Finally…We’re Starting the New House and Garden

I know…it’s been months and months since my last posts.  We’ve been so busy.  That’s my only real excuse and I’m sticking to it. 

:::sigh::: 

I won’t go into all of the details, but I can say that it has been a busy year.  The great news is that at last, we are moving forward with our beautiful house and garden plan in Boonville!  We have had the property up for sale, but there were no takers, so we’ve decided to take it off the market and proceed with our original plan to build.  My “Old Woman’s Garden” will finally be happening!

It’s not really a, “house,” but a charming, 1-bedroom cottage that will be rented out to vacationers.  It’s going to be perfect for our guests visiting our beautiful area for wine tasting, cheese sampling, hiking, relaxing and taking in the annual music festivals.  Everything is within walking distance…wineries, brewery, restaurants and music.  The Mendocino coast is only a 30 minute drive away with plenty of vineyards to visit along the way. 

The cottage will be old-fashioned and traditional, clad in creamy, white siding and featuring a bright, red door.  There will be privacy and a beautiful, outdoor space, (I’m hoping for a screened, sleeping porch, budget permitting,) and of course, lots and lots of flowers. 

The plans have been submitted to the county and we don’t foresee many problems with the building department.  The only thing is that they are extremely busy right now, due to the 2017 &2018 fire victims rebuilding.  We certainly don’t mind waiting in line for them to be taken care of first.  We expect to break ground in the spring and it shouldn’t take too long to build. The septic system is already in and we have a well for water and public utilities readily available. 

I’ve already started ordering the plants for the garden, which will probably take several years to take shape.  Various hydrangeas and roses will be the main foundation plants.  Hedges will provide privacy and there will be the proverbial, white picket fence and trellis. The 20, old, apple trees will remain on the property, as will the large shed that we recently painted a soft, barn red. 

The inside of the house will be very traditional with a playful nod to the past.  Of course, there has to be a perfect bed…big and lux…the kind that you never want to get out of.  I plan to make a couple of quilts for that.  I’ll also have lots of furniture redo projects, including some old chairs and a Victorian settee that will need repairs and reupholstering.  We’ll need some interesting artwork too.  Who knows what else I’ll find on Craig’s List and at the antiques fair between now and then.  I’ll keep you posted about those.    

Pictures…I’ll be posting those soon.  (I know, I know, I KNOW!  I’m so bad at taking the pix in a timely manner…my apologies.)  I’ll get the “before” pix up ASAP and will bring you progress updates all along the way. 

Wish us luck!  Building can make, or break a marriage.  This will be our 4th house project and we are still going strong, so it must be a good thing.

~ C

Cynthia Alpers

Secrets to Seasoning a Tofu Scramble

I love tofu scrambles! They’re low in fat, high in protein and a great way to add a ton of veggies to my diet. My recipes are always changing and evolving depending on my mood that day. Besides the wide variety of veggies that go into my scrambles, some of my other favorite, add-in ingredients are:

Nutritional Yeast for a cheezy flavor
ground flax seeds, for extra omega 3s
turmeric, just a little for color and nutrition
smoked paprika, it’s just good
garlic powder, for earthiness
cumin, again, earthiness
black salt, for an eggy flavor

And the best ingredient that really changes the game is almond cream cheese such as kite hill, (really good stuff,) or homemade, (still good, but way cheaper.) The cream cheese makes the scramble soooooo creamy…very much like perfect scrambled eggs. In fact, I served my tofu scramble to my SIL, who swears that he doesn’t like tofu, and afterwards he thanked me for the, “delicious, scrambled eggs.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was tofu.

What do you put in your scrambles?

~ C

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Happy Summer Solstice!

I love Summer Solstice!  Maybe it is because of the wonderful celebration on this day in Santa Barbara each year, when there is a fun and colorful parade down State Street and a raucous party in the part at the end of the parade line.  I rarely missed it when I lived there.

This is also a time when my gardening chores are at their peak and the results of my months of toil and labor are starting to show.  The flower garden is beginning to bloom and most of the summer veggies are now either in the ground, or still in starter pots and waiting to go in soon.

We have a few bumper crops this  season…grapes, blackberries…blueberries, honeyberries, aronia berries,  just to name a few.  I also really went overboard on the tomato plants this year.  I must have over 70 plants started!  I have a lot of great, hard-to-find varieties such as  Pink Furry Boar, Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye, Pineapple Pig and Black Cherry.  (All bred by  Brad Gates, of Wild Boar Farms, in the nearby, Napa Valley.)  My husband started his own veggie garden this year, so I gave him a lot of my tomato starts, since he has more garden real estate than I do.  We had to order more tomato cages, (actually, sheets of concrete wire that  we roll up into cages,) to accommodate all of the plants.  Needless to say, there are going to be some serious harvesting chores this fall!

