so much food - zucchini brownies

Every time we go down to the garden, we walk away with TONS of food! I seriously do not even go into the produce section too much at the grocery store these days...


We have mountains of zucchini, so I have been coming up with some yummy ways to use it up.

My favorite thing so far? Brownies! Yup! - ooyie, gooey, yumminess, loaded with garden fresh zucchini.


I found some recipes online and have been playing around with them a bit. Here is what I've come up with that is making us happy:

Zucchini Brownies

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups shredded zuchinni

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 11" pan and "flour" with cocoa powder. Mix the butter and sugar together. In a seperate bowl, mix up the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the dry mixture into the butter + sugar mix. Fold in the zucchini. Dump into your prepared pan. It will be dry, don't worry - it WILL turn out! Bake for 25 -30 minutes. Cool and eat!

More goodies from the garden:

My Little Helper

Anyone have other good ideas for using up our zucchini mountain? Help us, please!

garden goodies

Oh, my! Our garden is out of control! We have hardly even been down there that past few weeks because of all the rain and wow! Everything is now so big (well, most everything), especially the weeds! We are bad at keeping up with the weeds, mainly because we have been busy and it is a bit of a production packing up the crew and keeping them happy at the garden for a long weeding session.

Which is funny, because I LOVE weeding! I so enjoy plopping myself right on the ground, getting all dirty and giving the garden some love. It is so relaxing and calming. I am craving having our own house where we can garden right out are front door just so I can go out and weed everyday. It's therapeutic.

We did do some work on the weeds over the weekend, but we really need to get back down there sometime this week.

Here are some of the treats we had waiting for us this past weekend...

A few peas.. I think this is all we are going to get :( but they were really yummy! Enrique ate them right there in the garden.

A little tiny broccoli flower!
Promises of future deliciousness!
Crazy amounts of basil...

Here is a little of what we brought home...
Swiss chard, lettuce, carrots, beets, and some gigantic zucchini!

We should keep getting some lettuce and chard for a bit here unless the heat really kicks in. The green beans, peas, watermelon, and cauliflower are not doing too hot. There are lots of beets and carrots still and we are looking forward to tomatoes, broccoli, corn, squash, pumpkins and cucumbers (though the cukes are not as abundant as we have had in the past).

All in all, it is SO exciting and yummy eating food we grew with our own hands. I'm feeling pretty happy about the whole thing.

homemade graham crackers

I used this recipe for making our homemade graham crackers. I think it was a bit on the sweet side, so next time I will cut back on the sugar.

Photo by my friend Robin.

They came out awesome! And worked great for making s'mores.

Today is such a rainy quiet day.. I am loving it! Will probably do some more baking. Rainy days are perfect baking days!

homemade marshmallows

Here is how I made the yummy marshmallows that we took camping with us. They were not really hard, just sticky and messy. But, if you like marshmallows, totally worth trying.. they were pretty fun to make.

Ingredients:

* powdered sugar for dusting the pan and rolling finished marshmallows in
* oil for greasing the pan
* 2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
* 1 cup water
* 1 cup corn syrup
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* dash of salt
* 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

First off, grease a large baking dish and dust generously with powdered sugar.

In your mixing bowl, pour 1/2 of the water and dump the gelatin in. Let sit while you do the other stuff. Use a stand mixer unless you have a huge amount of patience.
In a saucepan, mix the rest of your water, sugar, corn syrup and a dash of salt.

Heat on medium, stirring most of the time. Use a candy thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature.
Cook the syrup mixture until it reaches the "soft ball" stage, or about 240 degrees.
Pour the hot mixture (be careful!) into your stand mixer and mix on high for about 15 minutes.

You will end up with white, fluffy marshmallow goo.
Pour the goo into your baking dish. Get as much of it into that pan as you can.
Spread it around in the pan as much as you can. It is super, duper sticky!
Let sit for 4-5 hours to set. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top, then pull it out of the pan. Again, it will be really sticky and will stretch a bit as you pull it out.

Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut the marshmallows into squares or whatever shape would be fun.

Roll each piece in the powdered sugar, this helps them not stick to each other.
Oh, yeah, super yummyness! Well, I don't really like marshmallows, but this one told me they were really good.
A wonderful little homemade treat that were better than the store bought ones.

I do, however like marshmallows cooked up black over a campfire.

Tomorrow... homemade graham crackers!

my new addiction

Ok, I don't usually get into product reviews and endorsements, but MAN! I just had to make sure you all know about this awesome, super duper yummy ice cream!

