Tasty Tidbits

We're still under construction! Tink loves it when we have drywall on the floor. As you can see, she's made it her home, complete with toys. :-)

I can't wait to have another fire this weekend! It's supposed to be warmer, too, so maybe I won't need to wear 5 layers!

Have a happy weekend! What are your plans?

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Ashley's Chocolate Cherry Cake Batter Smoothies
• Peach yogurt with Eating Well's Lisa's Granola
• Lisa's Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
• Angela's Chia Seed Breakfast Bowl
• Baked oatmeal
• Whole wheat oatmeal bagels
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Sandwiches
• White bean hummus
• Kale salad with broiled tofu, avocado, carrots, onion, mushrooms, & blood oranges
• Apples & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Veggie Summer Rolls with peanut dipping sauce

Sunday: 
Campfire Cookout!

• Mountain Pie Pizzas
• Vegetable Foil Packets
• Banana boats

Monday:

• Ashley's Cocoa Chili - We were hungry for chili, so of course I went to our go-to chili recipe. This time, I added another can of tomatoes, some mushrooms & a small sweet potato, diced. It was a nice little change & kept it a little lighter for spring.
• Adrianna's Baked Polenta Fries
• Green salad

Tuesday:

• Rigatoni & broccoli with vegan cheezy pumpkin sauce
• Green salad

Wednesday:

• Black bean burgers on potato rolls
• Broiled brussels sprouts
• Carmelized onions & mushrooms
• Green salad

Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' before choir 

• Tortilla pizzas with pesto, tomato sauce, bbq sauce, onions, mushrooms, jalapenos, & cheese
• Bean salad
• Green salad

Friday:
Out to dinner at Lazarros

• Gluten Free Gnocchis in Sun-Dried Tomato Vodka Sauce
• Green salad

Treats

• Heidi's Rhubarb Crumble Bars
• Mama Pea's Chocolate Protein Truffles from More Peas, Thank You
• Maryea's Clean Eating Raw Brownies - These are SO chocolatey & delicious! I was super impressed with this recipe. Often, the dried fruit & raw nuts combos aren't as authentic to the flavors of the food it's imitating, but this was spot on with the rich brownie taste.
• Healthy Happy Life's Minty Vegan Grasshopper Pie - So good! It wasn't as creamy as I expected it to be, but I actually liked it better this way. Dad loved it!

Plants & Campfires

Our hens & chicks are looking beautiful! This is the first year that their purple hues have really come out. I love how they multiply each year. They remind me of warm weather.

When I was a kid, we had a small patch of them on a rock at our cabin. I thought they were my pets, so I'd water them when we were there. Now I have my own patch & it's at least 5 times the size. I don't water them at all & they are flourishing. Nature really knows what it's doing.

On Sunday night, we had our first cookout of the season! I can't wait to have more. We decided that now that we started, we have to have one every Sunday that we're home. I'm excited to try some new ideas for things to cook over the fire. It was pretty chilly, so we started early, before it got dark. Bup installed another patio light for when we have fires after dark. It's nice to sit by the fire in the dark, but when we're trying to assemble/cook food, it's tough without a light!

I'm super excited about our new fire pit. The old one finally rusted through the bottom, so we couldn't use it anymore. I think this new one is a little more durable. We're going to bring the insert inside between fires so that it doesn't get rusty as soon. This was also our first time using our mountain pie makers. We borrowed my parents' last year & they gave us these for Christmas. One is a double-wide...that's a lot of sandwich!

Bring on the campfires!!

Tasty Tidbits

This cat...she's been a terror this week! I think it's partly because we have our living room all moved around & it's throwing her off. She's constantly getting into things (like the plants & plastic bags), even more than usual. I just hope that after we get our new carpet that she doesn't scratch at it!

I bought a coconut last weekend. This is the second one I've purchased in my life - the first intimidated me & sat on our counter until it dried up. Ew.

This time, I vowed that we'd use it right away. The Bup poked holes in it & we drained out the coconut water. Then he tried to crack it open & broke a knife, so he got out the hammer & hack saw. :-) He got it open at last, & we sampled the water & flesh. Both were VERY salty, almost like coconut flavored ocean water. It was nothing like the kind you can buy pre-shredded. I didn't expect it to be the same, but I thought it would be better, not worse! We used the coconut water in some barely worth mentioning cocktails. I tried to make coconut butter from the flesh by putting it in the food processor, but it never butterized. I was so frustrated by then that I just put it all into a container & froze it. Better luck another time!

