The space between rustic and refined

You may think granola is not refined...but I am telling you, this recipe makes an almost unrecognizable granola.  It's a bit like oat candy, more savory than sweet, complex, tasty.

Most of my day was spent in the kitchen yesterday with a nice break in between to spend some time with my honey.  (We ran errands and had lunch.)

I made granola, sautéed-braised cabbage/onion/apple, made pizza three ways (Daiya cheese on one, mozz on the other, turkey bacon for Cap, pork bacon for the rest of us) and cooked up another shakshouka (with Japanese eggplant this time, highly recommend).

I tinkered with this great pizza crust recipe and the results were happy-making.  Cap has been our resident pizza maker for years and he gave my pizza the thumbs up.  I am stoked to share in pizza making! 

Sag and I have some bean digesting sensitivities so I am decreasing my use of garfava flour which is a go to flour for many gluten-free cooks due to its higher protein and flavor profile.  (We don't use sorghum, another GF favorite for its texture profile because it doesn't agree with Gem's system).  I used M.A.G.'s all purpose rice flour bend for the base of the pizza crust.  I very unmethodically used less than 2 cups and subbed in some almond flour.  (Apparently one can sub in almond flour 1:1 for any GF flour called for in a recipe, up to 50%, without changing the end result too much.)  

Then, even more unmethodically, I added about 1/4 cup of arrowroot powder.  Because I remembered that "all purpose" means a mix of grain and starch...a skosh too late.  I figured (correctly, as it turned out) that the recipe could take it.  The result was a soft crust with a hint of chewiness and a nice toothsomeness created by the golden flaxmeal I used to handle the very tacky dough when working it onto the pizza stone and baking sheet (not toe self: put a pizza stone on the "to do" list...)

I didn't take a pic last night because I was too busy getting dinner on the table, and afterward, cleaning up and preparing the shakshouka.  But, here's a shot of this morning's cold pizza...

I enjoyed some of the shakshouka for breakfast this morning with two eggs.  And thought about making mistakes.  And being a kinesthetic learner.  And how this third batch of shakshouka was the best one of all because of the tweaking and learning I have done along the way of making it over and over again.  (For example, the ingredient list calls for a specific amount of salt but then never calls for it in the body of the recipe so, I believe I left it out the first two times.  Last night I tossed it in there at the start of the 20 minute stirring-reducing.)

Off to practice Qigong.  After that, it could be anything...hanging/folding laundry, baking oatmeal-raisin cookies, braising some pork shoulder, reading my book, diving into a mess of paperwork, finishing up the food shopping, watching Life of Pi (which I recorded weeks ago), doing something with one kid or the other or both, making a phone call or two or three...the possibilities are endless it seems.

Oh, and I can pickle those radishes!

Peace and love.

Oatmeal raisin cookies

Cap loves oatmeal raisin cookies and, sadly, this is the first time I've made them for him.  I looked at two recipes over at Gluten-Free Goddess, but due to laptop mishaps (my iteration of the Macbook Air has a hardware bug that has mostly just been annoying, but this morning it did an unexpected buggy total shut down which is untenable...must bring it in to the mothership), focused on the one with eggs and chocolate chips in it.  I subbed raisins for the chocolate chips, coconut sugar for the brown sugar, brown rice flour for the sorghum and millet flours, and potato starch for the tapioca starch.

The verdict: these look better than they taste.  I am highly motivated, though, and am already thinking of tweaks.  Next batch I will use half brown rice and half almond flours.  (There was a slightly sandy quality to the cookies.)  I may also pick up a bag of sweet rice flour and try a batch with that and almond flour.  Also, I am going to reduce or eliminate the nutmeg.  It's possible that our nutmeg is going stale...but it just tasted strong and almost bitter.  Finally, I was left with a strong sense of the absence of butter.  As much as I love my Kerrygold, I do not often miss butter in the GFCF food that I make.  So, this experience stood out.  I may try a batch with butter.  Cap eschews dairy, generally, so I'll see what he wants to do.  (He has not tried a cookie yet.  Gem hasn't tried one, either.  Sag thought it was okay, he said it was flaky.)

