in all their varieties, will be available next weekend at market. I am really looking forward to that. So far, in our garlic tasting experience, our favorites are Music, Georgian Fire, and German Extra Hardy.

There is lots of good food to be made this week. Most of it will be cookbook related. Selina and I are very focused on making the cookbook a priority when we determine what we are going to make for our daily meals, so we've both been immersed in the world of Mexican. I hope to have a second cookbook teaser post up in a week or two.

I hope everyone has had a great weekend, any American's out there had a wonderful 4th of July, and everyone has a wonderful Sunday.

J's Song of the Day:
"Fever" - Kenny Burrell and Jimmy Smith

'Til next time.

Manchurian-ish Mushrooms

2009-06-28T10:03:00.010-05:00

We've been in "Mexi-mode" lately almost exclusively with my testing and restesting recipes for the cookbook. On Friday, I was looking at the website TasteSpotting and decided to do a search of the word "spicy", 'cause that's how I roll. One of the recipes that came up was for Manchurian Mushrooms. The picture was so drool-worthy that I had to go look at the recipe. I sounded absolutely amazing. I sent the recipe and picture to both Brett and Selina (she and I have very similar tastes). Brett, who claims to be "Asian-ed out" took one look at the recipe and agreed that we should try it and soon. Selina was on the same page as me and wanted to make it as soon as possible.

I started from this recipe here. I didn't have some of the stuff on hand and I wanted to make sure that the mushrooms were spicy to my liking and the sauce was sweet to Brett's liking so I tweaked the recipe and provided it below.

You may note some new serving ware here and there. My Nanny Beth (among others) wanted our food to look nicer since we put pictures of it online, so she got us these "rooster bowls" which look really cool with Asian food and some plates for us to use for our "Mexican presentations". Now all I have to do is learn how to use a camera and get some sort of eye for "food fashion". Hell, I am just the cook, Selina, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE PRESENTATION UP TO ME FOR THE COOKBOOK. It would just be bad. You've seen my titles for things and my lack of skill with the camera, you do not want that. :-)

Well, here she be.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

J&B's Manchurian-ish Mushrooms
1 pack button mushrooms, rinsed and quartered
3-4 cups peanut oil for frying

Spicy Batter:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp corn masa
2 tsp (or more!) of chile-garlic sauce (I used Huy Fong)
4 Chiles Japones, crushed with a mortar and pestle (you could also use a food processor or coffee grinder, or just crush them up with your fingers)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 cup water

Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Slowly add the water and mix well, making sure to work out all the clumps.

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 small red boiler onions, chopped *
3 banana peppers, seeded and sliced *
2 small green bell peppers, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces *
1 head broccoli, cut into florettes *
1/2 yellow summer squash, cut into large chunks **
1 head Georgian Fire garlic, sliced *
2 tbsp alfalfa honey *
3/4 cup organic ketchup
4 tbsp sweet chile sauce
3 tbsp shoyu (or other soy sauce)
4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish, optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat.

Add the onion, peppers, broccoli, and squash and saute stirring often for about 6-8 minutes.

Add the garlic and stir fry for another 3-4 minutes.

Turn the heat down to slightly below medium.

Add the honey, ketchup, chile sauce, and shoyu. Combine well.

Let simmer on low while you batter and fry the mushrooms.

To batter and fry the mushrooms and finish up the dish:

Put your peanut oil in a heavy bottomed small skillet and turn heat on the low end of high (does that make sense?).

Dip the mushrooms pieces in the batter and once oil is heated carefully drop them in the hot oil.

Fry for 6-8 minutes or until mushroom pieces are deep golden brown. Transfer to paper towels to drain the excess oil. Repeat this process until all the mushrooms are fried.

Put the fried mushrooms into the sweet and sour sauce and stir to coat evenly. Top with cilantro. Serve immediately.

This was really freakin' good. It tasted like something you would get from a restaurant. It isn't the least time consuming of the recipes here on Veg*n Cooking, but it is well worth the effort.

'Til next time!

Weekly Local Booty - Farmer's Market and CSA - June 27, 2009

2009-06-27T10:44:00.015-05:00

We've been in the midst of a heat wave here in Mid-Missouri and today is slated to be no different - highs in the upper 90s, heat index well into the 100s, and humidity, humidity, humidity. Neither Brett or I are fans of the whole "early to bed, early to rise" mentality, but not wanting to have heat exhaustion or come home feeling like a hot oozing mass of sweat, we decided to get up early and hit the market first thing. Apparently we weren't the only ones with that idea as the market was really packed already at eight in the morning.

It was a mighty success at market this week and this week's CSA share is the best one yet. Only one oddity - there are some Amish folks who are at market every week and have some of the best tomatoes I have ever tasted. I actually can't recall them ever not being there. Well, today they weren't. We're not sure if it was the weather or what, but there were only two stands that I saw that were selling tomatoes and boy, were their lines long. We decided to risk it and get tomatoes right before we left. The wait in line was well worth it, we have a lovely haul of some very gorgeous tomatoes.

Anywho, check out Week 7's Danjo Farms quarter share veggie CSA:

Starting from the bottom right: red spring onions, beets with their gorgeous greens, a yellow summer squash, two cucumbers (I'm not sure what kind the curled one is, but whatever they are, they are really, really good cukes), a full sized onion (!!!!!), and a lovely head of tasty cabbage (!!!!!).

That cabbage isn't going to even last a day in our house, I'm using part of it for dinner tonight.

And here is this week's farmer's market haul. It ran us $47.

Starting from the bottom right: 1/2 pound Beau Solais oyster mushrooms (seriously, any folks in Columbia who like mushrooms, try these, we've tried the other oyster mushroom purveyor at market and this one is just hands down way better), 2 red bell peppers (!!!!!), 2 green bell peppers, a bunch of banana peppers, 7 gorgeous tomatoes (we meant to get 6 and ended up with 7 on the scale and decided to go ahead and get the additional one), Stanton Brothers eggs (again, the best eggs we've found in Mid-Missouri), 2 heads of Georgian Fire garlic from Chert Hollow Farm, 2 bunches of small red onions from "The Awesome Guy that I Always Forget to Look at the Stand Name but Get His Onions Every Week Because They Rock" (talk about an "Indian Name"), a bunch of cilantro from the Korean/Vietnamese stand Kea International Market, a box of locally produced Pasta Italia penne pasta, Yukon Gold potatoes from The Veggie Patch, and two Texas candy onions.

I used to be one of those people who thought garlic was garlic - it didn't really matter. That was until I was introduced to the beauty that is heirloom varieties from the farmer's market. So far, our favorite was the Music garlic we had last year, funnily enough, unbeknownst to us, that was from Chert Hollow Farm. We also enjoyed the German Extra Hardy as well, but that Music garlic, man it made some killer refried beans. Anyway, there is a difference in the flavors and qualities of different garlics and we are trying to figure out what our favorite varieties are.

As I metioned in last week's Local Booty Update, we missed the first of the year garlic from Chert Hollow Farm. Eric, the owner/operator of the farm offered to hold some back for us so we could make sure we got some this weekend at market (super cool of him by the way, something that again, makes the farmer's market stand out from the grocery store, you wouldn't get that kind of service and treatment from Wal-Mart). He asked what we planned on doing with the garlic (Mexican food, of course) and picked out a variety he thought would work well. He chose Georgian Fire garlic.

It is lovely garlic that smells amazing even through the skin. We only got two heads because it is "green garlic" meaning it hasn't been cured and thus isn't meant to be stored. It will keep in the fridge for about a week. I can't wait to try it with dinner tonight. We are some mad garlic eaters around here, so two heads should tide us over until next Saturday. However, if we make refried beans again, all bets are off. :-)

I will be back sometime this weekend for a "cookbook teaser post" with pictures of the things Selina and I have been working on for the cookbook.

J's Songs of the Day:

With Words:
"Tonight She Comes" - The Cars
"Crawling King Snake" - The Doors
"Puddin' Taine" - Primus

Without Words:
"Classical Gas" - Mason Williams
"Grey's Groove" - Greyboy Allstars featuring Karl Denson
"Loose Cannon" - Los Angeles Guitar Quartet

I hope everyone is having an excellent weekend, stay cool!

'Til next time.

Mushroom Stroganoff (Vegetarian)

2009-06-23T11:59:00.012-05:00

As many of you know, Brett is an omnivore. Though he occasionally eats meat, he prefers vegetarian food most of the time. One problem? I'm allergic to dairy. I will occasionally endure the prescription haze of an antihistamine to either indulge on a bit of dairy, or when traveling to make finding vegetarian food for myself easier. But I have no problem with dairy - I just cannot eat it regularly. With my being employed and Brett still being a student, he is at home all day. He is not the biggest fan of cooking and thus would often go all day without eating if nothing convenient was at hand. He is a skinny boy as it is; the last thing he needs to be doing is skipping meals.

It took almost seven years, but I finally convinced him that not only do I not mind cooking something up for him to have for lunch during the week, but I actually really enjoy it.

He finally started giving me a list of things he'd like to have to eat, that would be convenient for him to make up for his meals during the week while I am at work. His first request was stroganoff. Not the kind with meat in it though, but a mushroom loaded vegetarian stroganoff. So, I made it for him and had him in the kitchen with me so he could taste it and let me know what it needed. It is strange cooking from the brain, sight, and smell only, but with Brett there to taste, it worked out quite well.

He loved this stroganoff. I'm actually not sure love is a strong enough word in this instance. Brett isn't one to give idle compliments, and especially not one to excessively compliment, but he did with this. Every single time he ate some of this, he would let me know how much he liked it. He'd send me an email telling me how good it was, he'd get on Google Talk and let me know he had it again and loved it, he would make a point to tell me when he talked to me at lunch or when I got home from work that he had had more stroganoff and he still really, really liked it. I wasn't originally going to blog about it, but then he went through the effort of photographing a bowl of it, and even taking the time to make a presentation, so I couldn't say no at that point. Really, it was pretty cute, and I am so happy he liked it as much as he did.

He had also trimmed a catnip plant right before eating and so used his small pruned bit of kitty-nip greens as the "pretty-pretty" for his picture. He enjoyed his stroganoff over Indiana made egg noodles from Selina. I haven't had the pleasure of trying them yet, but Brett loved them.

A little aside - Selina got us the coolest wedding gifts ever: a tortilla press, corn masa, a tortilla warmer, all sorts of salsa, pickled peppers, chow chow, fruit butters, she got Brett chocolate covered Oreos, dark chocolate covered cherries, tzatziki spice, and even locally produced egg noodles. It was so sweet and thoughtful; I only hope that our gift to her was even half as appreciated. Oh, and I have now officially made tortillas! Corn tortillas to be precise. Brett and I made them a few weeks ago when testing out a spin on our J&B's Huevos Rancheros and they were so good. And easy to make too! Thanks Selina, you are too awesome.

Also, I'm not sure about veganizing this recipe. I tried making a stroganoff with tofu sour cream a couple of years ago, and I'm sorry to the folks who think it tastes the same as "regular" sour cream because it doesn't, at least not in any way, shape, or form in my humble opinion, and that tofu sour cream stroganoff was one of the nastiest things I have ever had come out of my kitchen. So be warned that if you try to make this vegan, it might not actually taste good. :-)

And now, here she be!

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Mushroom Stroganoff:
2-4 tbsp canola oil
1/2 lb mushrooms oyster mushrooms, sliced *
small handful (5-6) button mushrooms, sliced
2 small yellow onions, minced *
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tub organic sour cream
2 tbsp veggie broth
4 tbsp Earth Balance
salt
black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the mushrooms and onions, cook for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.

