Sunday Happy

Hello there friends! How is everyone holding up? Are we good? We are good. Good good good. Good. Haha!

The mr are back at it for the rest of the summer and into the fall. We will be camping and kayaking just about every weekend from here on out. Back to Belvedere because it is just the best. The weather was great, world was quiet, and we were just happy as clams. And then we came home. Which is nice yes, but really, I should just live in a tent, or like a cabin in the woods. I think it makes me a better, happier person. It’s gonna happen, one way or another. Life goals we are working on.

So home and the rest of the week went as usual. Busy. The mr and I seemed to be running around doing all the stuff and working all the workings. Nothing big happened, it just seemed like there was always something going on that needed immediate attention. Oh, we did have a freak storm that knocked out the power for hours and knocked over a bunch of big ass trees so that happened. And we did have the littles and Barb over for dinner, ice cream,and camping trip planning. Miley brought her new cell phone over with her and preceded to show everyone she could the text I sent her when she got it. I might have said something on the lines of “I am so excited that you got a cell phone!”. She screened shotted and is now using it against me. What can you do?

I also fired and unload a bisque kiln of mostly all my pieces this week and that was a treat for sure. I have never had a kiln (mostly) all to myself and I got to tell, it was pretty freaking fantastic. I can’t wait to have my own kiln.

Toward the end of the week Judah come over for a sleep over where we tried to tear a stump (unsuccessfully) out of the yard, ate so many cucumbers, and watched Ace Venture. I made the normal pancakes for breakfast followed up by bean and flower picking at the farm and then whatever else he and the mr were up to when they go out and do stuff. I came home to clean up their mess and place pretty flower arrangements all over the house. And eat beans of course.

So it’s Sunday which means we will be tossing the tent and kayaks into the truck and heading out into the woods for another camping adventure. It’s crazy how much camping we do and how I still get so very excited about it. Again, I should be living in the woods. 🏕

Stuff the internet had on it this week

-What the heck is happening with the Postal Service? Not good stuff.

-The mr was on the news! Little Free Pantries pop up around Burlington

-2020 Is the Year of the Freezer. The mr has been bitching at me for years about my freezer game. He can’t ever again.

-Underground gyms. I had a feeling this was going to be a thing. Secret Gyms And The Economics Of Prohibition

-Have We Been Thinking About Pain All Wrong? We should be grateful for pain? Kinda yeah.

-I completely agree.Don’t Be Shy—Paint Your Ceilings. We have painted out bedroom ceiling gold. It was 100% best choice ever.

-This L.A. Ceramicist Embraces the Strange. She has a treehouse for all of her ceramics. I should do that too.

-Say no to the undies!. This Gynecologist Wants You to Go Commando During Workouts — Here's Why

-The Escapist Land Of 'Cottagecore,' From Marie Antoinette To Taylor Swift. I guess when you don’t live in Vermont, well then you need the pictures. Ha

-I have a pie dough waiting to be filled. Everything You Need to Know About Par-Baking.

Pictures from the week

Sunday Happy

My counter is covered with tomatoes, melons, pears, and zucchini. I have a long sleeve shirt draped over the chair by the front door to throw on when I leave the house in the morning, the camping stuff is now in our weekly rotation, and all the sunflowers have bloomed and are big and mighty… This is the best part of summer, wouldn’t you agree?

What a good week. The mr and I started off with a camping adventure up in Belvidere. A great day. We went for a hike, made a nice soup dinner, relaxed and enjoyed the solitude before crawling into the tent to ass out. But I think I only just fell asleep when the lightning started. Then the thunder, and then the torrential downpours. It was crazy. I have never seen so much lightning or heard thunder as loud and as long as I did that night. I was laying awake for what felt like hours just watching the tent light up and thinking that the thunder was actually the world falling in on itself. But then it stopped, I fell asleep for a little while, and then we woke up before the dawn, picked up our sopping wet tent, and came on home. So sure, we were a wee bit wet and exhausted but I was also feeling more normal and happy then I have in a while. I guess all I need is to pitch a tent in the woods and I am good. So good in fact. Even if it we are camping during a tornado warning. (I guess we missed that one.😳)

