tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67941673911456151642024-03-06T01:27:53.493-06:00Devouring the Seasons:Mindful, Gluten-Free, Local Eating Throughout the YearTerri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-33127213655648223872011-12-27T08:48:00.006-06:002012-01-03T14:42:22.798-06:00Sugared Cranberries (and Adjusted Expectations)Expectations. Good intentions. Those blasted things trip me up every time! As I sit here (yes, yes, at 8:02 a.m.) typing this and eating rum cake (I know, I know!), I think about all the blogs that rattled around in my head--brilliant, witty blogs with amazing recipes--blogs that I ruminated over and which, ultimately, I never managed to get posted...well, frankly, I am frustrated. Frustrated with myself, and life, and everything else that seems to conspire to thwart all of my best intentions.<br />
<br />
My Christmas holidays were a whirlwind. We scuttled from one person's home to another, trying to make sure no one felt left out, but ending up feeling a bit left out ourselves. The holidays can be an exercise in frustration (bordering on futility!) for those with food allergies. It can be too much to expect others to be able to accommodate our needs, but it can feel a bit like moving house to take a day's worth of holiday fare to another's house in order to feel like we are not just sitting around watching everyone else eat.<br />
<br />
This was my first holiday season since being diagnosed with <a href="http://devouringtheseasons.blogspot.com/2011/04/pass-nutella.html">Eosinophilic Esophagitis</a>. I thought going gluten free was a hurdle last year, but this was . . . more. More exhausting, more frustrating.<br />
<br />
I ended up decided it was easier (and safer) to eat at home and then go to visit family afterwards for the opening of the "extended family" gifts. We had Christmas Eve at my in-law's house, which left no time to baking or early preparation of anything. After getting up at 4:00 a.m. Christmas Day to put the turkey in, then re-awakening to the sound of screeching children around 6:00 a.m., then running late after watching our kids open their gifts from Santa, my menu had to be cut dramatically. This was our first year to NOT have homemade <a href="http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/11/finally-useful-post.html">"Neil Gaiman Cranberry Sauce"</a> and cranberry relish. The fresh green beans were cut from the menu. I didn't even have time to make gravy before we had to gulp down our food and run off to see extended family.<br />
<br />
Later, at Destination #3, everyone else ate cakes and pies. But, alas, they were not "me-friendly." I had not expected it to be. However, it had not dawned on me that, in our trips to and fro, I had not had time to make myself a gluten-free vegan pumpkin pie. I was now acutely aware of the void.<br />
<br />
A litany of car troubles, a much-needed surgery for my husband, and general school and kid stuff had encroached on the holidays and now . . . they are over. Where did they go? I never got around to enjoying them! Where is my hot apple cider? My pumpkin pie? My homemade mincemeat I meant to make? We never made it to see Santa this year (although he did send a lovely letter and a video)! There were not enough Christmas Light drives with sleepy kids, with their tummies full of hot cocoa, murmuring a sleepy "oooohhhh" from the back seat as we drive through the displays.<br />
<br />
The older I get, the more I realized that I have impossibly high standards for the holidays. I am not sure that I will ever have a year where I have baked "enough" or done "enough" to meet my own impossible standards. So, as I scrape the last of the rum cake from my plate, I turn my thoughts to this New Year.<br />
<br />
I want more peace, more affection, more compassion. I want to cut myself a break. I want to enjoy the little things, and stop obsessing over everything I did NOT accomplish.<br />
<br />
So, in that vein, I am posting a recipe. It is a little slip of a thing that doesn't take long, but requires a bit of patience (or passivity...depends how you look at it...its all in the attitude!). The payoffs, however, are remarkable...the stuff of legends as far as my children are concerned.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn604B3pWQq02h0njCUk3vcO2hw6jFKS8cm8MIEhQ9HK-qQsTTGZCraBaYMN0HZPcZDAiZBea7leAJ5oCnD5JmVKddHUwwsc0S_McRoY6N7qQxVBkEM8sMs6uPylGSFcBOY7Ubv4WQpqU/s1600/Sugared+Cranberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn604B3pWQq02h0njCUk3vcO2hw6jFKS8cm8MIEhQ9HK-qQsTTGZCraBaYMN0HZPcZDAiZBea7leAJ5oCnD5JmVKddHUwwsc0S_McRoY6N7qQxVBkEM8sMs6uPylGSFcBOY7Ubv4WQpqU/s320/Sugared+Cranberries.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sugared Cranberries</b></span></div><b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i>For the simple syrup:</i></b><br />
<ul><li>3 cups sugar</li>
<li>2 cinnamon stick (optional)</li>
<li>7 whole cloves (optional)</li>
<li>3 cups water</li>
</ul><br />
<i><b>The star of the show: </b></i><br />
<ul><li>1 package fresh cranberries (about 3 cups)</li>
</ul><br />
<i><b>For rolling:</b></i><br />
<ul><li>1 cup superfine sugar (or take 1 cup granulated sugar and run it through the food processor for a few pulses)</li>
</ul><br />
Mix the sugar and water (and the cinnamon sticks and cloves, if you are using them) in a saucepan. Cook over over medium heat until boiling. Simmer for about a minute, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl or Tupperware container. Make sure the mixture is no longer boiling, then add the cranberries. Cover and refrigerate at least eight hours (overnight works well, too!). Drain the cranberries (but save the liquid, the resulting simple syrup it is perfect for spiced tea or holiday cocktails). Make sure to remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves!<br />
<br />
Put the superfine sugar in a shallow bowl and gently roll the cranberries in the sugar to coat evenly. I will be honest here . . . this part is boring. To make them lovely, you kinda need to roll just one or two at a time (this is NOT one of the cases where you can just <a href="http://devouringtheseasons.blogspot.com/2011/11/spiced-pecans-to-save-your-turkey-day.html">toss it all in a giant zippy bag</a>). But the result is gorgeous. So, if you have little ones, this is a perfect job for them (just remind them to wait until after all the cranberries are done before licking their fingers). Or, if you owe your mother a call, you could roll the berries while she tells you all about your Great-Aunt Estelle and why they aren't speaking.<br />
<br />
When you have had your fill, store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a day or two (assuming they actually last that long).<br />
<br />
They are also LOVELY in a simple glass jar presented as a hostess gift. If you are a very savvy guest, you could also present the hostess with the jar of simple syrup to use in her New Year's cocktails.<br />
<br />
The best part is that the rolling of a small berry is the hardest bit of it. Actually, it is rather relaxing . . . rolling it around in lazy circles. Not sure about you, but I could use a bit more lazy and relaxing. I will put that on my list for the new year. Right under: don't expect so much from yourself all the time.<br />
<br />
Hopefully this new year will be full of new recipes, warm memories, and happy holidays...whichever ones you happen to celebrate.Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-4453151153959865662011-11-23T07:44:00.005-06:002011-12-28T10:02:36.369-06:00Spiced Pecans to Save Your Turkey DayIt's November. Thanksgiving is tomorrow. The next thing you know, it'll be Hanukkah and Yule and Christmas and Kwanzaa and a veritable cornucopia of winter festivities that will keep you baking and partying until your head spins. Whew! Who needs a glass of heavily spiked eggnog? (Or vegan wine, whatever your poison.)<br />
<br />
Now, lets say that, with Thanksgiving looming, you're heading to the in-laws and you really should bring <i>something</i>, but you're so unprepared and haven't a clue what to do because you just <i>don't</i> have the energy to try for the umpteenth year in a row to wow them with your latest culinary masterpiece. And yet, you are loathe to bring something store-bought. <br />
<br />
If you've got just about an hour and a half to kill (most of this time being spent reading that novel you've been trying to finish while keeping an ear out for the oven timer), I've got just the thing for you. It's simple, it's delicious, it's absolutely seasonal, and you could do it with your eyes closed (almost). Or, you know, while you're blogging. Like me.<br />
<br />
What follows is one of only two die-hard traditions I have for the holidays. It is a recipe that has been handed down through my family for, well, at least three generations. (I'm a little foggy as to whether my dearly departed grandmother started this one, or if it was handed down to her by her own mother. Or maybe it was her mother-in-law . . . hmm . . . family history I'll have to clear up at some point.) <br />
<br />
My grandmother made these spiced pecans every year, without fail. That is, until she died when I was sixteen. I went several years after without them, until the day I wised up, realized what I was missing, and called my aunt to get the recipe. Her first response was to chuckle.<br />
<br />
"What?" I asked, nonplussed.<br />
"Do you know what your grandmother used to go through to make those pecans?" asked my aunt, in her silly-mortals voice.<br />
"Er, no . . ."<br />
"I asked her for this recipe years ago, and she told me that she would roll each pecan, by hand, first in the wet mix and then the dry mix, one by one."<br />
Dramatic and much impressed pause. "She didn't," says I.<br />
"She did," said my aunt. "She would spend an entire day, sitting at her table, making pecans."<br />
Another dramatic pause.<br />
"Well, I said to hell with that," my aunt continued. "I'll tell you the shortcut. And if your grandmother ever knew how much time she wasted . . . "<br />
"You never told her?" Me, horrified and amused all at once. If there's one trait that truly defines my aunt, it's her audacity. She takes after her mother.<br />
"I never had the heart to," she said, all heart herself. <br />
<br />
So, here it is in all its glory, my grandma Lillie's recipe for spiced pecans--revised.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHJmVvedS3KiWjEpHTbjNR366PqRymJ33dAqXc8I0zIWVbPA2xo-t4LdxYCEh7AZPKxREqrvbe1cmcs3teDvKcHw-j2UfWrjmraHkuAdr274UEBb50Ej9RnIcoiu77izpRjWebt3VgDs/s1600/Spiced+Pecans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHJmVvedS3KiWjEpHTbjNR366PqRymJ33dAqXc8I0zIWVbPA2xo-t4LdxYCEh7AZPKxREqrvbe1cmcs3teDvKcHw-j2UfWrjmraHkuAdr274UEBb50Ej9RnIcoiu77izpRjWebt3VgDs/s320/Spiced+Pecans.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Lillie's Legendary Spiced Pecans (Revised)</span></u><br />
*One quick rule of thumb to remembering this recipe is that everything is in ones.<br />
<br />
1 lb. shelled pecan halves<br />
1 egg white<br />
1 Tbsp. cold water<br />
1 c. sugar<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1 tsp. cinnamon<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.<br />
<br />
In a large mixing bowl (large enough to easily mix around a pound of pecans), whisk together the egg white and cold water. Add the pecans and stir well until the pecans are thoroughly and evenly coated. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Combine the sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a gallon size plastic baggie. Close the bag tightly (make sure to leave ample air inside to create space) and shake vigorously until the sugar/salt/cinnamon is evenly blended. Carefully dump all of the pecans into this bag with the sugar mixture, close tight (again, with plenty of air for mixing space), and shake the contents like crazy until all the nuts are coated and there is no more loose sugar in the bottom of the bag. (This, my dear friends, is what has saved my aunt and I hours and hours of work every holiday season since my beloved, hard-working grandma passed from this life. May she never find out that we're cheating.)<br />
<br />
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easier cleanup) and pour the coated pecans onto the sheet, spreading them out as evenly as possible. Bake the pecans in the oven, taking them out to stir every fifteen minutes, for a total cooking time of one hour (not counting the time it takes to stir, so you'll have to restart your timer every time you put them back in the oven). Stirring them every fifteen minutes like this is essential. Otherwise, you end up with, as my aunt puts it, "the worlds largest praline." <br />
<br />
Let the pecans cool completely and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Needs no refrigeration and will make your in-laws very happy. Also, they make great little jarred, tinned, or cello-bagged holiday gifts. <br />
<br />
Much love and good eating,<br />
<br />
AngelaTerri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-21463662340346087152011-11-06T15:14:00.007-06:002011-11-06T19:42:18.028-06:00Time for Fall Cooking and Molasses Ginger CookiesThe changing leaves and brisk wind has made me eager to begin baking again. I have long considered Halloween to the be the official start of the Holiday Baking Season. This year is no exception. I have started the process of converting all of our beloved holiday recipes to gluten free and vegan versions. I decided that I needed to work on the recipe for Molasses Ginger Cookies so that we could be snacking on these which I tried to figure out how to make Pecan Pie, but without pecans since I am allergic to them now. Yep, some of these conversions are going to be tricky. This recipe, however, is moist and gingery, with just the right bite of molasses. It conjures memories of raking leaves on a brisk day, picking up fallen pecans, and hurrying inside once my toes got too cold...only to find hot apple cider and cookies fresh from the oven.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1CvSeR0T-XM-tnbeYyaIe3qCCSPhrEBhZdZuNeCRV9e9j6gm8IxQzIth_GWDdGGNROic9PMEUGqa5_DK9UwS-lVke7KLk8W9sJ4a4O9Vl26EoUEveRxWk3ur7oZ-TMdpdUpVwDJgxMQ/s1600/cookies3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1CvSeR0T-XM-tnbeYyaIe3qCCSPhrEBhZdZuNeCRV9e9j6gm8IxQzIth_GWDdGGNROic9PMEUGqa5_DK9UwS-lVke7KLk8W9sJ4a4O9Vl26EoUEveRxWk3ur7oZ-TMdpdUpVwDJgxMQ/s320/cookies3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Ginger Molasses Cookies</b></div><br />
1/2 (1 stick) of vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)<br />
1/2 c. packed brown sugar<br />
1/3 c. molasses<br />
Egg replacer equivalent of 1 egg<br />
1/3 c. teff flour<br />
1/3 c. oat flour<br />
1/3 c. brown rice flour<br />
1 c. sweet rice flour<br />
1/4 c. tapioca flour<br />
2 tsp. baking soda<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1 tsp. xanthan gum<br />
1 tsp. ground ginger<br />
1 tsp. ground allspice<br />
1 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />
Extra granulated sugar for coating <br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. </li>
<li>Beat vegan butter and brown in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add molasses and egg replacer. Beat until well blended.</li>
<li>In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.</li>
<li>Add flour mixture to vegan butter mixture. Beat until dough forms. </li>
<li>Roll dough into generous one inch balls and press one side of dough ball into granulated sugar in shallow bowl. Then place dough ball on cookie sheet and flatten slightly.</li>
<li>Bake approx. 10-14 minutes, or until set.rest on cookie sheet for about one minute after removing from oven, then move to wire rack to cool. </li>
<li>Store in airtight container.</li>
</ol>Makes about 2 dozen cookies.Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-64002899912988248812011-09-25T15:36:00.001-05:002011-09-25T15:45:07.285-05:00Ditch the Box: Easy Spanish Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6WQ0qWC2N7yUEwDUIraoMizaZbWwn6OoILux9AA5UoJjBB1-pHkxoOYgx49njnZeIinu8OGKRBQaIKsUyzIxvdUB4FaWXYh8x9Y3N6feHyRJGKajWMDtnsOnd3LzHlsodxGrxKOcziM/s1600/Spanish+Rice+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6WQ0qWC2N7yUEwDUIraoMizaZbWwn6OoILux9AA5UoJjBB1-pHkxoOYgx49njnZeIinu8OGKRBQaIKsUyzIxvdUB4FaWXYh8x9Y3N6feHyRJGKajWMDtnsOnd3LzHlsodxGrxKOcziM/s320/Spanish+Rice+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If, like me, you've been making quick Spanish rice "out of a box" to round out your Mexican/Spanish meals for all these years, you'll be happy to know (or, I'm assuming you will if you're bothering to read this blog) that I have cracked the code. I have done a little reading and a little experimenting and have deduced that making your own perfectly marvelous Spanish rice from scratch is really no big deal. I have also confirmed, as I long suspected, that the convenience of boxed Spanish rice is a scam. From this hypothesis I will further theorize that ALL flavored boxed rices are no more efficient or "easy" than their from-scratch predecessors, but I will have to prove that theory in future experiments. For now, let's turn to Exhibit A. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY1Cx9Z9p7CxWoX1Pum7Xo66Ib-cvyRKI8Fsg-lMhKONp7q0J_yPhJ4xzKhlXfSELRK6rCdPsEClDSXOAYGDHDzeR6G3KFprq6Z2lOPmGYstGV5ec79VN4J5SZ7u8ooANlrMBlzd4WAc/s1600/Rice+A+Roni+-+Spanish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRY1Cx9Z9p7CxWoX1Pum7Xo66Ib-cvyRKI8Fsg-lMhKONp7q0J_yPhJ4xzKhlXfSELRK6rCdPsEClDSXOAYGDHDzeR6G3KFprq6Z2lOPmGYstGV5ec79VN4J5SZ7u8ooANlrMBlzd4WAc/s1600/Rice+A+Roni+-+Spanish.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ricearoni.com/Products/Rice-A-Roni/Classic_Favorites/Spanish_Rice/Ingredients">Rice A Roni Spanish Rice Ingredients</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">This stuff has been a standard in my household for years. No longer. You see, what I want out of food is something that tastes good, is nutritious, and is as natural and simple as possible. And I mean <i>really </i>natural, not what our food industry calls <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2039685/Food-companies-like-Skinnygirl-Kashi-playing-fast-loose-natural-designation.html">'all natural.'</a> How natural is it if it's been stripped of its nutrients, then a small handful of isolated nutrients are added back in to give us the bare minimum? How natural is it if the flavor has to be enhanced with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosodium_glutamate">MSG</a> and there are things in the ingredient list you've never heard of and couldn't guess what plant or animal they came from, and it's <i>not </i>some exotic foreign food. It's something they came up with in a lab. As <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143114964/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=notefromasent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0143114964%22%3EIn%20Defense%20of%20Food:%20An%20Eater's%20Manifesto%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=notefromasent-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0143114964&camp=217145&creative=399373%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E">Michael Pollan</a> says, <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89876927">"Don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food."</a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">To add to the list of complaints, if you click on the caption under the Rice A Roni image up there, you'll see that WHEAT is listed as the second ingredient on the label (and a soy product is just a little further down). Rice, once one of the most allergy-friendly grains on the planet, the stuff that has sustained millions across the decades, has now invaded our grocery shelves in the form of little boxes and bags (the flavor packet is right in the box, so convenient for the busy working home maker) laced with more allergens and lab-invented ingredients than was ever necessary to make a good, flavorful pot of rice. For some of us, this stuff will kill you. Allergic to wheat and/or soy? Stay well away from boxed flavored rice. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And now the good news, my personal salvation: perfectly good boxless Spanish rice. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><b><u>Spanish Rice</u></b><br />
