Conversing about 9/11

While watching Nova: Ground Zero Super Tower my 9 year old asked, "Why aren't we attacked more?" I explained as best I could my personal idea (Yes I started it with I think) - That we are still perceived as a "Sleeping Giant" that no one really wants to wake ala the words of certain Japanese official spoken after the Pearl Harbor attack.

We talked for an hour after that about what it meant and wondered why some people couldn't find a way to agree without war. We talked about how things happened. When I told him that the pilots were already dead by the time the passengers started to act in planes 2 and 3 (he asked about them, I didn't volunteer), another voice surprised me. K, the youngest, in his little 5 year old voice chimed in, " That's not good . . . That's really bad." I didn't even know he was listening.

Sometimes my children bring me to tears in my amazement . . . Goodnight.

https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/images/3/36/feel_old.png

Straight Veg - Summer Break Kick-Off Special

So I am still hoping to come up with more recipes that involve making two meals at once (a vegetarian version and a not-vegetarian version) for my mixed food family.  In the mean time, I have been working on simply identifying good food that my son will eat (sometimes he's picky, too!).  Certain foods just bother him and he doesn't like them.  

A few things we know he will almost always eat - mushrooms, potatoes, broccoli, macaroni and cheese (who doesn't eat this?), noodles, sunflower nuts and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) asparagus, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, black beans, peas, and spinach.  I'm glad that his list of "for sures" includes more than a few green veggies, but I really, really want him to branch out into power house foods like quinoa, kale, chia seeds, and pepper, but sometimes a kid just needs comfort foods that fill up more than just the tummy so tonight that's what we did!

Why yes, I did serve my asparagus on a paper plate - who needs to wash
extra dishes in the summer?

The meal includes steamed asparagus, mushroom and zucchini risotto, and parm sprinkled fingerling potatoes - both filling and delish!  

There isn't much to be amazed with in this dish, except how it's prepared. If you're careful, you really only use two or three dishes (beyond what you eat off of) to prepare the whole meal.  Among the tools I use are a microwave, but you certainly don't have to use one if you are not a fan.  I also use a rice cooker and count the inner pot as one of my cooking dishes.  Of course, you can always cook your rice on a good ol' stove top, too.)

The recipe I made feeds 4 people at least once and includes enough leftover risotto to save for lunch the next day.  If you aren't like us and don't eat all the asparagus in one sitting there would be some of that left over, too!  The potatoes can easily be expanded, too, I was just low on potatoes today.

Ingredients

Risotto

• 3 rice cooker cups brown rice (roughly 2 1/4 cups if using the stove top method) and water.
• 1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium summer squash, coarsely chopped
• 3 large mushrooms, coarsely chopped (roughly 2/3 to 3/4 of a cup chopped mushrooms).
• spices (added to taste) - dill, thyme, turmeric, salt.
• oil of choice for sautéing

Steamed asparagus

• 2-3 lbs asparagus, snapped to length and washed.
• olive oil mayo or mayo of choice

Parm potatoes

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes (these will be cut into coins)
• 1/3 c crumbled parmesan cheese
• 2/3 c panko bread crumbs or bread crumbs of choice
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (optional)
• salt
• oil of choice for sautéing

Equipment

• Rice cooker with steamer basket
• Large sauté pan
• 3 plates (can be reused for serving).
• wooden spoon
• bowl for egg wash if using.

Approximate time from start to finish: 45 - 50 minutes.

Preparing the Meal

Start the rice for the risotto in the rice cooker according to rice cooker directions or begin cooking on stove using package directions.  Make sure of the time you put the rice in.  Add a pinch of salt to the water if desired.  Chop vegetables and sauté.  Early in the sauté, add spices in this order: dill, thyme, salt, and turmeric.  Continue to sauté until the mushrooms begin to brown a bit and the zucchini is tender.  Remove from heat and set aside to add to rice a little later.  Scrape out the pan a bit so it will be ready to cook the potatoes.

