A Lighter Me

19 pounds! I've lost 19 pounds since January. I was going to wait and write a blog when I reached 20 because that seems more like a celebration to me, but I am so pleased with how it's been going I want to share it now. This is not a diet blog in any way, however, I do feel like this is useful information for anyone interested in a healthy life. It's not vegetarian, paleo, vegan, gluten-free, or South Beach; only whole, real foods. Honestly, that's it.

I used to tell myself that as long as I made it at home without processed foods, it was okay. That lead to a lot of fresh baked bread slathered with butter, home baked desserts every few days, and lots of things covered with a thick layer of cheese. One day I said, "That's it. I'm done," and I meant it. Sugar is probably my worst downfall. I only use organic, raw sugar and I try to keep it to small amounts.

There is no rhyme or reason to my "plan." I believe in the 80:20 proportions. If 80-90% of what you eat is healthy nutrient-dense real foods, then anything goes for the other 10-20%. All fruits and veg, grains and beans, nuts and seeds, are fair game. That is huge. I am constantly full, there is an endless supply of choices.

Basically, I have tea in the morning, then oatmeal or homemade granola or fresh fruit. I want to start making smoothies for the summer. Lunch is either healthy leftovers or a big salad. Dinner is a small early meal, usually veggie-based stir-fry, soup, stew, tacos, pizza. If we want meat, we share a chicken breast or a steak, or sprinkle a little prosciutto on a pizza.

My favorite snacks are popcorn with coconut oil and salt, apple slices with almond butter, dried fruit, nuts, homemade energy bars. I stopped drinking wine every night, maybe once a week now, so it's a special treat. I do eat meat, cheese, milk, yogurt, bread, crackers, but in very small bits. The only thing I absolutely will not do is soda, that stuff is evil. My drinks are hot or iced tea (so many flavors to choose from), water (sometimes I add flavor with lemon, or small amounts of juice, but mostly plain from the tap), and kombucha (which I drink a half a glass a day).

Most weight loss depends on food choices, with the remainder coming from exercise. I walk almost 2 miles every day, as I have for years. I have add a little weight session, takes about 15 minutes to do a few push ups, squats, core, and arms for 3 sets, 3 times a week. Not much, just a bit to add strength. I can feel the muscles through my skin now.

In a few days I'll write about specific foods that have worked for me--simple, clean, delicious.

Lemon Heaven

You know what is overwhelming? A gift of over 200 Meyer lemons! My daughter lives in the abundance capital of America, Sonoma. They have a teeny tree, no bigger than five feet tall, with literally a thousand lemons on it. They were small, but plenty juicy.

So, let's see--what to do with that overflowing plethora? Actually, I went through them pretty fast. First, I filled the dehydrator with slices. These are nice to have around for flavoring tea or water. Here are my other projects:

Spiced Lemons--I found a recipe for Spiced Oranges in the UK Country Living magazine and adapted it to lemons.

Lemon Vanilla Marmalade--I have to admit this didn't work out so well. I burnt it twice. I am saving it to use as a marinade on BBQ meats.

Lemon Ginger Exlier-- this is delicious added to hot or cold tea, plain or soda water, or pour over fruit or ice cream. Simply boil equal amounts of water and sugar, turn off the burner and add the lemon zest and chunks of ginger. When it's cooled add in the lemon juice. Strain out the zest and ginger. Bottle and refrigerate.

Lemon/Thyme Mustard--I read that mustard is easy to make with mustard seed, vinegar, etc. I just substituted lemon juice for the vinegar and added in the zest and some fresh thyme. Even though I used the mildest yellow seeds, it turned out quite strong. It is supposed to mellow with age (it's going to take a long time). Basic Recipe.

Lemoncillo--soaking a bunch of them in vodka right now.

Preserved Lemons--packed in salt.

Lemon Salt



Some more ideas that I haven't got to yet--

Lemon Sugar--whirl the dried lemons in a spice grinder, mix with sugar.