<b><u><br />
</u></b><br />
Ingredients*:<br />
<br />
2 c. long grain brown rice<br />
Dollop of Olive Oil (1 or 2 Tbsp.)<br />
1 can (14.5 oz or thereabouts) diced tomatoes<br />
1 can (14.5 oz or thereabouts) diced tomatoes and green chilis<br />
1 large onion, chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced (totally optional, Terri)<br />
1 1/2 - 2 cups broth (chicken, veggie, turkey, whateva')<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Chop your onion however you like it, big chunks or little disintegrating bits or somewhere in between (I'm not going to tell you how to run your kitchen). Heat up your dollop of olive oil in a medium-sized pot and cook the onion until it's nearly translucent (or you can go for full caramelization, your choice). Add the minced garlic in the last few minutes, since garlic cooks very fast. At the same time as the garlic, add the rice and stir constantly over medium heat until some of the rice starts to brown slightly. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Add the tomatoes, tomatoes and chilis, any spices if you're going to (see below) and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover, letting it simmer for 35 - 45 minutes, depending on your stove and your rice. Start checking it at about 30 minutes. If the liquid isn't all absorbed, let it keep going. If, at around 40 minutes the rice has absorbed all its liquid but it's still a touch underdone, add a 1/4 c. liquid, put the lid back on, and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Fluff the finished rice with a fork. Eat it with something yummy and Mexican. And know that you have thwarted The Man by making something good from scratch... and it was <i>easy</i>. :)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">*That's the basics. Feel free to spice it up from there, if you wish. I've seen recipes that call for a tsp. or so of oregano, or a few dashes of cumin, or even some fresh cilantro thrown in at the end. Go wild. You'll notice that my amounts on the tomatoes are approximate. I understand that many of our wonderfully resourceful readers might be using their <i>own</i> canned tomatoes (not store bought). If that's you, I commend you, and understand that your cans are probably not exactly a store-standard 14.5 oz. Use your best judgment. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, use 2 if they're very large, and maybe 3 or 4 if they're kinda' small (eyeball it). Do not strain your 'maters. You want all that juice in your rice (it will make up part of your liquid), and a few tomato seeds never hurt anyone (honestly, I've done it with whole tomatoes and never even noticed the seeds). Then, of course, you'll have to add your chilis (even if they're mild chilis, or even bell peppers - you need it for depth of flavor). One or two of those little cans of green chilis will do the trick. But, if you're pulling all this produce out of the garden, you probably already know what kind of peppers you want to use, and again, I'm not one to stop you. You can make it as hot or mild as you wish. This is your show. <br />
<br />
Go forth and cook food.<br />
<br />
~ Angela</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-28680466620569974122011-09-13T20:20:00.003-05:002011-09-14T09:04:20.721-05:00Homemade Gluten Free Vegan NoodlesWhen I first found out that our family was going gluten free, the recipe that I nearly cried at losing was my home made chicken noodle soup. I could not figure out how to have gluten free noodles that tasted like homemade. I did not <i>want</i> rice noodles, and I am allergic to quinoa--so those are out. Plus, I am allergic to eggs...so it decent noodles for a hearty chicken soup seemed to be getting further and further out of my grasp. In desperation, I started experimenting. (Necessity being the mother of invention and all that...)<br />
<br />
What I came up with is somehow al dente yet tender. It can be rolled a bit thicker and used, dumpling like, in a hearty soup, but can also be rolled paper thin. My kids adore these noodles, and I simply do <u>not</u> make my chicken noodle soup with any other noodle.<br />
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Before I go any further, I have to admit...these are starch based. In order to get the texture I wanted this was what worked. No apologies.<br />
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Also, I am posting this (temporarily) without a photo. I will be making my chicken noodle soup soon, so I will post the photo (and the recipe for the soup) then. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u><b>Gluten Free and Vegan Noodles</b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 c. tapioca starch</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 c. cornstarch</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tbs. potato starch</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 tbs. xanthan gum (yes, tablespoons...noodles have to be able to bend a lot!)</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 1/2 tsp. Ener-G egg replacer (combine this with 6 tbs. very warm water, whisk until frothy, and set aside)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 1/2 tbs. vegetable oil</div><ol><li>In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.</li>
<li>Take the the Ener-G egg replacer and water mixture and add the vegetable oil, then add to the dry ingredients.</li>
<li>Work the dough into a ball and knead it a LOT. No, seriously...a lot. It will take a minute or two for the starches to combine and become easier to work with. (If the mixture does not combine well after a few minutes of kneading, you can add a tsp. or two of warm water.)</li>
</ol>At this point, you can either put the dough in a large plastic zippy bag in the fridge and let it set up for a few hours before rolling and cutting into noodles. Or, if you are like me, there is no time. In that case continue to...<br />
<br />
4. Coat your rolling surface with potato starch and roll to desired thickness.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">(Fair warning, they do expand a bit in thickness when they cook, so roll them a bit thinner than you want them to end up.) Also, I often use the pizza cutter to cut the noodles. Works great! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The noodles cook in about ten minutes in boiling water (or just throw them right into your chicken noodle soup recipe)! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I have used these noodles in my homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Chicken Alfredo with great success. (Although, with the chicken allergy, these are now actually Turkey Noodle Soup and Turkey Alfredo at my house...I am just too lazy to train myself to call it something else after 39 years. I'm just happy that I actually got around to modifying the recipe. I really missed noodles!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-19862850700665384272011-09-07T21:31:00.000-05:002011-09-07T21:31:03.661-05:00Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes on a Crisp (Almost) Autumn DayAround our parts, the past weekend had the decided feel of Autumn!!! I responded to the brisk breeze with the need to make something warm and spicy. In the interest of full disclosure, I feel the need to publicly declare my love of pumpkin. I adore pumpkin. So, what better to kick of this glorious change in weather than with PUMPKIN PANCAKES!? <br />
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I modified my old recipe to make it Gluten Free and Vegan, and let me tell you...you won't miss anything. It is really amazing. And, yes, I confess, I really DID eat the first pancake folded in half, dripping with syrup, while I stood over the kitchen sink.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMrIGo_KBGe-sm2iRamZoWCSn_XTIg9qE57taPM2ws4L0tceUJD4GRkcdRUgMGNjJFGA0hXtkGsKBE1rp1wcDGumyvoAHY2Fij_oJqyvmMh44BIRNlwpbC5NvHWggq258biqQ_0pubJ0/s1600/pumpkin+pancake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMrIGo_KBGe-sm2iRamZoWCSn_XTIg9qE57taPM2ws4L0tceUJD4GRkcdRUgMGNjJFGA0hXtkGsKBE1rp1wcDGumyvoAHY2Fij_oJqyvmMh44BIRNlwpbC5NvHWggq258biqQ_0pubJ0/s400/pumpkin+pancake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes</b><br />
<br />
3/4 c. sweet sorghum flour<br />
1/2 c. potato flour (NOT potato starch) <br />
1/4 c. brown rice flour<br />
1/4 c. teff flour<br />
1/4 c. oat flour<br />
1/2 c. brown sugar<br />
3 tbs. ground flax seed <br />
1/2 tsp. salt<br />
1 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp. ground ginger<br />
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg<br />
3 tsp. Ener-G Egg Replacer, mixed with 6 tbs. warm water (mix well before adding)<br />
2 tbs. oil<br />
1 c. + 2 tbs. almond milk<br />
2/3 c. canned pumpkin<br />
<br />
Combine the Ener-G Egg Replacer and warm water, set aside. In a large bowl, combine all the "dry" ingredients and mix together. Add pumpkin, almond milk, and egg replacer. Pour mixture into approx. 4-inch rounds on hot griddle. Flip when the surface starts to bubble.<br />
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This will make about 12 four inch pancakes. I normally double the recipe and have a few left over that I can refrigerate and then microwave the next day for a quick "school day breakfast." The cooked pancakes keep just fine for about 6-7 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, store in zippy bags in the freezer.<br />
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I have been known to make up several batches on a weekend just so I can make sure to have some on hand during the week.<br />
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Also, my daughter has used these as the base for several sweet "snacks," topping them with Nutella, pumpkin butter, and honey butter. Seriously, I have no idea where she gets these ideas. Right...moving on.<br />
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My next fall inspired recipe will be Gluten Free Vegan Molasses Cookies. Did I mention I <i><b>love</b></i> Autumn?Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-43475491506395998532011-08-12T09:06:00.000-05:002011-08-12T09:06:13.559-05:00Carrot Cake Oatmeal, or "How to Deal with a 5:30 a.m. Carrot Cake Craving"The inspiration for carrot cake oatmeal came to me around 5:45 on a Tuesday morning. It was not really a conscious decision, "Hm, I think I will make some...yes, yes, that's it...<i>Carrot Cake Oatmeal!</i>" No, it was more like, "Huh, geez, we got a lot of carrots. I should probably use those before they go bad..."<br />
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The kiddos adored it, the sweetness of the carrots meant that we did not need to add much sweetener (yah!), and my mind quickly started reeling at all the ways I could tinker with it...dollop of sweetened, whippeed cream cheese in top, anyone?<br />
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Two generous servings whip up really quickly (and, yes, I am considering making a baked version of this, the only problem is that carrots react with baking soda and result in the carrots turning green...they are still perfectly fine to eat, but not as aesthetically pleasing...).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP08i6Bmb-devqcKOiTbsVV2d7a3jXlU05eC_ZsKqCnxjeKkmX7YbuX4jWfZwtagfuzYM9yX3gZuI8nv7h6rdjF-EgAcDPA-SX9S40Vr-G6hojXgrDzJkHMdvgOt6XiuZBQGufqtwjmPM/s1600/Carrot+Cake+Oatmeal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP08i6Bmb-devqcKOiTbsVV2d7a3jXlU05eC_ZsKqCnxjeKkmX7YbuX4jWfZwtagfuzYM9yX3gZuI8nv7h6rdjF-EgAcDPA-SX9S40Vr-G6hojXgrDzJkHMdvgOt6XiuZBQGufqtwjmPM/s320/Carrot+Cake+Oatmeal.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Carrot Cake Oatmeal</b></div><br />
<b><i>Ingredients:</i></b><br />
1 c. gluten free oats<br />
2/3 c. shredded carrots (approx. one largish carrot)<br />
2-4 tbs. agave, honey, brown sugar, or other sweetener of your choice (depending on how sweet you like your oatmeal, and how sweet your carrots are!)<br />
1/2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp. vanilla <br />
pinch of ground cloves <br />
pinch of salt<br />
2 tbs. raisins and/or shredded, unsweetened coconut (optional)<br />
2 tbs. toasted pecans or walnuts (optional)<br />
<br />
<i><b>Directions:</b></i><br />
In a large, microwave safe bowl, add gluten free oats and just enough water to cover the oats. Add the shredded carrots (the carrots will release additional water in the oatmeal), and remaining ingredients. Microwave for 1 minutes, stir, then microwave another 1 minute or so (this depends on your microwave, so check after 30 seconds).<br />
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Depending on your idea of "sweet" and the sweetness of your carrots, you may need to add additional sweetener. Or, in the alternative, if you plan on going with the sweetened cream cheese, you may want to go easy on the sweetener in the actual oatmeal. You decide...I promise not to judge.<br />
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I also made on batch of oatmeal with a dollop of whipped cream cheese, for this you just take 2 oz. vegan cream cheese, 2 tsp vegan butter, and 1 c. powered sugar and whip with a hand mixer, then dollop on top of your carrot cake oatmeal or, better yet, bury it in the center of the oatmeal and let it melt a bit and cling to spoon as you delve in!<br />
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This is one of those super easy recipes that can also help ward off a mad carrot cake craving at 5:30 a.m. on a Tuesday...not that I know anything about that.<br />
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Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-63884086220374511852011-08-09T09:31:00.000-05:002011-08-09T09:31:11.139-05:00Back to School and Baked Spice OatmealMy mind has been preoccupied with all things "Back to School." We have successfully purchased new clothes...and backpacks...and underwear...and shoes...and lunchboxes... So now I obsess over what to put <b><u>in</u></b> those new lunchboxes, and what to have for breakfast on those hectic school mornings, and what snacks to pack, and how to provide "treats" when the other kids bring birthday goodies...<br />
<br />
So I will start tackling these conundra one at a time and sharing my ideas here so that, hopefully, it will benefit someone else and perhaps said person will have one less thing to keep <u>them</u> up at night. Yes, I am totally taking one for the team here.<br />
<br />
So, the first thing I have to gush over is baked oatmeal. I love oatmeal, and I firmly believe it is a heck of a lot better than <strike>over-processed sugar in a box</strike> ahem, I mean cereal. And I have developed sneaky ways to make my children like oatmeal, and Baked Spice Oatmeal is one of them<br />
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Baked oatmeal is something like a slightly crumbly, warm oatmeal bar cookie. You can cook it on a Sunday, let it cool, pop it in the fridge, and them microwave it for about 40 seconds during the busy mornings, add a splash of milk (or soy milk, if you prefer, like me), and dig in. A hot breakfast in about the same amount of time it takes to pour a bowl of cold cereal. And, the best part, it that the baked oatmeal stays lovely in the fridge for about a week, so you could very well have a whole week's worth of breakfasts ready with minimal effort!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXLHXcPG0U6ozedkWEW97R4b5m7RPCYtAMG2_v4ozIwJ-cBUY4GMMG3wRkoYe_amxUFoj4p8XhmkrdTYTkdqzSyfv-fK7sezI4RCPH00Ly9nMuTB2QhIMGaYZbyuFSEUIlqU5go4oX9g/s1600/Baked+Spice+Oatmeal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXLHXcPG0U6ozedkWEW97R4b5m7RPCYtAMG2_v4ozIwJ-cBUY4GMMG3wRkoYe_amxUFoj4p8XhmkrdTYTkdqzSyfv-fK7sezI4RCPH00Ly9nMuTB2QhIMGaYZbyuFSEUIlqU5go4oX9g/s320/Baked+Spice+Oatmeal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmm...oatmeal!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Baked Spice Oatmeal</u></b></div><b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i>Ingredients</i></b><br />
3 c. gluten free oats<br />
1 c. brown sugar<br />
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp. nutmeg<br />
2 tsp. baking powder<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1 c. soy milk (or almond milk)<br />
3 tbs. ground flax seed + 9 tbs. warm water, whisked together<br />
1/2 c. melted vegan butter<br />
2 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
3/4 c. dried fruit (I like cranberries, but apricots, raisins, currants, or coconut would all be lovely! You can also add some toasted almonds, if you are so inclined.)<br />
<br />
<i><b>Directions</b></i><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.<br />
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.<br />
3. Stir in soy milk, flax/water combo, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract.<br />
4. Stir in dried fruit, and nuts if so inclined, and spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.<br />
5. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and set.<br />
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Serve hot with a splash of soy milk.<br />
