Okra, you are truly lovely!

    

    On a whim, I planted okra last spring. Katie and I have a fondness for it. I don't think anyone else is a big fan. I planted four plants and they've done beautifully. We always have enough pods ripe at the same time to fix a light lunch for the two of us. 

Every Saturday, I buy okra from my favorite farmer at the market. It's a luxury to have enough okra to fix a proper side dish for the family. When I stop to think about it, I recognize that most of them barely touch it, so I'm pretty much just cooking okra for Katie and me to enjoy as leftovers.

    I'd never seen okra grow before this season. I was happily astonished by its stunning flowers. Even if you aren't a fan of the "slime," or the fuzz, you have to admit, okra blossoms are beautiful and those pods make pretty cute floral-stars when sliced. 

    I think fried okra comes to mind for most people, but I'm not a big fan of things breaded and fried. Mary Beth tinkered with okra and tomatoes a few weeks ago and came up with this recipe. It takes polenta to delicious places.

• 36 okra pods, cut into 1/2 inch pieces with bottoms and tips discarded
• 4-6 full sized tomatoes, diced
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tube of premade polenta, cut into 1/2 inch thickness 
• 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat your skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season okra with salt and pepper.
2. Add okra to your skillet, frying it until it's just brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. Next add another 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your skillet and add your tomatoes and green onions. Cook until carmelized. Add Italian seasoning. Remove the tomatoes and green onions from the skillet, cover them, and set aside.
4. Wipe out your skillet so there are no tomato juices left. Fry the polenta in the remaining olive oil until brown and crispy. About 3-5 minutes each side.
5. Remove polenta, top with browned okra and tomato mixture. Add more salt and pepper as needed.

Farmer's Market Happy

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The fresh flowers are the first colors to catch my eye.  They beam a welcome and beg me to bury my nose into their midst and inhale this early summer day. It is still a relatively cool morning and only the foreshadowing of a hot and humid day teases in the morning air.  I hold the hands of my little girls a wee bit tighter and tell them to take a deep breath and smell. Sweetly scented  strawberries and those amazing cream filled whoopee pies fill our noses.  The Friday morning ritual has begun.

A local farmer’s market is a delight for the senses: smells and sights and tastes of the season inspire healthy eating and the opportunity to invest in meaningful community relationships. My girls smile and say hello to the farmer who offers them a taste of her strawberries; my boys scan the scene, looking for baked goods. I stop to chat with the farmer about the baby spinach and we exchange ideas about a salad that combines her spinach and strawberries with the fresh goat cheese to be had a few stalls down from her. It is early in the farmer’s market season in my town and we are meeting new friends and re-acquainting ourselves with familiar faces from last year.

I have a list, the fruit of careful research about what to expect this time of year. I’ve sketched some menus based on what I can reasonably hope to find. But I know that I will happily skip away from the plans on the list should one of the farmers have something different to offer, particularly if they can suggest a way to prepare it.

Sarah, my smallest child, holds my hand tightly, her eyes wide with wonder, scanning the scene. Tugging me just a bit, she is eager to absorb it all. She doesn’t remember last year’s visits, when she rode through this market snuggled up against me in a baby carrier. This is a playground for a child who is an adventurous, enthusiastic eater of all things fresh and flavorful.  Sarah is eager to taste and see. And so am I. It is market season at last and we will fill our basket with the fresh and flavorful: brown eggs, free range chicken, spring greens, abundant ripe strawberries, asparagus, and a bouquet of those wildflowers. Tonight, our dinner will be fine, fresh, and rooted firmly in the local soil.

