Wednesday's Souper Soup & My Workout Routine

Here we are at Wednesday already.  I think blogging makes the weeks go by much quicker.  I'm always forward thinking about what I will write about next.  I'm glad I don't attempt to do this every day.  I think I would run out of ideas.  Those of you who know me well know that I rarely run out of things to say!  Last night I didn't really want to make soup as no one else was going to join me.  Hubby had a late appointment and missed lunch, so he ate "linner" and called it good.  Our son was at his girlfriend's and I'm assuming ate there.  Because a soup recipe was promised, I went ahead and made a HUGE pot of what I call Souper Soup.  It is sort of like cleaning out the refrigerator into the soup pot and it kinda got out of hand and I now have enough soup to invite all of my readers over to enjoy a bowl.

It was fairly easy and cooked quickly.  The time consuming part was chopping the veggies, but in reality it didn't take that long.  While the soup simmered on the stove, I got out of my work clothes into sweats and got my gym bag ready for the next day. Easy-peasy as I like to say.  I tasked my handsome husband as the pot watcher to make sure it didn't boil over while I was upstairs.

Most all of the ingredients in the giant soup pot

Add in the bunch of kale and squish on the lid

30 minutes later, tasty!  You like how I captured the steam?

So here is the recipe for my Souper Soup:

SOUPER SOUP

2 cups carrot juice

8 cups water or 4 cups water and 4 cups no sodium vegetable broth

2 carrots, diced

4 ribs of celery, diced

1/2 head of cabbage

2 zucchini, diced

1 cup sweet potato
1 to 2 onions (I have to omit this for allergy reasons)
4 cans of no sodium tomatoes  (1 pureed)
1 bunch of kale, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. no-salt seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh basil 
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can cannellini beans
2 cups kidney beans

Add all ingredients to the soup pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until veggies are soft.

It's the easiest soup EVER!  If you want it creamy rather than broth-y, just scoop out about 2 cups of the soup and blend in your blender with 1/4 c. cashews.

Now for my workout routine.  I love to work out at the gym on these chilly days.  I wouldn't dare show pictures of me doing so, but trust me, I am there more mornings than not.  I try to make it six to seven days a week.  During the workweek, I do 30 minutes of cardio, usually an interval routine or running on the treadmill, no more than about 22 to 25 minutes and then a little weight routine, doing a different muscle group each day.   On the weekends all I do is cardio.  I really can't wait until spring/summer when I can do a little running in the mornings to start off my day.  Since losing a bit of weight (nearly 50 lbs I must say) it seems more enjoyable to run and get in a really good cardio workout.  My joints don't hurt like they used to after a vigorous, heart-pumping fast walk or light jog.  Maybe this year I'll go for my first 5k. 

Since I don't have pictures of me working out -- who would want to see me all sweaty with wild hair, anyway? -- I'll share with you a cute little cartoon that my friend Carrie posted on my Facebook page.  I truly am not meant for cold weather and am aching for some time in the sun.  There is hope, however.  I will be attending a Fuhrman Getaway in San Diego in a few months so I will definitely get my fill of sun then.  Until then, I bundle up and try to keep warm!

Thank you, Carrie!

Well, enjoy the rest of your week & I will be back here on Friday with a random posting of something I will think of between now and then. 

My weekend foods

I hope you had a good weekend filled with healthy eating.  Mondays are great, sometimes going back to work can be a relief from the chores at home.  I was pretty busy this weekend, cleaning, purging and organizing.  I felt so productive.  But then again, I didn't do too much creating in the kitchen, unless you call the mess I made a creation!

Saturday and Sunday mornings after a good workout is always an opportunity to make a good breakfast and sit down with my hubby to chat about what the day holds for each of us.  Kind of a way to connect.  I've always felt it important to eat meals together and since we've started a routine of going to the gym on the weekends, it gives us two more meals to be together.  Growing up we always ate dinner as a family.  I have very vivid memories of those times around the table; Mom at one end, Dad at the other and a kid on each side.  Whether we made faces at each other, shared our stories from the day or sat in silence, the four of us were sharing a meal together.  I guess that's one thing that I have carried with me into my own house.  I know as time goes on, the times that all three of us are together at mealtime will become fewer and fewer.  Most nights we munch and chat and laugh and tease.  I cherish those moments because I know soon it will just be the two of us, staring across the table wondering where the time has gone.  Hopefully it won't get to the point where we rely on making faces at each other!