Reduce heat to slightly below medium and add sour cream, broth, Earth Balance, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through so sauce thins out a bit.

Serve over hot egg noodles.

I have been cooking more than just things for Brett lately - lots of cookbook recipes that have needed to be created or tested. I think sometime soon I will do a brief post with some "teaser" pictures of the things Selina and I have been dreaming up for our cookbook.

Other than some cookbook testing and gardening duties here and there, Brett and I have been enjoying married life and each other's company. We have really broken that NBA 2k9 game in too - we are finally winning some games. I've been doing a lot of reading and other than that we're just trying to keep cool during this mid-Missouri heat wave. Right now it is 92 with a heat index of 105; it is supposed to get worse before the day is done. Anyone under the midst of a heat wave, do be careful, drink lots of fluids and don't stay out in it too long, heat exhaustion is lame and no fun at all.

'Til next time!

Weekly Local Booty - Farmer's Market and CSA - June 20, 2009

2009-06-20T11:28:00.011-05:00

Brett and I went to market this morning with Mexican food in mind and as usual, the market and our CSA did not disappoint. The only thing I was bummed about was that I missed Chert Hollow Farms' garlic - some of the first full bulbs of the year. I read about the prospects for garlic bulbs of Eric's Chert Hollow blog yesterday and tried to get there early, but alas, I was not early enough - there is always next week. Aside from that little bummer (which isn't really when you think about it, Eric sold out, and that is a sign of folks enjoying the offerings at market) we had quite a successful trip.

A bit of notice to any Columbia readers out there - the first peaches of the season will be available at market on Monday and Wednesday!

And boy is summer upon us in Mid-Missouri. It was hot, humid, and sunny for our trek to market this morning. Whew!

Check out week six of our Danjo Farms quarter CSA veggie share:

Starting from the bottom right: beets with their greens! (we had some rough weather here this week so the greens being intact was a pleasant surprise), spring onions, a cucumber, a zucchini, rashishes, and a really nice looking head of lettuce that is bound for our tummies in just a few minutes as our lunch.

And this week's farmer's market haul.

(I'm sorry I am so bad at taking pictures, I am working on learning how to use my camera.)

Starting from the bottom right: sweet cherries (!!!!!), 3 Anaheim peppers, a zucchini, a yellow summer squash, 2 bunches of cilantro, 2 green bell peppers, 2 bunches of red onions, tomatoes, and chard.

Our counters were so overloaded with produce last year that my space to actually, you know, cook was limited. My Dad and step-mom Stacey gave us some very festive plates, bowls, cups, etc., last year (really awesome hand-me-downs, I love hand-me-downs), included in this set were two large, what I assume to be some sort of serving bowls which are perfect for storing veggies. Now I have counter space again!

This is one of two. The other is on our really big shelf in our kitchen and contains the tomatoes and some of the left over Yukon Gold potatoes from last week's market.

J's Songs of the Day:
"Blood" - Jimmie's Chicken Shack

"When You Sleep" - Cake (I'm in a weird mood today)

'Til next time.

Garden Update - June 14, 2009

2009-06-18T14:05:00.001-05:00

Welcome to what will hopefully turn into a weekly garden update as I did last year. This update only covers the container garden as the community garden isn't really all that pretty right now.

Things are going well in the community garden - though fast grow the weeds is right! The week and a half we were away for the wedding and honeymoon led to a rampant spreading of weeds and crab grass in our gardens. We went down to weed and put hay on the plots, only to find out half way through weeding that all the hay available had already been used. A bit at a loss, we decided just to weed right up around the plants and hold out for a little while in hopes that there is more hay to be had. Otherwise, we may have to do some sort of mulch/newspaper combination.

Anyway, check out the container garden as of last Sunday.

Here is the first group - these are all various peppers, there are three pots up close to the railing which contain a battered pot of spinach, chard, and a nice looking pot of baby kale.

Here is the second group. Again, it is mostly peppers, as they do so well in containers, but we are trying a few new things in containers this year as well such as acorn squash, basil, dwarf sugar snap peas, and Tiger's Eye beans.

Here is a horrible picture of our Topsy Turvy planter that contains two Italian Heirloom tomatoes.

Check out the acorn squash, so far doing quite well in a window planter box.

The first bloom! We've had two more blooms open this week. I may need to get out there and hand pollinate in the mornings.

A picture of the "pepper infestation" on the cayenne pepper plant we started inside in February.

Another picture of the big cayenne plant. There are tons and tons of peppers on here and blooms opening everyday. Having it in this huge pot means it has lots of room to grow too.

Here is our second of three cayenne pepper plants with its own peppers going too. I can tell you if there is one thing we know how to grow well it is peppers, cayennes in particular apparently.

A picture of a baby sugar snap pea and a couple of blooms. I've never grown peas of any sort before and was delighted at how pretty the flowers are. They remind me a bit of pansies.

Genovese basil. Not sure if anyone notices or not, but these are also the basils that were started inside.

Winterbor kale. We aren't going to let the kale reach full size, it is sweeter and we personally prefer its texture when in "baby form".

Volunteer catnip! We like to recycle our garden soil each year. We have a huge container that we put all "spent" soil in and then work in fertilizer. It turns out that there were some ungerminated catnip seeds left in our soil container because volunteers have popped up in about three or four different containers. It is doing very well and Brett is getting practice pruning on the catnip. I bet the kitties will be pleased.

Tiger's Eye beans. I am surprised at how many bean pods we have going in this container. These and the dwarf sugar snap peas were not originally intended to be in containers on our porch. We started these (and almost everything we're growing) from seed and they overgrew their starter pots. The problem was it kept raining, raining, raining, and raining some more keeping us from getting our starts in the garden as early as we would have liked. So I transplanted them into pots thinking I could take them down to the garden. But then they started to grow all gnarly, but started to produce, so I decided just to leave them in the containers and see what happened.

At the community garden, we have two plots this year and all the seeds we've sowed have come up! In Plot 1 we have dwarf sugar snap peas, Tiger's Eye beans, Parade cucumbers, Straight Eight cucumbers, butternut squash, and then a small herbs/greens area containing chard, spinach, cumin, Genovese basil, and cilantro. Plot 2 is home to 4 Tigerella tomato plants, 4 Moneymaker tomato plants, 1 Italian Heirloom tomato plant, 2 Green Husk tomatillos plants, and in bewtween are nantes carrots and Clemson Spineless okra. Wahoo!

Next week's garden update may just highlight the container garden again, it depends on what happens with the hay situation at the community garden - unless you all don't mind seeing a slightly weedy garden. :-)

'Til next time!

Weekly Local Booty - Garden Grub, Farmer's Market, and CSA - June 13, 2009

2009-06-18T12:07:00.001-05:00

There are going to be two quick posts today so I don't fall too far behind. I've been reading this awesome non-fiction book called How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto and I think I am getting a bit lazier as a result of now having some justification for my laziness. :-) I kid, I kid. This has been my first week back to work and Brett and I have been enjoying ourselves after work. Selina and I have also been spending a lot of time working on our cookbook, which is shaping up very nicely by the way.

So though this post should have been up last Saturday, it is better last than never, right?!

Check out our first bit of container garden booty!

Our first cayenne! This is from the plant that we started inside in, I believe, February. Before we left for the wedding and honeymoon, the plant held this and a few other peppers. It exploded while we were gone - we haven't even ventured to guess or try to could how many peppers are on the plant now. I might be able to make a full-fledged ristra this year!

Here is Week 5's CSA:

Starting from the bottom right: basil, spring onions, asparagus, salad greens, 2 cukes, and a bunch of radishes.

We really enjoyed the asparagus in a new recipe I tested for our cookbook. Most people might not think to put things like asparagus in Mexican food, but done right, it is awesome, just awesome.

Here is last Saturday's farmer's market haul:

Again, starting from the bottom right: red and white boiler onions, Yukon Gold potaotes, 1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, 2 bags of Phil's Phine sweet basil, 3 serrano starts, 2 tomatillo starts, 2 heads of broccoli, 4 tomatoes (one orange!), and locally made penne pasta.

We've been eating mighty fine this week. I may have to put up a couple of "teaser" pictures of things we are working on for the cookbook soon.

Not to worry though, there will still be recipes and posts here on Veg*n Cooking, but they are going to be the ones that are just rough drafts, that still need improvement before going into a cookbook

Well, I'll be back at some point today for a quick container garden update.

J&B's Random Eats of Late

2009-06-14T12:51:00.009-05:00

As you can probably imagine, while I was still cooking before the wedding, blogging about cooking or trying many new, complicated things wasn't really on my agenda. I did, however, photograph some of the food - just random things I threw together or things I am playing with for Selina and I's cookbook, so I thought I'd share 'em.

My take on Wasabi-Tempura Asparagus (and button mushrooms!) from Vegetarian Planet. I served it with a sweet and spicy peach-soy-chile sauce.

A radish salad inspired by a recipe from the awesome Callina.

Simple and tasty corn and tomato salad.

A new and improved recipe for Pico de Gallo.

A black bean and rice stuffed omelette with tomatoes, onions, garlic, chiles, and cilantro.

Brett's bowl of goodness (eaten with tortilla chips) - cilantro-lime rice, black beans, cheese, guacamole, radish salad, and corn salad.

Drunken beans Take 1!

This was really easy, and Brett simply adored it: sliced portobellow mushrooms, black olives, spinach, cumin, salt, pepper, a splash of lime and Mexican pepper cheese.

I got some pictures of the container garden today, and some market pictures from yesterday I will post at some point, after I post the CoMo honeymoon pictures. Whew!

There is a lot of stuff to post about!

'Til next time.

Bird Brain

2009-05-27T21:42:00.008-05:00

Image courtesy of Google Images.

When thinking a bit more about starlings and other “invasive” species (‘cause that is what I think about in my spare time apparently), a few more things about our current “issues” with invasive species came to mind I thought I would discuss.

One of the major problems (or advantages if you are the critter) with invasive species – in fact, part of what makes them invasive – is their lack of natural predators. Not that they won’t be predated – but the diseases and predators that have adapted to a diet of English Sparrows and European Starlings are in, well, Europe. This allows for their populations to explode if the food sources are plentiful, which here in the US of A, they are.

Another interesting issue that I think contributes to our invasive bird problems are our interesting ways of protecting birds. Not long ago, when we were bringing birds over from Europe, any song bird was a protected species – i.e. you couldn’t just kill it. The designation of song bird included pretty much any bird that wasn’t predatory – this included starlings, sparrows, red winged blackbirds, and other birds we now consider nuisances. Predatory birds on the other hand – hawks, eagles, owls, etc. – were fair game. These birds could be killed at will and with their tendency to predate on things we didn’t want them to predate, we looked to the skies through a gun barrel quite readily. As one can imagine, this led to a rapid decline in the populations of predatory birds – this along with our expanding cities and later “suburbia” really helped do them in.

Today, things have changed. Birds like starlings, sparrows, and pigeons are considered pests; they are no longer protected, and thus can be killed at will. Predatory birds, however, cannot. The tables have been flipped.

An interesting thing about these predatory birds – they eat things like sparrows and starlings, and yet as their populations declined and our habitats for opportunistic little birds increased, we seemed almost surprised at the explosion in the populations of these pesky birds. It seems that a common problem with human logic is to treat the symptom, not the cause of a problem. In this case we want to find a way to destroy the ever growing populations of invasive birds rather than try to pinpoint what it is that is causing the explosion in growth and working from there.