The rest of the week consisted of a few more hikes, a kayak adventure where we both ended up getting sunburnt, lots of tomatoes from the farm, and a neighbor basically throwing all the pears at me that I could possible take from him pear tree. We did dinner with Mom, had lunch Barb, and played with Gigi. And all the usual this and that. The mr finished anther free pantry (this one is gonna have a fridge too), I made all the phone calls and would be happy if I never talk on the phone again. I weeded the garden (probably for the last time), and we both voted by mail. Productive as alway.

Today the mr and I are heading out early early. Gonna toss the tent and kayaks into the truck and head on out into the mountains once again for a night away. Just let the day be however its gonna be out in the woods. Very much looking forward to it. VERY MUCH!

Stuff I read on the internet.

-Jumping for Justice Chris Facey’s photographs recall summer in the ’90s.. I am obsessed with this photos.

-Love my local flour company! The Riotous Success of King Arthur Baking Company

-Golden Girls’ Wallpaper Exists—And It’s Not Hard to Picture It in Your Place. Not sure if I think its creepy or I love it….. Think I love it.

-You can really see when people really care about quality of their products.How One Company Has Been Making Tofu by Hand Since 1911

-'Columbusing': The Art Of Discovering Something That Is Not New.

-It’s watermelon season! Why You Should Be Eating Watermelon Seeds, Instead Of Spitting Them Out

-It is also eggplant season! What Is an Eggplant, I Beg of You?

-DIY Drying Rack. On my list of things to do!

-Not to sound like a downer or anything but if you think socializing now is hard, The Winter Will Be Worse. It is sick that I am actually really excited for winter and not having to see ANYONE?

-Not Flying This Summer? Many Americans Are Hitting The Road — In RVs. I have talked to a lot of people RVng this year. Just wait until next summer. I bet there are going to be a shit load of people trying to get rid of those RVs they just bought.

Pictures from the week

-C

Lentil Flour Zucchini Pancakes

To know me is to know that I eat a shit load of lentils. And not just one kind, I eat them all, in all the ways, all day, everyday. Vegetables and lentils. That is my truth.

Lentil flour. One more way to consume the mighty legume. Blended while dry into a fine powder, it takes the lentil to a whole other level. You can use the flour in all sorts of things like bread, soup, even in baked goods. it really is a great flour to have on hand, especially if you are hungry and want to toss something quick and easy, heathy, and delicious together like these here pancakes.

These pancakes. All they are made of is lentil flour and pureed up zucchini and onion. Now that might sound a little on the dull side, but trust me here, they are far from dull. They are freaking delicious. And better for it that they take like 10 minutes from start to finish to make. And no oven which is necessary these days with all the stupid hot weather.

Anyway. lentil zucchini pancakes. Give them a try. They will probably become your favorite.

To the lentil flour and zucchini pancakes!

The stuff. Dry green lentils, a zucchini, and onion, salt and pepper, and a splash of oil.

Te make lentil flour. Place dried lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it turns into a fine flour.

Once you have the flour made, cut up the zucchini and onion into chunks.

Drop into the blender and blend until pretty smooth.

Dump puree into bowl and top with some lentil flour.

Mix until completely combined. The batter should be kind of thic but still spoonable. Also, season with salt was pepper here.

Heat up a skillet with a splash of oil. Once hot, scoop spoonfuls of batter into pan and spread it evenly about 1/4 inch thick. Cook first side fr 4-6 minutes or until nice and brown then flip and cook the other side until done. Repeat until batter is gone.

Now eat your amazing delicious lentil zucchini pancakes. I served with fresh salsa, and I have also made tahini dip and used hummus to smear on them which was also freaking amazing, but you can serve with whatever floats your boat.

