a fresh start back home

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And I thought not writing since Thanksgiving was bad two months ago…yikes!

These last couple of months have been a whirlwind. If I told myself everything that was going to happen between January and today, I wouldn’t have believed myself.

Let’s begin with the fact that the place JF and I were supposed to move into fell through. When I say fell through, I mean it nearly fell apart. The place was in complete shambles, a nightmare. But that was all just as well because I had been unsure about it from the beginning, so this was really just the universe giving me a big flashing neon sign. Message received.

But we had already moved out of our old place, and going back wasn’t an option. So we did what you’d expect, and moved our little family and all of our material possessions into my parents living room, obviously.

Exhibit A, B & C. 
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Apollo is clearly fine with this arrangement.

The other critter you see on the bed there is my four-legged sister, LuLu. She has a deep love for JF, so she is also fine with this.

 

I’ve told you all that my parents are the two most divine beings on the planet, and this situation was no exception. They welcomed us back into their space without batting an eyelash. There was simply no other way, in their opinion. Of course we were coming to stay with them until we found something better. Until…

JF and I made the difficult, but necessary decision not to live together anymore. We are still going strong after having just celebrated five years together as of last week. But we deserved the financial break. We also deserved the ability to “date” each other for the first time. It’s been romantic and sweet and I cry every time he leaves, but it’s for the best at this point in our lives. Another thing I know for sure to add to the list.

And yes, Apollo is with me.

So were with Mom & Dad for now. Which has been…an adjustment. But Karin & Roy are the two best parental room-mates you could hope for, so I’m counting my blessings. Plus there’s their huge beautiful kitchen. Which leads me to…

This breakfast bowl I threw together a few days ago. It was fast and nutritious, and exactly what I needed after all this madness. Something I cooked for myself that was warm and comforting. Something both good for me and good to me.

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I pretty much threw together a mash up of whatever was in the fridge and pantry, and I wound up with this delicious concoction that I’ll definitely make again. On purpose this time!

 

You Will Need:

1 cup cooked Quinoa

2 eggs, poached soft (which is what I was going for…)

A small handful of Capers

1 cup Cannelini Beans

1 medium Onion, chopped into rings and halved.

1 fistful of Kale

Olive Oil and Butter, and Maple Syrup for cooking

In a large skillet, begin by melting your butter or olive oil over medium heat. If using butter, once it’s melted, throw in your capers and let them start to brown.

Add in your cooked Cannelini Beans and let them start to brown in the butter as well. They might start to pop open from the heat, that is okay, they’ll taste the same!

Toss in the kale and let that saute’ with the capers and beans. Once all the kale has “wilted” down, pour everything into a bowl over the quinoa.

In the same pan, pour in about 1/4c of Maple Syrup and add the onions to the pan to caramelize. Once those are done to your liking, add that to the bowl with the other ingredients.

My aim was to have soft poached eggs with this, and to have runny yolks making everything more awesome. But alas, my parent’s fancy egg poacher was too advanced for me, and they came out pretty much hard-boiled. I’ll stick to a pot of water and vinegar for my future poaching endeavors…

Throw those bad boys on top and call that breakfast, son!

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Thanks for reading, everyone. I’ll be back soon…

…for real this time.

love,

apollo&me

 

Time

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pollychristmas

Noche Buena/Christmas Eve

pollyketchup

Apollo and his Ketchup self

pollytoys

                                                                                             
It’s been a while since I’ve visited this space and allowed my own words to go out into the blogosphere. But has it really been since Thanksgiving? Oh dear, it has. I hang my head in shame.

These last few months have brought about a whole new respect for those who make the time in their busy lives to tell us about them, and the things they seem to magically make time to cook. After this crazy holiday season, I have scarcely found time to sleep, let alone tie my apron around my waist and do something for the sheer joy and bliss of doing so.

I have relied more on prepared foods than I care to admit. Still as mindful of health and nutrition as I can be, but perfection has not been a part of that equation. Is it ever?

I find myself wishing for longer days. I wish the sun stayed up longer and the moon rose later. Darkness coming at 5:30 has a way of playing tricks on the mind and body that I am not so clever at out-smarting.