What is even more interesting – to me at least – is the methods in which we have tried to “deal with” these birds. We have done things from creating poisonous perches that will kill starlings to putting out statues of owls to keep the pigeons away. Perhaps a few sharp shinned hawks would provide just as much assistance, send a clearer message, and also not threaten to poison the water and other unintended creatures?

Another interesting idea is to try to figure out a way to co-exist with them peacefully or, if possibly, figure out a way to create a mutually beneficial relationship with the animals in a way that makes them an asset, not pests.

Take for example the purple martin and Griggsville, Illinois.

I discovered Griggsville by accident. We drive through the town each time Brett and I go visit his family in Peoria. It is a tiny little town, no more than a few thousand people, but yet it is very unique. The first time we drove through, I noticed all the purple street signs and these strange purple bird houses everywhere - there was even this crazy pole with tons of birdhouses climbing all the way up it. I recall asking Brett about it and him saying that they were to attract purple martins.

Purple martins, in my opinion, are not the most attractive birds there are, though they are a pretty color. But they do provide a very good service – they eat mosquitoes. They eat vast quantities of mosquitoes, upwards of 2,000 a day. The good folks of Griggsville noticed the service and joyfully encouraged them to roost.

Purple martins are not particularly adept home builders, so these large bird apartments (there are often multiple “quarters” in each house) provided an invaluable service by freeing the bird from having to figure out how to shelter itself, and during the muggy, hot, cookout times of the year, these purple martins keep the town from drenching themselves in pesticides. I like their idea of pest control!

Obviously, this tactic in itself is not be feasible for all manner of bird pests, for one purple martins were never a pest, they were actually endangered for a time. But they provide a unique example of symbiosis - rather than try to eradicate the birds, we could attempt to build a mutually beneficial relationship with them. Certainly we could begin thinking along these lines, or those such as reintroducing native predatory birds and leaving the rest of the work to nature.

One thing some naturalists and environmentalists often forget when they wax poetic on "the way nature used to be" is that our climate, the very topography of the earth (DC was once a swamp remember), our landscape have all changed so much that there is no going back. Who is to say that those previously “native” creatures would be able to thrive in the current environment? We would have to rethink our whole means of housing ourselves and structuring the land, but it is too little too late for that. You can’t go back – we have to remember that. And I have a real problem with people thinking that we not only can, but that we should try to control nature, as if we have the wherewithal to know how to restore that which we destroyed. Perhaps what would be best would be to leave it alone. An ecosystem is that which can sustain itself – a system that requires constant weeding, fertilizing, fussing, killing of “unwanted” plants and animals is by no means self sustaining, and is thus just yet another artificial creation of humans.

Just some things to think about.

Starlings: The Americans of the Bird World

2009-05-26T21:56:00.015-05:00

Images courtesy of Google Images.

European Starlings are considered by many Americans to be one of the ultimate “invasive” species to alter the landscape of America. These birds are loathed by many, loved by few. Upon thinking about this, it baffled me to an extent – our hatred for the Starling, due to a few factors.

First off, we brought Starlings to this country. Less than 100 of these birds were released in Central Park in the 1800s and helped spawned the many millions of Starlings that roam every corner of this country today.

What happened to cause us to loathe a bird we willingly brought to this country?

Here are some theories and musings.

Their social tendencies to gather in packs make us nervous – we Americans seem to be very uncomfortable with “packs” of things in general. We are wary of any animal or peoples (but especially animals) who gather in large numbers in one place (with people - other than for obvious group activities like concerts). This might be something that is more common to humans in general than just Americans, but it is a behavior that I have noticed in Americans, so that is all I can speak for.

Their industriousness fuels the fire too. Starlings are adaptable birds capable of thriving in many different environments, particularly city environments where a diverse array of food is plentiful – so they did, and they bred, and their numbers grew. These birds have been so successful in our practically made-for-Starling environments that they have become the bane of monocropping farmers, have taken to stealing food sources and nests from native bird species (and sometimes even other invasive species like the European House Sparrow), and gather in loud, noisy packs in city centers.

What fascinates me about this situation is that we despise a bird for qualities that we find to be of utmost importance in Americans: adaptability, an enterprising nature, seizing of opportunity, overtaking the competition – these birds are in many ways the bird incarnation of Americans. They were brought to the Land of Opportunity and they took it, damn it! These birds are imperialistic and destructive in the pursuit of territory – just as we were (and still are) when we arrived on this continent - and have quickly spread the country over in just a short time (sound familiar?).

We find these birds to be ugly, noisy, obnoxious – has anyone ever seen overfed and liquored NFL football fans on gameday? And again, NFL football and the endearing behavior that often ensues seems to be a particularly American thing.

And while we may not steal nests, got any natural resources?

I guess what I find most interesting is that we provided the supreme habitat for these industrious birds and then felt threatened when they began to spread and conquer – as of course they would. Ironic to find that these birds – whom we willingly brought here – have been the target of countless unsuccessful eradication programs over the years.

Perhaps the introduction of the Starlings was one of those “It Seemed like a Good Idea at the Time” moments – at least it seemed like a good idea to someone (apparently they were brought over by folks who wanted all of the birds in Shakespeare’s works to be in Central Park). But now that they are here, and have altered our landscapes – acting as the bird equivalent to Americans – we change our tune. I guess they are becoming a bit too much like us for comfort?

But think about it – with their obvious capitalistic friendly behaviors and American-like demeanor, should the Starling not be raised from its status as “pest” to the National Bird? Do they not stand for and possess the go-get ‘em qualities and hard line competitive nature that we Americans find so important? Sure, they will eventually take over the country and we may be left with simply House Sparrows and Starlings, but we Americans like monocropping don’t we? Corn or soy anyone? Move over Eagle, I think we have a formidable foe.

My “moral of the story” here would be – take the precautionary principle more often and we will have fewer of these “Seemed like A Good Idea at the Time” moments.

(And if anyone is curious on my take on Starlings: personally, I am happy to have bird life of any sort in my neighborhood - even if Starlings are annoying. Our attempts to cull their population are pretty futile and generally end up taking unintended victims with them. I guess I would say we get used to it. We can certainly find ways to discourage them on a personal scale, but otherwise, I'd let things be. We mess with things far too much as it is and it always seems to create more problems. And no, I am not anti-American, I just like to poke fun and do not feel that liking your country means liking everything it does.)

Weekly Local Booty - Homegrown Grub, CSA, and Farmer's Market - May 23, 2009

2009-05-23T11:46:00.012-05:00

I think summer is making its presence known in Mid-Missouri - we have enjoyed a week in the 80s with lots of sun! This means that the community garden was finally able to be tilled, so Brett and I went down and got our stuff in the ground. We transplanted tomato, cucumber, and butternut squash, and sowed cucumber, Tiger's Eye bean, Genovese basil, cilantro, cumin, Renegade spinach, Bright Lights chard, Clemson Spineless okra, dwarf sugar snap peas, nantes carrot, and some marigolds for their beneficial effects. We were stoked to finally be able to work in the soil! As soon as things begin to sprout I'll take some pictures of both the community and container garden.

We had our first harvest this week - from the AeroGarden. The Red Rubin basil looked great and was ready to go, so we harvested it last night, weighed it, and then made pesto with it. I know that is really uncreative, and I do plan on making more than pesto with all the basil we are growing, but I wanted to see how it would taste with the Red Rubin and we wanted a quick and easy meal. You can't get a whole lot fresher than "farm to table" in less than 10 minutes!

We are planning on weighing our yields this summer to get an idea of what produces best in our soils as well as to just get a general idea of the level of production in our gardens, so we will add a sidebar element to keep a tally.

Check it out:

1 1/2 ounces of Red Rubin basil. Our lemon basil is ready to harvest as well; I will probably get it tomorrow.

Check out this week's CSA:

Starting from the bottom right: spring onions, herbs of some sort, 2 bunches of the world's best asparagus, radishes, and salad greens.

The super awesome Callina, a fellow CoMo resident, assistant editor extraordinaire at MissouriLife magazine, and author of the cool blog The Gingerbread House, gave me a recipe awhile back for a radish salad she made. I am going to play around with it a bit with these radishes. They really are a new food to us so we've never quite known how to handle them. Thanks for the recipe Callina!

In other CSA news, our farm, Danjo Farms, now has a blog! Dan and Joanne have hooked up with a local writer to start a blog to give information about the goings on at the farm and also recipes using ingredients from that week's CSA share. After talking to Dan at market this morning, it looks like they are going to team up to write a Mid-Missouri CSA cookbook. I am really excited about their project and think the cookbook is a wonderful idea. And you can bet I will offer to be a tester should they need any!

Here is this week's farmer's market haul. This ran $44.

Um, starting from the mushrooms....: 1/2 lb. Beau Solais Farm oyster mushrooms, 3 bunches of baby garlic, 5 yummylicious tomatoes, a bunch of young field grown onions, 2 bunches of cilantro, spinach, spring onions (green onions), penne pasta, and Annie's Honey Wheat bread.

It was a really nice trip to the market this morning, the sun was shining and it wasn't too hot. My only complaint (and you know I'll always have one) was that there was quite a bit of traffic this morning and we walk everywhere. I am used to Saturday mornings being kind of lax in terms of traffic, but I guess with it being a holiday weekend, everyone is out and about.

Needless to say, I have many plans for this grub!

To let you all in on a little plan that has been 'a brewin' in the good 'ol Midwest, Selina, author of the blog Indiana Girl and one of my very best friends, and I have decided to take the plunge and write a cookbook. It has been suggested a few times that I do so, but there are certain areas that are not my strong suit that I think would be missing (breads, desserts, presentation). Well these are areas that Selina is not only good at, but enjoys (the thought of having to figure out how to make beans and salsa look pretty just gives me anxiety) and she and I have not only a very similar philosophy on food, but also similar palettes. We have decided to do a sort of Midwest Mex-Latino kind of cookbook, one that focuses on the flavor profiles of the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and South America, using simple techniques, and mostly seasonally available ingredients used at the height of their quality. We also think it should be more than just a simple recipe book - we will provide tables for substitutions - food should be simple, and a lot of things are interchangeable, we don't want you to have to go buy something special for just one meal, we will also provide instructions for basic techniques, and tips on how things like vinegar and seasoning affect a dish so that you can use our recipes and make them your own. Cooking is an expression of creativity, and we hope that the people (if there are any) who would get our cookbook would feel as though they are able to express themselves and their tastes without changing the overall integrity of the dish.

We have a long way to go and are in no rush. Quality is what is most important to us. Right now we are just going through all our compiled recipes for the ones we think have potential and will work from there. I hope that some of you might consider being testers when the time arrives, and just know, we will be having a lot of fun in the kitchen over the summer. I am so excited to be able to work on this project, and work on it with Selina, it brings a new level of excitement to the kitchen and one of my co-workers has already essentially placed a pre-order. ;-)

In other news, Brett and I's wedding is just a few weeks off and I realized that I have a farmer's tan and am planning on wearing a strapless dress. I am not a vain person, and I really don't care much about all the frilly stuff that goes into a wedding, but a farmer's tan is blaringly obvious, even to me. Something must be done about this....

:-)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! All you US of A'ers out there - enjoy the holiday weekend!

'Til next time.

