Lately I've Been . . .

Watching . . . 

BBC's "Planet Earth" series.  We've finished two discs so far, about six episodes total, with many more to go.  (Good thing I spread them out in my Netflix cue!)  We have been enjoying them, both for pretty pictures and learning opportunities, and sometimes an excuse to take a nap on the couch.  :)  We tend to enjoy the "making of" spots at the end of the episodes more than the actual episodes.

Eating . . . 

Magic Kale Salad with tempeh bacon

And Buttermilk French Toast

Planning . . . 

On taking better care of myself this spring.  I've been lucky in the past, having lots of walking naturally incorporated into my daily routine.  With this new job I started in October, not so much.  :(  I'm scheduling weekly walks with a small group of friends, and also hoping to slowly reintroduce yoga into my week.  I'd like to work my way up to three times a week!

Reading . . .

Either the Harry Potter series start to finish, or the Anne of Green Gables series start to finish.  I need a brain break and some de-stressing!  Which series should I read first?

Inspired By . . . 

People who cloth diaper their babies.  I fully plan to cloth diaper my own children someday, whenever that may arrive, but lately, we've generated a LOT of laundry, just the two of us.  I couldn't imagine laundry for a family, PLUS diapers every few days!  Wow.  Major props to those of you out there who manage to stay on top of that.  :)

Excited About . . . 

Our garden!!!!!!!!  Seriously, it's worth that many exclamation points.  The snow is finally, finally, FINALLY starting to melt!  We're getting some spring things started inside, and hoping to till in a bunch of compost in a couple of weeks.  Fingers crossed!

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So, what have you been up to?

Lately I've been ...

Watching . . .
Nothing, believe it or not! We moved last weekend, and still haven't had a chance to fully unpack. The TV's buried there, somewhere ...!

Eating . . .
Toast, pizza, and Amy's microwaveable meals. Oh, and some fruit. :) Can't wait to find my kitchen this weekend!

Planning . . .
Our garden! We are working on a massive expansion this year, which may include a few small CSA shares for friends/family. We discovered this amazing program online that has made mapping and planning so simple! We ordered our plants from our farmer friend last week ... now all we wait for is the snow to melt!

Reading . . .
Martha Stewart's recent special publication on "Cakes and Cupcakes." Most are WAY out of my league, but John has his eye on a giant chocolate chip cookie cake for his birthday next weekend! We'll see what I can do about that. ;)

Inspired By . . .
People with more patience than I. Truthfully, I haven't been feeling very inspired lately, what with the stress of moving. Throw in a case of strep, and I'm pretty much maxed out! Soon, I hope to be back to my old self.

Excited About . . .
Finally getting settled into "home" with my husband!

So tell me, what have you been up to?

Bundt success, and suppers

I have always kind of hated my Bundt pan.  Why?  Well . . . I had all of these images of beautiful, lobed cakes in my head, and every cake I'd ever made in that damn pan stuck like glue, and turned into a crumbled, broken mess.

That is, until this past weekend!

Bundt success!  How did I do it?  Two key items: spray oil, and a LOT of flour.  Like so much flour, you can kind of see a thin layer all over the top of the cake.  Oh well.  I'll figure out a better balance next time, right?

The cake is delicious, by the way.  :)  This Real Simple recipe for Spiced Pumpkin Cake caught my eye a while back,  and I'm delighted I finally had a chance to try it!  Of course, I can't ever follow a recipe as written -- I subbed a combination of olive, canola, and coconut oils for the butter, and used whole-wheat pastry flour instead of AP flour.  (I love whole-wheat flour in pumpkin baked goods -- it's so much more nutty and dense!  Mmm.)  The only drawback?  It's dense, rich, moist, and kind of a calorie-bomb, so I'd recommend smaller slices than the recipe suggests.

And since we cannot live on cake alone . . .

Winter Lentil Soup:
 

I have been a huge fan of this recipe, since the first time we tried it.  The soup is barely more than leeks, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, and lentils, but it is so delicious!  Light yet filling, slightly sweet, and containing two of my most favorite veggies, (kale and sweet potatoes,) which happen to pair beautifully.

Fried Rice:

Fried rice is one of those meals I tend to forget about, and then when I remember, I get so excited!  I love being able to clean out my crisper and get something so darn delicious for dinner.  In this batch, the purple cabbage dyed the egg a lovely shade of pale blue -- hilarious, if you ask me.