Wow, I totally went off topic there.  Anyhoo -- Saturday's breakfast was what has become a favorite.  My breakfast skillet takes on a different twist each time I make it.  This weekend I used a roasted garlic clove, peppers, mushrooms, frozen corn & tofu.  I tried "frying" the tofu without the little bit of oil this time and it worked!  It firmed right up and got a little crispy outer coating on it.  With the addition of the corn, it really had a Southwest flare to it, so I topped it with some leftover Not-Yo-Cheese sauce and a spoonful of tofu sour cream.  A very hearty breakfast indeed.  My intent was to serve this with a dish of frozen fruit that I had thawed, but those previously frozen berries didn't look too appetizing, so I tossed them in the Vitamix with a little nut milk, a couple of dates as a sweetener and vanilla.  Voila! We had a light berry smoothie.  Our tummies were satisfied.

Alex and his girlfriend made quesadillas for their lunch, so I stayed out of the kitchen until they were seated at the table.  Then I used the leftovers of my lentil tacos to make collard wraps.  I'm gonna have to work on my technique to wrap with collards.  I've never had them at a restaurant, so I'm not sure how to do it.  Mine fell apart.  Anybody know the best way to do it?  From pictures I've seen it looks like you're supposed to use multiple leaves and overlap them so it creates many layers of greens, not like a tortilla.  In any event, it was good.  I love those lentil tacos.  If you haven't seen my many blogs about them, you can get the recipe here and you can also get a great recipe for cheese sauce and vegan sour cream from fellow blogger, Carrie.

In the afternoon on Saturday I had a meeting and then church, so I relied on my stockpile in the freezer.  Mushroom chili was a great way to end the evening.  I piled mine onto a bed of fresh, raw spinach.  Oh, and another topping of cheese sauce.  Maybe I'm eating too much of it.  That's okay.  Nobody else in the house has tried it and are steering clear -- all the more for me!

Sunday I went bonkers and cleaned out the upper cabinets in my kitchen and the pantry.  Gads!  What an ordeal.  You know how when you start those projects, the mess is greater than the problem when you started?  Yeah, it looked like my kitchen and dining area had been bombed, but bombed with little bags of this and that.  It's now all been organized.  Yes, I put labels on everything.  My pantry looks like something from a military kitchen  -- though I've never seen a military kitchen, I can only imagine that things are lined up in orderly fashion... alphabetically.  Okay, it's not exactly in alphabetical order, but there is no room for misplacement of containers.  Everything has a place!  Perhaps that will help me to not buy another bag of red lentils or quinoa!  I need a "do not buy" list rather than a traditional shopping list!

I worked up quite an appetite with all that purging and cleaning!  Dinner was something of a summertime barbecue what with portabella mushroom burgers, crunchy coleslaw with sesame orange dressing, baked beans and a fruit smoothie for dessert!  Last week when we had the burgers, I forgot to take a picture, but I remembered this weekend to take a couple.  I'm obviously not a food stylist.  One of these days I'm going to convince my hubby to become my photographer!  He has much more experience in that area than I do.  I just want to cook & eat!

Ahhh, tasty burger!

I stole the main recipe for the coleslaw from Healthy Vegan Fridays.  The recipe is here.  I adapted it a little bit in that I didn't use the sesame oil that it called for, just used a little orange juice instead.  I thought it was good.  And the baked beans were yummy.  I'm not usually a baked beans person, even in the middle of summer, but this wasn't bad.  Maybe they were better since they didn't come from a can and I knew they were relatively healthy.  I will include the recipe below.

