Eating Cleaner

The lifestyle changes I have been most looking forward to with my new job are related to health. Having more time to walk and exercise outside really helps me manage stress and improves my mood overall. I'm trying hard to adopt some new habits and eat cleaner. 

So on weekends, I'm not making pancakes. I've mastered great creamy scrambled eggs and on the weekends we almost always have eggs and fruit salad and I add toast or muffins for hubs and baby girl.

Some variation on this salad has become a staple because I'm addicted to arugula. I've made the salad at least five times in the last two weeks, including for a casual Sunday dinner party. I never used to eat poached eggs, but I love them with salads. This is the super-easy method I use for poaching eggs.

And what is really changing things up is gazpacho. I've enjoyed gazpacho before but never made my own. Having it at my mother-in-law's over the summer + the arrival of my new juicer + growing my own cucumbers = inspiration. I've been experimenting with both the juicer and my immersion blender. Now, I have about 10 quarts in my freezer and have been having it every day for lunch. I'm always playing around with different versions, but I have not been adding bread, which is called for in many gazpacho recipes. Again, trying to keep in clean.

With that being said, I did make a peach blueberry crisp and honey thyme ice cream for the dinner party this weekend. But the gazpacho and salad canceled it out, right?

Picking Strawberries and Making Jam

This holiday weekend Lindsey, Audrey, my mom, Audrey's BFF/cousin Ava, and I picked strawberries at Thierbach Orchards in Marthasville, Missouri. Then we made freezer jam with the girls. Three lessons learned:

1. Have supplies and/or know what you are going to do with the berries BEFORE you make the trip. We had to get more Sure-Jell.
2. Know when to stop. We picked way too many berries. Plenty for a couple dozen jars of jam and plenty to freeze. 
3. Frequently check your camera lens when picking strawberries. Somehow, mine got goo on it and several of my photos have hazy spots from this.

In the future, I may try a freezer jam recipe that doesn't use as much sugar. Mom's is the best, but I need to try to curb the sugar where I can. Making freezer jam is easy and was such a fun lesson for the girls. Thanks to mom for the field trip, supplies, and know-how passed on to us.

National Pie Day 2013

Today is National Pie Day, which I try to somehow commemorate on this site each year. Pie is a big part of most celebrations in my family. The most recent pie I made was a blackberry pie for a Christmas event with family. It was so delicious, I had it for breakfast. Audrey thought that was hilarious. What a great example I am am. (See sugar-induced, shaky-handed photo below.)

Today, our house sold! But instead of pie, I had a piece of flourless chocolate torte to celebrate. I'll make up for it at some point, I'm sure. Wishing you a big slice.

French Bakery

Cripes with the cuteness.

How to Visit a French Bakery from Olive Us on Vimeo.

Weekend Bits & Pieces

Thanksweenie was so much fun. Great news from newlyweds Jessica and Josh - they are expecting a baby in May. Her clever costume (see baby arms with Halloween basket protruding from her belly area below) alerted all of us to the great news. Our Thanksgiving dinner, oh my. I haven't eaten like that in months. The turnip applesauce casserole I made was a hit (who would have thought?). And Tonya made a chocolate cobbler that was wicked good.

Audrey passed the dime on Sunday morning. I know. TMI. But what jubilation! The five stages of Audrey swallowing the dime: denial, panic, relief, amusement, utter disgust. It was a little gross, my friends. Thankfully all is back to normal.

Cookie Monster

I haven't made a single batch of cookies all summer long. Something seems not quite right about that. My whole life I've dreamt of one day teaching my kid to bake. But since I've been doing a lot of hard work on my food issues, I'm just not baking as much. Or at all, really. Dessert is usually fruit and once in a while sorbet or a fruit juice popsicle. There was a time in the not so distant past where I would bake a cake, or some other giant pan of sweetness, at least once a week. Now, we celebrate the Tuesday arrival of our CSA box and Audrey gobbles cherry tomatoes like candy. She's asked to make gingerbread men at Christmas, but for the most part doesn't care too much (thankfully). And I'm content with saving baked treats for special occasions. So come Christmas time, look out! These are a few I want to try:
Butterscotch Cookies
Potato Chip Cookies
Thousand Layer Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Cream Peanut Butter Filling

Refrigerator Pickles

I've never made pickles before. But this is the second week in a row that our CSA box was loaded with cucumbers. And while Audrey can usually eat her weight in them, I thought maybe I should try to do something more adventurous. So I made these super easy no cook refrigerator pickles.

First, I used my mandoline slicer to thinly slice the cucumbers. The recipe called for 6 cups, which was about 9 cucumbers. I also used 1 - 1/2 onions from our CSA box, thinly sliced. These were layered in a glass bowl.

Next I made the vinegar and spice mixture. 

I poured the mixture over the cucumbers and let it cool on the counter for a couple of hours. I stirred it a couple of times. As the cucumbers yielded, more of the spice mixture covered more of the cucumbers and onions.

