Meatless Monday: Breathing space and Frontyard Gardens

Butterfly enjoying our marigolds

I try to keep the tone of this Blog light and homey. I talk about crafts, cooking, writing, reading and of course The Bumper. With what has been going on in this country lately, those kinds of things just didn't seem very important. What is the point of chatting about flowers, or how many beans we have been picking (a lot!), the progress made on my latest pair of socks, or crochet project; when we have two shootings of un-armed Black men in a week, the retaliatory killings of police officers who were just trying to do their jobs, yet another un-armed Black man shot by a police officer this week, and hateful, fearing mongering political rhetoric on the parts of the candidates for the highest office in the United States.

I wanted to cry out: "Where are you God?!" It seemed like He was very far away. I almost decided to give up blogging.  Then I read a note from a friend of mine's mother "We can rest assured that nothing is happening God did not allow, even though we may not understand." Okay slow down take a deep breath the world is not coming to and our country is not going down the tubes, in spite of what sensationalized media stories and self serving politicians would have me believe. Please note I am not being dismissive of those in true need. I am not saying I am going to bury my head in the sand about issues I feel strongly about and simply say "God's in charge and I don't have to do anything." I am saying that being overly fearful and anxious is counter productive. I am saying I am not going to let negativity depress me. I am saying will I will continue to blog about my family, crafts etc because these things are important to me and bring me joy.  I will continue to to blog about these things to be a place of thoughtfulness, rest, calm, comfort and encouragement in a media world dominated by the sensational, cruel and vapid.

We are leaving for vacation to Vancouver British Columbia Canada on Thursday. I hope to have some great pictures and stories to share.

The cherry tomatoes do not stand a chance!

In the meantime this Meatless Monday is all about the front yard garden We started a front yard garden last summer and have continued it this year. We are growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplant right along our front walkway. It so fun and easy to pick things as they ripen on our way back inside the house after a long day or even first thing in the morning after checking the mail and fetching the newspaper. The Bumper loves to eat cherry tomatoes, as soon as she picks them.  I love sneaking her vegetables in on her this way! I highly recommend front yard gardening who says walkways are only reserved for flowers?

p.s. Expect another post on canning tomatoes and pepper relish this year!

Peace,
Kim

Christmas is coming!

Happy Advent!

I have not abandoned the blog. That being said I have been running full tilt since October, right up until I got a virus that put me in bed for two weeks. I have also hosted a birthday party for my five year old Bumper (Where did the time go?)

Currently we are getting ready for Christmas. Two weeks ago I put in 15 volunteer hours at the Bumper's school. The Cafeteria lady and I baked, wrapped, and put angel stickers on  500 sugar cookies to be given out at the Christmas play. It was intense and did not leave much time for anything else.We have three candles on the Advent Wreath.

The infamous sugar cookie

This weekend we pulled down the decorations and managed to put up the outside lights, and the mantle garland, but the tree is still bare and the Nativity still in the box. I have 2 hat and scarf sets to knits, mittens and a blanket to crochet (which the Bumper informed me must be finished by Christmas). We also have yet to send out our Christmas cards, or do the baking. We still need to make Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies, Butter Tarts, and a birthday cake for baby Jesus(the Bumper's idea).

In the middle of all this business, one thought anchors me : On Christmas Eve we will go to Midnight Mass and let the gratttitide, love, and joy we have be reflectin on over Advent come pouring forth in song, and praise as we proclaim and celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! This the core, the most important part. Everything else is gravy.

Peace of Christ this Holiday
Kim

Mea Culpa, Socks, and Catch Up

Isn't He Cute?

It has been ages since I have had time to blog. Vegan MoFo was a let down for me this year. Real Life got in the way of my plans, but is how it is sometimes.  Let's just say I ate a lot of veggies burgers and PBJ sandwiches, hardly blog worthy. We are into Autumn now, but the days are still wonderfully warm ( 75F). The Bumper and I have been making the most of the warmth by being out side as much as possible. We stay on the playground  after school until at least 5:00pm.

Shh! I'm Hiding!

It's a Long Way Down!

Up and Up I Go!

 Last weekend we went to a local farmers market which had a corn maze and other activities for kids. The Bumper enjoyed herself thoroughly. She hid in the hay, jumped off  bales, climbed a rock wall, and even finished an obstacle course. It made me tired just to watch her. At the end of the day I had a thoroughly dirty, tired and happy little girl.

