five.....garden to table dinners for two

the growing season is over for the year here in boulder, colorado which is always sad because i love my garden and all of its bounty but i have to admit its also a bit of a relief as i am feeling near boredom exhaustion with weeding, monitoring, thinning, transplanting and fighting pests. what i will miss most as the cold arrives, are my morning wanderings through the colorful vegetable and herb beds concocting ideas for dinner inspired by what is ripe and ready. this summer, i kept a photo journal of some of the fresh garden to table dishes i created for me and paul celebrating seasonal vegetables, hard work and the rich rewards of a summer garden.

this year, we planted swiss chard in our shady raised bed alongside lettuce, spinach, rocket and other greens. i had in mind making spanakopita when i planted the tiny seeds and was looking forward to when the deep green leaves were ready to be picked. i used this quick & easy spanakopita recipe substituting my beautiful swiss chard for ho-hum frozen spinach thawed and drained (bleh!). it turned out just like the dish i had been dreaming of.

i made ratatouille at least three times this summer because i actually couldn't help it. with the zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, onions and herbs all raising their hands to be picked, i can make everyone happy, including me and paul, with this delicious dish. i followed once upon a chef's ratatouille recipe this go 'round. we like ratatouille served over warm polenta and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese. a summer veggie classic with a cool french name.

this meal was a paul sunday lunch special. (he never uses a recipe - cooking comes so naturally for him) the garden to table feature is the roasted cherry tomato, onion and fresh herb side dish that brightens up the plate. we planted three cherry tomato plants this summer which kept us running. the day before, i had picked two bowls full of the savory cherries and paul used about one third of them which helped. the rest were tossed, along with handfuls of regular-sized tomatoes, into making a cream of tomato soup to freeze for many up and coming winter weather suppers.

slurping homemade corn chowder with potatoes, fresh corn off the cob and thick bacon sprinkled on top felt decadent but.....whatever. it was a cloudy, cooler day so we dove right in, enjoyed it and all the world felt right and comfortable. i'm still working on the timing of harvesting our corn. sometimes it doesn't look quite ready but then sometimes when it looks ready to pick, its a bit past prime. i also have the pressure of the all-knowing raccoons helping themselves to the corn whenever they want to. during the night, they can strip a corn stalk and cob like no one's business and leave the remains for me to clean up. naughties.

i used our onions to make this divine french onion tart and served it with a tossed green salad made with our veggie garden ingredients topping it with bright nasturtium blossoms from the herb garden. they add a strong peppery tang! onions were a first for us this year and we learned a thing or two. first of all, onions are a kindly and very undemanding vegetable :) secondly, we didn't plant them deep enough so i don't think they grew as big as they could have. finally, next year i will plant them closer together and many, many more. when we harvest the rest of the onions, i want to make an onion braid to hang in the pantry. i remember my mom doing that once when i was younger and i thought it was so cool. harvesting, cooking, serving and eating garden-fresh seasonal vegetables is one of life's simple pleasures.

a good marriage

is a contest of

generosity.

                                   - diane sawyer

five.....power bowls

gabi and i were on our own last week as paul was traveling overseas with business meetings in singapore and vietnam. when it's just the two of us for dinner, we make what we girls love to eat, food that is light, simple, fresh but filling. gabi needs light, powerhouse meals to fuel her hours and hours of dancing and i need filling meals to support my new year commitment to eat three meals a day...only. i'm a snacker, nosher, i graze through my day.

power bowl dinners fit our needs perfectly! is it just me or does eating out of bowls seem to be all the rage at the moment? you've got power bowls, buddha bowls, super bowls, etc. we know we love them! i followed specific power bowl recipes but there really aren't any rules, so just get creative and go for it. before going shopping, check what you already have in your fridge and pantry then get yourself a bowl and throw in:

a base of leafy greens or grains - brown or white rice, barley, polenta, couscous, rice noodles 

a protein source or two which also includes plant-based proteins - tofu, tempeh, quinoa, beans 

lots and lots of vegetables and touches of fruit, think color - fresh, dried, sautéed, baked

and top with a freshly made dressing - endless delicious possibilities!

this was our power bowl week:

monday: southwest quinoa power bowl with honey lime dressing

yum!