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Later this week, I will be posting another hot breakfast option: CARROT CAKE OATMEAL!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP08i6Bmb-devqcKOiTbsVV2d7a3jXlU05eC_ZsKqCnxjeKkmX7YbuX4jWfZwtagfuzYM9yX3gZuI8nv7h6rdjF-EgAcDPA-SX9S40Vr-G6hojXgrDzJkHMdvgOt6XiuZBQGufqtwjmPM/s1600/Carrot+Cake+Oatmeal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP08i6Bmb-devqcKOiTbsVV2d7a3jXlU05eC_ZsKqCnxjeKkmX7YbuX4jWfZwtagfuzYM9yX3gZuI8nv7h6rdjF-EgAcDPA-SX9S40Vr-G6hojXgrDzJkHMdvgOt6XiuZBQGufqtwjmPM/s320/Carrot+Cake+Oatmeal.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A slightly blurry sneak peak!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-28171510779643478002011-07-29T13:40:00.000-05:002011-07-29T13:40:43.592-05:00Our Late Summer Blues<div style="text-align: justify;">We've been going through a bit of a rough time, Terri and I. It seems as soon as summer hit, the whole world flipped upside down and we've been trying to set it right again ever since. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">If you've been following along at all, you know about Terri's recent diagnosis with <a href="http://devouringtheseasons.blogspot.com/2011/04/pass-nutella.html">eosinophilic esophagitis</a>. This revealed such a slew of <a href="http://devouringtheseasons.blogspot.com/2011/05/reluctant-vegan.html">food allergies</a> that just learning how to work around those things which she can no longer eat has had my dear foodie friend temporarily stumped. We've had some close calls, too. The most recent episode required the use of her now mandatory EpiPen and my rushing my friend to the nearest hospital. We got there fine, the EpiPen did it's job, and the doctors seemed to know how to handle it all. Still... there's nothing fun about sitting in an office bathroom, watching your friend shudder uncontrollably and gag repeatedly, trying to keep her throat from closing up on her. We tried liquid Benadryl, which did nothing, and finally decided on the pen, which she employed herself. I feel a little guilty about that. I was hesitant to stab her and I think she could see it in my face, even through her suffering, without me saying a thing. If it happens again, Terri, I promise not to be too scared if I know it will save your life. I won't say I'll like it, but I will do what needs to be done, I swear. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In my world (the part of it that doesn't directly include Terri), time has been swallowed up by home renovations and trying to keep my garden from dying a sad, crispy death. It's been a long, hot, exhausting haul, feeling always behind the 8 ball and dragging my sore, sorry ass to work with a groan every Monday after the weekend's work. To say it's been hot is, as I'm sure most of you know, the understatement of the century. We're at nearly 30 consecutive days of over 100 degree weather, and there's no sign of it ending anytime soon. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwDboCZe38Y7kfO7h1qnhDNEZXyGaoqsIBB-X7CsXSdOP7eiEZPKRjIHBxmwxPZlYypzqHZwrTamepF-UkWa_B3TJ3Cfdb87aqM166vJ7t1eQY_1ZUdL2IASxoMZrilGCF7-KWhsDp9w/s1600/heat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiwDboCZe38Y7kfO7h1qnhDNEZXyGaoqsIBB-X7CsXSdOP7eiEZPKRjIHBxmwxPZlYypzqHZwrTamepF-UkWa_B3TJ3Cfdb87aqM166vJ7t1eQY_1ZUdL2IASxoMZrilGCF7-KWhsDp9w/s320/heat.png" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, maybe not THIS hot, but still...<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Fight as we may, there have been a few casualties in the garden, though much fewer than we would have expected. The tomatoes, for instance, are a topic of constant discussion lately. People in our area are reporting that their tomato plants, while green, strong, and full of flowers, are bearing little to no fruit, and we are no exception. One theory is that the excessive heat is causing the flowers to drop off without ever being pollinated. I don't know. That might be it. All I know is, we've got over 30 tomato plants and the only ones producing with any fervor are the cherry tomatoes. From the rest, I believe we've gotten a total of three tomatoes so far. Maybe we're all just impatient and maybe the tomatoes will wow us in weeks to come. I hope. All I can do is hope...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our other casualties, the onions, were victims of friendly fire. We got a soaker hose, you see, to fight the heat and lack of rain, and this has done wonderfully well for most of our plants. But, while the onions' tops looked lush and healthy, we discovered one day that the roots...the <i>onions</i>...were rotting. In a panic, we pulled them all up and salvaged as many as we could. Onions, apparently, do not like wet fee. Sigh. Live and learn.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">All in all, as hot as it's been, and as little time as I've had to tend to the garden properly, the rest of the plants are doing well. The sweet potato vines, of course, are in absolute heaven, since they like it hot--the hotter the better, I hear. And we've even managed to start a late <a href="http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/teach/2003045238014436.html">Three Sisters</a> patch that is thriving under our nightly rainmaking ritual. We planted corn, green beans, and pumpkins (big carvers and little sugar pie pumpkins) a couple of weeks ago, and I was so afraid that the scorching sun would kill our darlings. But the nightly watering seems to be working. The seedlings have all sprouted, big and strong, looking like they could take over the world. That's one recent delight I am glad to have experienced. Nothing brightens a tired heart like watching your babies grow. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There have been a few more spots of joy in this long stretch of days... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We recently learned that our favorite <a href="http://www.gardenvarietymama.com/">Garden Variety Mama</a> is expecting a little one of her own. We are so thrilled for you, GVM, and wish you a healthy, happy pregnancy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also, rumor has it that this very same bloggeress, GVM, will be getting her <a href="http://devouringtheseasons.blogspot.com/2011/07/sauerkraut-straight-up.html">kraut</a> on any day now. We hope to see posts on her fermenting adventures soon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Our </i>kraut finished fermenting a week and a half ago (July 11), though the evil time-vacuum prevented me from posting about the blessed event. Terri received a jar, which she devoured in no time flat, and I've got a jar and half left in the fridge. At this rate, I'd better get krauting again soon! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There will be more recipes to come, fellow devourers, we promise you that. We thank you for your patience, we love you for your support, and we respect you for sticking it out with us. You're all troopers, you know. When the world outside threatens to incinerate all your best laid plans, and your foodie world has changed the rules of the game without warning or apology, it's good to know you're not alone...and that this, too, shall pass. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">~ Angela</div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-44969116180653905382011-07-10T15:24:00.016-05:002011-07-11T09:17:42.906-05:00Stone Fruit Patchwork PieRipe peaches, dripping with juice, and plump sweet cherries, and (just this once) I threw in a few plums and apricots that were hangin' out in the fridge...it <b><i>is</i></b> a Stone Fruit Patchwork Pie, right? This recipe was adapted from a recipe I have had for ages, but I had to update it to make it gluten free and vegan. I passed the gluten-y version on to Angela to use, but this incarnation tastes just as fabulous.<br />
<br />
Let me assure you, this may be the the <u>most</u> forgiving recipe I have adapted. You can use whatever stone fruits you have on hand (peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, or nectarines) or some mixture of all of them. I have made the pie with frozen fruit, in a pinch, but honestly, with cherries in abundance and peaches ripe for the picking, there is no excuse not to take advantage of the summer's bounty.<br />
<br />
As an aside, this is also an awesome time to be putting up some of that bounty for winter, if you haven't already started. This weekend I froze some cherries...<br />
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(Why is it that once all the hard work is done, THEN the helpers show up?)<br />
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I also diced up peaches to make a couple of pints of peach freezer jam!<br />
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And then I settled down to make my masterpiece...<br />
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<br />
<b>Stone Fruit Patchwork Pie</b><br />
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<b><i>For the Crust:</i></b><br />
1/2 c. oat flour (can use gluten free oats that have been whirled a bit in the food processor)<br />
1/4 c. sweet rice flour<br />
1/4 c. corn starch<br />
1 tbs. sugar<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/4 c. ice water <br />
1/2 c. tapioca starch (or cornstarch, if you prefer) for rolling out dough<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 9 inch pie pan or a 9" x 12" rectangular cake pan.<br />
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1. Mix the flours, corn starch, sugar, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Cut in vegan butter (I used Earth Balance).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbraYtYuIm7D4RYLbtk_FrK5XI8wJUmCwQdW_9-OdBYBT10unDm7GxDxF3wV7TCL7MonzBnQ0tykZVrPTs3Ik2fi-bT76_43l7QyLL4HoXJ3cr6w0EMRn_K3-aLkNqAIMMrx-DRkS298/s1600/blog8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbraYtYuIm7D4RYLbtk_FrK5XI8wJUmCwQdW_9-OdBYBT10unDm7GxDxF3wV7TCL7MonzBnQ0tykZVrPTs3Ik2fi-bT76_43l7QyLL4HoXJ3cr6w0EMRn_K3-aLkNqAIMMrx-DRkS298/s320/blog8.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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2. Add the ice water and mix until combined.<br />
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<br />
Put the dough in the fridge while you prepare fruit.<br />
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<i><b>Fruit Filling</b>:</i><br />
4 c. stonefruit<br />
3/4 c. sugar<br />
1 tbsp. lemon juice<br />
1/2 c. cornstarch<br />
<br />
1. Peel and cut up stonefruit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsvpQMk1x_ukEx6zl5Gs1PJdJe3q9Zqv45Q-aJSWaAxUzZaRYSVZSOdrXzullb4zYLrkuYgCyUx8RNHD54Mt0qCX5Xy38JGJ6y29VLDD845etGLH-ODc0nhkRw3YytgKAEpvw2jzFCBA/s1600/blog5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUsvpQMk1x_ukEx6zl5Gs1PJdJe3q9Zqv45Q-aJSWaAxUzZaRYSVZSOdrXzullb4zYLrkuYgCyUx8RNHD54Mt0qCX5Xy38JGJ6y29VLDD845etGLH-ODc0nhkRw3YytgKAEpvw2jzFCBA/s320/blog5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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2. Add sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss well to coat fruit.<br />
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3. Pour into prepared pan.<br />
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Roll out the dough, using tapioca starch to keep it from sticking.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rQPQG3TshralOvcZ5LjF9PAu0D5eoL8VMpyamY047Xx3NNUCoHGGibv-yiDi5-Gz0d7fC4oLerScUJzr0EggP29-H7pSUlxdIGAlfCGq-Lx4fJjEjY0KKBGpaoiZAiRbhCgspmPfjeU/s1600/blog9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rQPQG3TshralOvcZ5LjF9PAu0D5eoL8VMpyamY047Xx3NNUCoHGGibv-yiDi5-Gz0d7fC4oLerScUJzr0EggP29-H7pSUlxdIGAlfCGq-Lx4fJjEjY0KKBGpaoiZAiRbhCgspmPfjeU/s320/blog9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Cut into random shapes (a pizza cutter works well for this). Take the pieces of dough and arrange over fruit. Cook approx. 35-45 minutes, or until crust starts to brown.<br />
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This quickly became my family's favorite summer time pie, and it whips up really quickly, tastes amazing the next day, and stores well in the refrigerator. What more could you ask for in a pie?<br />
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Gluten free pie crusts are notoriously obnoxious to move after rolling them out (since gluten is what makes things nice and pliable), but this patchwork top takes care of that problem nicely. No more attempting to transfer a perfectly rolled crust only to have them crack! You may decide to make all of your pies as patchwork pies. I wouldn't blame you at all.Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-75243318265356963652011-07-06T13:55:00.002-05:002011-07-06T14:31:38.420-05:00Sauerkraut Straight Up<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7HpJX8lNrOj1j85oESlvJZ-D5bHMZp3jTAp4kjxmmHGr8-ZAFiMx-Ij3gxthZKcpTUAOEW1LRf9yM2Me0-PBIy0zzgcKqsNaGKYgA41cR1Ew-PovbdDsaHWE7aZwJGpeKfjefqhJq94/s1600/cabbage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7HpJX8lNrOj1j85oESlvJZ-D5bHMZp3jTAp4kjxmmHGr8-ZAFiMx-Ij3gxthZKcpTUAOEW1LRf9yM2Me0-PBIy0zzgcKqsNaGKYgA41cR1Ew-PovbdDsaHWE7aZwJGpeKfjefqhJq94/s320/cabbage.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This cabbage is a beauty underneath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A couple of weeks ago, Terri brought me two heads of cabbage out of her in-law's garden, and I knew it was time. Time to kraut. </div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">What, you don't kraut? Oh, honey, we gotta' get you krauting! Why? Well, first let's say that you, like me, happen to love sauerkraut. It's tangy and sour and gives this fresh zingy brightness to all that it touches. Kraut on dogs, on brats, on Reuben sandwiches (the mention of which tends to make me swoon). Kraut with your mashed potatoes. Kraut on the side of anything, straight up and unadulterated. Hell, I've even heard of people putting kraut on pizza (vegan or otherwise)! Or, let's say you're not sure about this whole sauerkraut thing, having only tried it when you were eight years old and your grandma made you. You hated it then and haven't bothered to try it since, <i>but</i> you happen to be vegan now, or one of the lucky people recently diagnosed with a serious dairy allergy (ahem, I know no one like this, of course) and you have heard that you can get the same kind of digestive health benefits from eating lacto-fermented vegetables (such as the aforementioned sauerkraut) as you would from yogurt or kefir, and you'd like to give it another chance. If either of these sound like you, even a little, and if you have a touch of DIY spirit, then I propose you grab a couple of cabbages (green, purple, whateva') and come with me. We've got some krauting to do!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I started my sauerkraut a week ago, but I'll walk you through the steps to get it started. Making your own sauerkraut is so easy that, if you've ever been intimidated by the thought, you're about to start kicking yourself. Anyone can do this. (<i>I'm</i> doing this, so it's gotta' be true). Let's start with your ingredient/supply list. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">You will need:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">5 lbs. cabbage, shredded (approx. 2 heads, give or take)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">3 Tbs. coarse salt (Kosher or coarse ground sea salt are the top preferences)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A large glass or ceramic bowl/crock/vessel big enough to hold 5 lbs. cabbage*</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Something to weight the cabbage down (gallon jug of water, large heavy duty plastic bag of water, etc.)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Keep in mind, if you decide to go with purple cabbage, you will end up with hot pink kraut. Some people love this. I'm not quite so into hot pink, but I hear it all tastes the same, so if that's your bag, I'm not gonna' stop you. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Another thing to mention, right at the start, is that, aside from the initial slicing of the cabbage, once you start your sauerkraut you want to keep metal out of the entire process. At least, that's what the "experts" seem to say, and I'm not expert enough to argue with them. Even if you're just fishing out a bite to taste, use plastic or wood so you don't mess it up. I have found that chop sticks work quite well for kraut tasting. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">First things first, you've got to shred your cabbage. Some people say it's so much faster if you use a food processor. I say these are lies, all lies. The first time I made kraut, I tried using my food processor. By the time I lugged the damned thing out of the cabinet and got it set up, halved the cabbage, cored the cabbage, and cut the cabbage into small enough wedges to fit into the little food processor's feeder shoot (whatever you call that thing you feed your victims... I mean <i>veggies</i>... into), I could've been done shredding my cabbage with my bare hands. In fact, the food processor was such a pain in the arse that I ended up slicing the rest of my cabbage with a knife halfway through the process, anyway. So, do it however you wish, but I'm sticking with my knife and cutting board. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The thing about slicing cabbage into shreds is that half the work is already done for you. The stuff practically shreds itself as you slice. The hardest part is slicing the head in half and coring it. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">To execute this initial step, place the head on a cutting board, grab a big, long, sharp knife, and start slicing through the center. It helps if you do this with the core down, so you've got some momentum by the time you hit the hard part. Once you get the head split in half, start cutting out the core. I do this by cutting at an angle on either side of the core, in a V shape. See?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFxmU3Ch_hOCqdJb2vC3hlstgM7yd0dekICkqMTqinuUFxIYbCbZIFp9TKUFHKLAlJmK7jkRg-rAbKwSB2iZQKMtOEXGQA2wwDIb4IxOh3OzGgVH7CaHHpXV6QDNMmAVajAfrQoNNTtw/s1600/cabbage+core.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFxmU3Ch_hOCqdJb2vC3hlstgM7yd0dekICkqMTqinuUFxIYbCbZIFp9TKUFHKLAlJmK7jkRg-rAbKwSB2iZQKMtOEXGQA2wwDIb4IxOh3OzGgVH7CaHHpXV6QDNMmAVajAfrQoNNTtw/s320/cabbage+core.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coring Cabbage</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Once you've got it cored, the rest is easy. Just cut the halves into manageable sizes (quarters are usually fine) and start slicing, as thin as you like. Then, place all of this in your big bowl. It's okay if you have to mound it up on top and you're thinking there's no way this will all fit. Once you get it salted, it will wilt and fit just fine. You can see how mine looks here. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 lbs cabbage in a punch bowl</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Next, you mix your salt in with your cabbage. Go ahead and stare at your overflowing bowl o' cabbage again. Yes. You're going to need another bowl. It's just too much stuff to mix in one bowl without spilling it everywhere (unless the vessel you're using is super massive, in which case please tell me where you found such a monstrosity). I grabbed the ceramic crock from my crock pot and put half my cabbage in that. Then I sprinkled half the salt over each container of cabbage and went to work with my clean, washed hands, turning and mixing in the salt, so it was distributed fairly evenly throughout. Once you've got all your salt mixed into all your cabbage, go wash the clinging bits off your hands and wait about twenty minutes (give or take) for the salt to do it's thing. Go read a book or something (Terri would undoubtedly suggest <a href="http://www.amazon.com/George-Martins-Thrones-4-Book-Boxed/dp/0345529057?ie=UTF8&tag=notesfromasent-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Game of Thrones</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=notesfromasent-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0345529057" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">[H<i>ell, yeah! ~terri</i>] </span>to keep you company, whereas I'm currently enthralled with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passage-Novel-Justin-Cronin/dp/0345504976?ie=UTF8&tag=notesfromasent-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Passage</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=notesfromasent-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0345504976" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> or a great little gardening book I found called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Eat-More-Dirt-Diverting-Instructive/dp/0767909208?ie=UTF8&tag=notesfromasent-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Eat More Dirt</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=notesfromasent-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0767909208" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />). </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When you come back to your salted cabbage, it should be somewhat wilted and, if it was a nice fresh cabbage, should have started to make a generous amount of juice. If there isn't much liquid yet, do this next step anyway, and I'll help with that in a minute.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">What you want to do is press all the cabbage down to where the liquid covers the top and none of the cabbage is poking out of the liquid. You do NOT want your cabbage (kraut) being exposed to the air (for long). The salty liquid (brine) is your kraut's protection. You see, the salt inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria, while allowing the beneficial bacteria (namely <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactobacillus">lactobacillus</a>) to invade and conquer. So, in order to accomplish this balance, you must have enough liquid, and you must have a way to weight the cabbage down so it is completely submerged in said liquid. Lots of people will tell you to use a plate to weight down your cabbage. If a plate will fit into your vessel, by all means start pressing the cabbage down with the plate, adding the rest of the cabbage back into your big bowl and pressing until it all fits in one container. If the plate thing isn't working for you, you'll have to find another setup. Here was my compromise:</div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauerkraut under weight - top view</td></tr>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ab0iSc6EzQZyf-fGk8pCLB75lFZI9sObdEVKfkSX0JRxaOXzKFIx-AhnfwVAB5OG-PR7Po7nfyFGkjHvhTEwIIJz_gisOgklHPmlsxpV3jiK4KUNQ6Y0AElA_KWMXaBjbosz-472NQY/s1600/100_0996%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ab0iSc6EzQZyf-fGk8pCLB75lFZI9sObdEVKfkSX0JRxaOXzKFIx-AhnfwVAB5OG-PR7Po7nfyFGkjHvhTEwIIJz_gisOgklHPmlsxpV3jiK4KUNQ6Y0AElA_KWMXaBjbosz-472NQY/s320/100_0996%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauerkraut under weight - side view</td></tr>