Sock Showcase!

I finished my first pair of socks! (Please Insert Happy Dance). I was so excited I did not know what to do with myself, I actually want colder weather just so I can wear them! Naturally I did what any sensible person would do and cast on the second pair right away. This pair will be for my sister and I am hoping to get them finished in time for her birthday in January. It is a pretty long window, but I am a pretty slow knitter.

My Pumpkin Salute!

The weather here has not yet gotten cold enough for me start baking and slow cooking in earnest,  but I did indulge in making some vegan pumpkin muffins for Nana's birthday. Nana turned 69 on October 11 and the Bumper wanted to throw her an impromptu party. We also made a bunt cake complete with frosting and candles (the Bumper helped blow them out),we pinned a ribbon on Nana and the Bumper sang her two versions of Happy Birthday.

Whew! We have been busy! Tonight I am off to a revival meeting at my friend's church. It should be an interesting experience.

Peace,
Kim

Meatless Monday - Banana Bread

I thought about saving this meatless Monday post until September, but then I asked myself why I was waiting. I have no good reason.  This is my absolute favorite hands down go to recipe  for banana bread. It is a life saver in the hot summer months when banana ripen faster than we can eat or freeze them.  I use this recipe from Post Punk kitchen http://www.theppk.com/2007/10/banana-bread/.

When I first made it I did not have access for vegan margarine so I used 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup applesauce. I also reduced the sugar to one 1/2 cup of brown sugar. This time I made it with Earth Balance brand, and the Bumper and Nana liked it a lot. They also liked the addition of the chocolate chips on top.

It can be made ahead, made into muffins, and freezes well. What is not to love? It is Bumper tested and Pre-school approved. I can't really say more without sounding like a paid advertiser for Post Punk Kitchen, which I am not. The only bad thing I can say is that while making banana bread I did not get a lot of knitting or crochet done, so the sock, blanket and dishcloth are all still about the same size they were on Friday.

The Bumper has two more weeks of camp and then school starts. We are both ready. She is lonely and wants other kids to play with and I am ready to kick up the daily writing.

Kim

p.s. I am pretty sure I have blogged about this banana bread before, but it is seriously good enough to warrant another post.

Friday Check In

It is already August. Wow! We are making the most of our time before school starts in just three weeks. The Bumper has been in half day camp at our local YMCA. She loves it! She has made friends, played games, learned new songs, and gone swimming twice a week. The three hour break I get gives me time to run errands, clean house and write. I feel so much more like myself when I get to write.
We have been able to eat fresh tomatoes and green beans this week. I can not say enough how glad I am to be eating garden vegetable. The taste is worlds away from winter tomatoes that look pretty on the outside, but are soft, bland and mushy on the inside. Accorinding to Nana we should be feasting on these beauties well into September.
Speaking of September, I plan to participate in Vegan MoFo (Vegan Month of Food) again this year. I had so much fun last year I decided to give it another go. I like the challenge of coming up with recipes and blogging everyday.
On the craft front: second sock is getting longer, blanket has more stripes and dishcloth is almost finished.
Have a great weekend!
Kim

Meatless Monday and Memorial Day

Sometimes it is nice not to feel like a freak when I am a vegetarian. Sometimes I just want to fit in, but in order to do that I usually have to bring my own meat analog- veggie burgers soy-dogs etc. Then I usually have to endure comments along the lines of how my "burgers" don't taste anything like meat and how on earth can I eat such things, and I could never be vegetarian/vegan etc. Well first of all I eat veggie patties not expecting them to taste like meat, in fact I prefer if they don't because I shudder to think about the chemicals used to get "meat" flavor, secondly there is so much more to to being vegetarian/vegan than fake burgers I hardly know where to begin. On the summertime grill the possibilities are endless-- grilled eggplant, squash, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pineapple just to name a few if a person is willing to think beyond hot-dogs and hamburgers. Most people are not willing to do so.

A few weeks ago I a brought a curried lentil dish to a potluck and the response was that people could not believe how tasty meatless cooking could be. I thought it was pretty much a one off or I was about to become the curried lentil lady, so imagine my surprise when I went to a cook out yesterday and the host kindly cooked a vegetarian dish just for me! I was shocked and pleased. For once I did not have to bring my own nor feel left out. My host made a vegan version of a Filipino Rice noodle dish that is usually made with fish sauce and includes chicken or pork. For me she used vegetable broth and tofu. It was delicious and it made me feel appreciated.

