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!

My Way, No. 19

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

— Hope you had a lovely St. Patrick’s Day! This past week, I made the celery juice from this blog post, another batch of the Chunky Corn & Black Bean Falafel, as well as the Crab & Goat Cheese Guacamole posted some time back. All were delish! The falafel will frequently be in my rotation, for sure. After posting the Fruit & Herb Honey Syrups, I made one with fruits and herbs I had in the freezer: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pom, lime, and purple basil. So far, I’ve just used it to top off a little sparkling water, and it’s very nice.

And, I made the cherry-vanilla. A cherry-vanilla float with my Holiday bourbon sounds good. These syrups are super versatile, easy to make, and do not require any cooking. I am thinking I might do pineapple-mint next. If you haven’t done so already, check out the honey syrups here.

OMGoodness, the Spicy Carrot & Hummus Sandwich from my Healthy Work Lunches post really hit the spot!

I made an open-faced sandwich on whole wheat sourdough toast. I used the No-Knead Whole Grain Sourdough (no herbs or garlic this time). The recipe actually calls for einkorn, but I still need to pick some up. One of the reasons I wanted to make this sandwich was that I had leftover garbanzo bean dip. It wasn’t actually a traditional hummus, but it worked. From the picture posted, I initially thought the carrots were raw, but they are sautéed until just wilted. I opted for the alternative suggested cumin vs. caraway seeds to flavor the carrots (as caraway seeds are not my favorite). I can tolerate caraway, but I have never really loved them. I added toasted sesame seeds on top, and it was quite a lovely sandwich!

Just an update, I made a few more ‘energy bites,’ this time chocolate-peanut butter. I made them in the style of the chocolate-orange, but baked them. So, I guess they were more like ‘granola bites.’ I didn’t have peanut butter, so I blended whole roasted peanuts with the rest of my wet ingredients: cooked sweet potato, egg (I had a bit already beaten I needed to use up), powdered chocolate, raisins, maple, vanilla. The dry ingredients were (I think): Oats, ground oats, ground chia & flax seeds, wheat germ, chopped peanuts, toasted coconut, and salt.

I can see using the sweet potato puree as perhaps a pie filling, maybe a base for a mousse, or just a pudding. The chocolate (and peanut butter) makes the sweet potato pretty much undetectable. Sweet potato puree is a great vehicle if you cannot have dairy, in that respect. You can use dates in place of raisins, but that’s just what I felt like using at the time.

And, the last bit about my eats for this post…I baked a few individual soda breads for St. Pat’s in ramekins on the weekend. I haven’t made another batch of the ‘green muffins‘ yet as I still have a few in the freezer. I think Irish soda bread was my first (non-yeast) bread-making venture. I’ve never made separate portions, though.

I still use the same recipe from way back in the day, but I replaced the AP flour with whole wheat pastry flour and butter with coconut oil. The recipe calls for caraway seeds, but I’ve never included them (as I’ve said, they’re not my fave). I love soda bread for toast. SO good! I wanted a hot cup of Irish coffee to go alongside (I didn’t add too much liquor), but ended up with an Irish coffee frappe/smoothie-type drink. I had a few sips hot, then blended in frozen banana, non-fat homemade yogurt, oats, flax, chia, wheat germ, and almonds. I topped it off with a coconut cream-yogurt whip and blackstrap molasses (I am not really fond of chocolate sauce, so I decided molasses would be nice). I forget how nice Irish coffee is until I’ve had it again!

— I made my folding side table! I wanted this to be a table I could quickly set up when needed, then quietly tuck it away. As it wasn’t meant to be a stable piece of furniture, I just wanted it to be presentable without much expense. To achieve this, I decided to re & up cycle as many items as I could. Pic:

Several years back, I cut down and stowed away a large piece of bamboo. It was meant to be a curtain rod, but I ended up using another (thinner) piece (of bamboo). I decided to pull it out of storage and use it for the table base. I cut it into 4 pieces, and put holes (to join the pieces, with glue) in 2 of them. When I was cutting the holes, I thought, Oh, I should make a flute (even though I don’t play the flute, lol!). I made the holes a little smaller than I wanted, then carved away a little at a time for a snug fit. I drilled a hole to adjoin both legs, put a screw through it, then secured it with a washer and nut. I wish the screw was a little shorter, but I used what I had. I purchased 4 rubber leg tips to keep the base from moving around. I then glued two sides of a pic frame to the top of the legs. The spray paint I used did not have primer, so I primed it first, gave it a coat of (leftover) black then a light coat of (purchased) gold. I tried to allow some of the black to show through. Then, I sprayed alternate wisps of black and gold until it looked the way I wanted it to. I do not care for the finish of a lot of metallic spray paints, so I dulled the shine with leftover frosted glass spray. I’ve used it before for other glossy spray paints as well.
The top: I used a picture covered with one of my many fabric remnants. I was going to use wallpaper (as was suggested in my Using Wallpaper Remnants post), but this fabric seemed to fit the space better. I made it waterproof by brushing on melted oil & wax (method found here). You can use beeswax, paraffin, perhaps soy wax, and any fixed drying oil. Some of these are healthier options than others. More on that in an upcoming post. I staple gunned the fabric to the frame and added decorative nails (originally intended to re-upholster a chair. I did it freehand, so some are a bit wonky. I will go back & fix them later. I just wanted to take the pic while I still had a little sunlight). The top is not attached to the legs, so I added “stoppers” (synthetic corks) on the back of the picture to hold the top of the legs (the frame sides) in place. All in all, I think I made out pretty well with just the purchases of the rubber leg tips and gold spray paint!

— I love macrame! There are tons of vids out there if you want to learn how to craft something for yourself. I think you could totally DIY something like this: Glass & Twine Lantern Set | shopterrain.com.

Here’s a sweet macrame bracelet tutorial: DIY Shamballa Style Macrame Bracelet Tutorial | rings-things.com.

— I have tons of plaid. It’s one of my fave things. This is a cute idea: DIY Clothes DIY Refashion: DIY: Ombre Dip Dyed Plaid Shirt | Pinterest | Lacy Hall.
This dress sort of encompasses several styles. A versatile piece, I think: Streetcar Dress in Black Plaid (with pockets) | trendvee.com.

— After looking at the ‘supoon’ and ‘clongs’ from the last ‘My Way‘ post, I checked out some of the other kitchen products they have available. Some really neat items like jots, onpots, teafus, levoons. I love this Scizza | Dreamfarm Products. 

— I saw that Bibi won the election in Israel. Yay! I am not that political of a person, but I like him because he’s dashing, charming, handsome, suave, and did I mention dashing? 😉

— I read an article that mentioned “fashionable food,” meaning certain food, dishes, etc., should (not just do) go in and out of style. This wasn’t referring to dining out. I thought this an odd concept. I mean, it’s one thing if you want to be “trendy” to sell things….but, common folk usually eat (or prepare for others) what is readily available to them, what is at the market during the time of their visit, and what they can afford (if they can afford to eat at all). The average person doesn’t live in a restaurant or test kitchen. They are not usually concerned if their meat and potatoes, beans on toast, Grandma’s prize dessert, or whatever, is “in style,” haha! Most people do not care that much about their clothing being in style, let alone their everyday (or even special occasion) food. It seemed like the article was targeted at your average person, but perhaps not. Perhaps it was more like people who struggle with dilemmas such as, “Should I take the Bentley or the Benz”? Or, more importantly, “Should I ask Jeeves or Parky to pull the car around when I make my decision between the Bentley and the Benz? lol 😀 Anyway…Here are Today’s Featured Recipes (fashionable or not, I couldn’t say…they just looked darn good to me!):

Breakfast Stuffed Peppers | eatwell101.com.

Fugazetta (Argentine Pizza) | Bourbon and Brown Sugar.

Lemon Meringue Pie with Poached Oranges and Basil | Great British Chefs.com.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Grilled Cheese | wellplated.com. Saw this last year and still thinking about it! Great St. Patrick’s Day leftovers idea.

Great tutorial: How to Ice a Cake | stylesweetca.com.

2-Minute Green Spaghetti Sauce

Shellfish Risotto | ciaoflorentina.com.

Have a fabulous day!

8 Fruit & Herb Honey Syrups

8 Fruit + Herbs Honey Syrups | theyummylife.com.

Life is better with something sweet! These honey syrups are a breeze to make and quite versatile. You can add them to sparkling water or cocktails, drizzle them over desserts or pancakes, spread a little on a biscuit, and more. And, I’m sure you would have equally delicious results substituting other liquid sweeteners. Guidelines for inventing your own flavors and printable labels for gift-giving (or just keeping them for yourself) are included.

Enjoy!