Which ‘wich is Which?

10 Tea Sandwich Recipes We Love | Rivertea BlogRivertea Blog

On one of my recent urban nature walks, the reality of the “urban-ness” of my location hit me: signage for Baggin’s, a local sandwich shop. I was just smacked down with a brown bag craving. Ah! What was I to do? Go home and make a sandwich for lunch, I reckoned. Would it be as good as theirs? No, but I would make do. I had a whole wheat bread that was intended to be a braided challah. I ended up being lazy and stuck it in a loaf pan, though. It was not Kosher, as I decided to replace some of the oil with non-fat yogurt. I had pinched some of my mom’s chicken, so my brown bag was chipotle-ranch roast chicken (I used chipotle in adobo), a homemade garlic pickle, and home-pickled pepperoncini. I started to make potato chips, but went with the roasted chickpeas from the Caesar salad I just posted for the 4th.

How do you know God loves you? You keep craving a Baggin’s sandwich, and He sends someone to give you one. I was helping out a few folks, and like an angel, a Baggin’s delivery driver appeared.


Long story short, I was soon satisfied with turkey-avocado-bacon goodness. Baggin’s has several Tucson locations, so check the bag pic for their website, if you’re so inclined. Though I can’t have a ton, I love the cream cheese they put on many of their sandwiches. It makes them extra-yum. Even after my sand-stravaganza, I’m still on the lookout for a few good sandwich, spread, and toast recipes/ideas. So, I thought I would share this tea sand post I came across.

Hope you enjoy it, & I’ll see you soon!

Mountains, Sunrises, & Palm Trees

I will admit I have never been a big outdoorsy-type person. I figured, I don’t need a tan, so indoors is good enough for me, haha. But, spurred on by this post, I decided to get out and about a bit more — set my sights on what nature has to offer, if you will. I did attend summer camp when I was younger, and it did give me a love for trees and forests. I have good memories of investigating maples, oaks, wild mushrooms (most likely poisonous), wild berries (probably poisonous as well), and the like. It was at camp that I first felt the squishiness of mud between my toes in a lake (not my fave thing at this stage in my life), learned to use a ‘pedal’ boat, discovered that green peas (canned, I think) weren’t so bad, and developed a love of “poke cake” — vanilla cake from a box, poked with the end of a wooden spoon, fruity gelatin poured through the holes, with whipped cream on top.

I do love the outdoor environments that can be found in places like Maine, Vermont, and Connecticut. I also love harbors, overlooking boats and water. And, of course, I love many of the rural and open spaces in my home state of New York. As I wandered around urban Tucson this past few weeks, I suddenly felt so blessed that 2 of my favorite natural views — palm trees and mountains — abound here. Even in the midst of shopping malls, chains, and big boxes, the beauty of nature overtook me. I’m not great with map directions, and so many local residents would say things like, “North is towards the mountains.” Well, there are mountains everywhere in Tucson, so that didn’t help me, lol.

I shared a few outdoor photos in this My Way post, but I wanted to share a few more today. I really hope some of you reading in different parts of the country (or world) will have the opportunity to visit Tucson (if you haven’t already). Just so you know these are urban pics, the first one is near a mall (sorry if you get a Double Double craving 😉 ). I love the way they have the palm trees shaped like an ‘X.’ There’s also one with a small jackrabbit. He blends pretty well with his surroundings (and it was barely light out), so you’ll have to look closely. I put a little colorsplash below him so you could maybe see him a bit better. I didn’t have a zoom lens, so I got as close as I could. He hopped away pretty quickly. Some pics are nearly the same view, just at different times of the day.

Independents Week 2015

Take the Pledge | Independents Week | Buy Local | LocalFirstAz.com.

Independents Week is rolling around again, and I couldn’t be more excited. Arizonans, check out this link and ‘Take the Pledge’ to ‘Go Local’ during this important week for small and independent businesses. Also, look for this interesting article: 10 Tips for Shopping Local.

If you’re not aware of all of the benefits of supporting your local merchants and businesses, please take a look at some of my past posts:

State Organization Promotes Staying Within the Community to Shop

The Top 10 Local Business Headlines from July — Local First Arizona

Shift the Way You Shop — Local Impact Calculator

Shopping Local Makes an Impact!