And, Jamaican-Style Black Bean and Coconut Cornbread Bake:

Isn't it funny how certain things trigger meals?  For example, I always seem to remember this recipe when I have a partial can of coconut milk to use up, since the cornbread topping calls for only 2/3 cup coconut milk.  Delicious, incredibly simple, and healthy, too!

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We'll be living off these leftovers for the rest of the week, and we might be eating more convenience foods than I'd like next week, as the move is approaching quickly!  I'll blog again soon, once I've unpacked enough to find the kitchen and make something -- until then!

Lately I've been . . .

Watching . . .
"Stranger than Fiction."  While John and I don't watch TV, we do enjoy a movie occasionally, often over the weekend.  Blockbuster's within walking distance of the apartment, and this was John's pick this week.  Cute.  Loved Maggie Gyllenhaal and Emma Thompson.

Eating . . . 

Homemade apple crisp . . .

Tofu Steak with Miso and Ginger, carrots glazed with honey and lemon, and brown rice . . .

Whole-wheat spaghetti with homemade mushroom marinara and Nate's Meatless Meatballs . . .

Planning . . . 
On moving in a couple of weeks!  John and I decided until after our wedding to "officially" move in together, as we had so much else to do to get ready for the wedding.  So, in a couple of weeks, I'll be calling Saint Paul home.

Reading . . . 
The latest issue of Mother Earth News.  We just started subscribing to this magazine, and seriously, it's like someone went inside my head, tallied up all of the things I'm interested in, and wrote a magazine about them.  Lucky me!

Inspired By . . . 
Three-year-olds.  They drive me completely bonkers most days, but then they say things like, "Teacher Catherine, I missed you when you were on your moneymoon."

Excited About . . . 
Our garden this summer.  We're going to till up the whole backyard and grow as much food as we can! I'm going to get heavily into preserving this year -- canning and freezing for sure, and maybe some drying.  Those of you that grow a lot of your own food, what would you recommend?

So tell me, what have you been up to?

TOO healthy

As I was working on supper last night, I exclaimed suddenly, "oh, I hope this doesn't taste TOO healthy."

Know what I mean?

There are some meals out there that are TOO healthy -- too light, too nutritious, too virtuous to actually taste good.

Thankfully, this was not one of those meals.  :)

Savory Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with White Beans and Kale, from The Kitchn, did not disappoint.  Light and nutritious, but still filling and flavorful, loaded with garlic, shallot, chili, and rosemary.  I did make a couple of subtle changes from the original recipe, swapping dried rosemary for the fresh, and adding a little butter to the olive oil called for at the beginning.  (Butter makes all things better, I'm nearly certain.)

I can see this meal as a frequent repeat, using whatever beans and greens sound good and/or are available that day, and playing around with different herbs and spices, too.  I'm already feeling chickpeas and curry powder, with perhaps a splash of coconut milk at the end . . .

I'm back!

 We did it!




















John and I got married!  We had beautiful weather, a small gathering of important family and friends, and a lovely, casual reception "catered" by yours truly.  :)  Since our wedding site (for both the ceremony and reception) was small and rustic, (heat and electricity, but no formal kitchen,) we kept things simple and enjoyed a buffet of homemade soups, salads, breads, cheeses, crackers, olives, and bars!  I have no pictures of the food, as I barely sat down to eat during the reception -- too many people to talk to!

As we are now home from our honeymoon and mostly unpacked, I decided it was time to really get back in my kitchen.  We've been so busy these past couple of months, I haven't been cooking much, and the things that I have made really haven't been too "blog-worthy."  So, without further ado, here are some of the first foods of my marriage:

The first thing I baked for my husband (ha!  That still sounds strange in my ears...)

Cinnamon Streusel Buttermilk Coffee Cake is new to my recipe repertoire, but has become a fast favorite.  The cake is quick to prepare, uses basic pantry staples and my favorite baking ingredient of all time, buttermilk!  Deliciously sweet, spicy, nutty, and rich, this cake encourages a lazy breakfast with a cup of coffee.

And the first dinner I cooked for my husband . . .

Homemade pizza!  Just goes to show things don't have to be too fancy or complicated to be special.  :)  Half-whole-wheat Artisan Bread in Five crust, topped with pizza sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, green olives, red onions, mushrooms, and a sprinkling of dried oregano.

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John and I still have plenty of busy days ahead, as we still have to move in together!  We are currently splitting our time between our respective places, and look forward to finally having one home by the end of this month.  My postings may continue to be spotty, as I'll have to pack up and move my kitchen soon enough!

With the upcoming move, I am, of course, looking at trying to use up many of the pantry staples I have on hand.  What are some of your favorite meals using pantry staples?