Lemon Curd

Candied Lemons

Bonus:
You can get double the juice from your lemons, check this out:

Chai

Borage (which really has nothing to do with chai)

Cardomom, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Star Anise, Orange Zest, Honey, Ginger, Vanilla! Oh My!

I have been somewhat obsessed with the flavors of chai lately. First, I discovered that you can premake a Chai Tea Concentrate to keep in mason jars in the frig. It's delicious, but expensive to add all those spices. Then I figured that I could make it with chai tea bags, which would cut down on the cost, and add some fresh ginger while it simmered and splash it with vanilla when it was done. I liked being able to pour it straight into my cup, add some milk and microwave for a minute.  

THEN, I found a recipe for Condensed Milk Chai Concentrate. It doesn't take up as much room in the frig. Make a regular cup of black tea and add a little of the concentrate. Viola!

Another of my favorite chai ideas is inspired from Fine Cooking magazine--Chai Soaked Fruits:

Steep 2 chai tea bags in 2 cups of boiled water for 5 minutes. Throw out the tea bags. Stir in 3 Tbs. honey, and 2 cups of chopped dried apricots, pitted prunes, golden raisins or dark raisins. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid turns to a light syrup(18-20 minutes). Keep in a jar in the frig to add to oatmeal or yogurt, spread on french toast or waffles. Remember to sprinkle on toasted almonds too. Oh, how about making a puff pastry tart and spreading it on there? LOVE it!

And, homemade Chai Spice Granola:

(adapted from Blog Aid: Recipes for Haiti)

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup agave syrup (or skip the agave and use 1 cup honey total, OR use 1/2 c.brown sugar)
1 cup water
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 tea bags

Dry Ingredients:
6 cups rolled oat flakes
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup pumpkin seeds (or sunflower)


1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
1/4 cup diced candied ginger
1 cup raisins
1 cup diced dried apples
1 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 300°F. Prepare 3 large cookie sheets with a sheet of parchment or non-stick spray.
Steep tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water. Remove tea bags after 5 minutes. Mix in the honey, agave, oil, and spices in a small saucepan.
Heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. It’s okay if it comes to a boil, but don’t keep it at a boil.
Stir together dry ingredients, except for the coconut, raisins and apples, which will be added later. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Split between the 3 sheets.
Bake at 300°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 275°F and rotate pans. Use a spatula to turn the granola and scrape any darkening bits off the bottom of the pan. Bake for another 15 minutes.
Add dried fruit and coconut, turn off oven and leave granola in oven until completely cool.
Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 quarts.

Easy Ideas for Healthier Living

A new morning routine to start the day with good intentions and carry through. Really, just thinking about eating more nutritious foods and doing one or two little things in the kitchen keeps the process of healthy eating moving forward.

1. Eat a good breakfast: eggs, homemade granola, oatmeal, French toast, yogurt, fresh fruit.

2. Fill a water glass (sometimes I flavor it with citrus, herbs, mint, ginger, or cucumber) and take vitamins.

3. Check the frig and pantry for what needs to be used. This is a critical step, if you're like me, all the produce in the store or farmer's market looks so good that loading up is easy. Then I have tons of stuff to use up before it gets old.

4. Prep work: This can take just 5-10 minutes, or as long as you want. This is looking ahead to meals for the next couple of days and thinking about what to cook. And it is also about making pantry items to stock up with exciting flavors.

Just the beginning of good ideas:

Yogurt -- I got a yogurt maker for Christmas, but it is quite easy to make your own without one. Go here for simple instructions. Just be sure to keep it sanitary.

Pizza dough -- I make this no-knead by putting it in the frig overnight. I the morning take it out and let it rise.

Baked Brown Rice--soak rice in water overnight and drain (optional). Fry rice in a little olive oil, making it nutty and flavorful, this is also optional. Put into an oven-safe pan, add a dash of olive oil, salt, lemon zest, rosemary, or whatever flavorings you prefer, cover with water. Cook covered dish at 350 degrees until the water is absorbed.

