Avocado Pasta

I realize that lately this is turning into more of a food blog than I originally planned...  I have been on a big "new recipe" kick lately and have come across so many tasty dishes I want to share with y'all...  I promise when I have more exciting news to share the focus of the blog will change back to more interesting things... For now, I share a delicious recipe for super-quick and easy avocado pasta...

I stumbled across a new blog lately called "Oh She Glows."  It is definitely my new favorite food-related blog!  All of the recipes are vegan and many are gluten-free.  I have a list of at least 15 recipes from the blog that I want to make (check my pinterest "edibles" page to see them.)  I have made a few this week including this pasta dish, the lentil loaf, and the "frosty glo cakes."  All were very good although the lentil loaf didn't turn out quite as nice as hers did...  I was so impressed with the avocado pasta dish though that I made it twice in the last week.  Unlike most recipes that I make, this one needs no modification - it is perfect as written.  The one change I did make to keep it gluten-free, was to use a corn-quinoa pasta instead of wheat pasta.  The whole dish (including a side salad) can be made in the time that it takes to cook the pasta, making this the perfect weeknight dinner!

Recipe found here:  Oh She Glows 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

Avocado Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
• 2-3 garlic cloves, to taste
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• ~1/4 cup Fresh Basil
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of past
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.
3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Corn-quinoa blend pasta noodles that I used (I cooked about 2/3 of the box):

 To make it ultra quick and easy, I used crushed garlic in a jar, 100% lemon juice from a jar, and three "Dorot" frozen basil cubes instead of fresh basil.  I also used two avocados instead of one since mine were on the smaller side.

 Here is a better picture of the frozen basil cubes (picture from Google.)  You can buy them at Trader Joes and are a perfect substitute for fresh basil in most recipes.  They also make garlic and cilantro cubes.  We always have a few trays of these in our freezer!

While the pasta was cooking, I whipped up the sauce in my mini food-processor attachment for my immersion blender.  It is kind of hard to tell in this picture, but the green sauce is almost the same color as my kitchen walls!  :D

When the pasta is done, drain and mix in the sauce.  It will heat up within a minute and be ready to eat!  The original recipe mentions that it does not reheat well due to the avocados, but I had no problems eating it the next day.  It had lost a little of the fresh "green" color but still tasted good.  I did however add a bit of extra lemon so that could have made the difference...

 (Sorry for the crappy "final picture,"  I was in a hurry to get it on the table and snapped a quick photo without taking the time to make any camera adjustments...  Oops!)

DIY Face Cream

I came across this "recipe" for homemade face cream a few months ago on one of my favorite blogs: Eating Bird Food.

I have been wanting to try it out but decided to wait until my current face cream ran out so I could refill the little jar it came in.  I made this yesterday and used it for the first time last night.  I have to say, I am really impressed at how nicely it worked!  I was a little nervous at first using such an oily product on my face.  My skin is very dry but gets oily throughout the day.  I put it on after my shower last night and it soaked in completely within 5 minutes, and didn't look or feel oily at all.  I handed it to Erik and told him to test it with me, and I couldn't believe how excited he got about the smell!  As he was rubbing it in, he took in a big deep breath and proclaimed "this smells like.... a delicious granola bar!"  haha...  So I think we will both be using this as our nighttime face cream...  :)

Here is how to make it:

Homemade Face Cream:

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2½ tablespoons cocoa butter (I used about 2/3 of the stick since it's hard to measure)
• ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation (modified to how I made it):

1. First find two bowls or drinking glasses, one small and one large.  I use a small juice glass and glass salad bowl.  Measure ingredients, add all to small drinking glass. 
2. Fill larger bowl with hot (near boiling) water, about 2/3 full.  Place smaller glass inside, being careful not to get water in it.
3. Allow ingredients to melt together.  Mix occasionally with spoon.  I think it took about 5 or 6 minutes for everything to melt completely.  You may need to change out the water once to keep everything hot.
4. When it is all melted together, pour into the container you plan to keep the face cream in.
5. Depending on the temperature, the mixture may solidify similar to how coconut oil/cocoa butter do on their own. In the winter the cream will usually be solid. You just have to use your finger to get a little bit out of the jar, rub it around in your palms or between your fingers to warm it up a bit and then apply.

Here is what it loos like in it's melted state:

Let it sit out at room temp for 30 minutes to an hour, and it will look like this:

I found this cream very easy (and fun) to make.  It cost less than $3 for the entire batch, which I am sure will last many months.  A little bit of cream goes a long way!  It would be even less expensive if you could find the cocoa butter stick on sale.  I paid $2.50 at Whole Foods, but I think Rite Aid has them on sale sometimes for $0.99 each.  I love that all of the ingredients are 100% natural, and environmentally friendly.  Good for the body and the planet!