Peace and love.

GFCF pizza

It's a quiet day here.  Gem seems to be moving away from the mystery virus as a more garden variety cold settles into his system.  Sag is reluctantly going about his homeschooling responsibilities as his brother continues to take it easy.

I slept (yay!) and also seem to have a slight cold.  Cap left early to pick his Japanese charges up and host them for the day.  We don't expect to see him for dinner (or much of him at all, really) till the weekend.

I did not make it to the Y or to practicing Qigong at home, but I did make the kids oatmeal for breakfast.

After breakfast, I did some online shopping.  Without realizing it, shopping for clothes and footwear for the kids and myself has become a Fall ritual.  It feels akin to collecting and burying acorns while it also seems, upon the slightest glance of thought, to be just the opposite.

(I measured the kids' feet and their growth never ceases to astound me...size 8, people, men's 8!)

Here's a preview of the insane robe I ordered for myself.  I have been looking for a robe for years...like, five, six, seven years.  Until I spotted this one, I never saw a robe that appealed to me, or, felt worth the money I was being asked to spend.  There were aspects of this robe that drew me immediately.  I liked the color (though I am not typically a blue girl).  It looked exceedingly comfy and warm.  It was undeniably unique/vintage.

But, it took me awhile to decide to click "purchase" because...well, see for yourself...

I am fully open to the possibility that, in person, this robe will be untenable.  But, also, it may be so much awesome.

On another shopping note, I have been both impressed and suspect of the great deals I've been snagging online.  Land's End strikes a balance between feeling economical and providing a product that looks good and holds up well enough not to be offensive.  I still think of them as L.L. Bean's lesser sibling, but my esteem of Bean keeps going down with their bait and switch moves.  And if you live near a Land's End store, the ease and convenience of returns increases to bonus levels.

I found a staggering deal on eBay that confounded me so much that I decided to shut my brain off completely and go for it.  A sweater that I could only find at the full retail price of $130 (at REI and the Smartwool websites) was selling for $54 including free shipping.  New with factory (but not retail) tags.  Whut?

This morning, with some googling, I was able to reduce the cost of my order at Sierra Trading Company and get free shipping.  Their prices are discounted already, so the additional $50 reduction was super sweet.

Alright, enough with all that.  Pics to follow as things arrive.  After shopping, I headed into the kitchen to make some pizza.  The kids did not need me much and I was feeling inspired.

I used M.A.G.'s recipe.  The first order of business was to put together a batch of her High Protein flour blend.

There was flour blend left over so I pulled out my beloved labeler and stored the good stuff in the fridge.

Handling this pizza dough was moving.  It was simultaneously damp and pillowy and felt so damn good.

While the crust pre-baked I fried up some on-the-edge pancetta, pulled out a jar of marinara and the opened bag of cheddar-style Daiya.  While the pizza baked with its toppings, I cut up some cuke and grabbed the leftover cooked carrots.

Voilà.  My first GFCF pizza.  (I probably made one years and years ago, maybe in Sacramento, but honestly don't remember.)  Making this was remarkably simple and straightforward.  Sag, the gluten-eating pizza-loving kid loved this pizza.  Gem was lukewarm on the cheese.  I promised to make it with mozzarella-style Daiya next time.  Also, he tends to like the Daiya cold, after it has been melted.  We'll see if he likes this better cold, as a snack.

I was very happy.  I found the crust pleasing...it hit the sweet spot between soft and substantive.  I have some pastured ricotta from the farmer's market and would love to make a white pizza for myself with garlic and roasted zucchini.  Mmmm...

Peace and love.

Push it

Wednesday, despite it being the dreaded day 2 of my period, was a breeze.  I cooked and cleaned all day and we had a lovely and delicious common meal.

Thursday I crashed.  I was super tired (what used to be normal) and couldn't stop eating the leftover chocolate rice crispy treats.

Friday morning I slept in...a sign of recovery.  I was on the outer edge of grumpy.  I was grateful for the chance to gaze at art with my honey.  I was somewhat productive at home.

