Beacause We're Green

Josh and I planted a garden this year. This is our second garden. The first year we were married we planted a small one. It produced enough for us to eat through the summer. It was a bit of a challenge though. We were new to gardening, especially in the Georgia soil.

The second summer we were married we moved when it was "prime time" for planting in Georgia.

This year we moved during the same time. This time we moved north; this worked to our favor because the planting times are later.

We planted a lot from seeds and some from plants. We planted squash, spaghetti squash, radishes, peppers (of all kinds), tomatoes, cucumbers, snow peas, some herbs, and lettuce.

There is just something about growing your own food that is so cool! 

This was our garden on June 10th

Peppers!!

Our first Cucumber

Squash is growing

Check out all those peas!

Our first "harvest"

 

Lettuce is growing!

Our garden on July 1st

Our lovely assistant

Not only is the food for us this year, but for Paxton! We'll be canning and freezing for the winter. What is so cool though is we'll be able to feed Paxton his first food from our garden! Obviously it ill be the squash. It's so neat to be think the first food he eats we grew ourselves. Next year he will be able to "help" us in the garden!

Hot and Sour Soup

I love dinner parties. Especially at my house. Even more, I really love people who love creative food. Let me tell you, I made some creative tofu soup. 

So here it is.

First, get your ingredients. 

Chicken Stock (64 oz)

Ginger (root or powder)

Scallions (you pick the amount)

Tofu-extra firm (1 cup or more cut in cubes)

Tomato (Roma work best...you pick how much)

Mushrooms (I love mushrooms!)

Corn (Sweet it good!)

Hot sauce (you pick how spicy)

Balsamic Vinegar (you pick how sour)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place chicken stock in pan and heat. Add Scallions and ginger. Boil for a few minutes.

While that is boiling, thinly slice scallions in the vertical direction into long strips and place in cold water. Watch for magic! They Curl!

Back to the hot soup. Remove the scallions and ginger 

(if used root). 

Get your veggies out!

Add tofu, mushrooms, corn, hot sauce, and vinegar. Then boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. I'd say let it simmer for it about 25 minutes so the tofu can soak up all the flavor!

Get your funky table setting ready.

Garnish with those curly scallions!

You can also cook Ramen noodles and eat them on the side. Or, do what we did! Dip the noodles in the soup! 

There you go! A creative, easy, and fast way to make some soup!

What's cooking in the kitchen?

Two nights ago I made a pouch of muffin mix. One of those where you just add water. I make mini-muffins so they fit into a jar next to the coffee pot. Well, Josh had the day off and when I got home....yep you guessed it! They were all gone. So, I had to make some more. But this time I set off on a muffin baking adventure! I opened the cabinet and saw some pumpkin and some chocolate chips. There was my inspiration. So here you go....chocoalte pumpkin muffins!

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil ( I used applesauce)
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour...wheat of course!
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips...or more!

Mix it all up and fill some muffin tins, greased of course.  Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

These turned out so perfect! I made a double batch....and hid one ; ) Not really, although it would be a great idea!

Shop. Smart. Dog. Treats.

Have you ever read your food label? I mean really read it. Whenever I read the labels I typically just scan over them for stuff like fats, calories, and all that jazz. But what about that long list of ingredients? Yeah, I typically just skimmed through that. I always read stuff about things to avoid in food, what kinds of food to eat, and all that. Josh and I usually eat pretty healthy; however, I decided to start really reading the labels. I was taken back when I went through out cupboard and read through some ingredient lists. I have come up with this rule of thumb. Since the main ingredients listed are the first ones listed....

 Given that you are not a chemist, if you can't pronounce at least the first five ingredients then you shouldn't put it in your mouth!

Shopping around the perimeter of the store helps too! Stay away from that frozen pre-packaged stuff!

Now there are other things to avoid and all that too. Yesterday on my shopping trip I managed to get out of the store with products that had NO:

1. Enriched bleached flour

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup

3. Hydrogenated Oils

I know what a success! The only secret is.... reading! Just reading the labels makes a huge difference!

