finders, keepers.

You are NEVER going to BELIEVE what I found today:



Yesssss . . . that's about a half-pound of what I am fairly certain are true morels. I spent some time looking online, and it seems as though there are two clear differences between true morels and false morels -- true morels are completely hollow (while false morels are solid/dense throughout the cap and stem,) and the caps of true morels are attached to the stem (while the caps of false morels hang over the stem.)

Oh yeah . . . where did I find them? AT WORK. ON THE PLAYGROUND. Near the fence, poppping up from a pile of dead leaves, under a dying (what we believe is an ash) tree.

Who knew you could find morels in the middle of the city? :)

MINE! ALL MINE!

what to do?

Since my typical work hours are 9 - 6, I usually get up around 7 AM.

What do you do when the neighbor's dog across the street starts barking at 5:45 AM and doesn't quit? EVER?

Give up on going back to sleep, and make waffles. I had three for breakfast -- one with maple syrup, one with sweet potato butter, and one with raspberry jam. Numbs the pain just a little bit.

Happy Tuesday. :)

superfast

We've had a couple of superfast meals these past two nights!

Sunday night:

Whole-wheat pasta tossed with leftover homemade marinara and a grate of parmesan was ready in a jiffy; the artichokes took longer, but that was largely inactive time. (Like, we went to Target while the artichokes were gently steaming away.) Yum! Fast!

Tonight's dinner might have been even faster:

I started the potatoes as soon as I got home from work, and browning the bbq tempeh (set to marinade yesterday) and tossing the broccoli slaw took almost no time at all. Yummier! Faster!

What are some of your favorite speedy meals?

"toe-FOOD"

Have I ever told the story of "toe-FOOD?" Well, it's a short one, but funny.

The kids at my old job didn't quite hear me the first time I said, "tofu," and they heard it, "toe-FOOD." So, forever from that point, they'd ask me, "do you have toe-FOOD for lunch today?" :)

(The other mispronunciation that was hilarious was "shush-ee." You know, seaweed wrapped around rice and veggies?")

Anyhow, I must have been hungry for "toe-FOOD" this past week, because we ate a TON of it:

"Brooklyn Pad Thai," from Vegan with a Vengeance:


Tofu coconut curry, over brown rice:


Asian noodley soup, with tofu and too many veggies:


I did also manage to throw a little variety in there, mostly this past weekend . . .

PIZZA:


Beans and Rice:

Tucked safely away in the fridge for lunches this week. We never seem to get sick of beans and rice prepared in my super-secret way! (Super-secret? Nah. Pretty much everything you see in that picture, plus a jar of prepared salsa. Shhhhhhh! Don't tell!)

CAKE:

We had our annual "girls night in" last night, and we simplified this month by just doing dessert and tea. I made the "Vanilla-Yogurt Pound Cake," from Veganomicon, and topped the slices with vanilla ice cream (not pictured) and sliced strawberries tossed with a drizzle of agave. YUM!

Sigh. Must go find my kitchen under a mountain of dirty dishes! I leave you with a cat-in-a-box:

good guy

Due to Oliver's "craziness" lately, we've been trying to get him on more of a schedule for feeding, playing, etc. It seems to be working best feeding him at 7 AM and 7 PM -- he doesn't wake us up in the middle of the night begging for food any more, and between that and the medication, his over-grooming has gone down some.

Downside? I have to get up at 7 AM (well, more like sometime between 7:15 and 7:30, when I hear a pathetic meow,) to feed Oliver.

I've been pretty sleep-deprived lately; Dan had a true "good guy" moment this morning. Oliver let out one pathetic little yelp; Dan hopped out of bed without saying anything, fed him, and came back to bed. I got to go back to sleep! Yay! And I slept until almost 8:45. (This is a HUGE accomplishment for me! I usually can't sleep past 7:30.)

Thanks, hon!

Off to church in a little bit, and then I'm going out for brunch with a friend and for a long bike ride. Enjoy your Sunday!

