Hee hee hee…......awwwwwwwwww poor kitchen, um, but I do make morning smoothies (organic, wholesome, healthy) and healthy snacks in it lately….

Hmmm….oh, and soups. Hearty ho’made soups that last a few days.

And I use it to journal in in the morning and drink coffee & tea in, do art & craft in, and to entertain peeps in when we aren’t in the living room, so it isn’t all that lonely, my poor cucina. It’s so odd though…I thought “once a cook always a cook…” (I was always a good and creative cook & baker) but I have really gotten out of the habit.

Nae worries eh, it isn’t like I don’t eat. The lady across the street (small restaurant) makes hearty homeade and incredibly tasty fare. I help support her local eatery, she feeds me well. Two days ago a platter full of a meatloaf dinner that had so much on it I had three meals from it. Or maybe two meals and a bedtime snack. Anywho, it’s worth it at the mo’.

I keep thinking I ought to retire this goal, but I’ll keep it for those times when I actually cook stuff. 2 months ago

I eat well but I don’t eat as much as most people.

There are times when I question my appetite for food, coz my “appetite” for….. other things…hee hee hee….. is fierce…...^{wicked grin}

But I have come to realize I take after my Father, who as his life progressed, ate only to sustain himself and fuel his body and for no other reason. I can recall being perplexed in my youth by his attitude and approach to food, for I was, for many years a “foodie” a food snob. Now…..I ….I am my Father’s daughter. And my appetite (at least with regard to food) is simpler. In that I could care less about food except as a means to fuel my body because it must needs be fuelled, like a car or any other machinery. I do fuel it relatively well, and often enough to sustain it, lots of fruits, vegetables, whole foods; all organic (that matters a lot to me, I care about the quality of what I ingest) but it is a Spartan sort of culinary existence I lead nowadays. Oh don’t get all worried! I do not have and have never had an “eating disorder”. I am a healthy weight for my size and frame. In point of fact I am (knock wood) absolutely the healthiest person (in my immediate circle of fam & friends)) that I know!

I’ll leave this goal up for now even though it means something entirely different to me nowadays. 4 months ago

Why am I so yay-ish? Well, I ain’t been cookin’ much the last little while babies, and for a woman who always LOVED cooking and baking…..well….I am happy when I do use my kitchen now, for it’s intended purpose. The last 3 years has been the only time in my adult life I was not cooking and baking a lot. There are reasons for that. Time, mostly. I work a LOT. I get home at night and…......make a smoothie. LOL Or eat a bowl of basmati rice. LOL I have eaten my weight in rice these last few years. It’s easy. I throw steamed veg on it and voila. Easy peasy. This from the woman who used to make Bouillabaisse and her own bread….......sigh….

All things in their time….all things in their time….

Anywho….me and the kitchen have had a GREAT time together tonight! I stopped by the natural foods store on the way home and am currently making an 80$ chicken soup. LOL (I got a few other things too….hey, I don’t scrimp on food when I do cook or bake, never have, never will, only the finest ingredients…) All organic: chicken, stock, leeks, carrots, rice, garlic, cannelloni beans, Herbs de Provence, bay leaves, black pepper…....it’s frickin’ Divine it is, babies! I usually make it with Matzo balls….but I forgot Matzo meal whilst perusing the aisles of our local pint sized but adequate natural foods shop.

Oh. And I ought to mention the bottle of Bailey’s that snuck it’s way into my bag just past the liquor shop. Hey, tis the season…....

My soup = soooooooooooooo yummmmmy and nutritious!

I repeat: Yay!

:~D 5 months ago

and fellowette revellers! Tis the season!

For Spirits! The Dickensian kind and the fluid kind….

This isn’t exactly a goal for libation as such as much as it is cookery, but I am enlisting your aid.

I allow myself the treat of a couple of bottles of fine, good quality spirits and or liqueurs every holiday season. To have around for guests, and for myself for the odd nip. It’s the only time of year hard alcohol is in my cupboard, so I like for it to be worth the cost.

What are your favourite products? Any kind….liqueurs, whiskies, vodkas, rums, etc etc etc…..I’d like to try some new things.

Do tell! Please share!

This is funny! “What your favourite drink says about you…”

http://thegloss.com/culture/favorite-alcohol-says-about-you-309/ 6 months ago

....not exactly cooking. But I threw together a salad of spinach greens, avocado, shredded carrots, cucumber, nuts and croûtons. I realized I was out of my fave “store bought” dressing, a Newman’s Own concoction, so I made one out of a wee bit of mayo, dijon mustard, and lots of lime juice, ginger, garlic, olive oil, and black pepper. It was freakin’ deeel-i-o-lish-us! Glad I still have that creative knack, in my underutilized cucina, for experimenting and just knowing what ingredients might work….

