The holidays! I love 'em! While I've spent countless hours in the kitchen over the last month, it's been about three weeks since I actually cooked dinner. Instead, it's toffee this and chocolate-covered caramels that. We've been busy these last few weeks: we went to New York City to visit friends, vacation, and get engaged. We came back from New York with lots of laundry (mainly socks) to wash, holiday shopping and cooking to do, and a wonderful story to tell. So yesterday, when a busy work day left me craving my favorite comfort food (cheese! Need I say more!), I took a mental note of what was...
Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Monday, 7 December 2009
we're all in this together
I'm a month into this vegetarian conversion, and I've got to say... It's going so very well. Last night we had dinner with a handful of some of my very favorite people, including my dear cousin, and the friends hosting us made us the absolute best pot of chili ever. Ryan preempted my request for the recipe written down, proving that he, too, was won over by the meal.The chili abounded with beans in every size, shape, and color; tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, corn, and, instead of the beef, seitan. (For those of you not familiar with seitan, it's a wheat-based meat alternative. Wikipedia, you can...
Monday, 30 November 2009
Thanksgiving wrap-up
Look at that spread! To think, this was only one of three Thanksgivings I was blessed enough to enjoy this year. This one was at my mom's house, and what was so outstanding about hers was the fact that all but ONE vegetable came from her garden. From the top left, clockwise:Green bean casserole (fresh green beans)Gravy, turkey, rolls, and dressingPecan pie (you guessed it, homemade with home-grown pecans)Butternut squash pie (I made this with one of mom's squash)Pickle platter (okra, cucumbers, and tomatoes from the garden; also the one non-garden veggie--olives)Roasted butternut squash and shallots...
Monday, 23 November 2009
veggie chili
As the holidays near, time is a precious commodity. I use most of mine cooking and preparing, gluing silver findings on to glass pendants, rounding corners on cardstock, and deciding exactly which recipe to use. This week we're celebrating Thanksgiving three times, and I couldn't be happier about that. I wish I'd had the time and the wherewithall to take pictures of my cooking extravaganza yesterday (homemade stuffing, two sourdough loaves, spinach and artichoke dip, birthday cupcakes with frosting, and more!) but alas—I've found that it's hard enough just to keep up with the to-do list!In the...
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Part 2: The Reaction
Years ago—and I'm sure that my Dad won't remember saying this, and that's ok—I asked my Dad what he'd think if I became a vegetarian. "I'd disown you, honey." He said it with love, of course, but I detected absolutely no sarcasm in his voice. I laughed it off, as the possibility of me becoming vegetarian was so out there that it didn't matter anyway. But imagine my trepidation when I did in fact decide that I'd be embarking on this journey? All of a sudden, I felt like I was going to have to have The Talk with my father. That I'd have to come out to him as One Who Will Henceforward Revoke...
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Part 1: The Conversion
Before I begin, I want you to know a few things. Most importantly, I grew up on a farm. I don't just mean there was a farm behind our house; I mean, my grandparents ran a working farm as their means of living. We had cattle, sheep, and crops. In the fall, we loved going to the barn because of the trailer full of soft cottonseed. We loved giving the cows salt licks, and I had the distinction of being the oldest so I got to go up to the hay loft, cut open bails with wire cutters, and pitch down hay into the trough. I have known my whole life where beef comes from, and even though my siblings and...
Friday, 30 October 2009
spiced sweet potato pecan muffins
These are an improvement on the current theme... Moist, sweet, spicy, and packed full of nutrients. These are delicious, but I think they can be improved upon still. That said, they're still well worth baking this fall. One bite in and you'll be swept into the season. If you're not, well, you should get that checked out. Spiced Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins1 cup sweet potato puree*2 eggs1/2 cup organic milk1/2 cup low-fat organic yogurt (plain or vanilla is fine!)1/3 cup brown sugar1/3 cup molasses3/4 cup organic 5-grain cereal or oatmeal (the old-fashioned kind, not quick-cooking)1/3 cup Grape Nuts...
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
sunny muffins!
I’m trying, really I am, to create a superb product here. You see, I love baked goods. That bit about "daily bread?" I take it verrrrry seriously.And what I want is a supremely healthy, whole-grain, moist, sweet, slightly spiced and truly inspired muffin to warm up these beautiful fall mornings. (Ok, I live in Texas. They’re not that cold, but still. I want to FEEL like I need to be warmed up. Do me a favor and try to understand, alright? Thanks.)Basically, I want all the flavors of fall to come together in a muffin. And then I want that muffin to give me enough heart-healthy sustenance to last...
