My Way, No. 25

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

— I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I really saw a lot accomplished this weekend. Just odds and ends, but it feels so good to ‘check things off your list.’ Lists are one of my main motivators, I’ve found. I’m a firm believer in “Write the vision.” Writing a blog post was also on my list, so that’s one more goal down. A former work supervisor (who is a psychologist), told me there’s a physical chemical reaction when we check off our goals. It gives us a natural high, I think she said (or something to that effect). I haven’t researched it, but I think she’s right!

— Today’s Adventures in Food: Don’t laugh, but…inspired by my post Which ‘wich is Which?, I decided to have a 3 o’clock in the morning tea party. I woke up, wanted a snack, and remembered the post’s story about how tea service began…just a little bite to tide you over until the main event. I took a pic because I wanted to remember that even with leftovers and inexpensive foodstuffs, you can create a fun meal (it was early, don’t judge too harshly 😉 ).

If you have tuna and egg salad already prepared in the fridge (as I know you do…OK, maybe not 🙂 ), then your tea party-for-one is just minutes away. I took a lot of cues from the tea sandwiches I posted. Earlier in the day, I had prepared 2 different loaves of bread, so I was all set on the bread front (more on that in a bit). I used pretty standard fillings/spreads. I don’t care if folks think they’re over done, cucumber sands are still one of my fave things…so, I went with that first. The recipe in the post calls for a butter-herb spread, but I made use of my homemade yogurt cheese. A leftover boiled red potato provided a base for spicy egg salad with fresh horseradish & homemade mustard. I also mimicked the post’s peek-a-boo round, but I didn’t have a fancy fluted cutter. I used a cuke slice for curried tuna salad (w/ mashed avocado for a little creaminess), and I used the tuna for a sand, as well. Leftover sweet mini peppers provided garnishes, and I stacked them with cukes and yogurt cheese for a small sand. My thought was to have a few celery sticks with peanut butter, but I started to crave the tender, yellow inner stalks. They are my fave part. These sandwiches made for a delightful light snack, and I didn’t feel too weighed down when I had to do my morning workout a few hours later, haha.

— As I’ve said before, I usually try to not alter baking recipes too much…but, I ran out of regular yeast and wanted to bake a 2nd loaf of bread. The first loaf was a whole wheat-Yukon potato bread and was nice and dense. The 2nd loaf was a whole wheat-teff bread. I decided to try the instant yeast I had. I followed the food processor method I posted here, but allowed for only one rise time. The normal recipe calls for (2) one hour rises. Well, after 45-50 minutes, I went to check on it. It was HUGE — like molten lava! The pic of the potato bread (L) is about what the loaf would have looked like had I prepared it the normal way:

The potato bread actually has more flour as well. Besides the dough volume increasing, the texture also became light and airy. It reminded me of a loaf of squishy store-bought bread. I like this kind of bread for simple tuna salad or pb&j. So, I think this was a terrific accidental experiment for me.

— I did get to have my raspberry pie I wrote about in the 4th of July post. I took a big shortcut, though, and prepared a whole wheat pastry crust round, then plunked it atop the raspberries. I put it in a tea cup, so I could feel like I was having something special (instead of just pi-ah, lol). I subbed raw almond butter for the crust’s butter/lard.

I had a teacher who would always tell this joke, “Pie R square, cornbread are round.” lol. He had a wooden paddle that he kept for students who got out of line. He would say, “I’m going to have to perform an operation on you.” Anyway, troublemaking classmates knew to wear a couple pair of underpants just in case, haha.

Raw Salad Bowl with romaine and beet greens, julienne beets, zuc, and carrots, scallions, shaved Brussels,cauliflower, and creminis. I went with a creamy version of the salad dressing used in the previously posted Mung Bean Salad. Tasty!

And, lastly, to get myself out of a banana pudding smoothie for breakfast rut, I made a fruity smoothie bowl.

No, it’s not dragon fruit (though that would have been yummy). That bright pink hue is homemade non-fat yogurt, strawberries, beets, banana, oats, and flax. Make sure to check out that homemade yogurt post if you haven’t already! What I like about the particular slow cooker method used is that a thermometer is not required. Just keep track of your cooking times, and you’re good to go. Or, just go get Noosa Honey Yogurt, haha. I punched up the pink base with a few summer berries, kiwi, oranges, banana, homemade maple-flax granola, goji berries, and chia seeds.

