Baby Birthin' Stew

Becca, of B's Bakery and Bistro fame, became the first friend to HAVE A BABY.

Everyone is growing up, buying houses, getting married and spawning.

I, on the other hand, have fit all of my belongings into two bags and moved across the world. I might get another tattoo too, on my face.

So, here we are, launched from the world of making drunk cornbread into making food for friends to freeze as they lose sleep for their poop monsters.

Becca requested something healthy and freezable. I was inspired to make something that looked like the baby poop that she'll be bathing in for the next 18 years.
Lilah (who is actually super cute and old now) also took a while to get here and apparently spicy things help pregnant ladies pop.

Therefore...

Moroccan Stew

You'll need:

Vegetable oil
1 onion- chopped
1 zucchini- chopped
1 yam- peeled and chopped
1 can of chickpeas- drained
4 cloves of garlic- minced
3 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1 tsp of each:  cinnamon, cumin, dried thyme and chili powder
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 c chunky salsa
2 cups of spinach- roughly chopped.

Thanks to George for the Haines grown zucchini

To do:
- Heat oil in a pan, add the spices, cook for about a minute, until fragrant. Add in the onion and garlic, cook for another minute or so. Throw the yam into the mix, cook for about a minute. Throw in the zucchini, cook for another minute.

-Add in the vegetable broth, salsa, peanut butter and salsa (if you want it to a stew, use less vegetable broth, for a soup, use more). Let simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Throw the spinach in right before you're about to serve, just so it wilts a little bit.
- Serve over couscous

- have that baby.

*Reheats, freezes and doubles very easily.

Spotify thinks that I listen to too much bluegrass and is trying to get me to branch out, so it started playing The Belle Brigade.
Spotify robots +1
All other robots -1

A little bit pop, a little bit rock, a little bit country. "Losers" is pretty amazing and a good drink PBR, cry and dance it out jam. But my cold cold heart was first warmed by this gem:

They make me want to start a band with my brother, but would end, tragically, with audiences bleeding out through their ears. The Ingram-Wolf kids aren't musically gifted.

Wild Rice and Mango salad

Garden update- Basil sucks and nobody likes it. 

Wild Rice and Mango Salad (Adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 orange
1/4 c fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 c wild rice
Kosher salt
2 ripe mangoes- peeled, pitted and cut into cubes
1 c fresh cilantro leaves
1 c chopped red onion
1/2 c dry roasted peanuts
6 scallions- sliced
2 jalapenos- seeded and minced

- Remove the peel and white pith from oranges. Over a bowl, use a small knife to cut between the membranes and release the orange segments into the bowl (yes, it should be that frustrating and hard). Whisk in 1/4 c lime juice and oil and set aside.

- Bring rice and 2 3/4 c water to boil, season with salt. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 25 mins, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat, place a folded dish towel between the pot and lid (to soak up more water) and let sit for for 15 minutes. Spread out the rice on a baking sheet, drizzle with the orange dressing, season with salt and let it cool.
- Put mangoes and everything else in a bowl, add in the rice and toss. Season with salt, lime juice and more cilantro.

So many new albums to check out! I am NPR First Listen's biggest and most thankful fan.
New Avett Brothers- coming up
New Cat Powers- on my play list
New Deerhoof- on the playlist
New Stars- playlisted

And I'm currently listening to the New Animal Collective, 'Centipede Hz'.
If you are into Animal Collective, this holds up with their typical stuff. A little jagged, a little disjointed, discombobulated, at times a little off putting. This one has a little more of a rock quality, rather than making a sound scape. It feels more like an album than a soundtrack.
I dig it, it comes out on September 4th. I'm buying it.
And I am so excited to get my sweaty dance on during their NY tour stop.

It's like someone had a severe acid trip while watching Never Ending Story. 

Indian Style Noodle Salad

Note to Self- write down when you experiment, so that you don't have to try to remember the ingredients a month later when the blog is posted.... 

