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Is a frozen dinner food?

As a person who loves to cook, I am always looking for the opportunity to make more food. Yet for the last week I have been eating sandwiches and frozen dinners due to my class schedule. They are very good. Local bakery bread, goat cheese from a local farm, humanely treated organic deli meat. But does it count as actual food? These are not the foods of foodies, though I enjoy eating it. So I ask, does eating a frozen dinner (Amy's Organic) make me any less of a foodie? I don't know, but it has been nice to get a break from cooking after cooking for 2 weeks straight. Though when I started, I was looking to cook after not being able to. Go figure. By the way, I recommend the Amy's Organic Mexican Casserole. It's really good.

Garden Bounty

Look at what Price picked from our garden! A quart of sun gold cherry tomatoes, a brandywine, a cucumber, and three zucchini. And here I am at Highlands missing it all! Well, not all of it, I brought a brandywine with me and it tastes amazing. Everyone should have this wonderful delight. And to be fair, my class is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. It is definitely more fun than my class on mammals. I thought...no I'll just cancel this class on fungi. I am tired of class. I want a break before school starts in the fall. And that mammals 2 week class wasn't a lot of fun, what will make fungi different? But I have nice roomates, and everything has been a great learning experience (including about cooking mushrooms!) and fun. So I just miss not being able to do anything with that produce. Especially that brandywine and cucumber. Maybe if any zucchini and tomatoes are in when I get home I will can some tomato sauce. Until then, I will enjoy my mushrooms!

Mushrooms, Mushrooms Everywhere

I am taking a class on fungi. True, it's actually a little early for the fall season, but it is actually the last summer class offered for the year. Today we went on our first mushroom hunting expedition. And had some interesting luck. We talked about edibles, not quite edibles, poisonous, and deadly mushrooms. All good categories to have. It was a lot of fun! The 11 of us found about 100 mushrooms of about 10 different types. And we had some for dinner! One of the guys (well, and older gentleman who is a mushroom hobbyist) cooked some of the mushrooms we found (they were ok) and did this amazing dish with shitakes in a cream sauce. It was wonderful.
I am learning a lot about mushroom terminology (the cap of the mushroom is called the pileus, for instance) and reproduction. Soon we will be learning all sorts of things. I am really looking forward to tomorrow. And I hope all of you head to the grocery store for shitakes! Enjoy.

Stress Baking: Apple Carrot Cupcakes

When I am stressed, I bake. On Wednesday I was very frustrated by inept postal workers. Having recently gotten married, I have been changing my name for everything...so last Wednesday, I tried to change my name on my passport and the guy just didn't want to deal with me...he didn't know how to change my name and gave me many useless forms that didn't even involve a change of name due to marriage. So I left, and I will go back to somewhere else to change my name later.
Anyway, the stress of Wednesday led me to bake. And I made Apple Carrot Cupcakes with a buttermilk cream cheese frosting (the buttermilk was leftover from when I made my chocolate birthday cake). So here is the recipe in case you want to try (when you are not stress baking). I gave some to my landlord's grandkids and they absolutely loved them, come to that my landlord liked them too!).

Apple Carrot Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour (may use 2 c. all purpose flour-total-instead)
2 c. sugar
1 c. shredded apple
1 c. shredded carrot
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 lg eggs
1/2 c. green tea
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. orange juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the Frosting:
2 sticks butter, softened
6.5 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp vanilla

Directions:
For the Cake:
Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Scramble the eggs, then mix in all of the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. Fill cupcake pans with batter. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until done. Makes 24 cupcakes. Allow to cool before frosting. (P.S. don't forget to line or grease the cups before filling!)

For the Frosting:
Mix the butter, cream cheese and vanilla together with an electric mixer. Slowly add in 1/4 c. of the sugar. Continue to mix. Add in the buttermilk, then the rest of the sugar. Whip on high for 1-2 minutes until creamy and smooth. Immediately use to frost cakes. Refrigerate any leftovers...it will be good for up to 1 week.

