Asparagus and the Herb Garden

I finally cooked up the last of the asparagus.  Last year I kept processing and freezing asparagus until I could not find another morsel but I found that the asparagus was generally mushy or watery no matter how processed it.  So this year, our method of madness is to cook it and eat it until we can no longer consume another bite.  And yes, we're there.

First I made a delicious cream of asparagus soup.  There's no flour or cream in this recipe, so it's relatively healthy and really, really good.  Here's the recipe:  Cream of Asparagus Soup

Cream of Asparagus Soup

The best way to eat asparagus is drizzled with olive oil, a squeeze of lemon (if you have it) and sea salt cooked for approximately 10 minutes on the grill.    I had this for breakfast today - delish!!

Grilled Asparagus

The second most exciting news of the day though is my herb garden.  My friend running friend Patrice (you know, the one with the goat) gave me a bunch of herbs from her garden.  Normally, I would get an herb and I would plant it in a random spot in our yard and either it would not grow, I would not recognize it the next year, or it would get crowded out by weeds.  This year I planted my own herb garden on the deck and I've been using the herbs daily.  The cool thing about my herb garden is that I can move this inside and use it all year round.  Sounds good, so I hope it works!!

Here's my son Graham giving the tour of the mini herb garden which contains oregano, mint, cilantro, spearmint, stevia, onion chives, and garlic chives.

The most exciting news of the day is that fresh strawberries are now in season in Shell Lake and I have the last of my rhubarb to use up - so expect a strawberry rhubarb blog soon.

Anyone have a good strawberry rhubarb recipe?

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Memorial Day Part Deux

Here's our Memorial Day in 5 pictures.  Despite the somewhat rainy weather, we had a great time!

Friday night:

Gus' baseball game - he is getting really good

Saturday night:

We waited in line for 30 minutes to see the Avengers - we missed the first 15 minutes!

Sunday a.m.:  Mini-Golf

Mini-Golf with Gus and Greta

Sunday p.m.:  Scheer's Lumberjack Show - if you ever get to Hayward, WI you must check out their show!

Gus is a future Lumberjack!  Here he is on stage cutting a log

These lumberjacks climbed 70 feet up these logs in 15 seconds

 

Monday:  we remember those who have served.

Memorial Day Service in Seeley - honoring Chad who is an Iraq Veteran of War

Finally, I leave you with an awesome and easy cheese recipe.  My friend Patrice gave me some of her goat milk, some garlic chives, and a recipe for goat cheese.  This is so awesome and so simple!!


EASY 10 MINUTE GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 quart goat's milk
2 Tablespoons vinegar
Flavor with what you have on hand:  garlic chives, dill, etc.

Bring goat's milk to a full boil.  Immediately take off heat.  Add vinegar.  Stir until the milk starts to clump.  Drain the milk / cheese mixture through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.  There's nothing better than fresh cheese and can you believe how simple it is?

Goat Cheese

Check out my previous Memorial Day blog at cookinginthemoment.blogspot.com  and while you are there think of following me via e-mail - I'm always looking for followers.   And, if you sign up today I'll send you my favorite fabric shopping bag or if you share my blog on facebook or twitter I'll send you my favorite all natural soap.   

 Happy Memorial Day, and thanks for reading.  What did you cook for Memorial Day?

Kristin

Memorial Day One

Happy Memorial Day!  Below you will find some of our favorite recipes using seasonably available ingredients.  Oh, I've waited so long to say that - I love this time of year!

First up, I made rhubarb cake - everyone LOVED it...especially our dog who ate the majority of them when we weren't looking.

I used this rhubarb cake recipe:  Rhubarb Cake in Ice Cream Cups
BTW, this cake recipe is super good and would be fabulous not in the cups. 
After I mixed the cake, I filled each ice cream cup 3/4 full and baked at 350 for 30 minutes.  I let the kids decorate them with frosting and sprinkles.  Aren't they cute?

Rhubarb Cake in Cups - on my Grandma's Platter

Next up, I made Leek Soup.  Friday, I became quite intrigued when I found some leeks growing....they are so pretty and all along I thought they were chives.  Anyway, here's a great leek soup recipe:  Potato Leek Soup  I loved it, the kids did not (surprise), but I'll be able to eat it for lunch all week.

Potato and Leek Soup

Up next:   COLD PRESSED ICED COFFEE.  I have a slight obsession with good coffee.  Friday I had the best iced coffee at Backroads in Hayward, so I decided to make it myself.  I believe in buying good coffee from a local roaster - in my case that's Backroads Coffee and Tea which I have visited almost daily for the last 15 years.  Yup, not exaggerating here either.   

Cold Pressed Iced Coffee

DIRECTIONS

Add grounds to a glass pitcher or a large french press.  Boil water and add to the grounds.  If using a french press, do not plunge the grounds to the bottom.  Let sit in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.   After a few days, either strain out the coffee grounds with a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth, or press down the plunger on the press.  Store in the fridge and serve with ice.  I like to freeze coffee in an ice cube tray so the coffee does not become diluted.  Add milk, cream or 1 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk for a true treat.  I like to add stevia to my iced coffee. 