Salads -- pageful of delicious ideas.

Pesto -- whizz a small chunk of Parmensan in the food processor, add walnuts, zip, add basil (and other greens like kale, spinach, etc) zip, pour a stream of olive oil through the feeder tube and blend. Keep in a jar in the frig for a week. Use on salads, pizzas, pasta, potatoes.

Roasted Garlic -- Put a head of garlic on a double layer of foil, pour on olive oil, roast in a hot oven until tender and creamy. Can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days, but use it up on salad dressings, veggies, pizzas, etc.

Soak or Cook Beans -- Day 1--Rinse and soak the beans in a big pot of salted water overnight.
Day 2--Drain and cook beans in a fresh pot of water with salt, add flavorings if you choose to, like herbs, bay leaves, garlic.

Start a Soup or a Slow Cooker Meal -- millions of ideas available on the internet to keep you from coming home late and hungry and running out for an unhealthy restaurant meal.

Salad Dressings -- it's silly to buy salad dressing when it is so easy to make your own. A good variety of ideas here.

Endless Chicken Stock -- another link to Kitchen Stewardship. A wonderful idea that I will be doing regularly now.

Sprout Seeds -- powerhouses of nutrients to add to sandwiches and salads. These are easy to grow in your kitchen for some fresh greens in winter. Grow them in a canning jar in a dark, cool cupboard, to simulate under ground, rinse twice a day. A few days later they are ready to eat.

Sun Tea -- mix up some flavored tea bags with black tea bags and fill a pitcher with cold water. Let the sun create its solar magic. This is the easiest way to prevent drinking sodas.

Stewed Prunes -- slice an orange into thin wedges, put in a pot with 1 pound of dried prunes, add a cinnamon stick, just cover with water and cook over medium heat until the juice thickens to syrup. They don't need any sweetening, they are already perfect. Keeps in the frig for a week. A wonderful idea from Melissa Clark's cookbook, A Homemade Life.

Roasting Vegetables -- peel and cube veggies, such as beets, winter squashes, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes. Coat with olive oil and herbs on a baking sheet, pop into a hot oven and cook until tender.
                                            Tamar Adler's video of Roasting Vegetables Ahead

Other quick things that make life easier: Prerinse salad greens, make carrot or celery sticks, marinate some meat, cut up a pineapple or cantaloupe.

Give the counters and sink a quick wipe and sweep the floor if needed and I'm done for the day.

Summer Tomatoes

Here's an great thing to do with fresh tomatoes from Susan Branch. I "cook" it outside on my deck for 3 or 4 hours. I love having a jar chilling in the fridge, ready to add  fresh tomato flavors to any dish. Especially enjoy putting it in a blender and using it as salad dressing.  (You can click on the recipe to make it easier to read).

NEW IDEA: blend up, heat, and stir in cream for a delicious soup.

Proper British Scones

Finally found a simple recipe for a true scone. They are easy to make from things you already have in your pantry right now. I added some raisins (because I don't have currants in my pantry). Five minutes of assembly, mixing, a little knead, and pop them in the oven for 13 minutes. Start the kettle. Delicious straight from the oven in less than twenty minutes total.

Accomplished Young Lady -- Proper British Scones

I wanted to make scones because I had some Rhubarb, Strawberry and Ginger Jam that I made last week to try. I found this recipe in The Cook and the Gardener by Amanda Hesser.  The rhubarb in the garden is finally grown enough to cut small amounts from occasionally. I added a few strawberries because they were shriveling on my counter, which just concentrates the sugars and flavor intensity. I cooked it too long, but Brad rescued it by adding a little hot water and stirring it until it loosened up.

Rhubarb-Ginger Preserves

2 cups of rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch lengths

1 T candied ginger, chopped

Juice of 1/2 orange

1 1/2 cups sugar

1. Place the rhubarb in a pot twice its size, add the ginger, 

orange juice and sugar and let macerate overnight.

