atop brown rice

Most weeks, I spend some time over the weekend prepping meals/ingredients for the coming week, and last weekend was no exception!  I ended up cooking up three cups (dry) of brown rice for our meals this week, and it wasn't even enough!  Ha!  We stuffed some of that rice into burritos, and had the following two meals:

"Mapo Tofu," from New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant:

While this was a good, quick, easy to prepare weeknight stir-fry, (especially when I prepped all of the veggies and sauce ingredients ahead of time,) the flavor was a little . . . strange.  John exclaimed immediately how tangy the sauce was, and I tended to agree.  :(  Personally, I like my homemade stir-fry sauce better, so I guess we'll be sticking with that one!  However, this was a perfectly acceptable meal.

Coconut Curry:

I don't use a recipe for this meal -- just fry up some tempeh or tofu, add veggies, a couple tablespoons curry paste, a tablespoon each sugar and tamari, and add a can of coconut milk.  Rich, flavorful, and delicious!  This week, I used tempeh, sweet potato, red onion, and green beans.  I'm not always a huge fan of leftovers, but this meal improved with time -- bonus.  John wasn't sure about the sweet potato in a Thai-style curry, but I love it!

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I'm really thrilled about this three-day weekend, although it's raining this morning.  John and I have some errands to run, lots of gardening to do, and a camping trip to prepare for!!!  I can't WAIT to go camping!  What are you looking forward to this holiday weekend?

Meal planning gone awry

Do you ever have those moments when meal-planning goes a little awry? I have had the ingredients for this "Hoisin-Glazed Tempeh" from Vegetarian Times on hand for a couple of weeks now, and just got around to making it today. Although I'm not a huge fan of frozen veggies, this was definitely an acceptable use of frozen green beans. The sauce was good, but I'll likely add some sambal oelek next time. On the positive side? We always love tempeh, and I forget how much I love cashews in stir-fries. Another bonus? This is one speedy meal in preparation - awesome for a busy weeknight!

Here's the link to the recipe:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/hoisin-glazed-tempeh-with-green-beans-and-cashews/

local eats

It's official . . . locally grown produce is starting to pour into the Farmer's Market, and our garden is starting to produce!  A few meals from this past weekend, all using local eats:

A simple stir-fry dinner:

Short-grain brown rice topped with onion, carrot, red bell pepper, tofu, and local sugar-snap peas, covered in my homemade stir-fry sauce, and sprinkled with cashews for extra crunch.

A delicious, deep-dish pizza:

I used this crust recipe (halved) again, as I was in a bit more of a hurry and didn't have time for my usual Artisan Bread dough to sit for two hours.  I shaped the dough into more of a rectangle, patted it into a well-oiled jelly roll pan, and topped with more oil, parmesan, mozzarella, a big pile of spinach and arugula from our garden, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, and oregano.  This soft, chewy, bready pizza hit the spot last night!

And dessert:

Rhubarb crumble, made with two big bunches of rhubarb from the Farmer's Market!  We also picked up a rhubarb plant, and cleared an area behind John's garage . . . wahoo!  I may have to wait until next year for more rhubarb, (at least rhubarb we've grown ourselves,) but that's ok -- it'll spread like wildfire back there, and then we'll have all the rhubarb we can eat!

What local food are you excited about right now?

Dinner on a Tuesday

Simple stir-fry for dinner tonight - red onion, shiitake mushrooms, red bell pepper, broccoli, carrot, green onions, and cashews, lightly dressed in my homemade stir-fry sauce: 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 1/2 tsp chili-garlic sauce, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 tsp grated fresh ginger.

not too shabby

Here's what happens when John and I wander aimlessly through the supermarket, trolling for dinner supplies at 6:30 on a Tuesday night, feeling both hungry and tired:

Not too shabby, if you ask me! Stir-fry of rice noodles, onion, mushroom, carrot, sugar snap pea, and almonds, drizzled with a store-bought stir-fry sauce, augmented by some garlic and cayenne. Spicy-noodley good, even though the noodles stuck together en masse, and had to be carefully teased apart with two forks. Gotta love starchy-gooey rice noodles, eh?

dessert and dinner

Since I couldn't help but pick up some rhubarb at the downtown farmer's market earlier this week, I sort of had to make a pie, didn't I?

I wasn't thrilled with my homemade crust this time 'round, but the filling more than made up for it. :) It's amazing how nothing more than strawberries, rhubarb, flour, sugar, and butter combine to make something other-worldly, isn't it?