Zucchini (again...): Homemade Zucchini and Pepperoni Pizza

As I continue to figure out what to do with my huge gobs of zucchini...I would like to share some happier news. My landlords, who do a lot of gardening (they grow most of their own produce for the entire year) just decided to go into the honey trade (as a hobby!). Their son already does honey as a business...anyway, my landlord came over today and gave me the biggest jar of honey I have ever seen. It looks good and I can't wait to try it. Maybe I will make ice cream with it! Anyway, while he was delivering the honey, my landlord asked if I wanted corn (apparently not wanting the honey wasn't an option-good thing I wanted it!). So I said "well we'll have our own corn...in a month or 3." He laughed and brought over corn. Yay! It's not zucchini... I see roasted corn and tomato salsa in my future with pork tacos...and grilled corn with, yes, a side of baby zucchini, and boiled potatoes on grill night (steak for Price and chicken for me). I love corn, and potatoes, and tomatoes, and, yes, even zucchini.

As we went down to the garden today (2 cucumbers and 5 sun golds later) we saw the first blooms on our winter squash (variety as yet undetermined, we bought a mixed pack of 4 types and we see 4 types of leaves but without the actual squash I still don't know which plant is which)...Anyway. We should be set on produce for a long time. I am just glad we can get some things at the farmer's market to go with what we are growing (carrots, lettuce, berries, etc) Not to mention the yummy goat cheese that is for sale at one the local farmer's markets on Saturday...I love cheese.

Anyway, we used some of our zucchini tonight. We had pizza with homemade sauce and fresh mozzarella, the way pizza is supposed to be. Everyone probably has their own toppings they want for pizza, and I'll probably post a different pizza later, but this is what we had tonight. Enjoy!

Homemade Zucchini and Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pizza crust, extra thick, Pillsbury
1 8 oz can Hunt's unseasoned tomato sauce
1 tbsp garlic paste for sauce (from a tube)
1 tsp garlic paste for cheese (from a tube)
1 tsp pesto (from a tube)
1/2 c. whole milk ricotta
4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 c. small turkey pepperoni
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh basil
3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Spread out the pizza crust on the cookie sheet. Poke all over with a fork (it will rise better, trust me). Brush with remaining olive oil. Gently tear the thyme and oregano and sprinkle over the crust. Bake in oven for 4 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the tomato sauce, tbsp of garlic, and half the basil and parsley (gently torn). Set aside. In another small bowl, mix the ricotta, remaining garlic paste, pesto, and the other half of the basil and parsley. Put sauce on pizza. Spread out zucchini, then gently smoosh globs of the ricotta mixture on top. Spread the mozzarella out where the sauce shows through the ricotta. Add the pepperoni. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes.

Remember, this is pizza! While I strongly suggest preparing the crust as directed with the olive oil and baking before topping, the herbs used can vary based off toppings. Also, dried italian seasoning works well....Otherwise, customize as desired. Versatile food (like pizza) should be fun. So have fun!

Freezers and freezables

Apparently, you can freeze almost anything and it will still be edible in some form when you are done. Meats, cheese, bread, vegetables, fruit. All are freezable. Even, as it turns out, zucchini. As I looked up recipes for zucchini, baked good after baked good appeared. Zucchini bars, brownies, breads...all included my most dreaded wonder ingredient, zucchini. However, how to keep my plethora of zucchini for future use? I looked it up online, and shredded or sliced, zucchini is freezable to be cooked in recipes later. The catch? I had run out of freezer space.

Price and I had been talking about getting a freezer for months. But where to put it? Could we afford it? Finally, we had no choice. If we didn't get a chest freezer, soon, all of our produce that keeps growing would go to waste. So tonight we drove all the way to Target, a 45 minute drive, to get the smallest chest freezer possible. And for the reasonably low price of $171 (including tax) we became the proud owners of a 3.5 cubic foot freezer. And can maybe seat that fourth person at our kitchen table now. So freeze your food, if you have the room.

Zucchini Giant with a picture!

While Price and I were out of town so often, we grew a 3 1/2 lb zucchini giant! Most of our other zucchini weigh between 5-10oz (less than a pound!). To the left you can see our zucchini giant with a regular sized zucchini! Sooo....remember that little zucchini taste better than big zucchini, but that big zucchini are good in baking. Remember that medium zucchini are the most versatile and can be used for anything...also...next time you bake...slip in some zucchini. I took some leftover chocolate cake to a church picnic and no one noticed the zucchini! Anyway, have a nice night...Oh I wish my brandywines would ripen...then I could complain about tomatoes instead!