2013 is a year full of change for me, Apollo, and our JF. New jobs, school, moving in 22 days, its a breath of fresh air that I needed desperately. For the first time in a long time, I am happy and sound in mind, body and spirit. 2013 could not have come soon enough for me, I’m sure glad we all survived the apocalypse.

I have the day off today, and I am going to try to revisit my old friend, the kitchen. There are dog-eared pages in cookbooks that deserve some attention, that’s for sure. Does anyone have advice on how to turn one single day off into chores done, errands checked off the list, bills paid and some fun thrown in for good measure?

If such a divine occurance does in fact take place today, I promise to share it with you.

ps. JF and I are thinking about a brother or sister for Apollo. Is there anyone out there who loves their pup so completely that the thought of sharing their heart with another doesn’t seem possible?

happy new year, kids.

Apollo and Me

stef’s annual cranberry jam

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Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year. I look forward to it with more anticipation and longing than I do my birthday or Christmas. It is the one day a year that we [officially] celebrate all that we do have, instead of wishing for things we don’t. And I am certain there is no better way to express gratitude than in the sharing of a meal that was lovingly crafted from your own two hands.

I don’t know about you, but I have so, so much to be thankful for. Not just everyone gets to be the child of the two most incredible people on the planet, for starters. And not just everyone gets to share their life with an individual as unconditionally loving and unrelentingly hilarious as my JF, although everyone should be so lucky. And surely not just everyone gets to sit lazily on the couch, celebrating the sweet joy of doing absolutely nothing next to their kid brother. And I just know that not every soul on this earth gets to experience the gift of being undeniably complete, like loving Apollo has done for me. I am healthy and I am happy, and I know not everyone can say that.

One of the most special things about Thanksgiving to me is the tradition that lies in the meal itself. Knowing that for the most part, everyone is crowded around their family table taking comfort in a meal that varies only slightly from one table to the next. Everyone has their own spin that makes those dishes unique to their family alone. For the last five Thanksgiving’s, the day has been divided spending the first part of the day with my family, and rounding out the evening in a celebration that could only belong to a group of JF’s kind. I am certain that the condition I am suffering from today is known as a Food Hangover, oof.

I can’t recall how long I have been the cook in charge of cranberries, but it is a sweet comfort that no Thanksgiving could be complete without. I’ve taken to calling it Cranberry Jam in my own mind, because let’s face it, Cranberry Sauce only brings to mind the image of that gelatinous, cylindrical shaped mass that anyone with taste buds knows is virtually unpalatable. Thanksgiving tends to be a day where any attempt to put together something healthful is thrown out the window, so it does my heart good to know that I am responsible for the dish that will do our bodies some good (although I did make the perfect Brussels Sprouts this year, AND very sneakily made the tart crust with Whole Wheat Flour…unfortunately they are wise to my Spelt Flour act…next year).

Cranberries have long been turned to for their urinary health benefits. Although contrary to popular belief, it is not the acidity of the cranberries, but the unusual nature of their proanthocyanidins (PACs) that is related to prevention of UTIs. The particular structure of these PAC’s acts as a barrier to bacteria that might otherwise latch on to the urinary tract lining . The fact that cranberries are water harvested also boosts their health benefits. Since these berries get ample exposure to sunlight floating happily atop the surface of the water, they show increased amounts of the phytonutrients known as anthocyanins which contain unique anti-oxidant and anti-inflammitory properties. Recent studies have also indicated that consuming whole cranberries (rather than in their dried or supplement forms) is great for the liver and cardiovascular system (1).

So let’s get on with it!

Stef’s Cranberry Jam

You will need:

2 bags Whole Cranberries

2 cups Purified Water

1 cup Raw, Unrefined, Unheated Honey

4 Tbsp Maple Syrup (either grade)

1/2 cup Pure Evaporated Cane Juice (cane sugar)

1/2 a Meyer Lemon

1 Orange

Cinnamon & Nutmeg to taste

Pinch of Sea Salt

Arrowroot or Cornstarch for thickening

In a large pot, mix water and Cane Juice and bring to a boil. Add all of your cranberries once your water is boiling.

