Freeze!

We really need to get a new camera. There have been many photo ops lately, but nothing to capture them with. I think we might get around to fixing that this weekend.
I spent a lot of time back in the kitchen this week, which felt really good. Now that we are entering our second trimester (!), I am getting some of my energy back, and have not been quite as picky about what I want to eat. On Monday I roasted a bunch of pumpkin, and froze it for future use. It is slightly cheaper than buying the canned stuff, and I just really enjoy the process. The smell of the pumpkin as it is roasting, roasting the pumpkin seeds, all of it is great. I also had my first go at cooking dried beans. If you have a pressure cooker, this is one of the best ideas ever. Normally you would soak the beans overnight, and then spend 4-6 hours the following day cooking them. With the pressure cooker, you are done, start to finish, in 30 min! I have been wanting to do this for a long time, because it is way more cost effective. A can of organic beans is roughly $1.19. One pound of organic dried beans is roughly $1.29. You are getting four times the amount, for nearly the same price. We eat a lot of beans at our house, so this is awesome for us. They do not last super long once they are cooked, but you can freeze them. I bought 16oz containers, so I have a bunch of can sized servings waiting for me in the freezer. Now we need a second freezer.
Who knows if anyone reads this, but I like writing about the things I enjoy doing.

Neither Here Nor There

Ah, life. The past couple of weeks have been consumed by house hunting. Jesse and I really want to get out of the city, but I am not sure that now is the time. We had been looking at possibly moving to Lansdowne, a cute suburb 12 miles outside of the city. Unfortunately nothing that we were interested in, ended up working out, provoking more thoughts. Every part of us wants to get out of the city, except the people part. Even though we would not be moving very far, our friends would not be as close as they are now. We are going to have a baby in April, which will obviously bring many changes. I am terrified of being isolated. I have no idea how to remedy these things. So for now, I think we will stay in the city. I cry every day, and am never sure of what we should do.
On a lighter note, we saw Whip It last night. I totally want to do roller derby after this baby is born.

Life

There obviously has been a lack of posts. Excuse number one, I am pregnant, and nothing has sounded appetizing lately. Well nothing other than sushi, which I am not allowed to eat. Excuse number two, our house got broken in to, and the bastards stole our camera. This will probably turn in to more than a food blog. All I think about is this baby, but I will try not to bore you :) I am ten weeks, and things have been decent so far. There has been a lot of exhaustion, and some nausea, but I have yet to throw up. I am very grateful. We have our very first appointment at the Birth Center tomorrow, which I have been anxiously awaiting. My mom had gastric bypass surgery on Monday, and is recovering well. My nephew just turned one, and is amazing. He is going to love having a cousin. I was in three weddings this summer, and attended six I think. Fall is approaching, which I am ecstatic about. I am so excited to be pregnant in the fall and winter. Oh I lied when I said all I think about is this baby, I also think about moving. Germantown seems to be the best option, because we want to get out of the city and have more space, while also staying connected to the people we love. Dream house has yet to be found, and unfortunately I do not have any patience. I think that is it, in a nut shell.

Bulgur Lettuce Wraps

Whenever I am at a loss for dinner ideas, I usually end up doing something involving a grain that I have on hand, and whatever else I have on hand. I just laughed as a re-read that, because it is so unspecific. I knew I wanted to use the fresh fennel that I had just received in our CSA. I love fresh fennel! Anyway, so I sauteed it with some onion, and then threw in some basil sausage (thank you TJ's) that I had thawed five min earlier in a bowl of hot water. Oh, before I started all that, I put the bulgur on the stove. Everything was done around the same time, so I mixed it all together, and then went searching for something green to put on the plate. There was heaps and heaps of lettuce in the fridge, lettuce wraps anyone?

White Lasagna

I love white lasagna, so much that I never make lasagna with red sauce anymore. Let me warn you, this is not the healthier version. Here is a break down of the layers:
1. noodles
2. cheese mixture (ricotta, mozzarella, parm, fresh basil, fresh parsley, fresh oregano)
3. veggie mixture (sauteed spinach, zucchini, onion, garlic)
4. bechamel sauce
5. noodles
6. cheese mixture
7. veggie mixture
8. bechamel sauce
9. noodles
10. mozzarella
11. parm
12. fresh basil
Bake at 400 degrees until brown and bubbly. Indulge.

