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Cashew Creamed Kale with Pomegranate

November 17, 2015 Colleen Stem
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  I use to suck the juice out of the seeds (they are actually called arils) of the pomegranate and spit out the actual seeds... I thought that the seeds were poisonous. (I blame my sister for this .She is the one that told me that).  And it turns out that it is an actual thing. That other people think that the seeds are not edible, so I guess don’t feel so duped. But I leaned. The seeds, they are very much edible, and very much tasty. I love biting into a pomegranate seed, letting the juice flood my mouth, followed by a nice little crunch from the seed inside, just like little crunchy red jewels. And the method of removing the seeds just makes them that much better. When you have to whack a fruit for it's edible parts, it got to be good. And to make this clear…. to all the people out there that thick the seeds are poison… the seeds are NOT POISION. In fact, they are quite good for you.

Now that that has been established, we can get to eating these little pearls the right way.  And being all holiday and jolly lala, I was thinking of some classic side dishes that are typical around this time.  Creamed spinach came to mind, but that just seemed a little boring. That’s where the pomegranate comes in.  You add pomegranate to anything and it’s not boring anymore. Also I switched out the creamed part and replaced it with cashew cream, and spinach with kale… cause that’s what I do. And the results are fantastic! Sweet, creamy, crunchy, earthy... All the best flavors. And even though I ate most of it hot, it’s definitely a side that moves from hot to cold and still taste super great. Would even make a nice sandwich or maybe add a little bed of grains and you got yourself a nice little lunch.

But the again, you probably wont have any left overs

The stuff. A bunch of kale, some cashews that have been soaking for a little while,  and a pomegrante  (I only used half of one). We also need us some more fresh water, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic and salt and pepper.

Remove the arils (thats what the juicy seeds ae called) by placing half the pomegranate into a bowl and whacking  it with a big wooden spoon. (martha stewart taught me this)

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Strain the soaking cashews and dump them into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, some fresh water and some salt and pepper.

Turn blender on and blend until a nice smooth consistency

Chop up the kale and place into a really big skillet with a few splashes of water.

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Once the kale has wilted, pour the cashew cream all over it. 

Add in the pomegranate  seeds

And get yourself a fork (bowl is optional( and eat. 

Creamed food never tasted this good!

-C


Cashew Creamed Kale with Pomegranate

makes 3-4 servings 

  • 1 bunch (abut a pound) Kale
  • 1/2 cup cashews that have been soaking in water for a little while
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 lemon
  • 2-3 loves garlic
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1/2 a pomegranate)
  • salt and pepper to taste 

Take your pomegranate , slice in half, and place half seed sside down into a bowl. Take a big wooden spoon or something like it, and whack the outside of the fruit. The seeds will all fall out.. but check for any stuck seeds

Strain cashews from soaking waterand dump into a blender with the juice of the lemon, the garlic, ¾ cups of water, and a pinch or two of salt. Blend until a smooth a creamy cream. If you think the cream is to thick, add in another splash of water

After washing kale, chop it up into smallish pieces. (remove stems if you want.. I don't, I like the stems) Stick the kale into a large skillet with a few splashes of water and a sprinkle of salt and place on the oven on medium high heat. Stir around until kale is wilted and the water has evapotated. Pour on the cashew cream, mix around and top with the pomegranate seeds.

and eat..hot or cold. Its all good.

In Vegetables, Vegan, Savory, sauce, Paleo, holiday, grain free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free Tags thanksgiving, side dishes, vegan, gluten free, paleo, Cashew creamed kale and pomegranate, pomegrante, fresh, clean eating, plant based, meal prep, salad, nuts, simple sides, heathy, protein
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Sunday HAppy

November 15, 2015 Colleen Stem

Another week gone by and another week without snow, except for yesterday morning. I got to enjoy a brief ½ walk with the pup in the wee hours of the morning to see the tiny dusting that developed over night. But even that was gone by mid morning. I am bumming here. I Want SNOW!