Now, here's a question for you . . . what is your favorite kind of pie? Cherry is definitely mine, although all other kinds of pie are a close second. I just really love pie. A lot!

My friend Ann joined me for dinner tonight, and I made us a delicious stir-fry!

Pulled some leftover brown rice out of the freezer, pressed and fried up some tofu, and dumped a bunch of local veg in the pan -- asparagus, kohlrabi, green onions, garlic scapes, yellow summer squash, and sugar snap peas were all at the farmer's market this morning, and they all made their way into my stir-fry. Adding my usual sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds finished things off nicely. Ann complimented the spice level of the sauce -- she said if it was any spicier it would be uncomfortable for her, but as it was, it was just right! Woo! I always worry a little about making spicy things for friends, since many of my friends can't eat or don't like spicy foods very much. Score!

I have recently started counting calories again, since I've noticed quite a bit of weight creep back on this spring, thanks to all of the stress I was under. :) I found a great program to help this process along, and discovered that even after enjoying a slice of pie today, I came in nearly 200 calories under "budget" for the day -- woo! Good job me. :)

I am definitely going to have to start packing a lunch for work, though. It was so easy, gorging myself on those kid-friendly, cheese-laden lunches! Alas. I knew it wouldn't be good for me in the long run!

odds-n-ends stir fry

Last night's dinner was truly an exercise in using up odds-n-ends -- 3/4 of a package of leftover tofu, some broccoli and green onions, and just about every other leftover veggie I had lingering in the fridge, including red onion, ginger, garlic, cabbage, white button and shiitake mushrooms, celery, carrots, and red bell pepper!



Between stir-fry and beans and rice, it has been a week of brown rice for me.

I made my sauce from scratch, too -- here's the recipe:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

I just combined everything, and then added it to the wok at the last second, folding everything together until the sauce thickened and coated the veggies nicely. It didn't seem spicy at first, but it "caught up" with me halfway through the meal. I don't really like commercial stir-fry sauces, since they always seem too sweet and/or too salty for my tastebuds, so I have been playing around with making my own. This one was a super-success! I think I will keep the sticky note I jotted the ingredients on next to the scrap of paper I have written my homemade pasta sauce variations. :) More stir-fry in the future!

Sunday food

After a LATE night last night, (Dan had a gig,) I woke up pleasantly late this morning, with an urge to bake! I hemmed and hawwed over exactly what to bake for quite a while, and finally settled on whole-wheat blueberry muffins:

I doubled my usual recipe, which yielded 18 standard muffins for breakfasts and snacks for Dan and I, and 24 mini-muffins for the kidlets at work. :) They'll be so happy with a Monday snack surprise! Plus, they'll never know that they are healthfully sweetened with agave nectar, and full of fiber and whole grains!

***** UPDATE: Here's the recipe, since a couple of folks asked for it! *****

Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins
(Based on "Blueberry Streusel Muffins" from The Betty Crocker Cookbook)
Yield: 24 standard muffins, or 18 standard and 24 mini-muffins

Whisk together wet ingredients:
2 cups milk (or a combination of milk and plain yogurt)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs (I've also used egg replacer and flax whip -- both work)
1/2 cup agave nectar

Combine dry ingredients:
4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Fold into dry ingredients:
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, just until combined. I would recommend using liners, since these muffins qualify as a little lower in fat than usual. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes for standard muffins, 10 to 12 minutes for mini muffins.

While the muffins were in the oven, I whipped up a giant batch of beans and rice:

This dish will serve for lunches for both Dan and I nearly all week -- and beans and rice is one of the few things I can eat over and over without getting tired of it.

Next things next . . . lunch!

I had every intention of making breakfast burritos this morning, and chugged right along, prepping all of the individual components . . . until I opened blue, fuzzy tortillas and plans changed! (WAH! I hate wasting food.) So, we had "deconstructed breakfast burritos," with a side of homemade tortilla chips (made last weekend) to scoop up the cheesy beans. Although I really would have preferred chomping my way through an overstuffed tortilla, my plate full of goodies was an acceptable alternative. :)

After a leisurely afternoon enjoying modern art at the Walker and chai at the coffee shop with my "favorite Dan," (yes, one of the kids once described him as such,) I came home and started getting a few things done around the house, including fitting in twenty minutes of yoga. Tonight's yoga made me think I'd probably like to fit in some yoga on Tuesday night, too, so I decided to nearly completely prepare the evening's dinner, so I can come home, press some tofu, and hit my mat!

