Last week, I used a recipe from I think it’s from this site) the lovely website, Dove’s Eye View Link, that I copied down several years ago. Put link here: http://bedouina.typepad.com/doves_eye/
If I have the wrong website for this recipe, look around at the place anyway. She has lots of interesting stuff here.
This lady has passed on since about 2-3 years ago but her site is a great place for info and recipes from the Middle East and Mediterranean. At least, that ‘s where my WASPy--Midwestern and farm cooking-- heritage mind puts her cooking. I believe she was of Lebanese descent.
I like this red lentil soup recipe a lot. I tried the Indian spices variation this time around as I like Indian food quite a bit. I think red lentil soup looks more appealing than green/brown lentil soup with it’s color. I also added some turmeric to the soup and that made the color more “golden” colored.
This week I tried a lemon and rosemary chicken recipe with chicken breasts. It smelled so good while cooking!
My basil plant has gone to seed, my thyme and oregano are still producing. I didn’t plant any other herbs this winter, I’ll see what I want to do about that next fall when it’s cool enough to plant again. My herbs never make it through the summer although there might be a first time.
My planning a tight budget the past two years and sticking to it has really paid off. I do have more money than I thought I did.
As for taxes, I get two refunds--which was a surprise to me, I almost always owe and usually plan it that way.
And,it has dawned on me in the past month or so, that I can take Social Security this fall, if I want to. My tax guy called attention to that and ran some numbers for me. It's a chunk more money coming in so I have to consider to take it or wait some more. It doesn't increase my taxes that much, i'll have to see how I feel about it in a few months.
peace, shamba
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Adventures for the past 10 days ...
Mostly I was without my own house since it was 4 days worth of work to rip out old carpeting, clean it up for new flooring and putting in the new tile laminate. The results look really great and I’m very pleased with the way it all looks! Hooray!
I wasn’t able to stay in my own house for 4 nights but I was at a small hotel about 1.5 miles away.
I met the workmen every morning at the house because I had to check on and feed the cats anyway—cats were outside these 4 days. Also came back at night to do the same routine with the cats. They survived that few days of noise and uproar and are doing okay.
Everything was moved out of the house into a storage unit or put in the small storage shed I have. I put my pantry foods that wouldn’t fit in cabinets, into the storage shed shelves. It would make a great pantry for half the year if I didn’t have enough other things in there already. It just wouldn’t work very well in the hot weather though.
The upside of the hotel was a full breakfast was available every day with the room (it was a comfortable quiet room), I had access to 24 hours cable and there were high-speed computers available in the lobby for any guest to use. For the news junkie in me the cable and computers were a treat although the news the last couple of weeks seems to worsen exponentially every few hours.
The downside was I had no kitchen. I had a microwave and lots of decent restaurants around and fridge in the room (which I didn’t use) but after being used to doing my own cooking I felt really lost without my stove or pots or other sources for cooking. Solar ovens wouldn’t have worked at the hotel setup.
Goodness, you could go broke just buying meals or prepared food to microwave ! And I could buy fruit and keep it in my room but I didn’t get enough greens in the past week I know.
When I could get into the kitchen, I could get things out of the fridge and take them with me to eat later but it was really inconvenient not just having my kitchen and food things ready for use when I wanted.And another week of eating without my kitchen and I’d begin to feel like an overstuffed blimp.
I got the tv and the computer up and running Friday afternoon. I didn't expect it to go that smoothly but it did. Also, I packed my 2010 tax info in a box and couldn’t find it for 3 days—but I found it last night when I unpacked3 boxes at home. Eek!
Glad to be back at home and have my nice new floors!
Peace, shamba
I wasn’t able to stay in my own house for 4 nights but I was at a small hotel about 1.5 miles away.
I met the workmen every morning at the house because I had to check on and feed the cats anyway—cats were outside these 4 days. Also came back at night to do the same routine with the cats. They survived that few days of noise and uproar and are doing okay.
Everything was moved out of the house into a storage unit or put in the small storage shed I have. I put my pantry foods that wouldn’t fit in cabinets, into the storage shed shelves. It would make a great pantry for half the year if I didn’t have enough other things in there already. It just wouldn’t work very well in the hot weather though.
The upside of the hotel was a full breakfast was available every day with the room (it was a comfortable quiet room), I had access to 24 hours cable and there were high-speed computers available in the lobby for any guest to use. For the news junkie in me the cable and computers were a treat although the news the last couple of weeks seems to worsen exponentially every few hours.
The downside was I had no kitchen. I had a microwave and lots of decent restaurants around and fridge in the room (which I didn’t use) but after being used to doing my own cooking I felt really lost without my stove or pots or other sources for cooking. Solar ovens wouldn’t have worked at the hotel setup.
Goodness, you could go broke just buying meals or prepared food to microwave ! And I could buy fruit and keep it in my room but I didn’t get enough greens in the past week I know.
When I could get into the kitchen, I could get things out of the fridge and take them with me to eat later but it was really inconvenient not just having my kitchen and food things ready for use when I wanted.And another week of eating without my kitchen and I’d begin to feel like an overstuffed blimp.
I got the tv and the computer up and running Friday afternoon. I didn't expect it to go that smoothly but it did. Also, I packed my 2010 tax info in a box and couldn’t find it for 3 days—but I found it last night when I unpacked3 boxes at home. Eek!
Glad to be back at home and have my nice new floors!