 

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Make the Most of Your Trip:

• Go early . You will find the best selection if you arrive early. Early mornings at the market are cooler and everything (and everyone) is fresh and crisp. The sensory experience of fresh produce artfully displayed, piled high, and smelling unmistakably of summer is not to be missed.
• Go late: If you arrive at the end of the selling period, there are fewer people there. You won’t have as much from which to choose, but you are likely to score a bargain or two. Farmers begin to discount deeply in order to avoid transporting their goods again.
• Bring bags or boxes. Some vendors will provide their own bags, but you can’t count on it and bringing your own will endear you to the man behind the table.
• Bring a cooler (or two) and pack it with ice packs. You don’t want to limit your buying ability by worrying about whether everything will wilt and spoil on the hot ride home.
• Think big! The best deals to be had are the ones where you are willing to work in bulk. Whatever is at harvest peak will be most abundant and least expensive. Buy large and take it home to freeze, can, jelly, jam or dehydrate.
• Bring cash. It’s definitely the preferred currency and, in many cases, the only currency. Some vendors might participate in the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program. If your family qualifies, be sure to ask about it.
• Have a teachable spirit. Ask lots of questions. Farmers are passionate about what they’ve brought. If you see something unfamiliar, ask about it. You’ll broaden your horizons and you are very likely to go home with some new cooking tips, too.
• Do a little research ahead of time. Get to know your local growing times. If you know when to expect each crop to be at its peak, you’ll make better decisions at each stand. Talk to the famers and ask what to expect in the coming weeks. This is community-supported agriculture. Get to know your community and be a part of it.
• And, since you know what you are likely to find, because you know what is in season, have a rough sketch of a meal plan in mind before you go. You need to be flexible, but a plan that can change is a good idea. It will keep you from wandering aimlessly, either unable to decide what to buy or buying too much too impulsively.
• Prepare to be spontaneous. Particularly if you are sharing the experience with children, it’s good to be ready to grant them each a small treat, whether it’s the season’s first strawberries or something new they’ve never tired before, indulging in unexpected bounty is part of the experience.
• Expect a little dirt. Root vegetables will still have greens attached and you’ll have to shake the dirt from them. Everything will be fresher—but it will definitely look it, too. Learn to clean and store fresh-from-the-farm treasures.

Books for Little Market Shoppers:-)!

Farmer's Market Day A sweet little girl has happy adventures at the Farmer's Market.

Let's Go to the Farmer's Market

To Market, To Market

Cookbooks:

Simply in Season: Recipes that Celebrate fresh, local food in the spirit of More with Less by Mary Beth Lind; Herald Press

Fresh From the Farmer’s Market: Year ‘Round Recipes for the Pick of the Crop by Janet Fletcher, Chronicle Books.

Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmer’s Markets, by Deborah Madison, Clarkson Potter

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Fettuccine Gazpacho Salad

Serves 8 to 10

2 cans (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes (do not drain) or use 10-12 whole fresh tomatoes, about 2 pounds. You can peel the fresh tomatoes, if you like. I don’t—it all gets chopped fine in the blender and peeling tomatoes in a hot kitchen isn’t my favorite thing to do.

3 medium cloves garlic

½- 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (more or less, according to taste)

¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

sea salt

1 pound fettuccine (fresh fettuccine takes it to a whole new level)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 medium red bell pepper , chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper , chopped

2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes , halved

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (Alternatively, cilantro is a different flavor, but also really good. And then again, fresh basil is another good choice. Go with what looks best at the market.)

3 scallions, thinly sliced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup pitted black olives , quartered

Directions:

1. Puree diced tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and ½ teaspoon salt in blender until smooth. Transfer to bowl (don’t use metal), cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
3. Place cucumber, red and yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, parsley, scallions, and oil in large serving bowl and toss well to combine.
4. Add pasta and pureed dressing and toss again.

Salad should be allowed to sit in the refrigerator at least two hours and can be refrigerated overnight. This is a great do-ahead dish for a summer party. Scatter olives over top. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Blueberry Cobbler

Serves 6

3 cups fresh blueberries

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

2/3 cup unbleached flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In an 8 inch square baking dish, mix blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and orange juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined. Do not overmix or your crust will be tough and chewy. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of filling as possible.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Fresh Greens and Strawberry Salad

Serves 6

2 tablespoons strawberry vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces baby spinach, baby lettuces, and arugula (8 cups)
1/2 pound strawberries, cut lengthwise into thick slices (1 ½ cups)
1/2 cup pecan halves (3 ½ ounces), toasted and cooled

goat cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Whisk together vinegar, a rounded ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
2.  Add oil in a slow stream, whisking well.
3. Put mixed greens, strawberries, and pecans in a large bowl and toss with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat.
4. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese.