— Apparently the new thing with a few people I know is a sort of clothing roulette site called Stitch Fix. It started with one of the cohorts and then spread. Only, it’s not too much of a gamble, as you give a stylist the low down on your tastes, preferences, etc., and they select items for you based on that info. “For busy women on the go, Stitch Fix is the personal styling service tailored to your taste, budget and lifestyle that helps you look and feel your best every day.” The woman who gave me the scoop told me she’s taking a few of the pieces on her upcoming honeymoon. When she told me she was having a big military production-type wedding, I said, “Oh, just like I Dream of Jeannie.” She said they are going as Jeannie and the Major to a costume party, haha! Awesome. Some days, don’t you wish Jeannie would come and blink your problems away?

Cute rockabilly hairstyle:
Cool Rockabilly Hairstyles 2014 | Cute Hairstyles 2015.

— 23 garden stepping stone ideas | How To Instructions.

Time To Feed The Hummingbirds | Cooking And Living It Up On A Ground Beef Budget.

— Food for Thought:

Iced Coffee Cubes | hotbeautyhealth.com.

Ramps Burgers with Goat Cheddar & Ramp Pesto | erinmerhar.com.

Green Tartine, or, Radish Top Toast | Emmy Cooks.

Chocolate chip cookie dough brownie bombs – recipe on comments | Matthew 4:4 | Pinterest.

Cucumber Salad with Lemon Balm and Comfrey Flowers | foragerchef.com

Healthy Green Kitchen Spring Tonic Soup with Wild Greens.

Pizza Cake | The WHOot.

Watermelon Keg Recipe from Georgia Pellegrini.

Take care! See you 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!

My Way, No. 6

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

— After posting so much about the waffle sandwich I had at the Viva La Local Festival, I thought I would link you to a resource for mesquite flour. I figured it may not be available in many places outside of the Southwest. You can purchase it at Native Seeds/SEARCH’s online store (see my pics from our local Tucson store here). It’s organic and Kosher, and a great alternative if you cannot have wheat.

— I know it’s winter time, but I had to share these totally adorable DIY Fall Boot Cuffs. One of the easiest projects I’ve seen, and you could certainly carry them into these winter months.

— Hanukkah, Chanukah, however you spell it…will soon be upon us. This blog post had different intentions, but I think this twig star is a perfect DIY project for the occasion (I also see by a couple of the comments that others agree). And, check out this website for modern decorations and edibles (the modern bite cookies are stunners!)

— Read about Brazil’s biggest mass wedding. Awesome! It was held in Rio de Janeiro and involved nearly 2,000 couples!

— I had a little disappointment this Thanksgiving…for the past few years, my mom and I have been working with the Jewish Federation and the Salvation Army to carve turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas meals served to the public. This year, we didn’t get a call and found out too late that the SA had a new director take over the program. I look forward to seeing the same folks each Holiday, so I was kind of bummed. Some of them have been carving the turkeys for 15 – 20 years, so I can imagine they were also disappointed. Hopefully, we’ll get to participate in some way for the Christmas meal.

— I did make the berry and pom Antioxidant Detox Smoothie I posted after Turkey Day, and it was delish! I used my homemade yogurt and whey along with some fermented beets. As I said, it made me a little chilly, so I had a cup of hot tea afterwards: turmeric, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, and lemon. Really a warm and soothing blend.

— I also sipped on hot tea all day yesterday, as it was rainy and cold (like mid-50’s, low 60’s, which is cold for Tucson). I had a ‘bread bowl’ from Beyond Bread (a local bread and pastry shop), so I decided a hot bowl of soup was in order. I didn’t know if I would use the bowl for a dip or soup when I purchased it, but the weather made my decision for me. They only have sourdough white bread bowls (I usually buy whole grain breads), but I really wanted it at the time. I figured it would be a treat meal. I started to make a cream of asparagus soup, but eventually made a curried chunky tomato. It’s such a comfort food for me:

The bread was SO good! I had to force myself to not eat the entire bowl in one sitting. I usually try to buy whole grains (as they are healthier), but I still love refined bread and flours…and white rice, OMGoodness…I really have to restrain myself if I start eating white rice, lol. I’ll try to post a few pics from Beyond Bread soon.

— Just saw these DIY Mint Julep Favors on the Curbly site. Too cute! More DIY here: 101 Homemade Holiday Gifts. All sorts of fun ideas from food to beauty to fashion and more.

— Yummy-Looking Food & Bev: Ficelle Picarde, Kimchi Ssambap, Butternut and Sweet Potato Lasagne with Sage Toasted Pine Nuts and Nutmeg, Berry Entremets (Beautiful! If you don’t speak Russian, you’ll have to translate), Homemade Gingerbread Syrup, Vegan Whole Wheat Maple-Oatmeal Bread.

See you next time!