-C

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Lentil Flour Zucchini Pancakes

• 1 pound dry green lentils

• 1 large zucchini

• 1 onion

• salt and pepper

• splash of oil

Start with the by making the lentil flour. Place lentils into a high speed blender and blend until it has turned into a fine flour. You might need to stop the blender ever once in a while to move things around with a spoon (when it is turned off!). It should only take about a minute or so in a Vitamix, but maybe a few extra minutes if using a less powerful blender.

Once flour is achieved, dump into a jar with a lid. You probably won’t be using it all right now.

Now grab the zucchini and onion and cut into chunks. Place the chunks into the blender and blend until smooth.

Dump puree into a bowl. Add about 1 cup of lentil flour and stir. IF the batter is really loss, add in another 1/4 cup or more to get the batter to a thick but spreadable consistency (kind of like hummus). Season with salt and pepper.

Grab a skillet and place on medium heat with a splash of oil. Once skillet is heated place spoonfuls of the batter in and spread around until between 1/2-1/4 inch thick. Cook fist side for 4-6 minutes or until a nice golden brown then flip and cook the other for a few minutes until browed. Repeat until batter is gone.

Place cooked pancakes on a plate, grab a fork and some savory type condiment (hummus, salsa, tahini, cashew cream) and eat.

Eggplant Rolls

Eggplant and I are having real moment right now. I honestly think I have been eating one, in some way or another, just about every day for the last week or so. And no, I am not sick of them at all. But yes, I have been lazy about doing much other roasting or braising the old plant and just eating it straight into my mouth hole. But I guess sometimes my lazy ass wants more substance and also, it is nice to feed the mr something good too. I figured I should maybe do something a little more classy, more meal like, and might actually require a fork to eat it with. (I have a real tendency to eat with my hands, even the things that most people would probably say could not be eaten with hands. You should see me eat soup! Ha!) And so I prepared for us a feat of greatness (not really a feat, but great for sure). Eggplant roll ups.

These rolls are way more tasty and delicious then the effort it takes to make them. Really, they are super simple to make. Just a thick herby bean filling rolled up in eggplant and roasted in tomatoes. Sounds so good right? Well then taste even better. And then you can top that whole shebang with some fresh basil and everyone is all good to go.

So ok, I feed some to the mr for dinner because the goal was to fee us both with one dish, but I sure did eat more then half (like 3/4 of it) to myself. Without a fork.

There is no shame in my game.

Now to the eggplant rolls!

The stuff. An eggplant, an onion, some white beans, crushed tomatoes, a lemon, some thyme, oregano,and garlic powder, salt and pepper, oil, and basil. (I just pureed all my fresh basil into a paste so yeah).

First up, slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick pieces.

Place the pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. It is ok if they overlap a little, we are just trying to soften them a bit. Stick into a hot oven.

Now chop up the onion.

Into a skillet it goes to cook up until soft and fragrant.

Eggplant, comes out of the oven all nice a pliable.

Now make the bean filling. Beans, onions, spices, juice of lemon, and a good crank of pepper and a pinch of salt go into food processor. Blend until smooth.

Gently grab an eggplant cut and cover one side with the bean mixture. Don’t skimp our but don’t add ore then you can roll up. And then roll it up.

Add a cup or so of sauce to a skillet or casserole dish, then place the rolls on in. Once all the rolls are in, cover with the remaining crushed tomato or marinara sauce.

Pop into hot oven to bake.

And then when the eggplant is tender and the sauce is all bubbly, pop it out.

Add some fresh basil (or basil puree) and grab that fork.

Nothing left for you to do beside eat it.

-C

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Eggplant Rolls

serves 3-5

• a medium to large eggplant

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 1/2 cups white beans (or one can)

• a lemon

• teaspoon each of thyme, garlic powder and oregano

• 3 cups crushed tomato or a simple marinara sauce

• salt and pepper

• splash of oil

• fresh basil (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grab the eggplant and cut the very top off then cut slices lengthwise about 1/2 inch thick. You should get about 10-12 slices. Place the slices onto a baking sheet, overlapping a little if necessary, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and place into oven. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is just barely starting to soften and becomes pliable. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.

