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Knocking Out November!
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Next year I am bringing a Gardein Chick'n pattie sandwich...on a wonderful vegan bun with Veganaise, homemade cranberry...and lettuce!
The little turk'y things from Gardein would be great if you cook them and eat them, hot...when they come out of the oven. First of all, I cooked too long...but they were ok at the moment I took them out...I tried one. But by the time we ate...5 hours later...ugh.
My mashed potatoes were good but by the time I ate them, the spinach was no longer bright green.
A total fail. I did not let on it was horrible. They had a complete TG dinner which my sister does a good job...last one I had was 2018.
Now, if you have a very accommodating host that does not get flustered with you bringing things that need cooking/heating whatever...then fine, make it at your hosts home. That is not my case.
So, to keep peace in the family, I did not invade her space this year. Next year...sandwich and a salad.
Only thing that totally worked was the pumpkin bread...and the pumpkin spice cream cheese by Kite Hill as a topping. Also, the cranberry conserve. If you love cranberries, you must make this...it's Ina Garten's Cranberry Conserve. Your house will smell amazing and your guests will love you. I grew up with the jellied Ocean Spray in a can. I never knew cranberries could taste so wonderful.
Menu today:
coffee
juice
leftover potatoes and cranberry conserve, Gardein chick'n tenders
juice
Yay for plumbing issues mostly resolved, Carla...and for a great soup, Mihani!
PS I have two of the Gardein Roasts in the freezer. Will make, at home, when I have something to celebrate...like walking without pain, months after surgery.
Ina Garten's Cranberry Conserve (I cut back on the sugar...1 1/2 instead of 1 3/4...might even be able to go to 1 1/4. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/make-ahead-cranberry-sauce-31606410 -
Aww... sorry to hear your dinner wasn't what you hoped Nance. It was a nice visit other than that?
My sis-in-law loved the butternut squash and brussels sprouts thing I brought. It made a LOT. The pecans were toasted in the oven and kept separate until time to serve. I often forget how wonderful raw nuts taste when you toast them. I need to do that more often. Brings out something in them.
I'm making a late lunch/early dinner of pita pizza because I want something different. Haven't eaten since breakfast which was a bowl of raspberries, blueberries and diced apple sprinkled with chopped walnuts, cinnamon and cardamom.
Feeling a bit down today but hoping to bounce back tomorrow. I'm going to bed early and hitting the office early tomorrow. I need to do some catching up. Didn't work as long today as I intended.
Tomorrow I will be making the butternut squash and white bean soup that Carla shared plus a lentil soup. I want hot food the past week or so.
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Hiya gals! I made it to the office today and spent about 6 hours. A lot of time shuffling things around on my desk and reviewing due dates trying to get some grip on priorities. Did a lot of easy stuff that got paper moved quickly off my desk. Brought some more complicated and time-consuming things home to work on tomorrow. I've been a little unfocused the past couple weeks but I think I'm mostly into the acceptance stage of my grief now and need to buckle down to my usual work habits, but even ramp it up a bit because the end of the year is looming and there is a LOT that needs to be finalized by end of year.
Getting ready to make soups. I am honestly craving that butternut squash and white bean soup. Man that's good stuff just popping with flavor! I want to get that done tonight so tomorrow I can work all day without distraction. And going to make lentil soup which will mostly get portioned out into the freezer for future meals.
Also have stuff to make a big stir-fry. Bok choy, snow peas, red cabbage, carrot, broccoli, peppers, green onion. I'll also make a batch of brown rice to go with that. I probably won't make that until Monday night. There's a lot of cabbage so I will make a pot of black eyed peas with cabbage which will also get portioned and into the freezer.
Yeah, I'm all about the soups and stews right now. After this week I'll get back to big salads for one meal a day, but I'm just not enjoying them as much as usual the past couple weeks and figure keep it healthy with lots of veggies, just cooked instead of so much raw.
Realized today that on January 2nd I will be 10 years vegan! I don't remember when I went vegetarian but it was a long time before I decided to go vegan. I remember I had decided to go vegan after New Year, and I ate a LOT of cheese with crackers, olives and pickles on NYE and noshed on the leftovers the next day, then I was done with dairy. I loved cheese, honestly. It was difficult at first but after this long I can't even imagine eating it.
Okay, off to cook.0 -
Wow, busy gal...you are something ... good little cook you are! Congrats on ten years, Mihani...that is fabulous. I know, that meat is something that would make me gag at this point...beef, chicken, fish, pork...all make me shudder thinking them as food.
