Delicious Late-Summer Harvest Soup

-Fresh zucchini
-Fresh Basil
-Oil
-Fresh Corn (cut from cob)
-Salt
-Cayenne Pepper or fresh jalapeno pepper
-Fresh Garlic

Steam zucchini in a bit of water. Puree with lots of fresh basil, a jalapeno pepper, and garlic. Add oil and fresh corn. Salt to taste. SO DELICIOUS. Perfect for a blustery late Summer/early Autumn day.

Chocolate Chili

yield: 6-8 servings

- 1 T olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 sm. onion, chopped fine
- 1 green bell pepper, diced fine
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 2 15 oz. cans chickpeas (drain & rinse)
- 2 15 oz. cans kidney beans (drain & rinse)
- 5 cups veggie broth
- 2 t ground cumin
- 1 t salt
- 1 ½ oz bittersweet chocolate

Cook oil. garlic, onion, pepper in stockpot over medium heat until
slightly soft (stir about 5 minutes). add everything except chocolate,
boil, then reduce to low, cover & simmer... Stir until thick (about 1-1½ hours) [you don't have to stir too often] Before serving, stir in chocolate until melted.

Dear, Sweet Macie

Veronica to Macie: "You may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but you sure are the warmest color."

Midnight Snack

One of my Nori sheets that I was snacking on fell on the ground, and of course Annie gobbled it up. So I fed her another sheet, and she gobbled that right up too. She absolutely loves the salty, delicious seaweed sheets! That brings Annie's favorite foods list to cantaloupe, tuna fish, feta cheese, white wine, and Nori.

Anyone want to come over for tuna & feta sushi, white wine, and cantaloupe for dessert?

Amul's Barley Granola

9 cup barley grains
1 cup spelt or whole wheat flour
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup coconut
1 cup raisins
1 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup oil
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup of flax seeds (optional)

Blend together all liquid ingredients and add to dry ingredients,
until well distributed. Crumble the mixture and spread on to cookie
sheet. Start baking at 350F for 15 min., then lower heat to 200F and
bake (stirring occasionally) until dry. Store in covered jars. This
recipe can be made in smaller quantities.

Duh?!!

me: What makes you think you can train chickens?
him: You can train a dog.
me: Yeah, but dogs are like smart and stuff.
him: So are chickens.

Ashley's Scrumptious Couscous

-couscous
-pine nuts
-cucumber
-grape tomatoes (halved)
-chopped mint
-vegetable broth (about 1 can)
-salt
-pepper

Marinade (on the side) add after cooking
-olive ol
-dijon mustard
-lemon juice

Bring the veggie broth to a boil. Remove from heat and add the couscous and pine nuts and cover for 5 minutes. Add in the cucumber, tomatoes, mint, salt and pepper. Mix. add in the marinade, mix, and let it sit (the longer you let it sit the better, overnight is best). Can be served warm or cold.

Mrs. Goswamy's Incredible Indian Rice

1 T cumin
olive oil
Sauté with washed rice grains until rice becomes clear
Add 2xs the amount of water as rice
Add some salt and star-anise pods
Simmer for 20 minutes (or until water is absorbed)

ohh my goodness YUM!

Oh Shelley...

"Okay. I have some gossip to tell you. The only reason I can tell you is because it's my gossip...Actually, that's not true. I would tell it anyway."

Ah Bryce...

"Okay. The description of an old person: I eat apple sauce and play B-I-N-G-O."

Amy's Amazingly Delicious, Creamy, Squash Risotto

Olive oil,
Garlic and
Onion.
1 Kabacha squash.
1 cup white wine
1.5 cup Arborio rice (or risotto)
1 box vegetable broth

1. Bake the squash (when it is done cut it into small pieces)
2. Sauté onion and garlic in oil.
3. Add rice and sauté five minutes
4. Add wine and stir until wine disappears
5. Add vegetable broth one cup at a time, stirring constantly.
6. Cook on medium/low until liquid is absorbed.
6. At the end stir in the squash.
7. Add salt to taste.