Now that summer garden plan is wrapping up and I’m looking ahead to fall plantings.  We’ve ordered a few plants for fall that have just arrived: landscape roses, (Heirloom Roses,) olives, sea berries, blueberries, autumn olive, goumi and gooseberries, (from One Green World, in Oregon.)  I’ll keep them in their pots until we get past the hot weather and the rains start again, then they’ll get planted in our edible display garden, next to the already established, heirloom roses (David Austin Roses,) pomegranates, and Cornelian Cherries (again, One Green World.)

I know…you want to see pix for all of my posts.  I’m way behind in getting those to you.  I promise to have them up in the next few days.

~ C

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Vegan Sushi, Part 2

So…as promised, here’s part 2 of this recipe. Making a Maki sushi roll is pretty easy. You can use a fancy bamboo mat, made specially for sushi making, but it is not necessary. Just make sure that you don’t over fill it, or it will become unmanageable when you go to roll it up.

Some recipes call for a small amount of sugar in their rice. I don’t usually put that in, so I’m guessing as to how much you would need. I suppose it depends on taste. I do like to add sesame seeds though. Again, you be the judge as to how much you would like in yours. I put a 1/4 cup in this recipe, but you should add, or subtract, as you see fit.

Ingredients

2 cups white, or brown sushi rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1/4 Cup sesame seeds (optional)
wasabi paste
pickled ginger

Nori Seaweed sheets
Fillings of your choice

Rinse the sushi rice and put into a pot with a tight lid. Add 2 cups of water and salt, cover and cook over medium-low heat for approximately 25-35 minutes, or until rice is cooked and all liquid is absorbed. Put cooked rice into a bowl and allow to cool until just warm. Mix rice vinegar with sugar and sesame seeds, (if using) and pour mixture over rice. Stir the rice and vinegar gently. You don’t want to mash the rice and break up the grains.(I use a flat, bamboo paddle for this, but a large, mixing spoon or wooden spoon will work.)

Construction
Before starting, prepare a large, flat, clean surface to work on and fill a small bowl of water to set by your work space, so that you can wet your fingers from time to time.

With dry hands and surface, lay out a sheet of nori with the long side facing you. Scoop up some warm rice and very gently, spread it out on the nori sheet so that it is about a scant, 1/4″ thick across most of the sheet. (I knew you quilters would like that measurement.) Leave the last inch of the sheet empty, so it can later be moistened (like an envelope) and the roll can be sealed up. You can use your wet hands to help spread the rice around.

Put the fillings of your choice evenly, in a line along the lower 1/3 of the sheet. With dry hands, roll the sheet up, trying to keep it tight as you go along. When you get near the end, moisten the top edge of the nori sheet with water, then finish rolling. The nori will stick to itself and create a “seal.” You should have a nice, tight sushi log when you are done. Set the log aside and prepare the other sushi rolls, while keeping your work surface clean and dry.

When you have rolled all of your sushi logs, use a very, sharp knife and carefully cut each log into 3/4-1 inch slices, depending on how you like it and what your fillings are. Lay the slices flat on your serving tray. Garnish as you wish. Serve with wasabi paste and pickled ginger.

If you have any questions, please post and I’ll try to answer.

(Pix coming soon!)

~ C

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Spring Vegetable Sushi…Totally Vegan! Part 1

Sushi comes in all forms, but the most widely known types are made with seafood. However, when the spring veggies start coming in at the garden, I go for veggie sushi, made with whatever is going off at the time, plus a few extras. I usually make Maki rolls (filling, seasoned rice, nori seaweed, all rolled up and then sliced.) You could also get creative with other kinds of veggie sushi like Nigiri, or Temaki, but for this recipe, we’ll just go with the more popular Maki roll.

You can find sushi rice in many supermarkets, or Asian grocery stores. If not there, then surely online. It’s different than regular, long grained rice…more sticky and starchy. I like to use brown sushi rice, when I can find it. Nori sheets are paper thin and made of pressed seaweed. Nori can also be found in the places mentioned above.

Many of you probably already know how to make sushi, so in this part, I’m just going to give you some ideas for the fillings. Since I’m, personally, focused on a plant-based diet and this thread IS about springtime veggies, I’m just going to mention the NON-meat/dairy/seafood fillings. Feel free to use other fillings that aren’t plant-based, if you are so inclined. Also, please add to this list!

I’ll post part 2 in the next couple of days, which will tell you how to put it all together. (I’d post now, but my dogs are insisting that we get out for a walk in the beautiful, morning sunshine.)