Berry Season: Blackberry Ginger Peach Cobbler

Every year it seems, I go through a different craze. There was the year of the watermelon, and the year of the asparagus. You get the idea. This year, the summer bounty I am most enjoy are berries...any kind. Blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, even cherries are all at the top of my most wanted list. It might have to do with the fact that I have become addicted to smoothies...it might have to do with the fact that they just seem to taste better this year. But whatever it is, I love it! Yesterday, Price and I went hiking and found blackberry and blueberry bushes coming into season. We grazed as we continued to hike. It was wonderful...and of course there are always the fresh berries available at the farmer's market! Yay! Anyway, enjoy your berries, and maybe even make a cobbler like the one below (it also used peaches another summer wonder). Enjoy!

Blackberry Ginger Peach Cobbler
Ingredients:
1 12oz bottle of ginger-ale
2 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 c. fresh blackberries
2 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp brown sugar or 2 tbsp agave nectar
1 1/2 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. bisquick

Directions: In a 8x8 inch pan, add the fruit and honey/sugar or agave nectar. Add 1/2 the bottle of ginger-ale. In a small bowl, mix the bisquick with as much ginger-ale as necessary to make a dough. Pour any remaining ginger-ale over the fruit mixture. Pour the dough over the fruit mixture and spread out to cover. Top with the cut butter scattered over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the crust is cooked through and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm with ice cream.

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved chocolate cake. Maybe it stems from the fact that my mother made chocolate cake for my 1st birthday and by the time I was 2 I was hooked. I wanted chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Of course, by the time I was 4 I wanted Ariel from the little mermaid to make an appearance on my cake. Mom reasonably argued that vanilla icing was key to having Ariel represented on my cake...so the annual chocolate cake with vanilla icing birthday cake was born. My favorite were the years when I only had a small party (after I had outgrown the Disney character cakes) so Mom was able to make my cake for me herself...Devil's food with vanilla icing.
My dad's favorite though, is the opposite. He loves yellow cake with milk chocolate icing...milk chocolate is important...my mom's version with vanilla and dark chocolate icing mixed. I remember the year I was gone for my birthday. When I came back, Dad had made a cake all by himself (mom had gone to pick me up). He was so proud of that cake. It tasted pretty good too. Apparently lopsidedness doesn't effect flavor. But when he said "I made your favorite" I started laughing. Because he didn't make a chocolate cake with vanilla icing, he made yellow cake with milk chocolate icing...At least he tried.
Then there was the year that Price made my cake...this was back when we were still dating. (It was after this incident that I gave up on Price ever actually cooking for a special occasion...Valentine's Day hadn't been that great either). Again the cake tasted good...and it was the right flavor this time...but, of course there is always a but. He didn't have the right size cake pans. And so he patched together a layer cake with icing. It was a the ugliest cake I have ever seen...and I am not a huge fan of icing...Price looked pitiful and I ate the cake. It did taste good after all.
Mom brought my cake from a bakery last year...which leads me to this year. I wanted a real cake...an actual cake, with little to no icing. My favorite kind...chocolate. So I looked online and I found a recipe by Robin Miller on the Food Network...and I adapted it of course. So here is my chocolate cake...and Happy Birthday to Me! (please forgive the zucchini (again) but I have to do something with it!)

Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 c. boiling water
1 small zucchini, shredded (about 1 c.)-may use shredded apple, carrot, or spinach instead
1/2 c. chocolate chips
confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl and slowly whisk in wet ingredients. Stir in the zucchini and chocolate chips. Pour into greased 9 x 12 inch baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Enjoy!

Pickling Adventure

Having never made pickles before, I looked up a lot of recipes. I came to the conclusion that I did not want to can pickles (after an adventure with blackberry syrup...more on that in a future post), and so I finally found a refrigerated pickle recipe that looked relatively simple. And yet, something always goes wrong. In the process of sterilizing the pot I was going to use--a large pottery casserole..It received to hairline cracks that now cause a leak. I was patient to...I didn't just dump boiling water in the pot, I allowed it to slowly come to boiling...but apparently the stress of the heat was to much for my poor pottery. So...I switched to a large pot...It was sterilized, the ingredients were added, but...IT WOULDN'T SEAL! So on to plan C then. I put the veggies in mason jars with the pickling liquid and stuck it in the fridge. They probably won't last the full three months, but I am sure they will taste just as good. If you would like to try my version of pickles...see below (P.S. this is adapted from a recipe to begin with-will I every give up experimenting?). Otherwise, enjoy pickles from someone else's hard labors or the grocery.