Even if you do not reside in Arizona, the basic information is still applicable to most. I know many of you have hearts to get out there and help your local businesses grow, but don’t know where to start. I have really found a wealth of information on the Local First Arizona site. Quite a few surprising facts, indeed. Some folks worry about barriers/obstacles such as location, family budget, and the likes. Believe me, I know…I live in the land of Big Boxes, lol. You might live in a rural area where the options are few and far between. I would love to be downtown Tucson with its great variety of local shops (many of my favorite shops, I should also say). Sometimes, I also have to make purchases to satisfy others. Many times, I pick up items for my mom that I would not purchase otherwise…she likes this particular meat, she likes this brand of household cleaner, she wants these eggs, or peach tea, or bacon, etc. I know some of you go through the same thing with your families, haha. But, as I’ve said before, anything we can do is helpful. Our communities and local economies so desperately need our support. Spreading the word is one way to help right off the bat. Brag on your fave local haunts, restaurants, stores, etc. You can find some of mine under the category of My Favorite Places on my blog menu.

And, there’s a bonus: 20% off with the Golden Coupon at participating businesses.

Happy (local) shopping!

My Way, No. 24

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— As mentioned last My Way post, I was going to try to get out and enjoy nature a bit more. So far, I’ve come across adorable quail, jackrabbits, and hummingbirds in my “travels.” The little baby quail are the cutest things ever. I’ve also seen a lot of small lizards with curly black-and-white striped tails (it seems the stripes are on the underside of the tail). As long as I don’t run into any rattlesnakes, I’m good, haha. Here’s a few shots for those of you not familiar with the Tucson, AZ scenery. The first one reminded me of the Leaning Tower, that’s why I snapped a pic:

— At some points in my life, I’ve wondered “Where are all of the caring, loving people at?” The person who wrote this article let me know that there is someone who cares. I need that sometimes. They cared enough to sit down and pen this piece — letting us all know we need to get back to the basics: World Forgets Importance of Caring for Others http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/abetteriowa/2015/06/12/world-forgets-importance–caring–others/71125060/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=

— Mucho Adventures in Food: I got on a bit of a potato kick with potato chips, the Vegetable Kugel with Caramelized Leeks I posted at Passover, and shepherd’s pie.

I made the chips to continue testing out our new food processor. At the lowest slicing setting, they were nice for thicker-style chips. If I want really thin ones, I will use a mandolin. At that thickness, I like to let them dry out a bit before bake-frying or frying. I made the kugel heavy on the sweet potatoes, and it was delish. Sliced up, it is wonderful to freeze and re-heat for a quick meal. I haven’t made shepherd’s pie in years, but suddenly started craving it. It may be because I had ground beef, and that’s rare for me. It’s just one of those simple, comforting meals that bring good memories. I rarely whip up mashed white potatoes beyond the occasional Holiday meal, but I just felt like having them. I make mashed sweet potatoes all the time, though. WAY back in the day when I worked as a banquet chef, garlic-roasted mashed potatoes with lots of heavy cream and butter were one of our staple sides. That’s still my fave way to prepare them today. Unfortunately, my cream and butter portions now have to be limited, so I just opted to use non-fat milk. I also didn’t have all my normal veggie fixin’s and just used what was in the fridge at the time. It was still a wonderful, comforting meal.

As I did indeed have the ground beef, I decided to make the Chipotle Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts I posted here.

I’m so glad Kevin is Cooking! I almost didn’t take a pic because I was so hungry by the time this was finished. I didn’t even wait for the cheese to melt. The aforementioned blog’s pics look way better than mine, so make sure to check it out! I adjusted the recipe ingredients just a bit using what I had on hand. I also used the homemade farmhouse cheddar from this post, and homemade non-fat Greek-style yogurt (posted here). This was super quick and easy. I didn’t have pizza dough made, but I was making a batch of those hamburg buns I wrote about…so, I saved a bit of the dough for these flatbreads. I Misto’d a little oil in a cast iron pan, then the dough, and was good to go. Just a small portion was quite filling. Really hit the spot & will be making again for sure.

109 degrees in the shade calls for carrot-ginger pops with cilantro! I use whole veg/fruit juice from my blender, as I don’t have just a ‘juicing machine.’

Sale on mesquite flour at my food co-op (yay!) had me making caprese (with homemade mozz), then roasted corn and onion salsa ebelskivers. I just mixed everything in the batter vs. stuffing it in the center.

I found this recipe for a Mung Bean Salad, and it was delightful!

I really enjoyed the dressing. I need to make a big batch, as I think it could go on all sorts of things. It has maple, mustard, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a few other ingredients. Very tasty! I didn’t use the exact measurements, I just eyeballed them. Sometimes I will measure things out, but it looked so good — I wanted to hurry it up. I added pistachios for a little crunch. I think this is a fab go-to recipe for lots of different occasions.

