jump to navigation

Trying to Beat the Heat August 30, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Breakfast, Health.
Tags: , , , ,
2 comments

It has been incredibly hot here recently. September is just around the corner. I’m looking forward to fall!

Cool weather, crisp air, leaves changing… it all sounds so lovely!

I decided to pretend that it actually is fall and eat oatmeal for breakfast. This is something that I usually reserve for days that start in 50* or cooler weather.  Today however, I had strawberries, peach preserves that I made, and ripe bananas.

The combined result was delicious:

I’m not so sure if the banana worked in the oatmeal. The strawberries and peaches were so sweet, but the banana seemed a little flat in comparison. Next time, I think that I might leave the banana out the next time I try the mix!

Quirky Quinoa August 27, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Food, Lunch.
Tags: , , , , ,
add a comment

I have come to the realization that grains are not particularly easy to cook.

My first attempt at quinoa was salty.

My first attempt at wheat berries was an epic fail as you may have guessed… no appearance on the blog means that I burnt the entire pot after 45 minutes of simmering. Sadness all around.

My latest attempt at quinoa was a little overdone and bland. However, when I added in all the rest of the ingredients, it made for a delicious salad.

I decided to go in a Greek-ish direction for this salad. Lots of chopping was involved, but it was so worth it. Cherry tomatoes, carrots, cashews, and kalamata olives were all chopped up and added to the quinoa. Put a little feta cheese on top; have a little gingerberry kombucha on the side and you are in business.

The cashews and carrots added in a nice crunch. The feta cheese and olives gave it just the right amount of salt. It was a nice light summer salad all around.

Hopefully my next attempt at cooking grains will go perfectly… although I thought the third time was supposed to be the charm!

Grilling Goodness August 25, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Craving, Dinner, Food.
Tags: , , , ,
add a comment

It has been hot recently… really hot. The kind of heat that makes you want to throw your oven away and only eat foods that don’t need to touch a pan.

In cases like these, there is really only one option: GRILL!

Chris was in the mood for ribs, so that was the direction we went tonight. I will confess that my plan to not use the oven or stove did not work at all. I baked the ribs for 1.5 hours covered in a Dinosaur BBQ dry rub. Chris made mashed potatoes and green beans- also using the stove.

Chris covered the ribs in the Dinosaur BBQ Honey Garlic sauce before putting them on the grill. Now, I’m usually a fan of their Sensuous Slather, but the garlic and honey sure hit the spot last night!

Yes We Can, Can, Can! August 24, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Craving, Food, Motivation.
Tags: , ,
add a comment

The best thing about having gone to a peach festival is… getting peaches! Today, I decided to can some of my peaches so that I can enjoy their delicious goodness in the cold winter months.

Canning was always something that scared me a bit. How do you ensure that your food doesn’t go bad? What if it doesn’t come out as delicious as possible? How can I think of boiling food when it’s 96* outside??? I decided to get over these concerns, bite the bullet, and can those peaches!!! So, here are some easy step by step instructions so that you too can can some delicious fruits.

1. First was your jars in hot, soapy water. Rinse them well, and keep them warm by putting them in a hot water bath.

2. Wash off the peaches to remove some of the fuzziness. Place the cleaned peaches in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, or until the skin splits a bit. Next cold shock the peaches in ice water so that the skin splits.

 

3. Peel the peaches. If you have flash boiled them properly, the skin should literally just slide off the fruit.

4. Half the peaches to remove the pit. If you would like (as I do) slice the peaches into eighths. Fit as many pieces into each warm jar as you can leaving 1/2 and inch from the top of the jar.

5. Make a light syrup to pour of the fruits. Combine two cups of sugar with one quart of water. When the syrup starts boiling, you’re ready to put it into the jars. Make sure that you leave 1/2 an inch of room in the jar so that the juices can expand while the jars are being boiled.

6. Put the top and the rims on the jar, making sure that they are tightened. Place the jars into a canning pot with a rack to keep them in place. The jars need to be covered with an inch to two inches of water. Cover. Boil for 25 minutes if you are canning pints, 30 minutes if you are canning quarts.

7. After the boiling time, place the peaches on a towel, away from drafts, to cool. As the jars are cooling, wait for the magic moment when the top pops in. This means that you have done everything correctly*, and that the jar has created a vacuum seal!

Don’t they look so pretty?! Now all you need to do is get some fruit, and have fun. There is nothing quite so delightful as opening a jar in the middle of winter, which you canned. You can, can, can do it!

*As an as aside, if the fruit has turned black or brown, or looks suspicious at all… don’t eat it! Use the sight and smell rules that apply to food. If it doesn’t look or smell good, avoid it. Other than that- enjoy!

Gimme Some Grains August 23, 2011

Posted by cirellih in Food, Lunch.
Tags: , , , , ,
add a comment

Today I went outside to check on my plants. It was supposed to a high of 95* today, so I wanted to make sure that they didn’t wilt away in the heat. Luckily, they seemed to be coping pretty well and my tomato plant had produced several delightful little fruits! Because of this, lunch was based on the bounty of my garden!

I give you a cold quinoa salad with carrots, my cherry tomatoes, and a chiffonade of basil from my garden as well. There is nothing like vegetables from your own garden. The freshness and satisfaction are beyond compare.

This salad was so easy, and took a relatively short amount of time. I simmered the quinoa for 15 minutes in one cup of chicken stock. While the quinoa was simmering, I collected the veg from my garden and chopped up the carrots. Let the quinoa cool a bit and then combined them all together. Easy peasy, and so yummy!