Speaking of appreciation today is Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor military men and women who have died in service of their country. For them I paused and gave a moment of silence and thanks. I am also giving thanks for the non-combatants, missionaries, aid-workers, and volunteers who have died in service of God and their fellow human beings. I especially want to thank the volunteer doctors who gave their lives in the recent Ebola outbreak.

Kim

Meatless Monday and Knitting Victory

I may be repeating myself here on this edition of Meatless Monday, but for out church picnic on Sunday I made an apple crisp. It wasn't just any apple crisp, it was vegan. It was from the Post Punk Kitchen http://www.theppk.com/2007/10/apple-crisp/ and Isa has yet to fail me. Her recipe did not disappoint. I usually cut back the sugar in her desserts because I find that her sweet tooth is a little sweeter than mine. I did not tell anyone that it was vegan, since it did not contain any of the most popular allergens, I just put it on the table and walked away. This may be my pride and vanity speaking, but I was tickled that there was none left over at the end of the picnic. Nana even told me that the man sitting next to her raved about how yummy it was and when she told him it was vegan he asked her to explain so she said no animals were used or abused in the making of this dessert. It is nice when my family supports me!

Now on to other news. I have (dramatic drum roll please): finished the sock! Yep, I can hardly believe myself, but it is done and it looks like a sock and it fits! I am so pleased and I feel such a sense of accomplishment I can hardly contain myself. Just so I can keep up the momentum I have already cast on its mate. This counts as part of Meatless Monday because I used a nylon-polyester blend yarn. I am starting to feel like a real knitter.


Kim
p.s. Now that I have finished a sock both Nana and the Bumper are requesting a pair. What have I gotten myself into?

Some Days Are Just Like That

I am still sick, not as bad as last week but still not myself. I am very congested, unable to smell a thing and only able to taste sweet, salty and sour; hence no meatless Monday post as I can't be trusted with seasonings yet. Nana has picked up the slack and created some wonderfully vegan soups, sauteed greens(Tuscany kale, cabbage, parsley, onion, garlic, ginger, and red and green peppers), and chili.

I, on the other hand, have slept a lot, most of last week in fact. I went to the doctor, but I did not have an infection, just a really stubborn cold virus, so no anti-biotic. The doctor told me to keep doing what I was already doing: rest and drink plenty of liquids. She also said it could take around six-teen days to recover. Not the news I wanted to hear. Nana has been wonderful, because she has watched the Bumper every day since I became ill. The Bumper loves her Nana time. Unfortunately this also means she has taken advantage of the the situation and decided to act out knowing I have been too sick to discipline her properly or consistently. She got quite a shock today when I started clamping down and nipping the unruliness in the bud. It will take a few more weeks for us to get back to normal ( it just takes a bit for her to understand than Mom means business).

Spring has finally decided to grace us with its presence today and the daffodils are blooming. The weather has been mild enough for the Bumper to play outside or help Nana plant more flowers. I have even been able to sit outside a bit and soak up the sunshine. I just took some more cold medicine and am going to head back to bed. Nana and the Bumper have headed out in search of baby chicks.
I hope to be back to more regular posting soon, but in the meantime I am taking it one day at a time.

P.S. May your Holy Week (if you celebrate it) be a prayer filled and fruitful one.

Kim

Meatless Monday - What's in a name

I finally did it. For months and months, ever since last August, Pumpkin "Cheese" Sauce has been smeared all over food blog territory, and last week I finally gave it a go. I had been reluctant to try this for two reasons. My Bumper does not like Macaroni and Cheese unless it is totally made from scratch. She can't stand "Kraft Dinner" (which in spite of being totally bad for you, I love), and prefers her pasta plain or with butter and secondly while I love things like pumpkin pie and the occasional pumpkin soup I was skeptical about it being something I would like.

Sure a rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but pumpkin as a substitute for cheese? I wasn't buying it. See the thing is if I hear cheese, my mouth immediately sets it self for the distinctive tang of dairy cheese; otherwise I am disappointed. In spite of my misgivings I tried it.  I used the recipe from "Oh She Glows" http://ohsheglows.com/2011/10/13/vegan-pumpkin-mac-n-cheeze-sauce/ .