For the burgers, marinate them for about 20 minutes in your favorite vinegar.  Because of the chilly, rainy weather, I didn't feel like going to the BBQ, so I did them on the indoor grill.  They worked just the same; just that the vinegar scorched a bit and created a little smoke in the kitchen.  I managed to avoid setting off the fire alarm though!  That's always a good thing, right?!

I love this thing.  Cook stuff on top & bottom in half the time!

 

For the beans, I used a bag of cannellini beans from my freezer stash, so it was about three cups of beans.  I just mixed them with the BBQ sauce.  Any kind of bean would work.  Next time I'll try pinto just to get a little softer texture.

Beans before baking

my scrumptious summertime dinner!

 

I used a whole wheat bun for my burger, but my hubby used lettuce leaves.  It was a little messy to pick it up, so he opted for a knife and fork.

The meal in itself was satisfying enough, but sometimes I want something a little sweet afterwards.  So I made a smoothie... 2 cups frozen berries (half defrosted) and a little rice milk (about 1/2 cup) in the blender and you get this:

dessert smoothies -- full of nutrients and antioxidants!

RECIPE:

BBQ Sauce
2 cloves garlic
16 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
10 dates
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. black fig vinegar
1 tsp paprika
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder 
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 inch fresh ginger
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 tsp pepper

Adjust seasonings to taste.
Put all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.  Hold in the fridge (because of the vinegar) up to three weeks.  

Use as much sauce as you'd like on the beans.  I baked mine for 45 minutes at 325.

Hubby even used some of the sauce on his mushroom burger.

Well, I hope your week is off to a great start.  I know mine is going to be fairly quiet.  That will give me some time to plan more meals for the upcoming week, including a new soup recipe for Wednesday.  Check back here then when I'll give you some more ideas for healthy eating.

Make it a good one!

Friday's Delicious "Dessert"

Did you have a good week?  I sure did.  It was a short work week and has ended with a bang!  We had some friends over last night for dinner.  They are just getting into the nutritarian lifestyle, so I shared with them Chef AJ's easy lentil tacos.  I served them up with some vegan sour cream and what we named not-yo-cheeze; both recipes from fellow blogger, Carrie.  She is adventurous and creates her own recipes.  I just steal borrow them, and with her permission I repost them on my blog! 

I said I would share my most favorite dessert EVER today. I wouldn't really call it a dessert, but more of a snack.  You know at night when you're watching that last TV show before you head off to bed or checking your email one last time and you have a little bit of the munchies?  Why not try this... slice up an apple, get yourself a little dish of almond butter and a few currants or raisins.  It's an adaptation of the old "bugs on a log" thing with celery, peanut butter and raisins.  I love it!  It's sweet yet has a little savory from the almond butter.  Here's what it looks like.

I wouldn't necessarily serve this for company, though my friends may have appreciated dessert last night (I forgot to create something) but we ate well, I don't think anybody missed it!

On another note, you know how much I enjoy a cup of something warm and creamy, right?  Well, fellow blogger, Carrie (there's her name again) introduced me to something called Teeccino.  It's a coffee alternative.  It contains nothing but healthy herbs that are roasted and you brew it just like coffee.  It contains no acid, no caffeine.  You know the coolest thing?  You can make it up into a latte and you don't have coffee breath afterwards!  It is quite yummy and I can see this as being a replacement for at least one of my two coffees a week that I enjoy.  Here's a few pictures of the mocha I made this morning. 

I used my French Press.  Even looks like coffee, doesn't it?

I warmed up a little bit of soy milk and voila!

Looks like a latte!  And don't you love my cool travel mug?!

Brews like coffee, looks like coffee, doesn't really taste like coffee, but it is warm, slightly sweet and creamy.  I say WINNER!

That's all the news that's fit to print from this girl today.  Have a great weekend & I'll be back here Monday with something about the weekend kitchen trials. 

This "Cheezy" Kale Soup May Surprise You

It's Wednesday of a short work week and I'm already looking forward to the weekend. Having an extra day off gave me more time for fun, relaxation and time in the kitchen.  It has me craving more.  Kind of like when I eat something not so healthy a sugary food, I just want more.  It's addicting, that time I spend chopping, mincing, washing.