You can reduce the heat to medium-high at this point. The cranberries will spend the next 15 minutes bursting open and reducing into a sweet, syrupy liquid. I spend this time gently stirring the berries occasionally but mostly they just sit and do their thing in there after you’ve added all of your other ingredients.

Zest and juice the lemon and orange into the pot. Then add all of your other ingredients and stir to combine. Do a taste check and adjust flavors to your liking.

At the end, after the cranberries have fully reduced and everything tastes the way you dreamed it would, mix your arrowroot or cornstarch with a bit of water, then mix into the cranberries to thicken everything up a bit so that it’s more of a “jam” consistency. You can omit this step if you’d like.

Remove from the heat and spoon into mason jars. Will keep well in the fridge without processing the jars, although I assure you it won’t last that long!

This year I cut down on the sugar substantially, opting instead for sweeteners I can feed to my family and still sleep at night. You all know the way I feel about honey and their blessed creators, so utilizing that instead is downright good for you! I also usually include brown sugar but I thought adding Maple Syrup instead would be nice, and it was. If I do say so myself, this year’s cranberries were the best yet.

I hope you all have as much to be thankful for as I do. If you have half as much to celebrate, you are quite lucky indeed.

ps. excuse the lousy pictures, for now. I’ll be sure to get some proper ones as I spend the next several days slathering this stuff on everything I eat. For now, please enjoy this snapshot of JF snoozing peacefully while snuggled up with my K9 brother and sister, Otis and LuLu.

xx

(1) http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=145

I’m Stefanie, and I approve this message

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I don’t intend for this to be a space where I discuss my political views. In truth, I don’t really have any.

I know what I believe, what I think is right and wrong. If that means one person over another, fine. If that falls into one political party or another, fine. If not, then that’s okay too.

This morning I rose early and got in line to vote for the very first time. I didn’t anticipate finding any real excitement in the experience, but as I cast my votes and slid my ballots into the scanner, I was overcome with an unexpected sense of pride and accomplishment. I send a text to Mom & Dad marked with a “smiley face” letting them know I’d voted, and called JF and said “I should do this more often, maybe I’ll run for something!” Watching every episode of Parks and Recreation on Netflix last week might have influenced that statement a bit…Leslie Knope for President 2016!!

All kidding aside, here’s something to add to my list of “things I know for sure,”  I’m proud to live in a country and in a time where my opinion counts. I’m proud to count myself among the many who will get to wear that sticker today. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, sometimes both or neither, we are blessed to have the ability to choose and to have a say in electing the individual who will guide these United States.

JF’s family is from Cuba and his Great-Grand Parents, Abuelo’s and Abuela’s, Mother and Father, Uncle’s and Aunt’s, have all abandoned their home land to seek the liberties we take for granted. They traveled many miles towards uncertain futures so that they could set one foot on this land and call themselves Americans, and leave Communism behind forever.

As a woman, it is perhaps a bit more important to me, still. It wasn’t all that long ago where just that  fact alone meant I could not wait in line amongst the men of this country to take a stand. I feel it is the small way that I can repay the brave ladies that came before me who fought to make certain that my voice, a woman’s voice, was heard.

I know the lines add hours to an already long day ahead, but tonight it is your irrevocable right as an American to speak your mind. Let the thoughts and beliefs within your hearts and souls count. Because they truly matter. Whether you are young or old, man or woman, gay, straight, lesbian, black, white, hispanic, asian, green, purple, WHATEVER. Even if you don’t care for either candidate, there is one you prefer over the other, and it is your job to make sure that means something for your future. For our futures.

Election day 2012 is nearly half over. I voted, did you?

purple potato soup + kitchen staples series part 2

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This soup was purple. In my head.

Last week, I received my final co-op box for a while, since during the season I prefer to shop the farmer’s market for as much as I can get there. Contained within this last precious box was a beautiful bounty of autumnal goodies. Amongst the treasures sat the purple gems I’ve been so longing to cook with, purple potatoes.

I racked my brain for days for a special way to use these violet-hued beauties. I didn’t want to simply mash them, or turn them into french fries fit for the elementary school version of myself. No, these deserved something better than that. And as usual, I turned to the blogs I so admire to get the creative juices flowing.