TREATS.

A few treats to share . . . !

Dan's parents brought us a couple of treats from their extended stay in South Carolina this spring:

Hel-LO sweet potato butter! I tried really hard to convince myself to wait on opening this jar, since we have 3 or so jars of homemade jam/apple butter littering up our fridge right now. I made it about a day and a half, before I finally cracked the seal:

Oh my. SO good. (The other piece of toast has homemade raspberry jam -- we haven't opened the mango pepper jelly yet.) I want to eat about 15 pieces of toast with sweet potato butter right now, but I'm full from dinner. Thanks for the treat, Pat and Sandy!

Speaking of dinner . . .

OH YES. Courtney and I went to Costco this afternoon, and I procured a package of four GIANT artichokes! MMMMMM. Also included in the meal were sauteed morels and asparagus, over local lemon-pepper fettucine. (There were some shallots, thyme, and parsley in there as well!) This was one treat of a dinner.

And dessert?

Organic strawberries from California, conventional blackberries from Mexico, but well, sometimes it's hard to resist beautiful berries! (And I couldn't BELIEVE the price on the blackberries at Costco!) I piled my berries over a scoop of vanilla ice cream; Dan ate his straight up. Deeeeeeeeelicious!

William O'Brien State Park

Whoops! Never posted pictures from our hike last weekend. Better late than never, right? Here's a few from William O'Brien State Park:
















After exhausting ourselves on the trails, we stopped by the lake to enjoy our picnic supper (sandwiches, fruit, chips and salsa, pickles, and cookies.) Food always tastes better outside, doesn't it?

On our way home, we popped in the candy store in Stillwater, leaving with a blueberry truffle for Dan, a chocolate-covered mint Oreo for me, and a pound of saltwater taffy! Wee sugar!

just busy.

Hello there! Yeah, I haven't posted much, and I haven't cooked much. Dan's out of town this weekend, and I was SO busy this morning, I feel like I've already put in a full day! What was I up to?

1. I took Oliver to a veterinary dermatologist in Eden Prairie for a consultation at 8 AM. He's been working hard at licking all of the fur off his belly for about a year now, and recently he's moved on to his legs as well. $214 later, we have a prescription for "Clomicalm," since we believe Oliver's over-grooming is psychosomatic/stress related. (He's always been a very anxious meowza.) Wish me luck giving him a pill every day! I'm thinking hiding it in 1/4 tsp of ice cream might make things easier????? Maybe?????

(The Clomicalm wasn't that expensive -- the visit and tests were most of the cost. Thank goodness!)

2. After safely returning a pretty pissy kitty to the apartment, I went to the Farmer's Market, Kitchen Window, Penzey's, Bill's Imported Foods, Shuang Hur, and finally, the Wedge. We're $200 poorer in our grocery budget, but well-stocked with fun things like morels (!) and asparagus and inexpensive tofu and lemongrass and pistachios and dried peaches and dried strawberries.

I'm such a food nerd -- I can't believe it took 6 stops to get the shopping done. :)

Happy weekend!

Incredible Hulk Soup

There really should be more emerald green soup out there, shouldn't there?



"Cream of Spinach Soup," from Moosewood Cookbook. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly this soup came together, (I washed and stemmed the spinach last weekend, which helped a ton,) and it had a nice, comforting, healthy green flavor, but not overpoweringly so. I did add a tiny splash of white wine vinegar to brighten it up, but I think I'd add the juice of one lemon next time, instead. The vinegar didn't have enough acidity or flavor for me!

Dan commented while eating dinner last night, "I feel myself getting healthier with every bite." He also noted that this probably wouldn't be a soup you'd easily feed to kids; my reply, "well, unless you called it 'Incredible Hulk Soup!'"

Would it work?