Local Kidney Bean and Veggie Burgers

2009-05-20T09:48:00.013-05:00

I was going to post about a meal of local Walnut Pesto and pasta, but I decided against it for a number of reasons. First off, I forgot to take a picture of the meal. Secondly, I have posted about our Walnut Pesto before and since I had plans for another local meal in mind, I decided to make this post our weekly One Local Summer entry.

One of the many things I really love about summer is bean and veggie burgers. I don't know why I associate these foods with summer, but I seem to. I have so many created recipes and ideas for bean, grain, and veggie burgers that it is often hard to know where to start. I've noticed now that I've been regularly going to market for a few years now, that we go there and let the produce plan the meals. Based on what is available, what looks best, a menu begins to form in my head and we just roll with it.

With the weather being warm and summer-like and the local veggies abounding, I decided to make a local bean and veggie burger. These burgers were amazing and they have so much potential to be even better. I will share the initial recipe, but let me tell you - this, like most of my other recipes will be tweaked to our liking over time until we get it just right. You all get what I like to call the "rough draft" of the recipe. Sometimes when we are done modifying these recipes, they are nothing like their originals, but that is part of the fun of evolving recipes.

We served our burgers with local garlicky roasted asparagus. I sliced up about 4 baby garlics, tossed the asparagus with olive oil, salt, and the garlic, and roasted it on 375 for about 15 minutes. So, so good.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Local Kidney Bean and Veggie Burgers
Makes about six patties.

4 cups kidney beans, mashed with a fork +
1 habanero, seeded and minced * (frozen from last year)
2 hot Hungarian wax peppers, seeded and minced *** (frozen from last year)
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and minced *** (frozen from last year)
1 cup oyster mushrooms, minced *
6 spring onions, minced *
4 baby garlics, minced *
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced *
1/2 cup garlic chives, minced *
4 tbsp regular rolled oats
6-8 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour +
1 egg *
squirt sriracha
chili powder
cumin
black pepper
salt

Combine all ingredients and seasonings except egg in a bowl using the seasonings to taste. Add the egg.

Form into patties and refrigerate for about an hour to allow patties to get a bit more firm.

Preheat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Bake burgers in oven for 15 minutes, flip patties and cook for an additional 15 minutes on the other side.

Remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes.

Serve on a bun with your favorite toppings, we used:
veganaise
organic ketchup
pickles +
sliced tomatoes *
leaf lettuce **

These were so good. I cannot wait to try out all the crazy combinations I have for burgers and patties in my head. I love summer!

There hasn't seemed to be too awful much interest in the It Seemed Like A Good Idea At the Time Writing Contest, but I'm not too upset by that. I am a fan of quality over quantity, so if just one person writes a good piece, I will think the contest has been a success.

A bit of house cleaning related to the Writing Contest - if you want to participate, but do not have a blog, just send your entry to jheartschilepeppers@live.com and I will post it on Veg*n Cooking as a guest post.

Also, while you can still vote for what you think the prize for the contest will be, the winner will ultimately get to decide between the choices given.

I hope you all consider writing a short (or not-so-short) piece for the contest, I know there are a lot of witty people out there with great minds, let's use 'em!

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - Farmer's Market and First CSA Share - May 16, 2009

2009-05-16T10:15:00.010-05:00

The weather in Mid-Missouri has been typically unstable for the past few days - oh, and of course the rain just keeps 'a comin'. Yesterday it was in the 80s and really humid. We spent the evening getting flash floods in our parking lot and this morning it was in the 50s on my way to market. And windy, though that is something I am just going to have to get used to. Needless to say, even with Missouri's moody weather patterns, my trip to the farmer's market this morning was a resounding success, though I missed having Brett with me. He is taking his finals today (on a Saturday, doesn't that suck?), so I was on my own, but I managed all right. I've got a bit of a shoulder cramp after carrying it all home, but I survived. We also got our first CSA share this week!

I think he will be excited to come home to the beautiful local dinner I have planned. It will also be our "One Local Summer" entry for the week - nothing special, but super tasty and almost all local - pesto pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlicky roasted asparagus, and a simple local salad. The only things in the meal that will not be local is the olive oil in the pesto and some of the ingredients in the dressing - though the dressing is locally made.

Anyway, enough of my incessant yammering check out our grub!

Here is our first CSA of the year:

Starting from the bottom right: fresh oregano, two bunches of asparagus (Danjo Farms has the best asparagus we have ever had), spring onions, fresh salad greens, and radishes.

Here is the weekly farmer's market haul. This cost around $80. More than I usually spend at market by a long shot, but I wanted to get tomato starts and we needed to stock up on some of the more expensive things we get like honey.

Starting from the bottom right: 2 bunches of spring onions, a bunch of garlic chives, 2 cucumbers, 4 big 'ol tomatoes, 1/2 lb. oyster mushrooms (I love this new purveyor, I will have to make sure to note the name of the stand next weekend, they have the best oyster mushrooms we've ever had. We got some over the winter from the Root Cellar, but they don't hold a candle to these.), 2 bunches of baby garlic, a dozen eggs, 2 bunches of sweet basil, asparagus, Moneymaker tomato starts, Country Goodies hot chow chow, Tigerella tomato starts, strawberries (!!!!!), Bonne Femme Honey Farms alfalfa honey, Thai basil, cilantro, and spinach.

Whew! What a list! We have a lot of good grub to work with this week. I was already planning the menu on my walk home from market. I love getting whatever is freshest and figuring out how to make it shine from there.

We got some really awesome things this week, and a lot of them, so I thought I would photograph individually some of my favorite finds of the week.

This has to be one of the most gorgeous bunches of oyster mushrooms I have ever seen.

Strawberries! I got to market pretty early this morning - it opens at 8:00 and I got there a little after 8:30 and this was the last container of strawberries the purveyor had, and the one other purveyor with strawberries had two or three containers left. The broccoli had already been cleaned out!

Thai basil! I haven't quite decided what I am going to do with all of this yet, but I have wanted to try it for a couple of years and I have saved a bunch of recipes that call for it in hopes that I would eventually find it. I had no idea it was as pretty as it is.

Four Tigerella tomato starts. We got these from Danjo Farms - the farm we get our CSA through. Dan sells all sorts of varieties of open pollinated heirloom tomatoes; it was really hard to choose. We've had a bit of trouble with our tomato starts from seed this year - they are growing, but not as quickly as we had hoped they would, so we wanted to get a few mature tomato plants so that we will have solid production. We hope our tomato seedlings continue to grow; we can't wait to put them in the ground.

Four Moneymaker tomato starts - these should be good slicers which is one of our favorite ways to have tomatoes, raw with just a bit of salt. I don't even want to venture a guess as to how many pounds of tomatoes we ate like that last year.

So these are eight of our who knows how many tomato plants. We are hoping to have about a dozen or more tomato plants and half a dozen tomatillo plants, if they will ever grow that is.

A week or so ago, I transplanted all our pepper starts into containers on the porch. As of right now, we have about 20 pepper plants, and I imagine a few will make their way into the fold before all is said and done. We have a planter box of acorn squash on the porch, chard, spinach, kale, and basil will also be staying on the porch, and we have some beans, squash, cukes, peas, and tomato starts waiting to go in the community garden.

I don't know if anyone remembers the cayenne plant we had started from seed late last fall, but it survived and managed to thrive in our apartment and it has one full sized pepper on it already, two baby ones, and tons of blooms. We transplanted it into the container we had our broccoli in last year and hope it will get HUGE.

Anyway, if it ever decides to stay dry for more than a day around here, we can get down to the community garden and get to work. It is starting to look like we may have to just have to get stuff in rain or shine. Ugh.

Have a great weekend everyone!

'Til next time.

Pinto Bean and Chard Quesadillas with Mexican Slaw and Guacamole

2009-05-15T07:40:00.002-05:00

This meal was not only super tasty, it was a nice way to use up both the local ingredients we had on hand, as well as some of the non-locals that have been hanging around to help fill the void of fresh produce. I love trying new things, but for some reason - perhaps I have seasonal affective disorder :-) - I seemed to have lost my cooking mojo in the early part of the year. I am happy to say it is coming back and so far I've had pretty good luck with what I've tried.

I love using simple whole foods, tons of fresh ingredients, and pair them in simple ways that take them to another level. I don't think food has to be pretentious - in fact, that just isn't my style. It also doesn't have to be complicated - by technique, number of ingredients, or some nutritionist logic of combining specific nutrients for "utmost effectiveness". Food doesn't have to be challenging, difficult, or confusing - it should be simple, straight forward common sense, and a pleasing experience to be shared with others.

It is sad to see so many people who come to see food as an enemy, they see it as merely fuel, when food is not only the source of life, it has been, in history, an expression of culture. The problem in reality is that Americans seem to have the one cultural diet that doesn't work. The way we view food, our relationship to it, it's purpose, and the scientific lens we have put it under has caused a culture of obesity and degenerative diseases. Interesting that the more we think we know, the more we tinker with food, the worse our health gets, and the harder it becomes for us to figure out what it is that we should be eating.

That is why I am a proponent of the cultural diet. Humans can be healthy and thrive on an incredibly diverse number of different diets. These diets, passed down over generations, by necessity have been the healthiest diets for the people in the region. The cultural diets are expressions of the land, and the people's ability to coax, combine, and create combinations of food that are celebrations and also sound nutritionally. The American diet has never been this way and as we see it spread across the world, we see our health problems being outsourced right along with it.

The cultural diet we tend to live by is, obviously, Mexican, Latin, or Southwestern. The combinations of many fresh veggies, healthy proteins in the form of legumes, pulses, and nuts, healthy fiber in the form of the fresh veggies, whole grain rice, and grains like quinoa in concert provide a wonderful level of nutritional benefit. There is also much flavoring provided by sauces loaded with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic - things we all know are good for us - but are much better in combination, better still in combination with beans and rice, though scientists don't really understand why. This is again part of the problem with reductionist science - these folks seem to think that there is one thing that can be isolated and added to something else that would provide the same level of nutrition and health as the whole foods in combination. It doesn't appear to work like that, and explanation or not, folks who subscribe to a cultural diet (and also don't fret over calories, antioxidants, cartenoids, and all the other buzz words in today's nutritional mine field), seem to be happier, healthier, and have a better relationship with food, community, and their land.

The point of all this - there are always so many fads going around as to the "keys to perfect health", it is always based on one nutrient, one compound, or more often still, something you should avoid. Whole foods are more than the sum of their nutrient parts, whether it can be explained by modern reductionist science or not, and that is a basic lesson that makes "what to eat" a lot easier to figure out.

Pick a type of food you like and see where it takes you. We like Mexican and have been subscribing to a vegetarian cultural Mexican, Southwestern, Latin (or inspired) diet for about three years and in that time I have lost about 30 pounds, become healthier, more active, my hair looks better, my skin looks better, Brett is more active, and I never worry about calories, fat, nutrients, etc. My eye sight has improved as my diet has improved. I truly don't understand it. I used to have to wear glasses when I read as my eyes would begin to have trouble focusing and everything would go blurry for a little while. A couple of years ago, a few months into our new way of eating, I noticed I didn't need the glasses anymore. I haven't needed them since. I still don't get it. We also enjoy our food far more - there are boundaries based on the typical flavor profiles we are choosing to use, but there is so much room for creativity, variation, and improvisation.

The moral of the story? Food should be fun, it should be enjoyed, and there are ways of simplifying the way we look at food that will not only make our food choices easier, but likely provide significant improvements to our health. Now this is just my opinion, I am no doctor or nutritionist, but I can say that I trust my own body and my common sense and this is what works for me.