Just having coffee...then shower and then clean up the mess I made in the kitchen, on Thursday, for nothing ... lol. Oh well, live and learn.
I did eat all the potatoes left overs and the rest of the turk'y things...and the rest of the cranberry conserve.
Home, doing everything chores that need to be done on the weekend so that my three day weekend is free and clear.
Tuesday, I have to get on the phone and start making all the appointments for my pre surgery check list. Wednesday I have a CT scan of my left knee.
BTW, Mihani, would your two soups you are making, would they freeze well? Maybe I should think about soups for my recovery. If that's a yes, could you post the recipe...I promise to copy and print this time.
I will make a spaghetti sauce and freeze that...that way, all anyone has to do it cook up some Tinkyada for me and defrost the sauce and I will be good.
Just a couple of small loads of laundry...(I am caught up, thankfully)...and the kitchen...a few minutes in the garage and a steam mop (whole house is tile) ...and I am good to go today. Maybe a tray of roasted veggies.
Later, my sweets!0 -
Mornin' Magic... here's the squash and white bean soup that Carla had shared. I'm sure it will freeze fine. I think the squash is doubled because the rest was used in another recipe that went along with this if I recall Carla's post correctly. I think next time I will try cutting back the squash so I don't have so much leftover. I skip the extra salt in the recipe and find it is fine because there is salt in the packaged veggie broth even though I use low sodium.
Bean and Butternut Squash Holiday Soup
roasted squash:
3 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp coconut aminos
1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tbsp black pepper
8 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
rest of the soup:
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth or stock
1 can or 1.5 cups cooked white beans
1 can/1.5 cups diced tomatoes with juices
4 cups butternut squash once roasted
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp black pepper
For the Roasted Squash:
1. preheat oven to 425F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. in a large bowl, whisk together all of the roasted squash ingredients, minus the squash and whisk to combine
3. add squash to bowl, mixing to coat all of the cubes
4. bake 20 minutes, stir/flip and then bake an additional 15 minutes, or until tender and golden brown
5. set aside for soup
For the soup:
In a large stock pot, saute the onion for 7 or 8 minutes. (add a touch of water if necessary to prevent sticking)
stir in garlic and saute an additional 30 seconds
Add the broth, beans, tomatoes and spices.
Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in roasted butternut squash and chopped baby spinach.
Voila!
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My lentil soup is not a recipe it's just something I throw together but generally here's what I do...
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 or 3 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 or 3 yukon gold potatoes depending on size... something like 2 cups chopped (I leave the skin on)
1 lb package brown lentils, rinsed
5 ounce package baby spinach, roughly chopped
6 to 8 cups low-sodium veggie broth (I like my lentil soup really thick so I only use 6)
Spices vary but generally approx. 2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne and lots of black pepper. Plus some vegan liquid smoke gives it a really nice flavor.
Saute onion with a splash of soy sauce until softened, add carrots, celery, potatoes and garlic and saute for 5 to 7 minutes. Add a little veggie broth to the pan as needed to prevent sticking. Add lentils, veggie broth, and approx. 2 tsp liquid smoke. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered until nice and thick, stirring occasionally. Probably 30 minutes. Stir in chopped spinach and let it wilt in.
You could use sweet potatoes in place of the yukon gold.
This makes a lot and it freezes very well!
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I also made a big skillet of cabbage and black eyed peas. Again it's not a recipe just something I threw together one day and it's really good. I make it probably once a month and it also freezes well.
Chop a yellow or sweet onion and a couple carrots. Get out a big skillet and saute onion until softened then add carrots and some garlic, adding a splash of veggie broth as needed to prevent sticking. Saute for a few minutes then add spices and as much chopped purple cabbage as you can fit in and a couple cups of veggie broth. Cover and cook stirring now and then until cabbage cooks down a bit but is still firm. Not a fan of mushy cabbage!
Then add a can of drained and rinsed black eyed peas and a big handful of pasta. I like the ancient grains shells. Cover and let it cook until the broth is absorbed. By then the cabbage will be perfectly done. Spices vary but I think this time I used no salt seasoning, black pepper, turmeric. Paprika and cumin are also good. I always add some celery seed or celery salt to this dish too. Oh yeah, and this time I used Umami seasoning blend from Trader Joe's that I'd never tried before. Made from dried mushrooms and spices and really gave it a boost in flavor. I will be using this seasoning often.