Bags of pre-chopped stir-fry veggies and pre-mixed sauce will make dinner ready in a snap! Let's hope I remember to start the rice as soon as I get home, too!!

Finally, while I had the knife and cutting board out, I made myself a gigantic salad for dinner:

Mixed baby greens topped with chopped apple, sliced fennel, walnuts, bleu cheese, fig balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. I love salty-sweet salads -- I find them incredibly satisfying.

Still have a few things to check off the list before starting the work week . . . hope you had a nice weekend!

adjusting

It's hard to adjust to changes in your routine, isn't it? I've shifted from cooking for both Dan and I practically every single night, and packing leftovers from dinners for lunches every day, to cooking/food planning for just myself, except on Tuesdays and weekends. It's a little strange, but I'm starting to remember how to do this! I planned on making huge Greek salads for most lunches this week, which worked really well -- plus, it's really good for me to eat a huge salad every single day! I did a wee bit of cooking this week, too:

First, a delightful minestrone I made for Dan and I on Tuesday night:

I stumbled upon this recipe from Ellie Krieger in an issue of Food Network Magazine that I was flipping through during my flu-induced stupor over the holidays. (Is it strange that one of the only activities I can tolerate while sick is reading magazines? I swear, I must have gone through 8 or so! After I read through the favorites, hit up Target for a second round, and then went to Walgreens on CHRISTMAS DAY for a supply of the third-stringers, I knew it was going to be a BAD illness. Can you tell I'm still recovering, at least mentally?) :) Anyhow, this recipe sounded simple, quick, and delicious, and it was indeed all three of those things! I made a few small modifications, including adding more beans and more pasta, since I wanted the soup to serve more as a meal, instead of a veggie side/app. This soup was an excellent, nutritious weeknight meal, (accompanied by some sliced baguette and brie . . . hey, we can't be all healthy, all the time, right?), and has served both of us well for several lunches in leftover form, too. Note: if you attempt this recipe, make sure you use at least a 6-quart pot . . . I had to transfer from my 4-quart mid recipe! (I HATE it when that happens!)

I also threw together a few odds and ends and made myself a delicious stir-fry for dinner tonight!

I tossed a 1/4 package of tofu, some garlic, ginger, and onion, and a few miscellaneous veggies into my cast-iron fry pan, and added a simple "sauce" at the very end -- 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp garlic-chile sauce, and 1/2 tsp agave nectar. Served the lot over some leftover Basmati rice, (well, it was already made, ok?!) and called it dinner. Yum!

And appropriately, this treat was probably the most favorite thing I made this week!

I found so many attractive things about this recipe for Lemon Pudding Cakes from Eating Well that I knew I was going to have to make them SOON! I know they don't look like much, but they are light, fluffy, sweet, intensely lemony, and all around fabulous! Dan loves anything citrus, so he was all over these, and I loved how easy they were to throw together. Plus, I'd almost always rather a fruit or lemon dessert. I like chocolate, but just not all that often! :)

I'm so ready for the weekend! Cabin time, here we come!

recap of the week

Sorry for the long absence . . . it has been one hell of a long, stressful week. And now we are allegedly going to get over a foot of snow today! Boo-hoo. (I wouldn't care, except that I have PLANS, people! Drat.)

OK, enough complaining. Even though I still kind of feel like a crazy person, I did manage to cook/bake a little bit this week! Results:

First, it's been so long since we've done something for the bake-a-long, I thought it about time for some bread!

Even though I've made the "Broa" before, (page 82,) I was more than happy to make it again. I love the subtle flavor the cornmeal brings to the loaf, and the wonderful, crispy crust against the slightly dense, chewy bread. I heart bread!

Bread goes so well with soup, doesn't it?

Melody had requested I make my "Sweet Potato-Coconut Curry Soup" and post about it again, and I was happy to oblige! Years ago, when I still thought I was writing a cookbook, this was one of my recipes I was proudest of -- but it's amazing how our tastes change, isn't it? As I was reviewing the recipe, I had several thoughts about the recipe, and made a few subtle changes as I went along. Here's the revised list of ingredients -- I figure most can figure out how to make soup, so I'm not going to post directions. This can be done either in a soup pot or Crock Pot, depending on your preference and time available! Here are the ingredients:
2 teaspoons canola or coconut oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry paste (I usually use red, but whatever you have on hand should be fine!)
3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
4 heaping cups peeled, cubed sweet potato
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (depending on how salty your broth is)
1 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
minced fresh cilantro (for garnish)

I also managed to make some stir-fry the other night:

Tempeh, red bell pepper, sweet potato, red onion, broccoli, and some mixed mushrooms combined for a delightful topping for some plain brown rice. I kept this one fairly simple, and appreciated the hefty dose of veggies, whole grains, and healthy protein.