Roasted Beets in Balsamic Vinaigrette

Beets “bleed,” so to keep the juices in while they cook, leave on the skins, the roots on the bottom, and at least an inch of the green stems. It’s especially pretty to cook both red and yellow beets—you don’t want the colors to bleed on to each other. After they’re cooked, peel the beets over a bowl, since beet juice stains are nearly impossible to remove from wood or plastic surfaces. Expect that your hands will be stained.

This makes enough for a summer side dish for 4 people. Toss with toasted pecans and crumbled goat cheese.

OR

Roasted beets are really good in a salad of mixed greens; the marinade makes a salad dressing.

8 medium beets (about 2 pounds total)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.         Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.         Trim the beets, leaving on the skin, an inch of the stem, and the tail on the bottom of each, then scrub and drain. Place the beets in a small casserole dish just big enough to hold them. Pour the water and olive oil over the beets then cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake until tender and easily pierced with a sharp paring knife, about 1 ½ hours.  (Honest disclaimer: I do this in a disposable pan. The beet juice carmelizes, which is delicious, and incredibly hard to clean off the pan.)

3.         Remove the casserole from the oven and uncover the beets carefully, keeping your face and hands away from the steam. Let them cool completely in the dish.

4.         Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the salt, and pepper in a medium-size bowl and whisk to blend. Taste and add more olive oil, if desired.

5.         Peel the cooled beets with the back of a paring knife and cut into ½-inch slices. Add to the dressing in the bowl and toss gently but thoroughly to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator, for up to 24 hours.

Zucchini Bread

Makes one medium loaf

1 medium zucchini

1 medium carrot

¾ cup sugar

½ cup butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ½ cup unbleached flour or white whole wheat flour

zest of one lemon

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon allspice

½  teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup walnuts

1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Finely shred the zucchini and carrot.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix by hand until just blended.

4. Fold in carrots and zucchini.

5. Transfer to a greased and floured bread pan and bake for approximately 65 minutes.

Peruvian Roasted Chicken

Serves 6

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for oiling the pan
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 ¼ teaspoons ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 large sweet onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1 chicken, cut into 10 serving pieces
2 red or yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into rings

1 lemon, sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Oil a large roasting pan and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice and oil to make a paste.
4. Place onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the paste.
5. Rub chicken pieces with remaining paste and place in prepared pan.
6. Cover the chicken with onions, peppers and lemon.
7. Roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.  
9. Serve over rice.

~ a variation of this post originally appeared in Faith and Family Magazine. Now, we go to the Market on Saturday mornings, even closer to home.

needle & thREAD & a whole lot of reading about eating

 

Hello! Some sewing actually happened around here! Honestly, it was so nice to get back to it, to feel that wonderful fabric and to smell steam rising from crisp creases. I don't know what took me so long. I'm ready to binge on sewing again.

I made those Easter dresses. Well, actually, I did deviate from the plan. Instead of the Fairytale dresses, I went with the simpler Family Reunion dresses. I still love the Fairytale dress, but I didn't quite have the time or energy to commit. 

My girlies are quite pleased with their dresses. They looked so sweet Easter Sunday and these dresses are simple enough to get lots of every day wear all spring and summer. Again, I'm thrilled with the Oliver + S attention to detail. My friend Cari came over to help me with the dresses and she'd never sewn with Oliver + S previously. I think she was really impressed at the quality and clarity compared to other patterns.

Incidentally, someone asked why tracing is necessary. The way these patterns are printed, it is absolutely necessary to trace if you want to sew more than one size. The sizes overlap each other and it would be impossible to cut one without destroying another. After I trace a pattern, I store each size individiually in a ziploc bag. So, tracing is only necessary the first time. After that, it's a much simpler process. I definitely think I'll sew these dresses again, so all that tedious tracing time will have exponential benefits.