Peace, shamba
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Small Update in December
I have been doing things but it doesn't interest me to keep track of my small culinary victories like it did.
It seem like all the blogs, (food blogs, I call them) I've been reading for the past two years about food sources, preparing food, cooking, and other food preps are not what they were. There are good reasons for this, employement issues, growing children, just life happening for everyone. Some bloggers have also become more public spokeswomen for the causes they believe in, some are writing books and just involved more in the Real Life than the blogs of Cyber Life. Some post less than they used to.
In any case, I miss reading them the way I used to. Who else was going to tell me that red lentils cooked the fastest of lentils? For this woman who hardly ever knew how to cook much, the past two years have been a great education about food and especially food I'd never tried before. I will keep looking at the blogs that I've become so fond of and I do wish their owners to have the best success at whatever they're doing.
And, I've learned how to make pumpkin soup, it wasn't great but I'll be better next time. I have two large freezer bags of cut up butternut squashes in the freezer and I want to make butternut soup next.
that all for now, don't let the christmas Crazies get to you.
peace, shamba
It seem like all the blogs, (food blogs, I call them) I've been reading for the past two years about food sources, preparing food, cooking, and other food preps are not what they were. There are good reasons for this, employement issues, growing children, just life happening for everyone. Some bloggers have also become more public spokeswomen for the causes they believe in, some are writing books and just involved more in the Real Life than the blogs of Cyber Life. Some post less than they used to.
In any case, I miss reading them the way I used to. Who else was going to tell me that red lentils cooked the fastest of lentils? For this woman who hardly ever knew how to cook much, the past two years have been a great education about food and especially food I'd never tried before. I will keep looking at the blogs that I've become so fond of and I do wish their owners to have the best success at whatever they're doing.
And, I've learned how to make pumpkin soup, it wasn't great but I'll be better next time. I have two large freezer bags of cut up butternut squashes in the freezer and I want to make butternut soup next.
that all for now, don't let the christmas Crazies get to you.
peace, shamba
Thursday, May 13, 2010
May 10 and 11th and 12th
Have spent several days with solar oven cooking different things:
1-Beef tenderloin, yes this turned out really well in the global sun oven. I put it in frozen and it came out pretty well. I left it longer than I intended to, about 2 hours instead of 1 ½ hours. It was a little dry but still pretty tender. It was well done, a little more than I like it. I don’t purchase this expensive meat and cook it very often—maybe once or twice a year—but it is my favorite meat meal.
It didn’t taste like grilled on a mesquite fire, of course, but pretty good anyway.
I like vegetarian food but I’m still the meat lover I was raised to be on Midwestern WASPy cooking. :)
2-Baked sweet potatotes. These were better than I thought they would be with a little butter, salt and pepper on them.
3-Eggs. Hard boiled eggs; 4 eggs in global oven for a little over an hour. Actually, it was an hour and 15 minutes.
There are a couple of other egg recipes I want to try that I found at the solarovenchef.blogspot.com and solarcookingathome.blogspot.com -- that last one is Sharlene T.'s blog.
I’m swimming in potatoes from the CSA! I’m eating them but they keep coming in good numbers. It's a good thing I like potatoes; mostly chpped up, like diced but not tiny cubes, with onions and just roasted.
We also got eggs this week, so it seems a good time to make the grits,chiles,eggs and cheddar cheese dish and freeze a chunk of it.
Peace, Shamba
1-Beef tenderloin, yes this turned out really well in the global sun oven. I put it in frozen and it came out pretty well. I left it longer than I intended to, about 2 hours instead of 1 ½ hours. It was a little dry but still pretty tender. It was well done, a little more than I like it. I don’t purchase this expensive meat and cook it very often—maybe once or twice a year—but it is my favorite meat meal.
It didn’t taste like grilled on a mesquite fire, of course, but pretty good anyway.
I like vegetarian food but I’m still the meat lover I was raised to be on Midwestern WASPy cooking. :)
2-Baked sweet potatotes. These were better than I thought they would be with a little butter, salt and pepper on them.
3-Eggs. Hard boiled eggs; 4 eggs in global oven for a little over an hour. Actually, it was an hour and 15 minutes.
There are a couple of other egg recipes I want to try that I found at the solarovenchef.blogspot.com and solarcookingathome.blogspot.com -- that last one is Sharlene T.'s blog.
I’m swimming in potatoes from the CSA! I’m eating them but they keep coming in good numbers. It's a good thing I like potatoes; mostly chpped up, like diced but not tiny cubes, with onions and just roasted.
We also got eggs this week, so it seems a good time to make the grits,chiles,eggs and cheddar cheese dish and freeze a chunk of it.
Peace, Shamba
Friday, March 19, 2010
herb cooking class ...
I attended my cooking with herbs class Thursday morning. This was certainly well worth doing! there were 15 of us in the class and a knowledgeable and happy instructor. Apparently, the business is doing very well these days.
I am thinking a Yeast Bread Primer might be fun and useful to go to in May and the Indian Cooking class they’re offering.
In any case:
1. Harvested some parsley and basil and dehydrated them! Herbs are still really growing.
2. Huge pot of beef barley soup plus various veggies. Only I threw in some well cooked wheat berries instead of the barley.
3. Lantana plant in front is growing bigger every single day. It’s in the 80 the past few days and everything that can do so is putting forth blooms of one kind or another. Citrus blossoms will pop open any day on the two trees we have in our area in the back of the townhouse complex. Also, the pomegranate tree will bloom in the next month.