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What you're looking at is a large, gallon size plastic bag (I went with a freezer bag because I was paranoid about trusting a regular bag not to break), full of water, sitting on top of my kraut, which is covered by plastic wrap (not sealed tight, just enough to keep the cabbage from floating up) and a plate. The plate is to help compress this all in the first couple of days, but as my kraut gets lower in the bowl, the plate will go (because it won't fit all the way down in there) and it'll be just the plastic wrap and gallon bag of water. To go entirely plateless, you can get a large, heavy duty food grade plastic bag filled with water, and just set it right into your vessel so it fits the form of whatever it's sitting in. I imagine something you'd have to knot at the top, but which isn't so specifically square like my Ziploc bag. There are ways. I trust you'll come up with something.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now, let's address the possibility that your cabbage hasn't made enough liquid to cover it yet. This is what happened to me. But I vaguely remembered that it can take up to a day to accomplish this, especially if your cabbage has been chilling in the fridge for awhile before you made your kraut, since cabbage tends to lose moisture during storage. I also remembered that if it <i>still</i> hasn't made its own liquid after a day, you can add some brine and call it good. Which is what I ended up doing. But first, I made a horrible mistake. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkKu1J6AV503NvK9PhzhgpVFR7TVr19qr4vxxaruiRxZmy1P77jV4NmmgPrNpYcjJVHQgDPOrl21zhTYPI0w1hmxeAYRczp-StKX0kGaX3xVtD7NJuEChVISK3YVCssw45F1KMmFiRUo/s1600/100_0999%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkKu1J6AV503NvK9PhzhgpVFR7TVr19qr4vxxaruiRxZmy1P77jV4NmmgPrNpYcjJVHQgDPOrl21zhTYPI0w1hmxeAYRczp-StKX0kGaX3xVtD7NJuEChVISK3YVCssw45F1KMmFiRUo/s320/100_0999%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauerkraut exposed to air too long</td></tr>
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Do you see the black spots on my cabbage? Yeah... see, this is what happens if you get busy and forget to check on your juice-less cabbage. This is also what happens when you have to reinvent the wheel every time you do something, like I typically do. My poor naked cabbage, with its pathetically inadequate amount of juice, sat under its weight (but otherwise exposed) for three days.<br />
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Luckily, kraut has a forgiving soul. I simply pulled off the first inch or so and tossed the bad stuff. Underneath, all was still well. I made my fervent apologies to the surviving kraut and went to work making some brine to cover it up properly. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If your kraut doesn't produce enough of its own juice to cover by THE VERY NEXT DAY (don't do what I did and assume it's taking care of itself), heat up 4 cups of water to warm-enough-to-melt-coarse-salt-in in the microwave, then stir in 3 ½ Tbs. salt until melted. This is your brine. If it's warm enough to cook cabbage, please don't pour it over your kraut yet. Wait until it's cooled off. We do NOT cook our kraut.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">At this point in my process, I had another mishap. I remembered reading somewhere that you should press a towel into your kraut, you know, to keep it from floating over the top (which sounded more rustic, and perchance more practical, than my plastic wrap). This was stupid. The towel, after a couple of days, absorbed all my brine and wicked it into the air to evaporate. Don't do this. Now, I've added more brine and gone back to my original setup of plastic wrap (you could probably use cheesecloth, if you wanted) to keep the kraut from floating to the top of the brine, and the gallon bag o' water to weight it all down and keep it submerged. If you're using a plate, you still need to weight it down. You can use the bag of water or a gallon jug full of water or anything else heavy enough to keep the kraut compressed and submerged. Then I place a clean dish towel over the <i>top</i> of the whole thing (not touching the brine) just to keep gnats and dust and such out. We don't want dusty, gnatty kraut. Ew... <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">[<i>*shudder!* I hate bugs! ~ terri</i>]</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">If you lose brine over time, I'm sure you've learned by now you can always add more. Just be sure to check it daily. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Also, if you start to see mold growing on top of the brine, just scrape it off and toss it. It won't hurt you or the kraut. Keep going.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">There is no exact deadline for when your kraut is done. It's all a matter of taste. You can start tasting it after about three days, but don't expect much. I'm at a week at the time of this writing, and I don't think it's ready yet. The longer it sits, the more the flavor develops. At the moment, it's definitely sour, but it's got a little too much cabbage bitter, which I hope will mellow as the sour heightens. I think it might take another week. But it might take longer than that. Some people let their kraut ferment for a month or two. I haven't yet had the patience for that, and I don't know what it tastes like after such a long process, but you can feel free to do it however you want.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When you think the kraut is finished, put it in tightly lidded jars with brine covering the top inch-ish of each, and store in the refrigerator for several months. I know you can also can or freeze it, but it keeps so long in the fridge that I've never seen a reason to preserve it any other way.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'll check back in when my kraut is "done" and I decide to jar it up. If all goes well, some of this delicious digestive tonic will be going to this redhead I know who could use a little kraut in her life.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> [<i>so then I can blog about making some sort of vegan, gluten free Reubens! ~ terri</i>] <span style="color: #274e13;">[</span><i style="color: #274e13;">Dude, if you figure out VGF Reubens, you gotta' let me in on the taste-testing. I'm just sayin'. ~ angela</i><span style="color: #274e13;">]</span></span><br />
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Cheers!<br />
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~ Angela</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">* A note on finding the perfect setup for fermenting your kraut. You will often be told to use a large bowl and a plate that will fit just inside the bowl. I have found that this is almost an impossible combination. In my searches, nearly all the big bowls I found (large salad bowls, punch bowls, the crock from my crock pot) are either too small for an average plate, or too wide. Also, if a plate "fits perfectly" at first, as the kraut loses mass and the plate has to sit further and further down, this prefect fit is quickly lost. It's maddening. But don't make yourself crazy over it. It doesn't HAVE to be a plate. It can be another bowl that will sit inside (like nesting bowls), a lid from something, or a food-grade plastic bag. I use a glass punch bowl I found at Goodwill and various combinations of plastic bag full of water, plate, and whatever else I can find. Just keep the kraut compressed and covered in brine and it will do it's work. </div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-72126883465195459302011-06-24T13:48:00.004-05:002011-06-24T16:35:19.708-05:00My Cocoa Smoothie Addiction - Revealed!Angela and I have NOT abandoned you. I swear. We have simply been tending gardens, and freezing food, and figuring out how to cook with all the new food-allergy-related restrictions. But, never fear, I am finding my footing and have several recipes in the works right now!<br />
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For my part, I have frozen six quarts of blueberries and four gallons of broccoli, as well as about three gallons of cauliflower. I also made up about a quart of turkey stock (without garlic...I have had to resort to making my own, because I cannot find a brand without it!).<br />
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As for my plans for THIS weekend, I hope to freeze a few strawberries this weekend, and also freeze some shredded zucchini for zucchini bread. (Hmm, I may have to go ahead and make a nice batch of vegan/gluten free zucchini bread, while I am at it.) Oh, and most likely I will make more turkey stock.<br />
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I have also been freezing (and then promptly using) between one and two gallon bags worth of bananas every week. I use them in my smoothies, but if I just leave the bananas on the counter they tend to get eaten (or half eaten) by the kiddos. However, I have found that if I peel the bananas and cut them into rounds, then put them in a single layer on a cookie tray in the freezer, I can bag them up for future use. Then, just like magic, there they are, right where I left them, uneaten! Go figure! I have now decided that I should hide all of my favorite foods in the freezer to keep them safe from little fingers! <br />
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I have also developed an addiction to Cocoa Smoothies, which does not really have a recipe, but it basically goes like this:<br />
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(First, and apology: I keep finishig off the <strike>addictive little beauties</strike> smoothies before I have a chance to take a photo, but I will make another batch tonight and post a photo then.)<br />
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Cocoa Smoothies<br />
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1 large banana<br />
1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa<br />
Approx. 2 tbsp. agave (or honey, if you prefer)<br />
2 c. flax milk (or other milk, milk-type, milk-ish product of your choice)<br />
If you want, you can also add a tablespoon of some sort of nut butter<br />
Two big handfuls of ice<br />
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Whirl it all around in your blender, and drink up! If it seems a bit thick, add more milk, if you like it sweeter add more agave. You get the gist! This makes two of those conservative "that's what they <i>allege</i> are servings" or one nice "over-sized glass serving"...your choice.<br />
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I have to confess, I am addicted to the stuff. Especially with the summer heat that seems to have a firm hold around these parts. I like mine straight up (no nut butter)...it reminds me of a slightly melted chocolate milkshake (without all the allery issues)...just creamy, chocolaty goodness. This makes me happy. The kids loved it, too! We also made several fruity versions, too, but that is a post for another day. For now though, it is Friday, and my fridge is full, and I have another Cocoa Smoothie to make (and photograph).<br />
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~TerriTerri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-8108455974016535232011-06-20T09:33:00.002-05:002011-06-20T09:46:32.870-05:00Simple Succulent Blueberry Sauce<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfqG0NDCzjJ_3gM04zUSQcMz2C8WQguybHUCCnl8w2Gs7v_RqV5eBj3PirOarICt5yUaX76djGqyMfnPtAyetHhtRqnevfN_tdeCKPsmi-Rf1awDo3AVuLLE9iyryYLSvhHJAldkQ5OE/s1600/Blueberries+-+the_girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfqG0NDCzjJ_3gM04zUSQcMz2C8WQguybHUCCnl8w2Gs7v_RqV5eBj3PirOarICt5yUaX76djGqyMfnPtAyetHhtRqnevfN_tdeCKPsmi-Rf1awDo3AVuLLE9iyryYLSvhHJAldkQ5OE/s320/Blueberries+-+the_girl.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_girl/26994859/">Blueberries</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">This is sort of a drive-by blog, but I made the most glorious blueberry sauce yesterday and I had to tell you about it. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to take photos. So, thank you, <a href="http://search.creativecommons.org/?q=image">Creative Commons</a>, for bailing me out yet again, and to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/the_girl/">the_girl</a> for taking this lovely image and sharing it with the world. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, onto that blueberry sauce! It's berry time, and Terri and I have found ourselves with a veritable cornucopia of blueberries lately. We will be freezing most of these to be used in future baked goods and smoothies, and potentially making a whole lot more blueberry sauce after yesterday's experiment. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was Father's Day, so I wanted to do something special for breakfast. With our glut of blueberries on hand, I thought I'd try my hand at French toast with blueberry sauce. The sauce turned out to be so simple, it almost makes itself. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br />
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<u><b>Simple Blueberry Sauce</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u><b><br />
</b></u></div><div style="text-align: justify;">11 oz. (approx.) of fresh blueberries (I'm sure frozen would work just as well)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">1/4 c. sugar (I used evaporated cane juice, but regular white sugar would work)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">* If you're making this sauce to go with pancakes, French toast, or the like, start the sauce first. It can simmer while you prepare the rest of your breakfast.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rinse the berries (if they're fresh) and put into a small sauce pan. Sprinkle with sugar and stir, smashing a bit as you go, with a wooden spoon (preferably). You want the berries to release their juices, but you'll want some of them to remain whole for that oh-so-desirable burst-in-your-mouth effect later. After you've smashed them up, let them sit a few minutes (10-ish), then cook them over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they start to simmer. Turn the heat down and keep them at a low simmer, still stirring occasionally, until the sauce is a rich, deep purple and is as thick as you want it. Mine took about twenty minutes. The longer it cooks, the thicker it gets, so for all you control freaks out there, the power is all yours.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When it's all said and done, it should look a lot like this:</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpPNtYTUK7YV7PDa-I5IyRiLMpy4njFzIYVOfAjknF6Poh5AF51vZpHpZOtlIAP2EoPZOXo_vpVAxqs_kDvSQiAeZywbQks4jvKxHuKa_v0GMrZvEkGJOh2pBdnfMIndFOOKsW7G9JrQ/s1600/Blueberry+Sauce+by+wentongg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpPNtYTUK7YV7PDa-I5IyRiLMpy4njFzIYVOfAjknF6Poh5AF51vZpHpZOtlIAP2EoPZOXo_vpVAxqs_kDvSQiAeZywbQks4jvKxHuKa_v0GMrZvEkGJOh2pBdnfMIndFOOKsW7G9JrQ/s320/Blueberry+Sauce+by+wentongg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wentongg/2678944433/">Blueberry Sauce by wentongg</a><br />
Another brilliant save via Creative Commons</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">A few short notes on this: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">First, many recipes call for a tablespoon or so of lemon juice. I didn't see the point, so I left it out. We didn't miss it in the least. But, I imagine, if you were not going to eat the sauce right away, and attempt to jar and refrigerate it for future use, the lemon juice might keep it fresh longer or keep it from discoloring? I can't imagine blueberry sauce discoloring, but I haven't tried storing it yet, either, so if you have ever had your blueberry sauce/jam/syrup turn weird colors, let us all know in the comments. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Second, I would definitely double or triple this recipe if you're feeding several people. This made enough sauce for my husband and I, so I'd say, what with his going back for seconds and thirds, it makes enough for three people. My son bowed out of the blueberry sauce (his loss!) and went for the maple syrup instead. There's just no accounting for taste.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Third, if your gastro-imagination is lacking, I would like to suggest that this sauce would be fantastic on pancakes, ice cream, waffles, cheese cake, or any other thing you can think of to top with saucy, sweet blueberry goodness. Also, this could be a straight syrup if you strained it through cheesecloth to remove the blueberry bits. I see absolutely no reason why this would ever be necessary (why on earth would you miss out on that bursting blueberry sensation?), but... to each her own. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy saucing!<br />
<br />
