I’m a glitter-dusting fairy!

This shirt was shedding sparkles all over the floor, my chair, my desk… I lived in a very glittery world.

And just to clarify: I did not, in fact, find boots. Turns out that it’s a good thing I couldn’t buy them online in my size, because today I found them in a store, and they were too big. Why is it that these boot manufacturers seem to think that the bigger your foot, the larger your calf?! Pardon me for not having a size four foot! I think that would look quite comical, given my height.

I was very “depressed” about my boot failure, so I bought these instead.

They’re heavy.

Romaine, roasted turnip, roasted green beans, alfalfa sprouts, and soy nuts… this worked out a little better than the last time I put those in a salad!

Minus anti-sog baggie.

A recent obsession: honey wheat pretzels… I can’t get enough of these!  (Neither can my brother; it is extremely unusual for us to agree on something like this.)

Smooshed grapes.  Oops.

Yves “chicken” burger (didn’t my Foreman do a pretty job?!), Steamfresh broccoli and cauliflower, bulgur — both of the latter with garlic salt.  Natch.  And as much as I love bulgur, I’m still having a difficult time with this whole “adding grains” thing.  But it gets better…

I haven’t verbally vomited in a while, so here’s a quick one.  Shortly after ingesting the abovementioned burger/veggies/bulgur, I went to see my nutritionist.  Or tried to, anyway.  I spent over half an hour driving around in circles, trying to find a parking space.  And, no, that isn’t an exaggeration.  I finally gave up, after popping a few blood vessels (I’m not exactly a patient driver in the best of circumstances… this was not putting me in a great mood); I stopped in front of a fire hydrant across the street from her house, put on my blinkers, and just ran in for a minute to get on the scale.  Oh, the stupid scale.  Did I mention I was already in a bad mood?!  Because that certainly didn’t help matters.  I’m not meant to, but I saw the number.  Yes, I know I’m not a number, but seriously?  I don’t get what all the fuss is about!  Granted, I thought I was “fat” weighing twenty pounds less than I do, but still; this is just making me feel… yucky.  As in, keep-me-away-from-sharp-objects yucky.

And I was planning to have a “rule breaking” day tomorrow (I’m sure you are all just dying to know)… which was freaking me out enough already, but now I’m really having a lovely bout of anxiety over it.  I’m such a well-trained puppy of society that I feel like I need to “earn” the “right” to eat; which, to my crazy brain, means that it’s only “allowed” if I’m losing weight.  Hmm.  That doesn’t make much sense, see; it’s a self-defeating “rule,” really.  Apparently my brain isn’t getting the message.

It really isn’t helping in the whole “feeling ugly” category that my arms are just not cooperating.

I should probably just suck it up and pay a visit to my dermatologist.

In the interest of keeping myself away from the abovementioned sharp objects, I will walk through my fairy dust and go to bed.  Have a lovely Thursday.

Der er ikke meget der er nemmere at lave end en lækker salat på bulgur, og så ender det jo som regel også med at smage rigtigt godt!

Bulgur er knækkede hvede kerner, som er forkogte og tørrede, noget som oftest giver bulguren en lidt distinkt røget smag. Den har sin oprindelse i middelhavsområdet; Tyrkiet, Mellemøsten og Nordafrika, hvor den bliver brugt til mange forskellige små retter og tilbehør, tabouleh er nok den mest kendte. I Indien skulle bulgur efter sigende blive brugt til morgenmad, hvor det bliver spist med mælk og sukker, havregryn the Indian way.

Man kan enten vælge at koge sin bulgur i plain saltet vand og derefter bruge den til en salat eller lignende, som jeg har valgt. Eller man kan vælge at koge den i bouillon med diverse ting og sager tilsat. Jeg er på det seneste blevet temmelig glad for bulgur, så lur mig om der ikke dukker mere inspiration op med bulgur i centrum, på den ene eller anden måde med tiden.

Til denne salat med sprøde grøntsager har jeg valgt peberfrugt, skalotteløg og romanesco kål som hovedelementer, og hvidløg, chili og koriander til at spice det op. Efter at skåret grøntsagerne ud i passende stykker og efter at have hakket urterne fint, blander jeg det hele sammen med den kogte bulgur, limesaft, olivenolie, en lille skvis esdragon eddike samt salt og peber. Efter det stille og roligt har trukket en halv time til en time, er bulgur salaten klar til at blive spist.

Som i nok kan se på billederne er salaten lidt farveløs, noget som nemt kunne have været afhjulpet med en rød peberfrugt i stedet for den grønne, men nu var det lige sådan en jeg havde. Så jeg valgte noget så syndigt som tomater, noget jeg har svært ved at leve uden, selv her i det kolde blæsende efterår, hvor de ikke helt vokser her i nærheden. Men når man falder over en bakke lækre spanske tomater på stilk, der dufter langt væk af sommer, sol og drivhus, så er det svært at lade dem ligge.