4. Tomorrow it’s roasting veggies to catch up with CSA veggies.
Peace, shamba
I am thinking a Yeast Bread Primer might be fun and useful to go to in May and the Indian Cooking class they’re offering.
In any case:
1. Harvested some parsley and basil and dehydrated them! Herbs are still really growing.
2. Huge pot of beef barley soup plus various veggies. Only I threw in some well cooked wheat berries instead of the barley.
3. Lantana plant in front is growing bigger every single day. It’s in the 80 the past few days and everything that can do so is putting forth blooms of one kind or another. Citrus blossoms will pop open any day on the two trees we have in our area in the back of the townhouse complex. Also, the pomegranate tree will bloom in the next month.
4. Tomorrow it’s roasting veggies to catch up with CSA veggies.
Peace, shamba
Monday, February 22, 2010
Current Food Sources
Boy, was I ambitious yesterday! (Saturday Feb 20 actually)
Tried cooked wheatberries (white winter wheat from CSA, not the hard red winter wheatberries I’ve bought before) with some milk and brown sugar for breakfast. It was okay. Even the overnight soaked wheatberries were still very chewy. I didn’t mind that so much but I thought they’d be a little softer. I think this would be better cooked in milk rather than just adding the milk to it after it’s been cooked in water.
I’ve had a terrible craving for something sweet like pumpkin pie all week. The pumpkin pie taste simply wouldn’t leave me alone so I made one yesterday. I had the pumpkin puree, added spices, egg and the condensed milk and used a pie shell I had in the freezer but it wasn’t homemade shell. I was so hungry for the pie I ate a 4th of it! But it satisfied my craving for that flavor finally.
Al, I made red lentil soup for the first time. It was okay but I’d want to use more veggie or chicken flavored broth with it next time. I had a recipe that used cumin, salt and pepper and some lemon juice and some olive oil on top at serving in the bowl. I think this might be a “learned flavor” for me.
And some chicken with veggies and leftover wheatberries is the last thing I cooked. The chicken was all thawed and needed to be cooked.
That leaves a lotta dishes to be washed one way or the other loaded in the dishwasher or the sink …
And notes about current Food Sources
1. CSA vegetables. These are more greens that I thought but I want to do a whole year’s worth of subscriptions to see what they grow all year around. I wish we could get a few citrus each week. I’d imagine we’d get summer squashes later on and I hope some sweet peppers and tomatoes.
2. Sprouts. This is where I get dry bulk things: flour, sea sale, cornmeal, farina, oats, sugar, rices, legumes, dried fruits, cereals to cook. I also can buy bulk spices here. Sometimes I buy some applesauce I particularly like here as well as canned pumpkin and sweet potato. I like these canned products rather than the similar ones at the grocery stores. They also have the usual food store supply of produce, meat, dairy etc. I also buy those things at this store.
3. Safeway and Bashas’ are closest grocery stores. I still buy peanut butter ( a LOT for the collapse is needed you know ;)) jams, maybe meat and dairy, fruit, maybe some veggies I don’t get in the CSA but I’m trying not to do that as long as I have the CSA membership. So far, it’s working for the veg.
4. Farmer’s Market weekly about 2 miles from here. This might be a more economical place to get fresh produce than the CSA pickup but I like the variety and figuring out how to prepare and eat the CSA veggies.
Peace, shamba
Tried cooked wheatberries (white winter wheat from CSA, not the hard red winter wheatberries I’ve bought before) with some milk and brown sugar for breakfast. It was okay. Even the overnight soaked wheatberries were still very chewy. I didn’t mind that so much but I thought they’d be a little softer. I think this would be better cooked in milk rather than just adding the milk to it after it’s been cooked in water.
I’ve had a terrible craving for something sweet like pumpkin pie all week. The pumpkin pie taste simply wouldn’t leave me alone so I made one yesterday. I had the pumpkin puree, added spices, egg and the condensed milk and used a pie shell I had in the freezer but it wasn’t homemade shell. I was so hungry for the pie I ate a 4th of it! But it satisfied my craving for that flavor finally.
Al, I made red lentil soup for the first time. It was okay but I’d want to use more veggie or chicken flavored broth with it next time. I had a recipe that used cumin, salt and pepper and some lemon juice and some olive oil on top at serving in the bowl. I think this might be a “learned flavor” for me.
And some chicken with veggies and leftover wheatberries is the last thing I cooked. The chicken was all thawed and needed to be cooked.
That leaves a lotta dishes to be washed one way or the other loaded in the dishwasher or the sink …
And notes about current Food Sources
1. CSA vegetables. These are more greens that I thought but I want to do a whole year’s worth of subscriptions to see what they grow all year around. I wish we could get a few citrus each week. I’d imagine we’d get summer squashes later on and I hope some sweet peppers and tomatoes.
2. Sprouts. This is where I get dry bulk things: flour, sea sale, cornmeal, farina, oats, sugar, rices, legumes, dried fruits, cereals to cook. I also can buy bulk spices here. Sometimes I buy some applesauce I particularly like here as well as canned pumpkin and sweet potato. I like these canned products rather than the similar ones at the grocery stores. They also have the usual food store supply of produce, meat, dairy etc. I also buy those things at this store.
3. Safeway and Bashas’ are closest grocery stores. I still buy peanut butter ( a LOT for the collapse is needed you know ;)) jams, maybe meat and dairy, fruit, maybe some veggies I don’t get in the CSA but I’m trying not to do that as long as I have the CSA membership. So far, it’s working for the veg.