And now, it's Saturday.  Time to push.  And finish.  I'm a great starter, still figuring out this finishing thing.  I have cooking (short ribs; beef sliders), packing (and more packing) and lots of cleaning (would love for our mouse friends to not be tempted to come and party while we're gone) on deck.

Yum

I have been wanting to make these since the recipe came across my virtual desk a few weeks ago.  Four ingredients, of which three are regular pantry ingredients?  Preparation time of 15 minutes or so (plus time to sit in the fridge to cool)?  Covering something in chocolate?

Yes, please.

I served this up as dessert at common meal last night.  It was a big hit for kids and grown ups alike.  Gem, our GFCF kid, felt there was too much chocolate on his.  I don't think that will ever be something that computes as a problem for me.

Now that my day of cooking and cleaning is behind me, I am glancing at the behemoth that is preparing to go away for a week.

I will be interspersing the making of lists and checking things off one by one the next few days with finishing this and going to this.  And breathing deeply.  And practicing.

Peace and love.

Creamy quinoa

It was so tasty I was down to my last bites before I could tear myself away to grab my camera.

Yesterday afternoon I spent some time pulling out cookbooks and trying to meal plan.  One of the books, 3 Bowls, had a recipe for Creamy Quinoa.  It was so simple, and quinoa is so nutritious, I made note of it.

This morning, I realized we had quinoa (we usually do because Gem really likes it...but I don't make it often because no one else really does) so I made it creamy style.

Rinse 1 cup quinoa well and drain.  In medium saucepan combine quinoa with 4 cups water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to very low, cover and cook till thickened, about 30 minutes.  Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Serve hot with fave condiments.

When I lifted the lid at 30 minutes, the quinoa was thick, but I could still see liquid.  I turned the heat off and stirred the quinoa for a minute or two and the water absorbed quickly and the quinoa was ready, nice and creamy.

I had soy-free Earth Balance, maple syrup and wheat-free tamari on the table.  

Gem tried it sweet and then savory and could not get past the texture (his brain was not happy... oatmeal = creamy + quinoa = nubby and it's going to take awhile for the 'twain to meet).  

Sag had his sweet (I promised him Kerrygold butter next time) and was surprised that it wasn't totally gross.  He ate about half his bowl.

I loved it!  I wasn't planning on eating any because last I checked I was trying to get back to being fully grain-free and do Dragon's Way without non-veg or fruit carbs.  But, when Gem didn't consume more than a lick, I decided to eat his sweet bowl.

I found it more palatable than quinoa made the regular way, which I prefer mixed with other things, as in a salad.  (Unlike Gem who likes a big bowl of it with Earth Balance and wheat-free tamari.)  As far as creamy hot cereals go, I found the flavor of the quinoa to be more complex than oatmeal.  Good oatmeal has a firm place in the breakfast pantheon...but the creamy quinoa was quite special.

Peace and love.

Phew (and still going)

 zucchini egg bake.

 nimono.

 poppyseed-almond crackers.

 tamari almonds.

 meatballs.

banana muffins.

The coconut macaroon "batter" is in the fridge.  I will bake those before we go to common meal.  Cap is making a tuna pasta salad and salmon patty cakes tonight while I pack.  We leave tomorrow after breakfast.

Phew.

This and that

A few days ago, I said to a friend who asked me how I was doing, "I am feeling tired of being so sensitive to seemingly everything."

And then I kind of let it go...thinking, in part, it was the ranting of a PMS jag (though it came during my period...I'm calling it DMS) and not worth exploring.

But then, I mentioned it to Cap a few days later.

And then, this afternoon, I brought it up when I saw Vinny.

A few minutes ago, I went here and suddenly, I didn't think I was as crazy as I had started to recently feel.  (There is a lot of info at this site...the short of it is I was reminded of the world of HSP that is out there.)

It's a relief, just to take a breath (or two) and bathe in the positives and the actions available to me rather than the frenetic stabs of anxiety and confusion which can come with being very sensitive.