Grillade lammfärsbiffar på spett med bulgursallad

0,5 dl mjölk
500 gram lammfärs
1 msk potatismjöl
2 msk olja
1 msk fransk senap
2 tsk dragon
1 st ägg
4 port bulgur
2 dl bladspenat, färsk
1 dl salladslök(ar), i skivor
salt och peppar
Äpplen

Tillagning:
1. Sätt ugnen på högsta värme och grill. Blanda samman ingredienserna till färsen och krydda med salt och peppar. Forma avlånga biffar och trä upp på spett. Pensla dem med olja och lägg dem på en liten långpanna.
2. Grilla ca 4 minuter per sida. Snurra spetten. Färsen kan också formas till biffar och stekas i stekpanna ca 4 minuter per sida.
3. Servera med kokt bulgur och blanda med salladslök och färsk spenat. Garnera gärna med en timankvist.
(Koka bulgur med 1 st grönsaksbuljong tärning samt tillsätt Äppel i små små 1×1 cm`rs bitar för syran)

Tips! Tag bort senap och dragon och lägg en bit fårost i mitten i varje biff. Krydda med franska örtkryddor. Stek dem som ovan.

/ direkt från köket i Växjö – Klinkerspiel

Allow me to throw a little hissy fit before I do anything else, okay?

Nothing is ever good enough.  This is what I have learned this week.  If I lose weight, I hear, You didn’t even maintain!  If I maintain, I hear, You didn’t even gain!  If I gain, I hear, You didn’t gain enough!  This seems to be a recurring theme, and it is very frustrating.  Also irking me is the fact that I’ve been instructed to get more of the crap known as Boost High Protein.  I really felt like throwing a temper tantrum: You said it was just for one week!  You promised!  But I didn’t do that, because I am a mature adult.  (Cue insane cackling.)

Yeah, I know, I know.  We’re all “on the same side” here.  But I just can’t help feeling annoyed and irritated and, well, I guess discouraged is a sort-of apt word, because if I can’t ever do anything right, why the hell do I even bother at all?!

Review of POM Wildberry White Tea:

To be honest, this wasn’t my favorite.  It just tasted like it was missing something, somehow… there was an absence of flavor.  It kind of felt like I was drinking something that wasn’t really there, because the taste was so fleeting.  I know, I know, I’m not making any sense.

It turns out that I do not like broccoli rabe.  It is way too bitter for my tastes… sometimes I can force myself to eat something even if I don’t like it, but this was not one of those cases.  I had to throw it out. 

It looked pretty, though.

Bulgur with roasted baby broccoli (though I fail to see anything “baby” about it), Foreman-grilled tofu, and roasted golden nugget squash that was definitely not in the oven for long enough, but my mom was totally guilt-tripping me because she kept complaining that she needed that oven!  I had a mini-freakout because for some inexplicable reason, the bulgur was greasy.  I am not crazy; I didn’t put any oil in there, I would remember if I did!!  Of course my paranoid mind immediately came up with several different implausible explanations for this, but I think it’s just from the broccoli, which I roasted on a sprayed baking pan.  I’m going with that.  Paranoia be damned.

The indecisiveness continues… I am now in possession of these two shirts in different sizes.  Meaning, I have four of them.  (Sorry for the bad lighting… I was too lazy to relocate.  Pardon the horrible mess.)

I have figured out the sizing problem on these, actually.  They’re girls’ shirts.  I originally bought girls plus, because I figured it made more sense.  Apparently not.  That seems to translate into some weird sort of maternity belly action going on there… and the neck is way wider, hence the unwelcome bra strap display.  So, to facilitate matters somewhat, I went back to the store this morning and actually tried things on.  I got the pink one in regular, and while it is a little shorter, my straps don’t show.  Alas (did I just say alas?!), the purple one — which is the one I really wanted all along — was only available in a size suitable for a six-year-old.  So I got another girls plus, but a smaller one.  I’m all confused… I don’t remember there being half sizes in clothes when I was little!  Either way, I now have even more fun decisions to make.  Sigh.

And this…

It’s like a second skin.  I do not like this.  But I am too lazy to go return / exchange it, so I’m going to hope it does what my other thermal shirts seem to have done and stretch.  Note the hole for the thumb… particularly easy to spot, given the contraption on mine!

Clearly, I have issues not only with making decisions, but buying more clothes than I need or can keep.  It’s not a financial problem, because if I truly couldn’t afford it, I wouldn’t buy it; I view a credit card as a debit card, really, so if I don’t have the cash for something, I won’t charge it.  But it’s the principle of the matter!  And so my therapist has given me an assigment to clean out my closet.  Which is scary.  I was a total tomboy in high school, at least in the beginning; then when I was with my ex I turned into somewhat of a girly girl; and now I can’t figure out what on earth I am because I seem to be all over the place.  How am I supposed to know what to keep?!  Not to mention the fact that I don’t know for sure what fits and what doesn’t, and quite frankly, I’d rather walk over hot coals than spend a day trying on clothes.  Oy.

Random question of the day: Does your closet scare the crap out of you?