Meanwhile chop up the onion and place into a lightly oiled skillet. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent and fragrant. Once cooked, place into a food processor along with the beans (drained but keep the liquid),the spices, and the juice of the lemon. Pulse until smooth and if needed, add a few tablespoons of the bean liquid to loosen it up enough to blend. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Now to make the rolls. Grab cooled off piece of eggplant, lay it flat, and cover with the bean mixture. Not too much or too little, probably a bit less then 1/4 cup. Then roll the eggplant up. Either grab a skillet or baking dish and add about 1 cup of the crushed tomato or marinara sauce to the bottom. Place rolls as they are being made into the dish. Once you have filled the dish with the rolls, cover with the remaining sauce.

Place the rolls into the oven and bake for 30ish minutes or until eggplant is nice and fork tender.

Once baked, remove from oven, left cool for a few minute and then serve. Top with fresh basil (or basil puree) if you want.

Eat with a fork.

Sunday Happy

Last week the mr and Barb approached me about getting a cat. A mutual cat because they both wanted one and I am still not ready for new animal in my life. I was open to the idea, maybe in a month or two or at some point but that was not exactly what they were thinking… Yup. they adopted a kitten this week. Her name is Gigi and she is 9 or 10 weeks old and is so freaking cute. She lives with Barb full time at the loft but the mr is there everyday too (he basically lives at the shop which is attached to the loft). Yup, a new kitten. So that happened.

As for the rest of the week, the mr has been really busy with so many projects, bigger ones too, on top of spending a lot of time with Gi, so he has barely been home. Me, I have been trying to get as much clay work done as I can, tending to the garden, doing random acts of cleaning, and trying not to feel all the feelings at once and not rip my hair out. I don’t know what is is about the past week or so but I am feeling more crazy then ever. Probably heat related and world related.🤦‍♀️ I also took Barb bean and flower picking then defrosted her fridge, had a picnic dinner with the mr, and went to the doctors for my yearly blood work. That was just the most fun! Haha, no.

And a week has gone by and we haven’t seen any littles and I miss them all! We have been staying away and canceled plans due to us (more the mr) being busy plus we were being cautious because a couple people we have been around have been sick and were being tested. (Everyone is good, no COVID). Hopefully the week coming up will bring a back yard camp with the little monsters. The mr needs his ass kicked!.

Today the mr and I are going for a picnic and then to take the kayaks out into the waters. Which waters, we are not sure yet, but I need some quiet so defiantly not the lake or anywhere where there are people. Calm and secluded and hopefully a bit cooler then here in town. It should be a good day.

Internet from the week.

-Everyone should know this. How to Outrun a Dinosaur

-There are some fantastic photos. Prize-Winning Phone Pix Dial Up Moments Of Freedom And Serenity

-The grocery store is full of Halloween candy and it made me wonder, will Halloween even happen this year?COVID-19 claims another victim: Halloween

-Protecting nature could prevent the next pandemic. Yeah, no shit.

-The chicken cutlets made me gag, but hahaha. How Cakes in Disguise Got Out of Hand

-Americans Are Spending Billions on Unnecessary Dental Treatments. Sounds about right on par with our culture these days. So ask yourself, do you REALLY need to spend that 20k on those pearly whites?

-I’ll take this house, this house, and this house.

-And I’l take this cabin as well. This ‘Bookworm’ Tiny Cabin’s Purpose Is To Give You a Peaceful Place to Read

-Playful Ocean Life Sprawls Throughout Mulyana’s Immersive, Knit Installations

-A long read about Brittney and some crazy ass shit. Why Britney Spears’s fans are convinced she’s being held captive

Pictures from the week

-C