I've just requested this, this and this from the library.

: :    : :    : :

I spent the morning in the kitchen.  here are some pics.

I cannot get enough of this dressing.  But, I find the process of washing, drying and cutting (into thin ribbons) kale incredibly tedious.  So, I often think about this dressing, but choose not to make the salad.

*Ding*!  I had an epiphany over the weekend.  I could make the dressing and toss it with salad greens!  So far, the greens are holding up to the dressing nicely.  They may be soggy by tomorrow.  We shall see.

Gem is still not a fan of the protein smoothies.  But, I am continually adjusting and calibrating and he is reluctantly drinking them.  Sag and I find them quite yummy.

We brought home two of these 15 pound bags of organic "Japanese" rice (a California premium short grain rice) from Mitsuwa the other day.  I refilled our rice tub this morning and look forward to seeing whether the kids will notice a difference.  They sure do love their white rice and I have a feeling they will really enjoy this stuff.

Speaking of which, time to go put dinner together.  Have you tried quinoa pasta?  It's wonderful (and perfect for when I want a bit of grain...I am finding, so far, that quinoa doesn't make me bloat like rice does...and it doesn't make my brain foggy like wheat does.)

Oh shoot, I just noticed this stuff has corn in it (I had some at Donna's house last week).  My jury is still out on corn.  I don't feel any immediate negative results from consuming corn...but I do think it might have an addictive (sugar-y) effect on my chemistry.

Peace and love.

Some monday yum

Sag's big Mitsuwa treat is the curry rice.  I grew up eating Japanese curry rice (it is an incredibly popular dish in Japan, easily prepared at home with curry roux bars...curry rice is also very easy to find as an eating out option).  Eating curry rice is a major highlight of any trip Cap takes to Japan.  Sag has happily taken up the mantle of the next generation of curry lovers in our household.

Unfortunately, the roux contains wheat.  So, Gem has not tried it.  (Cap wants to learn how to make it gluten-free, but given Gem's taste buds, I honestly think there is no rush.)

For a long time we didn't make it at home because of cross-contamination concerns.  We never bake or cook with wheat flour.  Our cooking vessels and utensils are nearly virginal when it comes to contact with gluten.

Enter the single size heat-and-serve packets of curry: Sag's culinary life has changed forever.  From an environmental perspective (not to mention nutritional...this stuff is pretty processed), buying this curry kills me a little inside every time.

But, it's a treat, and an undeniable part of Sag's cultural heritage.

I am planning on doling these out no more than once a week.  (We squeeze out two servings per box for my still growing boy...for now.)

I don't even know why I'm posting this pic.  It really is kind of gross looking.  But, visuals are nice!  Mondays seem to be my braise/slow cook a big pot of meat day.  It's a way to have "go to" protein in the fridge for the rest of the week.  Today it's Homestyle Braised Pork from Nina Simonds' book.  This is a simple and very tasty recipe which I haven't made in way too long.  I am off to remove that top layer of scum off the yummy pork and broth and take the Dutch oven off the heat.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Put one foot in front of the other

Kale salad.  So delicious.  And green.  But...but...but...I washed the kale this morning and then left it to dry between tea towels while I did a bunch of things (made a pot roast, visited with Leo and Danielle, made lunch for the kids, drove them to a playdate, picked up some things at the supermarket (see below), confirmed with Tiina that she's feeling a bit better today and didn't need dinner stuff, drove Cap to work, pre-ordered a book for Gem at the bookshop in honor of his Name Day tomorrow, picked up the kids)...and then, it took me over an hour to put the salad together!

I was pretty Zen about it.  Took my time like the manatee that I am and ignored the voice that piped up every now and again, the "this is so frikking boring!" voice.  Over an hour, pulling the leaves off their ribs, slicing them in ribbons, chopping garlic, chopping dates, chopping anchovies, zesting oranges, zesting a lemon...

I am looking forward to eating it.  For the next couple of days.  The kale holds the salad up really well and it tastes even better the day after because the dressing gets absorbed nicely.