I am getting off the soap box now and moving on to the recipe. :-)

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Mexican Slaw:
2 cups red cabbage, shredded fine
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/4 yellow onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine *
2 tbsp veganaise
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cumin
salt
black pepper

Combine all the veggies in a small bowl.

Whisk together veganaise, lime juice, and seasonings to taste.

Pour dressing over veggies and combine well.

Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to meld.

Pinto Bean and Chard Quesadillas:
2 cups pinto beans, cooked ****
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, chopped *
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine *
6 cups fresh chard, chopped *
1 tbsp canola oil
a squirt of sriracha
cumin
black pepper
salt
tortillas

Heat canola oil in a medium skillet. Add onions and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, beans and seasonings and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the chard and stir frequently until chard is wilted.

Simmer on low for about a half an hour. The beans, veggies, and seasonings will create their own tasty sauce.

Once the bean mixture is finished, layer cheese (if desired) and the filling in a warmed tortilla. Fry and serve with Mexican Slaw and Simple Guacamole.

Well, Happy Friday everyone.

'Til next time.

Weekly Local Booty - Farmer's Market May 9, 2009

2009-05-10T23:11:00.004-05:00

It was another successful trip to the market. Though sadly, asparagus is on its way out. We had a pretty short season this year as we didn't seem to have much in the way of spring. Our first CSA share also had to be postponed until next weekend due to yet another unusually wet spring here in Mid-Missouri. I have noticed an abundance in mushrooms though, I think some things fare just fine in this type of weather. Anyway, all that aside, we made out really well at the market this weekend.

Check out this week's loot:

Starting from the bottom right: 2 bunches of asparagus, spring onions, cilantro, lemon balm, 4 tomatoes, 1/2 lb. oyster mushrooms (we really like these mushrooms), baby garlic, chard, a head of gorgeous lettuce, 2 bags of baby spinach, and some more penne pasta.

As you can see, the lack of asparagus thwarted my plan to freeze some. Last week the vendors were overloaded with it - it seemed like everyone was selling it. This week there were maybe half a dozen stands that had any. I went for the organic kind. I was especially stoked about the cilantro, chard, spinach, and gorgeous organic tomatoes.

We've already eaten some of our grub, but the rest is destined for some Mexican goodness and I'm thinking a fried rice dish. Those are super yummy and really easy.

We are also planning on getting some stuff in the ground at the community garden sometime this week. It rained today ruining my chances of getting stuff into the ground today as I had hoped, but we'll get it in sometime this week. Then...let the garden updates begin!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Am I the only one who thinks that they are just never long enough?

'Til next time.

Local Spring Veggies and Pasta!

2009-05-08T21:36:00.002-05:00

I really love simple and tasty food - that is as local as possible. I love it when ingredients shine on their own, in their own glory. Until a few years ago when I started going to the farmer's market and growing my own veggies, I didn't know what I was missing - the amazing flavors, colors, textures available. Ordinary foods I used to eat without issue such as tomatoes, I know shun in the winter (unless canned from summer of course) as the store bought ones just don't cut it, they taste horrible and their texture is gritty.

Spring at the farmer's market brings out many things tasty and green. I threw this dish together in no time, and the only non-local ingredients are the few seasonings in the dish.

This is my bowl, topped with crushed red pepper. It seems like if I can make something spicy, I will. :-)

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Local Spring Veggies and Pasta
1 lb. penne pasta, cooked according to package instructions *
1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends removed, cut in half inch pieces *
6 spring onions, minced *
1 cup oyster mushrooms, chopped *
1 tomato, chopped *
6 cups spinach, chopped *
1/2 cup garlic chives, minced *
2-3 tbsp canola oil
splash of balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Heat oil in a medium skillet.

Add the asparagus and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, tomato, and spinach. Cook for an additional 6-8 minutes, stirring often.

Add the garlic chives, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Toss veggies with cooked pasta. Season with balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

If you are like me, add something spicy on top!

Well, we've got market tomorrow, it is the first week for our CSA and I hope there is a bunch of Dan's amazing asparagus. I swear we didn't get enough of it last year (though I'm not sure what enough would be exactly), it is some of the best, most flavorful asparagus I have ever had. I am also excited to see what other goodies we might score from the market this weekend.

It has been really rainy here, well, for the past few weeks, so getting things into the ground at the community garden has once again been difficult this year. We transplanted a bunch of peppers starts, and starts planned for the community garden that had outgrown their pots. I will be taking them down and sowing some more seed on Sunday. I may end up a mudball as I did last year, but the stuff is ready to go!

In other news, for the last few years we've had a common nighthawk roosting on top of one of the buildings in our neighborhood. It took us four years to identify what the bird who screeched all night and would dive bomb from the sky was. Anyway, once we figured out what kind of bird she was, we began to watch her at dusk when we could. It is really neat to watch them dive bomb for bugs. If they do it close enough to you, you can actually hear a whirring sound go by with them, they go really fast. Once they had migrated for the winter, we weren't sure if they would come back to the same spot to roost. We were happy to hear that familiar screech about two days ago and sure enough, there one was, soaring in the sky, screeching her rather unpleasant screech (you get used to it) and dive bombing for the year's first bugs. Nature is pretty cool, even in the city, if you just stop to pay attention. :-)

Well, I'll be back sometime this weekend for the weekly local booty update and our first CSA share!

I hope everyone has a good weekend and to those who go to market over the weekend, happy "hunting".

'Til next time.

Farmer's Market Spring Veggie Omelette-Type Thing - Vegetarian

2009-05-07T12:06:00.002-05:00

So, I've never made an omelette before, so I am only assuming that this is what they are supposed to be like, or that at the very least, I got the general idea correct. After getting home from the farmer's market on Saturday, inspiration struck and I headed straight to the kitchen to create this wonderful, almost completely local brunch for us.

This was incredibly good - I am not the biggest egg fan, but I loved this. My only recommendation would be to split one of these between two people. They are huge and filling, I didn't realize how filling they would be. Both of us only ate half of our omelette's before wrapping them up and putting them in the fridge for a snack later.

This is a picture of Brett's omelette, I added a little bit of chevrie to his.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Farmer's Market Spring Veggie Omelette-Type Thing
4 eggs, whisked *
1/3 cup garlic chives, minced *
1 cup asparagus, chopped into half inch pieces *
4 cups of spinach, rinsed and chopped *
1 cup of oyster mushrooms, minced *
4 spring onions, chopped *
canola oil
salt
pepper

In a bowl, combine the eggs and the garlic chives, sprinkle with just a bit of salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat about a tablespoon of canola oil in a medium skillet. Add the asparagus and mushrooms and cook for about 8 minutes. Add the spinach and spring onions, cook an additional 5-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium flat bottomed skillet, add 1-2 tbsp of canola oil. Once the pan is good and hot, pour the egg mixture and allow it to cook thoroughly. Flip the flat egg over to cook both sides - this should take about 10 minutes.

Add the filling to the middle of the egg "pancake" and fold the egg over. You can cook it just a minute or two more on each side and this will help it "seal" a little bit.

This was a pretty darn good meal. I will be back soon with the recipe for a super tasty local pasta dish I made earlier this week.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far. Brett is off in homework land tonight, so I'm on my own this evening - I smell veggie sushi and a good book.

'Til next time!

Weekly Local Booty 5/2/09 - I Love Mid-Missouri!

2009-05-02T10:33:00.009-05:00

Today was my first trip to market this year - even though it opened a couple of weeks ago. Last week, Brett and I were sick, the previous week I forgot, and the week before that Brett stopped by and reserved our CSA, so things just worked out to today being my first trip. It was a very successful trip, I must say. It being fairly early in the Mid-Missouri growing season, I didn't expect as much variety as I found, I am really stoked to get in the kitchen

There is something about winter that kills my cooking "mojo", part of it was that we were pretty unprepared to "eat local" over the winter, and I was reluctant to buy a bunch of out of season produce, so our meals got pretty lame. Hopefully we can prepare a little better this year. I know that next weekend, I am stocking up on asparagus and freezing some for winter. Wahoooooooo!

Check out my first haul of the year. This ran somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 (oh, and check out Gabby in the background).

(Sorry about the picture quality, I think there was something on the lense.) Starting from the bottom right: 3 bunches of asparagus, 1 lb. oyster mushrooms, 4 tomatoes (!!!!!), 1 lb. ground flax meal (!!!!!), garlic chives, 2 bunches of spring onions, a dozen eggs, spinach, penne pasta (!!!!!), and Country Goodies Salsa.

I'd say we made out pretty well. I thought I would show some pictures of my favorite finds.

Garlic chives! I have always wanted to work with garlic chives as it would be something we could easily grow in our apartment, it being a little early in the season for "regular" garlic, I decided I would give it a shot. I have many ideas already....

Ground flax meal! I am excited to see things like this ground flax meal and the Missouri Grain Project, it is a wonderful experiment and it allows locavores to source even more of their diet from their local region. We use a lot of flax meal, in our granola bars, in our oatmeal, in our gravy, all sorts of things. AND, this was less expensive than the kind we usually get from the store.

Oh glorious tomatoes, how I love them. I do not even want to venture to guess how many pound of tomatoes Brett and I ate last summer, we both LOVE them, very, very much. Hence why we are planting about 12 tomato plants this year. :-)

Asparagus, one of my favorite things about spring! Local asparagus is so fresh, so tender, I don't know if there is anything quite as good a garlicky roasted asparagus. Oh my, I can't wait!

We have company coming tomorrow, so we figured we would make a nice yummy dinner of Our Take on L's Black Bean Burgers (with local tomatoes of course) and garlicky roasted asparagus. Mmmmm.

And finally, here is photographic evidence of why Gabby's middle name is indeed Trouble.

Something she quite enjoys doing is burrowing in my pajama drawer and then pulling all the pajamas out of the drawer. She was caught red handed here. It is hard to be made at such a cute face though.

Don't forget about the "It Seemed Like A Good Idea At the Time" writing contest. It is "open" through May 31st. And be sure to vote on the goodie to be received by the winner.

Have a great weekend!

'Til next time.

Forget Lucy, I Love Laura!

2009-04-11T11:47:00.018-05:00

Since I began my adventures in BlogLand, I have "met" a lot of really cool people - I am amazed at some of the relationships I've been able to cultivate. I've met someone who I think is likely to be my best friend for a long time to come, and some very cool folks who just so happen to live in my humble town of Columbia, Missouri. Talk about the hidden perks of blogging!

Anyway, not only have I "met" and actually met cool people, but we've been able to share the best of the place we live. This post is a case in point. The amazingly awesome Laura, of the blog Peace by Pastries, is not only a fellow CoMo dweller (I really owe you a cup of coffee or something!), but she is a chef at the lone vegetarian restaurant in town called Main Squeeze. Main Squeeze used to serve this amazing, I'm talking amazing Southwest Black Bean Burger. Brett and I would go there at least once a week just so I could have the burger. Then they stopped serving it. Sadly, they also stopped serving Brett's dish of choice and my "second option", so we haven't even been there in awhile.

But I never forgot about those burgers. When I first "met" Laura, I indicated that I wanted to weasel that recipe out of her somehow, but I didn't have to do that. She provided it herself. Oh. My. Spicy. Black Bean. Goodness. I love you Laura (and I can't believe we have still never met in person). My mouth and heart are very happy campers right now. I have missed these burgers so much, and now not only can I make them at home, but I was able to tweak the recipe based on what we had on hand and our tastes. We also didn't use canned beans or corn, so I had to adjust the ratios just a bit.