Tomorrow is finally, finally Friday.  I’m a little ticked off, actually, because I just found out from my group partners that there is another whole element to our project … um, they knew this all along, so why am I just hearing about it now?  It’s not exactly fair since they can work on it all Saturday, and I can’t.  Oh well.  Sucks to be me.  I have two presentations and a paper due on Monday, for none of which I am adequately prepared.  At the moment, I am so exhausted that I don’t even care — all that matters is going to sleep.  I am such an old lady.

It is Cousin Central here.

Have a good weekend!

I had the idea for this recipe from ‘Vegetarisch koken in 30 minuten’.  Normally it was a carpaccio recipe, but I ended up changing it totally:

Van TofuParty sides

1 cup bulgur
2 red beets
2 tbsp nut vinegar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp soy cream
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
vegetable broth

1. Peel the red beets and cut into thin slices.
2. Heat the sliced beets in the microwave for 3 minutes.
3. Let them cool and mix with the vinegar and oil.
4. Meanwhile boil the bulgur in the vegetable broth.
5. Mix the bulgur with the soya cream and nutritional yeast flakes.
6. Serve the bulgur with marinated red beets and chopped walnuts..

You can serve the bulgur in a lettuce leaf and garnish with the marinated red beets
and shopped walnuts.
Or you can mix everything together.

Extra tip: add some fresh shives to the bulgur

You can download the recipe om my new website.

A little word about this website: it’s not a real website yet.  It’s more excercise material.  But it comes in very helpful as a way for offering my recipes for free download.

Bild von marknesbitt,Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License,http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bulgur_turkey_nesbitt.jpg

Wie versprochen, das Bulgur Grundrezept,

Also: ich nehme pro Tasse Bulgur ungefähr die zweifache Menge an Wasser, Menge pro Person je nach Hunger – wie bei Reis zu berechnen.

Als erstes erhitze ich einen guten Schuss Olivenöl im Topf, dazu einen Esslöffel Paprikapaste (gibt´s im türkischen Laden oder bei Schwiegermama selbstgemacht). Dann kommen Bulgur, Wasser und Salz in den Topf, einmal aufkochen und dann auf kleiner Flamme köcheln lassen, gelegentlich umrühren. Ist das Wasser aufgesogen ist der Bulgur fertig. Ganz einfach.

Man kann ihn auch einweichen und dann als Salat zubereiten (Taboule, wie mit couscous). Mit Öl, Zitronensaft, viel Petersilie, Tomaten, Gurken.

Bulgur Infos: hier gibt es Angaben zu Nährwerten usw. Dem Grundrezept würde ich nicht trauen, das hat zuviel Wasser.

Und hier dann noch eine Fundsache:

Vollgestopfte Frikadellen

Vorbereitung :

1. Blutgeschwür bulgur in viel bis weichem Wasser. Abfluß und beisete gelegt.

2. schmelzen Margarine und leicht braune gehackte Zwiebeln und Kiefer-Wahnsinnige.

3. fügen 350 Gramme des Fleisches und saute Hinzu, bis Säfte verdampfen. Ziehen Sie von Hitze um.

4. fügen Pfeffer, Salz, cummin, zerquetschte Walnüsse, Korinthen und choped Petersilie Hinzu. Mischung.

5. in einer großen Schüssel, verbinden Sie den Rest des Fleisches mit dem bulgur. Fügen Sie Cayennepfeffer und Ei hinzu. Mischung und knetet gut.

6. nehmen eine große Walnuß großes Stück der Mischung und Schriftrolle(Liste) in eine Kugel. Mit Zeigefinger, machen Sie ein Loch, und stoßen Sie die Innenseite, einen großen Raum machend. Stopfen Sie den Raum mit der Fleisch-Mischung voll, drücken Sie Loch mit Fingern, um zu schließen. Drücken Sie leicht Frikadelle in Palme der Hand, um sich wie ein Ei zu formen.

7. Wiederholungsverfahren, soviel Frikadellen wie möglich machend.

8. fügen Frikadellen zu gesalzenem Kochen-Wasser und Blutgeschwür für 5 Minuten Hinzu. Ziehen Sie um und Abfluß auf absorbierendem Papier(Zeitung).

9. Hitzeöl in frypan und brät leicht Frikadellen bis golden braun. Abfluß und dient.

Guter Apetite!

gefunden bei Zoe

Ich vermute mal, da war ein automatisches Übersetzungsprogramm tätig.

Inschallah gibt es gelegentlich mehr Rezepte, damit Ihr Euch die Currywurst so langsam abgewöhnen könnt, die wird ja dann bald verboten, wenn wir den Laden übernommen haben.

In response to my post about my ED past, Alison from Live, Listen, Cook asked this question:

“Here’s a question for you…do you think you’ll ever completely eradicate ED? I think it will always be there for me— or at least my relationship with food is forever changed, even if I eat healthfully. This changed relationship with food is not all bad, but I do hate that the monster in my head never goes away completely. What do you think?”