We have a new mission, Cap and I.  To see if we can increase proteins and fats in Gem's diet.  He is growing taller, but hasn't gained any weight since last Summer.  One of our ideas is to make him protein- and fat-rich smoothies.  He loves a good fruit smoothie.  We'll see how this goes.  (This path may lead us to buy something I have been coveting for awhile: a Vitamix!)

(For the record, I think this is a positive exploration and I am not worried.  Cap and my brother were both very skinny as kids.  And, because Gem has been allergic to milk since he was eight weeks old, he doesn't consume most of the typical protein- and fat-rich foods that kids eat in our society.  Can he stand to be eating more protein and fat?  I think so.  Is he unhealthily skinny?  I don't think so.  Let the fun begin.)

Brilliant

This dish is brilliant.  Shared by Jules Clancy at Stonesoup, it's a modern day and super simple version of Spanish tortilla patata.  Sag and I marveled at the potato flavor...even as the chips stare at you while you eat, it didn't taste like you were eating potato chips.  Gem didn't get the potato flavor at all.  He doesn't like eggs.  He ate nearly his whole slice, but in the end, it was too eggy for him.

Sorry, but Jules' website is down at the moment so I can't link to it.  Check it out sometime!

Aloft

Maybe because Cap is away.  Maybe because Solstice fast approaches.  Maybe because of hormones.  Maybe because of lunar rhythms.

I feel a bit ungrounded.

The morning was spent in the kitchen.  So, at the very least, various ingredients did not go to waste (a dark secret of mine for sure, how much food I waste).  And, the kids and I will be well nourished for the next couple of days...that stands for something doesn't it?

I loved seeing the hearts in the butternut squash...this beauty is from the farm.

I couldn't quite capture the energy, the vibrancy, of the orange.  But, it caught me.

My brunch plate: kale salad with anchovy-date dressing, flank steak and ranch dressing I whipped up late last night to balance out the potato chips I ate while catching up on Boardwalk Empire.  (Yup, hormones...and no, chips are not Paleo/Primal!)

I did not have all the ingredients, like fresh dill, I ended up subbing in Penzey's Sunny Paris and using a good 1 1/2 Tbs. of it.   This herb mix is the bomb, by the way.  I have been all over it and a Penzey's spice mix called Arizona Dreaming, too.

Last week, I had some bananas that were quite ripe.  The kids love banana bread, but I don't love how time consuming it is to bake.  (Our tried and true recipe calls for lots of ingredients, etc.)  I did a quick search and decided to make some 'nana pudding.  There were issues in securing the needed silken tofu, the bananas went too ripe, but now I had an itch needing to be scratched.  I bought more bananas, had another tofu issue (the recipe, rather than stating 1 and 3/4 blocks of tofu, called for 25oz. of tofu...I don't read recipes that carefully so foud myself short quite a bit of tofu...), and finally, was ready to make the pudding.  Once the tofu was blitzed in the food processor, I realized we were out of vanilla extract!  Luckily, I was able to scrape off the last teaspoonish from the bottom of the powdered vanilla.  The pudding tasted promising...it was so quick and easy to prepare (if you have all the ingredients handy :-)  It is chilling now.  (Soy is also not Paleo/Primal...I'll be eating this sparingly.)

I don't know why I keep trying, but this dish is so delectable, that even though it doesn't look like hot stuff in photos, I keep taking them and posting them.  When I cooked up the meat last night (I had to convert the ground turkey from raw to cooked...this was the good stuff from the farm and I did not want it to go to waste), I noticed that serrano chile is an optional ingredient.  I don't cook with chiles (yet...?) so I decided to toss in some Arizona Dreaming with the garam masala.  Quite the melange that could taste like a party-gone-wrong-on-acid in one's mouth.  But, it tasted pretty good!  I liked the heat imparted by the Arizona Dreaming (ground ancho, onion, garlic, paprika, citric acid, lemon peel, chipotle pepper, red pepper, jalapeño, cocoa, natural smoke flavoring).