Prepare the asparagus for cooking by bending each spear until it snaps. Toss out or compost the tough stem.  Rinse the spears and set aside.

Watch the time on the rice.  When the rice is a little over half-way through the cooking process, add the vegetables to the rice in the cooker to finish cooking.  Also, add the steamer basket to your rice cooker.  When there is about 10 minutes of cooking time left on the rice, add your asparagus spears to the steamer basket of the rice cooker.  If cooking rice on a stove you can use a deep pot and a metal colander to achieve the same effect as the rice cooker - simply suspend the colander from the edges of your pot by the handles and put your spears into the colander to steam over the rice, balance the lid on top of the colander to hold in a little of the heat.  

Meanwhile, while watching the time, cut the potatoes into coins and cook for five minutes in the microwave or par-boil using your favorite instructions.  Mix the cheese and panko crumbs together on a plate.  Heat oil in the pan. If choosing not to use an egg wash - rinse the potatoes in cold water and leave them damp; dip them into the bread crumb parm mixture and sauté in the oil on the pan until the outside is crispy and golden brown (NOTE: the parm mixture won't stick as well without the egg wash, but removing the egg keeps the meal iron absorption friendly).  If using the egg wash, dip the potatoes into the egg wash and then the bread crumb parm mixture before sautéing.  Sauté in batches, adding a pinch of salt to each batch after removing it from the pan.

After the potatoes are sautéd, the rest of the food should be ready to go!  Plate it up, add a dollop of mayo to your asparagus, serve it! Toss the dirty pots and pans into the sink or straight into the dishwasher (you daring person you!) and go off and enjoy the evening with your family. 

Tonight's Simple Fare: Green Chili Tortilla Stew

Sunset, December 2006, by Mary Stuedli (copyright)

So, I live in the Southwest. . . to be specific, that city recently risen to notorious fame because of a pair of famous shows: 1) Breaking Bad and 2) Better Call Saul (10 points if you know which state that city is in.  Hint - it's neither Texas nor Arizona). 

Now, that part of things aside, this little corner of the world has a wonderful vegetable (a pepper to be precise) that was, until just recently, little known and nearly impossible to get outside of the borders of our boxy state.  Out of state friends and relatives of mine have hunted, haggled, and fanagled a few places or people who can supply them with this vegetable.

Fall here. . . that magical time when the shadows begin to grow long and golden.  The earth and sky cool and you can simply sit where you want and breath in the warm soothing scent of the green chili roasting.  Roasting in backyards on grills, parking lots of grocery stores, and at roadside fruit and vegetable stands.

It is said to cure everything from a foul mood to the worst cold.  Certainly the endorphins dropped into your system on eating this spicy-leafy flavored pepper will leave you feeling a bit more than you were.  In short, it is the ultimate feel good food in my humble little corner of the world. 

Tonight I'm sharing my version of a classic way to eat this wonderful vegetable, the green chili pepper.  My version uses some spices that are definitely NOT traditional additions to a green chili stew, but they do make the flavor pop!   I'll also give some advice for making this dish more palatable to little and/or tender mouths.





Makes about 4 vegetarian servings and 8 - 10 omnivorous servings.  Just skates over planned prep and cook time at about 1 hour due to cooking time.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 5 morning star vegetarian breakfast sausage patties (or other vegetarian sausage or lentils heavily spiced with sage, thyme, salt, and pepper).  
• 2 tbs thyme 
• 2 tbs cumin
• 2 cartons vegetable stock, broth, or 4-5 cups water
• 5-6 roasted green chili pods (a good sized pod will sit just inside the length of your hand with fingers outstretched), peeled, seeded, and chopped OR comparable amount frozen or canned green chilies (roughly 6-8 ozs) - this can and should vary according to taste and your tolerance (or the tolerance of those eating the stew with you) to spicy heat.  Although a cousin of the red chili often used in tex-mex or true mexican dishes, green chili tends to be spicier than it's red-headed cousin (so much for that myth, eh?)
• 6 to 8 ready to cook corn tortillas (Fresca and Tortilla Land are the main brands found here, I have no preference for one over the other, Smiths/Kroger has a store brand version here as well).  If you can't find ready-to-cook tortillas, the already cooked kind should do, they'll just loose a bit of their vitamins with the extra cooking.
• 6-8 small red potatoes.