I forgot to share with you that over the weekend, in addition to experimenting with baked goods, my pressure cooker got a workout!  My freezer is now well stocked with four different types of beans.  They will last us a few weeks.  We tend to use a lot of beans.  They are a great food to help you feel full.  It may seem that beans are calorie dense, but not all the calories are absorbed.  As a matter of fact, because beans do not digest completely, fats bind to them and are passed through your body.  That's why beans are known to lower cholesterol.  So that old saying of "Beans, beans the magical fruit..." well, it's true.  They are magical!  Eat them at every meal!  Well, maybe not EVERY meal, but a couple of times a day so that you get at least one cup each day.

Beans... that brings me to my soup recipe for today -- it actually calls for yellow split peas, but beans nonetheless.  I tried out Dr. Fuhrman's Cheezy Kale soup recipe.  (You can read about my love for kale here.) It has no cheese in it; it just tastes like it does.  I can't quite figure out what it is that fools your mind into thinking it contains cheese, but at this point, I don't care.  I just like it!  The soup has split peas in it so it's easy to get a little bit of your daily bean quota in a big bowl.

Yellow split peas are... well, yellow!

mushrooms -- one of the G-BOMBS! (eat daily)

I don't have a juicer, so I buy my carrot juice in a bottle.

Costco is getting good at carrying organic products.

Kale -- oh, yeah, Baby!

The finished soup.  Doesn't look so appetizing, but I say it is yummy!

And me in my kale shirt, just in case you missed it!

I won't tell you how much I screwed up and didn't follow the cooking instructions, but the soup came out delicious just the same. (I think.)  Let's just say should you happen to throw everything in the pressure cooker at once, it still works.  You will need to adjust the cooking time, though, to 12 minutes.  Then blend in the blender.  I think some of the nutritional elements may have been lost from cooking the kale that long, but it all worked. 

RECIPE:

"Cheesy" Kale Soup

 

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup yellow split peas

1 onion, chopped

1 cup mushrooms,sliced

2 cups carrot juice (2 pounds of carrots, juiced)

15 ounces tomato sauce, no-salt added or low-sodium

1 1/2 pounds kale, tough stems and center ribs removed and leaves coarsely chopped

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions: In a pressure cooker, cover yellow split peas with about 2 1/2 cups of water and cook on high pressure for 6-8 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except cashews and nutritional yeast and cook on high pressure for 1 minute. Release pressure and blend soup with cashews in a high-speed blender.
Sprinkle with nutritional yeast before serving.

To make without a pressure cooker:
Precook the split peas until soft.
Combine cooked split peas with all remaining ingredients except cashews. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until kale is tender (about 15 minutes). Add water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Blend with cashews in a high-speed blender. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast before serving.

I must give credit where credit is due.  Many of my recipes I have gotten from the Dr. Fuhrman site.  If you haven't checked out his diet-style, you might want to do that by clicking here.  I have been following his plan for about 18 months now, doing better in the last few months.  It does take some adjustment, some changes in thinking, but if you want to feel amazing, get better sleep, have more energy AND lose weight... all naturally, safely and quickly, this is the lifestyle to adopt.  It's not a diet... it's a way of life.  If you are interested and have questions, please let me know.  I don't get a kickback from Dr. Fuhrman; I just truly believe in this way of life.  I have seen incredible changes in my own life and the lives of many others I have met and helped to make the change.  Why not take the plunge today?

I will check back in on Friday and share one of my most favorite desserts EVER!

Monday Mixin's & a Breakfast Idea

Happy Monday!  My post is a little delayed because I was still in weekend mode and I hate to say, my blog got put on the back burner!  Did you have a good, relaxing weekend?  Catch a little bit of the football playoffs or a movie?  I hope you had healthy munchies while you enjoyed whatever it was that you did.  I tried a few things, experimented with a couple baked goods and had clean-out-the refrigerator (COTR) night.  That's what my mom called eating leftovers for dinner.  Now that I'm older, fix meals for a family and grocery shop only once or twice a week, I totally understand COTR night.  "We need to eat up what is in there to make room for the new stuff and I'm not fixing a huge meal only to create more leftovers night" is much harder to say than clean-out-the-refrigerator night.  A friend of mine calls those dinners OYO (On Your Own).  I think I like that too.