Happy weekend, all!

very little actual cooking

Strangely, I did very little actual cooking this past week -- what did we eat? I have no idea! We did go out for dinner on Tuesday night, Dan made some pasta at some point during the week, and I met a friend for dinner on Thursday night, (shout out to Lauren!), but I'm still kind of puzzled!

Here are a few things that made their way from our kitchen to our bellies . . .

Wild Rice Soup!


Dan's Famous Stir-Fry!

(Dan has deemed himself in charge of dinner on Friday nights -- woo!)

Whole-wheat Blueberry Pancakes!


Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup!

(Yeah, this doesn't qualify as "cooking" in my book, but at least we ate at home!)

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I had a wonderfully pleasant day today! Dan and I ran a few errands this morning, including hitting the farmer's market, where we scored gorgeous produce and a gigantic, beautiful pumpkin! (Isn't it funny that Dan buys pumpkins based on how many seeds he thinks they might contain?) We chilled at home this afternoon, (I even took a nap!), before I headed over to church for a couple of hours. One of the women in my choir was married today, and the choir sang three pieces for the ceremony -- it was so much fun! Tonight, I have been busy in the kitchen prepping veggies and fruits for meals this week, starting some bread dough, making a pumpkin pie, and baking a loaf of banana-zucchini bread for breakfasts. Whew! I still have a pile of black beans bubbling away in the crock pot, so I still have to deal with those at some point. :) Hope you are having an enjoyable Saturday night!

breakfast and dinner

Since I had to head into work today for a special event, I wanted to do something this morning that would make it feel more "weekend-ish." Enter, pancakes!

I made whole-wheat & protein buttermilk pancakes, (subbing 1/2 chickpea flour for the AP or whole-wheat flour called for in the original recipe,) and topped them with a thrown-together "buttermilk syrup." I've seen this blogged about lately, and was excited to give it a try! I didn't really follow a recipe, (or use all of the ingredients most recipes called for,) but this still turned out fabulously. Dan wasn't sure about the "syrup" at first, but at his third pancake, said, "this is f*cking amazing stuff." I can't imagine how much more amazing the "real" recipes might be! Anyone have a suggestion for a recipe I might try?

Lunch was leftovers on the run, so we were about due for a healthy and fabulous dinner.

Tofu Stir-Fry! This was totally awesome, filled with tons of mostly local veggies and lightly coated in my homemade sauce. This pile of veggies contained local red onion, local carrots, local flying-saucer squash, local sugar-snap peas, red bell pepper, local cremini mushrooms, and local green onions!

Have you ever had "flying-saucer" squash? I had them first in Haiti when Dan and I were there in 2008, and I really enjoy them. They stay pretty firm when cooked, but still have that delicate, zucchini flavor. Yum!

awesomely spicy stir-fry

Those who frequent my blog will note that typically, Dan is the stir-fry chef in our house. He makes a mean stir-fry, but his secret is relying on bottled kung pao stir fry sauce . . . tonight, the "scratch-ist" in me wanted to try my hand at my own stir-fry sauce, and it turned out SPECTACULARLY! Here is my version of Dan's stir-fry, with my awesomely spicy sauce:



Order of stir-fry preparation:

1. Start rice, unless you cooked a bunch of rice ahead of time. :) Press tofu.

2. Make sauce: puree 1/4 cup low-sodium soy or tamari, 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, 2 tablespoons flax oil, 1 tablespoon chili-garlic paste (use much less if you're sensitive to heat, or more, if you prefer!), 1 tablespoon ketchup (or tomato paste, but I didn't have any open,) 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, 1 small piece of fresh ginger, and 1 tsp cornstarch.

3. Heat wok. Add peanut oil and heat. Fry tofu cubes until golden. Remove from wok and drain on paper towels.

4. Fry veggies in an order that makes sense. (Tonight, I did the following: onion, mushroom, carrot, pea pods, green peppers. Essentially, you want to add the veggies in order from longest-cooking to shortest-cooking.)

5. Add tofu cubes back to wok. Add sauce. Boil and stir the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it thickens and clears slightly.