Any ideas on what I could do with a pureed coconut?

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Chocolate Strawberry Green Smoothies
• Mama Pea's Low Sugar Blueberry Orange Muffins - I made the gluten free version. They were super light & fluffy!
• Raspberry yogurt with Eating Well's Lisa's Granola
• Leanne's Cinnamon Roll Porridge - This is made with millet & chia seeds. It's almost like eating oatmeal, but with a slightly chewier feel.
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Fast Paleo's Grain Free Cheez-its Crackers 
• Sandwiches
• White bean hummus
• Kale & Egg Scramble
• Apples, grapefruit, oranges & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Portobello caps topped with roasted asparagus & Tuscan cheddar cheese
• Roasted sweet potato fries
• Green Salad

Sunday: 
Out to eat at The Circular

• Me:
• Salt Roasted Heirloom Beet & Arugula Salad
• Spring Vegetable Risotto
• Bup:
• Shaved Vegetable Salad & Puffed Fruit
• Wild Mushroom Wellington
• Sides to share:
• Grilled Asparagus
• Chester County Mushrooms
• House Cut French Fries
• Chocolate Fondue for Two

Monday:

• Brittany's Zucchini Noodles in a Thai Peanut Sauce - We got a spiralizer for Christmas & it was perfect for this! I made this awhile back & sliced the zucchini into noodles. Not only was that a pain, but it didn't turn out nearly as good.
• Green salad

Tuesday:

• Mega salads: Romaine, spinach, & watercress topped with roasted asparagus, carrots, onion, mushrooms, leftover baked sweet potato fries, & apple slices with orange balsamic vinaigrette

Wednesday:

• Ashley's Quick Gluten Free Flatbreads - These were pretty simple to prep, the longest part was the actual cooking. I got impatient waiting! The flavor is really good & they're nice & bread-y. I think they'd be great for using like bread for sandwiches, too.
• Leftover lentil dal (frozen from before)
• Sauteed mushrooms & onions
• Green salad

Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' before choir 

• Spicy quinoa & bell pepper enchiladas - Seriously delicious with a mega-kick. My nose was running & my mouth was on fire, both things that in the past I would have started whining about. This time I was really enjoying it. Plus, she had a little leftover potato salad to cool down our mouths.
• Green Salad with maple roasted walnuts
• Coconut truffles & chocolate covered strawberries - Mom went fancy on us this week!

Friday:
Girls' night dinner

• Surprises! We each bring something to eat & then have a grand un-veiling. So fun!

Treats

• Ashley's Strawberry Doughnuts - I altered these by omitting the lavender & simplifying the strawberry puree to just that - pureed strawberries. Then we drizzled extra puree over the top. Yum! 
• Angela's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzards - This is an old favorite. The cookie dough is fantastic & then it gets stirred into banana soft serve. We love this!
• The Vegan Chickpea's Double Chocolate Ice Cream
• Mama Pea's Chocolate Protein Truffles from More Peas, Thank You

Sprouts in the Garden

It's garden time again! I planted several types of seeds about 3 weeks ago & they're starting to sprout.

I'm super excited about all the blossoms on our nectarine tree (see above). They're pretty & they mean we'll have plenty of fruit. Last year, a lot of our nectarines were eaten by squirrels, so we're going to be proactive this year. Not sure how yet, though!

I planted about 4 rows each of yellow & red onions. They're showing their green & looking great. Only a handful haven't sprouted yet.

The rhubarb has taken off in the last week. The bulbs were slowing bursting with green & then BAM, full growth! (Ignore my finger in the pic...oops!)

This is the first potato that sprouted through the ground. I was so proud of myself for digging down to plant them deep, until the Bup reminded me that he & his brother had just added that compost, so it was nice & loose. :-) He usually does the digging, so he was still happy to have me do this part.

The snap peas are my favorite to watch grow. They start as little green stems popping out of the ground, & then they unfurl into mini-vines. They're really taking off, so soon we'll need to put in a fence for them to climb.