I really enjoyed the breakfasts I made both Saturday and Sunday.  They were similar, only Saturday's had Mrs. Dash added to it. 

 

 

It started out like this.

Start with some extra firm tofu.  For two people I used 1/2 a block.  Cut into cubes.  Pan fry it in about 1 tsp of oil for about 3 minutes.  I know I'm pretty strict on the no oil, thing, but you need it to make the tofu crispy on the outside.  Remove tofu from pan and set aside.

Your tofu will look like this.

In the pan with the leftover oil, add rinsed greens (I used three Swiss chard leaves, chopped) and mushrooms.  There will be enough moisture from the greens to get the mushroom sweating and when they are looking pretty nice, toss in your peppers and other veggies -- of course, you can add onions too.  Add a little water if you need, and whatever seasonings you'd like. 

Saute for about 3 more minutes and serve.  On Saturday we topped ours with fresh tomato and a couple of olives.  On Sunday it was sliced avocado that made for a perfect breakfast!

Yummy!

Grocery shopping netted a FULL refrigerator.  This week I picked up a couple of portobella mushrooms.  I'd forgotten how much we enjoyed these last summer as a burger replacement.  Now, you'll have to excuse me, because I was so excited to have a hearty, healthy dinner Saturday night that I forgot to take pictures of the final tower of goodness!  You'll just have to use your imagination.

I marinated the mushrooms in some black fig vinegar for about 20 minutes and cooked them on the grill just as you would a burger.  Our grill took about 20 minutes on the first side and about 10 minutes on the second side.  We have learned to make sure they are very tender when done; otherwise, they get rather stringy and tough to eat.  On toasted 100% whole wheat buns (a treat for us) we added the usual condiments that you'd have on a burger... lettuce, tomato, avocado, mustard.  I added a slice of soy mozzarella cheese!  What a dinner!  Like I say, I dove in and munched away before I remembered to take a picture.  Next time I make them I'll try to remember to snap a shot!

Sunday I spent a few hours experimenting with a couple of baked goods.  I was successful with one and notsomuch with another one.  Well, the granola bars weren't a total flop, they just need some tweaking before I can add a recipe here.

The chai clusters, however, were a hit!  I will post the recipe below.  This recipe needs a little adjustment, but it is quite tasty just the way it is.  It's just that I was looking more for the flavor that I would get with my chai tea, but these lack a little pop!  Next time I will add more of the stronger spices to see if I can achieve my goal.

RECIPE:
CHAI CLUSTERS

1/2 c. almond flour
1/4 c. raw sunflower seeds, chopped
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. cardamom
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut
1/4 c. currants
2 T oat flour   (made by grinding raw oats into a powder)
2 T almond butter
2 T maple syrup
2 T applesauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients except the almond butter, maple syrup and applesauce in a bowl.  
Combine almond butter, maple syrup and applesauce in a glass bowl and microwave for 1 min, stirring after 30 seconds.  Add to dry ingredients and mix well.  Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheet.  Bake for 7 minutes or until just turning brown around the edges.

Chai Clusters

I enjoyed my Monday holiday by getting some retail therapy and having lunch out with my dad and his wife at a Mongolian Grill restaurant.  That type of place is one of the few that I can eat at (and eat a TON for a good value) and feel like my food is not drowning in oil.  I control what flavors go in.  I love it!

The downside of eating this way is the fact that I do find that I'm shopping a little more often because it seems that my waist is still shrinking.  A girl needs new clothes every few months, right?!  It's good for the soul.

Anyway, I hear a cup of hot tea calling my name.  It was an enjoyable three-day weekend and tomorrow I'm back to work.  Check back on Wednesday when I will share a new soup recipe!  Until then, I wish you well!