Chicken salad.  I love chicken salad.  I love roasting a chicken, or simmering one for stock, and having a batch of meat to shred or dice up for chicken salad the next day.  Gem likes his pretty straightforward.  So this is just chicken (mostly breast) seasoned with salt and pepper, mixed with a few dollops of mayo.

There was a lot of chicken.  So I dug out the homemade and boxed broth from the back of the fridge, sautéed leek, garlic, ginger, celery and carrot, poured in the stock, tossed in some chicken, a big ass bay leaf and a vegetable bouillon cube...brought it all to a boil and then let it simmer for about 30 minutes.

Normally, I would feel pretty satisfied and content after a morning of cooking.  This afternoon, not so much.  Observing...and knowing that this...ennui with an edge of agita...that seems ironically rooted in feeling like my head is floating far above my body...this too shall pass.

A kale salad and some cheese

This recipe and its ingredients have been hanging out and/or withering in our kitchen for awhile.  I'd originally planned it for Sag's family birthday celebration.   I thought I'd make it again when my parents were here on Sunday.  Happily, the latest bunches of kale held up well, so I was able to make the salad today without another trip to the store.

I've only taken a bite, and it was tasty.  I thought it would be more savory, less sweet.  Maybe it just depends on the bite.  Between dates and anchovies the flavors are strong in both directions.  I decided to use the zest of 1 lemon instead of 2.  I like lemon, but often find things too lemony.

I have this new cheese coming to room temp.  After hearing Lana rave about New Zealand dairy recently, I asked for some at Whole Paycheck (the new cheese guy is so personable!), but they didn't have any.  I sampled some Aussie cheddar and then some of this stuff.  English cheddar with sea salt on the rind.  Yummy!

Off to take the temp of my bigger-than-usual bird which looked a bit underdone after two hours...and to a late lunch of kale salad and cheese.

Doings

Buzzing from caffeine.  I've been enjoying Golden Chai lately.

Hanging and folding laundry.  Pulling items gently out from under the dog who loves sleeping on large soft piles of clothes.  Long undies special ordered from Japan arrived with Jiji.

Roasting a pastured chicken from the farm with salt, onion, garlic, thyme, lemon and olive oil.  It smells heavenly.

Trying to appreciate that the dishwasher is finally fixed.  And not waste energy being pissed at the landlord.  Amount of time landlord knew there was an issue downstairs with a slow leak: almost a year.  Amount of time we went without using the dishwasher: 1 month.  Amount we asked landlord to take off our rent as compensation for exceeding "reasonable" amount of time to repair the dishwasher: $75 (he declined).  Amount of time it took for Angelo to fix the leak: under an hour.

Listening to Cat Power and waiting for some old school Aretha to arrive for me at the library.

Looking forward to dinner tonight with common meal friends.

Waiting for gifties to begin arriving in the mail.  (Not a strong suit of mine, this waiting thing.)

Pondering what to present my mom at our family Secret Santa.  I'm thinking of knitting something...it's hard to get started after such a long hiatus.

Working and reworking the holiday card over at Kodak gallery.  Stamps are bought...hope to get them in the mail before 2012...consensus is a worthwhile but time consuming process.

Procrastinating on learning Sweden for Sag...I promised I'd play it for him as a Christmas gift.  Must practice!

Organizing local homeschooling Minecrafters for a gathering here...because my kids don't have laptops which would allow them to meet out somewhere (as had been initially suggested by a mom whose kid is looking for other kids into the game).  Hoping for a good time.

Reeling from the latest twist from Dexter.  Wow.  In the very best way.  (Sorry if that was too spoilerish.)

Wishing you peace and love wherever you are, whatever you've been doing.

Wheel-y

Feeling just north of lousy.  This orange-purple carrot made me happy.  Still having to wash all dishes, pots, utensils by hand.  Cleared out sad and old veg from the fridge...they are compost-bound.  Made a loaf of bread machine bread.  Veg soup is simmering as I type.  The broth is homemade chicken stock.  Ginger, garlic, onion, celery, carrot, daikon...all but the ginger from the farm.  May roast some delicata squash later.