BTW, I planted a stevia plant this year and I'm VERY excited to see if I can dry it and make my own sweetener.  Today I ate a leaf and it tasted very sweet and good - just like the stevia I buy at the store. 

Stevia Plant

Last but not least, we fired up the grill and made some delicious kabobs.  I cut up veggies and steak and marinated overnight in worchestire sauce.  Everyone LOVED them.

Greta Assembles Shish Kabobs

What did you do cook over Memorial Day?

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Money Saving, Earth Saving, Summer Loving Tips

I'm so excited because with very little effort, I saved $20 on my last Xcel energy bill.  You may think, what's $20 bucks?  But, in my world $20 will buy me a manicure, a round of mini-golf with the kids, or a pile of local organic asparagus.    How did I do it?  I started unplugging my electronics and started hanging clothes on the line.  SIMPLE

UNPLUG APPLIANCES:

I've started unplugging as many electronic items as possible.  I used to leave our computers on 24/7, but a plugged in computer draws a ton of electricity so now they are all unplugged not to mention our microwaves, toaster, coffee pot, etc.  If you visit and need to use an electronic device, expect to have to plug it in.

HANG CLOTHES ON THE LINE:


Weather permitting, every time I do laundry I hang out about a 1/2 a load of clothes.  Since I wash about 15 loads of laundry a week, it's not possible to hang it all up, but a little bit helps.  Not to mention the fact that our clothes smell so fresh!    Since I'm pretty lazy, I will admit this took some discipline but I finally have it down.

Two years ago on Mother's Day, Chad and the kids hung up my Grandma Evelyn's old clothesline (my favorite mother's day present ever).  I have her old clothespins and clothespin bag too, so of course I feel a bit closer to her when I hang out the clothes.

Gus hanging up clothes on the line - he's in a SUPER mood today

Gus hanging his baseball uniform on the line - some day I will share the story of Gus. 

 

VISIT YOUR LOCAL THRIFT STORES

My number one reason for shopping at thrift stores is because I love the idea of recycling.  If a household item breaks in our house or we need something, I always check the thrift stores first.  This month alone my coffee press broke, my coffee grinder broke, and Chad needed a thermometer for his deep fat fryer (for fish) and I lucked out every time.   Sometimes I strike out, but usually I'll find something unique and the stop was worth my time.

Here Gus poses with my recycled coffee grinder and press

I'm still obsessive about my cloth bags because as Gandhi said, "be the change you want to see in the world".

What is your money-saving, earth-loving summer tip?  You must have one?

It's starting to rain so I'm need to run and get the clothes off the line (lol).  Thanks for reading,

Kristin

The 2012 Garden

We had fun planting our garden this week.   We planted 34 tomato plants, jalapenos, snap peas, cucumbers, green beans, carrots, beets, zucchini, broccoli and purple and cheddar cauliflower.   

Thanks to Susan Buchman who gave me over 1/2 my tomato plants that she started from seed.  Thanks to Kerry for the cheddar and purple cauliflower, Debi for the cages, and the Byrd's for the use of the terrific space.  I'm a lucky to have such great friends! 

Here's a picture of 1/2 of the garden - the other side is mostly seed so it doesn't look like much yet.

Half the garden!

Last year I canned tomatoes with my friend Kristy and Sooz, and those tomatoes lasted until the end of February but this year I hope to can enough so I can make it all the way through the year. 

Here's a scrumptious healthy rhubarb muffin recipe:

Healthy Rhubarb Muffins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup light maple syrup

1/8 cup butter

1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup low fat sour cream

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups rhubarb

1 tablespoon sugar substitute (I used Xyloitol which is from tree bark)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Dice rhubarb into 1/4 inch chunks.

Heat oven to 375°F Combine syrup and butter/applesauce in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add sour cream and eggs and continue beating till well mixed.

Stir in flour, cinnamon, and baking soda, just until moist. Fold in rhubarb. Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin pan.

Stir together 1 T sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon in small bowl. Sprinkle on top of each muffin.   Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Healthy Rhubarb Muffins

For some reason, these muffins tasted better the second day.

Does anyone have a healthy way to cook up rhubarb?  Most recipes are full of sugar.

Thanks for reading!

Kristin

Asparagus and Rhubarb...and the skeets

We're into the second full week of asparagus and rhubarb and we're not getting sick of either one - yet!  First I made a PHENOMONAL healthy asparagus salad.  Yum, yum.`

ASPARAGUS SALAD
INGREDIENTS
1 cup asparagus
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno finely minced
1/2 cup broccoli
1 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup celery
1/4 cup carrots
1/4 cup cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Cut asparagus and broccoli and blanch vegetables for 4 minutes.   Give vegetables an ice bath.  Mix with the remaining vegetables, lime juice, oil, and salt and pepper.  WOW! 