Indian Style Soba Noodle Salad with Baked Tofu

ALSO

LOOK WHAT I DID!
<----------


(and by me, I mean the sun and science and stuff)
















Indian Baked Tofu (From Moosewood)

Marinade:
1/2 c greek yogurt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
juice of 1 lemon
1 package of tofu

-Press the tofu for 15 minutes.
-Combine everything else in a bowl.
-cut the tofu into cubes, put in the marinade.
Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
-preheat oven to 425. Oil a baking sheet and lay out the tofu cubes.
-Bake for 25-30 mins, turning the tofu halfway.

Raita Sauce (someone else invented this)
1 1/2 c greek yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cucumber- grated
fresh mint
fresh cilantro
salt

-mix everything in a bowl. Easy peasy.

Noodle Salad (a Hannah creation)

1 packet of soba noodles- cooked

Red Bell pepper- sliced

Snap Peas

Cilantro

Carrots- sliced

Green onions

Cucumber- sliced

Baked Tofu

Raita

-Cook, drain and rinse the soba noodles.
-Take the raita, pour over the noodles and use your hands to massage the yogurt into the noodles, make sure everything is covered.
-add in the vegetables and keep mixing with your hands. Season with salt and pepper.
-Once everything is well mixed, lay the tofu on top and sprinkle the cilantro over.

Currently jamming to:
Dan Deacon's "America" on NPR First Listen

It's a multi listen, everyone has their own personal opinion about it kind of track.
So do it.
Listen to the entire thing in one sitting, devote some time to it and get back to me.
But think about split personalities and American culture clash when you do.

The album is officially out on August 27th. I'm putting it on my buy list.

"Chikin" Salad

I'm sensing a trend in my posts. I blog about how much I miss a various meat product and then I try to recreate that with vegetables, tofu, seitan or tempeh. And also ignore the needling comments about how eating meat again would make everything much easier. 

Usually these experiments fail, but this "chicken" salad is a winner!

It should be noted though, the only reason why I like chicken and egg salad is because of the mayo, and this has that!

Winner Winner "chikin" dinner!

Tofu Salad (From The Moosewood)

1 cake firm tofu

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp Braggs Amino's

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 tbsp white miso

3 tbsp tahini

1/3 c mayo

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 c carrots- peeled and grated

1 1/2c red bell pepper- dices

1 1/2 c celery- diced

1/3 c green onion- chopped

1 tbsp fresh dill

salt and pepper to taste

- Crumble the tofu (it helps if it's been frozen and then thawed). Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the tofu, stirring constantly, until dry, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. 

Someone got Instagram...

-Whisk the miso, tahini, mayo and mustard in a bowl. Add carrots, bell peppers, celery, scallions, herbs and tofu. Let sit and get juicy for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

-Try not to eat it all at once, it's supposed to last for a weeks worth of meals. 

Right before my Spotify (now it's just like Pandora..epic fail) trial ran out, I listened to Citizen Cope's newest album, One Lovely Day

I vividly remember my first (and only) Citizen Cope concert. It was at WWU, everyone was embracing the dreadlocks and expressing themselves through the hippy bump and grind. I couldn't dance (still can't), wasn't brave enough to dread my hair and remember being appalled and scandalized that people were smoking INSIDE! 

I wasn't much fun in college. 

So his new album shows that he has aged into the urban folk category. It's pure, updated Americana, a mesh of RnB, acoustic, blues and folk. It's a little slower, more laid back and more complex sounding than his earlier stuff. One Lovely Day now solidly rockets Citizen Cope into into the DSSJ category (ask Val what that means). 

It's a good summer album, it's perfect for grilling on a deck, rocking the day drunk and experimenting with your own hippy bump and grind. I may not have gotten better at dancing, but I've learned the art of not giving a damn. 

Gettin' creative with salad.

I eat a lot of salad, especially now that it's too hot to turn on the stove, I'm too busy and poor to make something new every night. 

So I mixed a couple of recipes from The Moosewood New Classics, threw in some left overs, got some beets and tomatoes to add color and voila! 