Three things: It was good, so good in fact; I could not stop dipping my spoon in for 'just a taste', so good I am thinking of having more after I finish this post. Two I will definitely be making it again. Three it did not taste like cheese, no way no how-- at least to me.

Yes it was delicious, AS A PUMPKIN SAUCE.  As a spot on replacement of cheese? NOPE.

Here is to telling it like it is: I will make and enjoy this Pumpkin Sauce (though I may cut back on the mustard and nutritional yeast next time) over pasta or as a dip for nachos. As an aside neither the Bumper nor Nana liked this so it is a good thing I did because the recipe makes a lot.

Happy Eating

p.s. when I made Chocolate Covered Katie's "Cheese Cake" http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2014/06/26/raw-cheesecake-recipe/ I made sure I told the people at the gathering it was a Cashew Creme cake. I know a few people with severe nut allergies and I would not have wanted them to think it was made with dairy.

Meatless Monday - Roasted Vegetables

When I was a kid I thought God created Brussels sprouts for the sole purpose of giving parents a torture tool to use against their children. A bit dramatic perhaps, but it pretty much sums up how I felt about these members of the cabbage family until well into adulthood. I didn't like them and I felt pretty sure I never would. I was wrong, I just hadn't had them cooked the "right" way. I had only ever had them steamed: plain or thinly disguised under some sort of creamy sauce. That my friends is no way to treat a nutritional powerhouse. It turns out that the adult me adores them roasted. In fact when they are roasted I can snack on them all day long and some broccoli, pepper, and onions results in a full blown flavor party.

First pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F
Slice the sprouts in half
Add in broccoli, peppers , and onions or what ever you fancy
Coat with one 1-2Tbs olive oil
2Tsp of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl the spread in a shallow baking dish or on a cookie tray
Put in the oven for 10- 20min ( watch carefully as oven temps vary) until the vegetables are crispy on the out side and chewy inside.
Wait for them to cool ( this is very important as the Bumper found out when she tried to grab the broccoli) and munch away.

This is a short entry, and if I have done roasted  vegetable before: I can only say they are good enough to deserve a second shot. We are busy hunkering down and waiting for the snowstorm to hit the mid-Atlantic. The last "snowstorm" was a let down, but that has not dampened any of the Bumper's enthusiasm. She wants to go out and try to catch snowflakes with her tongue as soon as it starts to fall. I may just join her.

I went to my first knitting club meeting yesterday, and I will be writing up that post very soon because I cannot believe it took me this long to find a group and am I glad I did!

P.S. On the sock front: I turned the heel! Doing the happy dance, oh yeah!
P.P.S. My camera ran out of battery life before I could upload any photos, but I hope to have some later in the week.

Meatless Monday -The Superbowl

My family and friends don't do traditional very well, okay not at all, but a close family friend invited us to a Superbowl party. The spread looked something like this: roasted pork, rice, tripe, chicken adobo, pot-stickers, egg-rolls, lasagne, fried chicken, and peperoni pizza for the kids. It was a festival of meat to be sure. So what is a veggie girl to do? Bring vegan chili of course! It was a perfect night for chili any way. Cold and wet. While I was happy knowing I had something to eat, what amazed me was there was none left ant the end of the night. The combination was quite simple:

 roughly two quarts of frozen tomato sauce from last summer's harvest
 chili powder to taste
1 16oz can of red kidney beans
1 16 oz can of black beans,
16oz can of pinto beans
16oz can of great northern beans
1 16oz can of corn,
1 16oz can of diced tomatoes,
1 medium onion,  1-2 cloves crushed garlic,
1 tsp cumin,
salt and pepper to taste
2 stalks of celery chopped fine, two cups of water, and  1 116oz can of chick peas drained and rinsed added in the last five five minutes so they retain their texture.
The cooking method is quite easy too: Just put it in pot big enough to hold all of the ingredients bring it to a boil then reduced heat and simmer 4-6 hours stirring every 20min.

Well worth the wait!

Happy Eating,

Kim

P.S. I did not watch the game since I don't really like football, but I did finish a baby hat!

P.P.S. Sock Progress

Snow Day?

Ready to get to work.