And I know that it isn’t for another 11 day, but Thanksgiving. It’s it 11 DAYS!  That’s 10 more day to contemplate pies and sides and all the things that could be made into existence. (I spend way too much time thinking about different pie variations, it actually causes me headaches.)

So what about you? Are you feeling the slight buzz of the holiday crazy yet? Are you a planner or a procrastinator, or are you just a guest and hanging pretty with nothing to worry about? Me. I am a planner but usually deviate from said plan and do something completely on the fly. What can I say; I have an overactive mind and am a bit indecisive about things. But the little bit of buzz.... that’s part of the fun. Just as long as a little crazy doesn’t turn into a lot of crazy, then I am good.

And as for my Sunday plans, I think the mr, the pup, and I are going to pack up and head for higher ground to get us some snow, although I should be doing so many things around here. Hum.. Chores or snow, we shall see!

Hope you are where you are having a relaxing fun day!

Some internet stuff from the week if you are feeling it.

-Definitely gong to go seer his exhibit .  This Art Exhibit Makes You 'Wonder' — And That's The Whole Point. 

-You cat doesn't really want to kill you….. But I am pretty sure mine does.

-Before and after photos of an amazing farm to home renovation.

-10 Easy Pieces: Problem-Solving Electrical Outlets/Covers Some of these are pretty fantastic.

-Farmers Have Been Enjoying The Fruits Of Bee Labor For 9,000 Years

-Cool little prefab homes 

-I love looking at all the pretty colors ans patterns

-What to Simmer for a Fresh, Seasonal-Smelling Home.. Who doesn't wasn't a tasty smelling home? 

-The largest art festival in the world.. And it looks amazing! Another bucket list thing for me to do!

-I love these button lunch bags.. Thinking of making for gifts.

-So When I am being sarcastic.. I am just being smart. According to science, here's how sarcastic people are different from everyone else 

nd some pictures from the  week (note the gigantic bear… Out of control!)

Happy Weekend!

-C

In arts, holiday, photography, sunday happy Tags Sunday, happy, family, photography, food, pictures, fun times, internet
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Be Cool and Make Some Cloth Napkins

November 14, 2015 Colleen Stem
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I am not a fancy person by any means, like super, no frills, no one would ever consider me fancy. EVER. With that said, I am always and forever a cloth napkin lady. I have a drawer full of them, in all sizes and color. I use one with every meal  (I am a sloppy eater).And napkin use is not just about functionality, it is also about looking pretty.  When I go for a clean napkin, I like to pick one that looks good with the meal that I am eating. I think a pretty clean napkin really makes any meal just a tiny bit better. Does that sound weird? I don’t know but this is just a little look into how my mind works.

And recently I have set a few too many of my kitchen textiles on fire (towels, napkins, and potholders) so I am in need of a few new, nice looking napkins. 

And let's get this straight. Cloth napkins are not about being fancy, they are about wiping you hands and face with something lovely, that doesn't need to be tossed into the trash after use. Cloth napkins are also a great way to add a nice splash of color tot a table settings or a nice doth barrier between your lap and all the food that ends up landing on it. I have even been known to do a cloth napkin-tuck into the shirt- type situation if I am eating something particularly messy and have on decent, clean shirt (doesn't happen too often). Cloth napkins also double up as a rag when the inevitable spill happens at the table. See, not just for fancy people. Cloth napkins just make sense. And sure, if you are introducing them at the Thanksgiving table that happens to set a bunch of guests, or maybe making a few, wrapping them up with a ribbon and gifting them for Hanukah to Christmas…that would totally be cool and not at all showy and over fancy. You just seem like a leveled headed person that uses and or gifts totally cool and useful things. And whatever if it makes you badass for making them yourself…. cause you probably are badass anyway. 

 

So if you got the desire and a little bit of time (this project is great to do while watching a good holiday movie) you should make yourself (or someone else ) some cool ass cloth napkins.

