Vibrant Colors

Vibrant (natural) colors in food signify nutrition, not to mention it just looks good. Todays dinner was full of color, crunch and flavor. Portabello Mushroom Tacos with Salsa Verde were not only pretty, but they were a big hit. They were accompanied by a side of Lighter Refried Beans. I'm always thrilled when J and the boys really enjoy something I've fixed and today was no exception.

I'm not really up for typing out the recipe, but I will tell you what's in it. The ingredients are: portbella mushrooms, sala verde (tomatillos, poblano pepper, garlic, onion, cilantro, agave, salt, pepper) avocado, cabbage, tomatoes and corn tortillas. It's really tasty and simple to make.

Canning Pears

While yesterday was spent on the farm, today was spent in the kitchen canning. I picked a lot of pears. The funny thing is that I don't really care for pears. IJ reminded me of this as I was peeling, cutting and coring the basketful that I had brought home. Know what I told him? "I think I'll like these better because I picked them." I don't know if either one of us believed that, but it sounded good. It took quite awhile, but when I was done I was rewarded with 12 quarts of canned pears. These were canned with no added sugar, just 100% white grape juice. I'll let you know how they turned out.

Fresh Strawberries

Yesterday we picked the sweetest, most juicy strawberries I've had in a long time. They were even pretty, which makes me wish I had taken pictures to show you. Too late now, since the berries are gone. Yes, we picked berries yesterday and they are all gone today. That tells you how good they were.

I am very careful not to buy too many. This comes from the memory of picking strawberries when I was about 8 or 9 years old. We had so many berries it was ridiculous. We made preserves, froze some and ate lots of homemade strawberry ice cream. We even gave it away, but it seemed to multiply and never run out. We were all very tired of strawberries when it was finally used up.

Fresh strawberry pie was on my mind yesterday, so I made one for dessert last night. We usually have dessert only on weekends, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use those freshly picked berries in a pie. I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to food, therefore there are not pictures of the pie. The taste was absolutely delicious, but the look was less than desirable. The recipe is simple and has few ingredients. I will share it with you and tell you what my mistake was.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 pie crust, baked
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 C sugar (I used less since the berries were so good)
3 T cornstarch
1/4 C water
1/2 C whipping cream

directions

1. Cut and remove the top leaves from the strawberries.
2. If the strawberries are large, cut them I half or quarters.
3. Arrange the 1/2 the strawberries in the baked pie shell.
4. Cut the other 1/2 up and put in a sauce pan.
5. Add the sugar and bring to a boil.
6. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water and add to the cooking strawberry sauce.
7. Stir the sauce often, and when it becomes thick and clear, remove from the heat.
8. Pour the sauce over the strawberries and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours or until firm.
9. When ready to serve, whip the cream or use a can of whipped cream to decorate the edges of the pie.
10. For an easy alternative, if you don't have so many strawberries, you can also use a cup of strawberry jam, heat it and add the cornstarch as well.


There was a crust recipe included also, but I did not use it. I opted to use one of those Keebler Ready Crust that you find in the baking aisle. I chose shortbread. My mistake came in not allowing the sauce to cool enough before pouring over the berries in the crust. Cooling is probably not a big deal if you use a regular pie crust, but with shortbread it makes a difference. To make it worse I put that plastic lid on before placing it in the refrigerator. This created a good deal of moisture and slowed down the setting process. The final product was tasty, but did not hold together well when transferred to a plate. I will definitely be making this again, especially since J did not eat any. In fact, I think we will pick more berries next week and purchase rhubarb to add to the sauce. Mmmmm. Doesn't that sound good? So, find some fresh berries and make a tasty treat for your family. Enjoy!

All Raw?

Yes, the veggies in the spring rolls are all raw. I began making these when J was eating a nearly all raw diet. He currently eats about 80% raw foods and so I incorporate raw meals into dinner as well. There is a cooked version of spring rolls that I also prepare. The veggies are slightly different, but can vary based on what you have. Here's what I usually include:

shallots, fresh ginger, mushrooms, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, snow peas, soy sauce and sesame oil. Basically I just chop all of the veggies and saute in 2-3 tablespoons of canola oil until tender-crisp. Add 2-3 drops of sesame oil , 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Season with pepper to taste and cook for another minute. Let cool slightly and fill wrappers as in previous recipe. These are great with fried rice.

Tasty and Colorful

Last nights dinner was tasty and colorful, two of my favorite food attributes. We dined on spring rolls and quinoa salad (pronounced keen-wa). Both items are simple, although the spring rolls do take a bit of time because of the chopping and rolling. Here's what I do for each.

I prepare the quinoa salad first because I like for it to be chilled. However it can be served warm or at room temperature. The recipe is as follows:

1 C quinoa
1/3 C red wine vinegar
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 C chopped cucumber
1/4 C sliced kalamata olives
1/4 C chopped red onion
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley

Cook quinoa (1 C quinoa in 2 C water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes.

Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil and garlic. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine peppers, cucumber, olives, onion, and parsley. Mix well. Add dressing and toss to coat. Add quinoa, stir gently to combine. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.

Spring Rolls
I do not have an exact recipe for these. I think there used to be one, but I've been making them for many years without one. Here are the ingredients:

chopped cabbage, chopped carrots, chopped radishes ( I do all of these in the food processor)
chopped green onion, chopped tomatoes
chopped mushrooms, soaked about 5 minutes in Bragg liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
guacamole or hummus
spring roll wrappers ( the kind you soak in water, not cook)

Here's what I do: fill a large bowl about half full with water. Place one spring roll wrapper in the water about 15 seconds. Remove from water and place on a cutting board. Begin by putting a couple of tablespoons of guacamole or hummus in the center of the wrapper. Next, put 1/4C cabbage in center in a narrow mound. Add a small amount of carrots on one side, radishes on the other. Place a tablespoon of mushrooms on cabbage, followed by a small amount of tomatoes and green onions. It should look like this.