Israeli Couscous Summer Salad

Sometimes things turn out good, sometimes things turn out bad. This lovely dish? Well it turned out good, let me tell you! I made the couscous, and then added some caramelized onions! Then I cooked some yellow squash in balsamic vinegar, over high heat, so it caramelized! Then I chopped up some fresh basil and sprinkled it over everything! I am adding so many exclamation points because I seriously loved this dish. The onions, squash, and basil all came from our CSA. It is so fun when you can make things come together, without any planning. I hope you are encouraged to get creative.

Trader Joe's

I have my complaints about TJ's, but I also love them. There are many specific things that I only buy from there, because they have awesome prices for awesome things. Let me start with the non food items, sunblock and aloe vera gel. These are things that I have only recently discovered, and am ecstatic about. I bought a 4 oz bottle of all natural Alba sunblock from Whole Foods for $7.99...... then I discovered that TJ's sells a 8 oz bottle of their sunblock for $5.99.......... and they are made of the exact same ingredients! I have been at the shore all week using this stuff, and it totally works. Their all natural aloe vera gel is under $3 for 12 oz, and is 99% pure aloe.
Another thing that I love is their 99cent pizza dough! Do not get me wrong, I love making things from scratch, but the reality is, I do not always feel like it. In comes the pre-made dough. Slap on some pasta sauce, mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and fresh basil, and you have yourself a delicious quick week night meal. Or slap on whatever you have laying around, seriously, that is the way you have to roll.

This week's CSA

How beautiful is all of this? This week we got two bags of spinach, a head of red leaf lettuce, beets, radishes, basil, two kinds of green onions, snap peas, and zucchini. I have no idea what to do with all of these green onions......
but last night I put the beets and basil to good use. I made whole wheat penne, fresh pesto, and sauteed already roasted beets with some onion and the beet greens. Use the beet greens! They are very similar to swiss chard, and very edible.

For the pesto:

a bunch of fresh basil

a bunch of fresh parsley

some pine nuts

some fresh parmesan

olive oil

salt and pepper

Throw everything in a food proccessor, except the olive oil. Blend it, and then add the olive oil until you have the consistancy you want. You will notice that I did not give any actual measurements..... this is because I do not really measure anything. Add ingredients until it tastes good, it is hard to screw things like this up.

For the veggies I sauteed the white parts of some green onion, added in chopped beet greens, and then added in sliced roasted beets. Lucky for me these were already in my fridge, left over from last week.

Add the pesto and the veggies to some pasta, and eat up! I really loved how this turned out. Even Jesse liked it, and he says that he does not like beets.

Veggie and Herb Cream Cheese

Hello! Yes, I am still spending lots of time in the kitchen, just not too much time in front of the computer. However, today I am sick, and have plenty of time to stare at this glowing screen. I did not develop any kind of hunger until around 2:00, at which point I wanted something simple, but really good. I made a veggie and herb cream cheese, which contained the following:

1 package cream cheese, softened

3 radishes, grated

1 carrot, grated

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped dill

1/4 cup chopped scallions

salt and pepper

You can add more or less of any of those things, or add something to the list. I just happen to have this stuff. Mix it all up, and slather it on something containing lots of carbohydrates. I made some toast, added the cream cheese, a fried egg, and some sliced cucumber. I hate computers, which is probably why it is so hard for me to find motivation to post. My motivation will have to be wanting to share all of the organic local produce that my fridge is overflowing with, with you. Make sense?

Let the grilling begin

As soon as the weather starts getting warm, we grill all the time. It is nice to have other things to accompany the grilled items, so on Thursday I made some type of baked polenta. It was basically polenta spread out in a round pan, baked until crispy, and then topped with caramelized onions and goat cheese.
On the skewers there are balsamic sweet potatoes and zucchini, with a side of kale. The perfect meal for a spring night.

Bialys

Last Wednesday Jesse came home to find me sulking on the couch. I had attempted to make dough for bialys, and it would not rise. Side note, my bread never rises. I even tried Alton Brown's method of putting the dough in the oven to rise, with a pan of hot water under it, so it stays warm. Still, it was not working. I had given up, but Jesse decided to take the sad ball of gluten and put it in the yogurt maker, which stays at a constant warm temperature. Sure enough, about an hour later that stupid ball of dough had doubled in size.
Bialys are like a bagel, with a yummy caramelized onion and poppy seed filling. After Jesse saved the dough, I continued on with the proccess. It was 10:00 at night by the time they came out of the oven, but I have never been so satisfied. They were beauties....

