Today's yummos

I usually do a bit of cooking on the weekends...  it is hard to find good vegetarian things that are fast and easy to make or convenient to have on hand!  There is no open a can of tuna, ya know?  Anyway, I get tired of frozen stuff, of which our grocery store has a sort of ok selection, so I cook.  And if only I could get someone to wash dishes and clean up after me.

So let me digress for a moment to Coco's of Washburn.  The Mad-English teacher and I frequently will split up orders of dal and falafel and enjoy 2 amazing dishes. While I love the falafel, I adore the masoor dal that they make.  It has warm Indian spices, a little pepper hotness and yet has a punch of ginger from a red cabbage component and a yogurt sauce that has cucumber and possibly dill. Anyway - I continue to try and replicate this dish, only because I can't get up to Washburn more than every 4-6 weeks or so.  

Dal with gingered cabbage and yogurt

I've made dal a couple times now- and I have that pretty well situated.  I used this "recipe", so to speak, and followed some of the recommendations, at least the things I had in my very well stocked spice rack.  But the red cabbage I wasn't sure at all about.

Gingered red cabbage

The dal I made last week I paired up with some fermented ginger carrots that I had in my frig.  THAT was really good!  Perfect complimentary foods, so I wanted to go the next step and work on that Coco's dish.

I found that most of the recipes are either  coleslaw or a sweet-sour recipe, but there were some that had a simple ginger based flavoring.  And this is what I went with- with a little adjustment.  I only put in one tablespoon of brown sugar and just a little balsamic vinegar.

I got the formula for dal from Food 52, a guideline for this simple dish.  I used yellow split peas, and threw a bit of turmeric and a piece of ginger in it, you cook it down for a while- up to an hour.

You saute the onion/garlic in oil and then heat up your spices  (I used cumin, coriander, pepper flakes and some good curry powder) to let them release their flavors, and pour that into the dal, then add in your veggies and in this case parsley.  Last week I used spinach for the greens.  

Then you cook that all down into this not quite soup, not really stew that is dal!  I combined a scoop of the cabbage and a scoop of yogurt that had a little za'atar on it, and then the dal.  I do not have access to naan or a lavash here, so flat bread it is! It was outstanding.  Not exactly what Coco's serves, but it is super good.  

It is so nice to come home and be able to have a quick and delicious supper after a LONG day at school.

Aaaaand, I had some bananas that I just didn't get a chance to eat this week.  So I made that amazing double chocolate banana bread recipe from last winter!  

Double chocolate banana bread

It is no wonder I am sleepy tonight!  I got a great walk in this morning, and I was only mildly bothered by ice chunks. ;)

Anyway, I am going to continue my evening and get ready to start a new week.... one that I hope is full of joy.

First photos

I have a new obsession- of course I have quite a few of them, which is why I am distracted like 24/7 these days- that thing is a new camera.  I recently had a little unexpected ship that came in (our family's euphemism for money coming in from an outside source, to put it in a fairly dull way) and so I got myself some better camera equipment.

My first thought was a boring thing, like pay off a bill that I have- I mean that was the only thing that sprang to mind when I found out about this.  Then I thought.... hey I could pick up that new camera lens I have been saving for/coveting/drooling over....  then the ideas came pouring in and I could spend 3 times as much-  you know how that goes.

So I consulted with a photog friend of mine about the lens and she insisted (!) that I get a new camera body as well, and as long as I was getting a telephoto lens, I should get a wide angle to go with the rest of it, and so that is sitting on my coffee table right meow!

It is an interesting thing about me- I have no problem spending money in my head, I have NO problem enjoying these things that I get.  I have a real issue actually pulling the trigger on big purchases.  I guess because so many things like this I waited to have the money for them, and in reality I did for this too, but to actually go and buy like this-almost without restraint- was really weird.  It made me strangely uncomfortable.  I have gotten over it. :)

I actually enjoy the anticipation of getting as much as the having (um, well, sort of), apparently delayed gratification is a pleasure for me.  I really do like the waiting and thinking about things and what I will do with them.  It is satisfying when it happens then and I really appreciate what I have in my hands.  I took 10 whole photos so far.  The first night- and I knew this would happen- I couldn't even do anything with it, as I had to charge the battery.  I plugged it in after I got home late from play practice- and it was ready just as I headed to bed....  I knew better than to do anything with it then.  So I thought about it all day, and by the time I got home Wednesday night I was fairly twitching.  So many new things to learn, and I am just bathing in the joy of this....