Nutty Storage

TGIF to everybody!  It's been a busy week and I'm looking forward to a three-day weekend.  I plan on getting a lot done over the next couple of days, including a lot of cooking & studying (let's hope).  I tried out a granola bar recipe last night that I really like, but it was pretty basic, so during my cooking adventures Sunday I think I'll try to spice it up a little bit and create one of my own.  I will post my success -- or failure -- on Monday.

Those of you who know me well probably wouldn't expressly say that I am OCD or anal-retentive, just perhaps that I'm a little odd when it comes to certain things.  Some would say I'm highly organized.  Others might describe me as simple.  Well, you decide for yourself.  Below is a picture of my appliance garage -- you know that corner of your cupboard where you're supposed to store your coffee maker or toaster or blender?  Well, my blender (VitaMix) is too big and I use it too often to have it tucked away.  The toaster is big and cumbersome to slide in & out of the "garage" easily.  The food processor also sits on the counter too, much to my hubby's chagrin.  So what do you store in your appliance garage when no appliances are in there?  I put my little containers of nuts and seeds in there because I use many of them daily.  So check it out!

Yes, everything has a label, and I have three stacks... one for dried fruit; one tower is seeds and the other is nuts.  The far right is my container of oatmeal that is handy for my almost daily raw oatmeal breakfast.  There are shakers of hemp, chia, and flax seeds, all within easy reach.  I love my obsession; it helps everybody in the house know what we have.  My pantry looks somewhat similar, things in little boxes and containers lined up on marked shelves.  Don't you dare mix beverages with the canned goods!  It may cause me to hyperventilate! 

It's a short post today.  I'm re-thinking the variety of my subjects.  I think Mondays will be what I cooked over the weekend for the up-coming week, maybe include a recipe.  Wednesdays will definitely be a soup recipe, and Fridays will be some random subject.  Since I'm a creature of habit, I think my blog needs to have some structure too, and having set subjects on my blog days will just keep me in perfect harmony (with what, I'm not sure, but anyway...).  I'm also contemplating changing blog providers so I can have page tabs to store recipes, links to other sites, I can reply to people's comments, etc.  I just need the time to do some research on different ones that are out there.  Since my son has mastered WordPress, maybe I'll pick his brain and see what he has to say as to its ease of use.

On that note, have a super weekend, and those of you who have Monday off, enjoy an extra day!  I will be back Monday with a rundown of what I cooked on Sunday.  Have a healthy, happy weekend!

Split Pea Soup recipe

Ahhh, Wednesday.  We're half way to the weekend... a three-day weekend for some of us.  I'm looking forward to an extra day to get some things done.  I think I would like to work a four-day work week all the time.  I just don't know how that would be possible, though, so until then, it's just a dream.

Today's soup recipe is one that I made over the weekend.  It took just over 6 minutes to cook.  Notice I said "cook."  The prep time is longer than the cooking time.  It's a recipe of Chef AJ's, and it was absolutely delicious.  I love split pea soup, so this was perfect for me.  How do you make split pea vegan-style, you ask?  I was always hesitant to try other split pea recipes because of the lack of the ham bone (and we can't eat onions in our house) and wondering how flavorful they are.  With all the anticipation of tasting the wholesome goodness after the soup has cooked for eight hours, it's always disappointing when it doesn't meet your expectations.  I figured I'd give this one a try since it only takes six minutes to cook in the pressure cooker.  No joke, folks!  Put all the ingredients in, add boiling water, and literally set it and forget it!  The secret ingredient is added at the end after the soup is done, just before serving.  It makes it perfect!  I guarantee you it is good.  Using yellow split peas and sweet potatoes gives it a bit of a different flavor and texture.  The recipe definitely makes enough to freeze a few servings.  I gave a couple away to a friend and have been eating on mine all week.  I could eat it every day for lunch it's so delicious!

Gotta love my Instant Pot!

