Jazz Concert and Photography Workshop

It has been another busy couple of days at our house. Have you noticed that we aren’t home much during the summer? When Dan can take time off of work I try to work as many things into our schedule as possible. However Dan isn’t really into photography so I went to this one alone while he spent a little time in the office. Other than that we have been glued together this weekend like usual.

Peter White, Gerald Albright and Rick Braun In Concert:

Friday night we went to Rams Head Live in Annapolis to enjoy some live jazz. Fortunately Dan got home from DC with enough time that we were on schedule. Those of you who are local know that the traffic around DC is unpredictable. I think because it is summer the traffic in DC was lighter than usual.

Above is the best shot I got with my phone. For the next concert in August I will use my “real” camera and get some better photos to share. It as hot Friday night and I didn’t feel like going down front for pictures.

One nice thing about going to jazz concert is that they are frequently better live than they are on CD, not something you normally see from mainstream musical artists. They played one song that they somehow compared the classic Bond riff with Bob Marley. It sounds like an odd combination I know but it worked.

For those who are thinking of attending a concert at Rams Head in Annapolis they do have a veggie sandwich (no cheese) which you will need to ask them to hold the mayo, and a roasted red pepper hummus that are both vegan once you eliminate the mayo.

Photography Workshop:

Even though we got home late Friday night I had to get moving early this morning to be at the photography workshop near BWI at 8:30am. This meant we had green smoothies for breakfast because they are fast. I grabbed some coconut water to take with us because was hot again today. You didn’t expect me to leave the house without some sort of snack did you? :-)

The photography workshop was a lot of fun. Of course I am now convinced that I need to upgrade my camera. However with the new floating family member I should probably practice a little restraint on that front. I will probably buy another lens and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom soon though.

Since I had posted on my individual Facebook page  that I was at the photography seminar Jenn (from the restaurant) posted that she thought about attending the workshop too because she had just purchased a new camera and hasn’t used it yet. I offered to teach her what I learned on Saturday. If Jenn and I don’t find time to get together before the boat arrives we can take pictures while we are out sailing. Emily, our friend who graduated from MICA and who works in wedding photography wants to take some photographs from the boat too. Looks like the boat may end up being a frequent subject doesn’t it?

Lunch:

After the photography workshop Dan and I can home and had a quick lunch. This one included: julienned carrot, diced tomato, shaved cucumber, sliced bell pepper, golden raisins, lemon zest, lemon juice and was topped with chopped walnuts.

To accompany the salad I made a simple quinoa dish with sesame seeds, granulated ginger, and sunflowers. This was for protein and extra calories since the salad was so light.

Errands:

After lunch we had a few errands to run. I always have books to return to return so we stopped at the library. This time I did something completely out of character and didn’t pick up any books to bring to bring home since I don’t have time to read them. However I didn’t come home empty handed either. While I was there I found 6 music jazz CDs that I wanted to listen to.

Dinner Out:

We were already out of the house so you know what happened next right? Yes of course we had dinner out. By now I am sure you are starting to see why we know everyone at the restaurant by name as well as quite a bit about them. They probably see us more than they see their own families. LOL

Today was “Shorty's” (6’7” tall Michael hence why I call him Shorty) birthday and since we came into dinner early the gang was just finishing up cake at the bar. Somehow I know part two of the birthday celebration included adult beverages at another bar. ;-)

While I was out the photography class I picked up an extra handout for Jenn. She told me a bit about the camera she bought and how she picked it up because it was a good deal on Woot. Smart girl right? We talked about photo composition and that we will take pictures from the boat is we don’t get together before then.

We chatted with Aimee for a while and are planning to go to DC early August when her schedule settles down a little. Will (formerly from the restaurant) is going to try to join us too. Are you starting to notice that we aren’t like “regular customers”? ;-)

Ian wasn’t thrilled that we didn’t let him know that we were coming in for dinner tonight so that he didn’t have anything planned for us. Of course that didn’t matter to us in the least. After the obligatory hugs and catching up Ian told me what he had to work with in the kitchen and asked me if I wouldn’t mind making up my own dishes and that the guys would execute whatever I came up with. We really are spoiled and we know it.

Since Jerome had made a vegan lentil vegetable soup with started with two bowls of that for our first course. Sorry the photo is dark I was playing the manual settings on my camera.

Ian has a tomato, mozzarella and pesto salad on the menu which I decided to make a vegan version of. Since I knew he didn’t have any baked tofu on hand I asked them to sauté a little tofu and serve that with sliced tomato, cilantro lime sauce all served on a bed of mixed greens. We enjoyed this so I will be baking some tofu this week so that I can make my version of this to share with you soon.

For our entrée I took a chicken and olives dish that Ian has on the menu and made that vegan which wasn’t difficult. Obviously they needed to hold the chicken and I asked them to add chickpeas and mushrooms. The dish also contains roasted potatoes, snow peas, onions and garlic in a white wine sauce.

Here is another picture I took messing around with my camera.  Not bad I thought. 