A curried tofu and corn salad that's worthy of any high class vegetarian/vegan restaurant. 

In other news, I'm in major lack of grill depression. I don't have the balls to put one on my fire escape, so if you have one in NY,  I will trade many, slightly charred, tasty things in exchange for a grill take over. 

Curried Tofu (from Moosewood New Classics)
1 packet firm tofu
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves- pressed
1 c onion- minced
1 jalapeno- seeded and minced
2 tbsp curry paste
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp braggs liquid aminos

-Press the tofu for 15 mins. Cut into bite sized pieces.
-Heat the oil in a skillet, saute the garlic, onions and jalapeno until the onions are golden, about 15 mins. Mix in the curry paste, turmeric, cumin and soy sauce.
-Add the tofu to the skillet and cook on low heat for 10 mins, stirring often, until heated through.

Curried Corn (adapted from Moosewood New Classics)
1 c shallots- chopped
1 jalapeno- seeded and chopped
3 garlic cloves- minced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 c frozen corn
1 tbsp curry powder

The actual recipe calls for coconut milk. I omitted it because I didn't want to the corn to be over saturated with liquid going into the salad (read- I didn't have any). 

-warm the oil in a sauce pan, add the shallots and jalapeno and saute for 3 mins. Stir in the curry powder and saute until the spices darken, about another 3 mins.
-stir in the corn. Saute until heated, add salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble curried tofu and corn salad (a Hannah original (patent pending))
1 c quinoa

3 bell peppers- chopped

grape tomatoes- sliced in half

4 beets- chopped

-Put everything in a big bowl. Mix around. 

-season with salt, pepper, sriracha and curry powder to taste. 

I've been on a major RadioLab kick. 

I spend most of my commute listening to podcasts, but I've run into the unfortunate problem that sometimes Ira Flatow's soothing voice and dense topics on Science Friday puts me to sleep and I get too distracted by the various MTA characters/subway drama to really commit to an episode of This American Life. And the TAL stories often make me cry, which can be mildly embarrassing and unwanted attention getting at 10am on a Wednesday. 

RadioLab is the perfect medium, a mix of science and story, weird soundscapes that jolt one awake and make you stride that fine line between being intrigued and thinking too much. 

Plus, I'm in awe of the online community they are making through social media. 

And let's be honest, the only reason I listen to Science Friday is for the rare and priceless times when Ira F gets pissed off. 

Asparagus Slaw

Summer is just around the corner. 

I've never experienced a New York summer, but believe me, I've been warned and I live in fear. 

I'm prepping for the complete and utter rejection of any hot foods and building my cold foods list. 

I don't really like traditional coleslaw. too much mayo = no fun at all. 

But the food blogosphere is atwitter with new takes and updates on slaw. 

Here's my humble contribution

Asparagus Slaw

2 bunches asparagus

2 carrots

2 cucumbers

4 green onions, thinly sliced

3 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos or soy sauce

1 lemon, juiced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp parsley, minced

1 tsp raw honey 

2 tbsp unrefined sesame oil 

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Preparation:

-Boil a pot of water, wash the asparagus and snap off the woody ends. Blanch the asparagus (drop in the boiling water for 5-10 secs, remove and put in a bowl of ice water.

-Julienne or shred the asparagus, carrots and cucumber. Add in onions, toss. 

-Prep the dressing- whisk the tahini, Braggs, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, parsley and honey. Whisk in oil. 

-Pour over the veges, toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let sit for 15-20 mins to get juicy. 

I really really liked this. There was just a tad too much juice, but that is the definition of a first world problem. 

Everyone (i.e. VH1 when it's on the TV at the gym) is talking about The Black Keys, so I finally broke down and gave their new-ish album, El Camino. 

They should be my jams. It's blues-rocky, it's dirty, dark and dance-able. 

But I'm really not digging them. 