It’s been 2 weeks since she had asked, and I’ve been meaning to answer this comment earlier, but did not get a chance until now. I’m so sorry, Alison! But I wanted to post this question up for discussion, as I think many of us ED-recovers wonder the same thing.

Is true, total recovery possible? How do you know whether you’re completely recovered?

I cannot say for others (that is why I need your input), but I will speak from my own thoughts and experience: I most absolutely believe that complete recovery is possible. But the word “recovery” is ambiguous. What does it mean? How can you tell?

In fact, smart, lovely Christina sent me a bag of Trader Joe’s Greenwheat freekeh for my birthday. I’m totally in love with this grain now! I’ve made a couple of dishes with them already, but here’s the first one I made with Mimi:

Cheesy-Kabocha Chicken with Raisins and Walnuts Over Grains
(I know, it’s a freaking mouthful. I’m so bad with names! Help me!)

For the Cheesy-Kabocha Sauce:

• oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, diced finely
• 1/2 cup kabocha puree (or, reluctantly, pumpkin)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• salt and pepper
• pinch of turmeric

For the Chicken:

• oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/3 cup raisins

For the Grains:

• 1/2 cup bulgur, dry
• water
• salt and pepper
• pinch of cumin and cinnamon
• 1 cup Trader Joe’s Greenwheat Freekeh

For the toppings:

• handful salad greens
• 3 basil leaves, shredded
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (or blue cheese)

For the sauce, first cook the garlic and onion in the oil until soft and fragrant. Then stir in the kabocha and pour in the milk. As the liquid starts to thicken, add in both cheeses and season to taste. Stir, then turn down the heat and leave aside.

To dish, set a handful of salad greens, then scrape the grains on top. Ladle on the cheesy-kabocha chicken mixture, and top with the basil leaves, walnuts, and feta cheese. Crack extra black pepper on top if you like. This serves two hungry girls!

Aii yai yai! This was a beautiful dish. I think Mimi and I just stepped aside to gaze at it in wonder for awhile.
 

And then we dug in!
I can’t tell you how amazing this dish was. It was absolutely…well, amazing! Ah, words fails me!
And that freekeh stuff is absolutely delightful:
So incredibly chewy with its separate, chewy grains, and together with the gritty, crunchy bulghur, the texture was a sensation in my mouth! Thank you, Christina!
And come on. Cheesy, creamy, kabocha chicken? Enough said. Absolutely freakalicious!
It’s funny how now I sneak in greens in there more for a contrast of color rather than nutrition. Ah, to be a food blogger!
Somehow, this dish ended up scoring 100 points in nutrition (if I say so myself):

• Omega-3 fats from the walnuts
• the vitamin B and fiber from the grains
• the protein and iron from the chicken
• the various vitamins and minerals from the vegetables and kabocha
• garlic and onions for immunity
• calcium from the 3 different cheeses
• some antioxidants from the raisins…

Man. I didn’t even notice what a nutritional powerhouse this dish was until now! See, here’s another thing about recovery I learned: I no longer obsess about nutrition, but instead focus on taste and texture when it comes to creating my dishes. And somehow, it still ends up being super nutritious!

Question of the day: I’ve answered Alison’s question, but I’m sure I missed something. I’m opening it up for discussion, so any input is appreciated!

But for those of you who aren’t ED-recoverers, I have an equally important question to ask: Rice. Like or hate?

Jag är en periodare… En sån som snöar in totalt på en maträtt och skulle kunna äta den till frukost, lunch & middag i några veckor för att sen byta till nåt annat! Just nu är det Falafel med massa tzatziki som gäller. Problemet är bara att hitta ett bra recept på det då de jag köpt som helfabrikat inte motsvarar mina förväntningar alls. Idag har vi testat Falafel ifrån Findus. Hoppas nån av er läsare ligger på ett toppen recept där hemma, annars testar jag mig vidare i jakten på det rätta receptet…

Good evening and happy Monday! I hope the start to your week- and your November- is going swimmingly.   It’s strange to think that another year is almost over already, and I feel like I only just graduated!  I have two bits of news… one I’ll share now, and one that’s going to wait until the end of the post.

As you know, I’ve been devoting most of my time recently to researching and applying for jobs.  I recently applied to an entry level job at Wine Spectator, and the editor who looked over my application noted, after browsing through the blog and reading my cover letter, noted that while I have a clear and definite passion for food, my interest has not been directed towards wine.  While I may not get this particular job, I’ve decided that I do want to take a more active pursuit towards learning about wine.  Wine has always been important to my family, but with the exception of knowing that Malbec is from Argentina, Vouvray is from the Loire Valley and 2007 was a good year for white, I know next to nothing.  So I’ve decided to take a proactive approach! I’m going to take advantage of the free tastings that go on every day around the city, and  I’ll do my best to have some inkling about the wine I pluck off the $10-and-under shelf at the liquor store.  In the next few days, I’ll add a special tab on the blog devoted purely to vino in order to chronicle my progress.  I don’t know where this will take me, but since I have a little more time on my hands due to unemployment, I’m excited to learn a useful skill and pursue a new hobby!

