Sunday, December 02, 2007

busy weekend!

Don't you just love those weekends when you are super-productive, but not exhausted? I've had one of those weekends. I've caught up on email and snail mail correspondence, done some tidying up and filing around the house, nearly completed my Christmas shopping, wrapped all of the Christmas presents I've purchased, made a (crustlesss) tofu pumpkin pie, done some laundry, mopped the floors, washed mountains of dishes, and finished a book! I've also been cooking and eating, of course. :)

One of my impulse buys at the Wedge on Friday:
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Pineapple guavas! I was sold on their bubblegum-like fragrance -- I had to give a few a try.

Trying:
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Guavas are a little strange . . . sweet and tart, with an unusual texture. They may not be on my grocery list on a regular basis, but they were worth a try!

Almond Milk!
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I realize this looks remarkably like the batches of soy milk I've made with my Soyabella, but I had to post about almond milk . . . because it tastes SO good, and it takes even less time to make than soy milk. Plus, almonds are a natural source of calcium and iron -- bonus!

Falafel for dinner last night:
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I baked my falafel this time . . . ew. I will stick to pan-frying from now on, because my oven baked falafels just got dried out and crumbly. My salad (romaine, tomato, artichoke, olives, oil, and vinegar,) was spectacular, however!

The beginnings of holiday baking:
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Chai shortbread dough, off to the freezer for a couple of weeks. See you soon, chai shortbread!

Rescuing falafel for lunch today:
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I pan-fried the falafel today, with much better results. Sweet potato fries and more guavas on the side. (I'm full!)

I still can't believe it's only 4:15 or so . . . what will I do with the rest of my day? We shall see . . . !

13 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

wow, you've certainly been busy!! mmm, the falafel (glad that the pan-fried version worked out better for you!), almond-milk (yum!!), and the Chai shortbread dough (can't wait to see all the holiday cookies, once you've baked them!) all look quite scrumptious; and the guava is quite enticing - especially since I've never eaten guava before. smells like bubblegum, eh? how fun! :0)

Anonymous said...

Hi!
I am a lurker. I admit it. I have been reading your blog for a few months and I find it very inspiring. I am slowly becoming a healthy(er)? cook and shopper thanks to blogs like yours! Your recipes are great. I love hearing your new gadget reviews too!

~Veggie Girl in MO*

MeloMeals said...

i have yet to try almond milk.. you are inspiring me to do it.

Your falafel looks great.. I bake mine all the time with great results..

Anonymous said...

Wow--you have already wrapped everything too?! You certainly ARE productive--go you!

The almond milk looks great, and I am glad that you like it. And the cookies, falafel, guava...everything looks fabulous!

Courtney

Anonymous said...

Pineapple guavas are my favorite fruit ever. I can't find them here though. Consider yourself lucky. I am very jealous!

Mary Worrell said...

Hey Catherine!

How did you make the almond milk? With the the Soybella?

I've got a few pounds of almonds I'm trying to "milk."

Anonymous said...

Your sweet-potato fries look PERFECT. Every time I make them, no matter how often I check them and turn them, they come out of the oven black and burned. What temperature do you bake them at?

Catherine Weber said...

veggiegirl, I had never eaten fresh guavas before, either -- in my opinion, they smell better than they taste . . . but maybe mine weren't quite ripe? I will definitely try them again, though!

veggie girl in MO, I'm glad you left me a comment! Thank you for the wonderful compliments! What have you been cooking lately?

Melody, what's the trick to baking falafel? Mine didn't turn out well at all . . . let me know what you think of the almond milk!

Courtney, I know -- someone put a quarter in me this past weekend, I think!

Crystal, I'm still not sold on guavas -- what's the trick? Did I eat them before they were fully ripe?

Mary, I did use my Soyabella to make the almond milk -- It's a little different process than soy milk making, but just as easy!

Lauren, I do my sweet potato fries at 425, usually, and toss them in oil first. Sometimes they don't get quite crispy enough on the outside for my tastes, but at least they don't burn! (But believe me, I've burned batches in the past!)

Carrie™ said...

I know the kind of day you mean and I could really use one right about now. Those falafels, whether the baked ones were gross or not, look delicious. Falafels are one of my favorite foods. YUM!

bazu said...

Mmmm, I've never tried a pineapple guava (or all that many guavas, for that matter) but I'm intrigued. And I have to admit, we usually fry falafels around here... I mean, fat tastes better, right? There, I said it. ;-)

Judy said...

Guavas aren't really my thing either, they always taste weak to me. Maybe if I had them in their native country I would enjoy them, who knows?

Your falafel looks pretty good, too bad it was dry. Nothing a little sauce the next day can't fix eh?

Jen B. said...

Oooo, I love fresh almond milk! I love that container you have yours in, too. Bubble-gum smell? Sounds delicious - sorry the guava wasn't at good as you'd expected. Do you think they might combine well, flavorwise, with another fruit in a smoothie?

Liz said...

Great score on getting the soymilk maker at cost! I was wondering if it would work with other types of milk, too. Thanks for the info.