Chef AJ even notes on her blog that if you go to the Instant Pot website and use the code "AJ" at checkout you can get $45 off.  I did a similar savings promotion when I bought mine; the discount brings your total price to just over $100.  This is an amazing cooker and well worth the investment. I use mine multiple times a week.  It has many functions, including a slow cooker option.  It really is a pressure cooker for those who are afraid of the stove-top versions.  Brown rice in 12 minutes?  Yes!

Unfortunately, I made the soup and packaged it all up for my lunches and didn't take any pictures.

RECIPE:
 
SPLIT PEA SOUP
8 cups boiling water
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 pound carrots, sliced
1 whole celery bunch, cut up
1 pound split peas
10 oz. onion, cut
1-2 Tbls. salt-free seasoning

Spices:
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. smoked paprika
4 tsps. parsley flakes
1 bay leaf

Put all ingredients in your pressure cooker.  Set for 6 minutes.  Let pressure release on its own.  Add 1 capful of liquid smoke just before serving.  Tastes great right away, but even better the second day!

It sure has been cold here and I'm beginning to think I need a getaway somewhere warm.  One day this weekend I made a tropical fruit salad similar to this one.  I was unsuccessful in fooling myself that I was somewhere warm with white sand beaches.  Until I can have forever warmth, I will stick to my soups and drinking hot herbal tea.  And speaking of tea, let me share a bit about my tea.

Last year (or maybe the year before) my wonderful hubby found a tea shop in his wanderings.  He came home with what I thought was a funky tea cup.  It doesn't work too well for traveling, but I sure do like it at work and it is the best invention for loose-leaf teas.  No need for a tea ball or trying to tie up your tea leaves in a little bag.

It's a three-part contraption.  You put your tea leaves in the chamber, add hot water.  Screw on the drinking lid and then top it with the steeping lid.  When you're ready to drink your tea in three to five minutes, just take off the steeping lid and enjoy.  There's a little mesh strainer in the drinking lid that keeps all the tea leaves where they belong, in the chamber.  The double-walled cup keeps your tea hot (with the lid on) for up to two hours and the tea doesn't get bitter. 

 

Since I got my cool tea cup, I have seen many people with them.  I love it!  We have some tea that really comes to life when you pour in the hot water; it looks like you're drinking swamp water... swamp plants included!  I usually get questions and funny looks if I enjoy that variety of tea while at work.

Drinking herbal tea has been a great replacement for my morning hot creamy drink -- whether it was a chai, green tea, or coffee latte.  I still indulge just twice a week in a rather innocuous special latte, but on the other days I relax before my workday starts with a tall cup of steaming tea.  What a great way to start the day, knowing I'm doing good for my body and I can spend a few minutes in prayer or meditation before the place goes crazy!

Come back here Friday to see what's new.  Sometimes you never know what will be coming!  Heck, sometimes I don't even know what's coming!  "See" you in a couple of days!

Monday Buzz

Good Monday Morning to you!  I hope you had a good weekend.  In my neck of the woods it was cold and clear.  I know the country is having some weird weather, but I'll take 28 degrees and clear anytime over grey clouds and rain.  Just don't start snowing on me.  Snow in this here part of the Northwest really messes with traffic and work, so as long as it stays in the mountains, I'm happy.

Last week I told you I would share why our house has been buzzing with excitement.  We are usually a pretty quiet threesome.  I like it that way.  I'm a rather quiet homebody, so when something gets the nest stirring, it's sometimes kind of fun.  You can just feel the energy here within the last few weeks.  So what is going on you ask?  Our son, Alex, has decided to follow a dream he has had for a number of years and is brainstorming on starting a non-profit organization.  Alex is a pretty amazing "kid."  I think I'm supposed to say that cuz he's mine, right?  Anyway, he has a heart of gold, great ideas and so much passion for the outdoors.  So put that together and you get a dream to help kids enjoy the wilderness.

I personally wanted to know more about his project and since we seem to be always going in opposite directions, I did what any mom of the 21st Century does and emailed him a few questions and he emailed me his answers back.  I decided it would be a good blog subject to get the word out as he gets this off the ground.  I hope when you finish reading, you'll agree with me that he's pretty amazing.