Anyway… let’s jump back a bit.

Yesterday I was awakened quite early as Ari left for a morning meeting.  Musicians keep very strange hours, I tell ya!  Since I was already up, I decided to make a breakfast cookie to plop in the fridge while I went back to sleep for a few hours.

Jim was made of:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/2 banana
• 2 T skim milk
• 1/2 packet YouShake Vanilla Dream protein powder
• 1 t peanut butter
• toppings: cinnamon, 2 prunes, 1 fig, 1 pecan

I also broke into my new McNulty’s Sumatra coffee to get my buzz on. And on and on.

Finally found a real solution to the Ester-C problem… POM Wonderful’s Pomegranate Nectarine juice (which the company sent to me a few weeks ago) is sweet enough to completely mask the taste! I simply dissolved 1/3 teaspoon of Ester-C into 1/4 cup of juice and gulped it down as fast as possible. All I was left with was a pleasant fruity taste!

After I finished up breakfast, I looked at the time, packed my gym bag and hustled out the door to make a 12:15 60 minute Pilates class in the city.  I got there five minutes early and went into the studio with my jacket, bag and shoes still on so that I could reserve a spot on the floor.  Class had already started!  I was a little annoyed- I didn’t want to disrupt the class, but it was early!  It was also pretty warm and really stuffy, and I thought about asking the instructor to turn off the heat.  After ten minutes, we still hadn’t moved to the mat to work on our cores and instead seemed to be moving through a Vinyasa flow.  I turned to the girl next to me and whispered, “This isn’t Pilates, is it?” She shook her head and whispered, “Nope, it’s hot yoga!”  Oops.  I really love Bikram, but had I known I would be taking the class I would have hydrated, brought water with me, and not just had half a pot of coffee!  Still, I’m glad I stayed for the full 90 minutes, and even more glad that I didn’t pass out from dehydration!

When class was over, I went home to have lunch and get some work done.  I was surprised with festive snail mail from my girlies, which brightened up my day.

I hadn’t brought any food with me, so I rooted around in the freezer to check out the pickings.  Not bad!  I found bulgur pilaf with mixed vegetables, to which I added raisins and  cilantro:

I also found sweet potato soup with navy beans from the Moosewood Cookbook, which I also added cilantro, peanuts and raisins to.

I washed it all down with Natural-flavored Zevia:

Not bad for an improvised lunch!

A little later, I snacked on a Jonagold apple while I did some work.

I’m pretty sure Ari had dinner while it was still light out, so I made a big orange salad with cilantro-chili vinaigrette for myself.

In the mix:

• two handfuls of spinach
• 1 sweet potato, microwaved and diced
• 1 orange
• 1 Trader Joe’s Vegetable Masala Burger
• shredded carrots

I made the cilantro-chili vinaigrette with:

• 1/2 T toasted sesame oil
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 Trice vinegar
• 1/2 t Sriracha sauce
• 1/2 T raw blue agave nectar
• 1 slice red onion
• handful cilantro
• 1/2 t chili flakes

It was enjoyed with a bowl of leftover miso soup and Christina Yang.

For dessert, I had 1/2 each of a brownie and blondie Edgie.

We watched half of Good Bye Lenin! before tuckering out for the night.  It’s been on my Netflix queue for years, but I’m really glad we finally saw it! Or, half of it at least

Onto the second bit of news! My dad called today with a proposition.  He’ll be traveling to Russia in December for work and offered to take me with him.  Let me think… yes!!! We’ll be in Moscow for four days, then we go to St. Petersburg for two. Not only do I get to spend some much-needed quality time with Daddy-O, but I’ll also get to see my Sarah!!!   I can’t wait.  Life is good!

Happy Monday to you all! Berlin is soaked wet to describe the actual weather situation. But thinking about the dinner last Thursday keeps me still smiling. And the courses we had would warm me now too. For those who want to try the recipes: here they are!

Starter: red cabbage salad with pomegranate seeds and pecan nuts

Just follow the links and you can download the instructions in german or english. Or see our pattern, tutorials and recipes page to get it from there.

Main course: veggie Tajine with Curcuma bulgur and yoghurt toping

You can download the instructions in german. Or see our pattern, tutorials and recipes page to get it from there.

dessert: french apple tarte with homemade vanilla sauce

See the recipe here in German.

MALZEMELER:

2 su bardagi pilavlik bulgur
3,5 su bardagi tavuk suyu
1 adet tavuk but
3 kasik siviyag
1 yemek kasigi salca
tuz
karabiber
kurunane

YAPILISI:

Ilkönce eti haslayip,ilinincaya kadar bekletelim.Ardindan etimizi kücük parcalara bölelim.Pilavi yapacagimiz tencerede yagimizi kizdirip, bulguru icine katarak kavurmaya baslayalim.Salcayi da ekleyerek biraz daha kavuralim.Daha sonra eti hasladigimiz sicak suyu ve tuzu katalim.Once harli,sonrada kisik ateste bulgurlar suyu cekene kadar pisirelim.Suyu iyice cekildikten sonra ocaktan alip,karabiber ve naneyi de katip,biraz dinlaendirdikten sonra servis yapalim.