We didn’t stay long this evening for a few reasons, one there was a line a people waiting to be seated and there was a large group of ladies who were extremely loud. Sitting near them was not a pleasant experience. In fact they were so loud I couldn’t hear Dan across the table if that tells you anything.

Ian sat at our table to chat for a little while before he left for the evening. He is going on vacation the last week of August and then his kids go back to school. In order to get him to the boat while the kids are still off of school he may end up being the first one there besides us which is fine with us.  We both love spending time with Ian.  I still haven’t figured out how we are going to schedule things to make it easier for everyone else. I am thinking of some sort of online scheduling program we can call access but haven’t narrowed it down yet. If you have any suggestions feel free to let me know.

Happy thoughts:


• Both Dan and I enjoyed the jazz concert on Friday. The nicest thing about live jazz is that it is frequently better than recorded jazz. Peter White, Gerald Albright and Rick Braun were all very lively. It was definitely a good show and a nice way to spend a Friday night.

• The photography seminar by Okello Dunkley Saturday morning exceeded my expectations. Too bad I didn’t take this when my camera was new. Oh well, better late than never right. It is nice to use my digital camera more like my old film camera which I loved. Do any of you use Adobe Lightroom? I had never heard of it but seeing what could be done with it on Saturday I am adding that to my wish list. ;-)

• We had a nice relaxing dinner out on Saturday. Dan and I both like seeing everyone as much as we like going out to eat. This is why I keep mentioning that you need to find a place close to home where you can be regulars too. Everyone goes out of their way for us which is extremely endearing. There are not many vegan restaurants near us and we are extremely fortunate to have an omni restaurant that will make us special dishes whenever we come in. Having worked in a restaurant before I know isn’t the easiest thing in the world which makes me appreciate the effort even more.

• We had a nice trip to the farmers’ market this morning too though we did get there a little later than usual. We talked to Paul (one of the owners of Calvert Farms) about his boat while we shopped. Calvert Farm is the CSA we belong too and I highly recommend them to anyone who is local. Next we stopped to see Rudy (the owner of Cat’s Paw Organic) for more shopping and talking. Yes, I do talk everywhere I go before you ask. I have always been very verbal. LOL

Signing Out:

For some unknown reason I didn’t sleep well last night so I am moving a little slowly this morning. At the moment we are sitting in the family room listening to some jazz. However I do need to get a few things accomplished today.

Talk to you again soon, hopefully tomorrow. I hope you have a great Sunday!

The Best Pizza Ever!

Saturday:

Somehow it was another busy day for us. What happened to our peaceful and relaxing weekends? ;-) On the bright side we have selected a marina in Baltimore now which is fantastic. Dan and I are both looking forward to having the boat downtown. It will be nice to have her close rather than driving more than an hour and crossing the Bay Bridge to the Eastern Shore as we have done in the past.

To celebrate crossing another item off our to-do list we went to dinner. Have you noticed that we need very little provocation to go out to eat? ;-) Even though Ian is off you know where we went right? We really can’t stay away it seems.

The weather was a little warm so many patrons wanted to eat inside last night. Wimps! Needless to say we sat outside. It was incredibly nice outside I have no idea why anyone would have wanted to be inside last night.

Dani (Ian’s sous chef) made a us a vegan version of the antipasti plate they have on the menu. This version included: marinated mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, pickled banana pickles which I love, olives, artichokes with dill and chickpea salad. Delicious as always. We both loved the marinated mushrooms in place of the roasted peppers.  :-)

I made up our pizza tonight from items on the menu. Dan and I both think this may be one of my best creations yet. This whole wheat pizza crust included: a base of cilantro-lime sauce (that they serve with the samosas), caramelized pineapple, candied jalapenos, greens tossed with lime juice, avocado slices, pickled radishes and sliced almonds. We both loved the all the contrasts specifically: heat and cold temperature variation, soft and crunchy textures, and sweet and hot flavors. It was a winner all around. Now I may have to make my own cilantro lime sauce and candied jalapenos so I can have something similar at home.

We had a chance to chat with Aimee and her fiancé Michael this evening. It is always great to see them both. Michael grew up on the water and he is all set to sail. Aimee on the other hand isn’t too sure but she said she would try since it was important to us. One day we may just have to adopt those two.  :-)

Sunday:

It was a great trip to the farmers’ market this morning. We came home w/ peaches, beets, basil, zucchini, tomatoes, green onions, purslane, lambs quarters (a wild green), collards, raspberries, spinach, kale, yellow French beans, banana peppers and cucumbers. I managed to stuff 4 large reusable grocery bags with local produce. It always looks like we are feeding an army when we leave the market.

I made Dan a green smoothie but with some acai and frozen berries in addition to the kale, banana, cinnamon, powdered ginger, wheat germ and freshly ground flaxseeds.

My smoothie was more veg and less fruit. Here is what I did: fill the Vitamix container about 2/3 full with raw kale. Next I added 4 carrots that I have roughly cut into chunks. I also added a big spoon of wheat germ and another spoon of chia seeds. A splash of acai juice, ½ lemon (peel removed) and some cinnamon went in next. I buzzed this until it was smooth. While it tasted good it was an unpleasant muddy brown color. This happens often when I make uber healthy smoothies. When it does I add frozen wild blueberries, about a cup this time) and process again. The blueberries are there to add a little sweetness but mostly color. What do you add to your smoothies to change the color?