I have not been around much because we are busy getting ready for the Fiesta of El Santo Nina de Cebu. Nana and the Bumper are both dancing this year, and I am helping to sew costumes. By helping I mean ironing and  keeping the Bumper occupied while Nana does the actual sewing. The dances are all Filipino folk dances which require a lot of practice, so all of our Saturdays have been taken up with dance practice.

All done!

The Bumper danced last year, but she mostly wandered off and did her own thing. This year she is a lot more focused and is doing her best to follow along. She likes the music and being with other kids.

First Snowfall

We woke up to a snow day today, and the Bumper was really excited! She could hardly standstill to be dressed, she wanted to rush outside in her pajamas's. I was not as happy. It was just enough snow to close school in our area -- about an inch, but not enough to be really fun. Which meant after her first mad dash outside, there was not much for her to do.  There was only time for the Bumper to build a really tiny snowman, make some footprints, and pelt me with snowballs, before the snow switched over to rain. The Bumper was quite put out and I don't blame her, I mean if school has been cancelled the snow ought to be decent enough to play all day in!

Footprints

For the rest of the day we will bake cookies for the fiesta, the Bumper has asked to snuggle in front of the fire in her sleeping bag for a little while, Nana will finish the rest of the sewing, and genrally just try to stay warm and busy.

Keep Warm!
Kim

P.S.

I am so very thankful for a snug roof over my head, warmth and plenty of food in the pantry on days like this.  The roads are slick and the weather cold, if I don't have to venture out I won't. If am very lucky I will be able to sneak in some crochet and knit in today.

Nearly Wordless Wednesday and New Years Eve Musings

It is New Years Eve. It feels weird. I am at turns melancholy and excited. 2014 was largely in the shadow of the tragic events of the end of 2013. Grief doesn't end with the funeral, I learned I can not allot a certain time and place to grieve and be done with it I had to let the feelings come and go as they willed, and still do. Yet there was plenty of joy in 2014, I got to watch the Bumper grow, make friends and learn new skills ( I am most proud of her reading the letters in her name, she is most proud of walking the balance beam at her school, climbing trees and jumping from swings).

I am looking forward to making my New Years Goals, and challeging myself in the coming year. I make goals rather than resolutions. In my mind resolutions are easily made, easily broken, and easily forgotten. Goals on the other hand give me something to strive for and work toward accomplishing. If I did not accomplish some of them I can revise and try again next year! When I do accomplish one I cross it off the list and make another to put in its place.  I have cherished the still quiet moments of this past year, and small things have given me happiness and joy. My faith was tested, stretched, and I hope grew. May this continue in the New Year.

Let' s Ring in the New!

Kim

Meatless Monday and Christmas Catch Up

Candles to welcome the Light of the World

The Christmas holiday is still going strong over here. In my family we celebrate the twelve days of Christmas. We will take down our decorations after the feast of the Epiphany, in the meantime we are still singing carols and rejoicing in the birth of the Savior even as the rest of the world has moved on.
The Bumper has thoroughly enjoyed herself. She was much more aware of what was going on than in past years. Nana and I definitely caught her excitement and I was willing to stay up late and fill her stocking. The look on her face Christmas morning was well worth the extra effort. The best part for me was when she snuggled down in her bed that night and said: "Mom I love our family. I am glad God gave me our family." We then had a still quiet moment as the Bumper asked God to take care of her Daddy, who she wished could be with us but understands that he is with God.

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus

On the other hand my sister and her husband were not able to join us for Christmas this year because they were laid up with the flu and were bedridden the entire week. Well they say misery loves company, and I caught a sympathy cold that had me out for the count Christmas night and all the day after. The Bumper now has what I had and is being very quiet today.  I am on the mend but am dragging a little bit.

Now here is the thing, I like m y cuppa in the morning (whether green tea or coffee or lemon water depends on my mood), and I especially like pumpkin spice latte. Yeah I know I am late on the pumpkin bandwagon, but as far as I am concerned pumpkin can be eaten all winter long. What I don't like are coffee house prices and fussy recipes. Don't get me wrong, I have found some wonderful vegan recipes, but frankly I don't have that kind of time.  So I give you Busy Mom's Pumpkin spice latte:

 8-16oz Hot brewed coffee
2-3Tbs non-dairy creamer of choice
1tsp pumpkin pie spice

Add the creamer and sprinkle spice on top and voila:  Pumpkin Spice latte (vegan).  The way I figure I all really wanted is the spice taste, if I am trying to add nutrition to my coffee I need to rethink my breakfast choices!