I tried planting mustard greens this year for the first time. They are doing well & soon I'll need to thin them out. I also planted spinach, mesclun greens, kale, swiss chard, & butter lettuce. Lots of little baby leaves are popping up.

Last up - broccoli! I tried starting some by seed inside last year, but it was too late, so when I planted them outside they died from the frost. This year, I planted a row outside right away & they're growing nicely. We'll see how they do as it gets hotter. Mom already claimed a few of the seedlings when I thin them out.

Inside, we started eggplant, purple basil, jalapenos, bell peppers, & tomatillos. The bell peppers never sprouted, but the rest are doing well. Our biggest problem now is trying to keep them away from Tink. She loves the dirt & playing among our plants, so right now we have them in a makeshift greenhouse by the side door. The warmth & moisture from being enclosed is making them grow like crazy, but soon they're going to outgrow the box. I don't know what we'll do then!

Have you planted anything yet? How is it doing?

Tasty Tidbits

Spring has sprung!

These little blue flowers mean a lot to me. They mean spring is here. (Although I'm not sure we didn't just skip spring & go right to summer.) They mean this lawn hasn't been chemically treated. They mean the sun is shining. They mean beauty. They mean God is great.

This was a great week in a lot of ways. The sun has been shining, I went roller blading (twice) for the first time this year, our garden is bursting with tiny green sprouts, & I'm nervous but excited with the anticipation of starting a new job on Monday.

What's new in your life? What are you excited for?

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Peach Smoothies
• Lisa's Gluten Free Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes - These were light, fluffy, and filling, just like pancakes should be! We topped them with homemade maple syrup that my parents cooked at their cabin. Yum!
• Raspberry yogurt with Homemade Coconut Cherry Granola
• Pumpkin baked oatmeal topped with apple butter
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Fast Paleo's Grain Free Cheez-its Crackers - These are super addictive. They're crunchy & chewy at the same time & full of flavor. Plus, they were easy to make.
• Roasted garlic hummus
• Salad
• Cooking Light's Curried Peanut Squash Soup - The peanut butter in the soup is added at the last minute & it adds great flavor & creaminess. So good!
• Apples, grapefruit, oranges & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Broccoli & Chickpea Stirfry with Brown Rice Noodles

Sunday: 
Out to eat with family

• Greek Salad, Pittsburgh style (me)
• Vegetable Stromboli (Bup)

Monday:

• As Good As Gluten's Brown Rice & Flaxseed Pizza Crust topped with pesto, bbq sauce, onions, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, olives & pineapple
• Green salad

Tuesday:

• Roasted potatoes
• Balsamic Brussels Sprouts (recipe from More Peas, Thank You)
• Green salad

Wednesday:

• Taco Salad: Romaine, spinach, chopped cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, sauteed onions, black beans cooked with jalapeno, cumin & salsa, all topped with guacamole

Thursday:
Dinner at Mom & Pops' before choir 

• Lentil Soup
• Green Salad

Friday:

• Broccoli pesto over spaghetti squash, mixed with with sauteed mushrooms & onions
• Green salad

Treats

• The Vegan Chickpea's Double Chocolate Ice Cream
• Top with Cinnamon's Individual Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
• Banana soft serve with Angela's vegan cookie dough balls
• Mom's Peanut Butter Quinoa Blondies (adapted from Eating Well)

Broccoli & Chickpea Stir-Fry

I know stirfry is pretty normal. It's quick, easy, & adaptable to what you have in the fridge. This particular version is a standard for us, & it's gluten free! While we do eat a lot of gluten free meals, by nature, it is a challenge to make sure that nothing has gluten in it. There are a lot of unsuspecting products (like soy sauce) that have wheat in them. I've been using Bragg Liquid Aminos for awhile now anyway, but when I was going through our cupboards, I found an old bottle of soy sauce that has gluten in it.

 I've been doing a gluten free diet experiment to see how my body reacts, if at all. So far, I don't notice much difference, but we will see when I re-introduce it. In case you're wondering, I'm doing this experiment for health reasons, as I hope to work on healing my thyroid.