Veggie Laska (Coconut Milk Soup)

We tried a new recipe tonight, a one-pot "5 ingredient" curried vegetable and coconut milk soup.  I wanted to make something quick, easy, and delicious and this recipe certainly fit that description.  If you asked my husband he would tell you that I can never follow a recipe exactly as it is written.  This is the truth.  So of course I had to add in my own personal touches to this dish, and then it ended up being more than five ingredients...  But anyway..

Basic recipe here (scroll down the page a bit to get to it):  Veggie Laska

Recipe with my modifications as follows:

Veggie Laska

1 box rice noodles
1-2 tbsp Thai curry paste (more if you like spicy)
2 cans coconut milk
1 bag frozen stir-fry vegetables
5 or 6 small yellow potatoes
4 soy "chicken" patties
1-2 tsp curry seasoning
vegetable broth

Start by putting a little cooking oil in the bottom of a large soup pot over medium heat.  You can use any kind that you like (olive, canola, peanut, etc.)  Keeping with the theme of the meal I opted for coconut oil.  Add your curry paste and curry seasoning.  Allow to took for a minute or so, careful not to let it burn.  Add in your cans of coconut milk.  I also added in about 2 cups of vegetable broth.  Water would work fine too, but you may want to add some salt for flavor.

I am a big fan of the full-fat coconut milk, so I went with that (hey I never said this was a "diet" soup!)

Chop your potatoes and soy chicken patties.   The Whole Foods near us sells these "Delight" brand patties that seriously rock.  Buy this kind if you can.  I sliced them into strips and cubed the potatoes.

Add your potatoes and soy strips to the pot.  Allow to cook for 5 min or so.  Add in your bag of frozen vegetables.  I just love the frozen stir-fry vegetables that Trader Joes sells!  They are also great for a quick meal served over rice when you want something simple.  The bag contains: carrots, snow peas, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, edamame, and mushrooms.  Let soup come to a boil again, and then turn down the heat to low.

While your soup is simmering, boil a pot of water (or avoid getting out a second pot and use an electric kettle as I did.)  Put your rice noodles in a bowl, but be sure to cook only what you plan to eat that night.  I made half of the box and it was too much for even Erik and I to finish (and that boy can eat.)  Pour boiling water over noodles and allow to sit for around 8 minutes.

When your noodles are done so is your soup!

Drain noodles, divide into soup bowls, and ladle soup into bowls.

I think the whole meal came together in around 25 minutes or so.  And there are lots of leftovers for the next few nights.  Easy peasy  :)  Happy cooking!

Lazy Sunday and a Lucky Dragon

This weekend was a good mix of productivity and laziness...  The perfect weekend if you ask me.  Yesterday Erik and I spent much of the afternoon shopping and running assorted errands.  It was a beautiful sunny 70 degree day, just perfect for being out and about and getting stuff done.  One of the stops we made was at the craft store where I picked up a few new sceins of yarn for some projects I had in mind...

I used the green yarn for a project today, which I have to say turned out even cuter than I expected it to!  The weather turned cold and rainy overnight, and we are even under a "winter weather advisery" for the rest of the afternoon and tonight.  To me this is perfect weather to stay in, relax, snuggle up with Erik, and of course spend some time crafting.  This weekends project: a little green dragon!

I introduce to you, Loki the lucky dragon:

Another pattern from pinterest, this little guy was made with a cotton/acrylic blend yarn, beige felt for the wings and tummy, brown felt for the horns, buttons for the eyes, fiberfill stuffing, and of course love.

Pattern can be found here:  "All About Ami" Dragon Pattern

Cute little dragon tail so he can stand up on his own  :)

After doing some research I learned the following info:

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which began on January 23, 2012 and will end on February 9, 2013.  The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend.  In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represents an emperor and  power. Today, it  is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness.   

As well, the Dragon is a symbol of good luck.  2012 has already been filled with lots of joy and happiness for Erik and I but perhaps this little guy will help bring us some extra good luck for the rest of the year  :)

Creamy Sesame Greens

Today I share with you my all-time favorite kale recipe.  I came across this recipe while shopping at Whole Foods one day not long ago.  There was a lady doing a food demo that included some type of meat, and she offered me a sample.  When I told her I was vegan, she got a sad look on her face (not because vegans make her sad, but I think because she really wanted to share what she was cooking.)  Moments later however, she lit up and excitedly handed me a sheet of paper with this recipe for "Creamy Sesame Greens" and said something to the effect of "oh all vegans love kale, try this it's delicious!"  I thanked her and looking over the recipe realized that it did in fact, sound amazing.  I think I even bought the ingredients for the dish that very day.  So without further ado...