4. Farmer’s Market weekly about 2 miles from here. This might be a more economical place to get fresh produce than the CSA pickup but I like the variety and figuring out how to prepare and eat the CSA veggies.
Peace, shamba
Friday, February 12, 2010
Veggies veggies, veggies !
I have been remiss in keeping up with my vegetables from the CSA. Actually, I just haven't felt very energetic this week. My cold seems to wax and wane with the rainy weather. The next week is up to 75 degrees so I'm hoping warmer weather will make me feel more energetic.
So, today is Roasting beets and Roasting Root Veggies. The roasted veggies are good with just about anything so they’re quite easy to eat. They’re also good enough that I want to eat them so they’ll be gone in a day or so.
I’m also going to have to think interms of whole meals being vegetarian instead of just side dishes. That’ll be new for or at least I haven’t done it for long time.
CSA stuff this week:
Arugula Mizuna
Fennel Dill
Spring Mix Carrots
Tokyo Bekana Citrus
the oranges are gone(!), some of the spring mix is eaten. I want to try braised fennel sometime this weekend. I'm always nibbling on carrots so they'll be gone by next CSA day. The greens are always a little more than I can eat raw so I'm going to have to cook more of them. S. would like some arugula and dill and I certainly have it to spare.
Enough sun is available on the back patio for solar cooking again back there.
cheers,
shamba
So, today is Roasting beets and Roasting Root Veggies. The roasted veggies are good with just about anything so they’re quite easy to eat. They’re also good enough that I want to eat them so they’ll be gone in a day or so.
I’m also going to have to think interms of whole meals being vegetarian instead of just side dishes. That’ll be new for or at least I haven’t done it for long time.
CSA stuff this week:
Arugula Mizuna
Fennel Dill
Spring Mix Carrots
Tokyo Bekana Citrus
the oranges are gone(!), some of the spring mix is eaten. I want to try braised fennel sometime this weekend. I'm always nibbling on carrots so they'll be gone by next CSA day. The greens are always a little more than I can eat raw so I'm going to have to cook more of them. S. would like some arugula and dill and I certainly have it to spare.
Enough sun is available on the back patio for solar cooking again back there.
cheers,
shamba
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
January 13th: Happy New Year!
I’m keeping on with my “using up leftovers and produce” even if the challenge is over. I drove out to the Thunderbird Banner Hospital to find out where the CSA produce is located. I’m taking over the payment and the contract for their next session next Wednesday.
A very grand lady I met on the internet in my scifi days has passed away at her home in Missouri. Her husband and some of her children were with her. Bluetopaz had a lung cancer and she was in her late 70s. She was a bright light and I’ll miss her. I'm very glad I took the pictures of her that I have now.
On January 6th, news on local NBC affiliate reported “fewer’ jobs lost than expected” in December 2008. A turn around may only be a few months away, the anchor said. I doubt it but I live in interesting times I guess.
Cheers, shamba
A very grand lady I met on the internet in my scifi days has passed away at her home in Missouri. Her husband and some of her children were with her. Bluetopaz had a lung cancer and she was in her late 70s. She was a bright light and I’ll miss her. I'm very glad I took the pictures of her that I have now.
On January 6th, news on local NBC affiliate reported “fewer’ jobs lost than expected” in December 2008. A turn around may only be a few months away, the anchor said. I doubt it but I live in interesting times I guess.
Cheers, shamba
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Dec 3 Food related post
I had some leftover green beans, some kale, celery of which some was about to go under (!) so I threw them in a pot with some chicken broth--not home made--and made a pretty decent soup out of it. I have enough of it for about two more meals.
I hadn't made soup with greens and it smelled okay and tasted okay but I just generally don't like cooked greens--limp and wierd looking. :) But it was okay!
Once upon a time I would have just looked, thought "Meh!" and tossed the bunch.
I'm trying to decide if I'm going to use the solar oven to cooke something in the next few days. I haven't decided what's next yet to be cooked now that the leftover cycle from last cooking time is about done.
Peace,
shamba
I hadn't made soup with greens and it smelled okay and tasted okay but I just generally don't like cooked greens--limp and wierd looking. :) But it was okay!
Once upon a time I would have just looked, thought "Meh!" and tossed the bunch.
I'm trying to decide if I'm going to use the solar oven to cooke something in the next few days. I haven't decided what's next yet to be cooked now that the leftover cycle from last cooking time is about done.
Peace,
shamba
Saturday, November 14, 2009
November Days Catchup
Nice, cooler weather after a couple of 90 days the past week of so. I've been doing okay with my challenge but I haven’t written anything at all my blog for several days.
Also, when measuring something in my back patio a weekend ago--wall height in one place--I slipped and banged my right shoulder and elbow against the wall. Nothing broken! I was really afraid of some serious injury beyond strain or sprain. I went to urgent Care to have it checked out. They gave me some "nice' pain pills to take to help me sleep since the first 3-4 days were pretty painful and brused all over, er, I was bruised all over the right side. But my arm and shoulder have been improving every day. I used Arnica montana all over where anything hurt and also had some Arnica montana to take for internal use. The moist heat packs they suggested have also been very helpful-3 times a day for 20 minutes.
I've been careful with the right arm but I think it's going to be okay now.
Crooked Sky Farms provides a CSA locally and I think I'm signing up right after the holidays.
I'll have to get a copy of their contract.