Alex and Lela's Yummy in My Tummy Vegetarian Tamale Pie

Chili powder
1 can black beans
1 can white beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can chopped tomato (save juice)
1/2 white onion
Minced garlic to taste
Chili powder to taste
Salt (or Braggs or Soy Sauce)
Pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T cumin
3/4 can beer

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add cumin when onion gets soft. Add beans, tomato, and beer. Add a little of the saved tomato juice, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Let this simmer for an hour. NOTE: you can add veggie burger crumbles.

CRUST:
2.25 cups corn meal
3 cups vegetable broth
1 T chili powder
1 T sugar (or honey)

Cook all ingredients over low heat, stirring continuously until liquid is absorbed.

-Press 3/4 of corn meal mix into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
-Pour in the chili. Top with cheese (or soy cheese).
-Spread remainder of corn meal mix on top.
-Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Hari Chatni

mint
cilantro
salt
4-6 ceranos
pinch of sugar
salt to taste
(tamarind)

blend together

mmmmmm....

Annie

I just went to snuggle next to Annie and her fur smells like sauteed onions. I love tonight. Good friends, cooking, and the best-smelling, most snuggly cat in the world.

Heavenly Potato-Leek Soup

Source: The Pressure Cooker Cookbook

Adding the flour to the vegetables while they are sautéing enhances the rich flavor of the soup.

olive oil
3-4 leeks, rinsed and thinly sliced
6+ garlic cloves, crushed and diced
½ white onion
1 Serrano chili finely diced
3 large carrot, diced
5-6 medium purple potatoes, thinly diced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups vegetable broth
Fresh oregano, rosemary, and thyme
1-teaspoon coarse sea salt or granulated salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat oil and in a pressure cooker. Add leeks, garlic and Serrano and sauté 2 minutes. Add carrot, potatoes and parsley/cilantro; sprinkle vegetables with flour. Sauté, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in broth, herbs, salt and pepper. Secure lid. Over high heat, bring pressure up to high. Reduce heat to maintain pressure and cook 8 minutes. Release pressure according to manufacturer's directions. Remove lid. Add thyme a little at a time (if using). Bring almost to a boil, and then simmer soup 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use your stick blender to blend it until creamy, but still with chunks. Serve hot.


"This is like heaven on Earth!"

College Care-Package Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are the most delicious cookies EVER, and they contain wonderful memories and a history of making them with my Mom and friends when I was growing up...

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
3.5 – 3.75 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2, 12 oz. packages chocolate chips (OR 1 package chocolate chips and 2 cups chopped nuts)

Mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add to sugar-egg mixture, beating until smooth. (If you use the 3.75 cups of flour the dough will be quite stiff, so you can’t really beat the flour mixture in.) Add vanilla, chocolate chips (and nuts if used). Drop rounded spoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 10-13 minutes. Take cookies out of oven just before they look done. Cool on rack for 5 minutes.
Makes about 4 dozen.

I will try not to.

"You should never start a sentence with a pronoun."
-Ms. Kelleher

The funny overhearings from Science Camp...

"Hey Miss Jessica, is it okay if I take a picture of Becca in her swimsuit?"
-Ian


"Hey Bryce, Why do you think that those two trees were apart, and then grew together, grew apart again, and then got back together?"
-Robin
"They must have had a bad date, and then gotten back together."
-Bryce

Bad Karma...

(While driving past the "Golden State Cheerleading Championships" in downtown S.J.)

me: "Cheerleaders are just dancers gone retarded."
him: "What are you talking about?"
me: "It's a quote from the movie 'Bring It On' "
him: "Hey look, that one's actually retarded!"
me: "I was just thinking the same thing."

This one's coming back around to bite me in the butt.

Worm Day

Today it was rainy...

Dayanna: "Look at all the worms on the sidewalk."
Vanessa: "Today is a worm day."

The profound wisdom of Bryce...

"Books are like potato chips.
First you have one, and then you want another one,
and another one, and another one...."
-Bryce

To do items:

-Learn how to make amazing Chai Tea the way Amul makes it with hemp milk, and his frother from Mexico.
-Listen to music more and watch TV less.
-Play with/pet Annie.
-Make hibiscus ice tea.
-Start my homework early.
-Make a homemade, mosaic trivet with the rocks Amul and I found at Moonstone Beach.
-Call/write old friends.
-Tell Mom that I love her.
-Make delicious applesauce from the "Vegan with a Vengeance" cookbook.
-Drink water.