We had these for dinner last night, Brett and I liked them so much, we didn't bother to freeze the extra patties, we're having them for lunch!

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Our Take on L's Black Bean Burgers
2 1/2 cups black beans, cooked ****
1 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 red onion, peeled +
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 jalapenos, stems removed *** (frozen from last year)
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour + (local MO flour!)
1/4 cup regular rolled oats
2 tbsp. ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup hot water
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 heaping tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Spanish paprika
1 tbsp. dried cilantro flakes +
2 tbsp sriracha
2 tbsp. shoyu
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour mixed with 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper + (the flour is local)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a food processor, lightly blend beans, corn, and oil. Add the remaining ingredients (except the whole wheat pastry flour/cayenne mixture) and blend well.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Form batter into 1/2-2/3 cup balls and roll in flour mixture.

Press down on the ball to form desired shape and thickness.

Bake for 20 minutes. Flip about half way through the cooking time.

Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes and serve with your choice of fixins'.

We had our burgers with veganaise, organic ketchup, and baby salad greens. These are so easy to make, and so good. I encourage everyone to check out Laura's blog and make these burgers SOON.

Well, I'm off to enjoy a beautiful Mid-Missouri Saturday. Brett and I now officially have a quarter veggie share CSA with Danjo Farms, and I am going to spend the rest of the day starting seed and doing a little apartment clean-up.

I also got the awesome news this morning that the place making Brett and I's wedding cake also makes vegan cake. Selina, that means you and I are getting our very own vegan chocolate layer. w00t!

'Til next time!

Yummy Pinto Bean Wrap Pictures and J's "Guilty Pleasure"

2009-04-08T16:15:00.001-05:00

I had forgotten to take a picture of the Yummy Pinto Bean Wraps when we had them last week. They were so good, we had them again on Monday, and I made sure to snap pictures of the wraps, so check it out:

Here is mine served with baby salad greens, simple guacamole, and local tomatoes.

Here is Brett's plate, the wrap was served with baby salad greens, simple guacamole, local tomatoes, and organic sour cream.

So, some of you may be wondering about this "guilty pleasure" I mentioned in the title of this post. It is nothing lewd or illegal (although I do have an illegal pleasure, I don't feel guilty about it - come to think of it, I don't feel guilty about this one either...), but I was always a little embarrassed because I consider myself an intelligent person and not at all a girlie-girl. So my guilty pleasure is....chick lit.

I honestly don't know why I like it other than it lets me escape to a very different world than my own. In all honesty, I usually really dislike the characters, their lifestyles, and would never want to be friends with any of them, but yet they are light, airy, and fun to read. When you read the type of non-fiction I spend my nights reading, this is a nice change up. And I decided I didn't need to be embarrassed about it any more, so there you go. I am going to update my Books J's Read list to include the chick lit titles I have read this year. You know though, sometimes I am surprised and the books are actually good, they have substance and good characters - not many, but some. You will notice that I am quite hard on the chick lit when it comes to my "rating scale", this is because most of it, well, it simply isn't good - a "beach read" and nothing more. Anyways, you can check that out if you'd like, and feel free to make fun of me all you want.

Now I will say, I DO NOT read bodice-ripping romance novels - no siree, no thank you, I laugh out loud at some of the covers. If there is a Fabio-looking guy on the cover, J isn't interested. :-)

Well, I had an excellent weekend in St. Louis. I surprised myself by really having fun. I can't think my (step) Mom Stacey for all her help, we would NOT have been able to get nearly as much done already without her help.

I've picked out, tried on, bought, and scheduled and alterations appointment for my dress (!!!!!!), I actually decided on my own to wear a veil (it looks really nice) - but it will be clipped to the back of my hair and not over my face or around my shoulders, we have a location, the location has been secured, we have a dinner place, a rehearsal dinner place, flowers, invitations, Selina picked out her dress (she is going to look DAMN good by the way), Brett picked out he and the Best Man's tux, Dad got his tie and "pocket silk" (I had to ask what a "pocket silk" was, apparently it is a fancy handkerchief that men wear in suit pockets), we are working on the ceremony schedule, WHEW. But we still have lots left to do and it has, and I assume will continue to be, lots of fun. Tomorrow we are doing one of the really fun parts. We decided to go with a local jeweler instead of Etsy (to keep it as local as possible) and we are taking a picture of the rings we want in to see if he can make them there.

There is something in mathematics called a mobius strip. It is a one-sided strip that has no true surface and is continuous. It shows a cycle that begins where it ends and ends where it begins - if that makes any sense at all. Brett, being a math nerd, and me, loving the symbolism, decided that we are going to have our rings shaped into mobius bands. Super cool, eh?

Check this out too:

Thank you for the image Wikipedia.

This is one very famous example of a mobius strip.

Maybe I am a bit of a math nerd too, I remember how excited I was when I learned that the St. Louis Gateway Arch is a catenary curve.

I have probably embarrassed myself enough for one day. :-)

'Til next time!

Yummy Pinto Bean Wraps and a Trip to the Lou!

2009-04-03T13:54:00.000-05:00

I made some really flippin' tasty Pinto Bean Wraps the other night, but sadly, I forgot to take a picture of them. I usually end up not blogging about things I forget to photograph - that is, at least until I make it again and can get a picture, but these, they were super tasty, and I just had to share this simple, super easy recipe, picture or not.

This is one of those dinners that can be put together in about 10 minutes, and I love those kinds of meals. The ingredients used can also be made in quantity as they are very versatile and can be used for burritos, taco salads, quesadillas, bowls, etc., with just a few other ingredients.

Without further fanfare, here is the recipe.

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Yummy Pinto Bean Wraps

Bean Mixture:
2 cups pinto beans, cooked ****
1 cup sweet corn, cooked
4 tbsp Salsa Diablo (or other super, super spicy salsa)
dash salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Cilantro-Lime Rice:
2 cups long grain brown rice, cooked ****
1-2 tbsp dried cilantro flakes +
1 tbsp lime juice
dash of cumin
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour to allow the flavors to blend.

Fixin's:
Cheese
Sour Cream (tofu or regular, Brett used organic sour cream)
diced tomatoes + (the first local ones of the year!)

Layer rice and bean mixtures in warmed tortillas, adding any fixin's you desire. Roll up and fry.

This evening, I am off for a trip, all by my lonesome to good 'ol St. Louis, Missouri for a weekend of wedding planning. Brett, lucky for still being in school, is inundated with homework, and I know how it is trying to do homework and traveling, so we decided it would be best for him to stay home. I am really going to miss him though, in the entire six and a half years we have been together, we have only spent a night or two apart, and that was when Brett went to Illinois for something a few years ago. Sigh. But I have left him well prepared, I've made him pinto beans, cilantro lime rice, I seasoned up some lentils for him, defrosted some Super Beany Chili for him, made sure he had tortillas, local colby cheese with hot peppers in it, sour cream, and I baked him two dozen chocolate chip cookies, and a tray of granola bars. Whew! At least we know he will be fed. It is hard to believe Brett is thin, but he is.

Anyway, you may wonder why I am going to St. Louis for wedding planning since we are supposedly having the wedding here in Columbia... Well, plans changed. I don't want to get into all of it, but we are now going to be having our wedding in some garden in St. Louis proper, and selected family members will be invited. From my side, we are inviting my Dad, step-mom Stacey, step-brothers Josh, Zac, and Jordan, my step-grandmother Barb, and my grandparents from my Dad's side (they are coming up from Houston!). Brett will be inviting his Mom, Dad, brother (and his wife and kids I guess), his sister (and her husband and kids I guess), and both his grandmothers. Everyone is a lot happier with this arrangement but it does mean a lot more planning. We are going to try to get our good friend Neil to officiate the ceremony, and now Selina and Matt (Brett's brother) have to be "real" Matron's of Honor/Best Men, including, sadly, a dress which I hope Selina doesn't spend the rest of her days resenting me making her look like some sort of green puff ball (S, this is why I put picking out the gown in you and Stace's hands, I can't be the target of your later resentment. :-))

I feel horrible for poor Selina, she is such a rockin' friend and I don't know what I would do without her, but she has had to field all of my crazy questions including, I kid you not, asking her what a "boudanear" was (yes, I didn't know what it was and I also didn't know how to spell it - but she can be thankful that she wasn't Brett trying to explain to me what a "garter" was, I found out it is some sort of belt that has some really silly symbolism). I never thought about weddings until Brett proposed - ever. I'm also not much of a "girlie girl" flowers, hair, shoes (aside from sneakers, I like sneakers), invitations, all that is beyond me.

I am also thankful for Stacey; she has been Super Mom to me in all this planning. Let me tell you, planning even a small wedding in two months is a lot of work and she has taken the lead. Since I never really imagined a wedding or planned the things I want, all I had to go on are the things I knew I didn't want - Brett has taken to calling me Dr. No after I called my Dad with a list of no's not limited to, but including the following: No Dancing, No Singing, No Speeches, No Flowers (I have been overridden on that one), No Veil (I may be overridden on that one too, but I WILL NOT wear one over my face), No Bachelorette Parties (Brett doesn't want a Bachelor Party either), No Toasts, No Vows (too personal and private), No Pink (at least on me), No Standing Up When Bride Reluctantly (because people will be looking at me) Walks Down the Aisle (the eyes on me is enough as it is, what the hell is the standing up for? It's not like I brought about World Peace.), No Arbor or any weird Arch Type Thing, No St. Charles County (too many "Mom Memories"), and finally No High Heels. I may add to this list as we go along, but surprisingly the things I don't want aren't all that important of details. Stacey has also been very attentive over the years to what I like and who I am, so she has made sure to have Brett and I's personalities and styles in mind when she has been doing to work that I should be doing, or at least paying her to be doing. :-)

So anyways, we will see how I survive this weekend that will include: hair appointments, looking at flowers, looking at invitations, looking at places to hold the wedding, perhaps looking at shoes and undergarments, and who knows what else. Oh, and my Dad's birthday was yesterday, so we will be celebrating that sometime as well. WHEW!

That is the latest, I suppose. I think the biggest "next step" since I found the dress I want is to get Brett a tux (I am SO excited to see him in a tux, I bet he will look really good), is to pick a location, and then a time so we can send out invitations.

Selina, if you are reading this, I may be "blowing up your phone" this weekend, so watch out. You may need a vacation when all this is over, but I love you for it, and will happily begin paying you in mailed baked goods if necessary.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I hope I survive without having a panic attack over the difference between "Fern Green" and "Clover Green".

'Til next time.

Super Beany Chili

2009-03-27T15:26:00.000-05:00

I have been a pretty bad blogger lately, I could make a bunch of excuses, but really, I don't have many good ones, and the good ones I do have aren't the reason for my lack of blogging, I've just been lazy. We have been cooking though, still mostly "tried and true" recipes, especially since I found some of the first season's local tomatoes! I went to the Root Cellar the other day to get some local salad greens and saw the table full of gorgeous red delights as soon as I walked in. I made a beeline to them and asked the woman there in disbelief, "Are these local?!?" Indeed they are, from somewhere south of Jefferson City, Missouri. I think they have to have been grown in a greenhouse, but it has been beyond wonderful having local tomatoes again. I was surprised at what a wonderful, rich, tomatoey flavor they have. I should have got a picture of them, but I didn't and we are down to just a couple now any way. And those we will be using very shortly. We also got the above mentioned local salad greens, local shiitake mushrooms, and St. Louis made Dijon-Garlic-Lemon-Balsamic Vinaigrette. It is a mouthful, but it is delicious.

