Sunday, October 30, 2011

four-bean vegan chili

this "musical" chili proves that meat is not needed to make flavorful, hearty food. in fact, the vegetables and spices truly shine when they are not coated in animal grease. see for yourself!

four-bean vegan chili
adapted from the best vegetarian chili in the world

yields about 8 cups/servings

ingredients:

1-2 jalapeno peppers, minced*
2 sweet bell peppers, green and red, seeded and chopped
1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
3 1/2 C (or 28 oz. can) crushed tomatoes
1 T chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper, to taste
2 C cooked (or 15 oz. can) each of black, pinto, kidney, and garbanzo beans
directions:
1. gather ingredients. chop peppers, using gloves to protect your skin from the jalapeno oil. if using fresh tomatoes, pulse in food processor until chunky.

2. heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. stir in garlic, peppers and carrot and cook a few minutes.

3. add tomatoes and seasonings, to taste. bring to a boil.

4. stir in beans, cover, lower heat and simmer about 25 minutes.

add cooked grains, like quinoa or millet, and serve over greens for a balanced meal. or dip with your favorite bread or chips.
you can "fatten up" the flavor a bit with a tablespoon or two of butter. i like the flavor of earth balance's soy-free vegan butter. it tastes great!
 *edit: one jalapeno makes the chili medium spicy and two very hot! for a mild chili, discard the seeds from the jalapeno or omit jalapeno altogether.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

meet your strawman

this is a short, informative video. to give you a brief description, when you are born and your parents register your birth with the state through a birth certificate, a legal fiction, or a "strawman" is created. we are led to believe the NAME is who we are, and when we accept the name, we subject ourselves to their authority/jurisdiction. the truth is, you are not the NAME, the NAME is owned by the state, and the NAME is a fiction, when you are in fact a living, breathing being.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

tomato sammies

what makes the end of the csa season so sad is saying goodbye to our tomato sammies.

 

'til next year, you delicious little monsters.


these sandwiches are heirloom tomato, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, liberal amounts of salt and pepper, and a yummy cashew cheeze sauce (leftover from cheezy kale chips) on toasted sprouted ezekiel bread. a nice mix of raw and cooked.

an all raw version:

 on dehydrated pumpkin seed bread with crunchy kale chips

a cooked/fried version:

on whole grain bread with tater tots 

tomato sandwiches are also great with eggplant bacon, vegan mayo, cole slaw or sliced avocado. pair with a bowl of veggie soup for a hearty, homey meal.

***

i'd like to say thanks for your tips and laughs on the last post with my blemish issue, and for not thinking i was totally gross and removing me from your blog list.=) i'm happy to say it's feeling much better, though it's still a sight to see. less red though and on it's way to healing. 

of course i squeezed it but gently this time with cotton swabs. then i dabbed a bit of coconut oil and tea tree oil on it before i went to bed. if you see me, please laugh at it and don't pretend it's not there. let's just acknowledge it and move on, mmmk?=)

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

things i'm looking forward to

a day in the garden, harvesting and cleaning up
a cross stitch project (it should be cute!)
the super annoying zit on my face healing
sharing my squash and escarole soup recipe
a homemade pumpkin muffin for dessert
and a trip to the library (the good earth, i'm coming for you!)

what i'm enjoying now - a full belly from a quick and healthy meal, a clean sink, and sharing my thoughts with you lovely people.=)

a funny story for the mature readers:

i texted my mom today to ask her how to dry up a zit. but i described the zit as being full of puss. puss-y. so she read the text and saw how do i dry out a p*ssy zit! aghhh! no, mom, it's on my face! yikes!=)

so seriously, how do you? in the past, i've always just squeezed the bejeezus out of my pimples. john says to leave it alone. i'm wondering if i should treat it with a hot compress and tea tree oil. thoughts?

Monday, October 24, 2011

organic csa week 16: the final haul

green leaf lettuce, broccoli (there was a limit, which is why you only see two heads and not ten) acorn, spaghetti and kabocha squash, spinach, cabbage, eggplant, tomato, bell pepper, kohlrabi, bok choy, cilantro, sage, rosemary and thyme

 siamese squash

 kabocha, my favorite

beautiful broccoli

celebratory s-muth-ies

cheers to muth family farm's 10th year of community sustained agriculture, and to many many more!

i had a chance to talk to farmer muth today who said this was his roughest growing season yet, with hurricane irene and record rainfall. funny because i thought this season's bounty was better than the last! poor farmer muth said he thinks he's aged 20 years, but that talking to the people he grows for makes it all worth it. on his site he says it's truly a labor of love. aww!

breast cancer prevention tips from a cancer survivor

not only is cookbook author and host of her own cooking show christina pirello a cancer survivor, she healed herself with a macrobiotic diet back in the early 80's. here she tells her amazing story:


below, her take on breast cancer awareness month and real preventative measures. a must see for all!


another preventative step i take against cancer is using only all-natural deodorants free of aluminum-based compounds found in most antiperspirants. either i make our own deodorant with this recipe or purchase crystal essence roll-on deodorant and body spray for mid-day freshening. when i don't have to go out into public and in the winter months, i don't wear deodorant at all. i'd rather smell a tad ripe than battle a terminal disease. are ya with me?