Happy Drinking,
Kim

Finished the Bumper's hat with not a moment to spare!

Randomly on Thursday

1. Feeling a little aggravated and stressed today. I wanted to be all in the Christmas spirit and start cleaning and decorating but it has not worked out that way. Nana decided to be a lady who lunches with her friends, which of course she has every right to, and the Bumper decided to overturn the living room chaise lounge to use as a tumbling platform and then dump all of her toys out onto the floor so she could find her favorite stuffed kangaroo, perfectly understandable, but she refused to pick up afterwards.

2. Started the Bumper's hat yesterday. It is a pretty easy and fun crochet pattern, but the author stated it could be worked up in an hour. The author probably does not have a small child who thinks it is the height of hilarity to unravel balls of yarn. The result being I have to work on such things after the Bumper is asleep.

3. We have company coming tomorrow. A friend I have not seen in fourteen years, it will be fun catching up. She has three kids and the third is not yet sleeping through the night , while I only have the Bumper I still feel her pain.

4. This Saturday the Bumper starts dance practice for the Fiesta. I think I am more excited than she is. I can't help myself the little kids always look so cute in their costumes.

5. I love Christmas carols.

6. I wanted to post yesterday, but I was still too upset about the news of  yet another Taliban school shooting. This time 148 people lost their lives. Most of them were children, just trying to get the kind of basic education we here in the States take for granted. I feel angry and helpless. All I can do is pray. I pray for the victims, their families, and the shooters and their families. Only God can change the hearts of such wicked misguided people. It is especially hard as we heard toward the celebration of the Birth of He who came to reconcile God and Man.

7. I am currently trying to decide if it will be worth it to make butter tarts and if it is possible it make a vegetarian version of French Canadian Meat Pie?

8. Famous last words: Next year I will be more organized.

9. The Bumper has been busy conducting water experiments in the bathroom. It is the least destructive thing she has chosen to do today.

Kim

Drummer Girls, Cookies and Decking the Halls

Cookies by Bumper

There are only nine days left until Christmas and except for the Bumper's Advent Calendar from school and the few other decorations she has made, the house is alarmingly barren.  I am not really worried though, because our family has a habit of waiting for the very last minute to put up the nativity, the stockings and the tree. Last year we were a bit more organized and the Bumper was able to move the baby Jesus and the wise men closer and closer to Mary and Joseph each Sunday in Advent, this year she will probably be putting Him in on Christmas Eve. Last year I did everything in a haze of grief and forced cheer. This year, while I am not as "merry" as I normally get during the holidays, I am a lot more calm and having a lot more fun with the Bumper. We made sugar cookies together for the first time this past week, she used the cookie cutters all by herself and she decorated them too! I have been reading the nativity story from her Children's Bible and she is full of questions. Yesterday we sat and drew candy canes together and she has been asking to start decorating the house.

Happy Birthday Bumper!

We have just been so busy. On the 6th we celebrated the Bumper's fourth birthday. There were fifteen kids at the party plus two sets of grand parents, and her aunt and uncle  and cousins from Baltimore. The Bumper thoroughly enjoyed herself. She especially liked the pinata in the shape of a cupcake. Last week the Bumper had her school play and we had a Christmas party to go to. I discovered my Bumper is quite the party girl. She enjoyed playing with the other children at the Christmas party it was hard to convince her to leave! We also went through the Bumper's toys and she picked out the ones she wanted to give away, along with the shoes and pajamas she has outgrown.

We will probably put up the tree in the next day or so, or maybe not, but one thing is for sure-- we will be enjoying our friends and family to the fullest this season.

Kim

Meatless Monday -- It's All About Soup

Winter is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere. Where I am on the Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States that means the weather has decided to go from too cold to play outdoors to just warm enough for chilly rain and no snow. Miserable weather. Huddle indoors, staring glumly at the pellet stove because it is not quite cold enough to justify turning it on during the day, glaring out the back window because it is raining weather. Soup making weather. I know most people don't associate soup with Christmas, and quite frankly neither do I, but sometimes a warm you from the inside out soup is what is needed to chase away the winter blahs and get me motivated.