After breakfast we had to deal with a plumbing issue for my parents. Why is it that these things always take longer than you expect them to?

Other than that there were just errands and miscellaneous tasks. I am really hoping Monday will be a little more laid back.

Happy thoughts:

• We are thrilled to have the local marina finalized. That is one huge item crossed off our to-do list. We have been checking places out for the last three weeks and think we made the right decision. Only time will tell right? *finger crossed*

• The trip to the farmer’s market was fantastic as usual. Rudy is excited about the boat and will definitely be joining us when he can. Pam sailed in college and is also game for a trip though her husband is a power boat sort of guy…we still like him though. ;-)

• It was good to cross the plumbing issue for my folks off our to-do list. That has been hanging around since earlier this week.

Signing out:

Needless to say we have a lot to do this weekend so I really shouldn’t be spending too much time on the computer. I should have time to write another post tomorrow. I hope you are having a fantastic weekend. Talk with you again soon! :-)

What Constitutes a Healthy Diet?

Last Friday we went out to dinner to celebrate some good news which I am not telling you about yet to build suspense. Come on, I have to hold some things back so that I have something to write about don’t I? ;-) I promise that I will give up the information…just not yet.

Needless to say dinner out means Ian was cooking. Having Ian around the corner means we have no motivation to venture far from home. Seriously why would we want to go somewhere else? His food is delicious, creative and fits most of our dietary criteria. I only say most because of the oil and salt but he has been cutting back on both for us which we really appreciate.

This particular evening Will was working and when he is in the kitchen he takes care of our food. Sadly Will has now gone to work at Woodberry Kitchen which I thought those of you who are local would like to know. According to Will it is his understanding that there is always at least one vegan entree on the menu there. Once Will has been there a little longer I will let you know about the vegan options.

Given that we were celebrating we decided to start the evening with a nice bottle of vino. Alan suggested a Sicilian red and who was I to argue? Just so you know we did share the wine with Alan, Emily, Ian and Will so we didn’t drink the bottle ourselves though that would have been no problem in the past. Those of you that know how much wine we used to consume can keep your stories to yourselves LOL.  Actually I am kidding about this. I would be the first one to admit that we drank too much red Italian wine in the past.  We both loved it but it really isn't the best thing for your health even though people only seem to focus on the beneficial aspects there are many reasons to reduce your intake.

We started our meal with a nice clean salad of spinach, green apple, cucumber, and red bell peppers. This was dressed with tarragon vinegar and some fresh pepper. It was a great light salad. This was the perfect way to start a meal on a hot and humid evening.

The second course this evening was a spicy Thai mushroom pizza with cilantro. This was an excellent pizza and didn’t take notes on what he included. I will send him a note and see if he will give it up so that I can recreate the topping which was amazing. Nice job Will we really loved it!

The next course was a grilled pineapple and radish salsa stuffed avocado. Talk about delicious. A girl could get used to eating like this. Oh yeah, I already have gotten used it haven’t I? ;-)

For dessert we asked Will if he could make us a fruit plate and this is what came out. It included pineapples, strawberries, oranges and fresh mint.

Needless to say it was another lovely dinner. We chatted with everyone, like always and had a great evening. There are many perks associated with being a regular at a restaurant. If you haven’t found a favorite restaurant I strongly recommend that you do.

What Constitutes a Healthy Diet?:

This is a difficult question to answer and I think that a lot of it is individual. However I also think that there are many concepts which are universal and those are the ones I have outlined belo.

Here are the things I think we could/should all try to do:

• Make water or green/white tea your predominate beverage

• Eat 10+ servings of fruit and veg per day (this is the amount the experts say reduces the risk of disease particularly cancer)

• Eat some portion of your produce raw (preferably half on average) each day, fresh pressed vegetable juice is a easy way to increase your produce consumption

• Focus on whole unprocessed grains in lieu of refined or processed grains

• Concentrate on getting your protein from plant sources (beans, grains, nuts and seeds)

• Avoid alcohol or at least limit yourself to one glass per day if you are woman, two if you are man (as little as a 5 ounce glass of wine per day has been shown to increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer)

• Reduce your daily sodium consumption to below 1500mg per day or less (we are closer to 500mg on average)

• Reduce/eliminate processed food including vegan items like faux dairy

• Reduce/eliminate added sugar including “healthy” sweeteners like maple syrup, agave, malt syrup etcetera

• Reduce/eliminate processed oils in your food

• Reduce/eliminate your consumption of animal products (meat and dairy)

There is a lot of science to back up everything that I have bulleted above. No single item is difficult to do but taken together they tend to be a little overwhelming for many people. Given that you know how I eat I am sure you have realized that the items which I listed as reduce or eliminate I have eliminated except the oil and salt that is only when we are out.