I used two Fido canning jars I purchased at Marshall's for under $3 and put the jars in the refrigerator where they are supposed to chill for at least four days. I can't wait to try them. Again, this was incredibly easy and I'm glad I found a way to use all those cucumbers. Now I have to figure out what to do with all the zucchini. I can't have zucchini bread or muffins hanging around the house. And I don't like relish. Do you have ideas?

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Pockets, 2005 (Wall hanging made from repurposed wool coat)
"Think Potato" Show at Las Vegas Contemporary Art Collective

Last night I made sweet potato wedges in the oven. Recipes for sweet potato fries are all over the internet, but this one is really easy, flexible, and healthy. A couple of weeks ago when we were eating dinner Audrey said, "Vegetables make you strong but potatoes make you happy." Wise girl. Technically, sweet potatoes aren't potatoes at all, but I think that lesson can wait until she is older.

Sweet Potato Wedges

• 2 large sweet potaoes, washed and patted dry. No need to peel.
• 1 tsp. to 1-1/2 tsp. olive oil
• salt, pepper, rosemary to taste*

1. Put olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary in large zip-lock bag.
2. Cut each sweet potato into 8 - 10 wedges. Personally, I like smaller wedges because they cook faster and end up crispier.
3. Put sweet potatoes in bag and shake to coat.
4. Arrange wedges on a cookie sheet prepared with cooking spray.
5. Bake at 450 degress for 15 minutes. Turn over/toss and then bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

*Instead of rosemary, you can use cumin and chili powder for a kickier flavor.

Weekend Bits & Pieces

I got my container flowers and herbs planted on Saturday, along with a little wildflower garden in the backyard. Then I took a giant nap before going to the bon voyage party for Libby. We tried two great new recipes this weekend. I took the blueberry streusel muffins to Sunday brunch and then made a three cheese polenta lasagna for dinner that night. Sunday night as I was painting Audrey's toenails, she looked at me and said, "I love this day." Gaw, that kid is perfect. My life is good.

Lemons Part 2

My slight obsession with lemons continues. 

Nicholas Party at Swiss Institute, New York

Heirloom Home Studio

Francesco Clemente, Self Portrait with Lemon, 2008

 

Lemon Botanical Print

 Lemon Dress

Three things

2 morels + 1 Bernie Kopell = 3 things I have this morning that you probably don't.

National Pie Day 2012

In honor of National Pie Day, I'm sharing some photos of favorite pies I've made and taking a look back at last year's pie post (with recipes!).

Perfect Peaches

Really. This is perfection.

S'Meaches from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.

Food: Albuquerque and New Mexico

Our first stop on our Albuquerque dining was the famous Frontier Restaurant. Since we had to get up at 4 a.m. to get to the airport on time and our layover in Dallas was so short, we were starving. As the photos indicate, we divulged in some serious bad for you, but oh so good, stuff.

Our first breakfasts at Los Pablanos consisted of polenta topped with eggs and their own farm made sausage and crepes with goat cheese, dragon beans, and other vegetables. The localvore and organic theme would continue with most of the meals on our trip.

Our second morning we were treated to what was one of my favorite dishes the entire trip--creme anglaise folded with whipped cream, fresh figs, and anise. Soooo good. Also on the menu, eggs benedict with fresh greens, and Danish pancakes with homemade applesauce and local bacon.

Our first night, we enjoyed the "Field to Fork" dinner at Los Pablanos and dined under the stars. The homemade pappardelle with rosemary brandy cream was especially lovely. I had our server take our photo because we never have pictures of us (together) anymore. So focused on Audrey.

Our last night, we dined at Jennifer James 101. Wow! Located in a very unassuming strip mall area, I was initially wary. But I had read great things and we were not disappointed. It is pretty small and the kitchen is open, which I loved. I could see everything. Our service was fantastic. I couldn't take photos without looking like a real rube, but I couldn't resist with the appetizer--a porter cheddar with green garlic jam and arugula. Simple and amazing. Lindsey got halibut with a summer succotash and basil aioli and I got a crab pasta with bacon. We shared a divine chocolate pot de creme.

On our anniversary, we ate at Max's in Santa Fe. I don't have pictures, but it was incredible. Treated to an amuse-bouch of watermelon gel with white wine foam and microgreens. I know. Sounds goofy. Surprisingly not. Lindsey got foie gras that he oohed and ahhed over more than I've ever heard. I had a stone fruit salad with buttermilk panna cotta, fennel, and balsamic. We both ordered the Wagyu flank steak with roquefort polenta and wild mushrooms. Um. No. Words.  After chocolate cake (Hey, it was our anniversary!) and coffee, another surprise. This time it was a white chocolate ball (sort of like a small translucent truffle) infused with liquefied passion fruit sorbet and topped with lemon zest and black pepper.  The chocolate was very thin and  it burst open into your mouth like some kind of crazy lemony candy. Delightful. I highly recommend. 

As Lindsey reminded me, we don't go on vacation to eat at Hardee's. Our anniversary trip was short and we tried to make every part of the experience memorable. It really was.