Possible Fillings:
Fresh asparagus, lightly steamed
sliced, peeled, seeded tomatoes, marinated in kelp powder and soy sauce (tastes very fishy.)
dill sprigs
spring onions
cucumbers
baked, sweet potato strips
Burmese tofu, cut into strips
Teriyaki grilled, regular tofu, cut into strips
avocado
carrots, julienned
smoked, sliced eggplant
par-boiled kale, or chard
crisp lettuce
Sautéed wild, or domestic mushrooms, drained
softened, dried seaweeds
peanuts, chopped
sesame seeds
sweet, pickled veggies of any kind
kimchi, chopped
sriracha
gochujang (Korean chili sauce…yummm!)

Gosh…I could go on and on. What are some of your ideas?

 

(Pix coming soon!)

~ C

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Burmese, Chickpea Tofu, Made From Scratch

I realize that some people might be super sensitive to soy products, so I thought that I’d share a recipe for homemade, Burmese, chickpea tofu.  This is not my own recipe. I’ve borrowed it from the deliciouseveryday.com blog and adapted it to my own needs. I’ve made this several times and plan to make it again this AM. I love the taste and the color is absolutely beautiful. However, it is a bit softer and more delicate than regular, soy tofu, so keep that in mind if you decide to make it.

Ingredients

1 cup chickpea flour ( also known as garbanzo bean flour or besan flour)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground turmeric (optional, I always add it for that gorgeous color and extra nutrition.)
3 cups water divided
neutral flavored oil such as canola, sunflower

Instructions

Place the chickpea flour in a bowl along with the salt and turmeric (if using). Whisk to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups
of water and whisk until smooth.

Lightly oil 8″X8″ square baking dish.

Bring the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the chickpea flour and water mixture. Whisk over t the heat until the mixture becomes really thick and glossy. This should take about 8 minutes. Pour immediately into the prepared baking dish and leave to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour. The longer it sits, the more water will drain out of the tofu and the firmer it will get. (I let mine sit for a few hours.)

Cut into whatever size and shape you like. This will depend on how you are going to use it. Store in an airtight container and use within 3 days. I find that it’s great cut up into cubes, seasoned with curry powder and put into a salad.

The WW SPs for this recipe is zero points. Nice!

(Pix coming soon!)
~ C

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Avocado Pasta…So Easy!

This one is so easy! Creamy and delicious too. Just cook the pasta of your choice, drain, put into a bowl and squish an avocado into the pasta bowl. Season to taste. Serve. (It’s not even that bad for WW. A 1/4 section of a Haas avo is only 2 points.)

* I like to add chopped basil, or arugula for a green pasta bowl. A little garlic is nice too.

(Pix coming soon.)

~ C

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Vegan Pad Thai Recipe

Here’s my version of Tofu Pad Thai.

1 block (12-14 oz.) extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
3 Tablespoons fish sauce*, or 2 teaspoons kelp powder*
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 Cup fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon Thai chili and garlic sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 12 oz package “Pad Thai” brown rice noodles
Hot water
2-3 Tablespoons canola, or peanut oil
1 Onion, chopped coarsely
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 Red bell pepper, chopped coarsely
1/2 crown of broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 carrot, sliced thinly
1/4 Cup scallions, chopped medium-fine
1 Cup mushrooms, chopped coarsely
2 Cups mung bean sprouts
1/2 Cup chopped peanuts, plain, unsalted
1/4 Cup cilantro, chopped
soy sauce and pepper to taste

In a medium-size bowl, combine fish sauce*, or kelp powder*, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, sugar, and Thai chili and garlic sauce. Stir with a whisk until blended. Cut the drained tofu into 1/2″ cubes and add to the bowl. Lightly toss tofu to coat with the sauce. Set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes, then drain well, reserving the marinade sauce. Heat up 1 Tablespoon of oil in a wok, or skillet until sizzling. Carefully add tofu only, (do not add sauce at this point) to the hot oil and saute over high heat until tofu cubes are lightly browned and have developed a skin. Remove tofu from oil, drain on a towel and set aside.

Place the rice noodles in a separate bowl and cover with hot water. Allow to soak for at least 10 minutes, until soft and pliable. Drain and set aside.

In a large wok, or skillet, heat up remaining oil over high heat until it sizzles when a drop of water is added. Add onions and stir fry until soft, add garlic and ginger and cook for another 10 seconds. Stir in the sauce from the tofu marinade, bell pepper, broccoli, carrot, scallions and mushrooms. Cook over high heat until vegetables are just starting to get soft. Add browned tofu cubes and bean sprouts and stir lightly. Add rice noodles and toss. Season to taste. Remove from heat and put in a large serving dish. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro. (Sriracha is always nice on it to if you like things spicy.)

* Fish sauce is not always to everyone’s liking, nor is it always easy to find. However, it does give that authentic taste. If you want fish sauce in your Pad Thai and can’t find it in your local store, try ordering it online. I’m sure Amazon would carry it.

If you are vegan, or vegetarian, you may not want to go with fish sauce. I recently found ground kelp powder in my local food co-op It has a similar, “oceany,” taste, which I really like. I’ve never seen kelp powder anywhere else. If you are interested in it, again, try online, or you could probably grind up a sheet of nori, or kombu for that unique flavor. If you do try this option, please let me know how that works for you.