Tools:

• You'll need two cooking pots for this one and a cast iron skillet if you are planning to add iron to your vegetarian version of this soup (and that's not a bad idea, green chili is packed with vitamin C which aids in the absorption of iron).  
• Large kitchen knife
• Good cutting block or board
• old fashioned wooden spoon

Preparation and cooking:

• Start by sauteing the sausage and ground beef, in that order and not together, in the skillet.
  
  • Cut up the sausage patties into small chunks or break apart to resemble the texture of the ground beef.   Saute this in a bit of olive oil or coconut oil over low heat until it starts to brown.  Add cumin and time to the sausage and allow to cook until fragrant.  Add this to one of your two soup pots.
  • Next, saute the ground beef over low heat.  Just before it is fully browned, add in cumin and thyme and cook until fragrant.  Drain the ground beef immediately.  Add it to the remaining empty soup pot.
  • Alternatively, you can just cook the sausage and meat in their respective soup pots to save on the extra dish and avoid potentially doing the sauteing in the wrong order which would ruin the vegetarian dish.
• While the sausage and meats are cooking, dice up the chilies (does not need to be done if you bought diced chilies in the can or frozen), cut the potatoes into bite size pieces or smaller, and cut the tortillas into 1 x 1/2 inch strips.  Divide the ingredients into the pots so that 1/3 of the ingredients go to the vegetarian pot and 2/3 go into the omnivorous pot.  Adjust amounts of green chili now to suit the tastes of those you are serving this to.  
• Add vegetable stock and or water so that ingredients are completely covered and submerged by up to 1 to 1 1/2 inches of liquid. 
• Cover lightly and bring to a rapid boil (about 10 minutes).  Watch carefully during this period and do not cover if your pots have a tendency to boil over.
  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes longer.  The tortillas and potatoes will thicken the broth so there is not need to add any flour or other ingredients to the stew.
• The stews will cook at slightly different rates since they are different amounts and different ingredients so watch carefully.  It is likely that one will have to cook longer than the other.
• The stews will be done when you notice that the broth is gravy like (no longer clear) and the potatoes are tender when pierced.

Serving

• Serve in bowls with a large spoon in a quite place where you can watch the long golden shadows stretch into the pink and orange tinged skies.

Alternatives

• Leave out the corn tortillas and serve with big, fluffy flour tortillas on the side.
• Sides can include the classic simple salad of diced to tomatoes and shredded lettuce, refried beans, or "Spanish" rice if you so choose.
• top with a bit of cheddar. 
• For very tender mouths,  you can wrap the diced chilies in a bit of cheese cloth and simply dangle them in the soup to flavor it like a bouquet garni during cooking.  Remove the bouquet after the soup has finished cooking to avoid biting into a spicy pepper.

Sorry there are no pictures of this one . . . we were too busy eating it to take a picture.  Maybe next time!

A moment

I recently had a moment in a store that prompted me to remember an experience that pops into my mind every so often when something triggers it.   It's one I've thought of more than once, but I often wonder if I really understood it and if others would simply think it "silly."  I've decided to share it anyway, because I think it's rare that we stop notice certain things anymore and perhaps we should.  Also, we perhaps should try to acknowledge more those moments when recognize beauty in others.

The memory is this - One day while driving along, I saw a woman walking down a street with her bicycle as she looked in a window of a store. There was nothing obviously beautiful about her by any fashion sensibilities: She was just in a tee shirt and a pair of cargo shorts, hair coiffed in a utilitarian bun with curled bangs (she may have even worn the dreaded white tennis shoes . . . oh the fashion faux pas !!), and the scenery wasn't particularly interesting. However, there was something that suddenly struck me as just simply, genuinely pretty about it all and her, herself.  There was nothing odd or even like admiring a great work of art, it was just one of those moments where if you were present, you could not ignore it.  It sort of left me confused and, since I was driving, I didn't get to process it right away. Also, she never saw me, so I felt more than a bit like an accidental voyeur.

