Quote of the day

There seems to be some perverse human characteristic that likes to make easy things difficult.-Warren Buffett

YES-it is that sort of day!

Playing with the camera

Garden goings on!

Tomato

Okra

Corn

Contender Bean

Herbs

Raspberry Bush

YEAH!  We have blooms on the raspberry!

A perfect (CBS) Sunday Morning and a great breakfast.

CBS Sunday Morning airs at 9 a.m. EST, Sundays

If you have never had the pleasure of watching "CBS Sunday Morning", I highly recommend it.  "Sunday Morning" is what you would consider a news magazine which in my opinion doesn't do it justice.  The show in its original format was started in 1979 although it boasts one of the most amazing archives of footage dating back to the start of film recording.  "Sunday Morning" is a break from the drab and depressing mood of most tv news outlets these days and has the perfect mix of non-biased long form news stories, current issues, art, music, and history all packed into a 2 hour show.  While going through broadcast journalism school, I was motivated by the thought of one day working on a show of such stellar quality.  While my broadcast career may not have been a success, I continue to watch and delight in a positive and enlightening program as often as possible.  

This past Sunday, Ryan left early to go on a fishing trip and I took the opportunity to make myself a great breakfast to be enjoyed while "Sunday Morning" kept me company.  My weekend breakfasts used to to consist of eggs and bread in some form.  I am starting to get creative on a suitable bread replacement.  This past Sunday I made a brussel sprout and potato hash topped with two eggs over easy.  AMAZING!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for probiotic ice cream!

So our newest addition to the kitchen appliance family is an ice cream maker. I must say, I had my doubts but after use number one, I am thinking it may just have been a very wise investment.  My motivation was not, in fact, "ice cream."  Instead, knowing how good yogurt is for you, and how amazingly yummy (but expensive) Sunni Bunni froyo is I tried my hand at making frozen kefir WITHOUT the assistance of an ice cream maker...that did not turn out so well!  What I ended up with was a solid block of ice that sorta tasted like strawberries.  Determined to make the probiotic treat a regular part of our household and highly motivated by the thought of freshly made sorbets and ice creams to endure future Florida summers, I gave in an bought the appliance.  I cannot stress how amazingly easy it is to use.  The hardest part is waiting overnight for the freezer bowl to freeze (again, patience is NOT my strong suit).  Once that happens you plug the machine in, turn her on, throw all of your ingredients in and less than 20 minutes later you have a very delicious homemade treat, sure to impress any and all guests at any age. 

My first frozen treat was strawberry frozen kefir
 

Ingredients:

1 bottle of full fat plain kefir

1 can of coconut milk

2 teaspoons of organic vanilla extract
Agave nectar to taste. 
2 pints of fresh (washed) strawberries, tops removed

Combine all ingrediants in a blender to mix and puree the stawberries then poured it right into the ice cream maker for approx 15-17 minutes and wah-la! 

In order to store ice cream, you must transfer to a freezer friendly container.  I used our pyrex baking set with a lid, a must have on your registry.   To be honest, I thought for sure that as soon as I transfered the frozen yogurt to another container and put it into the freezer, it would get too hard and icy again, but nope. 

 Ryan and I enjoyed the dessert a couple hours later topped with peanut butter and a little honey and it was just as creamy as right after I made it.  I assume it has something to do with the way the Ice Cream Maker combines the ingrediants as they freeze. 

Ryan is now making special requests like peanut butter with chocolate chip ice cream and I am craving some pumpkin frozen yogurt to bring on the Fall Season.  Good thing the maker came with two freezer bowls!

Bagels aren't easy...or are they?