~ Angela</div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-63764262613814407592011-05-28T11:48:00.000-05:002011-05-28T11:48:49.376-05:00Learning to Feed Ourselves<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcsWYJKTGY_iFzyKjLcjkW-F50aDUmp1N1gp7AW_Q0R1_g9luD0az0ETx87AORmgQCevv8KnQcoJBzmygfqDC4hhl0ycPUxovsZ6QiRtHuVbOW-WmIkce2bTGqfQT68wDIyfCmM3lY08/s1600/victorygarden300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcsWYJKTGY_iFzyKjLcjkW-F50aDUmp1N1gp7AW_Q0R1_g9luD0az0ETx87AORmgQCevv8KnQcoJBzmygfqDC4hhl0ycPUxovsZ6QiRtHuVbOW-WmIkce2bTGqfQT68wDIyfCmM3lY08/s320/victorygarden300.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>There's something happening here. Okay, you can quit with the Buffalo Springfield. This ain't a war protest. But, perhaps, it's a call to arms. Because there <i>is</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> something happening, right here in Oklahoma, and all over the country. People are learning to feed themselves again. </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">If you follow us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Devouring-the-Seasons/198386953513289">Facebook </a>or <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/DevourSeasons">Twitter</a>, you know that we've been rather enthusiastic about a certain contest to grant five communities a fruit orchard, complete with irrigation and help with the planting. From what I can tell, <a href="http://www.edys.com/brand/fruitbars/index.asp?b=136">Edy's Fruit Bars</a> teamed up with <a href="http://www.ftpf.org/">The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation</a> and, </span><i>voila!</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, the <a href="http://www.communitiestakeroot.com/Home/Index">Communities Take Root</a> program was born. For the communities who enter, this presents an amazing opportunity, and it's a sign of something larger moving through the land. </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This hits home for Terri and I in particular because, in this current batch of contestants (this seems to be an ongoing thing... like American Idol... only better), we can vote for one of our own. Turley, Oklahoma is currently in 4</span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;"> place. If they can stay in the top five until May 31</span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;">st</span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;">, they can win an orchard of forty trees (40 trees!) for their community. We don't live in Turley, but they are our neighbors. And they have been struggling for a very long time. So long that it almost looked like the end of the line for them.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Turley borders North Tulsa and is one of the poorest areas in Green Country. They just <a href="http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/local_news/turley-struggles-to-survive-as-its-school-closes">lost their only school</a> and are fighting now to keep their post office. The <a href="http://turleyok.blogspot.com/2011/05/radical-health-care-change-for-poor.html">medical clinics in the area have all shut down</a>. Most of the residents have no health coverage and so end up in the emergency room when something goes really wrong, as it often does. Health, it seems, is not a right of the underprivileged. These are our neighbors, citizens of Tulsa County, just like us. But, as it goes in the eternal war of the classes, most who live south of Admiral Place pay no attention. North Tulsa and the suburb of Turley might as well exist on another planet. </span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">That is, until recently. There are some bold moves happening in our “underprivileged” side of town. People there are getting wise to the injustice of the situation. They're starting to work together to transform their community into something good and strong. It seems they've figured out that if they don't do it, nobody will. They know their children deserve better. They know they deserve health and education and a community that cares for them. To this end, a foundation has been formed called <a href="http://www.turleyok.blogspot.com/">A Third Place</a>. Click on the link to see what they've been working on and what they're up against. Look at their plans. These aren't the plans of the meek, the tired, the beaten-down. These are plans born from strength of spirit and motivation. This is human audacity at its finest. They're starting with nothing... less than nothing in a lot of cases, but they have drive and they're on a mission to save themselves. </span> <br />
<br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This is where the fruit orchard comes in. Turley, Oklahoma is located in what is known as a “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_desert">food desert</a>.” Per Wikipedia (see food desert link), a food desert is defined as "</span>a food environment unsupportive of health; it is defined by barriers which restrict access to healthy foods."<span style="font-style: normal;"> This means that real, nourishing food is virtually unattainable for the citizens in this area, and what food <i>is </i>accessible and affordable is highly processed, cheap, and nutrient devoid, the kind that leads to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and countless other health problems. Life on Ramen noodles, mac n' cheese, and hot dogs. Remember college? That was eating posh. So what is this driven community doing about it? They've built a community garden. And they're working their hides off to expand it. Forget hard times and bad luck and being ignored and swept aside... screw government programs that disappear just when you need them... they're going to grow their </span><i>own </i><span style="font-style: normal;">food. And a nice big fruit orchard would fit in just perfectly.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3uPqSMMCOTtX32WcXTbnQCngvPaiwGHzPb2yJuP9lNNk_7LLlnkD_ocjlGbi5g9K2HK19nvtaW7Xi5ZFyITEujYlS-7xsIlSaXjeAWi0BMczPDd1Sauf8ieS5lGElvQ1Vgl8yUS8CAY/s1600/uncleSamGardenWW1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3uPqSMMCOTtX32WcXTbnQCngvPaiwGHzPb2yJuP9lNNk_7LLlnkD_ocjlGbi5g9K2HK19nvtaW7Xi5ZFyITEujYlS-7xsIlSaXjeAWi0BMczPDd1Sauf8ieS5lGElvQ1Vgl8yUS8CAY/s320/uncleSamGardenWW1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: normal;">This is a concept that seems to be spreading. Not just with disadvantaged communities, but everywhere. All over the country, community gardens and backyard gardens and small farms and ranches are popping up. It's as if we're all waking up from a very bad dream in which we were held hostage to a system that fed us weak plants from dead soil and the meat of sick, tortured animals, and tons and tons of bleached, processed grains. We gorged ourselves on this “food” but it didn't nourish us, and the more we ate the sicker we got. </span>We started dying slow, painful, horrible deaths from incurable diseases. <span style="font-style: normal;">And the doctors told us we were dying of malnutrition... but we didn't know how because there was all this </span><i>food...</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br />
<span style="font-style: normal;">And now, in the light of day, we're remembering... we can't depend on any big impersonal "system," not a government system nor a corporate system, to feed us in a way that will keep us strong and healthy. We have to do this ourselves. We </span><i>can</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> do this ourselves. We can heal our bodies and our homes and our despondent state of mind and go another way. We can get our hands dirty. We can grow and raise our own food and, finally, take back control over our lives.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-style: normal;"></span>The strongest element of the human spirit is our ability to band together to make a change, to help each other through. The people of Turley and the other communities out there who are coming together to feed themselves are proof of that. They are the models of how we should all aspire to be. <br />
<br />
It never ceases to amaze me how those of us who have the least manage to inspire us the most.<br />
<br />
If you want to vote for Turley, OK to win a fruit orchard, or if you just want to see how this contest plays out, go to <a href="http://www.communitiestakeroot.com/Home/Index">Communities Take Root</a> and see what a difference you can make. We only have until May 31st to vote for this go 'round. Time is almost up. Vote daily. Absolutely every vote counts. <br />
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If you want to see what others are doing (and what opportunities there may be to get involved), check out the following links:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.communitygarden.org/">http://www.communitygarden.org/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.heifer.org/#">http://www.heifer.org/#</a><br />
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<a href="http://teachtogrow.org/home">http://teachtogrow.org/home</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrAzG2P3ttaZOeAQOQ8nvMPhRwZdBO_b9n3wP9GcerqbtzC8yDOBd8X2zPP81fZNTmWy-Xs0yHJx-9rUU9n-ktCP8bZR8tY_00pEuJUZrnj1_noFiTUCACxjRq5cbbIux0-uDAW2G8FE/s1600/Sow_victory_poster_usgovt.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrAzG2P3ttaZOeAQOQ8nvMPhRwZdBO_b9n3wP9GcerqbtzC8yDOBd8X2zPP81fZNTmWy-Xs0yHJx-9rUU9n-ktCP8bZR8tY_00pEuJUZrnj1_noFiTUCACxjRq5cbbIux0-uDAW2G8FE/s320/Sow_victory_poster_usgovt.gif" width="219" /></a></div><br />
</div></div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-9063397110123885612011-05-20T20:59:00.001-05:002011-05-20T21:01:35.173-05:00The Reluctant Vegan...<span style="color: #660000;">Well, I had my first round of allergies tests today to see what was making my Eosinophilic Esophagitis worse. Today's tests were for food allergies. (I am sure you can tell, this does not end well.) So far, I have confirmed allergies to: sunflower seeds, garlic, buckwheat, milk, eggs, beef, pork, chicken, walnuts, and pecans. So, you may notice that the recipes that I post do not have these ingredients (much to my teeth gnashing dismay.) I will be working with some recipes that I love in order to work within my new food parameters. This is foodie hell. I am not kidding here. So, if you DO happen to have any kind words, feel free to leave me a comment.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">On the bright side, at least I can hint shamelessly of my need for one of these cool bracelets from <a href="http://www.allerbling.com/shop.htm">Allerbling</a>.</span>..<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1512560862" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20m9uF3Q4qAeL7vFtp4uY7eeSgwYnunTkbptuVA6HYoq0qpJMOE_HB3RDx5eubKOUNMSHIEVV8ueiOoVxtcfqtZFGn5c92pthoG6_bobHrZmwbiIclxYZ_3GEXDFjZWwnEjhyr3hp3Ds/s320/Allerbling1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.allerbling.com/shop.htm">Gift Ideas for a Red-Headed Foodie with Food Allergies</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-14695988878892271842011-05-19T21:45:00.000-05:002011-05-19T21:45:36.344-05:00Strawberry Shortcake Trifle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zgBccVVH5DSFPYC0GSE3cyZFlmsaLToN3IgMFTuHiraAc2jmJCD2mUjmRTcKyn-5OR5IYO5rCXFv-mxUZn_3BtFO5ZpTodwgEA9OMN4rRCVhyn3P2j-UKZvTMJbxFd-v04uptXqUF2g/s1600/trifle+final.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zgBccVVH5DSFPYC0GSE3cyZFlmsaLToN3IgMFTuHiraAc2jmJCD2mUjmRTcKyn-5OR5IYO5rCXFv-mxUZn_3BtFO5ZpTodwgEA9OMN4rRCVhyn3P2j-UKZvTMJbxFd-v04uptXqUF2g/s320/trifle+final.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">It is May, and that means STRAWBERRIES!!! When I declared that it was a Strawberry Day, my oldest child requested a trifle, my middle child pleaded for a strawberry shortcake, and my youngest demanded blueberries and strawberries mixed together. As I was contemplating how to weave together their "requests," Angela called to inform me that she had gotten four goose eggs from the farmers' market and that it was my job to use them well. I had not cooked with goose eggs before, but there is a first time for everything...and I had a foodie plan forming. (Insert maniacal laughter.)</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">As expected, the sound of me puttering around in the kitchen brought the pitter patter of little feet and the frantic grasping of little hands vying for the "cooking chair" and the prime spot in front of the mixing bowl. It <i>may</i> have resulted in one or two of the more zealous sous chefs being expelled from the kitchen. Hey, cooks are short tempered, everyone knows that! (But if this harshes your warm fuzzy vision of mother and child in the kitchen together, just skim over that part.)</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">First, for the short cake! I wanted something tender, but strong enough to hold up to the weight of the berries and the rich custard, so I decided on almonds! </div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYW0uhyH_UcdlB_WphIUMlc0Ogn3MEaYGSrpwuG4GoV6gEFHtNXSI6EvRGeJ-KuPqKv7srScQX8dLE01SvZAGdHl5Z9rImfHP9eJddu55h5PJApVI7ISKSpIjegvBiSPU5d8g677948NU/s1600/almond+shortcake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYW0uhyH_UcdlB_WphIUMlc0Ogn3MEaYGSrpwuG4GoV6gEFHtNXSI6EvRGeJ-KuPqKv7srScQX8dLE01SvZAGdHl5Z9rImfHP9eJddu55h5PJApVI7ISKSpIjegvBiSPU5d8g677948NU/s320/almond+shortcake.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"></div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;"><b>Shortcake</b></div><div style="color: #660000;"><b> </b>1 c. sweet rice flour</div><div style="color: #660000;">1 c. sweet sorghum flour</div><div style="color: #660000;">1 c. ground almond flour (I just grind it in the food processor until finely ground)</div><div style="color: #660000;">1/2 tsp salt</div><div style="color: #660000;">3/4 tsp xanthan gum</div><div style="color: #660000;">3/4 c. cold butter, cut into pieces</div><div style="color: #660000;">1/3 c. buttermilk (or soured milk)</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch pie pan, and set aside. Combine all the dry ingredients, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir until a dough forms. Spread the batter into the pie pan and bake for approximately 15 - 20 minutes, or until set in the middle and the cake starts to turn lightly golden. Cool on wire rack; meanwhile...</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">Next, it is time to start the strawberry and blueberry filling...okay, this part was easy; you just, well, cut up strawberries and fresh, whole blueberries. How easy is that? </div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">Finally, for the custard:</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;"> </div><div style="color: #660000;"> Just so you know, my kids were amazed at how much bigger goose eggs were than "regular" eggs...</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSIaNLioUG9j-MovJlJt3EnDbKVWUaWMGkNp5bGsYPKOmhHho-2sSIHocVTohxXWJu-Df2nkW0eHeNUiauSzxPnlzMoGUdidWIi_rlebCjQ0rAqONhre6GJ9Z6xNsxLiDYLpN4ny9jvA/s1600/goose+egg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSIaNLioUG9j-MovJlJt3EnDbKVWUaWMGkNp5bGsYPKOmhHho-2sSIHocVTohxXWJu-Df2nkW0eHeNUiauSzxPnlzMoGUdidWIi_rlebCjQ0rAqONhre6GJ9Z6xNsxLiDYLpN4ny9jvA/s320/goose+egg.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;"><b>Custard</b></div><div style="color: #660000;">2 goose eggs (or 3 large eggs...as my kids call them "regular eggs")</div><div style="color: #660000;">2 c. milk</div><div style="color: #660000;">1/4 c. sugar</div><div style="color: #660000;">1 1/2 tsp vanilla</div><div style="color: #660000;">Pinch salt </div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">before you start cooking the custard, prepare a large bowl 1/2 full with water and ice and place it in the sink. Then begin cooking... </div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">Crack the eggs into a medium saucepan...</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz2HEY0sXXB63BwkJ5nLd4U6yoZDzzkGDwvB5DzzrieIuBVsJqCkXdL12x2-BU2uxRKlg3vdnKz7iorU5xVmhlL3kGrl_9ApuxOXZpTawWCaQUWrRUI-8SWfBkqcRMW9LY1i-GxED41s/s1600/eggs+in+pan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz2HEY0sXXB63BwkJ5nLd4U6yoZDzzkGDwvB5DzzrieIuBVsJqCkXdL12x2-BU2uxRKlg3vdnKz7iorU5xVmhlL3kGrl_9ApuxOXZpTawWCaQUWrRUI-8SWfBkqcRMW9LY1i-GxED41s/s320/eggs+in+pan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">Then add the milk, sugar, and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. </div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBX1B40AMZaXYM_B74BQtb-yDcv-HGPrwBtcMn7mW0UqvYRf10wlC9dsAMJIrjh8oVNgXV4MD8zRWSJlQXZJgLG26YRkLfAkKBGHE46lt46JQFs7RKr8G66dHIO7cCR3v55YkKrx1L-g/s1600/custard+cooking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBX1B40AMZaXYM_B74BQtb-yDcv-HGPrwBtcMn7mW0UqvYRf10wlC9dsAMJIrjh8oVNgXV4MD8zRWSJlQXZJgLG26YRkLfAkKBGHE46lt46JQFs7RKr8G66dHIO7cCR3v55YkKrx1L-g/s320/custard+cooking.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">Cook until the egg mixture coats a metal spoon...</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi037lx5a5ZIEKgMOb0YBwMf8i9nqzfn7priZpYUuNmaG_d5Nvf3E7Sr-_DsO3h0Af8XcEkd1OSJEq4ycovqPb3URW-sJTNteuDaiHc-dtAhx44rJGMMzIH0r6A_fyR3pzBp4_p3FO1IJY/s1600/coating+spoon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi037lx5a5ZIEKgMOb0YBwMf8i9nqzfn7priZpYUuNmaG_d5Nvf3E7Sr-_DsO3h0Af8XcEkd1OSJEq4ycovqPb3URW-sJTNteuDaiHc-dtAhx44rJGMMzIH0r6A_fyR3pzBp4_p3FO1IJY/s320/coating+spoon.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;"> Then remove the pan from the heat and place the pan into the ice water, and continue stirring for 2 minutes to cool. Stir in the vanilla and pour the custard in a bowl, cover the custard with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming on the custard. Refrigerate until ready to assemble and serve.</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;"><b>Assembly</b></div><div style="color: #660000;">You can leave the cake in the pie pan. Cover the cake with the berries</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69ZEdH_M6i4QygjQafCq9ZHYZFLC1O3U5GBNJFaczcGw5vMfYyyhrkivmLhm0_t2bNm5OZrYxJszKdgUX4-HTqJ5MnW5ZU-WxpfR7B0Rk5edI4I6sD7d1ghkNKz0aNwYMqqaQW8eiM3U/s1600/berries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69ZEdH_M6i4QygjQafCq9ZHYZFLC1O3U5GBNJFaczcGw5vMfYyyhrkivmLhm0_t2bNm5OZrYxJszKdgUX4-HTqJ5MnW5ZU-WxpfR7B0Rk5edI4I6sD7d1ghkNKz0aNwYMqqaQW8eiM3U/s320/berries.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"> </div><div style="color: #660000;"> and drizzle the custard over the berries.</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zgBccVVH5DSFPYC0GSE3cyZFlmsaLToN3IgMFTuHiraAc2jmJCD2mUjmRTcKyn-5OR5IYO5rCXFv-mxUZn_3BtFO5ZpTodwgEA9OMN4rRCVhyn3P2j-UKZvTMJbxFd-v04uptXqUF2g/s1600/trifle+final.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zgBccVVH5DSFPYC0GSE3cyZFlmsaLToN3IgMFTuHiraAc2jmJCD2mUjmRTcKyn-5OR5IYO5rCXFv-mxUZn_3BtFO5ZpTodwgEA9OMN4rRCVhyn3P2j-UKZvTMJbxFd-v04uptXqUF2g/s320/trifle+final.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHSiW3VbrVZrn0v7SBLxI7S3nkZDROzHxZagvyfKnQSI6LphaqYlIQz2_QyFYfuXa1OEQQ8UQAhT50bAvLknuEFXTocc-v36UoZbMbVumvrKtrn7KtTkfaV595hMhPm3cwam0_lX9Xw0/s1600/trifle+final.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">I meant to take some to Angela as a "thank you" for the eggs. Unfortunately, we ate it all. Um, yeah, sorry Angela!<br />
</div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-65847560832115197512011-05-11T08:53:00.001-05:002011-05-11T09:43:58.162-05:00Spring Frittata: How I Suffer for the Cause<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Eating seasonally starts to get exciting right about now; though, if you're not used to it, perhaps a bit daunting. If your diet has heretofore consisted (as it does for most Americans) of food brought to you on a truck from you-really-don't-know-where and purchased at your average grocery store, you get used to eating the same, say, 5 vegetables (maybe 10 if you're really broad-minded), out of season, with a meager amount of nutrients, all the time. It's convenient. It's sort of like food. And it's beyond bland and boring. (How's that for alliteration?) But try eating food grown locally and in season, even for just a month, and the world explodes with possibilities. It may seem like you're more limited at first (what do you <i>mean </i>there are no tomatoes in May? What will I put in my salad?), but when you start to branch out of your lettuce/tomato/potato rut, you start to see what I mean. </div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">First of all, early spring is all about green. Green, green, green everywhere you look. The produce stands are filled to buckling with every green-leafy imaginable... and some I'd bet you never (if you're on the aforementioned typical American grocery store diet) tried before in your life. And, oh, are they worth trying. I've finally updated our <a href="http://devouringtheseasons.blogspot.com/p/sowhats-in-season-now.html">What's in Season Now </a>page. Go look at the list. Some of the available produce you'll recognize (fresh green onions, anyone?), but I'll bet there are several you haven't tried. Not much fruit yet (aside from strawberries and, around here, mulberries!), and the only color you'll see is bright red radishes and the rainbow of colors available in Swiss chard. Limiting, right? Yes, and no. </div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">The trick to really experience seasonal eating is this: find something in season that you Really Love, eat a crapload of it, and don't stop until it goes away. Remember, also, to try something new. You never know what strange seasonal morsel may become a new to-die-for favorite. Asparagus lovers have been in absolute heaven lately, since this shining gem of Spring is at it's fleeting peak right now. And, believe me, asparagus in season and picked just hours before you buy it is absolutely incomparable to the out-of-season grocery store variety. Love mushrooms? Some cultivated kinds can be procured all year long (especially if you know a good mushroom grower), but others... go see <a href="http://athomewithrealfood.blogspot.com/">@ Home with Real Food's</a> recent adventures in morel hunting. Tell me you aren't intrigued. <br />