On reflection, the only thing that I could say that sort of sparked it was seeing something internal reflected in her body language and her face. She may have just been going about her day as usual, but she seemed poised and mix between excited and at peace that day -- as if touched by a quiet confidence that comes of accomplishing something -- and it crept to the surface of her being just at the moment I happened to look over, while checking for traffic and the light, which was golden, played off her yellow patterned shirt and highlighted that look on her warm features. 

I do sometimes feel a bit like a voyeur into Whoever-she-is's personal thoughts. Even when I remind myself that my luck in seeing the moment was due to nothing more than happenstance, I still feel that way. Perhaps that's why I haven't shared it before, but I appreciate it so much.  It's somewhat rare to see those moments, whether you call them grace, or just suddenly recognizing something that shows the best of who we are and can be - at peace with yourself - and so I cherish this memory.

What triggered the memory today was that I think I may have provided something similar to someone else.  I didn't get out to grocery shop for ingredients needed for the day (Fourth of July celebration with family) the night before, so I hurried out this morning to get them and a few other things, bread, tortillas, and some fruit.  I was dressed in clean clothes and managed to brush my teeth and find my glasses so I could see, but I didn't do much with my hair (most days I don't do much with it anyway, it's there, and grows out of my head, can't much help that). 

I was working my way quickly down the aisle of Albertson's thinking about what I needed to get and what tomatoes would be the best choice (honestly), when all of a sudden a perfect stranger looked over at me and with a stunned look on her face, said, "Oh, you are beautiful!"  I was in such a hurry (of course) and didn't even really register that she'd actually caught my eye on purpose when she said that until I'd passed too far to turn around and acknowledge it.   I know I probably looked startled when she spoke and I wish I'd had a moment to more completely acknowledge the compliment at the moment, but I hope that she came away feeling a little empowered by it to, though I suspect, she may feel the bit the voyeur as I did in my experience.  I am also more grateful for my previous experience as I think I would not have recognized this moment as something similar and potentially special.

Tonight's Simple Fare: Cheddar tomato turkey/tempeh melts with chili corn

Coffee Pot photo bombing
the turkey/tempeh tomato melt

I have what I call my "mixed food" family.  My oldest is vegetarian (at 8, yikes!), my husband and youngest want -- maybe need -- meat, and I could go either way.  That explained, you can see my dilemma - I either have to make two separate meals or I try to go completely vegetarian.  So I've started trying to find meals that I can make quickly that are easy to modify. . . there aren't any . . . or are, like, almost none . . . *sigh* . . . SO at least once a week I try to come up with one myself!

I want my recipes to meet three criteria:

• The meat/meatless ingredients are part of the recipe and not added on (i.e., sprinkling chopped ham or turkey over a salad to add meat).
• Each version must stand up on it's own in terms of flavor.
• It must all come up in about 40 minutes (if doing both versions)!

Some attempts are absolute disasters (I'll try to avoid adding any of those here, unless it's really, really funny), others like the one I came up with tonight, Cheddar Tomato Turkey/Tempeh Melts with Chili Corn, are an absolute hit!

So, without further ado the recipe:

Cheddar Tomato Turkey/Tempeh Melts with Chili Corn Side

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 - 2 c cheddar cheese (other cheese would probably be fine too, we like Monterrey Jack a lot and I think a non-dairy cheese-food version would work fine too if it melts properly)
• 2 tbs finely chopped parsley
• 1 tsp dill weed  
• 2-4 small tomatoes, sliced
• Sliced bread
• 1 block of five grain tempeh (or tempeh of choice)
• soy sauce, to taste (optional)
• 1 package of your favorite turkey deli meat 
• 1-2 c frozen corn kernals
• 1-2 tbs chili powder (choose heat level to suit your family or guests).
• 1 tbs butter or margarine
• 1 tsp salt

Sandwich mix:

• In a bowl, mix together the first 3 ingredients.  If you are making both versions of the sandwich, separate your mixture now, one for tempeh and one for turkey.
  