2. The next day, slowly bring the fruit and sugar to a boil,
 stirring often.

 Simmer over medium heat, until it reaches 220 degrees. 
Skim the surface while it simmers. 

Sterilize a jar and lid. Pour jam into jar while it is hot. 

Keep in the fridge and use within a week 
OR can properly in a water bath for long term storage.

One of my newest obsessions is listening to podcasts while I walk. Seems to keep my mind occupied while I go 'round. Lynn Rosetto Kasper is the QUEEN of cooking, so warm, entertaining and delicious. Give it a try:

Splendid Table

Also, I picked up the latest copy of Country Living from Borders and I've been spending time curling up with these beauties:

British Country Living Magazine and Cath Kidston Online Magazine

All of this started because I've been cruising around the blogosphere searching for British blogs. These were some that have that feeling of real everyday life in England. Maybe I am just missing it because I was there last year at this time. Or possibly the rain this morning makes me dreamy. Mix up some scones, steep a cup of tea and soak up the atmosphere:

MaryJane's Tearoom

Hen House

Sarah-Jane Down the Lane

Curlew Country

Hints from A Vegetarian Kitchen

My friend, Ali recommended this book of healthy recipes. I read cookbooks like novels, reveling in the glorious descriptions of each ingredient. This one gave me lots of new ideas to consider. While I found some recipes I will definitely cook, it was the great little side notes that got my attention.

These are the best ones:

Cold Rice for Fried Rice--when making fried rice, you must start with chilled cooked rice. Freshly cooked rice will turn to mush. Spread cooked rice out on a rimmed baking sheet until it cools to room temperature. Wrap the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled.

Pan-Roasting Garlic--roast skin-on garlic cloves in a small cover skillet over moderate heat. Shake the pan to turn them occasionally, until their skins are browned. Cool. The skin peels off easily.  Use whole or work into a paste with olive oil and salt. Use in pasta sauces, soups, or simply spread on toasted bread.

Zip Lock for Weight--to weigh down things, fill a zip lock bag with water. It will give a nice even pressure to items without squashing them.

Aromatics in Stir Fry--to keep garlic, ginger, scallions, shallots, etc. from burning in a stir fry, add them at the end. It just takes 20-30 seconds for the fragrant aromas to be released, then add the sauce and the already-cooked vegetables.

Steam Peas in the Pod--just like edamame and everyone shells their own easily at the table.

Fried Ginger--cook minced gingerroot in peanut oil until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Use to sprinkle over cooked vegetables.

Low Fat Salad Dressing--simmer 1 cup of orange juice until it is reduced to a few tablespoons, add a little lemon or lime juice, then whisk in some olive oil.

My Obsession with Canning Jars

It started with a dozen. The next day I bought 2 more dozen. Then I went back for another dozen. There isn't any more room on the pantry shelves, unless I start removing other things. They are already two rows deep. We're trying to avoid storing food in plastic, and these work so well for small quantities. I love them dearly.

What do I use them for? They are filled with ingredients for healthy cooking. I always have something available to make. The list rotates, but this is the gist of it: dry pasta, whole grains, dry beans, coconut, flax seeds, kosher salt, nuts, rice, sun-dried tomatoes, vital wheat gluten (for baking bread), pinenuts, couscous, dry fruit, seeds for sprouting, raisins (golden & regular), oatmeal (rolled & steel cut), raw cane sugar, brown sugar, tea bags, bay leaves, hot chocolate mix, bran, lentils. But that's just the pantry...

I also use them in the freezer. Since I don't want to go through the whole boiling canning process, when I cook from scratch, I just throw the item in a jar and keep it in the freezer. Right now I have homemade marmalade, strawberry butter, and tomato sauce. I store a jar of yeast for baking in there too.

Salads

 

Standing in line to buy beautiful food from an expensive deli/bakery, Brad and I agreed it would be great to have such things available to us on a daily basis. Salads are healthy, delicious, easy to make, and oh, so pretty.