6. Serve! Enjoy!

Stir-fry seems like such a "classic" to me that posting "directions" seems a little silly. Oh well! What are your stir-fry secrets/tips/tricks?

just the food

Since I'm SO far behind on posting, I thought I'd focus on "just the food" while catching up!

Remember when I found morels at work?

I sauteed the morels, some shallots, thyme, and asparagus in plenty of olive oil, added some salt and pepper, a wallop of sour cream, and some lemon juice, and mixed the lot with some whole-wheat fettucine. Heaven! I've been keeping a careful eye on my "spot," but no new mushrooms have popped up since my lucky day last month. Oh well!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble:

Dan actually made the majority of this dessert, (I only sliced the rhubarb and strawberries,) and he was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was! And I quote, "wow -- now I know how to make crumble! That was simple!" Yay for Dan baking!

Homemade pizza:

It's been so long, I really don't remember what went on this. It's always good, though!

I'm always game to try out a new tofu recipe:

I was excited to try the "Chili-Cornmeal Crusted Tofu" recipe from VCON, since it looked so simple. Not only was it a snap to throw together on a weeknight, it was a nice, basic, delicious preparation for the ever-versatile block o' 'fu. Simple steamed asparagus and roasted (yellow-flesh) sweet potatoes rounded out this meal. My only complaint? That I didn't make more! I had plenty of breading left for a second package of 'fu, so I just stuck it in the fridge for a later date. Next time, I'll just make a double-batch!

Dan's famous stir-fry:

Gotta tell you, I can't think of anything better than coming home from work to the smells of peanut oil and Jasmine rice wafting through the air! Well done, Dan!

Local whole-wheat fettucine with homemade mushroom marinara:

Much more exciting than writing "pasta again," right? :)

BIRTHDAY CUPCAKES!

I made the vanilla cupcakes from VCTOW, topped them with (dairy-full) cream cheese frosting, and home-dipped chocolate-covered strawberries. Yes, I did eat two, although I shared the rest with the kids and staff at work!

I was so excited to try out my new camping cookware set last weekend:

I realize this is a "lame" thing to get excited about, but since I've only been a "real" camper for a few years, each year, I add a few more things to the arsenal. My nesting set of pot, pan, detatchable handle, and universal lid were fabulous to have on hand this past trip! We made . . .

Black Bean and Chipotle Soup:


AND, whole-wheat banana pancakes!

It's definitely a challenge cooking in the outdoors, but not terribly difficult if you plan ahead. The soup and pancakes made nice changes from our usual cold camping meals!

All right . . . I think that leaves me caught up in the food department. Next? Pretty pictures of nature! More later!

Dan can cook (still!)

To celebrate the beginning of spring break, (well, his spring break -- I do have to go to work today . . . and all next week . . . ) Dan volunteered to cook dinner last night.



Yay Dan! His stir-fry never disappoints, and he's working hard on keeping the spice level in check. (Last time it was so spicy I could barely eat my portiton!) It was an extra-good thing Dan cooked last night, because I was feeling like garbage. Too many nights in a row of not enough sleep, plus all of the kids at work are sick. Ugh.

After a spicy stir-fry dinner, I went to bed EARLY (ahem, 9:30,) while Dan did the dishes. After 10 hours of sleep, I'm feeling like a new person today! Woo! And it's Friday!

What is/are your significant's specialties? I'm always curious to hear what people give up their kitchen for!

our week in food

Sunday night's dinner:

Grilled cheese and (homemade, vegan) cream of tomato-basil soup! YUM. This is, oddly, a frequent meal request of Dan's. Who knew?

Monday night's dinner:

Dan's Awesome Stir-Fry -- a little too spicy for me this time, but still great! I think he hasn't figured out yet that four dried Thai chillis kick my butt a little too much. :)

Tuesday night's dinner:

Here is a time where I veered significantly from a printed recipe, and it went really, really well. Soup is awesome, and soup containing a whole head of roasted garlic is even awesome-er. Ingredients: olive oil, celery, carrot, shallot, chard (stems and leaves,) navy beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, roasted garlic, vegetable broth, crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, Italian seasoning, sage, salt, pepper, and a parmesan cheese rind. Conveniently, this soup ALSO helped me clean out my veggie drawer and counter produce bowl! Sweet!

Soup requires bread, wouldn't you agree?

More Vermont Cheddar rolls, just 'cause that's the quickest thing to get in and out of the oven on a weeknight. Equally as tasty as last time! Yay bake-a-long!

a great weekend!

I really have had a great weekend! Let's recap . . .