Maybe I'm just too late to this bandwagon, maybe they remind me of Kings of Leon a little too much, maybe I've heard too many bands just like them, maybe I'm over the hipster caveman vibe (that's a lie, I'll never be over it) and maybe I'm not a air guitar kind of gal. 

Packing a fiber punch.

Who doesn't love Lara Bars? 

They're simple, delicious and so organic you can still taste the dirt. 

The only downside is the cost, at $1.30 per bar or over 20 bucks for a box of 15, these once were a special, "I've been a good girl", "I went to the gym today (yesterday, last week, will go tomorrow etc)" treat. 

But no longer!

I figured that with so few ingredients, they would be pretty easy to make. 

Year 2 means a new leaf with the KDP experiments! They work!

I also had some awesome cookie cutters, of the ninja and Alaskan animals variety. 

So now my afternoon snack is made even better by being in the shape of a whale. 

Almond Cookie- makes 6 ninja's
1/2 c pitted whole dates
1/2 c pitted whole prunes
1/2 c almonds
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp coconut oil
dash of sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cuckoo for Coconut- makes 6 whales

1/2 c pitted whole dates

1/2 c pitted whole prunes

1/2 c almonds

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

dash of sea salt

1/4 c dried coconut

Pumpkin Pie- makes 6 squirrels

1/2 c pitted whole dates

1/2 c pitted whole prunes

1/2 c almonds

1/3 c pumpkin seeds

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

dash of sea salt

-Place the dates and prunes in the food processor, blend until it's a paste and put in a bowl.
-Add the nuts and seeds to the processor and blend until finely chopped (stop before it's a flour). Dump in the bowl
-Add the nuts, sea salt, coconut oil and spices to bowl, Knead the nuts into the paste
-Transfer to a surface covered with plastic wrap. Shape into bars (I used cookie cutters, you can also roll into a ball, if you aren't as awesome as I am). Wrap individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat (Let set for 20 mins in the fridge before eating).

Be warned, the process does make a mess. 

That's a porcupine. It's an Alaska thing.  

The flavor options are endless. Here are some of the other Lara flavors, but you can really throw whatever you want in there. Just get some dried fruit, spices, nuts, nut butter, chocolate chips and go to town.
Apple Pie
Banana Bread
Blueberry Muffin
Carrot Cake
Cherry Pie
Pecan Pie
Tropical Fruit Tart
Peanut Butter Cookie
Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie
Ginger Snap
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Lemon Bar
Coconut Cream Pie
Cashew Cookie


Get your kitchen dance on to this:

Carolina Chocolate Drops new album, Leaving Eden came out in February.
I'm still listening to it everyday.
Now granted, the sounds of the CCD's are completely and utterly my jams, but there is a raw, unprocessed, jam session quality to this CD that is really lovely. It really takes me back to being at the Alaskan Folk Fest, a Juneau relic that I missed and pinned for this year.
They are experimenting more and more with meshing their old time, black string band sound with beat boxing. It's interesting and gives them an update, I just fear that this gimmick will become too over used.
Check them out, they are definitely on the cusp of the bringing back the Americana Roots movement, with a modern spin.

How do you get your protein?

Yes, that pick up line is weak. I know. But you try and come up with one about hummus. 


One of the biggest things I've had to adjust to with living in New York is that the produce goes bad.
Seriously.
Fruits and vegetables in Alaska are flown in. Meaning they are picked early and chock-full of preservatives to make sure they survive the flight and grocery shelf time. I've sat on avocados for 2 weeks waiting for them to ripen.
That's not the case in NY.
It still surprises me when my bananas turn brown after 2 days.

I'm learning the art of using up rapidly fading produce, fast.
I'm learning the art of the kitchen sink salads, stir fries and....


(Kitchen Sink) Spinach Hummus

-2 c chickpeas (or 2 15 oz cans)
-Leftover Spinach (or leafy greens, roasted red pepper, roasted onions etc...)
-2 tbsp tahini
-1/2 c pine nuts- toasted if you have enough forethought
-6 cloves garlic- see above.
-Olive Oil
-Cumin, black pepper, salt, cayenne, paprika, chilies, sun dried tomatoes, feta, cilantro, caramelized onions, whatever your heart desires and needs to get used.