Anyways, we made this chili :blush: a couple of weeks ago. It was seriously tasty and we've enjoyed in by itself, with tortilla chips, on baked potatoes, and even on waffle fries (I've been contemplating tater tots too). Since making chili is a process, I made a huge batch and froze a good portion of it for later use. We've been taking a container of it out of the freezer in the evening, and it'll be ready for dinner the next night, wahoo!

The local booty legend (aka revealing my sources):
no asterisk = grocery store
+ = local produce from The Root Cellar
++ = The Peace Nook (will denote whether product is local or just from the Nook)
* = farmer's market
** = CSA
*** = Container or Community Garden
**** = the non-profit buying club, Blue Planet or Purcell Mountain Farms

Super Beany Chili
2 cups dark red kidney beans +, soaked overnight with a dried cayenne pepper *** and a dried New Mexican Chile
1/2 cup pinto beans ****, soaked overnight with a dried cayenne pepper *** and a dried New Mexican Chile
1/2 cup black beans ****, soaked overnight with a dried cayenne pepper *** and a dried New Mexican Chile
1/2 cup Anasazi beans ****, soaked overnight with a dried cayenne pepper *** and a dried New Mexican Chile
2 cans fire roasted crushed tomatoes
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, chopped + (not local)
1 yellow onion, chopped + (not local)
6 cloves of garlic, minced + (not local)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped *** (frozen from last year)
3 Hot Hungarian Wax peppers, cut into rings *** (frozen from last year)
dried cilantro flakes +
ground cumin
chili powder
chipotle chili powder
salt
1 cup green lentils, rinsed

Soak beans and dried peppers overnight. Drain and rinse the beans and remove the peppers.

Combine beans in a large pot and fill with enough water to cover about two inches. Boil over medium heat for about 2 1/2 hours, covered. Make sure to check the water level occasionally, you may have to add more.

Add the tomatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, peppers, and spices. Simmer covered on medium-low for another two hours. Check the doneness of the beans.

Once the beans are close to being fully cooked, check the spice level and add more if necessary. Add the lentils and simmer for about 40 minutes or until lentils are fully cooked.

This was really yummy chili. I've mentioned before that I had "chili'd Brett out", but it turns out that my chili is generally too volcanically hot for anyone but me. So I don't overdo the spice and I add sriracha, cayenne pepper, dried habaneros, or hot chili garlic sauce to my dishes to achieve my desired spice level.

Well, I've been trying to jump start my pilates routine again. I used to do pilates at least three times a week, and that is saying something for someone who hates exercise. It really made me feel good, I had more energy, more stamina, and I looked, well, a little nicer. I've wanted to get back into it for awhile, so I figured summer and a wedding were pretty good motivation to get started. I also decided I would like to do some "booty exercises" (I am a size 2 girl with a size 4 behind), and get some upper body strength. I have damn strong legs and can carry quite a bit on my back, but the damn 5 lb. weights are almost too much for me. I started my "exercise regimen" yesterday and today I feel like someone ran over me. And I only worked out for about 30 minutes. :-( Now I am off to do pilates, and then probably take a hot bath and hide in my recliner the rest of the evening.

I'll tell you what, the pilates can stay around, but all this strength training, I don't think I will do this very long, I don't want to look all ripped and scary, I just don't want to be one of those bizarre "fat skinny people" anymore.

Oh, woe is me, am I right?

Have a good weekend everyone.

'Til next time!

Random Eats of Late

2009-03-17T11:12:00.004-05:00

I have been cooking lately - mostly variations on favorite tried and true recipes, but I have been lazy and too overwhelmed to blog - well not anymore! Not only will I share these variations of tried and true recipe, I hope to post the new chili recipe Brett and I made sometime this week. A new recipe! Wahoo!

First off, our Everything Granola Bars. We have worked with the ratios and nut/seed combinations and I think we have them how we want them. I highly recommend trying these and playing around with the recipe until you find the way you like 'em best. We found a combination so tasty that we have eaten these for breakfast (and even snacks) for a couple of months now. Oh, and check out our "newsed" new plates. A little brightly colored for my taste, but I love the swirly and Southwestern feel to the plates (cups, bowls, etc). My Dad and step-mom Stacey got some new dishes and split the set between Brett and I and my step-brother Zac. We certainly didn't need a whole set when half of the set included four place settings of each. Wahoo for hand-me-downs!

Next up: J. Finally. Baked. Bread. !!!!!

Check out these two gorgeous ciabattas! I followed the recipe provided by the super cool Jessy from Happy Vegan Face, I used all purpose flour for the "sponge" and local, Missouri-grown whole wheat pastry flour for the rest of the recipe.

Check out the air pockets! We had this delicious bread with some pasta and St. Louis-made Zia's pasta sauce.

The verdict on the breadmaking? Why the hell did I wait this long?! This wasn't hard at all and I don't even have a stand mixer, so I just used my hands. Brett and I have agreed that flour tortillas should be the next mission.

I do have to thank Selina (from Vegans Rock!!!) for helpfully dealing with my frantic text message inquiring as to whether my dough should have been as sticky as it was. Selina, you should change the name of your blog to Selina Rocks!!!

And now on to one of our favorite Asian meals in our "rotation", Veggie and Egg Fried Rice.

We originally got this recipe from Leng over at A Fat Cat Who Created A Vegetarian, and have since made it our own.

I love fried rice since you can throw in whatever veggies you have on hand.

To make this version of Veggie Fried Rice, we sautéed about a third of a head of red cabbage (not local, but purchased from the Root Cellar), 2 carrots peeled and chopped, one yellow onion, sliced thick (not local, but purchased from the Root Cellar), 1 head of broccoli florets, chopped, edamame, and green peas in canola oil in a very large skillet over high heat until the veggies begin to char. Then whisk together 2-4 tbsp shoyu (or other soy sauce), 2 tbsp of hot or sweet chili sauce (we use sweet chili sauce), and a pinch of black pepper. Add half to the veggies and stir constantly for about one minute. Add about 3 cups of day old, cooked long grain brown rice and the remainder of the sauce. Mix well.

We also added 2 local eggs to our veggie fried rice for some extra protein and brain food. To add the egg, scooch the rice and veggies to one side of the pan. Crack the eggs and scramble. Cook thoroughly and then combine the eggs, rice, and veggies.

It is a quick, yummy, one pan dish!

This is my bowl with the requisite big 'ol squirt of sriracha.

And for our lunches, we have been digging on lots of homemade hummus and falafel.

My favorite plain old garlicky hummus. The only thing that makes this better is a good couple of dashes of cayenne on top. I would rather have sumac, but I haven't found any in CoMo yet.

A yummy plate of baked falafel. I experimented a little this time and used dried cilantro flakes in place of the ground coriander and added a tablespoon of raw sesame seeds to the mixture. They turned out really, really well this time.

Well, Brett and I are taking a much needed night off together to do something we rarely do - sit in front of the "boob tube" all night. Seriously, I don't think there is anything that Brett and I need more right now than some serious snuggle time. We picked up some "reinforcements" for our evening: a locally made Uprise Bakery baguette, some garlic and herb Boursin cheese for Brett, some local Goatsbeard Farm herbed goat cheese for Brett, some super spicy cracked chili hummus for yours truly, and some olive tapenade for us to share. We've also got massive quantities of fruit waiting to be washed and cut. No dinner for us, just a night of munching - though our choice in snacks wasn't too bad.

We'll probably also work on making newspaper pots while we watch. Nothing likely double-duty, eh?

Tomorrow? Wednesday night is for the worms! We will be starting another working tray for them. We'll also (hopefully) be planting our second round of seeds! We've gathered all the needed materials, what has been missing of late is the time to actually do it. When we start more seeds, we'll also take pictures so I can do a garden update.

I apologize for the sporadic nature of my blog posts and comments on others' blogs, I've been really lazy with the computer lately, it has been the last thing on my mind.

Song of the Day:
Golden Pond - Chris Thile

'Til next time.

What J Does While Scouting for the Mock Draft on Head Coach

2009-03-12T20:53:00.002-05:00

Say hello to Stick Man (I hope nobody else already has a trademark on that or something).

Pretty impressive, eh?

Local Booty and Garden Update - 2/19-2/28/09

2009-02-28T13:21:00.000-06:00

It is hard to believe that it is already the last day of February, but here it is, time sure seems to fly as you get older. Anyways, after doing something I rarely forget to do - go to the Root Cellar when we need something - I remembered to stop by yesterday after work and was able to score some good finds. A lot of the produce isn't local, but it is winter in Missouri, what are you going to do?

Since not a whole lot is happening on the garden front, until things pick up, I will be doing joint local booty/garden updates.

Let's start with the local booty. This is our week's haul from the Root Cellar, I don't remember what this ran, this has been a bad memory week for me - meaning, I forget things a lot in general, but this week was particularly bad I suppose. Thank goodness for lists and notes! But anywho...

Starting from the bottom right: eggroll wrappers (not local), red and yellow onions (not local), ginger root (I'm pretty sure this isn't local), avocados (not local), oyster mushrooms (local), red cabbage (not sure), Uprise Bakery's Columbia Sourdough (local), red potatoes (not sure), organic white flour (not local), active dry yeast (not local - these last two items are for a "sponge" for a ciabatta I plan on making), peach butter (local), and Country Goodies hot pepper relish (local).

And now onto the garden update. A few of our seeds have germinated! I was planning on making newspaper pots this weekend and starting more seed since I ran out of pots last weekend, but - big surprise here - I forgot to bring home the newspaper I had been collecting from work. Sigh.

First, I will show you our revolutionary and high-tech seed starting operation.

I know, I know, very complicated and sophisticated right? We use these plastic bins to store our seed starts in. We've had most of these containers for awhile; we were using them as "storage solutions" for things we were never going to use. So, as we have slowly "pawned off" the stored items on people who wanted/needed them, we have gained "hot houses". We like starting our seeds in bins like this for a number of reasons: it saves space - these are stackable, it keeps the cats out of them, it helps the soil maintain moisture longer, and it provides heat and humidity. I use the spray bottle you see to water the plants. I use the "mist setting" and saturate the soil, I don't uproot plants that way and there isn't a whole lot of soil disturbance either. And of course, you see my handy-dandy gardening journal. If it wasn't right there with the starts, I would forget to document their progress. I've learned over the years many ways to compensate for my horrible memory.

Here is a Sheepnose Pimento pepper sprout - it germinated on Wednesday (2/25).

These are Winterbor Kale seedlings, we noticed they had sprouted yesterday (Friday, 2/27).

These are Renegade Spinach seedlings; they also sprouted yesterday (2/27).

These are Bright Lights Chard seedlings; we also noticed they had sprouted yesterday (2/27). I don't know if you can see it or not, but there are a couple more seedlings in one of the slots in the back.

Not much else to report on the garden front - we have been making sure that we keep the soil for the starts moist, and we are still battling the aphids, we want to get rid of them before we take the plants outside, and before we start anymore indoor things in the AeroGarden or otherwise. We do seem to be making good progress with the aphids, but I think this is also going to involve some sort of "starving out period" as well. Our "plant room" may have to be plant free for a little while. We have our seed starts in a different room, we don't want to deal with aphids on them unless they are an issue once they are outside - not that we want to deal with that either, but it would be better than them starting out with them from the beginning.