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen never lets me down. I came across a recipe for fork-crushed purple potatoes that sounds like the perfect thing to freshen up your traditional summer barbecue fare. But for this breezy fall evening, it was her baked potato soup that had me making a list and driving to Whole Foods for those last few ingredients.

You will need:

4 Tbsp of Ghee (or unsalted butter)

1 medium Onion, chopped

1 head of Garlic

2 large Carrots, chopped

10 strips of Bacon, chopped

2 & 1/2 lbs potatoes, I used a mix of Yukon Gold and Purple Potatoes, peeled and cut roughly into cubes

32 oz low-sodium Vegetable Broth

2 Bay Leaves

1/4 cup Sour Cream

Salt & Pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, melt your ghee or butter and toss in your chopped onions, carrots and bacon. Cook until onions are softened and bacon has started to brown.

Peel the outer layers of papery-skin off of the head of garlic and chop the top 1/4 off the top, as if you were roasting. Put the entire head of garlic into the pot and add bay leaves, vegetable broth. I seasoned with a bit of Salt and Pepper at this point and then left the pot to simmer for about 40 minutes until the garlic was tender.

Once the garlic is soft, remove it and squeeze the cloves from their skin into the pot. Then put in your potatoes and cover the pot and allow to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Then you can either use an immersion blender in the pot until you have reached the desired texture, or take out a portion of the soup and put it in a regular blender or food processor and then add that liquified soup back to the pot. Add sour cream and season again with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust flavors to your liking.

Serve with grated Raw Cheddar Cheese grated on top, a dollop of sour cream and a slight drizzle of olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.

Sadly, this soup did not come up purple, as I’d so hoped it would. But I assure you, it was still delicious, even if it was just a regular shade of soup.

Pairing this soup with a warm crusty bread just seemed right, as hot steamy bread always does (plus, I knew the only way JF would eat this is if he could dip big chunks of home-made bread into it to disguise the taste of vegetables).  Which brings me to another recipe for tonight and the second installment of my Kitchen Staples series, Whole Wheat Focaccia .

This recipe came to me from the lovely, Fig & Fauna blog. I find comfort in Megan’s sweet words about life on her family farm, cooking from her garden with love for her husband and daughter. I have adapted her recipe over and over and it is simple and delicious every single time.

You will need:

2 & 2/3 cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 & 1/4 cup hand-hot Water

1 packet Active Dry Yeast (2 & 1/4 tsp)

1 tsp Sea Salt

3 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp Honey

1 tbsp Chia Seeds

Preheat oven to 450/F

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt and make a well in the center.

Pour water, 2 tbsp Olive Oil & honey into the well and mix with your hands until dough starts to come together. Pour out onto a floured surface and knead until you’ve formed a ball of soft dough.

Oil your bowl and place the dough back inside. Cover with a warm, damp towel or saran wrap and allow to rise for at least 45 minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place back onto a floured surface and knead one more time into a rough ball shape.

Place your dough onto a sheet of parchment on a baking sheet, then use the last tbsp of Olive Oil to oil the top of the bread. Then using your finger, poke holes into the surface of the bread. Sprinkle with Sea Salt and Chia Seeds and bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Will keep for about 2 days without freezing.

This bread never lasts long in our kitchen, giving me the pleasure of making it often. This evening was no exception, as I happily passed along half the loaf and some soup to my mom and dad,  and only one slice remains. I’m thinking I’ll treat myself to some dessert with local jam and fresh whipped cream on top of my last toasty morsel. If JF hasn’t already absconded with it…

here’s to a tasty Monday.

falling back together & kitchen staples part 1

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It is safe to say that Fall is showing its face here in South Florida.

At least I think that’s safe to say. I mean sure, everything appears the same as it did a couple of weeks ago. The leaves are definitely not shedding their green coats any time soon…or ever. JF reported that a friend in NY says it’s in the fifties already there! As for the weather in South Florida, let’s just say that I don’t think I’ll be retiring my cut-offs and Rainbows any time soon.