These scrumptious Gorgonzola Grilled Plums with Maple Syrup and Chiles I posted way back inspired me to cook up a version with what I had on hand: Grilled Apricots with Mascarpone, Basil, Pistachios, and Pomegranate Reduction.

I almost thought to use pignoli, but went with pistachios at the last minute. I seriously would have made this recipe just as it was written if I’d had the ingredients. I mixed the mascarpone with a bit of non-fat yogurt. Straight mascarpone would have been my choice if I could have it. It’s so fabulously delicious. I did have maple, but thought pom reduc “molasses” would be nice.

And, last food bit for today…bagel bites, using the New York-Style Bagel recipe. This is really one my best recipe finds in the past few years. It’s so darn quick (I use the food processor). My mom thinks she doesn’t like bagels, but she eats them if I shape them into a loaf or whatever, haha. Sometimes, you gotta be sneaky.

Veggie, Cinnamon Sugar, Everything, Blueberry, Jalapeño Cheddar, Cinnamon Raisin, Sesame, Stuffed Cinnamon Roll. Next time, I might make them smaller. They were really about “two bites.” I got on a cinnamon kick, too, this past week. Not real healthy or anything, but…cinnamon, salt, and fine home-ground sugar of your choice (or you can use packaged powdered sugar) on popcorn for cinnamon toast popcorn. Yums!

— I wanted to share this post on the value of grinding your own grains. It’s from the same blog the Memorial Day Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns recipe came from. You can really see from her post how much can be saved, as well as it being a healthy choice for your family. Purchasing a mill can be an investment, so this post will give you a good break down of what you can expect to get out of it. I tried looking up “best mills” to also post, but many of the articles were not unbiased viewpoints. There are several types to choose from, including stand mixer attachments, hand grinders, stand alone electric grinders, and blenders that also serve as mills. I think you just have to find the one that meets your needs and fits your budget.

— 3 Household Tips: 1) Put stainless steel dish scrubbies in the freezer after each use to prevent rust from forming (been doing this for years as a tip from my aunt, maybe everyone else already knows this…but, just in case you didn’t), 2) Super Glue around the bottom of your rugs to keep them from slipping. Vid: How to Keep Rugs on the Carpet from Moving , and 3) Attach small furniture slides to the bottom of kitchen counter appliances that are hard to get to, or that you need to move about on occasion. I did this to my mom’s coffee pot that sits in kind of a tight spot. She feels more comfortable sliding it out a bit when pouring in the water. The slides keep the counter from being scratched, as well as provide ease of movement.

— Wedding Style Saturday | My Wedding Nigeria.

If this is what they’re wearing for weddings in Nigeria, I wish the trend would come to the US! “My Wedding Nigeria presents valuable wedding guide to couples getting married to an African, in Africa and especially in Nigeria.” Awesome!

— Love this Boho hammock!
42 Stunning Bohemian Inspired Homes | izismile.com.

— Eats & Drinks: I’m sure many of you have made chana masala. I like this post as it gives a lot of terrific nutritional info. I made a soup version of chana last week:

Chana Masala | Garden Fresh Foodie.

What about some easy naan bread to go with it? Naan Bread | Great British Chefs.

Elevated Breakfast BLT | Baker by Nature. Avec smoked duck uncured bacon.

Vanilla Bundtlettes with Cashews and Pistachios | lisbeths.de. Recipe is in German.

Vegetarian Scotch Eggs | Lady Rhubarb. 2nd recipe. Traditional recipe with sausage is listed first.

How to Make Miso at Home | Renegade Health.

The Sherry Cobbler Cocktail | Kitchen Riffs. This blog always has the best stories! Check it out!

Have a fabulous day! ‘Til next time!

To Market to Market…6/11/2015

Pics from Heirloom Farmer’s Market, Tucson, Arizona.

I was on an urban “nature” walk and decided to make a stop at the market. I was immediately tempted by a French restaurant’s bread and pastries. They looked delectable! I had to take a couple of the pics through pastry cases. Keep moving, I told myself…make your way to the fruit & veggies, haha. I’ll indulge next time perhaps.

Jalapeño-Apricot Jam? Yes, please! Some of the jams have a hint of tequila, I was told.

These onions looked so appealing to me. I wanted to take a bite out of one like a big apple, lol.

Even though the sweet treats got me initially, I am always equally (if not more) excited by all the fresh veggies. I don’t know why I get so happy when I see them. It’s not as if I haven’t seen a beet or carrot before. There’s just some endorphin sparkage or something that happens while gazing at all the veggie goodness.