My theory is that most of us ate a standard American diet for many years and during that time we consumed an excessive about of items that weren’t good for us and that meant we need to seriously clean up our act to get back to ground zero. In essence what I am saying is that we had a lot of sins to make up for with our new lifestyle.

When we were new to eating a healthy vegan diet I didn’t expect it to become permanent. Not only didn’t we expect it to become permanent we didn’t want that to happen either. Both of us had a difficult time making the initial changes. Even though we did it there was a lot of complaining. However we both felt so good and the lab tests were excellent so we kept doing it. The next thing we knew we lost our taste for less healthy food. I am pointing this out so that you know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it isn’t a train.

If you want to make some changes to your diet I would encourage you to pick one item and work on changing that. When your first change becomes a habit move to the next item you want to change and so on until you cover them all. Eventually those little changes will add up and before you know it you will have a very healthy diet. When we changed our diet we made most of the changes all at one time that resulted in the diet you see now all at one time. I don’t recommend that anyone do that. Easing into things would definitely be less shock to your system and palate.

I hope this gives you some ideas of how to get started. You don’t need to do everything at once and that probably isn’t the best idea for most people. But by making changes a little at a time you will end up with a very healthy diet eventually. Since I get so many questions about this particular topic I am going to try to write something about this every week if not more often. If you have any specific questions about dietary changes that you want me to address please let me know so that I can write about what you are interested in reading.

Happy Thoughts:

We have had a great weekend and have many things to be thankful for. I love having my husband at home on the weekends. :-)

• Both Saturday and Sunday we spent the evening at Tide Point watching the sunset on the water. The weather was perfect both evenings and it was a relaxing way to spend the evening. As much as we both enjoy the water I don’t know why we didn’t start doing this sooner. I hope you enjoyed the photos from Saturday and Sunday that I posted. I loved taking the pictures.

• The meals I made for my parents were well received both days which was unusual. Given all my mother’s requirements it is difficult for me to cook for my parents. I decided to relax and include whole wheat pasta and that seems to work well. It isn’t the healthiest thing we could be eating but it keeps peace at family gatherings which is a positive.

• Our trip to the farmers’ market on Sunday was a resounding success. We came home with 8 bags of organic produce and a box of broccoli leaves for juice. *happy dance* I did spend almost an hour juicing the broccoli leaves but it resulted in a lot of juice which was great. Given the quantity of broccoli juice I made a snack that included: broccoli leaves, apple, carrot and lemon in the afternoon.

• In addition to produce I also bought a hula hoop at the farmers’ market. Have I used one since I was a kid? Of course not but it seems like a fun way to add a little extra activity into my life so it seemed like a good idea and was only $20. Dan wants to take video of me trying to relearn how to hoop but I am unlikely to allow that to happen. ;-) Let’s just say using a hula hoop is not like riding a bike. If you know of any DVDs on how-to please share.

• Monday I spent with my sweetie which made me very happy. Dan had a meeting in Richmond and since he was driving I went with him. We stopped at the Ipanema Café for veggie sandwiches before heading home. Dan ordered the “chorizo” wrap and I got a tofu and hummus sandwich. If you ever get to Richmond be sure to check out Ipanema Café. The food is very good, it is prepared promptly and the service is very friendly.

• We took a different route home from Richmond through the burbs. Okay so maybe it was more like the country but it was a nice drive with farms, cows and horses. We don’t tend to see much of that where we live so I enjoyed the scenery. I haven’t mentioned this in ages but I grew up in Indiana in a little town called Portage. We weren’t a farming community but there were farmers and fields around. The drive on Monday reminded me of my childhood with rolling terrain.

• Monday was a long day because we were out of the house from 7:00am until after 10pm but overall I would say it was a great day. We ended our day with a quick dinner out at our usual place. Ian was off tonight but we still had a great meal and the weather cooperated so that we could eat on the patio. Nothing like a relaxing dinner al fresco to end the day.

Signing Out:

We need to be up early tomorrow which means that I need to log out and get some rest. Overall it was a great weekend and Monday. I hope yours was equally good. Talk to you again tomorrow *fingers crossed* once we get home. I have more errands that will have me out of the house again. I am planning to take my laptop with me tomorrow (Tuesday) which should allow me to write the post while I am out.

Memorial Day Weekend

How was your holiday weekend? Mine was good, not what I had planned but still good. Dan had to work all weekend which was a bummer, but we did find a little time to have fun in spite of work.

Saturday night we met our friend Louis for dinner on the patio at our favorite local restaurant. It is always great when Louis is in town from the Delaware shore and we can get together for dinner. Thankfully the weather was beautiful so we were able to relax, talk and just enjoy each other’s company.

Knowing that we would be meeting Louis for dinner I emailed Ian on Wednesday to give him plenty of notice that we would be coming in. I am not kidding when I said that Ian prefers a lot of notice that we are coming in since vegan food is out of the box for him.