But in spite of it all, it just feels like autumn. “Doesn’t it just look like fall outside?” I say to JF on a now daily basis. Our scorching days are turning into sweet breezy nights, the AC get’s shut off in favor of open windows, and thankfully, Green Market season has finally arrived.

And for me, the season is truly living up to its name. Lately everything has just fallen together so organically. It’s like Mother Earth is sending me subliminal messages, saying “Everything is going to be OK, Stef.”

A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling utterly overwhelmed by life. A complete mental and emotional rock bottom. I was unsure about everything, and I searched for answers I probably didn’t need to look for, for issues that were either much smaller than they felt or simply didn’t exist. It was as if a parasite had latched onto me and wouldn’t let go.

Today, I have so much to be excited for. A new job occupies my days. I have taken my test for college placement and feel confident that I am ready to play the role of student. An old friend is visiting today, after far too many years apart. JF keeps me laughing, as usual. And Apollo, well, he’s just been busy making my life complete, as always.

I have fallen a bit out of sorts in the kitchen, lately.  But the other day, I prepped a few home-made staples that I keep around for various uses. It feels good to be getting back into my routine.

I had started to type up every recipe here, but I figured this could actually turn into a good series. So let’s begin with just one.

Pesto. It sure doesn’t take a rocket scientist to throw together a good one. This stuff comes together quickly by taking advantage of any combination of greens and nuts you have in the fridge and pantry. But here’s this weeks version for all you curious kids out there:

Kale – Walnut – Pecan Pesto

You will need:

2 cups Kale

3 cloves of garlic (more or less to your liking)

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup soaked Walnuts

1/4 cup soaked Pecans

Olive Oil as needed

I might be insulting your intelligence by telling you guys how to do this, but this is literally a matter of tossing everything in the food processor and letting it run until the chunkier bits are broken up. I keep drizzling olive oil into the mix to until I have achieved a smooth pesto. The end!

Any pesto lover will tell you that you can put it on anything and it will be good, and I am one of those people. Being the sandwich connoisseur that I am, that was my first choice. But if anyone has a gluten-free gnocchi recipe, or any great gnocchi recipe for that matter, let me know because gnocchi with pesto and tomatoes should happen.

Judging by the beautiful fall day I was greeted with this morning, I think Mother Earth is right. Everything is going to be okay.

studies and a snack

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I spent the better part of the day today doing something I’ve never done before. I studied.

For my college placement test.

That’s right kids. This girl is going to college!

I didn’t think I’d ever come to this point in my life. I decided long before I graduated high school that I wanted to be a makeup artist, and I didn’t need school for that. I thought I’d be a makeup artist forever, so I surely didn’t foresee a university in my future. And let’s just say, I wasn’t the best student there ever was. Yea, let’s just say that.

But here we are. I’m older now, I’ve gone after a dream and I’ve reached it and then some, and now I have a new dream to reach for. Well…at least some ideas that point me in a new direction.

I have always had a love and a connection to animals. The happiest days I ever had as a makeup artist were the ones where animals were on set. I fondly remember  job on an exclusive island in The Bahamas where I befriended many a wild hermit crab, the first of which I named Rapunzel…for its long flowing hair, obviously. And another time at a gorgeous ranch here in Florida where I fed peppermints to horses. Or holding alligators in the Everglades, and a Great Horned Owl in Orlando, to name a few.

Not to mention that having Apollo has just changed everything. In the beginning when we first adopted Apollo, he was really sick. A few months and four vets later my boy was getting skinnier and sicker, and finally a cure came in the form of a holistic diet and supplements, focusing on healing Apollo’s body and spirit as a whole, not its separate parts. Apollo started to gain weight again and his digestion was healthy. And I dare you to find a pup with a shinier coat! The way I thought about health and wellness was changed forever.

At this point, I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be when I grow up [again]. But I know I’ll be amongst furry and feathered friends, seeking a Bachelor’s Degree in Alternative Medicine. I wouldn’t turn down a life on a farm with my own bees and cows and goats and chickens and fields of fruits and vegetables, either!

So today after five uninterrupted hours of studying, my stomach had something to say. I had a ton of quinoa left over from the other day, so I thought I’d experiment with a recipe for a snack on the go. A college kid has to feed her brains and her body, you know!