AFIYET OLSUN!

In honor of one of my favorite holidays, Halloween, this is going to be a post full of spooky things and autumnal eats!

I just mixed in pumpkin puree with oats, vanilla protein powder, dried cranberries, NuNaturals vanilla liquid, and pumpkin pie spice. Once that was done cooking I topped with with pecans, Butterfingers, and ginger syrup. Yum!

So I was roasting some acorn squash while I took Matilda on a walk. When I got back I realized I hadn’t even plugged the toaster oven, so no acorn squash for lunch! I improvised and made a mess out of bulgur, sautéed onions and garlic, chickpeas, pumpkin pie spice, coconut oil, and pumpkin butter. Totally random but still yummy.

The only differences in this bulgur mix was the addition of raisins and subtraction of pumpkin. The acorn squash was baked with maple syrup, cinnamon, and butter.

I had a bowl of Nature’s Path vanilla almond granola with sweet dark cherries in warm soymilk.

This is an all plant protein made by LifeTime. I tried the vanilla flavor and I was pleasantly surprised. I expected it to have a super “green” taste, but it didn’t at all and it was so yummy and thick. I tried it plain first, then I blended a banana after my taste-testing.

Lunch was delicious! I had a sweet potato with Artisana’s coconut butter a la Liz. Homegirl knows what’s up! This was incredible. I am going to have to get myself a full-size jar of this stuff. One the side I had a mound of wilted spinach and chickpeas cooked in a spicy tomato and cardamom cooking sauce. I dressed it up with some crushed cashews.

This was incredibly delicious! I got the recipe from Molly Wizenberg’s blog, Orangette. The recipe? Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini! I used the last of the sample of tahini from Artisana. On the side I had a Japanese sweet potato with butter and 1/2 garlic powder (too lazy to saute garlic), the other 1/2 cinnamon. Japanese sweet potatoes are so delicious!

I adapted my favorite Yummy Mummy, Cate’s white beans and Lebanese cous cous stuffed acorn squash recipe. Since I didn’t have cous cous on hand I just used bulgur.  The acorn squash was too small to fit all the stuffing so I just put th rest of it in a bowl and eventually made it an acorn squash delicious-mess.

I roasted some kabocha with cinnamon and maple syrup. Then I put some Artisana coconut butter on each wedge. In the back is some sweet potato with the coconut butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon as well. And my burnt toast? It’s a sweet potato and ricotta toasted sandwich! The original recipe calls for rye bread but I just used whole wheat since I don’t have rye bread. I also realized I forgot the spinach! Oh well! In the mug is a new tea I got: chocolate hazelnut!

Now on for some real Halloween frights! I had a reunion with an old friend of mine and he brought two other friends along. It was my first time meeting them but we had such a bonding experience! We went to a haunted hayride. Actually we visited three different attractions. We were chased by scary creatures with chainsaws, had to go through pitch black mazes while people and other things jumped out and surprised us. At some points we had to get down on our knees and crawl!

David is such an incredible person bursting with life!

The woods!

So we decided to take a break from being scared out of our minds and stopped for a photoshoot.

Hilarious!

He's such an actor!

I’m suppose to be the scary one, but I look terrified!

And Iman got to kiss one of the scary guys!

Moreover, don’t forget to enter my 101st Post Giveaway. You have until tomorrow noon time EST to enter!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween! I’m hoping to go trick-or-treating. I just have to remember to smile really big! And of course there’s a costume in store.

p.s. Make sure to check out Krissy’s glo-ing giveaway!

Thank you for the good thoughts / wishes on my last post … I am very tentatively feeling a little more “stable,” but I don’t want to get too excited over it just yet because Saturday nights / Sundays seem to be the times that I am most susceptible to falling into the trap all over again!

Because of the weather, I found myself with some free time tonight.  I was determined to knock out at least five of the ten required pages for one of my papers.  (What is that all about, by the way?!  What if I’ve already said everything I need to say, and I’ve only filled seven pages?  Do these professors really want to read three pages’ worth of filler drivel?  Is seven pages not enough?!)  Well, I am — surprise, surprise — in a bit of a panic here.  I think I have five pages –  I’m not sure because it’s such a mess and mixed up with a bunch of random insertions for now — but they seem to be mostly regurgitated crap.  Not surprising, considering I’m attempting to write a paper without having any real thesis, when finding one should have been Step One in this process.  I know I keep saying that I no longer care whether or not I get an A, so long as this interminable semester ends; but I also know that I absolutely will be devastated when I don’t get an A.  Panic, as it turns out, is a very poor motivator.

I need something to look forward to at the end of the semester… where should I go on my post-semester vacation?!  Open to all suggestions… only requirements are A) warm-water diving and B) will not bankrupt me!

