weed eater

A few weeks ago I mentioned weeds and a blender. This is what precipitated that revelation.

I froze my plant starts. Not once, but twice. This is disheartening and I don’t even like thinking about it. However, every cloud has a silver lining and I didn’t have to search too hard for this one. I was looking at my bare naked garden plot and poking about and weeding a bit. I have lots of weeds. Our yard is one big weed, in fact. We are the last house up the slope of a mountain and the wilds just creep right into our yard. I like this and have done nothing to tame it.

As I was mourning my poor golden pear tomato plants that did not pass go or collect two hundred dollars, I had an aha moment. These weeds are my garden. They are growing strong and wild and they are ready to offer nourishment right this minute. They did not freeze. They are thriving. It feels that if we are sharing this land that there should be a certain symbiosis in my eating them. Or drinking them.

So I did. And boy, what fun. I know, this is where I probably lose some of you. She’s eating weird stuff again, you say. Try it, I say. It’s tasty and free and it makes sense. More sense than importing it from Mexico, no?

I picked a big handful of mostly dandelion and mallow and blended them into a lovely green drink. Both of these plants have long tap roots that draw in nutrients and trace minerals that are vital to our good health. (those same roots give me fits when weeding….now I’m looking at them differently!)

I blended in some frozen bananas, half of a lemon, and lots of water, and it felt like a jar of pure goodness! Give it a shot!

It was so tasty that I almost drank it all before I thought to take a picture of it. Ooo la la! And go here for help with identification and more ideas.

simple sides

As easy as it gets. Healthy and colorful, too.

slice sweet potatoes
drizzle with olive oil
+ a flakey salt, rosemary and thyme
bake @ 350 for 1 hr.

=  a simple side and awesome leftovers to put on a salad the next day

a cake by another name

Is a muffin. Why am I having such a hard time with my cake resolution?  I do not know. These muffins could have just as easily been made in a cake pan, so I’m calling it good for my April cake. Thank you very much!

I bought a gazillion brown organic bananas at Natural Grocers. When they turn, they bag them up and sell them for a dollar per bag. They do this with all their produce and I buy A LOT of dollar bags! I had about 10 pounds of bananas and I peeled most of them and froze them for smoothies. (I have very exciting smoothie news for you next week involving weeds and a blender!) There were lots that were too mushy for freezing so they had to be dealt with right away. Do we have chocolate chips? Yes we do.

Hello, Whole Wheat and Spelt OSM Banana Chocolate Muffins. God forbid I keep it simple.

But these were easy and very forgiving of all my modifications. Here they are.

Start with lots of bananas. 5 or 6?

The recipe called for two eggs. But Della LOVES to crack eggs. So screw 2, we did 3. Can I tell you my tip for small kids cracking eggs? DO NOT WATCH. Walk away. Let them do it and pick out the shells and carry on. So simple.

Other modifications….. 2 cups ww flour + 1 scant cup spelt and a little all purpose, no cinnamon or nutmeg, no honey (all out, but probably would have left it out anyway cause it’s expensive and I’m frugal), more vanilla, more chips, and a scant cup of OSM. (oats, sunflower seeds and millet) This could contain anything actually….nuts, just oats, poppy seeds, sesame seeds. My muffins were huge, in the large size muffin papers, so I cooked them for 43 minutes.

sniff please and wipe your hands on your clothes.

These were very good. Hearty and filling, and just sweet enough. The kids distributed them around to the neighbors as they rode bikes into the twilight and we ate the rest for breakfast. With pickles, for a reason that I can not name.

So go here for the straight forward recipe and enjoy!

unda-style quesadilla

I am always on the lookout for the next great family staple recipe. I came across this recipe on 101 Cookbooks the other day and was intrigued. We eat lots of quesadillas around here, of varying styles and flavors, and I am a fan of their simplicity. In their many forms they work for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We do get bored, though.

Once upon a time I was over at one of my dearest friend’s house. We were gabbing as our three, very young, kids played. Her husband came in and made what has to have been the strongest pot of french press coffee I have ever had the honor of drinking. He put it in a mug and cut it with fresh goat milk and handed it to me. He didn’t talk or ask or anything. He then took out a cast iron skillet and started cooking. Fresh eggs perfectly fried with a wee bit of home made goat cheese, cilantro and tomatoes on a hot corn tortilla. He handed it to me and walked out the door with his, back to his workshop.