Such a pretty girl! Canon 70D with a Sigma 24-70 4.5 lens

I took the first photo that night- nothing struck me as very interesting in the house- so I made a self portrait.  Just for something to do.  Yesterday then, I went outside and did a little bit there.  I took a Lola picture and eventually a sunset picture, and in between I took this of one of the kitties.  I was smitten with the camera then and there.  The lighting was perfect, her expression was adorable and I got her in a perfect pose.  This photos was cropped and nothing else.  I learned a few settings on the fly, and was quite happy with this first grouping of pictures.  It is quite amazing how different cameras are from one another.  Now I have to figure out if I truly want to use the wifi connectivity or not.  If it doesn't work it will make me INSANE, and none of us wants that.  haha.

So I have been digging around on line and have ordered a companion manual and all that- I could read the camera instructions, but wow people, those things are boring.  :)  I have to find it, though, I know I will need it today.  All those words and almost no pictures....  hehehe.  Seems sort of ironic that a camera manual is so text based and not so much visual.

Anyway, I should finish this off.  The MA will be up soon and I need to go to get a little pampering session for my toes and the horse won't feed himself- not in the winter at least.  OH- Jacpot portraits will be coming I should think.  Maybe someone should send me daffodils so I could shoot those inside.....  So many wonderful possibilities for the day....  so much joy to be discovered.

Winter in the north

I had been waiting for this adventure for quite a while- this little trip to Bayfield.  It was originally made to give us a place to crash after the Book Across the Bay, which we decided for a variety of reasons to nix.  Much of it is related to my fear of ice(y water).  Lol, say what you will that and a few other things made us decide to snowshoe on dry land.  Good decision for us, really.

Ravine Trail in Bayfield

Ravine Trail

Jerry Jay Jolly Trail

Jerry Jay Jolly Trail

We - meaning the Mad-Science Teacher and the Mad-English Teacher and I - began our journey by heading up to Washburn and ate at the fabulous Coco's.  This of course is no big surprise, and our breakfast was fantastic, which is also no big surprise.   After eating, we went to check out the Jerry Jay Jolly Trails to see where it was, and then took a drive over to the Big Ravine trail over by the Bayfield High school.  These were two fantastic places to snow shoe.  Big hills, beautifully groomed trails and a sunny day made for some amazing hours out in the snow.  These are some really good wide trails that made it a pleasure for us to walk.  

Ice 

While one of us stayed at the Bayfield Inn, the other two of us stayed at the delightful little Isaac Wing house- in the QEII apartment.  It is a cozy little place on the bottom floor that has a reasonable view of the lake.  Reasonable enough for photographer sorts to notice amazing sunrises and have to dash out to the dock in really, really, cold weather!!  Anyway, it is such a nice place with a little sitting area and a mini kitchen and most importantly, 1 block away from Big Water Coffee!!  :)

The ice and the ferry trail

Ferrys in dock

We enjoyed a really nice meal at Gruenke's where we entertained ourselves quite nicely with lively conversation and a few unexpected purse surprises....  it was one of those  you had to be there moments.  The rest of the evening was filled with us chit chatting, walking around in the dark, and finally turning in a little early.  I was tired but unfortunately as is my weirdo habit, didn't fall asleep.  Until way late.  ugh.  But all was well, I do well with a day or two of poor snoozing.

A sad little photo of the docks at night...  lol

The next morning, as I alluded to above, while began as not the greatest looking sunrise, developed into a spectacular one.  I am so excited to have captured this.  I felt like my trip was done.  I had a wonderful Saturday, but that moment was just amazing.