My container herbs are growing like hotcakes.
For challenge about 10 days ago:
I pulled all the leftover veggies out of the fridge, onions, sweet potatoes, two red potatoes, 1 russet potato, 3 parsnips, 1 acorn squash, a forlorn turnip and tomato.
The last of fresh cilantro which wasn't going to make it at all.
The cilantro went to garbage, I had used most of it and I want to get a cilantro plant.
One russet potato, 1 red potato, the small sweet potatoes, the turnip, one parsnip and two onions went into a roasting pan with olive oil & thyme and oregano and all got roasted.
I haven't baked sweet potatoes before but not been fond of the whole thing but roasted they are really good!
Anyway all those roasted veggies were extremely tasty and got eaten up in a day.
The other potatoes and parsnips and one large onion got put in a savory Indian spices dish with some canned peas (didn't have any frozen) cumin, turmeric, coriander and chili powder. I'm trying to use more of these spices but I really wasn't sure about this recipe at all but when it was finished cooking it was pretty good over rice. This recipe used up some rice I need to be using up, too.
Peace to all,
Shamba
November 2,
Had lunch with B. today. She thinks that we’ll just scrape by in the economy for at least 3-4 years. She’s quite disgusted the way the whole thing has gone and the government saying these chipper things when there is nothing to be chipper about. She did say no to a depression but looked glum in talking about the whole thing altogether.
I actually went through all my emails in my two accounts, with various personas, and cleaned them all out. whatta job! I get a lot less junk mail than I used to but still there's plenty. I need to unsubscribe from some more lists.
Other outside world news in the past month:
In 2-3 years no more oil from Mexico …
Depletion rate in oil producing countries are faster than anticipated, too
Great recession has cut down on demand, oil prices 147 in July 2008 and then went down to $30 a barrel within 6-8 months and now has come up since summer 2009 now is at around $80 a barrel.
Gas prices are creeping up but are still about mid $2-$3 range after coming way down in fall 2008 as the price of oil fell.
If the economy starts to grow a bit, the price of crude will probably go up! Catch-22!
peace, shamba
Also, when measuring something in my back patio a weekend ago--wall height in one place--I slipped and banged my right shoulder and elbow against the wall. Nothing broken! I was really afraid of some serious injury beyond strain or sprain. I went to urgent Care to have it checked out. They gave me some "nice' pain pills to take to help me sleep since the first 3-4 days were pretty painful and brused all over, er, I was bruised all over the right side. But my arm and shoulder have been improving every day. I used Arnica montana all over where anything hurt and also had some Arnica montana to take for internal use. The moist heat packs they suggested have also been very helpful-3 times a day for 20 minutes.
I've been careful with the right arm but I think it's going to be okay now.
Crooked Sky Farms provides a CSA locally and I think I'm signing up right after the holidays.
I'll have to get a copy of their contract.
My container herbs are growing like hotcakes.
For challenge about 10 days ago:
I pulled all the leftover veggies out of the fridge, onions, sweet potatoes, two red potatoes, 1 russet potato, 3 parsnips, 1 acorn squash, a forlorn turnip and tomato.
The last of fresh cilantro which wasn't going to make it at all.
The cilantro went to garbage, I had used most of it and I want to get a cilantro plant.
One russet potato, 1 red potato, the small sweet potatoes, the turnip, one parsnip and two onions went into a roasting pan with olive oil & thyme and oregano and all got roasted.
I haven't baked sweet potatoes before but not been fond of the whole thing but roasted they are really good!
Anyway all those roasted veggies were extremely tasty and got eaten up in a day.
The other potatoes and parsnips and one large onion got put in a savory Indian spices dish with some canned peas (didn't have any frozen) cumin, turmeric, coriander and chili powder. I'm trying to use more of these spices but I really wasn't sure about this recipe at all but when it was finished cooking it was pretty good over rice. This recipe used up some rice I need to be using up, too.
Peace to all,
Shamba
November 2,
Had lunch with B. today. She thinks that we’ll just scrape by in the economy for at least 3-4 years. She’s quite disgusted the way the whole thing has gone and the government saying these chipper things when there is nothing to be chipper about. She did say no to a depression but looked glum in talking about the whole thing altogether.
I actually went through all my emails in my two accounts, with various personas, and cleaned them all out. whatta job! I get a lot less junk mail than I used to but still there's plenty. I need to unsubscribe from some more lists.
Other outside world news in the past month:
In 2-3 years no more oil from Mexico …
Depletion rate in oil producing countries are faster than anticipated, too
Great recession has cut down on demand, oil prices 147 in July 2008 and then went down to $30 a barrel within 6-8 months and now has come up since summer 2009 now is at around $80 a barrel.
Gas prices are creeping up but are still about mid $2-$3 range after coming way down in fall 2008 as the price of oil fell.
If the economy starts to grow a bit, the price of crude will probably go up! Catch-22!
peace, shamba
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
October 21st
I did another batch of sundried Roma tomatoes this week. These were halves and they seemed to talk a little longer to dry, I didn’t try to help them along with electric heat I just let the sun do all the work.
In the kitchen overn, I made Chili cheese Grits without green chiles—didn’t have any again-- but added some oregano, black pepper and put a green chiffonade from greens on the top of the cheese when it was done! It sure looked pretty with the green and yellow-orange together.