Since I always get inspiration from seeing what Ian puts together I wanted to share his creations with you. I love to see how his mind works and truly believe that eating his food regularly is the reason that I my cooking has improved. Like usual we had no idea what he was doing and were happy to have whatever he created since it is always good and frequently outstanding. Here is what we had for dinner:

Our first course was a salad of artichokes, avocado and corn dressed with charred tomato vinaigrette on a bed on baby arugula topped with crispy tortilla strips. Needless to say we both loved this and I will be doing something similar and home. I love going out to dinner and getting new ideas. ;-)

The second course was roasted portabellas, sautéed cabbage and Bing cherries on top of roasted sweet potatoes. The dish was dusted with something spicy which I think was cayenne. This was another winner. Where does Ian come up with his ideas? I wish I knew. LOL

Our entrée was tagliatelle with Swiss chard, caramelized onions and garlic finished with fresh lemon. This was very Sicilian inspired which meant that I loved it since I have a preference for Southern Italian cuisine. Ian also made a concerted effort to reduce the sodium in our food which was very sweet. Apparently he does listen when I talk. ;-)

Michael (“Shorty”) decided that we should have a little dessert and brought us martini glasses filled with fresh fruit which was a perfect way to end the evening.

Ian took some time to chat with us before he headed out for the evening. It is always fun to have time to catch up with him.

Saturday was our first night without Corey at the restaurant and I missed him. Even though Corey and I are still chatting it isn’t the same as seeing him a few times a week. However it is good that Corey is enjoying his new job.  It is going to be tough to replace Corey, glad I don't have to fill those shoes.

Where Did My Nutrition Knowledge Come From?:

This is a question I get my email regularly. People want to know if my knowledge came from the eCornell program of somewhere else. The truth is that I am mostly self taught but I will explain so that you understand and can do the same thing if you would like.

Years ago, after the cancer, I decided that we needed to learn about nutrition since what Dan and I were taught in school was next to useless. I started by reading books on cancer and health and moved on to reading articles at PubMed. Six days out of seven I start my day reading health and nutritional articles for an hour or more in the morning. I am also always reading a book on nutrition to continually learn and/or reinforcement my knowledge.

I will be suggesting books that I particularly liked in another post. For those of you that are concerned about cancer I highly recommend a book by Keith Block MD “Life Over Cancer”. It is a little technical but even without a scientific background you will get the basics. That is my go to book for research in regard to cancer.

Happy Thoughts:

• We had a lovely meal on Saturday. Thank you Ian! Of course it was a great time with our buddy Louis. Thank you Louis for joining us for dinner. We love spending time with you.

• Having the weekend to myself meant that I had time to be productive at home which was great. I am slowly but surely chipping away at my out of control to-do list. Additionally since Dan worked all weekend he is going to take some time off soon to spend with me. We will need to do something fun with our time off during the week.

• Dan has been joining me in the morning for treks through the neighborhood. Even though we are experiencing a heat wave with temps in the upper 90’s we have been covering some good distance and doing a little jogging and walking which is good. I decided to add in a little jogging to see how my knee was doing and so far so good which makes me very happy. Also I love that Dan has been going with me since I really want him exercising everyday to stimulate his immune system.

• We had a great Sunday at the farmers’ market and came home with a crazy amount of produce including: kale, asparagus, zucchini (woo hoo for zucchini spaghetti pictured above), strawberries, tomatoes, basil, Swiss chard, shitakes, beets, radishes, sugar snaps, and lettuce. As you can guess both of our refrigerators are stuffed with fresh produce and that makes me very happy.

• Monday Dan did his work from home rather than in the office so we got to spend a little more time together. I wish my hubby didn’t have to work so much but it doesn’t seem to stress him out and I am thankful for that.

Signing Out:

It is getting late here and my hubby should be home from work soon. Tomorrow is a busy day but I hope to have time to get up a post late in the day. I will talk to you again soon, hopefully tomorrow.

Pickled Onions and a Great Trip to the Farmers’ Market

(pickled onions used to brighten the wilted greens under the stuffed pepper)

(pickled onions on my salad for extra flavor)

We actually managed to get to sleep at a somewhat reasonable time on Saturday which is amazing since Dan was at work until very, very late. Don’t ask how late because it is ridiculous and I don’t want to call him out on the blog.

We were at the farmer’s market bright and early and were ready to shop, and shop we did. Sunday’s haul: 2 bunches collard leaves (for collard wraps of course), 2 huge bunches kale, 2 heads read leaf lettuce, ½ pound shitakes, 3 quarts strawberries, 1 bunch beets (save the tops for juice), 1 bag mesclun mix, 1 enormous bunch Swiss chard, 1 bunch radishes (the greens are good in soup, juice or wilted), fresh basil (woo hoo), and a tray of wheat grass (for juice of course).

I made one of my usual foundation recipes that I like to keep on hand. This one is pickled onions and I used those on salad and in collard wraps to add a pop of flavor with no fat and few calories. Here is what I did:

Pickled Red Onions
Makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
½ cinnamon stick
rounded ¼ teaspoon whole cloves (this was approximately 20)
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 scoop (individual serving) stevia

Directions:

Combine the vinegar, water, cinnamon, cloves, pepper flakes and heat until it comes to simmer. Now add the stevia and red onions and let them stand, covered to seal in the heat. Toss the onions periodically so that all the onions will wilt. When the mixture has cooled place it in a sealed two cup jar and refrigerate until you need it. The onions have a long shelf life in the refrigerator. However we eat them long before they have a chance to go bad.