What you will need, besides a sew machine

  • Cotton Fabric that you would like to wipe you face with. I use around a 15-20 inch square piece per napkin but you can make it any size you want.. just as log as it has 90 degree conners So count how many napkins you ant to make and get hat touch in fabric.
  • scissors 
  • sewing pins
  • thread that looks good with your fabric
  • ruler or tape measurer
  • iron (optional)

Step 1.

Start by laying out you fabric flat, and if you want, run an iron over it to remove creases  (I would haven but my iron… can't find it anywhere!)

When your ready, fold all the edges in 1 inch and crease with either an iron, or a flat edge (my ruler works great here)

Step 2.

Unfold last fold and the refold  each side 1/2 inch and crease.

. You now have 1/2 inch and a 1 inch crease on all sides of your fabric.

Step 2.

Now go back to the 1/2 inch crease and stick few pins in otto hold it in place. 

Start with any corner  and fold the corner over 1 inch and crease. 

Step 3.

Take a fabric marker and mark that crease Repeat with all corners.

Step 4.

Grab a marked corner and fold the napkin in half, right side together,making sure the line you just marked match up, Stick a pin in it so it stays put.

Step 5.

Run a stitch through that line.

Step 6.

Snip off the remaining tip of fabric

Repeat step 3-6 with all corners.

Step 7.

And for the most fgratifing part, fold over … Repeat to all corners

ALmost done!

Step 8.

Lastly, run a nice stitch around the border. I went with a simple stitch, but if you are feeling a little zig zag or some other funky-ness your machine can do.. go for it. 

See, fancy(but not), pretty, made by you. napkins.. and they are so easy! 

Have fun and if you know me and end up making yourself some, let me know so I don't end up giving you more napkins for the holidays.

Have fun!

-C

 

In arts, crafts, DIY, holiday, Sewing and Textiles Tags Napkins, cloth napkins, DIY napkins, arts and rafts, easy sewing pattern, beginners sewing project, thanksgiving, holiday, gift ideas, hostess gifts, fancy pants
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Ginger Pear Cake

November 12, 2015 Colleen Stem
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This cake was born from my anxiety. Whenever I am feeling crazy, anxious, kinda sick, or even just really happy, I want to be in the kitchen making something. It's probably some deep seeded control issue that I have (I can't control my brain, but I can control bread dough), but whatever. Being in the kitchen takes my head out of life , even just for a little while, and let's me concentrate on something else that really has nothing to do with whatever I am thinking about (unless I am thinking about food, in which I bake whatever food I am thinking about) Does this all make sense or am I just nuts?

So yeah, the other day I was having one of those days. I was extra crazy (for so many reasons) and really needed to just step away from my thoughts. I rushed home and just started grabbing stuff.. cake stuff.  I figured that If I was going to bake something that I might as well bake a little snack cake for the mr, especially sense he has to deal with this crazy. I had a large quantity of pears that were all ripening  at once sitting in the fruit basket, so I grabbed some of those. And I grabbed the ginger… well because why not.

And I made this cake.. and I felt better. And the mr got cake (also brought some to my sisters.. her and the kids ate it all within minutes). It was a win win situation. 

So now you know. If you are my friend and I am feeling some feelings, at some point, you will proably get a cake.

The stuff. A few pears,some fresh ginger, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Also have some white whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. And some oil, apple cider vinegar and a little bit of water.

Start with the pears. Cut in half, remove seed and stems, then chop/mince the crap out of them. It's cool to have a few big chunks., it adds some good texture. Take the pears and as much as the juice you can scrap from the counter and stick into a bowl.

Grate up a few good tablespoons of fresh ginger..

Tip. I keep my ginger in the freezer. its easier to grate and it doesn't go bad!

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The ginger goes into the bowl with the pears, along with the oil, cinnamon, sugar, water and vinegar. Mix it all up . Then all that wet mixture goes into the bowl with the flour, baking soda and powder and the salt.

And that get's all mixed.. and now you have cake batter! 