I've been reading about a bazillion nutrition books. Everyone has a slightly different angle on the ultimate "anti-inflammatory diet." I've been reading and researching deeply from the vegan end to the paleo end, considering absolutely eveything in between. It's sort of astonishing how many well-respected and well-credentialed people can have such passionate convictions about the same topic and come to such widely disparate conclusions. So, do I have one book to recommend? Um, no. Not really. Do I feel like I've wasted time reading so many? No. Well, maybe. 

I guess the thing is that I didn't really learn anything new. I've spent eight weeks taking Heather's Whole Food Kitchen workshop and reading extensively on my own and I didn't really add to my nutrition knowledge at all. I already knew how to organize a kitchen, plan menus, shop in a wholesome way. I've been feeding real food to a dozen people, more or less, around my table on a daily basis for quite some time now. I was reading nutrition books when some of the people who are writing new ones now were wee babes. Laurel's Kitchen and Moosewood philosophy framed my kitchen for years. And Mollie Katzen is often in my ear in the kitchen. I've been researching the best anti-cancer diet since--well--since before I had cancer. And that was nearly a quarter century ago.

What I learned from my experience of Heather's class is to stop looking for a person or a science to nail exactly what I should eat to prevent disease and enhance quality of life. What I've discovered as I've weighed one theory against another and kept a food diary is that I need to start trusting myself. I need to listen to my body and have a little confidence that it will tell me what's best for me. 

So, for anyone interested in {very} a broad nutrition education, here's the reading list.

It Starts with Food

Practical Paleo 

Everyday Paleo

Paleo Comfort Foods

(The paleo books are now living at Kristin's for awhile. I still highly recommend them. It was just time to pass them along for a bit.  Ironically, since passing them along, I have noticed that Kristin's Instagram food pictures are suddenly very vegetarian.)

The China Study

Super Immunity

True Food

Eating Well for Optimum Health

(Andrew Weil has long been an influence. His anti-inflammatory pyramid makes pretty good sense. I can't do grains quite the way he prescribes, but he's a good guy;-)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (always a good go-to for gardening inspiration. Might be an annual March must-read)

The Omnivore's Dilemma

Food Rules {Herein lies the simplest strategy of all: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants}

unDiet I think this one is a good concept and her blog is probably worth a gander, but the book felt really unorganized to me. It's conversational and sort of bloggy sounding and might just try too hard to be hip and cute. Or maybe I'm just old... Still, I found myself copying parts of it to hand to certain offspring (who would have been put off by the "pinkness" of the book) and I really liked the section on cosmetics. Seriously, girls, what have we been rubbing on our skin and allowing to seep into our bodies?

Clean Cuisine. I liked this one. It drove me crazy that the authors include corn with vegetables and not grains and then really missed how ubiquitous corn is. But all in all, I like this one. 

{The raw milk books are not here. My experience with the milk philosophy and "traditional" foods was by far the most miserable physical and emotional three years ever. Milk is not for me.I've read those books, lived that diet. Not revisiting. No milk. Never.}

Also not read: Crazy Sexy Diet and MILF Diet. Both sound intriguing, based on descriptions and recommendations from people who've read them. But I live in a house with lots of people and, honestly, both sound offensive. I couldn't leave them on the kitchen counter for my grab-a-minute-or-two style of reading.I'm not a big fan of profanity. I think it's unprofessional in a published work and frankly, I think we can do better vocabulary-wise. There are so many great words from which to choose; let's challenge ourselves to express the best way possible. In the case of the latter book, I admit I had to check Urban Dictionary for the acronym. Then, I had to wonder. Did no one involved in the naming of this book understand that women likely to read it are of the age that they are mothers of teenaged boys? And then, what were they thinking? That the moms would want the book hanging out for their sons to spot? And that that exchange wouldn't be incredibly awkward for both of them? This is just weird. 