 A squash soup from Weight Watchers did the trick. It was warm, it was soothing, had just the right amount of sweetness spice to be satisfying after one too many Christmas treats. the only problem with this soup was the fussiness involved in making it.  There were a lot of steps and when there is a little one under foot, I much prefer a soup you just throw together and let simmer. Final verdict -- really good and will make it again but will be reserved for special occasions. I served the soup with slow cooked greens (a mix of Collards, Kale, and Turnip, seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper, and left to simmer in vegetable broth).

Happy Eating,
Kim

Mindfulness

The fuzzy pilgrims have landed

I went to the Bumper's Thanksgiving play yesterday. This is only my second year of having a child old enough to participate, so I am still very excited to see her perform in things. The three and four year olds put it on, the four years olds  dressed as the Pilgrims, and the three year olds dressed as Native Americans. They sang songs around the fire together, thanked God together, and sat down to their Thanksgiving feast together. The whole thing was so cute I could hardly sit still, this mother's heart melted when the Bumper shouted out "Hi Mom!" Setting of a chorus that took the teachers a good five minutes to settle down.

Wonky but nice

My heart also melted when I realized I was witnessing the true spirit of Thanksgiving. These little ones did not care that the costumes they wore were stereotypical and historically inaccurate,they did not care that the feast they reenacted probably never took place, nor did they did not care that they were eating cold cuts, corn muffins, and crackers instead of perfectly browned turkey, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings. The kids were happy and excited to be with their friends and family, they were hungry so the snack was good and they were grateful to have something to eat.
A moment I will treasure forever was when the Bumper looked over at her paternal grandmother and upon seeing she had nothing to eat offered her a grape.
This for me is the heart of the holiday: to give thanks to God for what we have, take joy in our friends and family, be mindful of those among us who are in need and to be willing to share.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving
Kim

Meatless Monday - Comfort food

Tasted better than it looks

When the weather looks dreary and feels worse I want good old fashioned comfort food. The kind that sticks to my ribs and makes me feel warm from the inside out. I think today's meal did just that.

I made the Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf Revisited from Oh She Glows http://ohsheglows.com/2012/10/05/glazed-lentil-walnut-apple-loaf-revisited/, paired with steamed broccoli and jacket potatoes.  All I can say is I will definately be making this again, even if it did take me all day to make. I am sure it doesn't really take all day, but I was also trying my hand at apple butter and that had to be montiored constantly.

I followed the recipe as written except I used pecan instead of walnuts because Nana is allergic to walnuts and I used a cup of oat flour because I was unable to find the bread crumbs. It was a big hit! The Bumper nibbled at it before it was baked and had a whole slice afterwards. Nana asked me to make it a regular part of the menu!

The apple butter turned out yummy as well. I don't have any pictures because apple butter isn't really very photogenic. Lovely to eat-- not so much to look at. I think the taste was well worth the effort, but next time if I only have six apples I'll stop at homemade chunky apple sauce-- equally tasty and not as much of a hassle to make. On the plus side the house smelled wonderfully of cinnamon all day long and cheered us all up. Sometimes just the act of cooking a good simple meal is comfort enough.

Nana's hat and scarf

Kim

I've Not Gone Away

I've not gone away or decided to stop blogging, or anything like that. I have been busying writing on my novel, crocheting-- did finish Nan's scarf but no decent photos yet--, still struggling with the sock of doom as I have now decided to call it, and doing various other things to keep my mind off of the time of year.

I am alternately really productive or I am sad and listless, becoming overwhelmed with memories both good and bad from this time last year.

I am attempting to organize myself -- an ongoing process-- and I hope to resume menu planning next week. The Bumper, Nana, and I all eat better when I plan,it has just taken me awhile to realize that. I guess I feel like a bad mom because I can't just stand in front of the pantry come suppertime and work out something nutritious, vegan( but convertible to omnivore for the Bumper and Nana), and yummy for all on the spur of the moment. I know that is silly, but it is how I feel nonetheless.

The first frost is scheduled for tonight so Nan's garden is officially done for the year. In the meantime the Bumper and I have been taking advantage of the warm weather to go to the park everyday.

I am going to attempt to make apple butter this weekend. Wish me luck!

Have a good weekend

Kim