<br />
In my head, it goes something like this. "I have eaten so much asparagus... asparagus for breakfast in my omelets, asparagus raw in salad, asparagus sauteed with garlic for dinner... I love asparagus SO much, but if I never see another asparagus again... oh, look! Blackberries!" And your off! Of course, you won't be eating only one thing at a time. This season I've taken full shameful advantage of all the fresh spring salad greens, asparagus, sauteed collard greens, spinach in everything, green onions (which make for KILLER nachos... I wouldn't lie to you), green garlic (such wonderful, fascinating stuff. You must try it if you can find it at your nearest farmers' market, though this is a spring delicacy you probably <i>won't</i> see at your average chain grocery store) and the most gorgeous pastured eggs I have ever seen. I even stumbled upon some goose eggs recently, and quickly snatched them up so Terri would make me some custard! Still waiting... ;)</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">To show you a little bit of how I'm "suffering" with all these seasonal "limits" (heh heh), here's the kind of stuff we've been eating. It's delicious, filling, and works with the budget.</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yqhMn44lG4WVVR7FNzx75BC-35JamcVk_oatpcwAs2S7d4COWGboZDjvHPWh5DyyP2IB-RdscoX5AwCfBNWN-x5TI78yESm4c-CWcK_C6tXyg3pPFKiHyn-QuhygsgFfjW-Td4FYWhE/s1600/Spring+Frittata.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yqhMn44lG4WVVR7FNzx75BC-35JamcVk_oatpcwAs2S7d4COWGboZDjvHPWh5DyyP2IB-RdscoX5AwCfBNWN-x5TI78yESm4c-CWcK_C6tXyg3pPFKiHyn-QuhygsgFfjW-Td4FYWhE/s320/Spring+Frittata.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring Frittata</td></tr>
</tbody></table><u> </u><br />
<b><u>Spring Frittata</u></b></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">A frittata, for the 5 people left on this planet who don't know (believe me, I was one of them until a few short years ago), are sort of a compromise between an omelette and a quiche. You can use any fresh vegetables or cheeses you prefer. Don't like (or can't have) mushroom? Leave them out. Want another way to prepare that succulent asparagus? Throw some in! Here's what I did:</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"> <u>Ingredients</u> <br />
9 eggs</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">A little glug of milk (like you'd do to make scrambled eggs... just eyeball it)</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Two big handfuls of fresh spinach, chopped</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (Terri - you'll be glad to know these mushrooms met their untimely demise in my mouth... making the world safe for my foodie partner one fungus at a time)</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">1 small onion, chopped</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">1 large green garlic, chopped (bulb & stalk - use everything that looks useable)</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">4 slices bacon</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">1 c. shredded Swiss cheese</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">A few dashes of nutmeg</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Whisk up your eggs and milk in a bowl (I use a large glass liquid measure, which makes it easy to pour later) and set aside. In an oven-proof skillet (cast iron or stainless steel with no plastic handles), over medium-high heat, brown the bacon until done and remove, leaving behind the grease. Wilt the spinach in the bacon grease, then remove that, too (set aside in a bowl for the moment). You'll see that a lot of spinach wilts down into a little, so in this case more is better. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV94yi5HoiN931vfFaVmwW-IiD_se9Xem3Br8KbICpAbODYkRgUxnECAKhmfHKwaz9nxenPuhuyc-BBdVhvIdBWvDc8iO6NEAAQCtZTIX87fXgfZwCTvsPgx05LnNbykSrEiBl9PIRL7Y/s1600/Wilted+Spinach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV94yi5HoiN931vfFaVmwW-IiD_se9Xem3Br8KbICpAbODYkRgUxnECAKhmfHKwaz9nxenPuhuyc-BBdVhvIdBWvDc8iO6NEAAQCtZTIX87fXgfZwCTvsPgx05LnNbykSrEiBl9PIRL7Y/s320/Wilted+Spinach.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spinach I was left with once it wilted</td></tr>
</tbody></table> In the grease that's left (if there's not enough, add a little olive oil), sautee the mushrooms, onion, and green garlic. Once the mushrooms are soft and the onions are transparent, add the spinach back into the mix and crumble the bacon over all of it. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIp4kP-3mo1ExnqdLCUC8n3SwAJPIVoL6bm28_p71FrONqtvgRJmk-IlhqJ-BPae13v_G13sOstFJAazEceVT53_LIxKpGr3Sn2eJHoOclcSeHQeHhyphenhyphen0rbBd25auCdGXq3zHR191dJ0zQ/s1600/Sauteed+Spinach%252C+Mushrooms+%2526+Stuff.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIp4kP-3mo1ExnqdLCUC8n3SwAJPIVoL6bm28_p71FrONqtvgRJmk-IlhqJ-BPae13v_G13sOstFJAazEceVT53_LIxKpGr3Sn2eJHoOclcSeHQeHhyphenhyphen0rbBd25auCdGXq3zHR191dJ0zQ/s320/Sauteed+Spinach%252C+Mushrooms+%2526+Stuff.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauteed veggies & bacon for frittata - I could eat it just like this</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Next, pour the egg mixture over everything and sprinkle the cheese evenly. Now's the time to sprinkle your nutmeg over the top, as well. Preheat the broiler. Reduce heat under your skillet to medium-low and let cook, uncovered, for approximately 2 minutes until the eggs are set but it's still a little runny on top. Here's another photo, this one of mine cooking away on the stove top.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71bUppmTDDBDBjYcFsNojwl4o-M7AdqnPjLFFxteE-7d_9tPk19LWkIO1d-xkTsAcbxzn_-qLa5gaphYAZTmoPCVv84pPMevS4uru2gnlt8FGrMxNmvmq5Vb50vhR4E42LjvrkK5ESHQ/s1600/Frittata+Cooking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg71bUppmTDDBDBjYcFsNojwl4o-M7AdqnPjLFFxteE-7d_9tPk19LWkIO1d-xkTsAcbxzn_-qLa5gaphYAZTmoPCVv84pPMevS4uru2gnlt8FGrMxNmvmq5Vb50vhR4E42LjvrkK5ESHQ/s320/Frittata+Cooking.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Transfer the skillet to the broiler until eggs are no longer runny and slightly browned, another 2 or 3 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve with one of those fabulous fresh green salads.<br />
<br />
We ate every last bite.</div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-86244170406813027362011-04-28T00:50:00.004-05:002011-12-28T11:01:30.175-06:00Pass the Nutella<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI97x0rikArlY89zblihg0hyphenhyphen18Eh1uyURIJQwTu1jtCpIw3F80Pa1Mj9BEwBNYZQQkmbelYQ3VQNIsBMUU-2nCo4W9POEp1x5txkijE_4MAq1n3rtjLqFZ9_TC4G9Glhq2vqSOlP_JxcU/s1600/food+allergies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI97x0rikArlY89zblihg0hyphenhyphen18Eh1uyURIJQwTu1jtCpIw3F80Pa1Mj9BEwBNYZQQkmbelYQ3VQNIsBMUU-2nCo4W9POEp1x5txkijE_4MAq1n3rtjLqFZ9_TC4G9Glhq2vqSOlP_JxcU/s320/food+allergies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cafepress.com/+warning_severe_food_allergy_kids_light_tshirt,290238884">Shirt I Need from CafePress</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<div style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.apfed.org/ee.htm">Eosinophilic Esophagitis</a>. Try saying THAT three times real fast. I have. I have rolled the words around on my tongue so much that I can now say it without stumbling over any of the syllables or looking up and to the left (which apparently I do when I am trying to recall something).</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">You see, I had a biopsy recently. (If this is all news to you, and if you actually care, you can get some back-story <a href="http://gingerlovinmind.blogspot.com/2011/04/ginger-in-waitingfor-test-results.html">here</a>.) Well, I got the results back on Tuesday. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eosinophilic_esophagitis">Eosinophilic Esophagitis</a>. As far as I can figure (with pathetically little input from my dunderhead of a specialist, whom I expect to be replacing very soon), there are food allergies involved. Which means that, in addition to the gluten free aspect of the recipes you find here, my contributions may soon be even more...allergy friendly. I have a meeting scheduled with an allergist/immunologist in two weeks, and then there will be more testing, then I will have (knock on wood) some more answers.</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">Don't worry...we will still be providing all kinds of seasonal, gluten free recipes. In fact, you should be more concerned about the fact that I have somehow broken a button on my computer. It is stuck down, and I can't get it to pop back up. I want to tell you which one but, since I can't utilize that button, the best I can do is to hint that it resides snugly between the "H" button and the "K" button. The fact that I have typed this entire post without really noticing that this button is no longer available for use makes me realize that, perhaps, it is a superfluous letter...</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">No, wait. That isn't true. I changed my mind. It is NOT a wasted letter. I only now realized that, without <i>that</i> particular letter, I cannot lament the unspeakable in_ustice of someone who adores food being faced with the possibility of having to cut even MORE foods from her life. </div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #660000;">So, until I know for certain what my new eating regime will consist of, I plan on eating any and everything that I can get my hands on. I think that this is the only feasible way of mourning the potential loss of some of my foodie passions. I am sure that there are psychological ramifications to receiving a diagnosis that will affect my eating habits for the rest of my life. It is to be expected. Well, either that or I am a huge glutton. No telling. But for now, I will scrape the last bit of Nutella from the __ar, eat is straight off the spoon, and head off to bed.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI97x0rikArlY89zblihg0hyphenhyphen18Eh1uyURIJQwTu1jtCpIw3F80Pa1Mj9BEwBNYZQQkmbelYQ3VQNIsBMUU-2nCo4W9POEp1x5txkijE_4MAq1n3rtjLqFZ9_TC4G9Glhq2vqSOlP_JxcU/s1600/food+allergies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-62752103985632255052011-04-21T23:30:00.001-05:002011-04-22T05:38:51.015-05:00The Mystery of the Travelling Beef<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It was a dark and stormy night... wait. Stop. Food blogging. Start over.</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">It all started with a pound of beef...</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #274e13; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGRkfDOn1_2Y1y6f45z4gi3WfpNHeUbATP6BspRcn5vyNihPOA7-jQdlIRKX2kWrU_tDumgo5DBJjI3GP8MFZXg3MHuMs0ODzrvVYxDEI3FtDA6CzYZyIw223KY1763ugGSBl07oSqhI/s1600/bovine-catle-beside-road_w725_h483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSGRkfDOn1_2Y1y6f45z4gi3WfpNHeUbATP6BspRcn5vyNihPOA7-jQdlIRKX2kWrU_tDumgo5DBJjI3GP8MFZXg3MHuMs0ODzrvVYxDEI3FtDA6CzYZyIw223KY1763ugGSBl07oSqhI/s320/bovine-catle-beside-road_w725_h483.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #274e13; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">You see, I have this membership to a local food coop. Let me clarify. The coop, which is dedicated to providing organic food, is local. The food--not necessarily. Don't get me wrong. The quality of the food is superb; the standards impeccable. And they do occasionally get local bread and cheese... and chicken*. All the birds I've gotten from them so far have come from Tahlequah (have fun pronouncing that if you ain't from 'round here). But when I inquired as to where their food came from, I was told that most of it comes on a truck from Colorado, and they (the Colorado distributor) get it from, well, wherever. I dealt with it for awhile. It was winter and the deals were sometimes pretty good. Better than Whole Foods prices (at times), anyway. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">But, then, a few weeks ago, I got this beef. It was <i>100% Organic Grass Fed Stew Meat.</i> So far so good. (By the way, if it's "100% Grass Fed," does that mean it's grass finished? Enlighten me, if you know.) And then, out of what has now become habit, I looked at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_of_origin">Country of Origin label</a>. Ahem. ... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruguay">Uruguay</a>. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Yes, you heard me right.</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Uruguay.</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">No, I'm serious. Here, look. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: center;">Exhibit A</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #274e13; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN4gI1f4X2YwnzXXtsTofCO122GuG3IRsQAEEfJSKTF35A-zYrEVqvAiWP_epO6md96Wu20uVXuiLf57BzydsFj9dICLS-yojmjgXhzgqIfJu8u9c8pR-FX0hRsqdInoyN1Q8_5m8ktk/s1600/Beef+from+Uruguay.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpN4gI1f4X2YwnzXXtsTofCO122GuG3IRsQAEEfJSKTF35A-zYrEVqvAiWP_epO6md96Wu20uVXuiLf57BzydsFj9dICLS-yojmjgXhzgqIfJu8u9c8pR-FX0hRsqdInoyN1Q8_5m8ktk/s320/Beef+from+Uruguay.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef from Uruguay</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Do you know where Uruguay is? It's in South America. On the Eastern coast of the continent. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: center;">Exhibit B</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: #274e13; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZBpj5onRMRahI4nH2MBN2vsfZhJSOGTDXcpJar2KV32MnX3TZzBsfeSMNDw0XztcEdWJSIFJimT168E6tq8G1S1b2mgCQkRRgVcvmsZW8Bpg_QyJ02Fm1CowS3kVAyowYo4CYLkDY40/s1600/411-36-uruguay-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZBpj5onRMRahI4nH2MBN2vsfZhJSOGTDXcpJar2KV32MnX3TZzBsfeSMNDw0XztcEdWJSIFJimT168E6tq8G1S1b2mgCQkRRgVcvmsZW8Bpg_QyJ02Fm1CowS3kVAyowYo4CYLkDY40/s320/411-36-uruguay-map.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you, Terri, for finding this fantastic image for use in this post. Your Google powers remain unequaled.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I'm sure all of our readers are well aware that we are in Oklahoma, USA. North America. Officially. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Now, I've mentioned before that I don't, by any means, buy <i>everything</i> locally. I buy olive oil and bananas and many other things that aren't from "'round here." However, ... <i>Uruguay?</i> We have so many great ranchers within our state, many of whom raise their cows purely on grass, and hay in the winter. And even if our coop was unable to find a cattle rancher willing to supply them, surely there would be one in a <i>neighboring</i> state, at least. But this stew meat, this modest 1 lb. package of grass-fed beef, was from a country so far away that I had to consult Google for its exact location (geography never being my strong point). </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I took it upon myself to look up the distance between Uruguay and Tulsa. According to <a href="http://happyzebra.com/">happyzebra.com</a>, the distance from <a href="http://www.happyzebra.com/distance-calculator/Montevideo-to-Tulsa.php">Montevideo, Uruguay to Tulsa is 5,500.4 miles</a>. For a more conservative estimate, the distance from <a href="http://www.distance-calculator.co.uk/worlddistances.php#distance">Salto, Uruguay to Tulsa is 5,258 miles</a>. But wait--let's look back at that label up there, shall we? Notice the small print at the bottom? It says, "Distributed by Albert's Organics, Bridgeport, New Jersey..." And don't forget that truck from Colorado. So, if these are all the stopping points, our beef had to travel from Uruguay (city unknown) to Bridgeport, NJ to Colorado to Tulsa, Oklahoma. This meat has literally spanned two entire continents to get to me. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I feel... a little sick about it, to tell you the truth. A little "spoiled American." A little ashamed.</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Now, as I said, I got the Beef from Uruguay in my coop share bag a few weeks ago. What was the fate of the grass fed Beef from Uruguay? What do you think? I threw it away? Well, hell no. Being a responsible consumer is about being <i>responsible</i>. There was already enough waste associated with the now famous (just ask Terri--it's become a regular joke between us) Beef from Uruguay without adding insult to injury. So, two nights ago, I decide it's time to pull that stew meat out of my freezer and make, well, stew with it. I mention this (via email) to Terri. And do you know how she responded? I kid you not, with an actual beef stew recipe <i>from Uruguay!</i> Look, look, look! <a href="http://uruguayanfood.com/rice-with-beef-stew-recipe.htm">Uruguayan Rice and Beef Stew</a> </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">This, people, fills me with endless glee. If I have never said it before, I will say it now. Terri is a Googling phenomenon. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">My grass fed Beef from Uruguay was thawed and ready to stew for last night's dinner. I did, in fact, follow the Uruguayan Rice and Beef Stew recipe. If you ever try it, I'll tell you it's not like regular stew and it is definitely carb-heavy. It calls for 2 cups (uncooked) rice plus two potatoes. There is very, very little liquid left by the time it's done cooking. Mostly, it's a very moist, tomatoey rice dish with some chunks of beef and stuff. And, to tell you the truth, it was a little bland. You'll notice there are absolutely no herbs or spices (unless you count garlic and onions) in this recipe. I'm sure if I were Uruguayan, I would've got the technique down and it would've been fantastic. Instead, I just added some extra salt and it was fine. But, I must say, the beef itself? It was excellent. Richly flavored and not at all tough. There <i>is</i> something to be said for grass-fed beef.</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">But now I'm left with some leftovers and a feeling that I should do something more to honor our local cattle ranchers. I'm going to have to say something. This coop... it could do so much better. They're a very small operation and, as such, presumably have control over who they do and don't order from. It's a cooperative, after all. And they really should be buying locally wherever they can. There really isn't any excuse. There are other coops in town that <i>do</i> supply purely local products. This one should follow suit... or at least attempt to get closer. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">This is hard for me, though. I'm Ms. Encouragement, typically. I'm the one who wants everyone to feel good about themselves and never wants to hurt anyone's feelings. But, in this way, I can attempt to make the tiniest difference. So I will. I will send an email to those who run this little coop and I will be so, so nice. I will include several helpful links for local ranchers they could, perhaps, contact for their meat supply, and I will hope they understand and see what good they can do. They are, after all, in a position of power--buying power. And their power could go a long way toward helping our local ranchers and farmers survive, and cutting some serious carbon miles while they're at it. As I said, I truly believe they mean well, this unnamed cooperative. But this... this is all wrong. </span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I'll let you know what response, if any, I receive from said nameless coop. You may be witness to my first real step towards advocacy. This Beef from Uruguay may have created a monster.</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*The eggs, however, were coming from Colorado, if I remember correctly. Wherever they were from, it wasn't Oklahoma, so I stopped getting the eggs. There is no shortage of pastured eggs in Oklahoma.</span></div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-4142239997910361932011-04-19T21:57:00.006-05:002011-04-21T09:23:34.882-05:00Gluten Free Peanut Butter Bites...and Tiny, Thieving Hands<m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There are times when the world seems to be battling against us, when the weather does not cooperate, when money is exceedingly scarce, when health seems elusive...and when these things happen, when life seems hell-bent on battling us on all fronts, we have no choice but to stand tall and fight back with all we've got. Frequently, this involves chocolate and, if things are looking particularly grim, there might be peanut butter involved as well.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCvKwNspnXtZAgXGZ9xsBqQ8gpaUXX4a8BX0xkMpS7hBZGPnfXqCSylUzGdmPK5njPCdAPXv5mq0KimbLttMx_9x9_sjsDHqB5zlO8T4xoHDEWWvQcx-BCpXy1aaFgEbJSmPROy8UD60/s1600/cookie+on+plate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCvKwNspnXtZAgXGZ9xsBqQ8gpaUXX4a8BX0xkMpS7hBZGPnfXqCSylUzGdmPK5njPCdAPXv5mq0KimbLttMx_9x9_sjsDHqB5zlO8T4xoHDEWWvQcx-BCpXy1aaFgEbJSmPROy8UD60/s320/cookie+on+plate.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Such was the case for me this weekend. Income flitted away too fast, the death cough held on with a vengeance, and the laundry (although now clean) is still in piles in the basket. So clearly, it was time for bake-therapy. <span style="color: #274e13;">(Hell yeah!)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In order to ward off the evil spirits that seem to be haunting me, I opted for some heavy-duty Baking Mojo, the trifecta of ingredients: chocolate, oatmeal, and peanut butter. I figured if something concocted with these ingredients failed to boost my mood, I was doomed. Luckily, they saved my day. Come to think of it, they perked the kiddos right up, too!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SlFn0MACfBehT0i4sdGIwl49h-faE6heH0xs37aojVD1IFoagsWuArWQR9E3o2awu93SN6W9qsCeexC4ZXl22RrAcUyFe9bRSx9gYsEfFj00LAkOMGS8f-mcmhJDkC6O-Fc4KhLnQHQ/s1600/Caden+hand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-SlFn0MACfBehT0i4sdGIwl49h-faE6heH0xs37aojVD1IFoagsWuArWQR9E3o2awu93SN6W9qsCeexC4ZXl22RrAcUyFe9bRSx9gYsEfFj00LAkOMGS8f-mcmhJDkC6O-Fc4KhLnQHQ/s320/Caden+hand.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Under the guise of hawking them as a "tasty morsel," a "mere treat," I cut them into small bite-sized portions. However, in reality, I ate four or five each time I was reaching for "just one," so consider yourself warned. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In the interest of full disclosure, the tiny hands that seem to invade the photos are, in fact, not my hands. (I actually have rather large hands.) <span style="color: #274e13;">(They're not <i>my</i> hands either, regardless of what you may have heard about their smallness...) </span>The two hands shown herein are actually attached to two of my children. My children have also declared their respective hands to now be "famous" since they are featured in this blog. If you wish to further their delusion, feel free to tell them how famous they are in the comments section below...they would be delighted to hear from you. <span style="color: #274e13;">(Oh, please do this. Her kids are rock stars. I can attest to this personally, as being one of the privileged few to have met these mysterious hand model/taste testers.) </span>Actually, I would be delighted as well. Comments remind me that I am not just talking to myself...although I do a fair amount of that, too. <span style="color: #274e13;">(This comment has been removed by Angela in an effort to restrain herself.)</span> </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufpiWMW5O_RDI8_Z0xp08Pf2dnU1FGpnHhUqeRYCxKIu5yerlwB2eJzim742v9aMt5KDvv8TboXc1xKcskSKZ3r0Wxjft2sfu9yXoR6nW_wLFCHkQYxEZDfK92kBmJ3fruZi2Wha7grw/s1600/cookie+pan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufpiWMW5O_RDI8_Z0xp08Pf2dnU1FGpnHhUqeRYCxKIu5yerlwB2eJzim742v9aMt5KDvv8TboXc1xKcskSKZ3r0Wxjft2sfu9yXoR6nW_wLFCHkQYxEZDfK92kBmJ3fruZi2Wha7grw/s320/cookie+pan.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Peanut Butter Bites </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 c. sweet sorghum flour</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 c. sweet rice flour</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1 c. gluten free oats</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1 tsp. xanthan gum</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 tsp. baking soda</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/4 tsp. salt </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 c. butter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 c. granulated sugar</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 c. brown sugar, packed</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1 egg</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/2 c. chunky peanut butter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1/4 c. milk</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1 tsp. vanilla</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">35 <a href="http://www.hersheys.com/kisses.aspx#/Delightfully-Delicious-One-of-a-Kind-HERSHEY%27S-KISSES">Hershey's Kisses</a>, unwrapped<span style="color: #274e13;"> (please DO unwrap them, however, before you place them on the squares. Otherwise the tin foil gets in your teeth.)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">2. Cream butter and sugars, add egg and vanilla.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">3. Add peanut butter and milk.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">4. Add flours, xanthan gum, baking soda.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">5. Stir in oats. </span><b><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">6. B</span><span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">ake for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and set in the middle. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">7. Let cool in pan, and top with evenly spaced Hershey's Kisses while pan is still warm. </span><br />
<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">8. Cut into 35 squares once fully cooled.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> ______________ </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #660000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">I do promise to post some healthier options soon, once the healthier fare is a bit more abundant. In fact, I had <i>intended </i>to post my recipe for gluten-free Strawberry Shortcakes but, honestly, I needed chocolate and peanut butter to get through this past week, and sometimes you just gotta roll with it.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTInt0KPIl5hVcD8JDe2rIBaTJyQ82PDQWva1KM2332A-dPDnpTLXrIpf7t-Cuj8BmNeGLxjfXQRAgL_hjMnrJ_pOgp9JUgmWkcWeDZoeOcg4jKUGdtFMgJkwxhmRrYbRAEXMHy0larg/s1600/Laney+hand.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTInt0KPIl5hVcD8JDe2rIBaTJyQ82PDQWva1KM2332A-dPDnpTLXrIpf7t-Cuj8BmNeGLxjfXQRAgL_hjMnrJ_pOgp9JUgmWkcWeDZoeOcg4jKUGdtFMgJkwxhmRrYbRAEXMHy0larg/s320/Laney+hand.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
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</span></div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-47774707643577435932011-04-12T09:55:00.002-05:002011-04-12T11:15:15.393-05:00Sweet Potato Chips and Lessons from an Everlasting Root<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Here we go again--another one of those weeks. We're living really close to the bone right now...so close it feels like I've created my own personal Great Depression. I'm having to cut out luxuries (like the Kings of Leon concert last Friday...<i>sigh</i>...) and really take inventory of what I can use up in the kitchen without buying more. This past weekend, of course, was opening day of the <a href="http://www.cherrystreetfarmersmarket.com/">Cherry Street Farmers' Market</a>. I couldn't go to that, either. That hurt. That was supposed to be my fresh produce for the week. But, nope. Not this week, honey. Good thing I've still got a few green things tucked back in the freezer, and enough dry beans and rice to get us through. I'm not starving, that's for sure. It's not everything I <i>wish</i> I was eating, but the food we preserved last summer has stretched further than I ever thought it would. </div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">My husband, for example, at a loss for what to throw together for dinner Saturday night, said, "well, we've got that sweet potato." That <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato">sweet potato</a>. (And, please don't call it a <a href="http://www.ncsweetpotatoes.com/nutrition/sweet-potato-vs-yam.html">yam</a>. It's not. They are entirely different creatures.) That monstrosity of a root vegetable which we'd bought marked down at the tail end of last year's growing season, since the farmer we'd bought it from was trying to move her bigger specimens. Apparently, no one wants a sweet potato roughly the size of a baby (no, not a baby's arm.--a baby). Which this one was. Me, I'm adventurous (sort of), and I'm always up for a bargain, so I bought it up, brought it home, placed it in a <a href="http://www.gardening-tips-idea.com/Storing-Sweet-Potatoes.html">cool, dark place</a> (our cupboard), and forgot about it. Not because it was out of sight. No, it was just one of those things that became part of the scenery, something we always nudged to the side to get to the canned tomatoes in the back. Because, really, what do you <i>do </i>with a sweet potato that big? Unless you're feeding company the size of a football team or the population of <a href="http://www.tuvaluislands.com/about.htm">Tuvalu</a>. </div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">So yeah, we still had that sweet potato. How it survived the whole winter and into this spring without withering to a wrinkled husk like any other potato would've done, I can't tell you. Perhaps sweet potatoes are just that storage-friendly. But survive it did, able to fulfill its destiny as our last resort side dish and leading to joys and wonders that saved the entire weekend from being a complete bust. </div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Saturday, we cut off half the tuber and turned it into oven-baked sweet potato fries, made in my usual manner. I crank the oven to 400/425 degrees Fahrenheit, cut up the potato into small French fry shapes, coat in olive oil, sprinkle with a little seasoning salt and throw it in the oven for around 20-30 minutes...that time is an estimate. You want it slightly crisp, done all the way through, but not burnt. You know. Like fries. </div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">See, I mostly play with my food. I don't do much in the gourmet sense of cooking. I just try to make stuff I like that isn't a mega pain the butt...and if it <i>is</i> a mega pain the butt, it's something that's well worth it (like making your own homemade Swedish meatballs...heaven). So that little paragraph up there is my whole sweet potato fry recipe (the instructions for which I'm pretty sure I actually got from Terri at some point, in a frantic "how do you to this again?" phone call, like the ones she gets from me frequently). Everything's eyeballed. I hope you're okay with that. I am.</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Now to the wonders. Because, you see, though baked sweet potato fries are always a joy (I do love them so), they're kind of old hat to me by now. Not that I've perfected them. There is little in my world that's perfect. But I've made them often enough, and they usually turn out pretty good. The wonders, however, happened when my husband had a stroke of genius on Sunday night, when our dinner options were low and the need for culinary creativity was reaching an all-time high. He asked again...</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">"Do we still have that sweet potato?"</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">There had been some debate the night before, followed by some brief, unsatisfying Googling, of what to do with the remains of a raw, cut sweet potato. I read that we <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_4549051_best-way-store-sweet-potatoes.html">couldn't just refrigerate it</a>, because for some reason that would make the flesh bitter. It could be frozen, but only if it was cooked (which it wasn't). In the end, we left it on the counter and went to bed, me reasoning that it would either go bad or be fine. It was fine.</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">So, yeah...we still had that sweet potato. The second half of it, anyway. And I tell you, friends, these roots, when left to their own devices (and kept out of the light and damp) <i>do not die.</i> This one didn't, anyway. </div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Now, the stroke of brilliance. My husband wanted to make chips. Not a particularly <i>new</i> idea, I understand that. But <i>we'd</i> never made them before (not with sweet potatoes, anyway...we'd made regular white potato chips, which are wonderful, wonderful things when made in your own skillet). The next question was, what to fry them in? I'd given up <a href="http://www.naturalnews.com/026630_canola_oil_olive_oil_saturated_fat.html">canola oil </a>a few months ago, after learning that it's not the wonder oil I thought it was (I get resentful when I feel duped), and had been relying primarily on olive oil, butter, and animal fats. But I didn't have a vat of old-fashioned <a href="http://cavegirleats.com/2010/12/01/good-lard/">lard</a> lying around, and <a href="http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/heating-olive-oil">olive oil can't take that kind of heat</a>*. I <i>did</i>, however, have a new container of <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/308325-how-to-deep-fry-with-coconut-oil/">coconut oil</a>, which I had bought primarily for the purpose of pan frying, (potentially erroneously; I'm still trying to figure this which-oils-are-safe-to-cook-to-what-temperatures thing) but which I'd only used once and was still not quite familiar with. We decided to try it. </div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #274e13; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">The chips turned out beautifully. There are a few kinks we need to work out, of course. First, the thickness. Ours were pretty irregular (we were hungry and in a hurry and were using the slicing side of cheese grater. Sue us.), so it was quickly obvious that if they were too thin, they burned, if they were too thick, they never crisped up. As you can see, some of ours were a little of both.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagLANpzN5COrnIK0GeWUc_XcfYWNNBqkgSBUXc4ynW4a11b_Nr6EdiKLNd9Mkyv1D4XVrgtBo1CRNJxHsLTl2et8fpJkLdMHyqD4KcRgffdOogA80s4ze0qnqc2OhMZiIGVUb0QXNi9M/s1600/Frying+Sweet+Potato+Chips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagLANpzN5COrnIK0GeWUc_XcfYWNNBqkgSBUXc4ynW4a11b_Nr6EdiKLNd9Mkyv1D4XVrgtBo1CRNJxHsLTl2et8fpJkLdMHyqD4KcRgffdOogA80s4ze0qnqc2OhMZiIGVUb0QXNi9M/s320/Frying+Sweet+Potato+Chips.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">Second, the temperature of the coconut oil. It is supposed to withstand heat up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, but we weren't using a thermometer. We learned that you have to keep it at or <i>just</i> above medium heat, otherwise it starts smoking (an indication of <a href="http://www.insightforgirls.com/the-right-oil-for-the-job/">carcinogenic badness </a>that must be avoided at all costs--just sayin').</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUv7W4L_9iwOWZ5z2fbFWkF7TZHdBwlOYxWZX5xbyZ6qeiRI7NRcD_4YOrWRZ33GQcSohvAnpyxpzKR95dlGZeBQyLg5klrUm-DM33sDBhPR5qQmab9JsXxpiF7Cecm8H1g1kjwAJ5lg/s1600/Frying+Coconut+Oil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvUv7W4L_9iwOWZ5z2fbFWkF7TZHdBwlOYxWZX5xbyZ6qeiRI7NRcD_4YOrWRZ33GQcSohvAnpyxpzKR95dlGZeBQyLg5klrUm-DM33sDBhPR5qQmab9JsXxpiF7Cecm8H1g1kjwAJ5lg/s320/Frying+Coconut+Oil.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">When they came out of the pan, we sprinkled them with a little salt to bring out their sweetness. There was just the barest hint of coconut flavor, which pared well with the sweet potatoes, and if it's any testament to the success of this sweet potato chip experiment, we ate them nearly as fast as we cooked them. I had to scrounge all the prettiest ones at the end, just to take a picture for you.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ux2BWWAyCpzFg38b6rdpVrtTsAdZ6ZR_P-mDol82PH3XF4c-6cIn8mHQA7SgQQWgOx1CtDhfP37WL1c_u3VpDhAXea7nT6S2OIgzQcfiHb2V-TvbRRCY5kdIIoE2Ns38_TwqNR5WyMs/s1600/Homemade+Sweet+Potato+Chips.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ux2BWWAyCpzFg38b6rdpVrtTsAdZ6ZR_P-mDol82PH3XF4c-6cIn8mHQA7SgQQWgOx1CtDhfP37WL1c_u3VpDhAXea7nT6S2OIgzQcfiHb2V-TvbRRCY5kdIIoE2Ns38_TwqNR5WyMs/s320/Homemade+Sweet+Potato+Chips.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="color: #274e13;">There you have it. The joys and wonders of a <a href="http://www.hobbyfarms.com/crops-and-gardening/growing-sweet-potato-14925.aspx">native root vegetable </a>that lasted us an entire winter of neglect and presumption, and which managed to create a handsomely portioned side dish for this family of three for two meals. As always, the bounty puts me to shame. I learn again--take nothing for granted.</div><div style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;">*I may actually be wrong about the fryability (pretty sure that's not a real word) of olive oil. If you go to the link in that statement, it appears that extra virgin olive oil may be just as suitable as coconut oil. Hmm... I will have to research this further. </span></div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-72219582883942049212011-04-06T22:56:00.002-05:002011-04-07T08:53:54.889-05:00Easter Egg Colorings from Nature...Not a Lab<div style="color: #660000;">I recently came across some old notes from my great-grandmother, scrawled in faded pencil on a scrap of paper and tucked inside a book. This past weekend, as I fretted over Easter plans, I reached for an old cookbook to look over a WWII era recipe for potato candy (that is another post, I promise) which was popular during that era of <a href="http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/33634.aspx">food rationing</a>, and the scrap fell out of the book and onto my kitchen floor, like a whisper, and I--a great believer in "signs"--decided that it was old knowledge meant to be shared.</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">I have read more and more lately about the <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20009228-10391704.html">speculated dangers of food dyes</a> so, in light of Easter...</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRD54FZtTOFc3xTb78Wd6NdeZpcG7oRW6ewammhbVTiDk2lvzv51Bk5PKZ2muge98z1skxQfPCn4AorSGc363hTLw06sTJ2jculIklcn64QGFQ2uTsXJdPsHlMdxw4RQmykhpOnbPUQ9w/s1600/easter+card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRD54FZtTOFc3xTb78Wd6NdeZpcG7oRW6ewammhbVTiDk2lvzv51Bk5PKZ2muge98z1skxQfPCn4AorSGc363hTLw06sTJ2jculIklcn64QGFQ2uTsXJdPsHlMdxw4RQmykhpOnbPUQ9w/s320/easter+card.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;"> ...and all those eggs just begging to be tinted, this little nudge from Grandma seemed particularly timely.</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">Long ago, before Super Centers and <a href="http://www.red40.com/">Red 40</a>, there was (presumably) someone who thought to him or herself, "You know, this bit of animal hide that I am using to cover my loins would be <u><i>so</i></u> much more attractive in a nice lavender hue." ...and thus natural colorings were born (or something to that effect).</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">At any rate, nature gave us some perfectly awesome natural ways to color food, clothing, etc., without the dreaded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_coloring">Red 40</a>. So, on the off chance that you might want to color your eggs without the artificial nastiness this year, I am sharing some of Grandma's wisdom:</div><ul style="color: #660000;"><li>RED: grate 2 c. red beets, add 1 tbsp. vinegar and 2 c. water and boil 20 minutes. Let cool before using.</li>