And there is definitely weirdness to be experienced in the foodie world. Lots of different lifestyles and philosophies intersect. Many people, from many different walks of life want to eat well for their own health and the health of the planet. I think we have much to learn from one another. I do offer this caveat: if you are a reader who is offended when the author's lifestyle or faith or political perspective doesn't match yours exactly, you might not want to read through the books I've listed above. But if you like to glean wisdom from the people you bump into at the Farmer's Market, that's a rockstar list of books.

I'm eager to see your Easter and springtime sewing and to hear what you're reading (and eating?)! Please a leave a link and let me know what you've been up to! I promise to re-vist the combox (and to follow links to your blogs) frequently in the next couple days if you want to talk food. Or fabric. Or both.

What are you sewing and reading this week? I really do want to hear all about it!

Make sure the link you submit is to the URL of your blog post or your specific Flickr photo and not your main blog URL or Flickr Photostream. Please be sure and link to your current needle and thREAD post below in the comments, and not a needle and thREAD post from a previous week. If you don't have a blog, please post a photo to the needle & thREAD group at Flickr. 

       Include a link back to this post in your blog post or on your flickr photo page so that others who may want to join the needle and thREAD fun can find us! Feel free to grab a button here (in one of several colors) so that you can use the button to link.

Excuse the mess, we live here.

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That was one very intense weekend. I hit the gym at 7 AM Saturday because I knew that if I didn't go then, I'd miss working out the whole weekend. Truth be told, I'd planned to do a video with the little girls late Sunday, but by the time Sunday evening arrived I was bone tired. 

Stephen and Nick both had soccer tournaments in Arlington. That's about an hour away. It was 26 degrees outside (I'm not exagerrating). Mike did Saturday Soccer and I did dance. I also cooked and cleaned and cleaned and cooked. After a full day of both dance and soccer, we went to Mass and then to basketball.

Christian has long been the "little boys' " basketball coach. Since they were in the second grade, they have played on teams with a core cluster of great kids from great families. Some of those boys are six feet tall now. A couple of seasons, Christian even coached GIRLS, just so Mary Beth could claim her brother as a coach. He's easily the winningest coach in our league's history. He wasn't going to coach this year.

But our friend Steve, wise man that he is, made an offer he couldn't refuse. Steve would take a team, do all the executive duties that Christian hates, and let Christian show up and sprinkle coaching magic. Nick would "play up" two years and be on the the team. Throw in Steve's son, Joe, to play with them and those little brothers wouldn't let Christian turn it down. Perfect coaches. Who could ask for more?

Me. Though I didn't have to ask. With Steve comes Jenn. My boys first told me Jenn would be my friend. The boys had played together for years, but I was usually busy in the stands with babies and toddlers. I nodded and smiled at other moms, but that's about it. Two years ago, a couple of weeks after Ann visited, Stephen and Nick came home from practice and said, "You should be friends with Mrs. Skinner, Mom. She was sitting in the bleachers reading Ann's book during practice tonight." Indeed. I should. And I did. And Jenn has become one of Christian's greatest prayer warriors. She's the go-to text I write when I'm worried. And she's the fun friend at every single basketball game.

So, Saturday was the last game. Eighth grade championship. Undefeated season. There's no Tebow Law in Virginia. The rest of the team will go on to play in high school. Stephen cannot. My boys had a huge cheering section. Both of Stephen's godparents and their families came. Lots of Christian's friends came. I was made aware of a gaggle of eighth grade girls who are Superman fans;-). And all of Mike's side of the family was there.

They won. Jenn and I cried. It was awesome. And late. Well on the way to 11:00 when I rolled them all into bed.

We got up for soccer at 6AM. Mary Beth was dispatched to a dance intensive for the day. I dropped Mike at the airport on the way to soccer. He went to Miami. (Have I mentioned the wind chill at home yet?) Nick played first. I huddled under my friend Robin's blanket and wore a motley collection of coats my children had left in the car. I might have even pulled on a pair of heretofore balled up socks over my own and under my boots. Robin has been in California for five weeks. We had a lot of catching up to do inside that blanket. Friends in the bleachers. I'm very grateful for them.