Pickles

4 c. water
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/8 c. pickling salt
3 tbsp dill
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 lbs mixed chopped vegetables or fruit such as zucchini, carrots, cucumber, radishes, turnips, onions, etc.

Mix the water, vinegar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until salt dissolves. Add the garlic and dill. Divide the veggies equally among mason jars. Pour the pickling liquid over the veggies until covered. Put on the lid and refrigerate 48 hours before eating to allow the full flavor to develop. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 months. Discard if liquid becomes sour smelling or fermented or cloudy.

Enjoy!

Tapas Night: Figs, Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms, and Salmon Avocado Bites

Tonight, my husband and I had tapas for dinner...so, OK, I'll admit it, they weren't all tapas...some were Italian appetizers. Anyway, the point is, every once in a while Price and I have small bites for dinner. Tonight we had bruschetta (see the post from July 13 for the recipe), rice stuffed zucchini blossoms, and figs wrapped in mozzarella and prosciutto. It tasted amazing! I discovered tapas night about 2 years ago when I found a tapas cookbook. I had been to a tapas restaurant before, but making them at home? And there were so many I wanted to try...smoked salmon and avocado bites, sausage balls, goat cheese on crackers, the list goes on and on. And so I decided that tapas night was the answer. It allows me to try all of the recipes in one meal. And it's fun! So tonight I give you tapas. Enjoy!

P.S. the tomatoes in the bruschetta were from our garden and tasted amazing! the basil was from my herb garden, and the mozzarella was from a local farm. The baguette for the toasts was from a local bakery...but I did cave a little bit from all of the local...you can't beat imported olive oil. Tonight mine came from Italy. However, supporting local is good. We want our local economies to thrive. So buy and eat local whenever possible. Stop the chains!

Rice stuffed zucchini blossoms (serves 4)

Ingredients: 4 fresh zucchini blossoms, stamens removed; 1/2 c. brown rice; 3/4 c. water; 1/4 c. milk; 1 tsp dried lavender petals; 2 tbsp olive oil; salt to taste

Directions: Mix all ingredients except the blossoms in a pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Stir and cover. Simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fill each blossom with 1/4 of the rice. Serve immediately.

Salmon and Avocado bites
Ingredients: 1 avocado, sliced; 1 4oz package smoked salmon; 4 tbsp mayo
Directions: Layer each slice of avocado with a little mayo and a slice of smoked salmon. Skewer with decorative pick if desired. May be kept refrigerated up to 24 hours.

Figs with prosciutto
Ingredients: figs, halved; 1 roll prosciutto with mozzarella, sliced into strips; olive oil; salt; pepper
Directions: Brush each fig half with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap with prosciutto and skewer with toothpick. Put in oven until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Roller Coaster Days: Tomato Bruschetta

Some days just don't seem to go according to plan. Like yesterday...the day started off alright, but when I was leaving to go to the eye doctor, I bumped into my cousin's rental car...Luckily, he didn't care. I come back to my parents, pack to go home and find out that my great Uncle had passed away (my family is having a rough time). Then my husband and I go to lunch, go to my favorite grocery store. Everything is looking up. We have a really yummy, if really spicy, dinner in downtown Asheville (at a restaurant that allows dogs on the patio-Rags got to come). Salsa's has these lava bowls...I had no idea food could get and stay so hot. Chicken in a coconut sauce over black beans and rice...heaven! Then we are driving home and I find out that things are going crazy with the approval of the new pastor for our church. So I have been up, down, up, down, up, and down again...but I get home and look at the garden...things look up again. Isn't it nice to end on a good note? The roller coaster that was my day finally ended as I went to bed.

From our garden we found a huge zucchini (which we left to try and get seed for next year) plus 2 reasonable sized zucchini which we harvested. Our first cucumber was harvested last night, plus some hardy little carrots that managed to survive. We will try a different way next year...the soil is just to rocky here. And we had 11 cherry tomatoes, they are supposed to be gold but some over-ripened into a lush red. But they will still taste good! If only we had our Brandywines!

Tonight we are having a tapas night based off some good finds a gourmet grocery and our garden. I can't wait...fresh figs wrapped in mozzarella and prosciutto, tomato bruschetta, and a rice stuffed zucchini blossom. I can't wait to see how the zucchini blossom turns out. We haven't tried that before. Anyway...Here is my favorite recipe for bruschetta...of course it changes from time to time.

Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients: 1 cup diced tomato, 1/2 cup diced mozzarella cheese, 3 tbsp good olive oil, 6 fresh basil leaves, 12 slices french bread

Directions: Using 1 tbsp of the olive oil, brush each side of the french bread and broil to make toasts. Mix together the tomato, cheese, and remaining olive oil. Gently tear the basil leaves into pieces and mix into the tomato mixture (this must be done right before it is stirred in). Serve on the warm toasts.

Enjoy!

Looking Deep into the Ocean: Shrimp and Scallops over Cheese Rice

Have you ever just sat on the beach and looked at the ocean? Seen a storm come in over the sea? There is something mystical about the ocean, powerful, peaceful, free. The ocean has the power to sooth a hurt soul, to cleanse a spirit. If you moisturize properly after, the sea will clear up your complexion, walking on the sand is like getting a free pedicure. Sometimes, all you need is a peaceful view of the ocean, and you're free. The ocean is mighty, it can destroy ships and swamp islands. Perhaps it is the oceans mysterious moods that captivate us so much.
Seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered in water. Only 2% of that water is actually potable. Most of this water is in the sea. Yet we rely on water for much of what we do. In fact, without water, humans, and countless other species on earth, could not survive. If we admire the beauty of the ocean, it allows us to understand conserving our earth’s resources. We must preserve our earth in order to truly be free.
A recipe from the sea:

Shrimp and Scallops over Cheese Rice (serves 2)

Ingredients: 1/2 c. frozen shrimp, 1/2 c. frozen scallops, 1 chopped zucchini or summer squash (small), 1/2 c diced onion, 1 tbsp oregano, 2 tsp cumin, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp taco seasoning, 1 box italian cheese rice, 2 tsp olive oil

Directions: Make rice using package directions. Meanwhile, add olive oil to large skillet. Add onion, shrimp and scallops. Saute 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Saute until cooked through and squash has started to brown. Serve over rice.

This recipe is easily doubled and tastes best when both types of squash are used.

Look deep into the ocean. Accept all of it’s mystery. Look deep into the ocean. Allow yourself to be set free.

Enjoy!

Storms: Turkey Avocado Wraps, Herbed Mayo, Pasta Salad

Storm. It is a word that describes many things. A thunderstorm, a lightening storm, a hurricane, a tornado, a wind storm. A stormy mood. I have those. I am sure that those around me do not always enjoy my storms...but I enjoy watching actual storms come in across the mountains. Price and I will go up on the Blue Ridge Parkway and watch storms come in from far away. The sky goes dark and lightening comes up and hits a tree with a resounding crack. I know of little that can be more appealing. It is especially fun when you go up with a picnic and eat lunch or dinner as the storm comes in. I usually take Turkey Avocado Wraps and Pasta Salad...along with apples or bananas or pears and cookies. The recipes follow...Enjoy!

Turkey Avocado Wraps (serves 2)

Ingredients: 2 tbsp herb mayo (see recipe below), 1/2 lb sliced deli turkey, 4 big lettuce or 6 small lettuce or spinach leaves (anything but iceburg!), 2-4 tomato slices, 1 sliced avocado, 4 red onion rings, 2 slices good cheese such as gouda, provolone, or munster, 2 sun-dried tomato wraps

Directions: Spread half the mayo on each wrap. Layer half the lettuce, tomato, turkey, onion, cheese, and avocado on each wrap. Fold in a burrito fold.

Wraps may be refrigerated and served up to 6 hours later.

Herbed Mayo

1 cup mayo
4 tbsp of any combination of any of the following herbs: oregano, basil, parsley, marjoram, thyme, or savory

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Chill for 30 minutes. Can be stored in air tight container for up to 1 week.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients: 1 box whole wheat pasta, 1 large diced zucchini, 1 large chopped carrot, 1/2-1 16oz bottle italian dressing, 1 large diced tomato or 8 quartered cherry tomatoes or 16 halved grape tomatoes, parmesan cheese for sprinkling...if serving as a meal add 1 c. pepperoni mini’s

Directions: make pasta according to package directions adding the carrot to the pasta water at the very beginning. Add the zucchini in the last 3 minutes of pasta cook time. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water. Add dressing to taste and mix in the tomatoes and pepperoni if using. Chill thoroughly before adding the cheese. May be made up to 24 hours in advance. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

Happy 4th!

May you have a wonderful Independence Day celebrating with family and friends. Eat good food! Watch fireworks! and remember all the Veterans and Military currently serving our country.