We decided that if we just took the time to make 2 at a time and have them in our frig, ready to go, our lives would be much nicer. And we've been doing a fair job at keeping up with it too. Sometimes he makes them, sometimes I do. They are easy lunches and side dishes for dinner. Made with fresh wholesome ingredients. You can choose to limit or eliminate sodium, sugar, gluten, meat, whatever. They are ultimately flexible, add, take away, or change as much as you like.

Here's a list of our favorites:

• Mediterranean Barley-- cooked barley, tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, lemon vinaigrette, garbanzo beans, feta, garlic, fresh parsley or oregano.
• Pesto Pea--peas, edamane, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts or pinenuts, pesto, parmensan on a bed of spinach.
• Mexican Corn and Bean--various types of beans, corn, diced red pepper, edamane, red onion, cilantro, lime juice.
• Tuscan Pasta--penne pasta, Spanish olives, currants, pine nuts, tomato/balsamic vinaigrette.
• Fingerlings with Pancetta--roasted fingerling potatoes, diced cooked pancetta, cherry tomatoes, frisee, fresh thyme, olive oil + red wine vinegar.
• Broccoli--slightly steamed broccoli florets, cubes of sharp white cheddar, sunflower seeds, golden raisins, red onion, sweet creamy dressing. (I ended up using a bottled Ceaser for this).
• Ginger Beets--cooked, diced beets, with ginger vinaigrette, and orange zest.
• Coleslaw--thinly sliced red & green cabbage, red/yellow/orange bell peppers, carrots, scallions, cilantro, peanuts/almonds/cashews, Asian vinaigrette (sesame oil, soy sauce, etc).
• Tuna--tuna, celery, jalapeño, red onion, scallions, capers, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, oregano
• Roasted Beet--roasted beets, diced with toasted walnuts, feta, mint. (*My favorite).
• Gingered Carrot--shredded carrot, apples, pineapple, raisins, ginger syrup, walnuts or toasted almonds.

I haven't tried these yet, but I will soon:

• Citrus--slice tangerines, grapefruit, oranges with toasted coconut, pecans, mint, honey and lime juice.
• Cherry Chicken--equal amounts of shredded chicken and pitted bing cherries, then add celery, walnuts, yogurt, tarragon.

Strawberry Butter

I had to wait until the apples on our tree were ripe enough, but I finally made the strawberry butter that I've been dreaming about since spring. It turned out very well, but I had to cook it for about 18 hours! I used Asian pears instead of regular apples, and they tend have more moisture.

Here's the very simple recipe:

1/2 cup of pineapple juice
10 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
2 cups of strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup of honey

Cook the apples with the pineapple juice in a crockpot with the lid on for several hours, until the apples are soft. Mash with a potato masher and add strawberries and honey. Cook for 4 to 6 more hours, with the lid OFF, until the butter becomes thick. If you want smoother butter, whirl in the blender or food processor, after it has cooled. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Serve on toast, bagels, waffles, or pancakes.

Yes, it's Quick Hint Tuesday

Shaved soap curls ~ use a potato peeler to shave off little curls of glycerin soap (opaque won't work). I keep them in a pretty little dish next to the sink in the guest bathroom.

supercook.com ~ you type in the ingredients you have on hand and a list of potential dishes comes up. I did this for carrots, butter, maple syrup, and a few other things and got over 400 pages of ideas.

Greek salad ~ ripe tomatoes, diced cucumbers, kalamata olives, fresh oregano, crumbled feta, dress it lightly with vinegar and olive oil.

Freezer Time

I am not a fear monger. Mostly I believe our media works hard to get us upset about things. On the other hand, I believe in being prepared. If there is a pandemic or a financial collapse, we have enough food in the house for 6 months. The only things we really need are fresh fruits and veggies.

Last week we bought a chest freezer. It's a little one--7.5 cubic feet. They gave us $30 off because it was a dinged floor model, but it's in the garage so I don't care. The Energy Star sticker said that it uses $23 worth of electricity a year. I can live with that.

The next day we went to Costco and bought over $700 worth of food. Well, subtract about $100 for books and wine (we all have necessities, don't we?)