 

As much as I like to cook, I have never been a "baker." Cooking can handle an impatient personality and welcomes creativity, baking despises impatience and only allows creativity as the icing on the cake-literally.  I did however promise my new husband that I WOULD use my heavy duty stand mixer that I HAD to register for despite his need for clear kitchen counter tops (yes my hubby is a bit of a "neat freak"...all the more reason to be head over heels, right?)   This gluten free diet lends itself to some home baking and so far I have had little luck with a baked good that tasted yummy so, what better time to give a that lonely, counter top wasting appliance a whirl.  One thing that I desperately miss is my weekly jaunt to the bagel shop (sorry Lox N Eggs, I went gluten free...it's nothing personal).  So Sunday morning I decided to use my gluten free flour mix to give bagels a shot.  A bit intimidating but I didn't let that stop me. I am glad because it wasn't so hard.  Flour mix, active yeast, oil and water.  Then let the mixer do its thing for 3 1/2 minutes.  A healthy dose of butter on the hands, then shape into circles.  Let sit for 1 hour, then make holes in the center.  Boil for 25 seconds, then throw on a greased baking sheet for a 20 minute tan in the oven at 400 degrees.  I have to say the end result was not as pretty as I had hoped but this morning I was able to toast one, top with some cream fraiche and organic strawberry preserves and savor the fact that I had made this baked good from scratch.  I must admit, I am looking forward to an attempt at the pizza crust recipe on the back of the flour package!

Pickles, No Apron.

It was a busy weekend in the Donahue household.  I have lots of posts for you this week just catching up from the weekend. I tried my hand at pickling again sans apron though and this time I meant business. Inspiration struck when a visit to the local Asian Market revealed freshly harvest pickling cucumbers.  They were so fresh that they still had dirt all over them.  I couldn't help but buy 5lbs of them. I was a little more confident in my endeavour this time around and I believe the results were more favorable. My last attempt reveled what I had feared.  While the pickles tasted like pickles they seem to have been over processed since it took so darn long to get the water to boil in that pot.  The pickles from that go around were very dark and soft.  This time them seem to have maintained there brilliant green color.  Also, I used two separate, shallower stock pots for this session.  As you can see it was a crowded stove top.  Since I did not have racks for those pots, I created makeshift ones out of the screw lids and zip ties.  They seem to have worked great.  Since there were more pickles to work with this time I decided to mix up the ingredients in the jars.  William Sonoma came out with their new line of dried spices and I bought Cardamom, Black Mustard and Cloves to throw in.  I also added some habanero and chili peppers from the garden to a couple and can't wait to see how those turn out.  Taking my own advice from the first time I decided to pre-sanitize all of the jars and lids and made sure I had all of the ingredients prepped and ready. Overall this was a much better experience.  Guess that's true of everything the more you do it.  The second time around it was cleaner and quicker and I got to me a little more creative since I wasn't as nervous about the process.  Meanwhile I made a trip to Sur La Table and was able to find a real canning pot.  It was $50.00, so I made no purchase this time around but maybe soon!

Everyday Attire Series-Part 1: T-Shirts

I work for the family business and we are in the custom home business.  As much as I would like to feel put together and snazzy for work everyday, it just doesn't happen.  I am at work by 7:30 which leaves no time for high-maintenance hair, make-up or clothing.  Not to mention the clothing I do choose needs to prepare me for any random tasks I may be responsible for during the day ahead. Just to get an idea of what that may entail, during my workday in I may be:
A. Inside a chilly office in front of a computer, then outside in the heat running errands.
B. On a ladder cleaning chandeliers.
C. Moving furniture in 95 degree weather.
D. Walking on a job site full of nails, mud or dusty dry dirt.
E. Talking to a client.
F. Being around a bunch of men.

So...that said, how do I dress for work?  A good quality T-shirt has become a staple in my closet.  For the most part they are solid colors and plain.  Not too revealing but still light enough to handle the heat.  I compiled some stylish T's I currently have my eye on.  All reasonably priced and a tad more stylish then my current stash of t's.

Destination Wishlist

In honor of the Harvest Moon, I am pining over this Garden Gear!

