Eating Well

I had hoped to make this a list of gourmet recipes....then I did some research and soul searching, and discovered something very important- I am not a chef.  I only use recipes for things I've never tried and for pastries.  When I do use recipes I often eyeball the portions and make new stuff up as I go.  I have no real recipes of my own to share.  However I have been cooking in some form or other since I was a kid.  From quesadillas and peanut butter and jelly, to high end restaurant kitchen work, all the way back home to feeding my family three healthy meals and snacks.  
So here's some ideas for lighter foods with comfort food flavors:

• Add a premixed seasoning to cooked veggies or salad to give it the flavor you're craving.  You can add these seasonings to any dish to give it extra flavor without compromising nutrition.  For example:
• Steamed Broccoli with pizza seasoning and a sprinkle of shredded Italian cheeses
• Sweet Potato wedges baked with a little olive oil, sea salt, and Italian seasoning
  (keep your portions small for this one)
• Salad greens, tomatoes, feta, and dried garlic and herbs, salt and pepper
• You don't need to add sugar, fat, or flour to get an awesome desert.  The most important ingredient is often the fruit!  
• Pumpkin puree and Apple sauce with pumpkin pie spice
• Raw or Baked Apples with cinnamon
• Berries, frozen, hot, or anywhere in between
• Fresh Fruit salad. Not canned in syrup!
• Smoothies!  Just add your favorite fruit and crushed ice
• Some things I do almost every day, for my chocolate fix:
• Mocha: 1 mug of coffee and about 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1/2 Tbsp honey, less than 1/4 C 2% milk. about 65 calories/cup
• Mocha frappe: 1C cold coffee, 1/2C crushed ice,  1/2Tbsp cocoa powder, 1 serving chocolate protein shake or chocolate nutritional shake.  blend. about 150calories
• For meals:  watch your portions, skimp on carbs and fats, double the veg!  here's a few regular dinners in my house:
• Baked herb chicken breast, brown and wild rice cooked with bouillon, and green beans from the garden.
• Easy Three Bean Chili: 1 sauteed onion, 1 can each of black, pinto, kidney beans, and vegetarian chili, add chili powder, cumin, and salt to taste.  
• Rabbit Stew: Super easy in a crock pot- meat from 1 rabbit (or chicken), 2 potatoes (or turnips), 1 onion, and 2 cups carrots, all coarsely chopped .  Cover with 1 box chicken broth, cook on high. When potatoes are cooked but still firm, add 2-4 cups green veggies (celery, leeks, kale).  Season with parsley, salt, pepper, and whatever you like.   
  
     

BONUS:
Our Valentine's Day Menu
Pan Cooked New York Steak on a bed of Kale with Quinoa and Brown Rice
Strawberries in Sparkling Wine
Popcorn, Air Popped with Olive Oil and Sea Salt


Resources
What's In Season?
Circle h Organic CSA
All About Kale:Video
5 Most Common Mistakes When Cooking Quinoa
The Perfect Steak - Heston Blumenthal
How to Cook a Steak in a Pan - Gordon Ramsay
caramelized-pancetta-and-fennel-salad-recipe
myfitnesspal.com



It was delicious!

Don't Mind If I Do

Today, I was driving my Mom home and I couldn't help but notice the piles of black plastic bags on the curbs.  Every third or fourth house on the street had a pile of at least ten big bags.  Recently, our local garbage and recycling service sent out a pick up schedule for leaf litter.  Instructions were clear, you put your leaves in garbage bags on the curb and they will pick them up on a specific day.  
Last year I learned that I can use leaves that fall in my yard and driveway to mulch my garden, but I only have one tree.  This fall we tilled our oldest compost into our backyard garden bed and were planning on buying soil amendments in spring from my local forest products source.  I was even considering buying straw to cover my beds until I was ready to plant.  
Driving by those piles of bags, destined for the local leaf dump, I couldn't help but see big neon "FREE" signs blinking above them.  I stopped and threw three big wet bags of leaf mulch into the back of my Jeep.  When I got home it took five minutes to cover last years small garden bed in a rich blanket of leaves.   Easy, Quick, and Free!  
Tonight I decided to research my free stuff a little better, I found these two wonderful pieces:

ScientificAmerican.com

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=earth-talk-pulling-for-the-planet-using-herbicides

EcosystemGardening.com

http://www.ecosystemgardening.com/life-in-the-leaf-litter-dont-throw-a-good-thing-away.html

I'm Back Online!!!

It's been about a week since my computer refused to turn on.  Today I picked up my early Christmas present, a new laptop.  It took the rest of the day to set up my recovery discs, and install my programs.  It's almost midnight but I'm finally back!  I've spent the last week using my Samsung "Moment" smart phone to keep up with Face-Book and email.  I can't say it's been rough, since there are plenty of people who live without computers and clothes dryers.  Oh, did I mention my dryer broke down the morning I was supposed to go spend money on my laptop.  Through the miracle of good credit, I was able to "afford" my very first, brand new, washer and dryer.  I was riding high when I drove to Best Buy with just enough money left to grab a good deal on my computer.  
This is the perfect moment to say, I am eternally grateful to my husband who has been working long weeks and long hours so that we can afford to live in comfort.  Just two years ago we were trying to stay warm in a 1975, 50 foot mobile home.  It was almost five years that our first home together was homeless.  We have worked hard, come a long way, and appreciate every square inch of our property.  Even if it is just a house, and things that keep breaking, it's ours.  
What does this have to do with 'Living Well, Responsibly'?  Well,  I did go for the high efficiency, more expensive washer and dryer.  I needed a good laptop so that I could  to network, research, and blog, in the comfort of my home with my lovely daughter. I never would have been able to do that without the good credit I earned from always paying my bills on time and keeping my credit card balance reasonable.  When you are responsible with what you have and work hard, you can have the freedom to make choices that lessen your negative impact and maximize your positive impact.