</ul><ul style="color: #660000;"><li>YELLOW: 4 c. yellow onion skins, add 1 tbsp. vinegar and 3 c. water and boil 20 minutes. Let cool before using. (Note: you can use 3 c. dried chamomile flowers in place of onion skins, if available.) </li>
</ul><ul style="color: #660000;"><li>BLUE: 2 c. blueberries, crushed, add 1 tbsp. vinegar and 2 c. water and boil 20 minutes. Let cool before using. (Note: I tried this with one 16 oz. bag of frozen blueberries I had in my freezer--because, honestly, if I had fresh blueberries I would rather just eat them--and it worked beautifully.)</li>
</ul><ul style="color: #660000;"><li>LAVENDER: 3 c. red cabbage, add 1 tbsp. vinegar and 2 c. water and boil 20 minutes. Let cool before using. </li>
</ul><div style="color: #660000;">You can mix the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_colo">primary colors</a> to make other colors, as well. </div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #660000;">If you decide to try the natural coloring, check back and let us know how you thought they compared to the man-made </span><strike style="color: #660000;">poison</strike><span style="color: #660000;"> colorants.</span>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-7549340833383922152011-04-03T22:01:00.005-05:002011-04-03T23:16:12.027-05:00Season One: Spring Gardening Adventures in Green Country<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pearblossom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedmhe1s1wADi7Yis_S3QOfZHacxA-sn4iMjVYpCJDGHhuY9x8QnksQTAGivmFWXmSraI9jvPZQUKGbm7UBpObA0t0PBP8s0UZSGq5PPTPOHJippFwkY-O_VZoeKoYXeJILUYJ9FrZqWk/s320/100_0770.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">The weather here in Green Country has been its typical fickle self, making each of my tromps out to the garden a different experience than the last. Many people (normal, sane people... ahem) wait for nice, sunny days to get out and start playing in the dirt. But not me... no sir, I fancy myself an urban food gardener, unafraid of a little cold and wet... </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Or I could just be a fool... the jury's still out.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Last Sunday loomed chilly and overcast with intermittent drizzle spritzing through the air. This signaled to my overzealous mind that it was the perfect day to sow some lettuce seeds...and some spinach...and why not some onions while I'm at it? So, I suited up in my jeans and sweater, coat and gardening gloves (which are so small they're nearly kid-sized to fit my tiny hands) and headed out to the yard.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">And it was...really, really nice. Yes, it was definitely chilly (it didn't clear 45 degrees that day, and in my world that's chilly), but the chill fell away as I set to work and my body started moving. And it was quiet. There was the random shout of a neighborhood kid now and again, and the occasional bird call, but otherwise it felt like the clouds had swallowed up the developed world and told us all to <i>hush</i>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">At one point I noticed a flock of birds gathering in the pecan tree above my head. Were those starlings or crows? They were too high up to see clearly, and I'm no master of bird calls. They seemed to be having an important meeting, however, and I watched them for a time with reverence.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-blackbirdsgraysky.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjif6YOr1oJG3b5_DCeLOhpAmA30ip4RQmmSh0bk34hZ6tClqTH_bxAH5Ud1ssrjS4Zfhvm0YV4K0cuiBRhHxqHwC1ypNZJiLd4TrkX218KX8ezTKdKYa7Bt_XahjUL9k5ZneRBo-iBIgE/s320/100_0788.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Our entire garden plot is covered over with hay mulch. We uncover the rows as we plant them, and use the remaining hay as borders and walkways. I set to pulling off the mats of recently unbailed hay to get at the soil below. When I did, I saw what I initially took to be a very large earthworm curled up in the dirt. <i>Hooray!</i> I thought, knowing earthworms are a gardener's best friends. But then I paused and looked closer. <i>Curled... </i>coiled is more like it, and the brown is a little flatter, a little scalier than the skin of your typical earthworm. No, my friends, this was a very small, very brown snake. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-browngardensnake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOB-QUlt5oD2KaIhMsQRfTUxVNc8cGQNKscTSKES8BnOIbuoV9k3dCE2pFAzsab__-WRj7fUd8t5sUUzAcSwd_ng8lG4_JlqpYhSGH83vgfxot5NyKxc2Ghv_aNcxKlZ5IT_SHIYkPTc/s320/100_0757.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I picked it up (remember, I had on my gardening gloves--otherwise I never would've had the nerve) to relocate it under a patch of straw that wouldn't be disturbed for awhile. I thought I would have to move quick, that it would slither and fight, but it hardly moved a muscle. It was asleep, dormant from the cold. I could only confirm it was alive when i tipped my hand to release it to its new bed. <i>Then </i>it woke up and slithered away, deep under the mulch. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXW5dtMuobPxmMER_TJ31YV22Zob-eO0Too5U5IOo4zaFxnNU4OIpK3nnt4hpCvDYRxHlW5tH5Rnm50gyX_G2-dRsCEpLys4xAyefE25h_OL6XTAG5mN41k2N7uka30BuCRTEZAFmIAls/s1600/brown+garden+snake+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXW5dtMuobPxmMER_TJ31YV22Zob-eO0Too5U5IOo4zaFxnNU4OIpK3nnt4hpCvDYRxHlW5tH5Rnm50gyX_G2-dRsCEpLys4xAyefE25h_OL6XTAG5mN41k2N7uka30BuCRTEZAFmIAls/s320/brown+garden+snake+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Now, I'm going to assume this was a harmless garden snake of some sort, because I didn't have the heart to kill it (would you believe me if I said I thought it was cute?), so I let it live blissfully asleep under the straw... and because, as I went along, uncovering and planting, uncovering and planting, I found two more. They were each just as cold-dormant as the first, and just as obviously alive when the vertigo of being tipped over signaled their brains to wake up. I let each of them go unharmed, showing them the same courtesy as the first with their new, snugglier garden accommodations under the hay.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">So, please, if anyone sees these pictures and happens to know that, hey, WAIT! Those are baby copperheads! Or any other creature with a similar reputation, do let me know, will you? I have no desire to be maimed or murdered for my benevolence toward my serpentine brethren.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><i>This</i> weekend, on the other hand, was in the 80s and uncomfortably warm. But no snakes this time (I assume they went hunting or something... I don't claim to know the minds of serpents), and it felt like real spring, and my onions and spinach had started to sprout, so I didn't complain. Spring is a crazy, crazy time. Mysteries abound and real food is around the corner. Next weekend, finally, I'll be able to go to the farmers' market and buy food from <i>real </i>farmers, those experienced professionals who know how to get something out of the ground (or the greenhouse) before May. I will watch and learn, friends. And, of course, I'll tell <i>you </i>all about it. </span></div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-915764108444041992011-03-30T21:49:00.003-05:002011-03-30T22:01:44.918-05:00I Swear They Exist<div style="color: #660000;">Chocolate/Chocolate Chip Pancakes DO exist. I swear. I was simply biding time until payday, and a much needed trip to the grocery store, so I could proof the recipe one last time.</div><div style="color: #660000;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #660000;">For those of you who doubt the existence of these "mythical" pancakes of which I speak, I offer the following photographic evidence:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACCfrVDGTk3sb3Mfx68oyXzGr2wGSxsbqw5zhwBef1opHE8nx4HMotPQKtBkjIccr2mFQ3wKd-ofYhdcBXyb3ir8On9p6GpOI2yowlINRI3TodXjxcUuNZnbuPyYrLQ4bd_6YPaw1UVc/s1600/cocoa+pancakes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACCfrVDGTk3sb3Mfx68oyXzGr2wGSxsbqw5zhwBef1opHE8nx4HMotPQKtBkjIccr2mFQ3wKd-ofYhdcBXyb3ir8On9p6GpOI2yowlINRI3TodXjxcUuNZnbuPyYrLQ4bd_6YPaw1UVc/s320/cocoa+pancakes.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="color: #660000;">The actual recipe will follow as soon as the cupboards are less bare. No, really.</div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6794167391145615164.post-5243996653324490192011-03-30T21:44:00.002-05:002011-03-30T21:47:26.373-05:00We'd Like to Thank the Academy<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I've been meaning to post this for days now, but it's been That Kind of Week. Two cases in point:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">First <a href="http://gingerlovinmind.blogspot.com/2011/03/duck-and-coverdeath-is-afoot.html">Terri tried to die on me</a> by nearly choking to death the other night. She's got this swallowing thing, which has had us all watching her <i>veeerrry closely</i> whenever she eats. It's rather traumatic when she starts turning alarming shades of red and blue and we have no wish for a repeat performance. She's finally gone today to see the doctor about it. Follow up visits are to come. Note: This. Is. No. Fun. (And I would also note that there is a certain injustice in such an avid foodie having swallowing issues. I'm just sayin'.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Then last night, The Night This Must Be Posted, my son is happily working away on a science project (which, of course, was due today) when all of a sudden he runs out of black construction paper. He was using the paper to cover the inside of a box to make it, well, black. After running over every option I had for a substitute (of which I had none--no more black paper, no paint, not even a Sharpie that would do the job) and very seriously considering Terri's offer of borrowing the rest of the black food coloring she had on hand, which was left over from the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://twitpic.com/4czhqg">gluten-free TARDIS cake</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"> she made for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><i>her</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"> son's birthday earlier this month, my son and I finally fled to Target to get more supplies. This ate up the rest of my night. Voila, no post.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">But NOW I'm here and now I must share with you that Terri and I have won an award! It's a very special kind of award--one that is passed from blogger to blogger and which asks you to play along, awarding other bloggers and sharing a bit about yourself. Terri and I love this kind of sharing the love thing, so we were honored when we found that <a href="http://www.gardenvarietymama.com/">Garden Variety Momma</a> had awarded it to <i>us!</i> Here is our shiny new Stylish Blogger Award:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKMFwOKnULKTVzMkPYqI9hGKcg9ZHj7QGHe0KcdkoQVSRYJq8zO_lt-cPmfnw_iQj-HiC5zGHzwyOm-r5ALzKGhGJEjgTCWMX2kf5U5uPHYIvaZ7e6F5qJPFzKkMSAyCvzQQmsNogfnE/s1600/stylish_blogger_award_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIKMFwOKnULKTVzMkPYqI9hGKcg9ZHj7QGHe0KcdkoQVSRYJq8zO_lt-cPmfnw_iQj-HiC5zGHzwyOm-r5ALzKGhGJEjgTCWMX2kf5U5uPHYIvaZ7e6F5qJPFzKkMSAyCvzQQmsNogfnE/s1600/stylish_blogger_award_1.jpg" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Isn't it pretty? It's so nice to be thought of and to be acknowledged by your peers! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Now, here are the rules if you are awarded the Stylish Blogger Awarded:</span><br />
<ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Thank and link back to the person who gave it to you.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Share 7 things about yourself (and since there are two of us here, you get two for the price of one!)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Award 10-15 bloggers who you think deserve this award (that's where the sharing the love part comes in)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Contact these bloggers to let them know about the award.</span></li>
</ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">So, again, thank you <a href="http://www.gardenvarietymama.com/">Garden Variety Mama</a> for thinking of us and bestowing upon us this most beautiful award! Your blog is fantastic, we love <a href="http://www.gardenvarietymama.com/2011/03/bacon-broccoli-quiche-with-grain-free.html">that quiche idea</a>, and we really, really <a href="http://www.gardenvarietymama.com/2011/03/fyi.html">hope you get to feeling better</a>! We're sure the twins are fine, but did your house survive? ;)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Now onto 7 things about us. So that you wouldn't feel cheated (because we were just sure you would), Terri and I are going to tell you 7 things <i>apiece</i>. </span> </div><div><br />
</div><div><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Terri</span></u></div><div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">I adore thunderstorms and love to write when it is grey and dreary. I'll love this more when my roof is fixed.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Apparently, I cannot communicate without wild gesturing and the raising of one eyebrow. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">I am deathly <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_name_for_the_fear_of_crickets">afraid of crickets</a>.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">I am a rabid <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.shockya.com/news/wp-content/uploads/doctor_who_david_tennant.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.shockya.com/news/2008/12/23/doctor-who-the-musical/&h=468&w=300&sz=32&tbnid=URYhiGKuEfMCwM:&tbnh=281&tbnw=180&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddoctor%2Bwho%2Btennant&zoom=1&q=doctor+who+tennant&hl=en&usg=__smJxAUrAu-jIp-efMxeGbYcQrhY=&sa=X&ei=1sCTTZGIA4bGgAe75py6CA&sqi=2&ved=0CCEQ9QEwAA">Doctor Who</a> fan. Seriously, I would travel with him any day!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">In the third grade, took a live bat I had found to school with me. Can you say Health Department visit?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">Store mannequins freak me out. (Try growing up with a grandma who owns a store and being exposed to a dark back room full of fake body parts and see how <i>you</i> feel...)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #990000;">If anyone wants to bribe me, vanilla bean paste is a good way to do it. (And, apparently I can't count because I only listed 6 things. So this last minute "about me" nullifies Angela's # 6.)</span></li>
</ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><u>Angela</u></span></div><div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I have lived in 5 states so far, but have been in Oklahoma for my entire adult life.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 10 years old (not that <i>that</i> says anything about me...)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">Everyone in my house is an Aries, including myself... which is a barrel of laughs... mostly.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I am desperately in love with everything Terri can't eat: mushrooms, shellfish, dairy (at least not much dairy). So, I eat them all in an effort to make the world a little safer for her. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I have a strong fondness for cheese danishes. (this is not a hypo-allergenic admission)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">It absolutely astounds me that Terri, who has me surpassed in the foodie realm by miles, didn't mention food once in her "about me."</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">I love reading and writing fiction when I'm not reading and writing blogs about sustainable eating.</span></li>
</ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;">And here are the wonderful blogs to whom we are now bestowing the Stylish Blogger Award!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13;"><a href="http://tasteoklahoma.blogspot.com/">http://tasteoklahoma.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<a href="http://wholefastfrugal.blogspot.com/">http://wholefastfrugal.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://foodiefairytale.blogspot.com/">http://foodiefairytale.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.starvingofftheland.com/">http://www.starvingofftheland.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://glutenfreehope.blogspot.com/">http://glutenfreehope.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://creativekitchenadventures.blogspot.com/">http://creativekitchenadventures.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://myseasonalfoodblog.blogspot.com/">http://myseasonalfoodblog.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://yourapplesaremyoranges.blogspot.com/">http://yourapplesaremyoranges.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://belindamoore.blogspot.com/">http://belindamoore.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://gumbootgoddess.blogspot.com/">http://gumbootgoddess.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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If you are in this list, your blog has wowed us. We picked you because of your ability to inform and entertain and give us that feeling that "we are not alone." Thank you for your posts, each and every one of them. To accept this award, you simply have to grab the graphic and pass it on to <i>your </i>favorite bloggers. Now go and share the love.</div>Terri & Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16021653063998748923noreply@blogger.com8