Birthday weekend

My birthday was yesterday, I turned 26. I was reassured by several people that 26 is still considered mid 20's. Jesse started things off right on Friday by bringing flowers home, and making me spring rolls for dinner. They were amazing, and he is the best.

On Saturday night we went with eight of our dearest friends to Marrakesh, an authentic moraccan heaven. Not only do you have to have a reservation to get in, but you have to knock on the door to get in. Then you enjoy a six course meal, hand washing, and a belly dancer. We brought several bottles of wine, and were there for about four hours. I could not have asked for a more wonderful night.

On Sunday, my actual birthday, we had lots of friends over for a barbq. It was supposed to storm, but we had sunshine all day...... until the ten minute hail storm hit around 7:00...... it was wild. I think it was one of the best birthdays/ birthday weekends I have had in a long time.

After a coupon, some store credit, some birthday money, and some tax return money, I adopted my new child:

Breakfast for dinner

These pictures do not do this meal justice. Last week sometime, (I am real good at posting things right away huh?) I made potato and carrot latkes, savory crepes with ricotta and caramelized onions, and roasted beets. It took over an hour, and made lots of dirty dishes, but it was worth it.
I have been roasting beets a lot lately. They are super nutritious, and affordable all year long. It is important to keep them whole, with the skin on, because then you do not lose any of the goodness. Wrap each one in foil, and bake for about an hour in a 400 degree oven. Remove the foil, and when the beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, the skin will slide right off. Slice them however you like!

Busy Busy

It is hard to remember what we have eaten during the past week, things have been nuts. Nothing bad, but between finishing work on the second floor, and Bess moving in, there has hardly been time to eat. There have been burritos, salmon burgers, and MACARONI AND CHEESE! As you can tell, this was my favorite. When I make mac and cheese, I use whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread for the bread crumbs, so that it is not so unhealthy. On Friday I added sauteed kale, and used smoked gouda and sharp cheddar....... oh man was it good. Other than that, I have been living on hummus. I use three or four cans of beans, which makes a lot, but I go through it so fast. Yogurt and granola are another current favorite, Bess and I were just talking about how it reminds us of spring. Making your own yogurt is much more affordable than buying it, and it takes very little time. I will post pictures of the creamy goodness, and the yogurt maker that I use, as soon as my camera battery is charged.....

CSA

I forgot to mention this, we signed up for a new CSA, Red Earth Farms. We did Lancaster Farm Fresh last year, and were not totally happy with it. This year they raised their prices, so we decided to go shopping for a new CSA. We stumbled upon Red Earth Farms, and loved everything we read, so we signed up and were accepted. I did not know this at the time, but apparently they fill up really fast and are really hard to get in to. I am so glad we made it!

Cell Tuesdays

Tuesday's dinner was kind of a pantry meal again. I knew we were going to be having veggie burgers, because that is usually what we do on a busy night, but I wanted something else to go along side them. First thought, bean salad, with whatever fresh ingredient I can find. A can of black beans, a can of kidney beans, a can of garbanzo beans, diced celery, diced cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and dijon vinegarette, which I always make and keep on hand. I topped it off with some goat cheese. Jesse made the veggie burgers on the grill, and we ate dinner outside!

I wanted to make a savory snack for cell, since a lot of people in my cell gave up sweets for lent. This snack was savory, but sweet as well, but with no added sugar. Carmelized onion dip.....

All you do is add the caramelized onions, some onion powder, and salt to some sour cream. So easy, but so amazing.

Monday Madness

After a totally crazy day at work on Monday, I came home and cooked all night. Our kitchen has been lacking fresh veggies since we have been working on the house, so I have had to get creative the past few nights. Sunday I made a last minute pot of split pea soup before pm, but did not have time to take any pictures. It is such a basic soup, all you need is split peas, veggie stock, and onion. The results are so rustic and yummy.
Last night I made a risotto with peas and lemon, and threw some sauteed chicken sausage on top. Risotto is made with arborio rice, stock, onion, parmesan cheese, and really whatever else you have on hand. I chose a bag of frozen peas, and a lemon, using the juice and the zest. If you have never made this before, you should.
We have cable now, so I have been soaking up food network. This woman on there yesterday made caramel pecan sundaes..... I of course had to have one. Jesse ran out for some vanilla ice cream, and I made caramel sauce for the first time. All it is is water and sugar, cooked very specifically, and then heavy cream is added. Healthy huh? We have a whole jar left over in the fridge.....

A little of this, a little of that.