Roll like a burrito and enjoy!

Our complete meal.

I've Got A Taste For...

food! Ok, I've already said how important food is to me. I think I've also mentioned that J is vegan. For many households this might be a problem, but we've worked it out quite nicely. For those who don't know, eating a vegan diet means no animal products or bi-products are included. I won't get into all the versions of vegetarianism. For J this means just what I've described. So, what you will find is when I talk about food it is usually vegetarian. Often I begin with a non-vegetarian recipe and change it to suit us. The boys and I are not vegetarian, but the majority of our food intake would fall under the heading.

The point of this post is to tell you that I'm adding a new item to my sidebar. My weekly menu will appear under the heading "I've Got A Taste For..." The list may appear to be short, but this is because we love leftovers. The only way we don't eat a meal twice is if we eat all of it the first day. Usually on Saturday I fix something extra special that J has requested. Not sure what it will be this week since he hasn't mentioned anything.

You will notice that we eat alot of beans. There are 3 basic reasons for this. First we really like them, all kinds from black beans to pinto, black eyed peas, garbanzo, pigeon peas, great northerns, lentils...and the list goes on. Second, they are really good for you. Third, they are inexpensive. Our bean meals are almost always paired with rice. Our preferred rice is organic brown basmati. I keep large pails of beans and rice so that we never run out.

I will also try to post recipes from time to time. If you see something that sounds interesting and you really want the recipe, let me know. I will even post pictures of the food. I like taking pictures of my food because I believe it is supposed to look good. In fact, if it doesn't look good then I won't know how it tastes because it will never make it to my mouth. Does that make me a food snob? Probably, but I got that particular trait from my mom. I'm looking forward to this and I hope you enjoy it too.

Do You Know Who...

George Washington Carver was? How about Lonnie Johnson? "IJ" and "JJ" chose these two gentlemen to learn about for their Black History Month projects. These projects were well done. The boys presented them at a Black History Fair on last Thursday before a group of smiling homeschool students and parents.

Have you ever heard of Lonnie Johnson? If not, I'm sure you know about at least one of his inventions. It brings lots of fun to many households, especially in the summer months. "J" and I owned a pair even before we had kids. Do you know what it is?

Yes, it's the Super Soaker!

Johnson is a mathematician and nuclear engineer who has worked for various companies including NASA.

Did you know that George Washington Carver had over 300 inventions, but was not concerned with patents? This was because his purpose for inventing was to improve the lives of poor black farmers. Did you know that he turned down lucrative job offers from Henry Ford and Thomas Edison because he wanted to stay at Tuskeegee where he knew black people would receive recognition because of his accomplishments. Did you know that he was a man of God who not only taught his students about agriculture, but about the God that made it all possible? "IJ" learned all of these things and more about this very talented and creative man. Our favorite quote from Dr. Carver is "It has always been the one great ideal of my life, to be of the greatest good to the greatest number of my people."

A Black History Fair would not be complete without a Soul Food luncheon. Yes, we ate well. There was fried chicken, mac n cheese, collard greens and cornbread (our contribution) and various desserts. The best dessert by far was a sweet potato cobbler. It was off the hook! I had never had this before, but I am definately a fan. Now I've got to figure out how to make it.

Tea Anyone?

Patience...waiting without complaining, was our character trait for last week and this week. We spent time reading Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, which gives us pictures of opposing seasons in life.


Ecclesiastes 3
A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.


The boys made some great drawings depicting this passage. Often I have them act out a Bible passage to help them remember some of the details, but had not planned to do so for this one. Well, when "IJ" heard the passage he begged to act it out. I should have known this would somehow lead to my two boys wrestling (kill,war,hate). However, I made up for it by having an extended time on verse 7 where there was silence. Yeah! We discussed how the varying seasons in life will bring about the need for us to be patient, since things are not usually the way we want them.


We each chose some situation where we needed to work on being patient. I have to admit that I was really convicted a couple of weeks ago while driving. My six year old was in the back seat wondering aloud why that lady is moving so slow. He then determined (with a very sassy attitude) "she's driving like that cause she's on the phone, look at her". There was no need for me to wonder where that came from.


Our focus within the unit was on grains, how they're planted, grown and harvested. We spent most of our time learning about wheat and rice. We explored the difference between white, wheat and whole grain. We did the same with rice. Both of these helped to solidify our desire and resolve to nourish our bodies with whole grains. We even baked some wonderful focaccia bread and the best vegan peanut butter cookies using whole wheat flour and wheat germ. Yummy!

We ended the week by hosting some friends for tea and sharing some of the wonderful cookies. This was a lovely formal tea where everyone dressed for the occasion. It was great fun and I was so proud of my boys and the manners they displayed. After about 30 minutes all of them were ready to head outside. "IJ" quickly removed his dress clothes, while "JJ" had to be called inside to take off his suit. Our guests had their pretty little dress shoes and tights nice and muddy by the time they left for home, but everyone was happy nonetheless.

Christmas Dinner

I had hoped my family would head this way for Christmas. Unfortunately that dream did not happen this year. I do not normally fix the kind of food generally associated with the holidays. In fact, we eat a mostly vegetarian diet ("J" is vegan"). However, I was really wanting my mom's food. Our Christmas menu included: ham, macaroni & cheese, green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, butternut squash and sweet potato biscuits. Doesn't that look good? It really was tasty. I hope your Christmas dinner was just as scrumptious.