Sunrise over the ferry and the dock

Waiting for summer

Clouds and color

 Well, of course we were not done, as we had some Island visiting to do.  There was a powerful need for the three of us to get over to the island and that need was met.  It is a very interesting thing to ride that ferry through the ice. The ferry rides sort of low in the back and shakes and rocks and makes quite a noise as it cuts its path through the slush.  It is a little unsettling when it is your own car on that ferry! :)

Heading out on the ferry

slushy

The Science teacher in her element

We spent the morning on the island walking at Big Bay State Park, looking out at the ice formations, chatting with people and their doggies (of course we talk to their doggies)  and generally having a great time.  Got a couple of good pictures too!

It was a great weekend, though we surely should have stayed another day, but that will have to wait for summer....  which cannot come soon enough.

However we should not be wishing our life away, so I will find my joy every day.

Flashback

I couldn't help naming this post "Flashback".  I really wanted to call it Flash Forward, but that REALLY wouldn't have made sense.  Now most people wouldn't be surprised by that either, but that is ok.  I will stay, for the moment, making sense.  I have been watching- and indeed finished watching- BReaking BAd last night.  A LOT of the last season revolved around trying to figure out what was going on because they showed you some Flash forwards.... come to think of it, there were several flashbacks, too, so I guess this does make sense after all.

AAAANYWAY, yesterday - by day of the week- was one year since I had my unfortunate fall on the road.  Today is the actual date, but it felt more familiar yesterday, a Sunday. The set up was similar, as it was the day before what is essentially the first day of the semester.  Different from last year, I wouldn't have been NEARLY as ready for that all to happen as last year.

I am not feeling at all sentimental about that day today.  I have no desire to post a what-I-have-learned sort of post, mostly I am noting it's passing.  I learned a lot about life and myself in this past year.  I know I have the most fantastic group of friends and family!  There are so many people that gave me support in so many ways, including a couple far-flung, but close, friends who attempted to help me keep my sanity and for the most part succeeded.  HAHA.  Seriously, though, even if I was in some serious denial, I had their words in my ear nudging me gently towards the enlightenment.  And man, I did not want to hear it.  Good thing they were persistent.

I was delighted to spend my afternoon with my friend the Mad-Science teacher, snow shoeing behind her house!!  It was really nice to hike around somewhere different.  And she has some killer hills back there- which was interesting to conquer.  We had a  nice walk, and she got to try out her new shoes.  When I got home, the elusive Mike was here and he had just gone for a snowmobile ride- and so I asked him to finish off a mile plus route around the field and back field, which he kindly did.  So I spent a little more time outside doing that as well.

The rest of the afternoon I spent reading and after the MA got  back in the house watched some football, and when the Broncos managed to win- watched the rest of the BB 5th season.  We did get to FaceTime with Jon and Sarah and Ella and saw a little bit of miss Ava.  Who was out like a light!  Lol.  I am thinking Ella is feeling the effects of a new baby sister juuuuuuust a little.  Both Ella and I will be excited for Friday to get here and Gramma Debi to arrive.

I have a bunch of photos to edit yet, I took some on Saturday when we were seeing some sun.  It was a very exciting day- lol- it doesn't take much to make me happy here.  I am glad I was out in it for a few hours Saturday, as the sun isn't going to be showing up for a long time now.  Saturday also found us visiting with Greg and Sarah and the kids.....  it is so amazing that they live near us.  I still find it a little other-worldly.  I'll take it!!

2016, you are doing really well so far!  Good job, carry on!  And don't forget to include some generous amounts of joy!

Baking and cooking and yummies for/from the bees

The weather has decided to become decidedly winter-in-Wisconsin-like this weekend, and I did manage to get outside for a while- that will be forthcoming.  Anyway, after spending an outrageous amount at the grocery store- I fired up the stove and the oven for the afternoon.  Really people, all I wanted to do was binge-watch Breaking Bad, but I opted to wait until evening to do that so I could manage to get something else done.  Because if I had less will-power than I do, I'd have finished that show sometime in the wee hours of the morning.