Time has been racing by lately, and so much is going on. February was vacation month, taking Jesse and me to Maine and then Nashville. We got more snow on Monday than we have had in two years, and today it was warmer outside than it was in our house. I am SO excited for spring. I am SO excited for April 1st when Bess moves in. We are spending all of our weekends in March working on the house, getting it ready for the shuffle of belongings and people. I will be 26 this month. We are preparing to sue the woman who hit Jesse on his scooter. My nephew Elliott is six months old and so incredible. Jesse is loving and patient and forgiving. He also drives me nuts sometimes. My mom never leaves her house. She tells me not to worry about her, but I do. My mother-in-law gave me the sweetest little gift today when she came over. Banjo and Ramona bring so much joy to my life. I forgave someone last weekend. I hate PMS. It makes me feel crazy and hate myself. Today I considered using bleach to clean something, then I decided that it was a horrible idea. I love and prefer natural things. I REALLY want a Dyson vacuum.

A sandwhich, and a brunch treat.

On Thursday I asked Jesse if he would make me dinner. I love when he cooks for me because he always looks up fun new recipes to try. This time it was fried green tomato sandwhiches and sweet potato fries! Only the grocery store did not have green tomatoes, so we had fried ripe tomato sandwhiches. I think the ripe tomatoes were hard to use because they were juicy and fell apart when you ate them, but it was still an amazing meal.



I had some ladies over yesterday for a haircutting party, and wanted to provide a little brunch snack. These blueberry scones/biscuts are a new favorite of mine. Heidi and I made them a few weeks ago, and I could not wait to make them a second time.

Random Bits

For those of you who do not know, Jesse has a blog, all about wood working. jesseparsons.blogspot.com, check it out.
We were just on vacation in Maine for a week, which was awesome, but we are glad to be home. I suck at snowboarding, it is really hard...... I felt worse after snowboarding than I did after I got hit by a car. With that said, I would like to give it another try before the season is over.
Last night's dinner was awesome, but the camera battery was dead so I could not take any pictures. I made black bean and sweet potato soup, with corn scones. I am trying to be more regular about blogging, but am obviously not succeeding.
On another note, Jesse suggested that for lent we do not buy anything that is made outside of the USA. I love this idea, and we decided to practice when we went to Target on Sunday. Guess what? We were pleasantly surprised and pleased. Almost all of the Target brand stuff is made right here in our country, as well as some name brand stuff. The only thing we left the store with that was made outside of the country was condoms. I told Jesse that we could stop using them, but he did not go for it, haha. It takes a few seconds to read labels, but it is well worth it in my opinion.

Alcohol

We cracked open the first bottle of home brew last night! It was seriously awesome. Here you can see Jesse and John celebrating......

Then today Heidi and I made lemoncello! Right now it is just vodka with lemon rhind soaking in it, and in about two months when it is done, we will add simple syrup to it. The perfect thing to welcome spring.

We also made vanilla extract! Vodka with whole vanilla beans soaking in it. This too will take about two months.

I cannot stop looking at these beautiful bottles, perched in my kitchen window. We went to "The Container Store" this morning, because what better place is there to find a wide variety of bottles and jars? Plus, I had a gift card.

Tofu Wontons

Here are the ingredients for tonight's dinner:

Seems simple enough, right? It was super simple, just a little time consuming when it came to assembly. To be honest, I did not mind. What else do I have to do on a cold slushy night while I am waiting for Lost to come on? I have to give Jesse credit for the delicious soy sesame dipping sauce.

Polenta Pizza

I am back on the wagon! I have been baking, and cooking, so much lately, and decided that it is time to share again. Shall I just post ideas and pictures? Or recipes as well? I would love some feedback. Also, sorry for my shitty pictures, it seems as though there is no way around it. Too bad I do not live with Carina! Anyway, here is tonight's dinner, polenta pizza. The only thing I would have done differently is pre-bake the crust a bit, before topping it and baking it some more. Topping it and then baking it did not quite do the job, but it was awesome anyway.

Happy New Year?

It has been almost three months since I have posted something. Now all I have to say is, I just gave myself an enema. It was my first one ever, and it was only partially satisfying. After eating numerous fiber filled foods yesterday, and getting nothing but the worst stomach cramping ever, and spending half the night curled up in a ball crying, I needed some relief. I have been having stomach problems again, and my appointment with the GI doctor is not for two weeks. My mom told me to take milk of magnesia, so Jesse is stopping at CVS on his way home from work.