ALL FROM http://www.shopterrain.com/

That slight cool breeze has finally arrived and I am ready for Fall gardening.  If only I had the above accessories to cheer me on! Who says you can't be stylish and girlie among the vegetables?  I am almost ready to post pics of the new veggie garden.  So far I have prepped the beds with compost, topsoil, dolomite (volcanic ash) and a little perlite for drainage.  The paths have been mulched and I hope to have the drip irrigation in this weekend (with Ryan's help of course). Yesterday I planted all sorts of beans and the corn and tomato starts seem to be hanging in there although I fear the weather may still be a tad toasty for them.  I threw in some Red Okra as well because I know the Okra will take advantage of the remaining heat and humidity. I am trying garlic for the first time ever and after researching it I decided to take the "cold stratification by fridge" approach.  My bulbs arrived last week and I immediately stuck them in the refrigerator for the next 8 weeks.  More on those when I plant in late October.  Can't wait to share all my Zone 9 gardening experiences with you!

Wishlist

Loving this post on https://getcurrency.com/blog/eating-well-in-an-organized-kitchen

 
1. Bamboo bowls $17
2. Ceramic knife set (similar to shown), from $30
3. Glass storage bowls $20
4. Glass storage jars, from $3
5. Wooden serving tray $10
6. Bamboo cutting boards, from $34
7. Ceramic storage jars $5
8. Penny candy jars $5
9. Reuseable shopping bags, from $6.50

What I am really looking for is item 4.  The glass storage jars.  My new gluten free diet has be purchasing loads of dried beans, quinoa, rice and different flours.  I would love to keep those as well as a homemade museli mix fresh.

Also really like this one:

www.shopterrain.com

The dreaded "Gluten Free" diet

I love food.  Not in a self  indulgent, guilty pleasure way.  More so in a nourishing, fuel for the body and soul way. I also find that food in many relationships is a bonding mechanism.  My husband and almost always have dinner together.  My mom, sister and I are forever reminiscing about what we made for dinner the night before. So imagine my disappointment when I found out that certain "foods" are making me sick and uncomfortable.
I recently found out that I have an intolerance to wheat. This is not Celiac Disease. It is important to note this because they are different beasts. Unfortunately not a great deal of people understand or realize this and therefore when they test negative for Celiac ignore the possibility that wheat could still be affecting them. Celiac is a serious condition that forces your immune system to react to any wheat product consumed.  It debilitates your digestive tract and your body is unable to absorb the nutrients from the food containing the gluten. Celiac needs to be controlled with a STRICT NO WHEAT OR GLUTEN diet.  Once again I do not have Celiac Disease.  My wheat intolerance is purely a comfort issue but a chronic one at that. It was discovered through a blood test.  My doctor recommended 1 month of the strict no wheat diet to assess how I feel and then after a month start adding a little wheat back into my diet.  From there I have control over what items I am willing to "take the pain and discomfort" from or not. 


Gluten Free Crust from Whole Foods



I have been on my gluten free diet for almost two weeks now.  There is good and bad to it.  Did all of my symptoms disappear? YES (and I have more energy).  Is it expensive and overwhelming?  YES.  Is it worth it? YES and NO.  I miss bread! Good ole fashion flour!  A grilled pizza is one of my favorite meals.  It breaks my heart to think that I would never enjoy this again.  Don't get me wrong there are a ton of options out there when it comes to "gluten free" breads and dough but so far the majority of them are a far cry from the yeasty, chewy fluffiness of a loaf of conventional bread.  And so I have decided that I will for the most part maintain the gluten free diet but occasionally indulge in a freshly grilled pizza and take a little bit of discomfort in return.  But for the time being I made my first gluten free pizza with an premade crust of potato flour and cheese.  Yes you read that right...CHEESE!  As if pizza doesn't already have enough cheese but hey, I am not lactose intolerant and in my experience cheese always makes things taste better (this does not include processed cheeses such as Velveeta and American nasty cheese) so why not.