On a completely unrelated note, I am a confirmed Target addict, as I am there at least once a week.  Last Sunday, I saw these shirts and sort of fell in love, which is odd because that is completely unlike anything I ever wear.  I didn’t buy it because I am so indecisive that I couldn’t decide which color to get.  (Hey, give me a break — there are fourteen of them!)  I happened to mention that to my therapist, which wasn’t exactly news — we all know that I tend to turn stupid decisions into massive processes.  So now I have an “assignment,” since I’m going to Target tomorrow (to be a nice sister and return something for my sister… okay, and because I want to go anyway)… I’m supposed to buy one shirt and not spend more than five minutes thinking about the color.  And I’m supposed to try it on so that I don’t wind up buying the wrong size and effectively getting to obsess over the color twice, since I’d start the whole process over if I had to exchange it.  Which is really annoying; I don’t like trying things on in stores, especially in the winter.  This isn’t so much a result of ED thinking as it is inconvenience; why should I take off all of my winter layers just to try something on?!

I’ve babbled nonsensically for long enough.  Moving on…

I tried another flavor of the Primal Strips, this time Teriyaki.

I was particularly amused by the fact that this contains “unrefined evaporated can juice.” Whatever, I think I finally figured out how to eat this. What a skill. But I really liked this flavor! It didn’t taste much like teriyaki, but that’s not a bad thing; just a misnomer.

I think kasha might have some serious competition for the distinction of being named my favorite grain. This is garlic salt-spiked bulgur mixed with peas and carrots, plus chopped fried eggs microwaved All Whites. I knew that the ratio of bulgur to water should be 1:2, but I was reading the box and stupidly put in more water than I should have — because that was a “recipe” for bulgur as a hot cereal. As a result of this display of my inherent genius, it was a bit “soupier” than I’d like, but still delectable. I think I am in love with bulgur.

Vanilla yogurt mixed with Puffins, cinnamon, and peaches, because I had to do something with them.  Um, hello?  Why did I not think of this before?!  I loved it!  I tried it with cinnamon applesauce the next day, and it was equally good.  I love discovering things that are so simple that I feel like an idiot for not having thought of it sooner!

I also tried the burgers I bought last week:

Well… they don’t even come close to Tivi Valley.  They had a sort of weird texture that I guess some would describe as “rubbery.”  Ordinarily, I wouldn’t mind it… it’s just that when I compare them to their predecessors, well, it makes me sad!!  They are incredibly filling, though.  (16g of protein; I like that.)

Because Elise wouldn’t try this , I finally did!!

Roasted pineapple!  Probably should have roasted longer, but, what can I say, I ran out of time… roasting just brought out the sweetness, really.  And it was warm.  I have no idea what would have happened if I’d let it cool, because I ate it all before it got to that point.  Sorry!

Google Reader is getting scarier by the moment, so I think I will attempt to tackle it now… enjoy the rest of your weekend.

a bag of bulgur

I am a new fan of bulgur.

“Bulgur? What the heck is bulgur? That sounds gross!” you may say.

Well, my friends, it is not gross at all. In fact, it is one of my new favorite foods to cook with.

This evening, I made chicken with bulgur pilaf. Several weeks ago, I made acorn squash stuffed with bulgur (recipe from Martha Stewart). Since I still have more bulgur left in the bag, I will soon be cooking more bulgur-inspired dishes.

Bulgur is a Middle Eastern staple, high in fiber and protein, and low in fat and calories. It’s filling, and it’s as simple to prepare as cooking rice. For more info, this site may be helpful.

Trust me, fellow eaters, you need to try some bulgur for yourself!

Ingredients

I love food. I really, really do. And I’m not talking about just eating it. I love food for everything it stands for – - tradition, culture, creativity and comfort. As someone who was not professionally trained as a cook, I love the fact that I learn something new almost every day about cooking. I make a lot of great recipes, and some not-so-great. (Tonight I made a not-so-great side dish, but I’m sure it is something I did wrong, since it came from Cooks Illustrated and they are the ultimate test of quality recipes. I’ll tell you more about them later.) As a foodie, I want to share the recipes I have gleaned from websites, out-of-print cookbooks, and magazines. As a foodie, I want to share my passion for cooking and make it yours.

Basically I’m this twisted — my favorite day of the week is the day I get the grocery store ads in the mail so I can plan my menu for the following week. I read cookbooks every chance I get. All of my Christmas and birthday presents involve cooking equipment and books. Through this blog you can benefit through my obsessive-compulsiveness and save yourself some time.

I am going to post a wide variety of recipes – - everything from a crockpot hamburger stew (Pirate Stew to be exact) from a quilters’ cookbook to gnudi, which is an Italian dumpling (savory) in case you didn’t know. What ever the dish I generally like rustic, fresh, healthy, and from scratch. Also, I am big on budgeting. I even make my own sandwich bread, and I don’t use a machine. It is easy. I will post the book I use, and you will feel like a total rockstar once you start using it.

