Saturday, March 31, 2012

Coat racks for peas

Garden update:
We found a "dwarf" variety of sugar snap peas that only grow vines about 2 feet tall. Rather than buy trellises, we improvised with some dowels and scraps from John's shop. Here are the trellises, which I think look like miniature coat racks:

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Look what we made!

It's been a BUSY day, with trips to the hardware store & Menards, building, digging, and planting!

Are we crazy to plant this early? Probably. But we're too excited to wait!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

leftovers for lunch

One of our dinners from last weekend, that I've been eating all week for lunch. Must be damn good, as I'm not sick of it yet!

Jamaican-style Black Bean and Coconut Cornbread Bake, with a side of steamed broccoli with lemon. Can I tell you how much I love this recipe? It comes together in minutes, with no cutting board or knife required! Don't get me wrong . . . I love the rhythm of prepping veggies most days. It's just nice to have a two-minute dinner every once in a while!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

seasonless soup

We are having unseasonably warm, spring-like weather lately -- and I love it! I wasn't prepared for this gorgeousness, however, as I had soup on the meal plan this week . . .

"Red Lentil Soup with Greens," from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers. I think this might be one of those few seasonless soups, because this made an awesome dinner last night! Thick and protein-rich, but not heavy, I could see myself enjoying this soup almost any time of year. (And I received a text message during choir practice from John that read, "Holy smokes, I love this soup." Must be a good one!) I love the strong ginger and anise flavors, the addition of lots of chard, and the subtle coconut undertone. Good thing there's just enough left for my lunch today!

Monday, March 05, 2012

inspired by kale

It's kind of funny, what inspires meals in my brain. Reading about Mama Pea's Magic Kale Salad made me want to make a mountain of the stuff, (and it was as good as I imagined,) accompanied by veggie burgers and sweet potato fries. So, that became Sunday lunch:

Kale salad, sweet potato waffle fries from frozen, and Melody's All-American Burgers on whole-wheat buns, with swiss, mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Even though lunch is typically my biggest meal, this was too much food for me! (Probably because I had a slice of apple pie about 45 minutes before lunch??)

I'm loving kale raw more and more these days -- I think it has better flavor (and texture) than cabbage in raw "slaws," and, well, it just makes for a gorgeous raw salad! Magic Kale Salad will become a staple, I'm certain, (I love love love the combination of the tangy dressing, bitter greens, rich pistachios, and sweet apples,) and Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing also makes me swoon. Any suggestions for new kale salads to add to my repertoire?