Anyway, my dear friend Jane had given me a little bowl of a yummy roasted carrot soup and the recipe to go with it, so that was what precipitated the whole cooking frenzy of the afternoon.  I was going to be roasting veggies anyway, so I decided to make a veggie soup as well.  

roasted carrots 

sauteed celery and onion

Finished, blended soup

Roasted  Butter Carrot Soup

Basically roast 2 lb of carrots that are peeled, cut up into chunks and tossed in 4 tablespoons of melted butter in a flat pan.  375-400 for about 25 min.

In a large pan saute 1/2 cup celery and 1/4 cup onion in oil until translucent.  Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic.  Toss in the carrots, add 4 cups veggie broth and cook until everything is soft.  Blend with an immersion blender and then add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 tsp. dill.  Simmer for another 10 min, serve with a little swirl of honey.  It is so much better the next day!!

I discovered that roasting the vegetables is really the key to a good tasting soup.  And I totally made up the recipe as I went, so I will recount it the best that I can. And seriously- put some sweet potato in this if you have it- it really adds so much goodness.

Root vegetables roasting along side the baking pie

Finished soup without the added vegetarian meatballs that I added later

Roasted Vegetable Soup, with greens and other good stuff in it

In large pan roast assorted veggies that are cut up to the same size- I used carrots, onion, parsnips, sweet potatoes and regular potatoes.  I roasted them in oil with salt and pepper until they are partially caramelized.  I also wrapped up a few garlic cloves in foil and threw them in with the veg.

In large stock pot, saute some celery and mushrooms- of course all of this depends on what you have, or how much you bought at the grocery store..... then put in the roasted veggies, 4 cups of broth, a can of diced tomatoes,  a small can of tomato sauce,  a can of northern white beans- rinsed and drained, a tsp of basil, seasoned salt....  squeeze the garlic out of their skins, too.  Then when it has cooked a bit, I put in a half bag of a baby kale mix..... This was so tasty!!  I realized that I had a bag of vegetarian meatballs that I threw in after the photos were taken.  Good idea!!  I finish this off with a sprinkle of  parmesan.....  

As long as the oven was on, I made the MA a peach and blueberry pie.  So that was yummy!  It is a great idea to get those peaches and blueberries in July.  :)  

Meanwhile, because I apparently have no other life, I cooked up some sugar water into sugar candy for bees.  It is incredible how much sugar can dissolve into a mere 2 cups of water.  5 lbs is 10 cups! It is really easy to do this for the little dudes, so when the weather warms up again, they will be getting what is basically a giant sucker.

Boil this stuff until it gets up to 250* on the candy thermometer

Finished candy in their molds

Bee's candy (recipe from this site)

2 cups of water

5 lb of sugar (10 cups)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Stir sugar and lemon juice  into simmering water in large pan, stirring constantly until all the sugar crystals are gone.  If they do not disappear, add a little water at a time in until they dissolve.  Turn up heat so it will boil and attach candy thermometer.  Boil until it reaches 250.  Pour sugar water into greased paper plates. let firm up before you unmold and feed to bees. :)  Actually if you do this, be sure it cools a bit so it doesn't hurt the bees. 

 I've had another thing buzzing around in my head (hehehe) and that is making some creamed honey.  I love creamed honey, it is really yummy and well..... creamy.  It turns out it is just crystallized honey with really small crystals.  Most recipes tell you to use creamed honey that you buy as "seed", but apparently you can also grind your own in the food processor or blender.  This I did today, not Saturday, but it goes well with this post!  :)

Putting the crystallized honey into the food processor

crystallized honey

whirl the honey in the food processor until pieces are small

Add a few tablespoons of the creamed honey to a jar of liquid

So this is a fairly simple process.  Use the food processor to break the crystals down to a very fine particle.  Stir a couple tablespoons into a jar of regular honey and let it sit for a week or so while the honey crystallized to the size of the "seed" crystals that you mixed into the liquid honey....   I will be interested to see how this goes!

Anyway, I have discovered it is difficult to quickly pound out a blog post when one is watching Breaking Bad, and I snickered more than once when I wrote the word cooked.  Lol.
Tomorrow is Monday and I am thrilled that I will have a nice lunch for the next several days.  And in a week I should have some honey that won't leak out of my peanut butter and honey bagel that I eat for breakfast every day at school.  Ahhh it is the little things, right?  They bring us so much joy.