The garlic was huge! The farmer informed me that a lot of the garlic Americans consume is from China. He said it’s a lot less strong than the version he had out for the day.

And, just so you know, they have bacon, bacon, BACON!

These gorgeous sunflowers and a furry friend made my lovely market trip complete.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

My Way, No. 21

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Wow! I am not a big fan of palm oil, as it’s not the healthiest thing for you…but, I hadn’t a clue as to some of the other problems associated with it. For one, “Human rights abuses continue to be reported: child labor, slavery and abuse of palm oil plantation workers (as in some of the workers are locked up at night so they can’t escape.)” Check out the entire post on Mrs. Green’s World website here: Palm Oil vs Rainforests (The Winner Might Surprise You).

—
This week, I had a chance to mingle at a Women Build Happy Hour hosted by Habitat for Humanity Tucson. The pink hard hat women got happy at La Cocina restaurant (one of my faves, perhaps I’ll post a few pics from there soon). Habitat’s National Women Build Week is May 4th – 9th if you would like to volunteer. Habitat has many locations, so you may try to locate one in your area (if you do not reside in Tucson). The builds are, of course, a great way to give and love others. Even if you do not own a home of your own, you can sow a seed of kindness helping families in your community. I know you will reap the benefits in many ways! Volunteering is great fun and provides opportunities for social connection, possibly building relationships along with the homes. Get the scoop here: Habitat for Humanity Tucson Women Build.

— Lots of food goodness updates this time, so I hope you can bear with me 🙂 . I made the Homemade Ketchup I posted (just slightly altered with what I hand on hand: I added onion powder & a bit of salt, used fresh tomatoes and tomato paste, and used the slow cooker). I decided to make a grainy honey mustard, as well.

I’ve found many commercial mustards can contain quite a bit of sodium. So, if you’re interested, here’s a simple homemade mustard recipe without added salt or sugar: Homemade Mustard Condiment Recipe | eatandgetmoving.wordpress.com.

I love the bulk herbs and spices at my local food co-op, so that’s where I purchased my mustard seeds. Great way to get just as much as you need, and your pantry will not become a home for orphaned 1-time-use flights of fancy, lol. I’ve read several bloggers saying they had a problem with that.

Speaking of my food co-op, Food Conspiracy…Spotted: These 2 & 3-tiered stainless food carrier tins and bamboo utensils. Fab & Functional.

Here’s that pic of the Moroccan Tofu w/ Apricots, Olives, & Almonds I wrote about in my last ‘Market‘ post (subbing kumquats for the apricots, pignoli for the almonds).

Served with quinoa, millet, and amaranth (cooked in stock). I added a little balsamic to the sauce and went for a real sweet & tart version (as suggested in the recipe). I didn’t have baked tofu, though, so I had to pan-sear it. A really simple, quick, and delish dish.

Quick, rolled up whole wheat puff pastry dough from this ‘My Way‘ post was a fast, friendly version, indeed. I actually kind of merged the 2 recipes from that post. I became distracted and did not follow the instructions as I should have, though. These things require a lot of concentration for me, lol. Anyway, I tested my less-than-perfect dough on a roasted garlic-black olive tapenade comb (I gave most of it to my mom). It broke in half as I was going to snap a pic. Not a good day, haha!

Even after a few blunders, I think this will work OK for a few recipes. Very flaky! It’s in the freezer for now. I cannot have a lot of butter, so I will have to use it sparingly.

2 Words: Pickled Jalapeños. What? Why have I not made these before? I pickle all sorts of things, but jalapeños were left to be dried or frozen. As I wanted to make the One-Pan Jalapeño Kale & Roasted Garlic Egg Scramble, I got on making a batch. I used vin, water, and just a pinch of something sweet for the pickling.

I’ve prepared this recipe at least 7 or 8 times now and love it. I made it with mozz and mushrooms w/ smoked salt the first couple of times. I am leaving out the cheese now (I need to eat it sparingly, like butter) and am adding a bit of green bell pepper along with the mushrooms. Don’t we all love one-pan dishes!

I think Chocolate Lovers will swoon over this recipe for Chocolate & Cherry Gemelli w/ Orange Creme Anglaise and Brandy-Soaked Cherries (also from the last ‘Market‘ post):

You could even try making your own chocolate or cherry pasta, if you are unable to find any in your area. I improvised a little and used dessert wine-spiked Noosa Honey Yogurt vs. anglaise. As you know, chocolate desserts are not my fave. What made this more acceptable to me was the finish of orange zest alongside the chocolate pasta. That did the trick for me. I also used cacao nibs and frozen cherries (instead of the white choc and dried cherries called for). This was very filling, so I could only eat about half of it in one sitting. Not a terribly terrific presentation, but here’s a pic (I’ll do better next time 🙂 ):

— This is a cute DIY idea, fabric spray painting a silhouette:
spraypaint a t-shirt | SMASHING SILHOUETTES | Pinterest.