I also ordered some small cooking tools from amazon today: 2 cooling round racks that will fit inside the crockpot and pots for solar ovens, one square cooling rack that will fit all the pans as well and a chimney starter. I wasn’t going to spend money on much before the end of the year but if they are cooking tools I can use in many ways and I don’t have anything like them well, okay. And I decided on the chimney starter because if it works then I’ll learn how to better use the grill.
And you know, if our money is going to deflate or inflate or just go “poof!” in some banking blowup or meltdown then I might as well have physical tools that will be around for a few years. As soon as I got a good grater, I actually grated more things: for example, I love grated carrots in salads and on the side.
The safety deposit is almost completely empty, I got everything out to look it over.
Peace, Shamba
In the kitchen overn, I made Chili cheese Grits without green chiles—didn’t have any again-- but added some oregano, black pepper and put a green chiffonade from greens on the top of the cheese when it was done! It sure looked pretty with the green and yellow-orange together.
I also ordered some small cooking tools from amazon today: 2 cooling round racks that will fit inside the crockpot and pots for solar ovens, one square cooling rack that will fit all the pans as well and a chimney starter. I wasn’t going to spend money on much before the end of the year but if they are cooking tools I can use in many ways and I don’t have anything like them well, okay. And I decided on the chimney starter because if it works then I’ll learn how to better use the grill.
And you know, if our money is going to deflate or inflate or just go “poof!” in some banking blowup or meltdown then I might as well have physical tools that will be around for a few years. As soon as I got a good grater, I actually grated more things: for example, I love grated carrots in salads and on the side.
The safety deposit is almost completely empty, I got everything out to look it over.
Peace, Shamba
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday Sept 28th
Sun: I have the last of some brown rice in one of my glass jars to do something with today; not quite a cup. I have more rice but I’d have to open a package or something. So, I do what I do with rice, I’ll put it in the solar oven with some split peas/lentils, maybe add some vegetables at the end of the cooking time, dehydrated minced onions, cumin, coriander, salt and vegetable broth.
I’m losing more sun exposure on the patio faster and faster every day. Its interesting how fast it moves this time of year. I'll have to move i to the front soon.
Saturday: Put a piece of beef with assorted and some leftover veggies in the solar oven pot today. Potatoes, last 1 ½ leeks, carrot, little bit of a leftover onion, sea salt, ground pepper, freshly chopped up basil, parsley and oregano. I’m not sure how much of the fresh herbs really need to be added I’ll guess I’ll know better when the whole thing is done.
Update: the meat dish could have used a little more of the herbs, I’m just chicken with putting too much in dishes.
Wednesday: Used up the rest of the brick of cheddar cheese and grits and assorted other ingredients to make Chile Cheese Grits. I halved the recipe though as it makes a huge amount of food, about 12-14 servings. I’ve cooked the whole thing for potlucks before and kept half for me. The cheese I had wouldn’t have been enough for the whole recipe anyway. Note for next time: more green chiles make it tastier.
So, I have some cheese grits for today and froze the rest and that’s several days worth of food. It freezes well and reheats well. It cooked just fine in the Tulsi solar oven; I hadn’t cooked that dish in a solar oven yet.
Cheers,
shamba
I’m losing more sun exposure on the patio faster and faster every day. Its interesting how fast it moves this time of year. I'll have to move i to the front soon.
Saturday: Put a piece of beef with assorted and some leftover veggies in the solar oven pot today. Potatoes, last 1 ½ leeks, carrot, little bit of a leftover onion, sea salt, ground pepper, freshly chopped up basil, parsley and oregano. I’m not sure how much of the fresh herbs really need to be added I’ll guess I’ll know better when the whole thing is done.
Update: the meat dish could have used a little more of the herbs, I’m just chicken with putting too much in dishes.
Wednesday: Used up the rest of the brick of cheddar cheese and grits and assorted other ingredients to make Chile Cheese Grits. I halved the recipe though as it makes a huge amount of food, about 12-14 servings. I’ve cooked the whole thing for potlucks before and kept half for me. The cheese I had wouldn’t have been enough for the whole recipe anyway. Note for next time: more green chiles make it tastier.
So, I have some cheese grits for today and froze the rest and that’s several days worth of food. It freezes well and reheats well. It cooked just fine in the Tulsi solar oven; I hadn’t cooked that dish in a solar oven yet.
Cheers,
shamba
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
December 23rd
For December up to 23rd:
Merry Christmas! At least the house smells and looks of A Merry Christmas!
I know I'm writing about food and cooking all the time but then that's really what this blog was about to start with--my efforts at learning to use less and cook from scratch.
Apple spice candles, fresh made bread, and pumpkin pie and also a sweet potato pie are what this house has smelled of in the past two weeks! Pumpkin pie is in today for Christmas Day dinner. Apple spice comes from the candle and from tea bags named Apple Spice.
The fresh made break loaf is almost gone—recipe from Joy of Cooking and totally from scratch. It came out well and is quite good for sandwich bread. Sweet potato pie was made with pie shell, but it had Sprouts’ Market organic sweet potato puree in it. That was pretty good but I don’t think it’s as good as pumpkin pie with real whipped cream. The cream is in the fridge waiting to be whipped for Christmas.
Picked up more tomato cans at grocery store yesterday. I wasn’t going to go to the store again before New Years’ but I decided I needed some milk and a pie shell or two. I twisted my right knee and need to stay off of it at certain amount of every day so I got some extra things for Christmas.