So, for my first recipe I’m going to post from Cooking Light – - a magazine I adore. They deserve their own post so I will wax poetic about them another day. Regarding this recipe, I cut the chipotle in half because of the kids, and you can use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth if you want. If you are entertaining both meat eaters and vegetarians alike, this recipe is perfect. Kids love it too, and it makes a ton.   Every time I make this I wonder why I don’t make it more often. Maybe it is because it is a lot of work, and because I cook off my own beans to save money. However it is worth the time, and a family of four will get three meals out of it. Freezes great too.

Chili-Cheese Casserole for a Crowd

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked bulgur or cracked wheat
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can vegetable broth
2 drained canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 cups baked tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 7 ingredients (onion through garlic); sauté 5 minutes. Add water and next 7 ingredients (water through chiles); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon half of bean mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Top with remaining bean mixture. Cover and bake at 375° for 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Press chips into casserole.

Yield:  12 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

CALORIES 237 (21% from fat); FAT 5.5g (sat 2.4g,mono 0.7g,poly 0.6g); IRON 2.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 198mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.2g; SODIUM 459mg; PROTEIN 13.4g; FIBER 7.4g

Cooking Light, AUGUST 1997

I am going to visit a friend after work tomorrow. As she is settling in with her new little one, I thought I would bring over a dish to ease a bit of the menu planning during the week. So, tonight I cooked up one of the tried and true recipes.

Here she is: Ellie Krieger’s Herbed Bulgur-Lentil Pilaf.

I made it with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. I also substituted zucchini for the yellow pepper because I just don’t like any pepper in the shape of a bell. Nothing against all of the other peppers. It’s just those pesky bells that me no likey.

This pilaf gets even better the next day, as the flavors have a chance to meld. So, I thought this would be the perfect dish to cook the night before.

I first made this dish for my vegan brother (hence the establishment of the veggie broth pattern). It’s a great one for all of you vegans and vegetarians out there. I personally am not a vegan, but this dish seems to satisfy all.

Check out the reviews on this P. Laf. That Ellie K. knows what she’s doing.

This dish is inspired by my boyfriend’s aunt; she made a delicious stuffed capsicum when we stayed in her house this summer. The work alone looked so nice; stuffing capsicum with your bare hands, I couldn’t wait to get my hands dirty on that job. In the following weeks many ingredients changed and the recipe transformed into the version I show you today. This dish is even better when made up front and reheated; this gives the flavors time to really fuse together.

Ras el Hanout is a Moroccan spice blend used across the Middle East and North Africa. It means ‘ top of the shop’ in Arabic, and contains a mixture of all the best spices a seller has on offer. It can contain up to 30 ingredients but usually would contain at least cardamom, clove, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, cumin, mace, nutmeg, peppercorn and turmeric. Most people have their own special blend which can contain more less know herbs and spices. You can find it in most Arabic shops or you can try to make your own customized blend.

4 big or 6 small red and yellow capsicums

¾ cup fine bulgur

½ pound of minced beef

4 garlic cloves

1 onion

3 tomatoes

5 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

2 teaspoon paprika powder (sweet Hungarian style)

½ tablespoon ras el-hanout

1 teaspoon harissa paste

2 tablespoon flat leave parsley

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 handful sultana’s soaked in water

Sun flower oil

• Rinse the bulgur, let the water leak out and put it with the beef in a big bowl.

• Wash the paprika’s, cut of the heads and take out the seeds, don’t throw away the heads.

• Cut the garlic and the flat leave parsley small. Cut half of the onion small and shred the other half.

• Add  cinnamon, cumin, paprika powder, flat leave parsley; sultana’s leaked out, the shredded onion, half of the garlic, 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, pepper and salt to the meat. Mix everything well, this is easiest done with your hands.

• Take a pan with a high rim and a lid. Bake the onions in some oil until soft, add the remaining garlic and bake for another minute, now throw in the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and let it simmer until it turns into a sauce. Season with the ras el-hanout, harissa, pepper/salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.  (ras el hanout and harissa both have spicy paprika in them)

• Stuff the paprika’s with the meat/bulgur mixture and put them straight up in the sauce. Add some water to the sauce so it comes half way up the capsicum, now put their heads back on and close the lid. Let them simmer until the paprika’s are soft, this would take around one hour.

Second day, second recipe!

Ingredients (serves 4):
Young chards 1 small bunch
bulgur 100 g
quinoa 100 g
egg 1
sage (fresh, chopped) 1 tbsp
leek half cup
breadcrumb 1/4 cup
tomato (peeled and chopped) 1
EVO oil 1 tbsp
salt
pepper

Directions:
In a large cup, soak the bulgur-quinoa mix with enough boiling water (salted) to cover – just as in the previous recipe;
when it’s soft, remove the water in excess – if any – then add the beaten egg, the sage, the breadcrumbs and the leek finely chopped.
Wash the chard leaves and drain them; then put a tablespoon of the mixture over every leaf and fry them on a skillet with the hot oil. They’re done when the leaves are crispy and the mixture has thickened.

Serve in a long plate along with the chopped tomato and ground pepper.