tuesday: sesame shrimp with asian greens rice bowl

can't go wrong with shrimp and edamame and the sauce is also used as a marinade.

wednesday: salmon salad power bowl

loved the touch of fresh, sweet raspberries.

thursday: chicken power bowl with crispy baked garbanzo beans

the sauce was delicious and i've never had crispy garbanzo beans before, loved them!

friday: korean bbq tofu bowls with stir-fried veggies and quinoa brown rice

isn't the purple cabbage gorgeous? this was my favorite bowl of the week!

here's an idea.....power bowls are a great option for party food. beautifully lay out a build-your-own-bowl buffet with a variety of grains, proteins, vegetables and sauces and invite everyone to make their own. 

hey, this sunday would be a perfect time for a super bowl.....super bowl party!!

five...all natural spring cleaning recipes

in the middle of spring cleaning this week, an unseasonably late winter storm hit colorado bringing freezing temperatures, school closures, icy road conditions, grumbling, complaining and two feet of heavy, wet snow wreaking havoc on trees with their new leaves and full branches. paul and i spent hours knocking snow off our trees as it continued to fall through the day and into the night. will winter never end?

back inside, since it was no fun outside, i continued on with my spring cleaning schedule. this year, i decided to choose options for making and using all natural cleaning recipes. i'll share the new to me as well as tried and true recipes i've always used. 

 monday: tile and grout cleaner

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide

1 teaspoon dr. bronner's liquid castile soap

mix ingredients together and store in a resealable jar. 

grab a toothbrush and start scrubbing that grout.

tuesday: copper polish

white or apple cider vinegar

table salt

i was given this cute copper pot as a wedding gift from my aunt kathleen. i love this pretty, little thing but it definitely needed some tlc after all these years. setting the lid and pot in the sink, i poured vinegar over the entire surface and sprinkled salt on the copper, gently scrubbing with rubber gloved hands. in no time at all, my pot was bright, shiny and looking like new. now on to polishing the silver.

wednesday: homemade soft scrub recipe

1 part each: table salt, baking soda, distilled water

a few drops essential oil (i used idaho blue spruce)

mix ingredients together in a glass jar. spoon a dollop onto the sink's surface and scrub everywhere with a sponge. grab that toothbrush again to work on the seams and corners.

on wednesday, i attacked all of the white sinks in the house, actually all of the sinks in our house are white. if there is one simple pleasure that can brighten my entire day, it's having bright, white sinks. beautiful!

thursday: degreaser

2 cups very warm water

2 tablespoons baking soda

2 teaspoons liquid castile soap

15 -20 drops lemon or orange essential oil

mix ingredients together in a glass spray bottle. spray on surface to be cleaned and wipe with a clean cloth.

on thursday, i only focused on cleaning my range. greasy burners, greasy back shield and shelf, greasy vent hood. yuck. to finish up, i even cleaned my oven. (yep, that definitely feels better :)

friday: glass cleaner

1 cup distilled water

1 cup white vinegar

juice from 2 lemons

20 drops lemon essential oil

in a glass spray bottle, mix distilled water and vinegar together. add the lemon juice and lemon essential oil, mixing gently.

my mom has used this streak free glass cleaner recipe since i was little. ok, i've amped it up a bit by adding distilled water and essential oil. but, i can still remember one of my spring jobs as a little girl was cleaning the storm windows my dad had taken off and put on the grass for me to work on in the backyard. (hey, whatever happened to storm windows?) with my vinegar spray bottle and crumpled up newspaper i'd get to work spraying and wiping until they sparkled. i just beamed when they met with dad's approval and were ready for summer storage.

now all is shiny and clean inside! and well, at least someone is happy outside and enjoying the snow.

five...overnight oats

overnight oats are the answer to early, busy mornings. i made this 'night before' breakfast for gabi and paul for valentine's day and they loved it so much i decided to make this week's mornings filled with 

a variety of more healthy takes on the idea. there is no set recipe for this go-to breakfast but this is how i build them bottom to top:

- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

- 1/2 cup milk (2% for paul, skim for me and lactose-free or almond milk for gabi)

- 1/4 cup yogurt - plain greek or with fruit

- handful of any fresh fruit we have around

- and then.....i go for it.....choosing anything from the pantry that makes a delicious combo with the fruit