So, in other errant parts of J&B's strange world, I have "re-discovered" my camera, so to speak. Seeing that it is winter, and thus there isn't much in the way of good nature photo opportunities (not even snow dammit, you can't take pictures of the wind and that is what our winter seems to have been comprised of for the most part), and I don't like taking pictures of random people, or even really people I know for that matter, so what follows are some of the highlights from my novice photography stint this week in my free time.

Meet the other love of Brett's life: Ms. PS3. Isn't she lovely, what with all her cords coming out the back and her spaceship like functionalities?. I hate to admit it, but I am actually a bit scared of the thing, it can connect and communicate information with his PSP. What the hell? Am I the only one who is uncomfortable with that? Where will it end?

Anyway...

This is yet more of the competition I face: Head Coach 2009. You know I willingly purchased this for him as a surprise? No, I joke, he is really nerdy about the football like I am about books so we understand each other, even though our particular focus is different. And what's more, we are both comfortable enough to get lost for hours in our respective forms of entertainment, it is very nice.

And yes, those are "rabbit ears" atop the telly. We don't have cable and honestly don't watch TV unless it is football season (we did watch Obama's speech the other night). I know there is that whole "digital switch" thing on the horizon, but Brett's mom got us the converter box you need for Christmas, though we didn't get to go up there, so it is still in Illinois, but we aren't concerned about it, we won't need it until football season starts again.

Whew, am I long-winded or what?

Here are a few cat pictures because, well, when you don't take pictures of people, and also don't like going places you have to use whatever inspiration you have at your disposal. So I torment the cats by taking their pictures.

Both the cats really like having their heads rubbed. Nermal also likes you to rub behind her ears (she has some ear problems), she is like a dog, she'll even get a leg going from time to time.

Doesn't it look like she is smiling? Maybe I am just anthropomorphizing the cat.

Gabby looking like she would like me to stop taking her picture (which I obliged - I loathe having my picture taken, so I understand).

Well anyways, I am off to make a sponge for a ciabatta, enjoy some reading, some music, you know, all those things that boring (young) curmudgeons like me enjoy.

I'll leave you with my Song of the Day:

"Blues in A Minor" - Modern Jazz Quartet

Have a great weekend!

'Til next time.

Just Some of the Reasons We Love Nermal

2009-02-22T23:26:00.020-06:00

Brett and I are very lucky to have two very sweet kitties - different in their own right, but they are both wonderful pets (though admittedly, Gabby seems more like a dog sometimes). Gabby, due to her permanently kitten-like face, ever-presence, and rude determination, tends to have the spotlight most of the time. And really, she tends to take better pictures than Nermal. Nermal generally looks so angry and displeased to have her picture taken, so tonight provided a rare opportunity to show her at her best.

It is moments like these that make all her frustrating quirks cease to be important. She is a very special cat who, in addition to occasionally providing free grooming, also lets you rub her belly, nuzzles your face, and gives you some very sweet (though a little gross due to kitty breath) kisses. This helps make up for her constant meowing, endless rituals, and the particularities and subtle "preferences" (read: non-negotiable demands) one must heed most of the time to pet her just right, if you don't get everything right, well, she determines you aren't worth it and either teases you by going just out of reach (stupid human tricks), or leaves the room, generally with her displeasure being made known on her way out.

The grooming is something Nermal used to do with frequency and great intensity before we got Gabby. This attention was directed towards Brett for the most part - she would try to groom me, but my hair is long and she would end up choking on it. Anyways, many o' days in the early morning she would decide she wanted to groom Brett and would go to town. He would wake up, literally, with a wet head. It was/is both gross and sweet. He was generally awoken once she had tired of his hair and moved on to his skin where she likes to focus on one area with her sandpaper tongue. This is one word - painful. She used to do this to me, and she'd often center on my closed eye, not pleasant at all.

Anyways, tonights experience was a painless grooming and after getting Gabby, she completely discontinued grooming or licking either of us very often. She has gotten back into it over the past month or so and I got the opportunity to get some good pictures tonight.

It's hard to get mad at her sandpaper tongue or smelly kitty breath (or to think about how gross her kitty slobber is for that matter), with how sweet it is.

And I had to share this gem. I haven't been taking pictures much lately and I guess I was excited because I just started snapping pictures as soon as the flash was ready and I caught this moment.

I love it! You can bet this became our computer desktop picture right away.

In other news, we got our first round of seeds started this weekend and signed up for our community garden plots. All I can say is we are going to have a lot of plants. We filled four "hot houses" with small containers of greens, herb, pepper, and tomatillo seeds. I was able to start two pots of each of the tomato and tomatillo varieties, but was getting short on containers by the time I got to the peppers (I am growing far too many varieties, but I love them all), so there are only one pot of each going right now - two of a select variety. We used egg cartons made from natural fibers (not the styrofoam ones) to start the spinach, kale, chard, cumin, cilantro, and two types of basil seeds. We have another in our fridge right now, and once we are done with the eggs, I will use those to start more pepper seeds. I've heard of folks making newspaper pots for their plants, I may be really dumb to ask this, but how is this done, how do you make the pots?

Our wormies are experiencing a bit of trouble - we are having our first worm health crisis. We've noticed that each day, more and more of the worms were making their way to the top of the bin and on top of the newspaper sheets. Each day the worms that appeared looked more and more bloated and just all around not good. We did a little investigating and research and determined that our bin had too much moisture. We added a big batch of shredded paper (courtesy of the office), and left the lid part way off for most of the day today. No more worms are trying to get to the top anymore and it seems to be helping. It is a good lesson to make sure to have plenty of fiber bedding, the ratio to food should be 50/50, which it wasn't. Phew. When lives hang in the balance, even just "lowly" worms, I get concerned, I was a bit worried that we were going to have the "blood of 1,000 worm deaths on our hands", you know, like we a worm genocide or something, but luckily it doesn't look as though that is the case. I don't know how people with kids do it, I can't even keep worms happy and I give myself anxiety over their well being perhaps beyond what is necessary, having children would not be good for my anxiety issues. I can't even imagine, I would have no hair, and I would never eat - hair and appetite loss seem to be very common stress-related side effects for me.

Anyways, I hope everyone had a great weekend and here's to a good week!

I will leave you with today's picks for Song(s) of the Day:

With Words: The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Without Words: Alone Together - Bill Evans (the one and only)

'Til next time.

A Garden Update and Local Booty!

2009-02-18T17:05:00.000-06:00

As promised in my last post, welcome to this week's garden and local booty update! I have missed doing these posts, but there wasn't much going on in the garden and due to circumstances, I wasn't really up for going to the Root Cellar and cooking a bunch of meals. But the times, they are a changin' (thankfully). As noted in the last post, I have been cooking some of our favorite tried and true meals and we have really been enjoying them. I didn't realize how much both of us missed some of our staple recipes. Trying new recipes all the time can mean some of the "oldies but goodies" get put on the back burner so to speak. Well not anymore! I will make sure that our favorite recipes are in regular "rotation".

Speaking of local booty, we got some really awesome stuff this week from the Root Cellar. This haul ran us $35.

It's all local. Starting from the bottom right: oyster mushrooms, 2 Uprise Bakery granola bars, 1/2 pound pecans, 1/2 pound black walnuts, 2 bags full of soft whole wheat pastry flour (wahoo for the Missouri Grain Project!!!!!), a bag of kidney beans, and a big ol jar of County Goodies pickles.

Not only is having Missouri grown whole wheat pastry flour super exciting, it is very local, this flour comes from Terra Bella Farm in Auxvasse, Missouri, not very far from here at all - about 20 minutes by car.

I am very excited about the flour, as was the woman at the Root Cellar. I had seen whole wheat berries there before, but do not have a grinder. Then when we contemplated getting one, things went awry and we both forgot all about it. Now I just have to figure out what I want to bake with it. We are going to be making some pesto soon since our Genovese basil in the AeroGarden is flippin' huge (more on that below), anyone have any ideas as to what sort of bread I could bake to serve with pesto pasta? Seems like the perfect meal, pesto made from homegrown basil, local garlic, and local walnuts along with some homemade bread made from local flour.

One of my coworkers is a big fan of auctions and garage sales, thanks to her hobby, we have received all sorts of goodies from her: gardening implements, gardening books, and now, vegetarian cookbooks. She went to an auction a short time ago and found 6 vegetarian cookbooks for $1, thought of me, and picked them up for us. I can't wait to look through them. Ann seriously rocks, I have already thanked her profusely but just in case she reads this, thanks again!

On to the garden update. It has been awhile since I have done one of these. We basically gave up on trying to grow anything beyond salad greens, catnip, wheatgrass, and pepper starts since we weren't having much luck with anything else. That is, until we got the AeroGarden. Not only are we getting good herb production from the AeroGarden, the additional light it produces really helps the other plants.

I was planning on starting some seeds for our container and community gardens last weekend, I honestly don't remember what we did on Saturday (no alcohol was involved either, I just have a bad memory), and Sunday my dad and step-mom came down for a brief visit. They brought us a steel, six-shelved, really tall, and sturdy shelf for our kitchen. The thing plain rocks, we have so much more space to work with now! They also brought us a few canisters of different sizes for our flours, sugar, and rolled oats. I was happy enough that they made a visit for no reason (it is usually just holidays and birthdays), but the shelf and canisters are really helpful. Wahoo for storage solutions. So anyways, I got off track as usual, because of all that, I didn't get the seeds started. And this week, well, my excuse is it's been a cross between laziness and working from home. I will get them started eventually. I did make a seed starting plan last night though.

Anywho, check out the progress of our plants. If you saw the last garden update, you may be surprised at how much one of the cayennes has grown.

Our lone jalapeno plant. It is doing better than it was; I'm really not sure why the cayenne has grown so much more than the other peppers.

Our very lush cayenne, the remaining cherry bomb pepper, and our philodendron. This cayenne plant is going to have a great head start when we put it out in the spring.

Here is the other cayenne, it is also looking a lot better and getting quite dense.

As requested, here are a few pictures of the AeroGarden.

Here she be with the light on. I didn't do the best job of arranging the plants in the AeroGarden, I wasn't thinking very spatially when I was planning it, I suppose. Anyway, because of my ill though planning, the Thai Basil, Genovese Basil, and sage have over crowded the mint, oregano, epazote, and chives. They are growing, but not as fast since the tall plants are hogging all the light.

I didn't know if it was better to show a picture with the light on or off, so I decided to do both.

Our Hammond is getting a lot of plant love. :-)

Here it is up close. We have been clipping the basil almost daily and it is going crazy. I think it is time to take about 1/3 of the plant. It should provide more yield and we will have enough basil to make pesto and some sort of Thai dish.

And finally, the one I am most excited about, the epazote! It is finally starting to take off, I can't wait to use some of this, what a treat!

In other garden-related news, we are really enjoying our vermicomposting bin. The worms have taken to the food and we are getting close to starting a second working tray. Those little guys eat!

We shred a lot of paper at my office, and it make excellent bedding for the worms, so I asked if I could have it to feed to our wormies, since it was just going to be recycled, nobody minded, and it sparked curiosity about the worm bin. Some coworkers have even started donating their newspapers to the "worm cause" :-). So we get to reduce waste and produce compost! I emailed some pictures to my coworkers and was even questioned by one's husband about the birthing process (can anyone elaborate, I don't know anything about it, do they lay eggs or what?) and the potential income if they over breed by selling the "excess" as bait. I don't know if I could do that, I think I would feel bad. Is that pathetic?

Anywho, I hope all is well and everyone is having a good week.

I have a date with my food processor, hummus awaits!

'Til next time.