***UPDATE: Ok, so I took a bowl of this soup to work with my lunch today, and almost all of the kids wanted to try it. More importantly . . . all but TWO of them loved it! Most of them said the soup tasted like "green potatoes," whatever those are! :)

weekend eats and baking projects

Did a little baking today . . .

trail mix cookies:

I made my usual oatmeal cookies, adding a ton of leftover trail mix that was languishing in our fridge. Fantastic! Lots of flavors, textures, and colors in these babies.

granola:

The usual, made with a few cashews this time. Yum!

And, a few meals . . .

Sushi!

I made a few cucumber, avocado, and asparagus rolls for myself, and since Dan bought himself a small piece of sushi-grade fish, he was a happy camper, too!

Beans and Rice:

Plated, with some roasted asparagus:

I can't believe how long it's been since I've made beans and rice, and Dan and I both agreed it's been too long! So yum.

Stay tuned for a few pictures from the hike we took on Saturday afternoon. Hope you had a good weekend, too!

oldie but goodie

An oldie but a goodie that I haven't made in ages -- Sloppy Lentils!



I tweaked my recipe a wee bit this time, and it turned out wonderfully! I think I've really nailed the flavor you'd look for in a traditional sloppy joe. Sides of roasted sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli, and that ever-important pickle, rounded things out.

Here's my recipe, in case you're curious:

Saute together:
1 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, (or 1/2 large,) minced
1 green pepper, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning

Add, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 40 - 45 minutes:
15 ounces no-salt added tomato sauce
1 cup apple juice
1 cup green lentils (the "ordinary" kind)

When the lentils are almost done, add and continue simmering:
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp (approx.) salt

Serve on whole-wheat buns or stuffed in pita. Mmmm!

What are some of your "oldie but goodie" greatest hits?

triple-whammy

I have a triple dose of "kids say the darndest" for you today! It's been a silly week. :)

1. We have a new little girl in our class who is very shy, and a very picky, very slow eater. I noticed at lunch the other day that she was practically shoveling her food in -- totally chowing down! I asked her if she liked this lunch and she replied, "yeah, this food makes my tummy feel GOOOOOOOOOD!"

2. Late in the afternoon yesterday, I asked one of the girls who was picking her up. She replied, "my mom. I don't want my grandma to pick me up -- she farts too much."

3. At lunch yesterday, seemingly out of nowhere, one of the boys announced, "when my mom walks around the house with no clothes on, my dad slaps her butt!"

Oh lord.

Happy Friday everyone!

smoothie, bread, and brunch!

It's officially smoothie season! Here's today's:

Local, unsweetened vanilla yogurt, papaya, banana, raspberries, flax seeds, and orange juice. So sweet and nourishing and refreshing (and pink!)

~~~~~~~~~~

I planned on working on our current bake-a-long project this weekend -- "Aunt Melissa's Granola Bread." Victoria gave the bread a great review, and I was thrilled to try it out!

Unfortunately, my first try at the bread yesterday was an utter disaster. I decided to make a free-form loaf, (instead of baking the bread in a pan, as the recipe suggests,) and I ended up with a nearly black, crusty, flat loaf that was completely inedible. To the trash, unfortunately, and back to the cupboard for a second round of ingredients.

Why am I opposed to using bread pans? Because my loaves ALWAYS stick, no matter how well I grease them. Today, I had the brilliant idea of lining my pans with parchment, which allowed each loaf to release beautifully! Wahoo! Trial #2 was a huge success:

The recipe suggests splitting the dough into two 9-inch loaves; I chose to split it into three 8-inch loaves. My pans weren't as full as I'd like them to be, and in fact, I think I'd split the dough into two 8-inch pans in the future. (I like a tall, majestic loaf of bread.) :)

How about the taste, you ask?

The loaves were cool in time to slice and enjoy with brunch:

Holy cow, this is some damn fine bread! Soft, chewy, yeasty, and slightly sweet, with little surprise nuggets here and there from the incorporated granola. I think I like this even better than the Oatmeal Bread for morning toast! YUMMERS!

"Yummers?" Yeah, I just said "yummers." But really, it's that good!

dinner AND dessert!

After my grueling (but fun!) afternoon in the kitchen, this is "all" I have to show, (so far,) for my efforts:


Tabouli, vegan spinach pie, and roasted asparagus made a mighty fine dinner!


Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble, topped with vanilla ice cream, was a mighty fine dessert!

opening day: Minneapolis Farmer's Market

Holy cow, I was pleasantly SHOCKED to see SO much local produce given it's the official opening weekend of the Minneapolis Farmer's Market! Check out my awesome scores:


Asparagus, spinach, honey, green onions, rhubarb, hydroponic cucumbers, fresh herbs (oregano, dill, mint, and parsley,) mozzarella, parmesan, hydroponic tomatoes, hydroponic peppers, and mixed baby greens (with edible flowers!)

After wrapping up errands this morning, I made another pizza for lunch:

Artisan Bread half whole-wheat crust, homemade marinara, local mozzarella and local parmesan, local spinach, local red bell pepper, local mushroom, red onion, and kalamata olives. YUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMM!

I have been slaving away in my kitchen all afternoon, so there will be more food news to report soon enough . . . until then!

kids say the darndest . . .

I ran to Mississippi Market this afternoon to pick up a few things for home, and noticed that whole-fruit popsicles were on sale . . . time to spoil the children!

The kids were THRILLED to have popsicles for snack . . . all but one. I purchased a box of strawberry and a box of mango popsicles, and let each one choose a flavor. One of my girls chose strawberry, which I was surprised by -- she has turned down fresh strawberries repeatedly. I warned her that the strawberry popsicle was going to taste like real strawberries . . . she still chose it. And you guessed it, that pop ended up in the trash. (GRRRR!)

Later in the afternoon, this little one was complaining to me that she was hungry.

I said, "well, that's because you didn't eat your snack."

She said, "I didn't like it."

I said, "you know, I've never met a kid that didn't like popsicles."

She said, "But I like popsicles."

I said, "but you didn't eat it!"

She said, "I like regular popsicles."

I said, "That's because you're a picky-pants!"

Well, this resulted in huge peals of laughter, and much chanting of "picky-pants, picky-pants, picky-picky-picky-pants!" by both of us.

Until suddenly, she stopped, looked down, and then back at me, and said, quite seriously, "nuh-uh -- I got shorts on."

outdoing myself

According to Dan, I outdid myself with tonight's dinner:



"Curried Tofu," from VCON, garlic-roasted asparagus, roasted potatoes, and some (honestly, pretty overcooked) quinoa. Yummers all around! (The overcooked quinoa wasn't a huge problem -- it kind of reminded me of couscous, actually, which was what I originally wanted to make, but we were all out!)

~~~~~~~~~~

The weekend's so close, I can almost TASTE it! ARGH! I can't wait to go to the Farmer's Market this weekend! I hear there are veggies already -- SO early for Minnesota! Wee!

every day.

(thanks for the picture.)

Happy Earth Day! Those of you new to my blog may be surprised to find that environmentalism extends WAY beyond reuseable shopping bags and compact fluorescent bulbs in my house, and that I make a serious commitment to reducing my carbon footprint as much as my time and budget allow.

What do we do, you ask? Here's a laundry list:

~ eco-friendly cleaning and paper products, (mostly Seventh Generation,) including recycled toilet paper, paper towels, and kleenexes, vegetable-based soaps, and reusables as much as possible (i.e., dryer balls, dish scrubbers, handkerchiefs, mini-towels to go, rags, etc.)

~ vegetable-based (and organic when possible) health and body care products, toothbrushes w/replaceable heads, organic cotton tampons, and again, reusables as much as possible (washcloths, body scrubbers, etc.)

~ reusable shopping bags AND reusable produce bags, as well as shopping from the bulk bins (bringing my own containers) as much as possible, also buying as much local and organic as we can (I'm psyched to hit up the Farmer's Market this weekend!)