Nutritional information (for the entire recipe not that you would ever eat that much):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 76.94
Calories From Fat (4%) - 2.96

Total Fat - 0.42g
Saturated Fat - 0.07g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 11.54mg
Potassium - 62.25mg
Total Carbohydrates - 16.81g
Fiber - 5.72g
Sugar - 0.32g
Protein - 1.55g

Comments:

If you liked pickled food these are a must have to keep on hand. I like to use these as often as I can because they add so much flavor. The acidity adds brightness to dishes and helps me to avoid salt.

The stuffed peppers pictured above were what we had for lunch with my parents on Sunday. I am going to post that recipe separately, most likely tomorrow.

Miscellaneous:
Dan did take the day off on Sunday which was nice. We spend the day enjoying each other which is why you didn’t see anything from me on the blog though I did manage a few Facebook comments. ;-)

We went for a nice before dinner walk through the neighborhood before the rain. We stopped to take a few pictures while we were out.

I love this house which is probably why it never goes on the market. ;-)

Don’t you just love the beautiful spring green and the blooming plants? I love this time of year. :-)

Happy thoughts:

• It was great to have my hubby home on Sunday. We had a good day together that started with the farmers’ market and fresh local produce and ended with a nice neighborhood walk. It was an excellent day.

• The lunch I made on Sunday (bell peppers stuffed with millet and maitake mushrooms on agro dolce wilted greens and topped with gremolata) was well received. It was fun to make something that was a little more complex. I may be getting my cooking groove back. Only time will tell right?

• I am love having two refrigerators full of local produce. There really isn’t much that makes me happier. I am such a food and nutrition geek, but I would have it no other way.

• I am still contemplating what I am going to do when I grow up (assuming that ever happens). When I have more of an idea I will fill you in. Thanks for all the ideas regarding what you want to see on the blog. Keep those ideas coming!

• This may sound silly but I have had the windows open for days and that is a wonderful feeling. After being closed up all winter I love having fresh air blowing through the house all day long. It may just be me but I worry about VOC’s and offgassing when the house is closed up.

Signing off:

Monday was a good day for me but I wasn’t a productive as I would like to be. Oh well, tomorrow is another day. At least I got a few things accomplished I am going to concentrate on that instead of what I didn’t do.

I did manage to get into the kitchen to make a pot of red lentil and tomato soup to have on hand this week for lunches and that is a good thing.  I didn't use this recipe specifically but this version was close.

Talk to you all again tomorrow. I hope you had a great Monday!

Farmers’ Market Sunday and the Food

It is beyond me why we stayed up until 1am knowing that we would be waking up at 6am to go to the farmers’ market Sunday morning. Some people (and by that I do mean me) never learn.

This morning we were both moving more than a little slowly and the first thing Rudy said to us (after hello) was, "you look like you need coffee". Doesn’t that just say it all? LOL, we were at the market early but neither one of us was exactly 100%. Being tired didn’t get in the way of shopping however. We came home with a nice haul of fresh, local organic produce today. *woo hoo* Today we brought home: mesclun, tomatoes (green house grown *yay Rudy*), green onions, Swiss chard, wheat grass (for juicing), kale, cilantro, fresh ginger, asparagus, shitake mushrooms, beets, strawberries, parsley and dill. Our refrigerators are stuffed, but that is a very good thing in my opinion.

After we got home from the market we had green smoothies with the usual ingredients: kale, frozen bananas, wheat germ, freshly ground flaxseeds, walnuts, cinnamon, powdered ginger, water and stevia for Dan.

Dan got caught up on the sci fi that he had DVR’d while I finished reading a book. Today since I wasn’t firing on all cylinders I decided to make a very simple meal for lunch with my parents.

I used my little halogen/convection/infra red onion to roast onions, beets, and tomatoes. That little oven is very versatile. I can’t remember the last time that I actually turned on my big oven that is how much I use the new one. If you don’t have one I highly recommend them. While the little oven was working I also had red lentils cooking to use in a salad. Overall I spend very little time actually in the kitchen but we still had a home cooked meal.

The first dish was roasted beets, oranges, roasted red onion, granny smith apple, and cilantro. I dressed this with sherry vinegar and finished it with sliced almonds. Nothing fancy but both my parents enjoyed it and even asked me what was in it. Go figure!

The second dish was a green lentil salad tossed with Dijon mustard, lemon juice and lemon zest. I also added grated carrots, the roasted tomatoes (which were roasted to concentrate the flavor), celery and cucumber. You could easily make this dish with sherry vinegar if you didn’t have a fresh lemon. I finished it was cilantro but parsley would work too.  Additionally I sprinkled a few chopped walnuts on top for crunch and healthy fat.