  Build the sandwiches:
  • For the tempeh version - break up the tempeh. Season with soy sauce if using.  Toss with the cheese mixture.  Layer the cheese mixture and tomato slices between two slices of bread.
  • For the turkey version - layer the cheese mixture, turkey, and tomato slices between two slices of bread. 
  • When I layer, I like to put a little bit of the cheese mixture between each additional ingredient so that the melty sandwich stays together when you eat it.
   
• Cooking the sandwiches: Cook on lightly oiled griddle, skillet, panini press (or waffle iron as I did -- it's kinda like a panini press), until bread is lightly browned, cheese is melty and other ingredients are warm.  

  Chili Corn side:

• Mix butter, frozen corn, salt, and chili powder in pan or microwave safe bowl.
  Heat until corn is cooked (see package directions if needed), butter is melted, and color has spread from the chili powder to the corn.  Serve with extra pinch of chili powder for color and added flavor if desired.

Serve it up and make sure you get your family to tell you how tasty it is, because we all need that sometimes!

Hello!

So starting a blog is hard . . . really hard . . . I still don't feel comfortable with the interface, hangin' my stuff out for strangers to see (especially when your blog is looked at no less than 5 times before you've even had a chance to POST anything), but I'm going to try.  I think I've said, shown, laughed enough about something on facebook, pinterest, etc., to write a blog for the past several years and have been encouraged to write one before.  Probably because they were tiring of my long treatises on facebook as I attempted to wax and wane poetic on some idle topic, or treat it a bit too much like a journal. Who hasn't realized they've done that at least once before?

A couple of things made it hard to start this blog.  Perhaps the most personally difficult one is that, I'm not that brave.  It's true, I do what I have to because I have to do it to get certain things done, but truth be told, I'd be plenty happy curled up with an old blanket and book than sticking my neck out under the appearance of wanting to "be noticed," as some blogs sound like when you first read them.  Also, I have a tendency to take criticism of my creativity (even well meant criticism) kinda personally.  Sometimes the internet can be very welcoming an sometimes it can be very harsh.  I'm not sure how ready I am for that roulette game.

The other reason is a bit more pragmatic and has been the real bane of starting a blog.  What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks should be in it and how often do I post?  I could easily spend more time blogging than actually doing.  Like so many people who like being creative in their spare time, I have FAR more ideas than actual time . . . Oh yeah, and I have a job, too.

In the past, it's been hard to keep up with the blog (there have been one or two previous attempts), mostly because I didn't really have a good plan for what to keep in the blog.  Looking at what I've shared in social forums, it looks like anything could go . . . poetry, sewing and art projects with kids or on my own, issues I'm passionate about (probably nothing so polarizing as sharing those thoughts) food, nerderie, work (I teach), family, those wonderful moments that remind us life is special, and general goofiness.  So what to share?  Does it matter?  Will I really get anyone reading this crazy public project/journal mashup?  Once again, does it matter?

Emotional insurance, by Jessica Hagy (who is brilliant) 

More can be found at thisisindexed.com

So what I've decided to try to do is simply try to post once or twice a week for 3 months and see how it goes.  I know for sure that I will be sharing a lot about food (I'll explain why below) and I will probably share some older poetry (and some new if the mood strikes, hopefully it won't be horrible).  A few of those magical moments had with family and just while living life at large because I think we all need to share those.  Lots and lots about my creativity (I get to sew for a wedding!)  Also, whatever other bits and pieces of "tom foolery" that I can find the time to squeeze in.

Without further ado, thank you for being here to witness this start!  Please know too, that if you don't like it, no one will ever hold it against you.  However, if you find something in it you like or that makes you think of something you want to share.  Share it!  Life is to short to keep it's best stories to ourselves and that is the spirit that I hope I'll be able to embody with this blog.