Cap is working with the kids this morning.  I'm going to catch some rest before it's time for me to be back "on".

Nom, nom, nom

I made grass-fed beef sliders and guacamole for dinner.  So tasty and satisfying. 

This eating Paleo/sugar-free, grain-free thing is really changing my eating life.  I was completely satisfied with one slider with a mound of guac on top.

The guac:

2 ripe, organic avocados
1 clove of garlic, minced (to taste...I like it garlicky)
juice of 1/2 lime (to taste...I like a hint of lime)
a dash of wheat-free soy sauce
salt (to taste)
optional: chopped, fresh cilantro...minced red onion...chopped, ripe tomato...

Mush the avo to desired chunky/smoothness, mix in garlic, lime juice, soy sauce and salt.  When it looks and tastes good, you are done.  Serve immediately.

Tomorrow, I am making the moussaka.  So excited!

Light

There is something poignant about the light which burns itself out at the end of a November day in the northern hemisphere.  I have come to love Fall as an adult...as much as it tends to challenge me.

The music in the church was wonderful this morning.  It was funny being in an Episcopal church named St. Luke's...that was the name of the Episcopal church I belonged to growing up.  Many architectural elements and details of the inside of the church seemed nearly identical to my memory of my old church.

Sag came with me, but early music turned out not to be his thing.

The kids and I began watching a documentary about the Galapagos while I folded laundry and Sag worked on his poster for the Lego Robotics tournament.

I made kale with bacon for lunch and it was delish.

Sag and I went to his team practice this afternoon.  He is not pleased with the growing intensity of "work" and specifically, "homework", that this endeavor is involving.  As this is our first time participating, there is a learning curve for both of us.

Cap and the boys and Daniel are out back shooting some baskets before the Pats game.  I am heading back to the kitchen again.  Rice and beef sliders for dinner.

Out-of-the-oven

Serious, serious, put-down-the-fork-and-walk-away deliciousness...  Oh my goodness.

Savory

The fragrant Rogan Josh (Indian lamb stew) is braising in the oven.  My first lamb stew.  Yum.  (Recipe tweaks: I didn't have the spice mix so Googled and made my own...also didn't have mushrooms...and added minced fresh ginger.)

Cap arrived home early this morning and is now up on campus.

The kids and I are having a somewhat leisurely morning.  I've been cooking.  They've been reading and hanging out.

Later, comic book store, picking Daniel up at school, and common meal.

Now, some dealing with slips and sheets of random paper.  I've discarded what can go and now must organize what is staying.

 

 coriander, garam masala, paprika, cayenne, nutmeg (no turmeric or mace).

Nesting

An intensely nesting sort of day.

The kids and I woke up to realize that we didn't hear Cap leave for Seattle in the wee hours of the morning.

After a quick breakfast (oatmeal for Gem, nachos for Sag), we whisked ourselves to Whole Paycheck for a few items.

Then, for me, it was all about cooking.  For them, about joining a Minecraft multi-player server and hanging out with Owen in there.

I made almond poppyseed crackers (grain-free), roasted sweet potato spears (the kids love these), Paleo bread (not pictured), and turkey-stuffed acorn squash.  I keep forgetting the turkey-stuffed squash recipe calls for red peppers.  They would look so much better studded with some red color...

I also have the season's first chicken stock going on the stove.  Tomorrow, there will be soup and chicken salad.

It feels good to be using up the CSA stash.  (I made apple sauce and tortilla patatas yesterday.)  We still have dozens of apples and I picked up a few veggies at our farm's stand at the farmer's market.  It is never ending, this cycle of making and eating good food.

I have been achy most of the day.  Dust doing its nasty business in my system.  Possibly brewing into a cold.  Off to fold laundry and watch an episode of Luther (I started watching it for Idris Elba, who is fantastic in it, but I am digging Rachel Wilson even more.  Sadly, this is not for the faint-of-heart.  There are moments of intense and gruesome violence.  Yes, I mean you, B.)

A peaceful Sunday to you.