Nick went home with Robin and Stephen and I had lunch. Then we went to Stephen's game. His ankle was swollen up like a basketball. He clearly wasn't going to play. So there we were, an hour from home, in freezing weather, and he was going to spend the hour of warmups just watching and then ninety minutes of game time sitting on the bench. That bench? It was a two minute drive from my friend Linda's house. So I called her. And two minutes later, I was sitting on her couch with my knitting and hot tea. We talked food and kids and God for more than two hours! Then Robin dropped Nick off, we collected Stephen, and headed home. The boys slept hard in the car all the way home.

We had takeout Pho to celebrate the anniversary of Stephen's baptism, got Mary Beth off to youth group, and collapsed into bed. 

I got up this morning and my house looked like a stuff bomb had gone off. When I left before dawn on Sunday morning, I did so knowing that my least tidy children were going to be home together all day. I left them a list. Ahem.

So, yeah, stuff bomb. 

As I started picking things up and trying to make tidy before leaving for the gym this morning, a familiar despair swept over me. Monday morning and already behind the 8 ball. I remember a comment made to me the day after the wedding, after I had finished showing someone all our renovations. She said, "Now that you finally have it all clean and nice and pulled together, maybe you can keep it this way this time." I know she meant no harm. But she had never before seen my house, nor had she seen the previous one. Her comments made it clear that someone had told her that my house was not usually House Beautiful. I was tired and the comments cut me to the quick. 

Mike and I have had several big talks about it since then. So have Linda and I. And they both said the same thing--these two people who know me better than anyone else. They said that I sacrifice appearances for relationships. And I do. I'm intentional about it. I know the hurt that happens when you get it reversed and sacrifice relationships for appearances.

I spent the weekend doing the important things: with my kids and my husband and my extended family, with Jesus, with my friends, even. God provided ample time for the important things. He even arranged for tea, knitting and a heart-to-heart some place warm!

My house looks like a stuff bomb went off. That's unfortunate. I wish the children left at home had been more considerate and, well, tidier and more industrious. But things are just things and we'll get it together today some time, God willing.

Mary Beth saw a magnet the other day that I wish she'd bought. It said, "Pardon the mess; we live here." Yes, and we love here, too. We are careful stewards who put people first and sometimes that doesn't look like House Beautfiul. 

How about a recipe? I promised this to some folks on Instagram. It's a cold noodle salad that is good and hearty enough for a main dish, but makes an awesome side dish, too. I'm posting cold noodle salad recipes with a snow storm predicted. What can I say? My heart's in Miami...

(Feeds 12--feel free to cut it in half.)

The Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup dark sesame oil

1 cup wheat-free soy sauce

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

scant 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 Tbs salt (or less)

4 teaspoon chili oil

2 Tbs minced fresh ginger

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro or Italian parsley, as desired

The Noodles and Veggies

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal

1 head of red cabbage, sliced

two sweet peppers, sliced and roasted (these are stashed in my fridge, thanks to salad every day prep)

2 pounds Tinkyada brown rice pasta (spaghetti style)

two bunches scallions, including firm greens, thinkly sliced

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Mix the marinade ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

• Bring a  large pot of water to boil. 
• Add salt and asparagus. 
• Cook for just a few minutes until bright green. (I lower my veggies into the water in a colander and then pull them out.)
• Rinse the asparagus under cold water. Shake the excess water out of the colander and put the asparagus in a large pasta bowl.
• Using the same boiling water, repeat the process for the cabbage. Just a couple minutes and then a quick rinse and into the pasta bowl.
• Boil the noodles in the same water. It's going to be a little purple because of the cabbage, but that's okay. Follow package directions to get them tender but not mushy. 
• Drain and rinse the noodles.
• Add the noodles to the asparagus and cabbage and add the roasted peppers.
• Toss it all with the marinade and most of the scallions and most of the sesame seeds.
• Before serving, sprinkle the rest of the scallions and sesame seeds on top.