At home, we spent probably an hour packaging things to put in the new freezer. Breaking down all the meat (pork tenderloins, chicken breasts, sausages, hamburger, steaks, pork chops) and cheese into individual servings and wrapping them in freezer paper, was pretty quick & easy when we worked together.

This was the fun part: We got one of those new suction thingys made by Reynolds (it's battery-operated, not hand-operated like the one from Ziplock). It costs $6. We bought two packages of gallon ziplock bags at $4 each. We figure that it is a one-time cost because all of the food is pre-wrapped in freezer paper, nothing touches the actual bag. We can reuse them forever. It's great watching all the air come out, making a tight little package. We can open it up, take out one serving and seal it up again. Saving space, preserving food. I love it!

Garden Jewels

Beets! there can't be anything better than a sweet beet fresh from the garden. Our favorite way to eat them is to roast them with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. After they cool, add toasted walnuts, feta, and mint. Yummy.

Quick Hint Tuesday

cutting corn from the cob--I love this! make your bundt pan useful by cutting corn kernels in it.

dog tag for your camera--quick and easy at any pet shop.

sludge dressing--take the sludge from your frig and add a little vinegar or lemon juice. whirl in the blender. Viola--salad dressing!

keep bug away from your picnic food with a sprig of fresh mint (thanks, Mom).

Cheese!

Over the weekend, I made fresh mozzarella ALL BY MYSELF! I used the directions from Mother Earth News. I was freaked out a little that I wasn't doing it right, but in the end it turned out perfect. The secret is heating it super hot by dipping it in the whey and then kneading it and then doing it again and again. By the third time, it has a smooth texture that's just right. Guessing how much salt to add to each ball was tricky, but it tasted fine with a little sprinkle mixed into each one.

The directions say: eat warm. So Brad and I sat down with a plate of mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil from the garden, sprinkled with black current balsamic vinegar. I have never tasted anything so good.

Next up: homemade ricotta.

Cinnamon Rolls

These are too decadent and delicious and way too easy to make. I really shouldn't give you the recipe; I don't want to encourage gluttony or anything.

You need 1 1/2 pounds of the yeast bread here.

Topping (melt together in a round cake pan)
6 T butter
1/2 cups brown sugar
30 pecans or walnuts in large pieces

Filling (cream together)
4 T butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg

Prepare
preheat the oven to 350 degrees
roll your dough to a 1/8 inch thick rectangle
spread the filling over the dough, sprinkle with 1/2 chopped nuts
start with the long side to roll the dough into a log, jelly roll style
cut with a serrated knife into 8 equal pieces
arrange the pieces with the swirled side up in the prepared cake pan
bake about 40 minutes
remove and run a knife around the inside of the pan to release the rolls
invert on a serving dish
if you let them sit too long they will stick to the pan.

Bread Bakin' Fool

This very lazy cook has found the key to happiness: real homemade crusty delicious bread! In my new obsession with Mother Earth News (reading every article in all the back issues), I located a story about Easy, No Knead Bread written by the authors of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, scientist Jeff Hertzberg and CIA chef Zoe Francois.

I figured I'd give it a whirl. I did buy the bread flour because it makes a thicker bread, which I prefer. I found out that an old glass mixing bowl works perfectly fine on my KitchenAid, if you kept your hand on it. So I can mix the dough and let it rise and keep it in the frig all in the same bowl and they don't even recommend washing it between uses either!

The secret is letting it rise for 40 minutes before cooking it in a very hot oven with a steaming tray of water. The whole house smells wonderfully yeasty. We were astonished at how perfect it came out. All for about 50 cents a loaf.

I have ordered the book from the library and have dreams of herb breads, pizza doughs, and cinnamon rolls dancing in my head.

More Camping Foods

We are heading out to the High Sierra Music Festival for 4 days of hippie heaven--peace, love, and music. We don't want to mess with food too much while we are out there, so I pre-made a lot of it yesterday morning. Because I wanted to be done before it got hot, I started the oven the minute I got out of bed.