The pasta could be left out just cut back on the veggie broth, but I like the texture it adds.0 -
I'm just lighting up the board this morning. LOL
I only made the butternut squash and white bean soup last night. It's a little labor intensive, although I am happy to say that I am becoming much more proficient at dealing with butternut squash. Got up at 6 a.m. and made the lentil soup and black eyed peas with cabbage. All in the fridge ready to portion out and into the freezer later today.
I bought a bunch of somewhat cheap food containers that are good for freezing portion sizes and need to wash them before first use.
Also cleaned out and reorganized the freezer. Plenty of room for soups now. Had several containers of food that I had frozen and got shoved to the back that were freezer burned and had to be tossed. I have one shelf now that will be dedicated to my soups/stews so that won't happen again. That's the theory anyway!
Need to get some work done now, although I'm sorely tempted to take a nap first. That was a lot of chopping and cooking this morning.
B - ezekiel toast and a few bites of the extra butternut squash from the soup recipe (I'm going to cut that portion of the recipe down next time so I don't have all that leftover squash, or else double the rest of the soup recipe), small cup of the lentil soup, some berries with cinnamon
Plan for the rest of the day...
L - black eyed peas and cabbage
D - butternut squash and white bean soup, an apple
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Phew...mopped the floor...did the ten minutes I needed in the garage and all the dishes are washed and just need to dry and put away the ones in the drainer.
THANKS A MILLION for the recipes...they are copied, saved AND printed! Making a notebook for the recipes I will use that are surefire for recovery.
Off to nap. BBL0 -
Up and at em...
Coffee and mostly juices today...going to try and do a two maybe three day cleanse starting tomorrow.
juice
gardein chic'k tenders
juice
spaghetti with tons of mushrooms and onions, Classico sauce...sweet basil
juice
yogurt
NO GREENS...ugh.
Tomorrow, I must get on the phone and get some of these appointments made. I have quite a few. CT scan Wednesday. Also, need to check out living room furniture at Lazy Boy...and if I am up to it, a drive to Ikea in Tempe AZ...bit of a drive.
I love my patio furniture. NOT just the way it looks...but the seats are so high that it is a snap to get in and out of.
I am almost ready to buy another set for the living room...not the exact same. I wish they detailed the measurements better.
My sister said bring the patio furniture in and see how you like living with it. That's an idea.
I mostly got everything done yesterday...will only need about an hour or so tomorrow morning to finish up. Did not do the laundry. But only have two loads.
Ok then...REALLY HOPE AUSTIN IS OK...check in when you can...especially all of you MIAs
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Wow, had some catching up to do here on the forum. I didn't realize I was away for so long.
Thanks for typing out the squash and bean soup, Mihani. Hope you enjoy it, Nance. Glad to hear you like your new patio furniture.
We had more flooding in our area (we're still dry and safe) so Ruby had her pond back to play in. I didn't get my phone out in time to take a video of her frolicking. It's sunny right now so I'm going to get another walk in today. There's supposed to be another deluge of rain tomorrow. Our property is so wet. Every step is squishy so it is unpleasant for walking. We have some mole holes that are so saturated that when you step beside them, water is displaced and the hole fills up with water.
I've got one more hat to knit that has to be done soon so it can make its way to Canada for a Christmas gift. After that, 2 more hats and then no more hats for a while! Except maybe one for me in a different pattern.
Here's Ruby in the mini pond. It's too bad she isn't playing in the photo because she was having a blast and looked so excited. Here she just looks bedraggled.
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Quick hello. Secretary still sick and I got stuck at the office late then had a couple errands to run. Want to hit the treadmill and get to bed early.
Ruby is so cute, even when she is bedraggled! That face is so expressive.0 -
Having coffee...not sure about a complete fast today...maybe one meal...and the rest juices!
RUBY is soooooooooo cute...I love her playing in the pond...that would have been me at 5 years old. My spirit animal for sure. My mom always had to dress me at the last minute before we went anywhere...since I was prone to LET'S GET DIRTY!
Costco early today. Then, maybe Lazy Boy to see if they have sofas that are high enough for me. Maybe a trip to Ikea on Thursday to see what they have. I love my bedroom and guest bed/office from Ikea.
Most of the day, on the phone making appointments for pre surgery.
Sorry about the secretary still out, Mihani ...you definitely cannot catch a break!
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I really wish I had a pic or video of Ruby sticking her face down in the water and throwing it up in the air! What a mess when we have to dry her off to bring her in but worth it. Nance, I didn't necessarily gravitate towards mud as a kid, but I did love splashing around outside in the rain barefoot!