- cover, label (paul, janet, gabi) and set in the fridge overnight 

- in the morning, stir together, add more milk if needed, savor the deliciousness and out the door we go

*the only challenge is remembering to put them together the night before

monday: cubed apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla essence and tossed in some walnuts

tuesday: blueberry yogurt, blueberries, almond essence and tossed in some sliced almonds

wednesday: sliced banana, honey, nut butter, peanuts and tossed in some carob chips

thursday: sliced strawberries, vanilla protein powder, vanilla essence and tossed in some chia seeds

friday: chopped pineapple, almonds, agave, coconut and placed a cherry on top - should have tossed in some green......

a very happy st. patrick's day to you. 

five.....one skillet dinners for mid-winter evenings (hygge food)

when winter has settled in and four layers of clothing becomes non-negotiable, all one wants to come home to at the end of an icy cold, gray day, is a cozy fire and comfort food - a warm, welcoming hug from a big, strong husband doesn't hurt either.

here are five delicious and easy one skillet dinners i made for my family this week that will leave you feeling satisfyingly snug, warm and hygge and even more hygge - my new go-to word.

i was tempted to title this post "ode to the cast iron skillet" as the pan i used for all of the dinners has been a permanent kitchen fixture since i can't remember when. perhaps it was a wedding present or maybe a garage sale find from our newlywed days? wherever it came from, it has been indispensable. if you don't have a cast iron skillet, i would highly recommend adding it to your stovetop collection. cast iron skillets add significant amounts of dietary iron to your food, are easy to clean simply wiping after each use, synonymous with comfort food and only get better with age. here is a great youtube video on the subject.

monday - skillet roast chicken with parsnips and fennel

tuesday - skillet beef stroganoff

wednesday - chicken chili casserole

thursday - cajun lentil cornbread casserole

and for tonight - chorizo carbonara

gathering family together for a warm winter's meal cooked and served in a cast iron skillet - definitely hygge.

five.....christmas cookies

christmas baking. it's the best.......

christmas cookies. some to keep, some to give away.......

minty meringue kisses are a new christmas cookie we are enjoying this year. i added mini chocolate chips to the recipe folding them into the meringue with the crushed candy canes. since that still wasn't enough chocolate, i dipped their bottoms in melted chocolate chips.

mama's gumdrop cookies are an overnight success. meaning, i made the dough the night before, rolled each half of the dough into a log, wrapped logs in plastic wrap and chilled them overnight. in the morning, it is a quick bake in time for school parties or any festivities you have during a fun day.

white-chocolate cherry shortbread i saw these featured on pinterest and was so taken by their color i just had to make them. i mean, can you resist?

peanut butter blossoms these are our family's go to traditional christmas cookies. it is also a tradition to buy two bags of kisses. one for the recipe and one to eat while making the recipe. 

linzer cookies i was given a set of linzer cookie cutters from a friend and have been wanting to make them for a couple of years. basically a shortbread and jam sandwich cookie. winner!

happy christmas baking.

five.....autumn harvest soups

our favorite time of year has arrived and we are in an autumnal mood as tomorrow we welcome home.....october.

gabi and i have a pumpkin spice candle burning, we've baked pumpkin cookies and are wearing sweaters or hoodies in the cool of the evening. we are also in the mood for soup. 

since paul is traveling overseas this week and at home we are harvesting the last of our garden vegetables, the two of us decided to make a week of soup dinners featuring homegrown: 

tomatoes, corn, carrots, zucchini and butternut squash. 

(we'll freeze some for you paul, you won't be missing out.)

sunday: tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

monday: corn chowder and spinach salad

tuesday: carrot and ginger soup with kale salad

wednesday: zucchini soup and gabi's homemade cornbread loaf

thursday: our all-time family favorite butternut squash soup and artisan wheat bread

(we're going way back in the archives for this recipe, 6 years, scroll down in the post, be patient, have a chuckle, it's there :)

have a lovely weekend.

five.....bath soaks

ever since i repainted my footed bathtub, i've been enjoying long morning soaks, bubble baths and

other relaxing benefits of bathing, instead of showering, much more often than before. sorry, shower.

who knew a fresh coat of paint would make bathing more enticing?

and now that summer is here with its carefree days and early morning light, it's become a ritual.

here is a tried and true collection of calming, natural bath soak combinations i recommend to peacefully begin or end your day.... 