Depending on you pears and how juicy they are, you might find that your batter seems to dry, just add in another 1/4  cup of water. The batter should be the consistency of like greek yogurt, not ruing, but not stiff either.

Preheat you cook box (oven)

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Dump the batter into a well greased 9x9 inch pan. Slice up another pear into thin strips (I only used half, then ate the other half)

Lay the slices on top to make it look all pretty. Do what I did, or some other design (it's your cake to make pretty any way you want). Once you do that, stick the cake into the oven.

When the cake is a nice deep golden brown, take it out of the oven.

Maybe let it cool for a few minutes, letting the smell wrap around your head so that you smell like baking all day. No cut yourself a slab, grab some coffee, and go for it. 

Enjoy

-C


Pear Ginger Cake

Makes a 9x9 inch single layer cake

  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 2 cups minced , super ripe and jucey pears (about 2 whole pears)
  • 2 tablespoon freshly frated ginger
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup water
  • 2/3  cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350

Take pears, remove seeds and stem, and chop the crap out of them until they are tiny little pieces. Scoop pears, and any juice they leave behind into a bowl. Add in the sugar, oil, cinnamon,  ginger, vinegar,  and  1/4  cup of water and mix until incorporated. In a seprertare big bowl, mix together the salt, baking soda and powder with the flour. Add in the wet mixture and mix until fully incorporated.  If the batter seems to dry (should be the constancy of whipped potatoes or greek yogurt), add in another 1/4 cup of water. 

Scoop batter into a greased 9x9 inch baking pan. If you want to make it pretty, grab another pear and cut into thin slices and place right on top of the batter in any fashion you like. 

Place cake into oven and bake until a nice dark golden brown,about 40-45 minutes ,or until a tester stuck in the middle comes out clean. 

Remove, let cool in pan, and cut yourself a big slab, grab some coffee e to tea, grab a book, and eat it. .

In Vegan, Sweets, snack, recipes, photography, holiday, Dairy Free Tags ginger pear cake, pear cake, thanksgiving, holiday, quick cake, vegan, local, organic, king arthur flour, dessert, clean wating, whole wheat
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Parsnip Cracked Pepper Dinner Rolls

November 10, 2015 Colleen Stem

This weekend was pretty fantastic. I got a lot of little things done around the house that needed to be done and spent half of that time hanging out in my pjs. (Pjs can be working loathes too) And all the while I was doing stuff, I was making these rolls. (I am nothing if not a great multi-tasker) That's my favorite kind of weekend.. Baking, while doing house chores. and maybe watching tv or listening to music. (or NPR.. but saying that makes me sound so old). I am like a little old house wife (I am close) and it makes me feel like I have achieved greatness!

And baking bread is the best. I love making bread. I  love the act of mixing and kneading the dough. The waiting and anticipation of the dough rising.The smells of good bread baking. It's a very cathartic experience, and it also results in some very tasty bread that, in my house, get's eaten at an alarming speed (fresh bread doesn't last long with the mr) But don't let all that time waiting around scare you away from making bread, cause when you take out the time spent letting dough rise, bread really takes about 8 minutes to make. And people who make fresh bread are always the coolest people. 

So these rolls. These rolls are soft and fluffy and tender,, slight sweet, slightly spicy, and all over freaking fantastic. I mean, it's parsnip and pepper so what can go wrong with that?. The mr ate a good few pretty much as soon as I pulled them out of the oven(again..fresh bread doesn't last long) and when I brought the rest over to my sisters house, those were devoured as well. Even the littles were super into them.  And I now that it's a few weeks away but…. Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away!!! It's creepy up oh so fast (as usual) and I am not going to let it get the best of me this year. And now that I got my roll game down for the big day (or 3.. there are 3 Thanksgivings that we are attending), I can move onto more pressing things.. like al the pies.(I'll be sharing some pies with you soon)

 

The stuff.  We gots some flour, salt, cracked pepper and a really big parsnip. Also have water, yeast, sugar and some melting earth balance . 