-(if you are starting with uncooked chickpeas- soak overnight, boil in water for about an hour, cool).
-Put everything in a food processor. Blend until smooth. I like to use cayenne and paprika to kick it up a notch. Use within 3 days or freeze.

Note- make sure the garlic cloves get blended in or face the wrath of your co-workers the next day when you eat a whole one.

I finally gave a listen to The Shins new album, Port of Morrow. 

Like everyone else, I was a fan of The Shins in college. I went to the capital of easy listening, where people slack lined, long boarded, smoked bowls in the arboretum (not a euphemism) and listened to Dave Matthews like it was their job.

This is posted on the un-named schools website. 

Unsurprisingly, The Shins were very popular and in an attempt to be "cool" I jumped on the bandwagon. I wanted to shun the bluegrass, folk and klezmer music upbringing (with some Sound of Music to nurture the budding theatre nerd) and "get with the picture." I wanted to talk about seeing The Shins at the Gorge during Sasquatch and discuss how excited we all were to go camp for 3 days, with 80,000 people to see them again next year. 

I desperately wanted to be a part of pop culture and The Shins were my gateway. 

Being at this meant you were cool. 

I gained clarity in leaving undergrad, embraced my "local-yokel," back-country, frontier-esque upbringing and let go of The Shins. They were just a little too twee, too emo and too indie for me. I shunned The Shins and embraced the bluegrass. 

So when I saw they had a new album (and I just figured out how to use Spotify), I decided to give them a second chance. 

Still not doing it for me. 

They sound exactly the same, in style and in each individual song. There's nothing new and I don't feel the urge to sing along and cry (because that's what everyone does with The Shins..right?). 

I'm sorry to any Shins fans. But seriously!? Seriously. 

But... If I ever decide to try and embrace the long-boarding, rock climbing and drinking on the dorm roof to avoid the RA's lifestyle again, I might give them a 3rd chance. 

In other news. I saw Andrew Bird, unplugged and live on WNYC's Soundcheck this past week. 

A. Dream fulfilled

B. Inner fan girls (all of them) are running rampant

C. I can die happy

D. In no way am I hip enough to meld into this audience base here. But I'm now okay with my "I'm not from here" persona. 

You can listen and watch the webcast here

"I know we just met, but will you marinade me?"

I have a confession.

I've been vegetarian for about a year now, which is all fine and dandy (it's a lot easier in NY. Vegetarian in Alaska means you only eat fish).

But sometimes I really really miss steak.
There is nothing in vegetarian land that stands up to a juicy rib eye (still mooing, if possible).

But that doesn't stop me from trying to find one.
Hence....

Cauliflower steaks with olive relish and tomato sauce (Adapted from Bon App)
Serves 4

1 large head of cauliflower- trimmed, cored, leaves removed etc.
1/2 c black olives, diced
3 sundried tomatoes- slices
3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp parsley- chopped
Salt
Pepper
3 garlic cloves
2 plum tomatoes- cored and quartered


-Slice cauliflower into 4 1/2" "steaks." There will be loose ends that fall apart. Save these, finely chop them and put in a bowl.
-In said bowl, throw in the olives, sundried tomatoes, 1 Tbsp oil, parsley and lemon juice. Mix, season the relish with salt and pepper.
-Preheat oven to 400. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook the cauliflower steaks until golden brown, about 2 mins per side. Add 1 Tbsp oil between the batches. Transfer steaks to a large rimmed baking sheet, roast the cauliflower until tender, about 15 mins
-Return the skillet to medium high heat, add garlic cloves and tomatoes (cut side down). Cook until tomatoes are browned, transfer to the baking sheet in the oven (can place them on top of the cauliflower) and roast until tender, about 12 mins.
-Transfer garlic, tomatoes and 1/2 Tbsp oil to a blender. Blend until smooth.
-Put cauliflower steak on a plate, put relish and sauce on top. Pretend it's a cow.