You can shake up the veggies in this and use whatever suits you. Play with your food!

(adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

Cookies and Milk

When Michael was a baby, he had chronic ear infections. By the time he was six months old, he tubes in both ears. It's all a little hazy now, but a pediatrician switch, some intense diet research, and a great many La Leche League meetings later, and by the time I was pregnant with Christian, I wasn't drinking milk at all. And--with the exception for one brief (and very dark) non-homogenized organic milk experiment--I never have since.

But I've missed it. Terribly. I don't miss colicky babies or ear infections or bloating or my own sinus issues. But I miss rich, creamy yumminess, especially in tea or coffee. I think coconut milk tastes like shampoo. Soy is not my friend. And almond milk always tasted {eh} to me. Certainly nothing to look forward to. 

When she shared that she was making yet another batch, I offhandedly asked my friend Katherine why bother making almond milk. I mean, almonds aren't exactly free and it's kind of a mess-potential proposition and almond milk is {eh}. She told me there was no comparison between homemade almond milk and the {eh} in the store. 

She's right. Almond milk made at home is delicious. For the first time in 22 years, I really don't miss milk. At all. Here's how we do it:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw almonds, soaked in water (I've found Costco has the best prices. If you can find better, please let me know!)
• 4 cups filtered water
• 3 pitted dates, to sweeten, so use more or less to taste (soften with a soak in water, if necessary)
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (If desired. The dates might be sweet enough for your taste.)
• 1 whole vanilla bean, chopped. OR 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. (Vanilla bean is such an extravagant luxury. It's certainly not for our everyday almond milk, but on occasion, it makes it amazingly wonderful.)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of fine grain salt (Don't skip it. It brings out the other flavors)

 How to do it:

1. Soak almonds overnight covered with water. The first time I made it, I didn't soak at all, but it's really better if you soak them 8 hours or so.

2. Drains the almonds and give them a rinse. Put them in the blender with the dates and the vanilla bean and 4 cups filtered water.

3. Blend on highest speed for a couple minutes. I have a Vitamix and it handles this easily. A less powerful blender might need to rest a bit after blending a minute. If you soak the nuts, I think any blender can do it, but go slowly so you don't burn the motor out.

4. Place cheesecloth or a nut milk bag over a large bowl and slowly pour the almond milk mixture into the cloth or bag. This works better with a wide bowl. Trust me on this one--it's not fun to have it squirt wildly and then spend several minutes scraping almond milk paste from the cracks in the flooring. Go with the wide bowl. The extra dish is much easier to clean than the alternative.The first few times, I used a flour sack cloth (purchased at a local grocery store) instead of cheesecloth. It worked just fine. The nut bag does make things simpler and quite a bit neater. Gently squeeze the bottom of the nut milk bag to release the milk. A milking motion works beautifully and it's kind of fun to actually "milk" an almond. 

5. If you are using vanilla extract and maple syrup, rinse the blender and pour the milk back in. Add the extract, syprup, and salt. If you're not using extract or syrup, I think you can add the salt with everything else and save the step. And...I've added it all at the beginning and all was well.

6. Store in glass containers in the fridge for 3-5 days. I've been making a double batch at a time and it's never lasted more than 36 hours.

What to do with the almond meal left in the nut bag? I'm so glad you asked!

You make

Oatmeal Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cups unbleached flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 3/4 cup damp almond meal left over from milk making
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

How to do it:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. 
2. In large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until blended. 
3. Beat in vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. 
4. Stir in oats, flour, almond meal, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoonsful about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies

{{For entirely gluten-free chocolate chip oatmeal almond cookies, make sure your oats are gluten free and substitute the damp almond meal for all the flour. It works just fine! They're a little softer than the flour ones when they come out of the oven, so cool them completely before moving them from the cookies sheets. My tasters made them disappear!}}