Happy Independence Day!

The Eco Impact of Food: Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

Anyone who has read the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen or seen Food, Inc., Supersize Me, or any other type of movie or book like this knows that the way we consume our food from ground to table, is a system that needs help. Our current industrial food system needs help...it's not good for the environment or good for our health. Anyway, at some point in the past year I have slowly evolved from eating whatever to actually looking at what I'm consuming. I'm not going to pitch a fit if the food I eat isn't super healthy or eco-friendly. I like junk food as much as the next person. But my choices have slowly gotten more healthy, more whole, less synthetic and processed ingredients. And its not because I don't like french fries and soda, it's because anyone who actually knows what goes into their food will attempt, in the long run to choose better.

I don't eat beef. When I cook at home, I try to pick humanely treated, hormone free, naturally fed meat. If you want to go vegetarian, fine. But picking humanely treated meat will definitely lower your meat intake. 1) It costs more 2) It tastes better so 3) a little goes a lot further.

I have a garden...with zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber, corn, and winter squash...
I buy local at a produce stand and the farmer's market...
I go to organic, all natural grocery stores...
And I buy mainstream foods, because sometimes you just can't do without that Oreo.

I look at the eco-impact of the fish I eat...Look at salmon for example. The wild population in Alaska is the best kind to eat...the population in Washington state is being overfished. And farmed salmon releases a lot of pollutants to the water and the fish are fed a vegetarian diet...salmon are carnivores!

So eat what you want...but know exactly what you are eating, because maybe, just maybe, that will help people become more aware of what we are doing to our earth, to give them a motivation to protect it. To eat in a way that is good for our bodies and our environment...Just...KNOW WHAT YOU EAT!

Red Beans and Rice with Sausage (serves 4)

Ingredients: 1 can red kidney beans, 1 c. brown rice (cooked according to package directions), 1tsp ground chili pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 tbsp fresh, 1 bay leaf, 2 bun-sized sausage links such as polska kielbsa (sliced), cheese, sour cream and salsa to serve

Directions: Mix the beans, herbs and spices, and sausage in a pot. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to heat through and add flavor. Serve over the rice with the cheese, sour cream and salsa according to your preference.

Enjoy!

Out to Breakfast: Avocado BLT Scrambled Eggs

Mimi's Cafe...true, it's a chain, but their food is wonderful. Mixed Berry pancakes, french toast, ciabatta sandwiches, avocado blt omelets, sweet muffins...it's like finding your favorite breakfast over and over again. Now the avocado blt omelet left a bit to be desired, but here is a recipe for avocado blt scrambled eggs you can try at home to make your palette soar.

Avocado BLT Scrambled Eggs (serves 2)

Ingredients: 1 avocado, peeled and sliced; 1 tomato, half sliced, half diced; 4 slices of bacon, cooked, 1/2 c. spinach, chopped; 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp milk; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/2 c. shredded cheese blend; 1/2 tbsp butter

Directions: Mix the eggs, milk, salt, cayenne pepper, and half the cheese in a bowl. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the eggs, spinach, and diced tomato. Scramble the eggs until cooked. Divide the eggs onto two plates and top each with half the remaining cheese, and half each of the bacon, tomato slices, and avocado.

Enjoy!

You can inherit a love of food...

My grandmother loved food. She was growing up during the Great Depression, so I am not exactly sure how this love of food developed, but I remember with great clarity wacky cake (a recipe developed during the Great Depression for a desert that didn't have a lot of flour or sugar) served with fresh whipped cream. I even managed to overdose on the whipped cream as a little girl...to the point where I wouldn't eat it again for many years.

My grandmother was a gourmet cook who loved Frank Sinatra and Broadway musicals. She was vibrant and funny, and very stubborn. She was definitely in charge of our family, a crazy matriarch who made sure her opinion was not only known, it was followed.

I remember the first time I tried hot tea...with my grandmother. Raspberry flavored, always raspberry. My grandmother loved fresh raspberries and anything with a raspberry flavor. When I went to college I found this little candy shop that sold locally made twists (kind of like twizzlers) that came in a raspberry flavor. Granma couldn't get enough of them. So I always brought some when I came to visit.

If it is possible to inherit a love of food, Granma would definitely have been the person to inherit from, but not anymore. She died last evening. May all of our family remember what a wonderful woman she was.

A crazy, wonderful, loud, stubborn liver of life.