Another atmospheric river coming down today through to some time tomorrow. Already flooding everywhere. I've never lived around a natural disaster like this. I'm so thankful that we get to stay in our dry safe home.
I spent some time in the dye studio again yesterday doing a depth of shade study. It is boring stuff with careful measurements and only one dye at a time, but worthwhile to build a library of my dyes and get to know them better. It will get more interesting once I get to add layers to them. (Mixing 2 dyes at the same time turns out differently than dyeing one color and setting it, then following up with the next color. And the order that the colors get layered makes a big difference, too.)
We had sushi bowls for dinner. It's been a long time since we made them and they really hit the spot. I'm up almost 10 lbs ... have been going up and down those same 10lbs for a few months now. Ugh. Difficult time of year. This is when the seasonal blues hit me, the weather is the suck for walking, and there's lots of special food. Joe's mom ships us a big box of homemade Christmas cookies every year.
Sorry that your receptionist is out again, Mihani, and when you're already so busy, too.
Good luck with your phone calls, Nance!
A dry Ruby saying 'hi'. Love her to pieces.
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What a gorgeous Ruby. Lord, she is beautiful!0
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Busy day and still no secretary. Stuck late again. I doubt she will be back for another couple days as she says she still feels horrible. I'm losing my ever-loving mind! Trying to get all this work done and answering the phone and the end of the year approaching like a freight train. But, if she's really that sick I don't want her around because I certainly can't afford to catch anything.
But tonight I am not even going to turn on my real computer. I need a little break. I was waiting for my contractor this morning and worked a couple hours before he got here at 8:00 then scurried off to the office.
And from that you can gather that my long lost contractor is back on the job! He made great progress on the family room. I might actually have a presentable house by the end of the year. We'll see. I know he's super busy and I have real trouble getting mad at people who are overwhelmed with work and can't keep up, given my life.
Carla, no typing out the butternut squash soup recipe. Copy/paste! I copied it to a word file back when you first posted it and made the couple corrections you had mentioned in a later post. This was my second batch and it is definitely going to be in permanent rotation.
I was trying to think of some mad hatter joke with all the hats you are knitting but it eludes me in my present too tired brain.
So glad you are safe and dry. It's crazy what's happening there. I'm with you on seasonal blues. It's going to be harder this year with the death of my friend. I have spent every Christmas Eve with their family for probably close to 40 years.
Nance, did you get all your running around and appointment making done today? Give Lulu some love from me. With all the Ruby love going around I don't want her thinking we forgot her!
I am enjoying all my soups and stews this week, but I found myself actually craving a salad today. Yay! I was so burned out on salads that I decided to skip a week and just do cooked foods. I'm glad I did because now I will enjoy them again next week.
Off to eat some dinner, a few chores, some very light yoga, and get to bed early. I need all the patience and energy I can muster right now. I actually was going to respond to a text from my boss with a middle finger emoji today. He wouldn't have cared, but it's still not nice. LOL
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hope your day is better today, Mihani, and that no middle fingers are texted around the office lol
supposed to get another deluge of rain but so far it is strangely warm and really windy. trying to dye up yarn and make Christmas cards.0 -
Secretary back today, yay! She looked and sounded like hell but said she's feeling better.
My contractor went to town today. The family room is done and it is beautiful. I am so happy. I really needed this to cheer me up! I have been living with the ugliness for years and years, and then the months of him starting on it and being covered in drop cloths waiting for him to get back to me. Just a few smaller projects left and I can be done with all this chaos for a while.
Finally getting around to making my stir-fry before my veggies get icky. Brown rice in the rice cooker just got done so I'm off to make the veggies. Yum! Laundry in the dryer. Once all this is done I'm going to bed early again after a little yoga.
Stay safe and dry, Carla *hugs*
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Yay! Congrats on your new family room! It must be so nice to have your space back and looking all fresh and new. Are you putting up a tree?
I'm sitting here one burp after the next. I bought a soda stream because I was going through a lot of Bubly in cans and once I saw that they have a machine with glass carafes AND bubly 'drops' to add the same flavor, I decided to go for it. Anyway, first glass made and I think it's safe to say I overdid the carbonation LOL The machine is too tall to fit under my cabinets (I think you mentioned the same thing with yours, Mihani?) but I found a good spot for it once I realized that it doesn't need to be plugged in.
Still making stuff and dyeing yarn samples. Windy morning but no rain so far - yay!0 -
is up!
See you there!
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