Our dinner was a simple dried mushroom with freeman (green roasted wheat).

Followed by a big green salad with fruit (strawberries, blackberries and granny smith apple) dressed with balsamic vinegar and finished with sliced almonds for crunch.

Happy Thoughts:

• Sunday was a nice day and I enjoyed having my husband home so we got to spend a little time together. We had a relaxing day together which is always a good thing. I think everyone should have at least one day a week to goof off.

• The beet salad that I made up on the fly was extremely well received. Both my parents volunteered that they enjoyed it and even asked me what was in it. Huh? Seriously, that shocked me but in a good way. ;-)

• I am looking forward to Tuesday (my 49th birthday *sigh*) since Dan is taking the day off. At the moment I have no idea what we are going to do since it will depend partly on the weather. We may try a new place for lunch and check to see if Ian is working tomorrow evening. You don’t expect me to cook on my birthday do you? I know I haven’t been cooking much lately but I want the “day off” on my birthday too and Dan isn't going to venture into the kitchen.

• It was great to get back to the farmers’ market on Sunday. We learned that Rudy finished his book during the off season and he is saving a copy for me and I can’t wait to read it. How often do you get to read a book on health and nutrition (and gardening) written by a friend with a PhD in chemistry?

• Our CSA started on Sunday and that was great. Knowing that we have produce to pick on each Sunday should be enough to get us out of bed early on the weekend.

• Dan and I have both decided that we need to get back on our early morning schedule and get back to the gym before work. Sunday night we actually did turn in early so maybe we have turned over a new leaf. *fingers crossed*

Signing out:

Sorry for getting this post up so late. Monday was busy again, like most of my days have been recently. We ended up running errands, going out to dinner (no Ian can you imagine) and doing a little shopping. It was another good day but a busy one. Tomorrow will also be busy since Dan is taking the day off but I am going to take my lap top with me when we go out so that I can write the post while he is driving. With a little luck writing the post while I am out will work fine and will get it up earlier in the evening.


I hope your week has started off well. Talk to you again soon.

German Inspired Soup and Eating Out

Saturday:

There is no doubt about it, spring has definitely arrived. Winter didn't seem to want to let go but I think it is now gone. *woo hoo*

Breakfast was a green smoothie for both of us this morning. There is something about eating dinner out that makes me crave an uber healthy breakfast the next morning.  This morning we both had green smoothies for breakfast. They contained the usual ingredients: frozen bananas, raw kale, wheat germ, freshly ground flaxseeds, cinnamon, powdered ginger, water, and stevia and walnuts for Dan.

Lunch with my parents was a tough call again since I now need to avoid not only hot but also beans. Something tells me I will be making a lot of mushroom dishes on coming weekends.

This time I decided to make a soup with mushrooms that was my version of goulash turned into soup. I used the flavors traditional to German food to make it as reminiscent of the original as possible.

Flavors of Germany:

caraway seeds
dill
juniper berries
mustard
pepper
poppy seeds
sorrel
thyme
vinegar

Utilizing some of the flavors above I created the following soup:

Mushroom “Goulash” Soup
Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 cups dried mushrooms (I used the mixed mushrooms from Costco that are mostly crimini since they changed brands)
10 cups water
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
8 carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks
¼ cup hulled barley (if you add much more it will take over the soup)
3 tablespoons tomato paste (for depth of flavor)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 ½ tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2 tablespoons vinegar (I used apple cider)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup raw cashews
¼ cup oatmeal (dry)

Directions:

Rehydrate the mushrooms and roughly chop them. Strain the soaking liquid to remove any grit.

Combine all the ingredients (except the oatmeal and cashews) and simmer for 45 minutes. If you are using a high speed blender combine the raw cashews and oats with about 2 cups of the soup liquid in your blender and process until smooth. If not using a high speed blender process the oatmeal in the blender by itself until it becomes oat flour then remove it to a bowl. Soak the cashews for a few hours to soften them then process them until smooth. Add the oat flour to the blender and some of the soup liquid and process until smooth; it may take a few minutes for this to happen. Add this mixture to the soup to make it thick and rich. Simmer to blend the flavors and adjust the seasonings as you feel necessary.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 227.87
Calories From Fat (18%) - 40.79

Total Fat - 4.9g
Saturated Fat - 0.82g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 251.26mg
Potassium - 958.23mg
Total Carbohydrates - 45.21g
Fiber - 9.65g
Sugar - 7.38g
Protein - 7.29g

Comments:

This soup worked out well and isn’t like my usual dishes. I should probably make more German and Austrian food given that my husband is of German ancestry. ;-) I liked the way the cashews and oat flour make this soup thick and rich without a lot of fat.

To accompany the soup I made a simple salad of mesclun greens, strawberries, apple, blueberries and black berries. I dressed the salad with a little lemon juice, lemon zest, and white miso. I finished the salad with a few sliced almonds

For a snack later that day we had a few prunes, Turkish apricots, Brazil nuts and walnuts.

We were up so late the prior evening that we ended up going to bed early and skipping dinner. This is what happens when people “our age” stay out until after 2:30 in the morning.