Don and I have decided to officially evict sugar out of our household. Which is so great and I am amazed that he is totally on board and we are loving being sugar free. The only problem is I absolutely love LOVE ice cream! We have an ice cream maker and have made our own, but when you want in NOW.. well, then there is a problem.

We have made some pretty easy and simple sorbets by blending up frozen fruit in the food processor.. that will often do in a pinch. But, sometimes you just need some ooy-gooy creaminess...

That happened to me yesterday.. I wanted chocolate, creamy ice cream. So I went down to the natural food store to look around and see if they had anything chocolaty without sugar in it.

That is when I found Coconut Bliss. It has no sugar in it at all! They use agave nectar to sweeten it and the coconut milk helps to make it sweet also. It is vegan, gluten free and low glycemic. YAY!

And it is SOOOOO good. I mean really, really good. Way better than regular ice cream! I am so in love. This could be a problem!

But, I am happy to have found a healthier alternative to my one true addiction!

And, I think you should run on down to Whole Foods or your local natural food store and get you some!

food = health

I have been feeling a little sluggish lately and since we have been so busy these past few months, our good eating habits seemed to have evaporated.. So, in a commitment to feeling good, I've been wanting to do a cleanse/sugar break/diet clean up. Somehow, I managed to talk Don into joining me on a 4 week cleanse! This is huge for my meat and potatoes, give me butter or give me death husband. I guess he has been feeling a bit sluggish as well.

Well we are now in the middle of week 2. The first week was pretty intense - no dairy (yes no butter!), no wheat/bread, no sugar including natural sweeteners like honey, and only lean proteins like chicken or fish. I am so completely amazed that both Don and I totally took this on and we are both saying how great we feel! We've been eating TONS of fresh veggies and fruit.. TONS!

I am feeling super satisfied and incredibly energized. I am so reconfirmed in my belief that food is medicine and effects everything...So what have we been eating?

Each day looks something like this:

Breakfast... either oatmeal with fruit and almond milk or eggs with lots of veggies and maybe some turkey bacon.

Lunch... Usually a big, super yummy salad with tons of good stuff in it. We have been dressing our salads with olive oil, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper. Oh, and don't forget the garlic! Lots of chopped up fresh garlic mixed in. If not a salad, then some homemade soup or leftovers from the night before.

Dinner... This is what was on the menu last week:
Sunday - Grilled veggies wrapped around some brown basmati rice "sushi style" with leek soup.
Monday - Albondigas, a mexican soup that is so delicious I've typed up the recipe below.
Tuesday - Vegan Stew
Wednesday - Left over Albondigas, seriously so good I could eat it everyday!
Thursday - Garlic Chicken with rice and veggies
Friday - A huge salad topped with tempeh
Saturday - Turkey burgers wrapped in cabbage leaves, served with a salad

Dessert.. yes, we have been having dessert! Without sugar and flour... crazy! Don made some sorbet with nothing but fresh fruit and a little stivia. So good. One other night, we made a little fruit tart with a hazlenut/oatmeal crust.. delicious!

This week we are adding in a few things like yogurt and a little cheese. But Don and I are feeling so much better I think we are going to keep our eating pretty much like this most of the time... I am so proud of us, especially Don. I never EVER thought I would see him eating so healthy and LOVING it!

Here is the recipe for Albondigas.. this was so good, it is now one of my favorite things:



Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Stew)
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
3 large garlic cloves (fine chop)
1 medium onion (diced)
Kosher salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 large carrots (1” chunks)
1-2 medium/small sweet potatoes (large dice)
¼ head red or green cabbage (cut into bite size pieces)
½ leek (slice thin)
4 green onions (sliced thin)
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 zucchini (large dice)
2 yellow squash (large dice)
13 cups water (or fill the tomato can 4 times)
1 teaspoon dried cilantro (if using fresh, be careful cilantro is powerful stuff)
Dash of cayenne (to taste)
Pinch of red pepper flakes


Meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
Pinch of dried cilantro
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Place a large stock pot (5 quart or bigger) over medium high heat. Add olive oil, garlic and onions. Give a couple of stirs to coat everything with oil. Add a pinch of salt and half the cumin. Sweat (bring out moisture) for about 3-5 minutes. Add carrots, sweet potatoes, cabbage, leeks, green onions and tomatoes. Let simmer 5-7 minutes. Add zucchini, squash and water. Bring to a boil then add spices. Let it roll for 10-15 minutes then reduce heat to simmer.

Prepare meatballs:
Combine all ingredients except oil in a bowl. Mix by hand until it starts to stick to your hand. Form 1 inch meatballs. On medium, heat oil in sauce pan. When hot, add meatballs and cook until golden brown on all sides. Turn the meatballs often to avoid meatballs burning and falling apart.