This collage illustrates making the most of one piece by switching up the accessories. Great way to stretch your fashion budget dollars:
classy country | Classy vs. Country – polyvore | Clothing I Like | Pinterest.

But, who says you can’t be country and classy at the same time 😉 ?

— I meant to post this a while back and forgot. I found this post Self-Publish with Books from Blurb on the Lavender and Lovage website. Blurb is an independent publishing platform. Turn your hobby into a book! You can create and design a recipe book, craft book, story of your children’s lives, a novella…so many options. Great gift idea for Mother’s or Father’s Day.

— I love little succulents. They are all over the place in Arizona and pretty easy to maintain for most people (though, I did manage to send a few in my office to the sweet by-and-by. I took a vaca for a few days, and they had departed by the time I returned). These copper caps are far more adorable than the generic terra-cotta pots many come in:
MY DIY | Copper Cap Succulent Holder | I SPY DIY.

— Today’s fab recipes:

Prabha’s Cooking: Cashew Pakoda/Pakora. (Besan flour is gram/dried chickpea flour).

Toddler Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy | musthavemom.com.

Chipotle Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts | keviniscooking.com.

Take your pick: Vegetarian Starter Recipes | Great British Chefs.

Whiskey, Caramel, Marshmallow, and Bacon Bark | endlesssimmer.com.

Negronez Cocktail w/ Campari Ice Cubes | 10th Kitchen.

See you next time!

To Market to Market…4/16/2015

Pics from the Farmer’s Market at the Downtown Mercado, Tucson, Arizona. I love this market at the quaint Mercado, with its live folksy musical performances and enticing surrounding local restaurants. Kumquats caught my eye this trip, and I quickly found a dish for them (Moroccan Tofu with Apricots, Olives, & Almonds. Apricots were replaced with the kumquats, will post a pic soon). Of course, I enjoyed some raw, as well. I spotted a variety of kale (Russian, Siberian, white, among others, I was told by the farmer), turmeric tonic, nopales, herbs, cholla buds…and, well, so many exciting things this trip. I am always drawn to pasta, and this time I snagged a bit of a dessert chocolate and cherry gemelli. I am not extremely fond of chocolate desserts (except candies, fudge, and brownies), but I love cherries and dark chocolate combined. So, we’ll see how it goes! I saw a batch of raw pecan fudge I might try to replicate. Yums!

We have Farmer’s Markets year-round in Tucson (because of our warm climate), so make sure you stop by a few if you’re in town.

NAMI Southern AZ Mental Health Walk 2015

I am so glad I had the opportunity to volunteer at this year’s National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southern Arizona Mental Health Walk. This is an annual community event to raise funds and awareness. As you know, I publish mental health-related blog posts from time to time. So many participants out this year doing the 3 or 5K. Some walk and raise funds as a team, others come by themselves, and many join friends and family. Fortunately, the walkers crossed the finish way before the temps reached into the 90’s. It was a hot one! I had a chance to see many old friends (as I often do at health events), so it made my day really special. It’s one of the best things in the world: being around a group of caring, non-judgmental people.

This year, walkers were warmed up with high-energy Latin dance aerobics and later treated to a post-walk Mariachi performance. It was a really fun time! NAMI hosts walks all across the U.S., so you may want to search for one in your area (if this is a cause you would like to support). I didn’t take a ton of pics this year, but here are a few:

Getting ready for the big walk! Many teams design and wear their own t-shirts.

Cafe 54 Food Truck serving hungry walkers (read more about their amazing work here).

Mariachi! I always love the outfits! They were awesome!

NAMI Store Tent

This banner from the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona really touched me. No shame, no fear, just help.

If you have a moment, please take a look at my mental health series posts. They can be found under the Health category of my blog menu. For your convenience, I have linked to them below. In addition to the blog posts themselves, I have listed many article and resources links. Further articles are frequently featured in My Way posts as well.

Mental Illness Discrimination & Exploitation

World Mental Health Day, 2014 & NAMI Multicultural Action Center

Mental Illness Awareness Week, Mental Illness Facts and Myths, & Cafe 54, Tucson, AZ

What is Stigma?

NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness Stigma Alerts Archive (many of these archives are no longer listed, so I may post a few at some point)

University of Arizona Camp Wellness