(Pix coming soon!)

~ C

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Freshly Made Corn Tortillas – Ole!

We got tired of eating stale corn tortillas from the grocery store, so one year, one of my family members gave me a tortilla press and we started making our own, delicious, fresh tortillas. I still buy them on occasion, but I don’t know why.  These are so easy to make.  By making your own, you can also add other ingredients such as, chili powder, cilantro, other herbs, etc.  I use an old fashioned, cast iron frying pan to cook them on.  Make sure that you get the pan nice and hot before you start cooking them.

There are several brands of masa harina out there.  Please, do not try to substitute regular corn meal for the masa harina s it is not the same.  The corn kernels used to make masa harina flour have been alkalized before they were ground into flour.  If you can’t find masa harina in your local grocery store, try ordering online.  A bag will last you a long time and masa harina is also a main ingredient for making tamales, if you’re so inclined.

This basic recipe has been adapted from a recipe on epicurious.com.  It’s really very simple.

Corn Tortillas

Makes 2 dozen small tortillas

2 cups masa harina

1/2 teaspoon regular salt

1 1/2 Cups water

parchment, or wax paper

Vegetable oil (for brushing)

Set the ball of dough in the center of the press, cover with a second piece of paper, then press down on the handle.  Carefully lift the top piece of paper off of the freshly pressed tortilla, making sure not to tear it. Lightly brush the pan with a very small amount of oil.  Take the lower piece of paper with the tortilla on it and flip it over on to the hot pan.  Carefully remove the paper. 
Cook about two minutes, flip and cook another minute, or two on the other side.  (You should see some dark brown spots on the tortilla, but not deeply charred burn marks.  (Turn down your heat just a little if necessary.)  Remove the tortilla with a spatula, transfer to an open cloth and cover with the cloth to keep warm.  The tortilla will be stiff, even crispy at first, but will soften when it sits under the cloth. Repeat the process until all of the dough is used up.
 
*I have also used the griddle on my stove to cook the tortillas.  It works well and allows me to make several tortillas at once.
 

** Note:  If you don’t have a tortilla press, you can also roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment, or wax paper.  Try to get it as even as possible, without any high and low spots.  It can be tricky to get it smooth and even, so my might want to go for making thicker tortillas using this method.

~ C
 

 

 
 
 

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Happy New Year…Here’s To Good Health!

It’s a brand, new year and boy, do I need to set the reset button, so there’s no better time than now.  I’ve had some health issues that need to be addressed such as aching joints, lack of energy; the typical old age complaints.  But, I’m not going to let age take over.  It’s back to healthier eating and getting out in the gardens more.  I’ve also joined Weight Watchers (again) to help keep me honest and for a little inspiration from the other members.  The group there is always so supportive.

I’m definitely going back to a more serious vegan lifestyle.  I was always, “mostly vegan,” but I was making too many exceptions and my weight was creeping up.  Now, I’m about 98% vegan and so is the hubby.  He’s happy about that.  (We still have to make concessions when we go out, or eat with others and that’s OK.)

I thought that I’d take this week to share with you some of my favorite, healthful, vegan meals and recipes.  Here’s the first one, Whole Wheat Tortillas.  They cost a fraction to make compared to store-bought ones and they taste so much fresher.  I use them for salad wraps, tacos, breakfast burritos, you name it.  This is for a batch of 4, medium-size tortillas.  Just double the recipe, if you need more.  They only take a few minutes to make, so there’s no need to make a huge batch.  I think that the olive oil also adds a healthful touch, since many of the store-bought ones use trans fats in their recipes.

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

1 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 cup water
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
 
-Preheat a large, cast iron skillet , or griddle to medium-high to cook the tortillas on.
-Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and knead for a minute, or two, with your hands until dough is smooth and elastic.  (Add small amounts of water, slowly, if the dough feels too dry.)
-Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll each part into a ball with your hands.
-On a floured surface, roll out a ball, with a floured, rolling pin, into a flat, round tortilla, about 6-8 inches in diameter.
-Toss the uncooked tortilla on the pan, or griddle and cook for about 30 seconds, or until you start to see the bubbles in the dough puff up.
-Flip and cook for about another 30 seconds.  You should see some light brown, toasted spots on the tortilla.  If the spots are black, then turn down the heat a little.
-When done on both sides, remove from heat, put on a plate and cover with a clean cloth.  (Tortilla will soften after a few minutes under the cloth.)
-Repeat this process with the other 3 balls.  You may have to wipe out the pan from time to time, because the residual flour left in the pan will burn and get on to your tortillas while cooking.
 
I also make awesome, corn tortillas.  I’ll post that recipe tomorrow.
~ C

 

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