Baked Quinoa Patties [gluten-free]

adapted from Heidi Swanson’s recipe at 101 Cookbooks

You will need:

2 cups cooked Quinoa [mine is a quinoa/millet mixture]

4 Eggs

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 cup combination of fresh, chopped Rosemary and Oregano

1 small onion

1 cup Broccoli florets

2 cloves Garlic

1 cup Corn Meal

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 cup crumbled Feta Cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400/F.

In a bowl, mix quinoa, eggs and salt. Add in herbs, onions, broccoli and garlic and stir to combine.

Next add the baking powder and corn meal. Allow to sit for a few minutes so that the corn meal can soak up some moisture.

Gently fold in the feta cheese.

You should be able to shape this mixture into 12 patties about 1 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter. If they aren’t holding together, add more corn meal until they hold their shape. If you need more moisture, you can add more beaten egg or water until you have reached the desired texture.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and space your patties evenly apart. Bake for 20 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.

Essentially, you could use whatever you have on hand with this recipe. Any veggie, herb, cheese, combo you like. And I can picture these guys dipped in any number of sauces, like an aioli, hummus or pesto! The quinoa patty is your oyster!

With my brain and my stomach full, I am ready for college life!

wish me luck!

the dog days of grains

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This post should actually be titled “the dogless days of grains.”

I am currently three days post-op from a surgical procedure [septoplasty, no big deal]. While recovery has in itself been…not fun, I admit that the hardest part of it all has not been the pain or discomfort, or the less than healthy/nourishing/desirable food choices, ohhh no. In the midst of an anesthesia-induced fog my mind could clearly comprehend those horrible words as my nurse allowed them to pass through her lips…

Apollo and I have been ordered to stay away from each other…for two weeks.

JF & Mom tell me that my eyes instantly filled with tears as I cried out how terrible that news was, which apparently everyone else found to be pretty hilarious. I don’t really remember this, but I am not laughing.

It is quite literally, heart breaking. I see the questions in his eyes, as we are forbidden to snuggle up and comfort one another, as we naturally, desperately wish to do. We’ve watched one another from opposite sides of a gate, separating our bodies but never our spirits. Although he cannot be close, I know he is guarding me. Protecting me.

Meanwhile, I have been cornered into some poor [read downright BAD] decisions when it comes to food. My dear, sweet JF granted my drug-induced requests for french fries, pizza, ice cream, essentially everything the little devil on my shoulder – known as hydrocodone – told me to ask for. JF being the most wonderful guy there is, never hesitated to oblige.

Cut to today and I can feel the difference that a lack of proper diet has made in my overall immunity. There is no question that opting for food that is essentially void of any nutritional value has left my body weakened against the trauma of surgery, not to mention that JF has been fighting a cold for a month, that I had no signs of contracting until now. We can also not mention that I have not been allowed to sleep next to my pup for three days. coincidence? I think not.

Anyway, I did do a bit of planning ahead. Tuesday afternoon I whipped up a generous batch of a quinoa/millet combo that I had hoped to spend most of my time feasting on. Grains are so incredibly versatile, that I figured this would leave me with plenty of healthy options for the days ahead. Which indeed did serve me well in a few moments of clarity & hunger. Had I stuck to the plan though, I would undeniably be feeling more like myself today, all things considered anyway.

Quinoa is incredibly nutrient rich, and – unlike most other grains – is a complete protein source and contains all 9 essential amino acids. Quinoa also contains significant amounts of tocopherols [vitamin E] which is pretty much non-existant in most grains. Recent studies have shed light on the constantly expanding list of phytonutrients in Quinoa, suggesting that I could be experiencing less swelling, had I been following my own advice, here!

And Millet is chock full of nutritional goodness, too! Millet is a great source of Magnesium, known to reduce the frequency of migraine, asthma and heart attacks, AND lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.  One cup of Millet provides nearly 20% of your daily suggested value of Magnesium. The fiber found in grains like Millet, has also been shown to help avoid gallstones and protect against breast cancer.