I must remember that dressing….. 7 months ago

My poor kitchen must feel like an abandoned friend…........

I have been eating out most ALL summer. Or my friends have been feeding me. (The Young Man, my summertime FWB, was a good cook and liked to impress me with breakfast…no complaints here.) I frequent a local eatery so often that the owner gives me free food all the time now just for being so religious about my patronage. God luv ‘em all, I love people who feed me! (I get “lucky” a lot in general actually; people give me free stuff and discounts, all over town….I guess because I shop locally when many other locals do not tend to. It’s expensive here, but I’d sooner pay my neighbors a few extra shekkels for their worthy goods than Walmart….) And I am friendly….which, apparently, is paying me huge dividends in the form of discounts on said worthy goods, from dresses to jewelry to six packs of hard cider. Works for me…..Hee. One shopowner just sold me three dresses for the price of one the other day. I could hardly believe it…...but I digress….

I know I still HAVE a kitchen, because my front door leads into it, so I have to pass thru it to get to the rest of the penthouse o’er the sea. I glide thru, after a 14 hour day, depositing handbag, and whatever else I may have been carrying (leftover takeout, for example, which gets deposited into the lonely,neglected refrigerator…) onto the lovely kitchen table or onto the antique sideboard. A few days later, because I am generally a tidy Bee even amidst a flurry of activity, I’ll clear the table of handbags, scarves, keys, jewelery, books, coffee mugs, magazines, takeout containers,ATM receipts, love notes, bills…....I’ll think “What a lovely room this is, truly!” Perhaps I’ll start to use it as more than an extension of my closet or dressing table come, oh…..... about November sometime.

Meantime, I am sitting here eating leftover Thai for brunch. At the comp instead of the table. Multitasking as I haven’t had a WHOLE day off in a while…..

Hee.

Life is good anyway, albeit busy, and I’ll get back to this goal, my erstwhile cooking goal, eventually. I think. Maybe. Someday. I look over at my gorgeous orange Kitchen Aid mixer, which might beg to differ, but remains ever patient and hopeful. 7 months ago

on this goal of late. You know what I have been eating for almost two weeks straight, every night? Basmati rice. With beans or as “dirty rice” (with diced mixed lightly sauteed veg) or with garlic and tomato sauce, or with steamed vegetables. Sometimes I have a side salad. That’s been my meal “repertoire” for two weeks. Not to say it isn’t tasty. But it isn’t exactly….inspired. What it is is easy, and filling. I am doing healthy smoothies in the morning, take out sandwiches or soup for lunch. I really should be brown bagging it, but that would require more planning than I can muster at the mo’ apparently, and when I am home lately I don’t want to plan anything….......

Good God. I even ate better than this in college…........

I can certainly cook better than this.

But it’s summer. Likely I will not be cooking a lot this summer, what with working three jobs and then squeezing a social life and community commitments in.

I will pick up another 5lb bag of rice on my way home from work tomorrow night, no doubt. LOLOL!

Any of y’all have a tasty recommendation, ya know, that I could add to my rice repertoire? LOL. 11 months ago

Currently roasting:

Sweet potatoes and portobello mushrooms tossed with EVOO, garlic, ginger, salt, pepper. Baby carrots in same baking dish.

Baking, alongside:

One spaghetti squash halved, with butter sprinkled in the cavity.

I have 3 kinds of pesto. I don’t know which will win out yet, for the spaghetti squash. I have:

Arugula Pine Nut Pesto
Walnut Sage Pesto
Artichoke Lemon Pesto

All store bought, though I do so like to make pesto from scratch. I found this brand that is tasty as tasty can be, called “Bella Cucina Artful Food” I am thinking the Walnut Sage Pesto may win out.

So, le menu de beehive, this night:

Spaghetti Squash with Walnut Sage Pesto
Roasted Garlic & Ginger Sweet Potatoes w/Portobello Mushrooms and Baby Carrots

Oh! And a petite salad, w/tomato, baby spinach, avocado, and a little fresh Parmesan.

Slurp!!!! Smells soooooooooooo good, can’t wait….... 12 months ago

simple things….lately, that’s a lot of the time for me in ma cucina.

Of the morn:

Olive and rosemary bread, toasted. A little butter. Real butter, sea salted. A little smear of my ho’made garlic and pepper mayo, sliced avocado w/lemon and tomatoes with a sprinkling of chopped, fresh basil. A perfect open faced sandwich. Bacon might have been nice. Tips hat to Hawky. But I don’t have any. Lately I could eat my weight in avocados. It’s a craving thang. I don’t think I am pregnant so, but apparently I need what avocados are selling my body right now. Maybe I am needing Vitamin K or potassium? I dunno…..