Creamy Sesame Greens

Serves 2

What you need:

4 tablespoons water, divided
6 cups chopped kale, Swiss chard or collard greens, tough stems removed
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely chopped

I started with two smallish bunches of organic kale.  Usually one is enough but since they were on the small side I bought two.  There is no such thing as too much kale...

To make life easier for myself, I keep bottles of prepared garlic and 100% lemon juice in the fridge at all times for when I don't have time (or feel like) chopping garlic or squeezing a lemon.  The BEST tahini in the world comes from a restaurant close to our house called the Mediterranean Deli.  Seriously this tahini is so good I sometimes eat it straight from the jar with a spoon.  I might have just done that a few minutes ago.  Moving on...

What to do:

Once you have your ingredients ready, wash your kale (or greens of choice) and remove the tough stems.  Heat 2 tablespoons of water in large skillet over medium heat.  Tear your greens into pieces and add to skillet.

A very full pan of kale:

But not to worry, it cooks down a lot (toss frequently while it cooks.)  This is what it looked like just 2-3 minutes later.  STOP when it reaches this point.  

While the greens are cooking, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons water and garlic. Add to hot greens, toss to combine and serve immediately.  

Creamy tahini sauce added (I am usually pretty heavy on the tahini):

 Nutrition:

Per serving: 200 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 95mg sodium, 25g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 0g sugar), 9g protein

 

 Over a bed of brown rice with some lemon slices on the side, this is the perfect lunch to take to work:

 

Now that I have told you how the recipe tells you to make it, I am going to share with you how I usually make it.  The recipe is the same, but I also add in 1/2 jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil (chopped) and 1/2 jar pitted kalamata olives (sliced) and if you like them, 1/2 jar of artichoke hearts (the kind with oil and spices.)  And instead of adding in water to the sauce I use some of the liquid from the jars of tomatoes and olives.  It makes an already delicious meal 10x better.

Here is my version:

Time to go eat!  Enjoy!  :)

One last photo...  Lucy guiltily eating a piece of kale that fell on the floor.  Well, half-eating it and half tearing it into little pieces and leaving a mess on the floor...  Silly little pup!  :)

Inexpensive soap and where to put it

Inexpensive soap

Ever since I discovered Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap many years ago I have been hooked on it.  You can use this stuff to wash virtually anything (hands, body, hair, clothes, surfaces, etc.)  It's completely natural and smells amazing.  It also won't dry out your skin like regular soap will, if anything it seems to add moisture.  One day, my regular "foaming" hand soap dispenser ran out.  In a pinch I decided to dilute some of my Dr. Bronners soap with water and use it until I bought a new bottle of soap.  It worked so well that I stopped buying new bottles of hand soap and started refilling the bottles I already had.  Not only does this save money but it has great environmental benefits as well.  No more little plastic hand soap bottles being thrown out (or at our house, put in the recycling bin.)  All you have to do is add 1-2oz of Dr. Bronners to your empty bottle of hand soap (must be "foaming" kind of pump for this to work.)  Then fill it the rest of the way with water.  Easy peasy.

My favorite scents are Hemp Almond and Lavender

To see exactly how much you would save by doing this, I have done the calculation for you.

32 oz bottle of Dr. Bronners soap = $12 (I always buy it on sale, I think regular it is around $15)

1-2oz per refill (I never measure, I just use what feels about right)

Equals  $0.38 to $0.75 per refill.  For awesome, natural, organic, fair-trade, super-foamy soap.  Try getting that deal at the grocery store...  And for comparison, Whole Foods charges around $5 per bottle for their natural soaps with the foamy pump.  Some are even as high as $9 or $10/bottle.  For soap!  Sheesh!

FYI, you can buy this brand at Whole Foods or Kroger...  I think Meijer had it as well when I lived in Michigan.  One large (32oz) bottle will last a very long time.  We wash our hands a lot and I think our last bottle lasted well over a year...

Where to put it

Well you could put your new soap concoction in a regular boring foaming soap dispenser or...

You could make a nifty glass one out of a mason jar!

I found this idea on pinterest (where else) and the instructions on how to make your own can be found here:

instructions

Instead of a regular soap pump I used a foaming one, but the concept is still the same.  I really like it, but would like it even more if I could figure out a way to jazz it up a bit.  I am keeping my eye out for an old school blue-tinted mason jar to make another one.  I think it will help cover up the not-super-pretty color of the Dr. Bronners soap.  (But the yummy smell makes up for it I promise!)