~ packing lunches and eating at home as much as possible, including reusable bags, containers, silverware, and cloth napkins

~ obviously, we recycle :) (everything!)

~ eco-friendly, compostable cat litter

~ walking, biking, and/or bussing as much as we can

~ reusable water bottles, coffee cups, etc.

~ we eat a 100% vegetarian diet at home, largely vegan; Dan does eat meat occasionally while dining out, I do not

~ eliminating junk mail by getting off the "lists"

~ line-drying at least one laundry load per week, to save a little electricity (and money, since we run through quarters like no one's business!)

So . . . what are my Earth Day goals this year, you ask? I have three -- two simple, one a bit more complex.

1. I really need to get better about taking a travel mug with me to the coffee shop. I think if I keep one at work (for those impromptu trips to the co-op for an afternoon pick-me-up!) it will help a lot. I never take a "java jacket," but if I can eliminate the paper cup and lid, even better! (I rarely buy coffee out, but this is still a little thing I can do!)

2. I need to source a location that recycles #5 plastic -- I have those big yogurt tubs coming out of my ears these days, and I only need so many for the bulk items when shopping! Any suggestions?

3. I need to work on "greening" my wardrobe. How? I'm going to try to learn to thrift, even though I really, really, really HATE shopping. (Ugh.) I also want to source more stores that manufacture clothes in a slightly more sustainable way (i.e., at least paying their workers a liveable wage, etc.) Anyone have good suggestions for places to shop? I know about H&M and American Apparel, but any other ideas (real stores and/or websites) would be helpful! (Particularly, anyone know where to get decent petite size pants made in a sustainable way?)

What are you doing to to help the Earth -- today, or every day?

P.S. We're starting a weekly trash-pickup with our kidlets at work today, and they also want to plant a garden this summer. Wahoo!

salad #2 this week . . .

Another fantastic salad, courtesy of Eating Well, tonight:



"Spiced Eggplant-Lentil Salad with Mango" was fantastic! Top a bed of romaine with a spicy, sweet, tangy mixture of roasted eggplant and lentils, then garnish with diced mango, chopped cashews, and cilantro . . . mmmmm! Dan mentioned that this salad tasted extremely healthy to him, but also very delicious! (As all healthy food should taste, right?)

I paired our salads with a few homemade pita chips, which were a perfect accompaniment. I'm really looking forward to eating leftovers for lunch tomorrow! Woot!

dear pizza

Dear pizza,

It's been a while! We've missed you!



YUM! I did consciously take a break from pizza, even though we could enjoy it every single week and never get sick of it, because, really, who needs to consume that much cheese? ;) Anyhow, Artisan Bread half whole-wheat crust, homemade tomato sauce, red onion, mushrooms, kalamata olives, mozzarella, parmesan, and a last-minute sprinkle of oregano.

I did manage to cram a huge side salad portion on this plate as well . . . and I have to remember to post soon about our new favorite "house dressing!" Stay tuned . . . !

one chill evening

After a very busy weekend, (errands, mountains of laundry, mega cooking extravaganza, friends' housewarming party, plans with other friends, etc.), Dan and I were due for a chill evening. We started with these seemingly indulgent, but really truly healthy taco salads:

The June 2010 issue of Eating Well has a GREAT article titled "Elements of a Power Salad," containing several tempting recipes, most easily vegetized, and this taco salad caught my eye right away. Now, I think that Eating Well does an excellent job of printing outstanding recipes and nutrition information, but they've really outdone themselves this time . . . this salad was AMAZING! Looking at that picture makes me want to yank the leftovers out of the fridge and have a second dinner! (Although I probably won't, since I'm not all that hungry right now. But you get the idea!)

We followed the salads with . . .

Yesssssss . . . strawberry cream puffs! Organic strawberries have been on deep sale lately, and I just couldn't resist. YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM.

After dessert, we hopped on our bikes for about an hour. Next on the agenda? Couch!