Black tea with my own ho’made nine spice chai blend, which I have GOT to start seriously considering marketing locally….. 13 months ago

I be lazy tonight. Basmati rice. Sauteed uhhhh…..mushrooms of some kind (ok, maybe lazy is unkind….what I am is tired...)....sauteed in EVOO, w/garlic, of course, a pinch of Chaat Masala, a little celery, and julienned peppers, grated carrots, minced ginger, a few capers tossed in-for I do so like a good caper, hee- for good measure. Chopped basil and a few artichokes tossed in lastly.

Veddy tasty…. 13 months ago

very simply & cleanly. After a few weeks of semi fasting (juices, soups, smoothies, all homemade…and de-frickin’-licious!) I reintroduced bread, milk (almond, I don’t drink cow’s milk much, unless it’s the only option) eggs and meat, slowly. I started this because I thought the Bod could use a break from major digestion, and because I used to semi fast monthly but had gotten out of the habit. Simpler, cleaner eating suits me best.

Today
Brekkie: Sourdough bread with olives and rosemary toast with real butter, herbal tea
Midmorning snack: Coffee, 2 David’s Florentine Lace cookies, oh yeah, I reintroduced cookies…hee
Lunch: apple, pear, celery, and avocado smoothie….delish
Dinner: steamed veg, fennel, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach. Topped with scant fresh grated parm, black pepper, and crushed almonds and crumbled hard boiled eggy

YUM! 13 months ago

have some beets and some garlic roasting in the oven, for a Roasted Beet & Garlic Soup.

MMM.

A few leeks, and some fennel, sliced thin and sautéed in olive oil, some thyme, a bay leaf, water, salt, pepper. All pureed together. Some of Mary’s Gone crackers.

Perfection. 14 months ago

Day Four of my Bee style Semi-Fast Type of Cleansy Detox Thingy.

Feeling good….occasional slight headachiness, minor intermittent dizziness, no major mood swings. I miss chocolate and eggs and cheese and bread. LOL OK, that’s a lot to miss, but I am not dying from withdrawal, nor is this forever. (Though I DO plan to do this a lot more often than I have been, and continue other things in moderation.) I decided that one cup of coffee, half of what I usually have, with my chai mix in it is acceptable for morning. Hell, I can’t give up caffeine AND everything else temporarily too. The first week I am supposed to have had only fruit & veg juices and smoothies (non-dairy) and soups. I’ve done that but I have also had nuts as a snack, and a couple of very basic spinach salads. I had to chew something. I am not doing this to deprive and torture myself so my own modifications have made this all tasty and healthy and fun. The fun part is that I have actually been taking a lot more time to work with the food, as I prepare wonderful fruits, veg, spices, for consumption. The thing I most enjoy making is the soup. (I have always been able to make great soups.) Tonight I made a soup from carrot, ginger and kale. Sautéed a mirepoix in olive oil and spices, then added leeks, more carrots and celery, kale, ginger juice, water, and one tomato, cooked, pureed….sipped. Lovely. Tomorrow night is roasted beet and garlic soup. I can hardly wait! 14 months ago

Day Two of my Bee style Semi-Fast Type of Cleansy Detox Thingy.

I thought I’d get creative with this morning’s juice/smoothie, so I mixed various fruits with kale, and might I say a resounding BLECH. I have a healthy dose of what the hell was I thinking culinary shame to even post the disaster of a recipe. But I drank it ALL, by God. I was not about to waste one single drop. Kale by itself or with other veg is wonderful, and most fruits with any other fruits are also tasty or at least palatable, (as long as citrus doesn’t overwhelm anything else, but rather acts as compliment.) This morning’s juice/smoothie tasted like….....chlorophyll. My epicuriosity got the best of me as I just kept throwing things into the blender willy-nilly.

I suppose that means it was hella healthy, though? Yeah, I’m gonna go with that….

On a positive note, I still feel good about doing this.
I used to semi-fast and/or fast regularly, but had gotten away from the practice the last few years. Immediate goal is to do this til Tuesday (I am off work til then) or as much longer as I feel like it. Longer term goal is to do it at least once a month for a few days, like one weekend a month, let’s say. It’s beneficial that good food and especially produce turn me on.

Onward.
:~D 14 months ago

It is Day One of a semi-fast, type of cleansy detoxy thingy. Bee style. In other words, I am not abstaining altogether, but I am juicing, and having soups and salads. Fruit and veg, and beans, for protein.

*No meat. (No big deal, I don’t eat a lot anyway.)
*No dairy (Again, no biggie, though I do like yogurt, cheese
and real butter, but already eat all in moderation.)
*No carbs, temporarily, except from the fruits and veg and
beans.
*No sweets.

I’ll never give up all the above; moderation is key, but for the next little while, none. I am just giving my body a rest.