L. can’t come for dinner; but S. can. She’s bringing salad and cranberry relish of some kind. Dinner is baked chicken and rice with vegetables and pie for dessert. S. might also bring some rolls. I’ll have to thaw some butter for that.
Managed stores: went through my flours and corn meal etc. I don’t’ need any flour for a while until I use up some of the whole wheat. I need to keep using up corn meal of the current opened batch. Made list of things to get when paid for January.
Got a pound or so of green beans and I’m going to try the dehydrator on some of them after Christmas Day.
Other worldwide news is as bad as it’s been for the past 4 months or so.
Officially we’ve had a recession since December 2007 and have probably another 6-12 months to go. No relief of the situation coming nine 2009 as it will get worse before better. Some commentators have remarked we have no bread or soup lines but have they been to a food pantry lately!! Aren’t thus our equivalents of bread and soup lines?? (The answer is YES)
I think that, at least since the past 6 months, we just have too much to be very afraid of to have any more capacity to take in something else we should be very afraid of! (Sigh*) and the idea that’s it–the climate change–is actually made by our own actions of what we think is the good life is another layer of guilt/fear/blame.It’s like if we–human beings are so dumb, greedy/evil what are we here for?
The last 4 months have really intensified fears that I already knew about before our financial crisis and it’s kind of overwhelming some days.
I'll end on a small conforting note: we're up an inch on our rainfall this year and more is coming this week. it's been wet and cold and sunny and cold and great weather for fireplaces. I picked up two bags of firewood--enohght for 2-3 fires each bag--and we'll have a fire on Christmas day.
Fireplace is still working okay. I could not heat the house with it, not even the living room either, but it's warming to the sould and spirit and mind.
cheers,
Shamba
Merry Christmas! At least the house smells and looks of A Merry Christmas!
I know I'm writing about food and cooking all the time but then that's really what this blog was about to start with--my efforts at learning to use less and cook from scratch.
Apple spice candles, fresh made bread, and pumpkin pie and also a sweet potato pie are what this house has smelled of in the past two weeks! Pumpkin pie is in today for Christmas Day dinner. Apple spice comes from the candle and from tea bags named Apple Spice.
The fresh made break loaf is almost gone—recipe from Joy of Cooking and totally from scratch. It came out well and is quite good for sandwich bread. Sweet potato pie was made with pie shell, but it had Sprouts’ Market organic sweet potato puree in it. That was pretty good but I don’t think it’s as good as pumpkin pie with real whipped cream. The cream is in the fridge waiting to be whipped for Christmas.
Picked up more tomato cans at grocery store yesterday. I wasn’t going to go to the store again before New Years’ but I decided I needed some milk and a pie shell or two. I twisted my right knee and need to stay off of it at certain amount of every day so I got some extra things for Christmas.
L. can’t come for dinner; but S. can. She’s bringing salad and cranberry relish of some kind. Dinner is baked chicken and rice with vegetables and pie for dessert. S. might also bring some rolls. I’ll have to thaw some butter for that.
Managed stores: went through my flours and corn meal etc. I don’t’ need any flour for a while until I use up some of the whole wheat. I need to keep using up corn meal of the current opened batch. Made list of things to get when paid for January.
Got a pound or so of green beans and I’m going to try the dehydrator on some of them after Christmas Day.
Other worldwide news is as bad as it’s been for the past 4 months or so.
Officially we’ve had a recession since December 2007 and have probably another 6-12 months to go. No relief of the situation coming nine 2009 as it will get worse before better. Some commentators have remarked we have no bread or soup lines but have they been to a food pantry lately!! Aren’t thus our equivalents of bread and soup lines?? (The answer is YES)
I think that, at least since the past 6 months, we just have too much to be very afraid of to have any more capacity to take in something else we should be very afraid of! (Sigh*) and the idea that’s it–the climate change–is actually made by our own actions of what we think is the good life is another layer of guilt/fear/blame.It’s like if we–human beings are so dumb, greedy/evil what are we here for?
The last 4 months have really intensified fears that I already knew about before our financial crisis and it’s kind of overwhelming some days.
I'll end on a small conforting note: we're up an inch on our rainfall this year and more is coming this week. it's been wet and cold and sunny and cold and great weather for fireplaces. I picked up two bags of firewood--enohght for 2-3 fires each bag--and we'll have a fire on Christmas day.
Fireplace is still working okay. I could not heat the house with it, not even the living room either, but it's warming to the sould and spirit and mind.
cheers,
Shamba
Sunday, August 10, 2008
August 10th
Prepped: Picked up some sturdier measuring spoons and an easier to read cup measure marked down at Linens n ‘ things. I’ve also gotten some baking pans to work with my solar oven at the Goodwill near me. This Goodwill seems to have a great supply of various househoold and cooking things all the time.
Linens N things has some lovely things marked waaay down these days because of their business troubles. If you can get to one you might pick up some real goodies at much less than their usual price. I always liked to look in this store but I’ve been buying the last two visits. I picked up two useful little glass measure for small amounts under 2 tablesppons--it has metric measures and US measure. 00 cents and one I got for Sarah Multicats.
Also, got 4 bags of frozen vegetables from helping clean up apartment of friend--Mary alice--who has moved back to NJ. Also, got some papers towels and cleaning supplies from here. And some twine a good sized stapler, I only have two very small ones but they do work, and two roles of duct tape and one of packing tape and one electricians tape.
Cooked: Learned a simple rice and cheese dish that works well in the solar oven and made my own baked beans a couple of weeks ago. I used dried beans–so it was all from scratch. I was so proud of myself!