To this day, I am not sure why that little breakfast was so darn memorable. Everything about it seemed perfect. Fresh, hot, vibrant and totally unbidden.

Actually, I’m smart enough to know that it was the ‘totally unbidden’ part that made it stand out. He was also a very keen quesadilla chef.

He is now ancient history and not doing so well by his precious children. As mad as I would like to be at him, I am choosing to hold out hope that he will heal and wise up and show up.

I think he’s got it in him somewhere.

A little quesadilla told me.

…………………………………….

How the hell does that happen? I sit down to share a simple recipe and then I’m off on a tangent that I’m not at all sure anyone wants to hear.

Do try the above mentioned style, as it is sublime, but click here for this fun new take on an everyday favorite. I did not know what ‘unda-style’ meant and it thrills me to learn little tidbits like that.

That’s all.

bread part two

As promised, the follow up to bread part one!

A million years ago we lived in Jackson, Wyoming, in a tent. This was before it got all pimped out, but I’m sure it’s still lovely. Now we would HAVE to live in a tent, it wouldn’t just be a matter of personal choice. Our dear friends lived in an 8 by 10 storage unit. Ah, those were the days.

see the big jar in the background? i combine the o, s and m, in the proper proportions for ease of use.

There was and still is a restaurant called The Bunnery. It’s good. Try it if you go there. They have cornered the market on a delightful trio of seeds and grains called OSM, and they use it in everything. Breads, buns, waffles, pancakes, etc. OSM stands for oats, sunflower seeds and millet. The genius lies in the millet. Who knew? It offers the perfect texture and mouth feel. It’s also tasty. I immediately thought of this bread when I started making my own, and have adapted it many times over. It’s safe to say that I change it every single time I make it, and you can too. I use spelt, both white and not, with the whole wheat. What follows is a basic template.

I make this once a week. Two loaves are about right for our family.

The Bunnery’s OSM Bread
adapted by proof of the pudding

2 1/4 cups lukewarm water
1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) dry active yeast
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup canola or safflower oil
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup millet
2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
3-4 cups whole wheat flour

Mix together the lukewarm water and honey in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir until dissolved. Allow the yeast to proof for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast rises to the surface and starts to foam.

Stir the oil into the yeast mixture. Then add 1 cup of bread (or all-purpose) flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour and beat with a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment until the batter is smooth and glossy. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Add the salt, oatmeal, sunflower seeds and millet to the bowl; stir down the dough and blend in. Add the remaining cup of bread flour and stir well. Gradually add in the remainder of the whole wheat flour. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for about 10 minutes (or, switch to the dough hook on your mixer — this will take less time), until the dough is soft, but not sticky. Place the dough in a large bowl that has been oiled, cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Grease two 9″x5″ loaf pans and line with parchment paper, allowing the parchment to hang over the longer sides of the pan (this will make it easier for you to lift the loaves out of the pans). Punch down the dough and knead lightly and briefly to deflate. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a loaf, and place a loaf in each pan. Allow the loaves to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

About 20 minutes before you bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaves for about 40 minutes, until the loaves are nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped (the internal temperature should be around 200°F). Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for a few minutes, then lift out of the pans using the parchment paper and let them cool completely.

Yield: Two 9″x5″ loaves

Can I say this? If you aren’t a baker, then those directions probably look daunting and time consuming. What the hell, you’re muttering to yourself. Why would I take all damn day to make some bread, when I can run to the store and buy some? Why, indeed?

The first time is slow. It is. But the second time, not so much. And you get to say these words OUT LOUD. ‘Honey, do you want some warm bread with butter?’ Or the neighbor boy walks in the house and says these words.  ‘Mmmmm, it smells good in here.’ Or you make sandwiches on your OWN bread and your sixth grader says ‘Mom, you could open a restaurant with this sandwich.’

It’s just different. And better. And it gets to be super easy. I promise.

I have a small confession to make that may help ease you into baking. Ready? I don’t like to touch my bread. I don’t need to knead. It’s not part of my ‘process’. Call me cold, but I make mine in the kitchen aide mixer. From start to finish. When I believe it to be properly mixed I stick my thumb way into it, and if it comes out clean, then we’re a go. I set it by the wood stove to rise, then pop it in the oven.

Give it a try! It’s worth all the hoopla!