One day almost down. My plan is 5, and then I’ll decide if I want to keep going for a while longer.

Today, all I did in the kitchen was juice/make smoothies. But they were tasty!

Morning:
pear, ginger, and avocado smoothie w/ a touch of Chinese 5 Spice powder. Mmmmmmm.
Mid-day:
tomato, carrot, ginger and avocado smoothie with turmeric and garlic. Better than a V8
Dinner:
kale, spinach, cucumber & celery smoothie, with pepper, and a tomato, sliced, w/pepper.

I feel fully sated. I’ve also been drinking lots of water with either lemon or ACV.

The majority of the fruits, fresh herbs and veg are organic. I trudged home today from the grocer’s with greens of all kinds poking out the top of my cloth satchel. I bought:

Carrots, celery, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, fennel, beets, two kinds of kale, leeks, squash, parsley, mint, turmeric, bay leaves, olive oil, lemon, avocado, pears, apples, pineapple, blueberries, and three kinds of beans; chick peas, cannellini and black beans. I tend to have lots of fruit, veg & spices (I am a total spice ‘ho) around anyway, however I’d let things get low so I could restock just for this occasion.

I am, as usual, delighted.
I’ll have to go over on BedHeads page to get some of her smoothie recipes! 14 months ago

Turkey soup.

I had saved all the drippings/juice and some of the meat from the last turkey I roasted and had frozen it in batches, specifically for this purpose. It’s a delectable slurry of pan drippings and juice, white wine, garlic, onion, celery, herbs & spices. I used whatever else I had on hand: carrots, celery, more garlic. Brought all this to a simmer til the carrots were al dente, then added the meat. Simmered a while longer, then added some rice, a few bay leaves. Used a mortar and pestle to mish (yes, mish) together thyme, parsley, black pepper and rosemary. Sprinkled the spice mish into my simmering soup. I prefer it with dumplings, but didn’t make any today…..

My home smells wonderful and my taste buds and belly are very satisfied.

I am trying to use up what I can in my fridge/freezer, cupboards, for on the 15th March I am beginning a semi-fast cleanse/detox, and will only be juicing and smoothie-ing for about a week, give or take. Post cleanse I will shop again for groceries. Meantime, I can not, in good conscience, allow things to go bad. I can not abide that kind of wastefulness. So the next few days I’ll be getting creative with perishables.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. 14 months ago

cop out!

See….what I want to be able to do on a regular basis again is cook something delicious & healthy for dinner even when I get home after work and other obligations. I don’t want to cop out and just grab whatever is quick and available. For example…..tonight I had…buttered noodles. Why? Because I am hungry and tired and in late, and it only took 10 minutes. OK, with garlic, herbs and fresh parm, I sexed it up a little, but for God’s sake! I am capable of so much more than that. (I do eat LOTS of fresh fruit and veg, but the point of this goal is to COOK more….COOK!) I want to cook more because I miss the ritual. The ritual of preparing fine meals with quality ingredients. Opening up a bag of noodles and dumping them into boiling water….I didn’t even do that in college. In college I fed myself and everybody else. My place was the de facto place to come to eat well and healthfully. You didn’t even need an invitation. It was better than the cafeteria in a thousand ways. But I digress.

Sigh.
Those noodles were good, but FFS.
Really?
Insert eyeroll here. 14 months ago

to chai, that is the question.

Why, to chai, of course.

Why chai, you inquire? Because it is:

a) tasty
b) healthful

The various spices in chai have the following properties

http://ezinearticles.com/?Chai-Tea-May-Be-Beneficial-to-Health-in-More-Ways-Than-One&id=6641063

and then some.

I use all of the above in my recipe plus two “secret ingredients”.

I whipped some up tonight, for this weeks tea. I make a chai concentrate that I add by the spoonful to tea, and even sometimes-GASP!-coffee.

Yum. 15 months ago

OMFG.

More Pain Perdu, but different, in a small way…......

Moving from the kitchen to the Virtual Boutique for the rest of this entry. 15 months ago

Ratty inspired me to make it, (it had been too long) and inspired me to call it by its proper name.

Pain Perdu.
Homemade sourdough bread, organic eggs, scant almond milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, REAL (organic)butter, REAL local maple syrup. Strawberries and sliced pear. No powdered sugar.

Culinarily orgasmic. GOD it was good.
I almost had to smoke afterwards…..
And I might have to make it again today.

(Not my photo, random web.) 15 months ago

to cook, bake and play around in the kitchen a LOT more than I do nowadays. I am hoping to remedy this. I always enjoyed it.

To that end:

Strawberries, and chocolate. Many. Dipped over the weekend for A Very Good Cause. I had some left over. They were dinner last night and breakfast this morning.

And MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.
(It’s a start on this goal anyway…) 15 months ago