Sunday:

This time we remembered the farmers market and were early enough to help Rudy (one of the organic farmers) unload his truck.  Only week two and we are already but to our old routine.  LOL, it is nice to know there is some consistency in the universe.

Today we came home with: 6 basil plants, 2 lemon balm plants, 2 quarts beets, 1 bunch leeks, baby collards and 2 quarts of hot house grown organic tomatoes.

Since we had fresh beets today breakfast was a fresh juice of: beet, apple, collards, cucumber, ginger and lemon. I loved the way this tasted as did Dan. It was nice to have a little fresh local produce to serve as the base for our juice.

Dan needed more calories so he also had a bowl of oatmeal with wild blueberries and walnuts

We skipped lunch and ran errands. I had library books to take back and books on hold to pick up. I picked up a copy of “Veganist”, another belly dancing DVD and a few other books since you know I never get tired of reading. We did have some trail mix of nuts and dried fruit to snack on while we were out.

On a related note we decided to switch cars today since I rarely drive to make sure neither vehicle sits for too long. When we moved the cars around to keep one in front of the house we noticed that some little “darling” had stolen the tags off the back of the car we had taken to market this morning. I am mentioning this to tell the process since I had no idea what it was. You need to call the police and file a report then pick up replacement tags at Motor Vehicles. Before you ask, yes they charge you for new tags but in Maryland it isn’t the full amount. While this was mildly annoying at least we have two vehicles and one of them could sit today. It does make me angry to realize that someone is probably driving around without insurance with the tag stole off the back of our car. The tags are now on our cars with locking bolts that you can buy at the auto parts store. Isn’t it a shame that is necessary? *shakes head*

Dinner tonight was on the patio at our usual place. Ian was off but the kitchen made us what we refer to as “the vegan prix fixe”.

Stephanie (aka Steph) made us a tea blend with hibiscus which was very nice.

Our appetizer was salad of beets, oranges, red onions, avocado and pistaschios.

The soup course was gazpacho which has just enough heat to make it interesting but not too much to scare away the other customers.

Our entrée was Szechuan tofu which is always a favorite.

Dan was still hungry so we pizza topped with snow peas, shitakes, potatoes and lemon. The veggies were being served under a whole Branzino this evening but they sounded delicious so we had to put on a whole wheat pizza crust. That trick just never gets old, and besides Dan loves whole wheat pizza so he orders it whenever he goes out.

Stephanie and I were discussing drink possibilities for the new liquor Hum. That is the one I told you about on Thursday with hibiscus, cardamom, ginger and kaffir lime. I told her I would bring her a book to help with flavor combinations. We talked for a while and thought it would be good with Tuaca (Tuscan yumminess), tequila, coffee vodka, and various citrus. I suggested a particular book to Steph for more ideas. Now I just need to remember to take it to her. I swear sometimes I would forget my head if it weren’t attached. That is what happens when I try to do too much.

Jonathan and I were discussing his anniversary so I am going to help him out a little with that. I can’t say anything else since it is a surprise. I will fill you in once the event has passed.

Happy thoughts:

• I am thankful that we had such a good weekend. It was great to spend time with Jackie and Walid and to hang out at the restaurant on Sunday. Now if only we could learn to get to bed sooner …. but that isn’t likely to happen. In the end dragging around all day on Saturday was worth it since we had such a good time on Friday.

• I picked up some really good books at the library. I am always amazed when I can get the latest vegan books so quickly from the library. I joke that it is because there are no other vegans in Maryland which I know is untrue but it feels like it sometimes. However it works our really well for us. ;-)

• Chatting to the guys at the restaurant it seems as though the vegan items are selling really well lately which I was thrilled to hear. While I would love everyone to be vegan I also recognize that it isn’t likely to happen. However every dish someone orders that doesn’t contain unhealthy meat and dairy items is a step in the right direction I think. I believe that most people aren’t going to go vegan in one big leap like we did. By making small dietary changes they may come to realize that food without animal products can be delicious.

• As always I had a great time with sweetie this weekend. We can have fun doing yard work or running errands so it isn’t too surprising that we had a good weekend.

• I am also thankful that we have two cars and could let the one sit on Monday that had its tag stolen. I am also happy to now have our tags secured with locking bolts. Good thing my husband knows about such things I had never heard of them.

• Monday night Ian was back in town and the weather was glorious. We took the opportunity to hang out on the patio and have dinner. It was delicious and very creative. I will tell you all about that tomorrow. Here are two hints; the corn fungus and tempeh were both used for dinner though not in the same dish. Since we both love trying new things we enjoyed dinner immensely. Neither Dan nor I are timid eaters. The things we ate as omnivores would make most people cringe. ;-)

Signing out:

Tomorrow is another long day for me, and Wednesday will be hectic until lunch time and then life returns to normal around here. I am looking forward to a relaxing end to the week. I hope your Monday was great and that you have fun things planned for this week. Talk to again tomorrow when I give you the update on what Ian came up with for dinner on Monday. Enjoy what is left of your evening.