for soothing skin and calming the body

honey oat and epsom salt soak

1 cup oats 

4 - 6 tablespoons raw honey

1/3 cup epsom salt

4 - 8 drops essential oil

finely grind oats in food processor or blender. add honey a little at a time pulsing between additions. when combination looks crumbly, add epsom salts and pulse for a few seconds. add drops of your essential oil choice and pulse just once. add a spoonful or two to your bath and store remaining in airtight container.

for relaxation and gentle detox

lavender detox soak

1 cup epsom salt

1 cup baking soda

1/4 cup dried lavender blossoms

2 -3 drops lavender essential oil

mix ingredients together. add 1/2 recipe to your bath water. sit in bath for 20 - 40 minutes for body to detox and absorb minerals. detox bathing is recommended twice a week.

for soothing irritated skin, loosening muscles, relaxing

homemade milk bath soak

1 cup epsom salt

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 cups powdered milk

1/4 cup coconut oil

20 drops of one or more of the following essential oils:

chamomile - relaxing and soothing

lavender - relaxing

orange - mood lifting, fresh

peppermint - refreshing and invigorating 

combine all ingredients, stirring until evenly combined.

transfer to an airtight container. soak for at least 20 minutes to reap full benefits.

*our snowball bush and lilacs are in bloom so before bathing, i marched outside in my bathrobe and picked a bunch to float in the bath. 

moisturizing tub tea

i made my own tub tea bags, ordering the tea bags from here. 

feeling like i was getting this tub soak thing down, i filled the bags with a combination of whatever i felt like: powdered milk, mineral salts, epsom salts, vitamin e oil, essential oil and dried flower petals. 

in a bowl, mix your chosen ingredients together so the oils are evenly distributed. use a small scoop or your fingers to fill the tea bags with your personalized mixture. seal the open end of the tea bag with a hot iron.

while filling the bath, hang a tea bag on the bath spout. toss a couple tea bags into bathwater, climb in and relax.

energizing, invigorating and refreshing

*peppermint and garden herbs bath soak

1/2 cup chopped fresh, green herbs and leaves (peppermint, pine needles, sage, rosemary, thyme)

1/2 cup epsom salt

1 tablespoon baking soda

few drops each eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils

use a small food processor to coarsely blend fresh leaves and epsom salts together. spread salt and herb mixture on sheet of parchment paper and air dry for 1 - 2 days. the salt works quickly to pull moisture from leaves and needles, preserving the bright green color.

in a small mixing bowl, combine the dried herb salts and baking soda. stir in a few drops of essential oils and store in airtight container. 

pour loose bath salts into warm bathwater. enjoy the rejuvenating scents and benefits.

*my favorite bath soak 

five.....boxed school lunches

 2,500 is the approximate number of school lunches you will have made for your child 

from preschool through twelfth grade. wow!

if you have more than one child..........well, you do the math.

 all i can say is well done, you've mightily earned a gold star or let's make it 2,500 gold stars!!

through the years, making healthy school lunches for my five children has been a
self-assigned, nurturing morning task.......
it makes our very early weekday mornings (out the door by 6:15 am) run smoothest.

lately, with my fifth and final child now in 10th grade, i've felt unenthused, uninspired and bored with this familiar and previously comfortable morning routine. i wondered.....why?

and then i did the math.......

approximately 11,500 school lunches over 24 years

.....well, that was easy to diagnose. i am experiencing school lunch burnout.
(those numbers also make me feel old)

come on, janet. you can do this!

so to shake things up and pull me out of the doldrums, we found gabi a sleek, new lunch box with fun compartments to fill and within a week my creative juices were flowing again and i was back on my game......simple.

           

monday: pasta bolognese, blueberries, pineapple chunk, cheese and crackers, rooibos tea

tuesday: paul's homemade gravlax on rye crackers, strawberries, cucumber spears, cherry almond bars, juice

wednesday: california rolls, nut mix, brie and crackers, snickers, bottled water

thursday: marmite sandwich, carrot sticks, butternut soup, apple wedges, lindt chocolate balls, juice

friday: homemade cashew butter and banana on rice cake, protein bar, melon, veggie straws, mandarin, walnuts, bottled water

happy gabi.

have a lovely weekend.