So if you’re like me and you’re going to be down & out for a few days, preparing ahead of time with something like this can help you avoid committing dietary suicide, also like me.

Here’s a quick salad I put together to have on hand, ready to go:

You will need:

1 cup Quinoa

1 cup Millet

4 1/2 cups water

pinch of salt

1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

1/4 cup soaked Pecans

1/4 cup soaked Sunflower Seeds

1 small apple, chopped

for the dressing:

1/4 cup Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp Honey

1 Tbsp home-made mayonnaise from this recipe

S & P to taste

Combine ingredients in a pot over medium high heat, and cover everything comes to a boil. Once you have reached boiling point, lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the grains have absorbed all of the water.

Once cooled, set aside 2 cups of the mixture & store the rest in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Chop the pecans and cranberries to your liking, and combine with the remaining ingredients and the 2 cups of quinoa/millet mixture.

Combine ingredients for the dressing, and then pour over salad. Toss and serve.

Hopefully the next few days bring me back into the kitchen. I do miss the feeling of a knife in my hands and fresh ingredients at my fingertips. After all, I can only watch so many episodes of “The Big Bang Theory on my laptop in my bed before I start to feel my sanity slipping away!

ps. if anyone has any interesting recipes to use up my endless supply quinoa & millet, let us know!

As for Apollo, he has spent the last few nights sleeping soundly in our closet, with a watchful eye on me…what a guy.

Although, in the interest of full disclosure… he’s been at my feet this whole time.

Don’t tell JF. 

with love from,

apolloandme

twenty-two, and a recipe you can count on

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Two days ago, I turned 22 years old. Twenty. Two. Where has the time gone? I know that I’ve made but a dent in the grand scheme of life but I can honestly close my eyes and I’m sweet sixteen again, my heart exploding with joy and thrilled by life as only a sixteen year old can know it.

September 13th, five years ago, was undoubtedly one of the best days of my life. It was my seventeenth birthday, and one of the most magical days I’ve ever experienced. The kind that makes you hope that the rest of your life goes on just like that day. Free. Without a care in the world. Just your best friends by your side, soaking in the sun and the water, the fire burning in the barbecue. I just want to hold on to the memory of that day for all of my days, because that night was the kind that changes your life, and your heart, forever.

My best friend’s big brother left his earthly form for the great beyond in a tragic car accident. That very same day.

How could you have the best and worst days of your existence on the same day? How can your soul handle the experience of being so deliriously happy and so unshakably sad? I remember feeling such pure joy in our hearts that day, she and I, so completely trusting and gratified by our friendship. I remember the long drive to her house, I couldn’t have run in fast enough. I remember finding her cross-legged in a chair overcome with the kind of grief I never hope to know so well. I remember hating that I would never be able to hug her tight enough to make everything alright again.

Time has spread its arms to separate us, and brought us back together, and for that I am grateful. And every birthday I have shared in her friendship since, we have talked about that day. Not of the sadness or the pain or the fear. Somehow every year, she reminds me how beautiful that day was, and how happy we were.

I feel like in order for justice to be served, for the memory of her wonderful brother, I should rise on that day and celebrate the gift of another year, another day. I am so blessed. Life is a many splendid thing, even though there are obstacles that derail us every now and again. I will be thankful our friendship, and honor her brother’s life by truly living my own.

For my birthday dinner with my family, I requested lemon-blueberry-ricotta pancakes. My dad suggested making the ricotta from scratch, which I have long wanted to try. To be honest, nothing could be more perfect for me than my very own, home-made birthday cheese. And so, late on the eve of my birthday I quietly prepared this simple ricotta, that came together precisely as it promised, reflecting on the year that passed, and smiling.

Birthday Ricotta

You will need:

7 cups of Whole Milk [I used cow's milk but goat's milk would surely be wonderful]

1 cup of cream

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp Lemon Juice

In a large pot, combine the milk, cream and salt.

Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally so the milk doesn’t scorch.

When you’ve reached a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and stir in the lemon juice.

At this point the curds will begin to form, and you want to continue stirring as they do. I continued to stir until no more curds were forming, about 5 minutes.

Remove your pot from the heat and allow to sit untouched for 5 minutes.