One of the easiest dishes to prepare gluten free is a stirfry. They are usually served with rice anyway, so as long as none of the other ingredients have gluten in them, you're in the clear without even realizing its gluten free at all!

So as a quick, gluten free meal, we had some delicious stir-fry over the weekend! I'm in love with rice noodles. I love how they soak up the flavors from the sauce & are soft in texture, a great contrast to the crunch of the veggies. The chickpeas add a different texture, too, plus some staying power to the dish.

Bup likes a zillion noodles with his. :-)

I hope you'll try this! It's filling, nourishing, & most importantly, delicious!

Broccoli & Chickpea Stirfry over Rice Noodles

Serves 4

Gluten Free, Vegan option

1 onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1 carrot, chopped into rounds

5 button mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 head broccoli, cut into florets & stems peeled, sliced & chopped

1 1/2 c chickpeas (14 oz. can)

1/2 c Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce, gluten free if necessary)

2 T rice vinegar

1 T organic ketchup

1 T lime juice

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. honey (or agave syrup for vegan option)

1 8 oz. package brown rice noodles (I used Annie Chun's Maifun Gluten Free Brown Rice Noodles)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil in preparation for cooking the rice noodles. While it comes to a boil, prepare stirfry as follows.

In a large non-stick pan or wok, cook onion until softened over medium heat (about 4 minutes). Add bell pepper, jalapenos, carrot, mushrooms, and broccoli stems. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes. While veggies are cooking, prepare sauce by whisking together Braggs, rice vinegar, ketchup, lime juice, salt, ginger, and honey. Pour sauce into the wok, then add broccoli florets and chickpeas. Stir to combine, then cook for 5 minutes or until broccoli is lightly steamed and mixture is heated through.

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Divide noodles into four bowls and top each with 1/4 of the stirfry. Serve immediately.

Tasty Tidbits

Tink is so excited for spring! When we go outside, she stands at the door & peers out, enjoying the sunshine. Then when we try to come in, she tries to sneak out. We took her out a few times & she loves it!

We had a busy week, with lots more to do this weekend. The living room renovations are still moving forward slowly, but we're going to have to put them on fast forward. Our new carpet is due to be installed at the end of the month & we want to have all the drywall & painting done before it comes. I'm tired just thinking about it. :-) Can't wait till it's done though!

Here's what we've been eating in the last week:

Breakfasts

• Ashley's Almond Joy Smoothies
• Raspberry yogurt with Homemade Coconut Cherry Granola
• Overnight oats with chia seeds
• Pumpkin baked oatmeal topped with apple butter
• Bananas & crunchy pb

Lunches

• Leftovers
• Fast Paleo's Grain Free Cheez-its Crackers - These are super addictive. They're crunchy & chewy at the same time & full of flavor. Plus, they were easy to make.
• Roasted garlic hummus
• Green juice (oranges, romaine, carrot, celery)
• Apples, grapefruit, oranges & clementines

Dinners

Saturday:

• Angela's Sweet Potato, Black Bean, Spinach, and Pepper Vegan Enchiladas topped with guacamole

Sunday: 
Easter dinner 

• Vegetable Chili with Quinoa
• Spinach Quiche
• Pita chips with rosemary hummus
• Roasted sweet potatoes (from Lisa), cut into Easter shapes
• Fresh veggies with dip

Monday:

• Teriyaki asparagus stir-fry with broiled tofu
• Brown rice
• Green salad

Tuesday:

• Leftover broiled tofu
• Roasted sweet potato fries
• Roasted Brussels sprouts
• Green salad

Wednesday:

• The Baking Beauties' Gluten Free Brown Rice Waffles - These were really good! They had a slight grittiness, almost like they were made using cornmeal, which we loved. Since they aren't overly sweet, they're perfect for topping with syrup, apple butter, and/or almond butter. Definitely a keeper recipe.

Thursday: 

• Asparagus, Tomato & Mushroom Pasta
• Green Salad

Friday:

• Veggie Fried Rice
• Green salad

Treats

• Leanne's Vegan Blueberry Chia Cheesecake Cups
• Ashley's Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
• Leftover cupcakes from last week's Bunny Butt Cake (I froze them for future eating)
• Trader Joe's Sipping Chocolate