I have only made one glass bottle dispenser so far and it lives in our laundry room sink area.  Please ignore what appears to be water spots on the stainless steel sink...  It's not really that dirty  ;)

There you have it, my soap recipe and a fun place to put it.  Happy hand washing!

Gemma the Giraffe

I came across this pattern for a crocheted giraffe recently, and had to make him right away:

Cult of Crochet Giraffe Patten

It was very easy to make and probably took about 3 hours total.  I added some pink spots which I think makes her a girl, so I named her Gemma.  She is made entirely with organic yarn and stuffed with fiberfill stuffing.  I think she turned out quite cute and would be loved by any baby, boy or girl.

Yesterday was Valentines Day, and Erik and I had a very lovely evening together.  We went to our favorite restaurant Vimala's for dinner.  Eating here pretty much always guarantees an amazing meal!  We picked up dessert on the way home, a big vegan cookie for Erik and a pint of Ciao Bella Dark Chocolate sorbet for me.  If you have never tried this dessert you must, it is soooo good.  The Blood Orange and Mango flavors are amazing as well.  We ended the day with an episode of our new favorite show, Downton Abbey.  We started watching it earlier this week and became hooked after the first episode.  If you are looking for a show that is something a little different than your typical viewing experience, check it out.

Gemma and I hope you all had a nice Valentines day as well!

Favorite things: house edition

I am a firm believer in the statement:

I certainly value people, experiences, and feelings over physical objects.  All that being said, we do have quite a few nifty things around our house that I love, and most are associated with a happy memory or person in my life.  I decided to share some of those things with you today...

Shadow Box

My sister Megs made this for me 5 or 6 years ago... I have had it sitting on top of my TV stand (in all three places I have lived in that time) and still love it very much.  The contents include: a poem about sisters, french coins, pictures of the Eiffel Tower, and an envelope addressed to me at my old house.  So sweet!  :)

Black vintage table

There is a somewhat funny story on how I acquired this...  I had just moved into my first house in Michigan, and was still working on getting it furnished.  One day, an older man came knocking on my door.  He had been looking for my landlord (who used to reside there) and I told him I was renting and had just moved it.  As it turns out, one of his relatives who lived right down the street had just passed away, and they were working on cleaning our their house.  He asked me if I wanted to take a look at any of the furniture there to see if I needed anything. Before you think I am crazy for going to a strangers house, let me tell you that the neighborhood I was living in was a close-knit group of friendly Finnish people, and the likelihood of danger was extremely low...  I ended up going to the house to check things out, and fell in love with this table immediately.  I offered to pay him for it, but he refused, and even delivered it to my house in his truck.  I never saw him again, but when I mentioned this to my landlord he did say that the nice man was a good friend of his.  I love how this table is so aged and well-loved, the back is kinda wobbly, the legs are scratched up, the knobs are original, and it is such a perfect fit it in our entryway.  The bottom shelf is our winter hat/scarf/glove storage area.  Sitting on top are two gourds that I crocheted to hold keys/work badges/etc...

Teapot

Erik bought me this teapot this past Christmas for making loose-leaf tea.  I just love the green color and the two little cups that came with it.  My mom recently sent me the BEST tea I have ever had (Shang Tea) and this is the perfect tool for making it!

Reading nook

This chair is in the corner of what is now our office, and what will be the future nursery.  We had this chair at my parents house when I was a kid, and somehow through all these years I have managed to hang on to it...  Perhaps since it is very comfy and reminds me of my childhood home, as well it is still in excellent condition.  I bought the foot stool at the local thrift store for around $5 and recovered it myself.  The lamp was given to me by a friend.  Most of the plants on the windowsill also have been gifts.  On the wall behind the chair there are nine or so frames with family photos in them.  I love this cozy corner for reading, blogging, or crafting  :)

Yarn!

Most of you already know how much I love to crochet...  I am on a bit of a crochet hiatus at present as my crafting time has been taken over by sewing, but I am still working on a few projects on the side.  This is... some of my yarn.  Maybe half.  Or less.  I have a lot...

Pothos Plant

This plant doesn't "technically" belong to me, as we are just plant sitting for Erik's brother for a few years while he is working on a ship near Alaska.  I am hoping he lets us plant sit forever.  This plant loves it here, and I love this plant!  The candle sconce to the left is a yard sale find, as are the bookcases that the plant lives on.

Birds!