Strain the curds from the whey through a colander lined with cheesecloth.

Bring the corners of the cheesecloth up and tie into a sack around the ricotta, and tie a knot around a spoon. You can also allow the colander to sit on top of a bowl, as long as the bowl is sized so that once the liquid strains out it is not touching the ricotta in the colander. Allow the ricotta to hang and/or strain until no more whey drips out [about an hour]. Refrigerate and use within a few days.

You are undoubtedly wondering what came of the pancakes. They were delicious, but the recipe needs tweaking. Once I’ve got it just right, I’ll share it. Let’s hope that’s before my next birthday.

Turning 22 has left me with two more things I know for sure:

1. Life is a whirlwind, to say the least. But I am grateful to have been given a shot at a 23rd year.

2. When you add lemon juice to boiling milk, cream and salt…it will curdle. You can count on that.

cheers, kids. 

**Recipe inspired by/adapted from:

Fig & Fauna… who also made ricotta for their birthdays!

Smitten Kitchen

a change of season, in a bowl

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We are 10 days away from summer officially being over. The kids are back in school, our days will shorten again, and autumn will turn the leaves and paint everything golden. That is, if you’re anywhere except South Florida. Sure the kids are still in school and the days will still shorten, but it will also still be 90 degrees and you will still be able to sink your toes in the sand and seek relief from the sun in the glory that is the Atlantic.

Nonetheless the season is technically [almost] over, and today I celebrated the end of summer and the coming of fall with a salad where both could shine.

First up we have the avocado, also know as the alligator pear and their star nutrient, carotenoid antioxidants. Carotenoids are a family of pigments, most commonly found in red, orange and yellow vegetables. They are a powerful antioxidant, protecting our cells against free radical damage, supporting our immune and cardiovascular systems, and providing anti-inflammiroty benefits. Research has shown that the absorption of two important carotenoid antioxidants – lycopene & beta-carotene – is increased when you add avocado to a your food, because the avocado provides the fat that the fat-soluble carotenoids need for absorption. Not to mention that the avocado itself is full of them, including e beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and lutein, neochrome, neoxanthin, chrysanthemaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and violaxanthin*. Today, the avocado is my summertime star.

Next we have a favorite of mine, the beet. Beets contain a special variety of phytonutrients called Betalains. Betalains have been studied to provide antioxidant, immune and detox support . One particular betalain pigment known as betanin, has been shown to decrease tumor cell growth in human studies, wow! They also join the avocado in their carotenoid contents, giving beets their beautiful red color*. However, betalains pigments are lost as cooking time increases, so I was careful to keep the roasting time short. Being that beets peak growing season takes place in both the summer and autumn months, they’ll be bridging the gap here.

Finally we have the sweet potato, which is contains a nearly unrivaled amount of beta-carotene*, which the fat from the avocado will help our bodies absorb! Research has also shown the sweet potatoes incredible ability to increase Vitamin A in our blood, containing as much as 100-1,600 micrograms of vitamin A in every 3.5 ounces [enough to meet over 90% of all vitamin A needs*]. Sweet potatoes grow all year long really, but they are at their peak in the cooler months.

So not only do these vegetables marry wonderfully in taste, but they have a lot in common, and work together to benefit your health, lucky us!

Good-bye Summer Salad

You will need:

Any variety of leafy greens, in whatever quantity you wish

1 medium Sweet Potato

1 Beet

1 medium Avocado

1/4 cup Dates

2 Tbsp dried Cranberries

for the dressing:

1/4 c Olive Oil

a scant 1/4 cup of Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

S & P to taste

Chop greens and dates and toss with the remaining salad ingredients.

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing and serve.

In the pictures, you will notice that I had shaved some Parmigiano Reggiano over this salad, but I didn’t find that it really enhanced the flavor, so I would omit it next time. Pairing with a slice of sourdough topped with goat cheese chèvre however, was an excellent decision. But really…what isn’t better with goat cheese?

I am always sad to see the days of summer end, but if this salad is any suggestion of the season to come, then autumn could not come soon enough.

farewell, sweet sweet summer. 

*www.WHfoods.com