First order of business--quiche. In the mixer, blend ricotta cheese, 7 eggs, fresh thyme, bacon, spinach, lots of bits of cheese. Pour into a pie dish. Cook in 350 degree oven for about 50 minutes.

Next, sundried tomato pasta salad from Pioneer Woman. Try it, amazingly delicious. I added prosciutto and left out the fresh tomatoes because we are traveling and will probably eat it over several days.

Also, Stuffed Bell Peppers. I just steamed two bell peppers and then packed them with cooked hamburger, sauteed onion, pasta sauce, Worcester sauce. Topped with smoky Gouda cheese and wrapped in foil, we can just pop them in the solar oven.

Then, these Energy Bars that are simply over-the-top rice crispy treats, and the perfect camping food.

Energy Bars

1. Warm the following in 250 degrees oven

2.5 cups of Rice Krispies
2 cups of instant oatmeal
1/2 cup to 1 cup of raisins
1/2 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
1 package of sesame seeds


2. While the above is being heated, melt the following:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 to 3/4 cups peanut butter
2 packages of 10 oz marshmallows (I just buy 2 bags as they don't come in 10 oz size anyway)
Add: 1 cup coconut to melted mixture and stir.

3. Combine the heated ingredients to melted mixture.

4. Butter or Pam spray a 9 x 13" pan. Put 1/2 of the mixture into bottom of pan and press down. Sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips and press down. Then spoon the rest of the mixture on chocolate chips, spread and press.

HINT: Whatever tool you're using to spread the heated mixture, dip it in water before spreading each time as it's sticky as heck. Even a rice paddle is totally the bomb to do this.

Since the hot stuff was done, I could now cut up a pineapple, and a jicama to go with the fresh berries, watermelon, and cherries. We will also bring Smoked Chicken, Apple, and Chardonnay sausages and Mango Passion Granola from Trader Joe's. Sun Tea, Beer, Wine, Chai and Limoncello to drink.

Had everything done, dishes cleaned, and kitchen in order before noon. I didn't feel guilty about laying around in the hammock all afternoon at all.

Tuesday Quick Hints

Sludge--my friend Janice made this for book club. Just like always, you can vary the ingredients all you want--use Parmesan or any hard cheese, use green onions, use more red pepper or less. Just add olive oil to cover and store in your frig for a bread spread, or topping cooked veggies.

Unpaper Towels--AthenaCreates at Etsy sells little reusable, washable, absorbent cotton towels. I got a dozen and folded them into a little pile right where the paper towels used to sit. Now we reach for these instead.

Electric tea kettle--when we lived in a big house the kitchen was far from our bedroom and I needed to be at work early. I kept an electric kettle right next to the bed. I would press the on button before I got in the shower and it was ready to pour when I got out. Saved a lot of steps.

Copper Pennies--everyone loved this dish at our family reunion potluck. Steam carrots until just barely cooked. In a saucepan saute some diced onion and bell peppers in a little olive oil, add a can of tomato soup, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 3/4 cup of vinegar (any kind), 1 tsp. worchester sauce, 1 tsp. dry mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and pour over carrots. Chill.

Quick Hint Tuesday

Thinning the Garden--we are up to the point where most of the garden has emerged and now we need to thin it. The best way to do that is with a pair of scissors, just snip off the stem of the unneeded plants. That way you don't disturb the soil of the plants that you want to grow big and strong.

Yahoo Notes--I use My Yahoo as my homepage. It's handy because it has a calendar, a calculator, the weather report, in addition to the mail and news. But now I've added Note to Self for a long running list of things that I want to do. I titled it Making Life Better and I have sections for projects, garden, and blog ideas.

Spinach--spinach goes in practical everything we eat now. Quiche! Chicken in puff pastry! Pizza! BLT? No BST! Guests for dinner--spinach/strawberry salad! We keep buying those big boxes of organic spinach, use it up and then have to buy another one.