It is no secret that I love birds...  These are just a few (of the many) who live with us.  The first bird on the left was purchased last September on our honeymoon when we visited Savannah, GA for a night.  He got cold this winter so I made him a hat.  The middle bird lives on our coat hanger (another awesome yard sale find).  The bird on the right sits on the end of a curtain rod in our living room.  His brothers and sisters live on the ends of the other curtain rods.  I wish I had a cool story about these but they honestly came from Lowes...  Still cute though  ;)

Pin & Needle Holder

Handmade (and personally designed) by my talented Mother.  Do I even have to explain why I love this so much?  The picture says it all...

Bookcase + Colorful Glass Collection

Bookcase was a $2 (yes TWO DOLLAR) yard sale find in MI.  It is sitting in the little alcove in our upstairs hallway.  On it lives: colorful glass collection (mostly from my Grandma - she has quite an extensive glass bottle collection), my wedding bouquet (handmade by me, obviously I opted for silk), a framed picture of Erik and I (frame was wedding gift from relatives, picture is an old-timey photo we had done on our honeymoon), and on the bottom shelf are some of Erik's books... Yes you see mostly Bill Bryson and Harry Potter books...  ;)

Bike Clock

A present from Erik's brother, Scott.  We have it hanging in our kitchen, and I think this is a favorite thing of both Erik and I.  Funky, eclectic, and cool.  Just like us  ;)  haha

Vintage Chair

To date, my all-time favorite yard sale find.  I picked this up last year at a sale in Chapel Hill.  Solid wood, handmade, and just plain awesome.  There is an aged hand-stamped tag on the bottom indicating it was made locally in Siler City, NC.  I wouldn't usually pay $20 for anything at a yard sale, but this was definitely worth it.  And it even came with the cute little hand sewed chair pad.  Score!

Bathroom Floor

Okay, so this might not be very high on most people's "favorite things" list.  However, my amazing husband cut and installed every single piece of tile himself when we renovated our house nearly two years ago.  I love the pattern he came up with and he did a fantastic job. Even though we renovated the entire house at the time, for some reason seeing this floor brings back the most memories of the whole experience.  I can almost see him kneeling on the floor smearing around that messy grout like it was yesterday...
So yes, I am ending this post with a picture of our bathroom floor.  And I love it.  ;)

Me + sewing machine + time = more crafts!

Another weekend with a few hours of free time and I found myself happily sewing up a few more projects.  I loved the recently created lamb toy so much that I decided to make her some friends.  I introduce to you, deer and cat:

Cat must have some kind of birth defect, for his left leg is significantly longer than his right, and they both stick out at odd angles.  Not exactly sure how that happened...  I like to think it gives him more character though. 

I don't know what the life span of these toys will be when we have a baby that is old enough to play with them, as Lucy has been eying them with desire ever since they were made. I imagine one day (not intentionally) these will probably be thrown over the edge of a crib or left out on the floor and become hers to destroy.  Sad, since they are not exactly a five minute project...  For the time being they will serve as cute nursery decorations (on a high up shelf!)

As mentioned in a previous post, I got the idea to make these from similar toys that are being sold on etsy.  You can buy your own here for $75 each.

In other news, a few weeks ago we had scheduled a tour of the nearby freestanding birthing center for next week.  Unfortunately they called us yesterday to reschedule, due to them accidentally scheduling it on Valentines Day.  I had really been looking forward to it (even if it was on V Day) and due to my work schedule, Erik's work schedule, and my evening photography classes, they next one we will be available to attend is not until early April, two months from now.  I guess it doesn't really matter how long we wait, I am completely positive that I will plan to birth there.  I have known for a long time that a midwife and birthing center would be my first choice, ever since I did my L&D and mother/baby nursing rotation in the hospital setting years ago.  During that rotation, I also had the opportunity to tour and spend some time in a birthing center.  As well, my nursing instructor had been a L&D nurse for 20+ years, working in both a birthing center and hospital setting, and was able to provide us with lots of info on the pros and cons of each.  After learning the differences between the two, I realized that a birthing center was going to provide the type of birthing experience that I am looking for.  Of course when we moved here I was thrilled to learn that there is a birthing center just a few miles away, and I believe it is one of only two in the entire state.  It is very close to the hospital at which I work, so if there were to be an emergency it is just a short trip down the road.  I am very much looking forward to the tour there and meeting the midwives.  They do recommend you tour even before you are pregnant, which is why I had set it up so soon.  The upside to the cancellation is now we will be free to enjoy a nice Valentines Day together...  I am sensing dinner at our favorite restaurant Vimila's Curryblossom Cafe hopefully followed by a yummy vegan dessert from Weaver St. Market.  Yum!  :D