After all that...I figured I should make the dogs some more treats! I make the dog treats because I can only imagine what chemicals that are in dog treats. So here is the recipe! 

Snickerpoodles..haha!

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup honey 


2 eggs 


3 ¾ cups flour (I used wheat)

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda 


½ cup cornmeal (I used wheatgerm) 

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

Mix vegetable oil, shortening , honey with eggs. Beat well. Add flour, soda and cream of tartar. Knead dough until mixed well. Shape dough by rounded teaspoons into balls. Mix the cornmeal and cinnamon together in a bowl and roll balls in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet . Press the balls down with a fork. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400F. Cool on a rack. Store in airtight container.  

There you have it! Healthy alternatives for you and your dog!

Tops Secret Recipe To Fool Your Friends

I have been struggling with something creative to bake for all of these Christmas events I have. Everyone bakes cookies, brownies, cakes...you all know that.  However, I also wanted something that was rather easy to do too. So, I began searching online and through lots of cookbooks; nothing really grabbed my attention. Then I saw truffles! Clearly I did not want to spend that much time in the kitchen, so now what? I talked to my mom later that day on the phone (like always), and she told me this recipe that my Aunt makes. Before I can tell you the recipe you must agree to two things:

1. If I bring these treats somewhere and you are there, you must not comment on how easy they are :)

2. You must promise to try these at least once before you die. I promise they are that good!

Okay, here it is. First you need a couple supplies.

Yeah, that is it (besides what the cake mix calls for). 

So here is what you do. Go to your cabinet and pull out any cake mix you want. Be creative, do something to spice up your life!  Live a little! Bake the cake and let it cool. Now, crumble that cake into little pieces in a bowl. Now, go back to your cabinet and get one of those icing containers. You know,  the ones you get when you know you will be too lazy to make your own icing. Now, mix the icing into the crumbled cake. Mix it together really good. Don't like a gooey mess? Too bad! Get your hands dirty to make sure it is mixed really well. 

That is what it will look like. 

Now, your hands need to get really messy.  Make meatball sized cake-icing balls. I cheated and used a cookie dough scoop; you should too!

 

Yes, nice and round.

Put them on a tray and then they will go to the freezer for let's say an hour or longer.

Wow they change colors! Ha! Just kidding :) This is from another batch I made.

Now, melt that chocolate in a sauce pan or in the microwave if you want some extra waves going through your body. Add a little shortening to your chocolate (you'll just have to stay at the gym a little longer)  so it is not as thick. Stick a tooth pick in the cake-icing balls and dip into chocolate. Put them on wax paper. Decorate them however you want. 

Then put them back into the freezer for another hour or however long you want to. That's it! You will have the most moist "truffles" ever! What's the best part? Your friends will think you slaved in the kitchen for days!

Feeling motivated? Post your favorite holiday recipe!

A taste of Africa...right to your home!

African Peanut Soup

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

2 Onions, chopped

2 Red Peppers, chopped

4 Garlic cloves, chopped ( I add more to kick up the flavor! )

28 oz. crushed tomatoes (with the liquid)

8 cups vegetable broth

some pepper

some chili powder (say about 1/4 tsp.)

2/3 C EXTRA crunchy peanut butter (I use a little over a cup)

2/3 C uncooked brown rice

Now to cook....

Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook onions and bell peppers until lightly browned. Stir in garlic AFTER almost done to prevent burning. Stir in tomatoes, vegetable stock, pepper, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Stir in rice, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes (or until rice is tender).  Stir in peanut butter until well blended, and serve.

Personally, I like my veggies a little crunchy. So, I only let the the veggies cook a couple of minutes. This will allow them to be more crunchy. This is a full flavor soup and if you add that extra garlic and peanut butter it just tops the soup off! 

And there you have it! A little taste of Africa that is brought right to your home! Oh, Yum! Comment on this post and share your favorite recipe!