Q. Hi Alex. Tell my blog readers about yourself.

A:  My name is Alex Glaze, and I'm the CEO of an up-and-coming nonprofit called Adamo Outdoors: Youth Project.  I'm a wilderness EMT and have spent most of the last 10 years outdoors in many capacities.  Most of my time has been spent teaching skills to the Boy Scouts and to Search and Rescue, but I enjoy getting out on my own.  I've done some climbing in Wyoming and I love running in the Cascade foothills.

Q:  There's been a lot of buzzing at our house in the last couple of weeks or so.  What is going on?

A:  I've started the organization Adamo Outdoors: Youth Project, and we (the board and I) have been hard at work educating ourselves on running a business, developing a curriculum for our outdoor education, and all sorts of other smaller projects that will get Adamo Outdoors off the ground.

Q:   The name of your project is Adamo Outdoors.  What does that mean to you? 

A:    Adamo means “to fall in love with” or “to find joy in”.  The staff here at Adamo Outdoors finds great joy in the outdoors, as our name suggests, and we'd like to share that love with youth who may have never had the opportunity to experience the wonder that is the outdoors. 

Q:  What is the mission or goal of Adamo? 

A:  The mission of Adamo Outdoors is to provide an outdoor experience focused on education and development in a safe environment that fosters growth and creativity.  Basically, we want to get kids outdoors to learn and have fun. 

Q:  Who is Adamo?

A:  Adamo Outdoors is a large group of individuals -- young adults with dreams and vision for the future.  The contributors are innumerable.  As far as a concrete number, we are three strong -- Alex Glaze, Alex Dacy, and Noah Kime.  All Cascade Christian graduates, we have taken different paths in life that have lead to our unique skill sets that offer a diverse and effective approach to education. 

Q:  Why do you want this project to succeed so badly?

A:  I don't want any of this to succeed for me.  I believe that we are offering something that no one else is in a unique environment.  I want this to succeed for the kids, for education and generations to come.  I want to inspire memorable adventures that leave the youth with a new point of view and a new respect for nature and one another. 

Q:  What or who is your inspiration for this project?

A:   My starting inspiration is my time in the Boy Scouts and my grandfather.  Both of these left a lasting impression on me as to what it means to be a man and what it means to be an outdoorsman.  I  continue to be inspired by the energy I'm surrounded with as folks find out about what we're trying to do and offer their support.  

Q:  Besides learning about the outdoors, what will the kids gain from their outings? 

A:  Adamo Outdoors supports five areas by which we operate our business and which we instill in youth as we teach.  They are: Integrity, Respect, Self Reliance, Critical Thinking, and Care for Each Other and The Environment.  Whether we are sitting around the fire talking about the day's events or rock climbing, our five values are always promoted through speech and actions.  We aim to develop character along with skills.

Q:  What is your biggest roadblock right now to getting this off the ground?

A:  Cost.  Plain and simple (and no matter how much we don't like it) money makes things happen.  We can't file our paperwork with the Attorney General until we can pay for the fees.  

Q:  Where do you think the adventures of Adamo will lead YOU? 

A:  From my time teaching with the Boy Scouts and Search and Rescue, I know that I will learn just as much from these kids as they will learn from the guides.  I'm not 100% sure where the adventures will lead me, but as always, we at Adamo Outdoors will be prepared for whatever is around the corner...with our boots on and compass in hand.

Now, doesn't that just make you want to lace up your boots and hit the trail?  I sure do!  I am positive that with the drive and motivation Alex has to make this project work, it won't be long before you see a group of kids meandering off into the wilderness for a few days of unplugged peace in the woods with a couple of guides who have so much to offer!

This whole thing makes me wonder what I have to offer.  Maybe I could be doing more.  It's definitely got me stirring and digging a little deeper into my heart to see what more there is there.  I'll think about that for a few weeks.  For now, I'll close up this post.  Watch Wednesday for a new soup recipe.  Can you possible make split pea soup in just six minutes?  I think you can!