Add cooked meatballs to stew. Return meatball pan to heat and add about ¾ of a cup of the stew broth to pan. Stir the broth around to lift the “stuck on” flavors left from cooking the meat. Poor the stew liquid back into stew pot.

Let stew simmer until vegetables are good and soft, about 30 minutes. Serve hot with fresh cilantro, corn tortillas and lime wedges.

pie!

One of the perks of having Daddy home right now!!! Apple pie... I think pie makes for a happier life, don't you??

what i've been having for breakfast...

I've been feeling like I am seriously not eating enough greens lately. And with the weather a little more on the chilly side, a big salad just does not sound good. I've been reading a bit about the amazing benefits of starting your day with a green smoothie, so decided that I would give it a go!

What I've been doing is taking about 2 cups of water, 2 cups of fruit and 2 big handfuls of greens (spinach, kale, lettuce) and whizzing it up in my blender. It is so YUMMY!!!!

I've been doing it for a solid week now. Unfortunately, I don't have any amazing results to report. In fact, I ended up getting the kiddos' cold - times ten! I've decided it is just all the gunk getting out of my body so I am welcoming being sick, knowing that when I start feeling better, I will REALLY feel better!

So, here is to your health everyone...bottoms up!!

cuz we've been sick

Daddy made us some chicken noodle soup, with homemade noodles! E helped make the noodles...

The kids are starting to feel better and I am working hard to keep the tickle in my throat from growing into a full blown snot mess! Oh, joy!

mmmm...pie!

So what are we doing with all those blackberries we picked? Why, making pie, of course! Actually this is my first time ever making pie. Weird given how much I like to bake, but for some reason pie crust has totally intimidated me. But, we HAD to have pie, so I decided it was time to conquer my fear.

E decided to go ahead and get started. Notice the little wooden eggs in there! He knows you need eggs for baking, even if not with pie. But I love how he just decided to whip up a pie all by himself.
Turns out pie is not that hard, you just have to follow all those tips about making sure your ingredients are SUPER COLD.And, well, hopefully without sounding too full of myself, but I can make pie! I mean, REALLY make pie! It is so amazingly delicious! Flaky crust, sweet, but not too sweet. Perfect! In fact, there is none left! Don got off work late last night and all but killed it. He took the little that didn't get gobbled down to work today, he likes making the guys at work jealous. We still have quite a few berries left, now what?? Hmmmm.... any suggestions?

mmmm...pie!

So what are we doing with all those blackberries we picked? Why, making pie, of course! Actually this is my first time ever making pie. Weird given how much I like to bake, but for some reason pie crust has totally intimidated me. But, we HAD to have pie, so I decided it was time to conquer my fear.

E decided to go ahead and get started. Notice the little wooden eggs in there! He knows you need eggs for baking, even if not with pie. But I love how he just decided to whip up a pie all by himself.
Turns out pie is not that hard, you just have to follow all those tips about making sure your ingredients are SUPER COLD.And, well, hopefully without sounding too full of myself, but I can make pie! I mean, REALLY make pie! It is so amazingly delicious! Flaky crust, sweet, but not too sweet. Perfect! In fact, there is none left! Don got off work late last night and all but killed it. He took the little that didn't get gobbled down to work today, he likes making the guys at work jealous. We still have quite a few berries left, now what?? Hmmmm.... any suggestions?

summer food

I keep taking pictures of the yummy stuff we are eating this summer. The farmers market is FINALLY starting to have some good stuff for us, it has been kind of a slow start this year. But, we are happy to go and support the local farmers anyway, even if we only pick up a few things. Those guys work so hard to bring us food, I really love it that we can go and say thank you by having our money go to them. Here is a sampling of the good things gracing our plates this summer...

A big, yummy salad with red leaf lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, sprouts, avocado, carrots, tempeh, and asiago cheese, topped with balsamic vinaigrette.

Curry chicken with Almond Turmeric Potatoes from this book, wilted kale and baked beets.

Greek Salad with lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, lemon garlic chicken, tomatoes, brown rice, kalamata olives, and red pepper goat cheese, topped with a lemon garlic dressing.

Homemade bread and handmade raw milk butter. A staple around here, yum!

Gado Gado from the Moosewood Cookbook. The peanut sauce is so good! We did this with Chicken instead of tofu. It is on a bed a spinach, topped with yellow rice, zucchini, shredded beets, cabbage, carrots, baked chicken and hard boiled eggs. This was really, really good.