Friday night, my friend Ann met me at work and we walked to the Cheeky Monkey Deli for dinner. YUM YUM YUM! I've walked by this place a bunch of times, and finally ventured in, based on a recommendation from my boss. I had a side salad, pressed brie and roasted mushroom sandwich, some chips, and split a sour cherry mascarpone rice pudding with Ann for dessert. I'm still dreaming about that sandwich . . . this may be my new "go-to" place when I fall through packing a lunch for work! (The harder part will be NOT eating there once a week!) After dinner, we went to Penumbra Theatre and saw "Black Nativity," which was excellent, and helped finally shove me into the Christmas spirit! ;)

I spent Saturday morning sitting around on the couch, clipping recipes out of food magazines and drinking tea:

Yeah, that's a lot of tea. I had, ahem, an impulsive trip to the co-op on Friday afternoon during my break! (Hey . . . they were all on sale!) I made it my mission to try all FOUR flavors of holiday tea, just so I could post a short review here:

Candy Cane Lane: One of my favorites of the bunch. Decaf green tea with peppermint and vanilla flavors. I found this tea benefited greatly from an extra minute of steeping, and a teaspoon of sugar stirred in before enjoying. Brought out the vanilla flavor a little more. Delicious, especially if you love mint tea as I do!

Sugar Plum Spice: My other favorite. Fruity and spicy, sweet without adding any additional sweetner, and delicious! Bright pink in the cup, too. Leave the teabag in a long time, (I usually let my herbal teabags sit in the cup until I've finished drinking,) because the spiciness becomes more present the longer it steeps.

Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride: I have heard wonerful, rave reviews of this tea, but I must confess . . . my socks weren't knocked off. My first cup was sort of blah -- the tea smelled AMAZING, but didn't taste like much. After experimenting a little bit, I found this tea required doubling up on bags in my cup, a LONG steep, (up to 30 minutes,) and a teaspoon of sugar for best flavor. After my initial disappointment, I've been pleased -- imagine sweet sugar-cookie flavor and aroma, with a hint of orange. This would make a fun after-dinner treat on a day you don't want many extra calories!

Gingerbread Spice: I almost didn't buy this tea because I was afraid it would be too . . . spicy. "Spice" tea usually means overpowering, almost bitter cinnamon flavor, in my opinion, and I was a little worried . . . but the sale price made this box jump in my cart, and I'm glad it did! This is a nicely balanced tea, spicy but not overwhelming, and enjoyable even when I forgot and left the tea bag in for fifteen minutes. :)

So . . . if you're a fan of herbal teas and like holiday-inspired flavors, check these out! I think they might still be on sale at Mississippi Market, too! (Maybe even the Wedge? I've seen them on display, but didn't pay attention to the price.)

After my morning of tea and lounging in my jammies, Dan and I decided to head out on foot and "play" -- we went out for lunch, went to the library, hit up a couple of stores, (smoked paprika from Penzey's, a few holiday baking essentials from Kitchen Window, a quick grocery item I forgot on Friday, etc.), got Dan a haircut, a short browse at Cheapo, and then took the bus home. Whew! We were tired!

When we got home, Dan napped on the couch while I made cookies:

Dan complains that I can't ever make "regular" chocolate chip cookies, (i.e., no oats, nuts, dried fruit, etc.,) and unfortunately for him, this batch wasn't "regular." I threw in a bunch of peanuts and a teaspoon of coarse sea salt, which I'm thrilled with! And, well, Dan did confess that he actually liked them. :) (He's not anti-nut, just anti-walnuts and pecans, which I tend to use most often.) I'm going to take some to work tomorrow to share with my boss -- she's had an overwhelming couple of weeks, and deserves a treat!

When Dan got up from his nap, he made his famous tempeh stir-fry for dinner:


Yum! Spicy, salty, and delicious! (And I love all of that broccoli!)

After dinner, we watched part of "The Last King of Scotland" before I practically had a meltdown due to tiredness. :) Early to bed for me!

Today, I went to church, and then made pizza for lunch:

Dan and I had a funny discussion about how much we both love pizza, and never seem to get sick of it. Probably why we have it a couple of times a month! :)

After lunch, we finished the movie, then put up our tree:

Wee Christmas! Now the trick is to keep the cat from tearing the whole thing apart before Christmas actually arrives!

Off to finish the laundry, wrap some presents, and make bean burritos for dinner. Anyone have an amazing refried bean recipe they love? I haven't been happy with the experiments that I've tasted to date . . . I guess I'll just have to search for a recipe!?!?