All you young'uns talk about something called THE HUNGER GAMES.
I've been able to glean that it's about kids killing each other.
Because that's what we want our youth growing up with.

The soundtrack though....
It's futuristic Appalachian music. And that is the best description of my musical leanings I've ever heard.

Carolina Chocolate Drops, Neko Case, The Decemberists... it's almost too good to be true.
Almost is the key word, it also features work by:
Taylor Swift
Kid Cudi
Maroon 5 (yeah...they're still around).

So touche Hunger Games. I really can't make up my mind about you.

ALSO!
Guess who has two thumbs, speaks limited French and is going to see ANDREW BIRD next week!

THIS MOI.

Is that a bulb of fennel in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Will you let me be the avocado in your turkey sandwich? 

Are you into salads? Because I think I'm falling in lovage.

I have a million of these.


Quinoa, Fennel and Pomegranate Salad
From Chef Yotam Ottolenghi

1/4 c (+ 1 Tbsp) olive oil
2 medium fennel bulbs, cut lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices
Kosher salt
black pepper
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 c quinoa
1 lemon
2 Serrano chile's- seeded and chopped
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 c chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 c pomegranate seeds

-Heat 1/4 c oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stir occasionally until fennel is tender and lightly golden, about 10-12 mins. Stir in lemon juice and cumin, cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
-Bring quinoa and 3 c water to a boil in saucepan. Cover and simmer for 15 mins. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and dump in a bowl.
-Using a small sharp knife, cut the peel and pith (the white stuff) from the lemon, break apart the segments and cut between the membranes to release the meat; similar to peeling a grapefruit (If you have any cuts on your hands...consider yourself warned).
-Add lemon, remaining juice, 1 Tbsp oil, fennel, chile's and herb to the quinoa bowl. Toss, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds.

My Love Letter to Andrew Bird

Dear Mr. Bird, 

Here we are again, BREAK IT YOURSELF is a masterpiece. You've created an album that makes me cry, laugh, think and dream at the same time. 

Like a fine wine, your songwriting abilities only get better with age. Your vocabulary puts me to shame. 

You're layered like an onion, but you invited us into those layers, tasting a little bit of your world. 

Plus, you live on a farm and I think that's pretty swell. 

Plus (and you know this), you were on the COLBERT REPORT the other night. And that's pretty awesome too. 

Your adoring fan, 

Hannah

PS- (you know this too) you whistle like a mother. And that's pretty cool too. 

Swamp thing smoothie

My 25th birthday is tomorrow and I still eat cereal for breakfast every.single.day. About a year ago I switched from skim milk to unflavored almond milk but I still eat fairly sugary crap for breakfast = no bueno. With some gentle guidance from Renai and Val I recently undertook one of those damn hippie cleanses from The Herbalist, no I don't wanna talk about it, yes it was traumatic, yes I cheated on like day 5, no I don't need you to judge me. ANYway I did learn something from this cleanse and that was the way of the breakfast smoothie. I jammed out with the breakfast smoothie throughout the whole 10 day (5 if you paid attention about my cheating) cleanse. Just this week I decided to have a smoothie instead of cereal for allllll of my weekday breakfasts. A big change for this adult child but that's just how awesome the breakfast smoothie really is! You really can't argue with getting some of your 5 fruits and veggies a day first thing in the morning and I stay full until lunch so that's a lot win-win in your mason jar!

Did you know that your average blender blade attachment thingy fits perfectly on your average mason jar? Cuz I didn't until Pinterest told me. It's true, I'll wait while you go try it on for size....done? Ok. Now how effing cool is that anyway? It cuts the amount of dishes needed to make and enjoy a smoothie by half! Half! Math! So what I do is prep most of my smoothie at night before I go to bed and it goes something like this:

Breakfast Smoothie:

- half of a peeled orange, chopped up

- half of an average carrot, chopped up

- some kale or chard if I have any, it really adds that nice green color to your brekafast

- a handful of hand-picked, frozen, wild Alaskan blueberries (what you don't have those? store bought will do)

-small portions of any other random fruit you have laying around, I normally toss in an apple slice or a couple strawberries, and 1/2 a cucumber is a super refreshing addition. We get a Full Circle Farms box every other week so I almost never buy fruit or veg from the store and end up just using whatever random stuff I have before it goes bad.