Sunday, October 23, 2011

more photos from smithville

last fall when my mom and i went to smithville, we only walked around the shops. this time i was a little worried that alaina would quickly get bored. little did i know there was a carousel, spooky train ride, and a pet costume parade going on. the place was closing when we finally got alaina to leave!

 my niece alaina loving the carousel


 alaina and zelda

a socially conscious boutique

 cutesy fall crafts

 Cracked... Earthquake=)

 the smithville express

 
choo chooo

 alaina with my mom (her g'amom) admiring the lake


a little bit about smithville:

smithville is a small community located in the new jersey pine barrens, about 15 miles from atlantic city. smithville remained rural until the 1960's when the town center (where we were) opened for tourists. the town center has a colonial feel with cobblestone streets. it's home to many roosters, geese and stray cats. my family has been enjoying visits to smithville since i was a child.

stella and zelda

on a recent trip to smithville my mom, niece alaina and i were pleasantly surprised to see a pet costume parade taking place. we met cuties named willy (like my late pup), bilbo baggins and isabella, and fell in love with two bulldog daisies: stella and zelda.


 




and it looks like the feeling was mutual!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

thursday harvest


before heading to the community garden today, i ate a yummy bowl of mexican pizza leftovers with fresh bell pepper, heirloom tomato and cilantro from muth's csa. (our pizzas were simply sauteed mushrooms and bell pepper with back bleans, atop a raw pizza crust smothered in guacamole. mucho yummo.)


i'm so grateful to still be harvesting lots of goodies. as our first expected frost is just a few weeks away, i'm really taking it all in.


we've been using great big heads of escarole like the one above with cannelini beans and veggies for phenomenal fall soups. i make jumbo batches and pack it in jars to bring with me for lunch.


these beauties are from volunteer plants in my home flower garden. does anyone know what they are?


the zinnias in the flower garden are still putting out buds and vibrant blooms. (i'm still shocked over what anne said about 'em... that zinnias are the only flowers she and susan the hired woman aren't friends with. can you believe it?! blasphemy.)


and so here we are finally at thursday's harvest: escarole, arugula (more like arugul-ugh - i'm so sick of it) blue curled and red russian kale, collard greens, sunset lettuce, plantain, peas, and jalapenos from a neighboring plot.


today's home garden harvest was oregano, carrots and spearmint. i've got a cute idea for handmade gifts that has something to do with dried mint leaves and jars. but first i must master the sewing machine.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

two yummy reppies to pass on

reppies - slang for more than one recipe.

yes i just made that up, and yes i know it's cheesy. 

but not as cheesy as your mother angela's butternut squash mac 'n cheeze.=)

...which has been getting rave reviews by the way, and rightfully so - it's effin scrumptious!

and i love that roasted butternut squash makes the cheese sauce. a culinary genius, that girl is. 


the one slight change i made with the recipe was subbing roasted garlic for garlic powder, which roasted with the squash in the ovie (oven). next time i will double the reppie and freeze the rest. (ok, i'll stop.=)

 angela also taught me how to roast garlic
(hehe, i was so close to writing angie.=)

while i roasted the squash and garlie (garlic - ahh, sorry i had to! that's how john says it. i'll really stop now)...

while the squash and garlic roasted, i prepared an easy vegan creamy potato-leek soup to have for lunch and dinner a few times this week.


the soup was rich and tasty. again i subbed roasted garlic, and i added a pinch of nutmeg, as i do with all my fall soupies. (you didn't think i'd really stop, did ya?=)

a walk in the park










Monday, October 10, 2011

organic csa week 14


muth's csa is back up and running. just when i think i had eaten my last local tomato, i'm welcomed by bins of heirloom jewels. tomato sandwiches for dinner it is!

baby bok choy, acorn and butternut squash, kohlrabi, bell peppers, basil, green leaf lettuce, leeks, mizuna

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Pumpkin Picking


John and I had fun with our nieces and nephews at a local farm this weekend. The weather was warm and the skies sunny.


A perfect day for fall fun amongst the corn fields.











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