Monday, 19 October 2009
Butternut Squash Pie With Pecan Shortbread Crust
The finished product, complete with pecan shortbread crust.Last weekend, I brought home another 10 pounds or so of butternut squash--quickly becoming a favorite of mine. It's packed full of nutrients and is extremely versatile in the kitchen, like many squash are.My mom mentioned that I could make pie with it, which of course got me wild about the idea. After scouring recipes and reading all manner of ways to prepare squash for pies, make nut crusts, and find just the right combination of it all to turn it into something spectacular.... It happened. Though my recipe is based on a combination of...
Friday, 16 October 2009
comfort food
Just a simple recipe today. Comfort Soup3 tablespoons butter3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces1/2 onion, chopped2 cloves minced garlic1 large potato, cut into 1-inch pieces3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch slices1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, cut into 3/4-inch cubes1 handful cilantro2 large handfuls (about 3 cups) swiss chard, cut into inch-long strips1/3 cup chopped chives6 cups stocksalt and pepper to tastePrepare vegetables. In large, heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onions and garlic and cook until aromas are released. Then add the rest of the...
Thursday, 8 October 2009
bad food
No, I'm not referring to something I've cooked recently (thought last night's quiche experiment came out of the oven a little too soon). I'm referring to Cargill, mainly, after reading this piece in the NYT about a woman younger than me who was left paralyzed after eating a hamburger made from any number of indeterminable animals that came from Cargill. (Cargill's not the only company to blame; but it's an easy way to refer to the industrialization of our food industry on a global scale.)This is precisely why the return to local ingredients is so very important. In an effort to eat more fruit,...
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
the weeknight stir fry
Saturday can't come soon enough. That's harvest day; my sister and I are heading to mom's house to pick leafy greens galore from my mom's garden; until the weekend comes, though (and for the last couple of weeks), it's nothing but grocery store organics to get us by. If there's one thing I have learned in the last couple of weeks, it's that brown rice is truly indispensable as a kitchen commodity. After a long day at work, followed by a solid workout, Ryan and I both look for something healthy and filling that can be prepared in little to no time. Enter the weeknight stir fry. I'm quickly becoming...
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
ringing in autumn: butternut squash soup
Folks, there is nothing better than fall.One morning, you wake up to take the dog outside before the sun comes up, and you notice that the air feels crisp. The day never loses its charm; a cool breeze blows by and it smells unlike anything you've experienced all summer. The fresh produce comes in shades of orange, and green, and red; all of a sudden, soup is on the menu.That's when you know it's fall. Not when football starts (because heaven knows it's still hot as hell then); not when school is back in session... But when, suddenly, the air changes and it makes you crave warmth, as if you hadn't...
Monday, 21 September 2009
tri training comes to fruition... a few tips on improving your lifestyle
This past Sunday marked an important moment in my life: I became a triathlete.What started as a birthday present from Ryan (triathlon training and all the fancy gear) evolved into a health and fitness overhaul this summer. Nothing went untouched: it involved food, exercise, positive thinking, and even health care reform.Over the course of the summer, Ryan and I have been making better and better decisions. We've eliminated so many negative things from our lifestyle, especially food-wise; we're eating more vegetables, whole grains, and organic goods than ever before, and we're exercising on a regular...
Monday, 14 September 2009
variety is the spice of life
I’ve missed this blog!! So here’s a really, really long post to show you how MUCH I’ve missed it. Without a picture because, well, I was simply too busy cooking last night to be bothered with the camera. Ah, how I love to write that. Too busy cooking. I'm back in the swing of things.Recently I’ve been inspired by bento boxes—those perfect, colorful, sometimes comical representations of lunch, perfect for picky eaters. What’s so inspiring? They’re packed full of colorful variety, from veggies to grains to fruits. In essence, they’re the perfect idea of a meal that lives up to my high standards.I’m...
Friday, 11 September 2009
beginning to feel like autumn...
So the last month of my life was a little busier than I'd anticipated. But things are calming down, and in the meantime I've experimented with buckwheat flour (post to come soon), made puffy dog treats (more on that later), and have compiled a list of recipes three feet long that I've been waiting to get to! What I'm trying to say is... I'm still here, it's just been a wild end to the summer. And did I mention my first triathlon is in nine days? Yeah, that too.After last night's swim workout (big thanks to my sister Aubrey for motivating me), I tried inviting my brother and sister over for dinner...
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