To start, chop up the parsnip into small chunks and stick them into a pot with enough water to fully semerge the chunks. Place on stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to medium high and let the parsnips cook.

Parsnips so pretty.

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Once the parsnip are fork tender, strain the water (reserving 3/4 cup of that water) and puree the parsnip until smooth.

Take  that parsnip water and (once cooled a bit) place in bowl with the sugar and the yeast and mix it all around. Let sit for a few minutes until the yeast is visibly active.

Now dump the parsnip puree and melted butter into with the yeast and mix it all up

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Salt, pepper, and flour mixed into a bowl

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The yeast and parsnip mixture goes into the flour. 

And mix until it looks kind like this. When it's no longer mixable with the spoon, dump dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead, adding a little bit of flout to the work surface when needed to prevent it from sticking..

And keep kneading unitl dough is all nice and smooth and pretty.

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Dough then goes into a lightly oiled bowl  and is covered with a towl and let to sit for about an hour until the dough doubles in size. 

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When the dough has doubled, dump onto the counter and cut into 12 equalish sized balls. (my balls were not equal)

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The balls then go into a  large, lightly oiled pan. Let those sit for some more time,covered with a towel, unit the dough  doubles again and the balls are all touching each other. They are ready to bake.. but right before you place them in the oven, brush the tops with a little melted earth balance.

And into the oven they go!!!

And when the rolls are all golden brown and smelling so nice, remove from oven. Brush tops with some more melted earth balance and sprinkle with salt and more pepper.

Serve up to people you like

Have a n awesome day!

-C


Parsnip Cracked Pepper Dinner Rolls

Makes 12-16 rolls (depending on the size you make them)

  • 3 3-1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 big parsnips (need 3/4 cups mashed parsnip)
  • 3/4 cups parsnip water (the water you boil the parsnips in)
  • 2 teaspoons yeast
  • 2 teaspoons cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cracked pepper (more if you like pepper)
  • 4 tablespoons melted earth balance or butter (2 for the dough- 2 to melt on top)

To start, chop parnsips into chunks and place into a pot full of water. Bring to boil and cook until the parsnips are fork tender. Remove parsnips from water and measure out 3/4 cups of the water and set aside Take cooked parnsips and stick in a blender and puree until smooth. Measure out 3/4 cups of the puree.(any left eat as a snack)

Let both the puree and water cool enough that  you can stick a finger in it and its not to hot (or a thermometer that says its below 110.. your call).

Once cooled, stick the water, sugar, and yeast into a bowl, mix around, and let yeast activate. When yeast is foamy and clearly noted that it is not dead, dump in the parsnip mash, 2 tablespoons melted earth balance,and mix together. And then for the flour. Mix in the salt and pepper to the flour mix in the parsnip yeast mixture until a dough forms. The dough should be a little sticky, but still workable. If the dough seems to wet, add in another 1/4 cup flour at a time, just till it is bot overly sticky. 

Dump dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, or until the dough starts to look glossy and ihas an elastic quality to it. 

Stick dough into a greased bowl, over with a towel, and place in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Once doubles, dump dough out onto counter and using a dough cutter or serrated knife, cut the dough into 12 -16 equal pieces Take each piece and roll into a ball and place into a greased 9x12 baking pan. Once all balls are in, cover with towel and let the dough rise  until the balls are doubled in size and are toughing each other,for another 30 minutes or so. Preheat the oven to 350. Once the rolls are double again, right before you stick them into the oven, brush tops with melted earth balance

Place rolls into preheated oven and baked for about 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. 

Remove and right away, brush on any remaining earth balance to the tops and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Serve right away! 

Best eaten the day the are made.. but will last a few days in an air tight container. 

In holiday, recipes, Savory, Vegan, Vegetables Tags parsnip cracked pepper dinner rolls, dinner rolls, parsnips, vegan, thanksgiving, bread, rolls, yeasted rolls, king arthur flour
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