Storage: nonfat dry milk, more flour, canola oil. Rearranged small amounts of rice, lentils and split peas and pasta in a place where I will use them up first before opening something else.
Other info: K. didn't have to sell his car friend helped him to garage to get it fixed up and paid for it. whew! He's supposed to have some hours to work at a gallery starting end of august--we'll see. He sounds ok but kind of bored having to stay in the house so much because of his probation.
Ruth called, too. Daniel will be 3 this coming week! Levi's BD is on the 23rd.
Mom is okay; I had lunch with her yesterday.
cheers,
shamba
Linens N things has some lovely things marked waaay down these days because of their business troubles. If you can get to one you might pick up some real goodies at much less than their usual price. I always liked to look in this store but I’ve been buying the last two visits. I picked up two useful little glass measure for small amounts under 2 tablesppons--it has metric measures and US measure. 00 cents and one I got for Sarah Multicats.
Also, got 4 bags of frozen vegetables from helping clean up apartment of friend--Mary alice--who has moved back to NJ. Also, got some papers towels and cleaning supplies from here. And some twine a good sized stapler, I only have two very small ones but they do work, and two roles of duct tape and one of packing tape and one electricians tape.
Cooked: Learned a simple rice and cheese dish that works well in the solar oven and made my own baked beans a couple of weeks ago. I used dried beans–so it was all from scratch. I was so proud of myself!
Storage: nonfat dry milk, more flour, canola oil. Rearranged small amounts of rice, lentils and split peas and pasta in a place where I will use them up first before opening something else.
Other info: K. didn't have to sell his car friend helped him to garage to get it fixed up and paid for it. whew! He's supposed to have some hours to work at a gallery starting end of august--we'll see. He sounds ok but kind of bored having to stay in the house so much because of his probation.
Ruth called, too. Daniel will be 3 this coming week! Levi's BD is on the 23rd.
Mom is okay; I had lunch with her yesterday.
cheers,
shamba
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
jul 26-28 hot and still cooking ...
July 26,
Continued with solar cooking today: Lentils & Rice dish—I really like this dish—is cooking in the solar oven. I haven’t cooked this outside before so I’m unsure of the timing. At least an hour –that’s what I use inside—and a little more, I guess.
I’m also going to make some stock Today, I’ve decided. I’ve got too many vegetables in the crisper and I can’t make any soup without stock as I used the can of vegetable broth on the lentils. Still, one week until payday. But I have more than enough in the pantry to feed me if I do it right.
Stock: in an still simmering for ½ hour.
Lentils: after one hour, looking like the final product; needs about another ½ hour or so.
July 28, __ Decided I should be making trips to Sprouts Farmers Market store more than Safeway for regular food shopping. This is because of Sprouts bulk foods, of course more than anything else. Anyway, on payday Friday or over the weekend ,I’m going to make a shopping run there and see how much that runs me. I’ve been saving all my grocery receipts for the past 3 months. Of course, I’ve also been buying most of my extra/future food stocks from that money, too. I got some rolled oats today for less than half the cost of Safeways 2-3 lbs. containers. I just put the news ones in the old container though.
Continued with solar cooking today: Lentils & Rice dish—I really like this dish—is cooking in the solar oven. I haven’t cooked this outside before so I’m unsure of the timing. At least an hour –that’s what I use inside—and a little more, I guess.
I’m also going to make some stock Today, I’ve decided. I’ve got too many vegetables in the crisper and I can’t make any soup without stock as I used the can of vegetable broth on the lentils. Still, one week until payday. But I have more than enough in the pantry to feed me if I do it right.
Stock: in an still simmering for ½ hour.
Lentils: after one hour, looking like the final product; needs about another ½ hour or so.
July 28, __ Decided I should be making trips to Sprouts Farmers Market store more than Safeway for regular food shopping. This is because of Sprouts bulk foods, of course more than anything else. Anyway, on payday Friday or over the weekend ,I’m going to make a shopping run there and see how much that runs me. I’ve been saving all my grocery receipts for the past 3 months. Of course, I’ve also been buying most of my extra/future food stocks from that money, too. I got some rolled oats today for less than half the cost of Safeways 2-3 lbs. containers. I just put the news ones in the old container though.
Friday, June 20, 2008
June 19th
Omigosh, my corn bread from scratch came out great in the solar oven!
Have to leave it in twice as long as I would in an electric oven, but it came out fine. I’m using the thermometer that came with the oven. I set it inside and watch the temp that way.
The batch I made fit perfectly in one of the larger round pans that came with the oven. It took just over 60 minutes to cook between 11 a.m. and noon.
How cool is this, cooking with this thing outside and not letting the heat build up inside the house. And we're running over 110 for the past 7 days and are going to go for another 4-5 the same way. it seems to me it's just our usual high June summer day. Our highest temps are usually in June.
Cheers,
shamba
Have to leave it in twice as long as I would in an electric oven, but it came out fine. I’m using the thermometer that came with the oven. I set it inside and watch the temp that way.
The batch I made fit perfectly in one of the larger round pans that came with the oven. It took just over 60 minutes to cook between 11 a.m. and noon.
How cool is this, cooking with this thing outside and not letting the heat build up inside the house. And we're running over 110 for the past 7 days and are going to go for another 4-5 the same way. it seems to me it's just our usual high June summer day. Our highest temps are usually in June.
Cheers,
shamba
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