The outcome was favorable though again no comparison to regular pizza crust.  I am okay with that.  It is what it is and for regular consumption it will do.  Truth be told, it could be worse and I am thanking my lucky stars that I will have the option of consuming wheat products.  The more I research though the more I am finding on the benefits of a gluten free diet.  This motivates me to lean toward gluten free for the majority of meals from here on out.  I plan to post regarding the benefits of gluten free living and tips on how to do it on a budget in the near future. 

My Kitchen Helpers

I figured it was about time to introduce my kitchen audience, company and canine vacuum cleaners(very handy for a messy cook) 

This is Miss Fin.  Always at the ready for a quick clean up and a very attentive listener!Fin is a 3 year old black lab. 

Next we have Mr. Duke.  He is not too enthused about what I am actually doing in the kitchen but just happy to be where ever Fin and I are and always patiently awaiting Dad's return.  Duke is a 13 year old Golden retreiver.  My husband often refers to him as "The Golden Boy" and he lives up to his reputation.

Current wine of choice

I LOVE WINE!  Yes, I do and I am not ashamed to admit it. This summer a friend turned me on to a variety called Vhino Verde.  I could not describe it as well as Wiki could:

Vinho Verde is a Portuguese wine from the Minho region in the far north of the country. The name literally means "Green Wine" (red or white), referring to its youthful freshness rather than its color. The Vinhos Verdes are light and fresh, and are intended to be drunk within a year. At less than one bar of CO₂ pressure, they do not quite qualify as semi-sparkling wines but do have a definite pétillance. The white Vinho Verde is very fresh, due its natural acidity, with fruity and floral aromas that depend on the grape variety.

That says it all.  This wine is the perfect summer wine and at around $8-10/bottle, it's well within my budget as a "regular" within my wine collection. I have been able to find two brands.  The one in the picture I got at Whole Foods.  I love the bottle.

A great start to a weekend!

I was inspired by my Saturday morning.  Yoga with friends, then a quiet "gluten free" breakfast, fresh veggie juice and some great reading.  In my opinion the perfect way to set the tone of the weekend.

The Apron's Debut

THE APRON. 

Hard to tell from this picture but she comes highly embroidered and full of moxy. 

Pickles and Aprons

I bought myself an apron.  I don't have a picture of it yet but soon, I promise.  There is something about putting on an apron that enlivens the domestic superhero in me.   Yesterday my aproned alter ego decided to try out her new canning kit and Ashley English's book on canning.  It was quite an adventure and hopefully she prevailed. 
Things to know about making pickles (and canning in general) :

1.  Timing is everything. 

I decided I would wait to sterilize my jars until I had everything else prepped.  I ended up waiting for the water to boil and jars to be sterilized. Part of this goes into lesson two...

2. Use the right size pot or invest in a canner.

Because processing the jars requires a rack in your pot for water circulation under and around the jars, I ended up using a stock pot made for seafood  boils.  These come with a basket but are REALLY big.  It  took a couple hours (not exaggerating) to get the pot to a rolling boil
(absolutely necessary in canning) and I fear this may have affected the contents of my jar plus it's just an enormous waste of energy.

3. Follow the recipe

This is not something I am good at in any respect but in this case I ended up with way less pickles (2 jars) and a great deal of extra brine and sterilized jars then needed. Not a HUGE issue but something I need to consider next time around and really preserving foods should occur in big batches. But let's just say I was getting my feet wet this time around.

4. Invest in the right tools.
My canning kit included a pot rack (which fits NONE of my pots), canning tongs (essential), a magnetic lid grabber(essential), cheesecloth (I think this is for jams and jellies), and a couple of other items which I have NO idea how to use. Canning is a dangerous business, burns are pretty much a given. Although I escaped with just a very minor finger burn yesterday,   I want to get a glove that I can wear. I do have a pressure cooker that I plan to use in the future but baby steps for now.