1. At this point I just put the blade thingy on it and stick it in my fridge

2. My roomie wakes up right when I leave so I wait until just before I leave to toss in the rest of the ingredients and blend it up cuz I'm nice and I want him to have a good day/ not hate me for waking him up before his alarm. Love me some not-cranky Joel Ion!

Second half of ingredients:

-a teaspoon of chia seeds

-probably about 1/4 cup of soy or almond milk

-6-8 ice cubes

3. blend like the dickens. My blender is rad but the little thing is just a blender, I know fancier folks have those vita mix thingies, and more power to them but kitchen redundancy and whatnot so I make-do with my 2nd hand blender. I make a royal racket blending because I don't like my smoothie to be really liquiddy, I prefer a more gelatinous mixture (thanks chia seeds) so it's just harder to grind down at first, turns out great.

4. put a lid on it and you're done! I like to drink mine at work straight out of the jar, it really grosses my boss out, he's the one that calls it a swamp thing.

Listening to: The sweet sound of my blender when I make my brekkie and my favesies playlist on Spotify when I'm sipping on it at my desk.

combine with latte from The Rookery and you're good to go!

"Fried" Rice with Tofu

Dear KDP Fans (Mom),
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a month.
It's not a good excuse, but I was in Alaska, working on THE BLUE BEAR with Perseverance Theatre in Anchorage.
Being on tour meant that I ate out a lot.
Eating out in Alaska for a vegetarian is surprisingly difficult.
I pretty much lived off oatmeal, rice and beans, potatoes and soup.
So really it wasn't that much different from my poor intern in NY diet.

This is a quick post.
I should be writing summer residency applications.

So here is some "fried" rice.
And an introduction to my newest addition to the condiment shelf- Braggs Liquid Aminos.
Almost as good as sriracha.
Almost).




Tofu Marinade
4 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Amino's
2 Tbsp Peanut Sauce
2 Tbsp Tahini
12 oz extra firm tofu
1 tbsp olive oil

- Press the tofu block (place it on paper towels, put paper towels and a weight on top, let sit for 15 mins (To press out some of the water, so the marinade can take it's place)).
- Mix the ingredients in a jar.
- Cut the tofu into bite sized piece, place in marinade. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours (the longer the better).
- heat olive oil over medium- high in a non-stick pan. Place the tofu in it, with the extra marinade. Cook for about 10 minutes, until both sides are browned.

"Fried" Rice

4 c cooked brown rice
1 onion- chopped
2 Tbsp fresh ginger- minced
4 cloves garlic- minced
1 bushel fresh spinach
2 c snow peas
1/2 c corn kernels
1/2 c edamame beans- shelled
3 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos (you could use soy sauce, but where's the fun in that?)
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes




- heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat, in a wok. Cook onions for 5 minutes. Add in ginger and garlic, cook for 4 mins.
- Throw spinach and snow peas into the wok, saute for 5 mins, until the spinach is wilted. Add in the corn and beans, cook for 4 minutes.
-Throw in the rice, red pepper flakes, Braggs Liquid Aminos and 1/4 c water. Mix everything over medium high heat for about 5 minutes.

Music Land:

Leonard Cohen's newest album, OLD IDEAS. 

I like it. Cohen has always been in my "drink PBR, sit in a hammock and cry" mix. You can't get anything better than that raspy deep voice. 

but he's almost happy in this album. It's a bit off putting. 

Nothing beats this:

Also, albums that are dropping this spring that I'm so excited I could pee:

Andrew Bird (!!!!)

Alabama Shakes

Carolina Chocolate Drops

and many, many more.