Asparagus Salad

My Grandma Evelyn made the BEST rhubarb desserts, but her rhubarb cake with the meringue top is my all time favorite.   There's nothing healthy about this dessert and but hey you gotta' live once in awhile.  Here's the website with the closest recipe I could find. 
Rhubarb Cake with Meringue Topping

Rhubarb Cake

I also used my asparagus to make Asparagus Fried Rice.  I like to make fried rice with quinoa because I'm getting 20 grams of protein per serving and it's super healthy!


ASPARAGUS FRIED RICE

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup asparagus
2 eggs
Garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt, pepper and rosemary

Stir fry asparagus and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes tender (about 5 minutes).  Add cooked quinoa to the pan and crack 2 eggs on top.  Mix and cook until eggs are done.   Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.  LOVE this recipe!

Asparagus Fried Rice

The mosquitos are in full bloom.  Normally I wear long sleeved shirts and long pants in the garden to keep away the skeets, but we've had some super hot days and that has not seemed practical so I've been using lemon euclyptis essential oil and it works great.

I'm looking for an all-natural sunscreen.  Has anyone had any luck?

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

Asparagus In Season

Asparagus

On Wednesday asparagus finally became available in our area, so I've been thinking of ways to serve in ways we'd all enjoy.  Bashaw Valley in Shell Lake has plenty of organic, sweet, delicious asparagus available.  Yum, yum.

Asparagus

My favorite way to eat asparagus is fresh off the grill. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of asparagus
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper

Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill on medium-low (about 350) for 11 minutes.  Perfect every time!

Grilled Asparagus - on my Grandma's platter with the last of the dahlias 

ASPARAGUS EGG BAKE - Delicious!
INGREDIENTS

10 eggs
2 T milk
2 cups of low-fat mozzarella cheese
8 spears of asparagus
onion
season with salt, pepper, parsley and thyme

First saute onion and asparagus in olive oil for about 5 minutes until asparagus is tender.

Meanwhile mix eggs, milk, cheese and seasonings.  Add onion and asparagus when done and pour into a greased cake pan.  Cook for 30 minutes at 350.   
This is super good and easy!

Asparagus Egg Bake

Asparagus Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of asparagus
1/2 onion
vegetable broth
1/2 cup milk

Cut asparagus into 1 inch strips and cook with olive oil until tender (about 5 minutes).  Add vegetable broth, salt, pepper and milk.  Add to food processor and puree.  Add back to pan and re-heat.

Asparagus Soup - Gus brought me dandelions and made me this sculpture for Mother's Day

Not only is this soup delicious, it's also super healthy and low calorie.  Yumm-o!

Last but not least - Asparagus Hummus.  Delish!!!

Here's the recipe:  Asparagus Hummus

Asparagus Hummus

Consuming asparagus in so many different ways means our pee is smelling funny, but who cares - we LOVE asparagus. 

What's your favorite asparagus recipes?

Happy Mother's Day!

Kristin

Rhubarb - In Season

Before my grandparents house sold, my Uncle Rick dug up a rhubarb plant from their property and I was able to replant it successfully in Seeley.    This rhubarb plant means so much to me and I was very excited to be able to harvest the vegetable and eat it this week!

Rhubarb Plant

My goal this week was to make some rhubarb recipes with limited sugar.  Most rhubarb recipes are fantastic because most are loaded with sugar and butter - how could they not be good?  So, I've done some experimenting this week.

First up, rhubarb salad dressing.  I found this recipe from Mother Earth News.  The dressing was fantastic!

Rhubarb Salad Dressing

Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water
2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat water and honey over medium heat. When the mixture begins to boil, add rhubarb and boil five minutes more, stirring often. Stir in vinegar and lemon zest, and cook five to 10 more minutes, until dressing is reduced by about half. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly. Whisk the olive oil into the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold over fresh salad greens. 

Rhubarb Salad Dressing

STRAWBERRY AND CREAM CHEESE RHUBARB-SALAD

3 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup white sugar (I used Xylitol - sweetener from tree bark)
1 large package strawberry jello
2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 small package cream cheese
Cool whip or Dream whip

Combine rhubarb and sugar and simmer on low heat until tender. Prepare gelatin as per instructions, and add in rhubarb mix and strawberries.

Spread in a shallow glass pan and chill until set.

Combine softened cream cheese and whipped topping and spread over rhubarb mixture. Refrigerate until served.   Yum, this is SUPER good!!

Rhubarb Strawberry Jello

Finally, here's a recipe for a delicious rhubarb salsa:

Rhubarb Salsa

Ingredients

• 2 cups rhubarb, diced small
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium heat, and stir in the rhubarb; simmer for 2 minutes to blanch. Drain in a colander set in the sink, and let cool.
2. Stir together the cooled rhubarb, apple, green onions, lime juice, honey, and jalapeno pepper until thoroughly combined.               

Rhubarb Salsa

There you go - my rhubarb recipes with limited sugar.  Next up:  asparagus (yum) and my Grandma Evelyn's sugary delicious rhubarb recipes.  A girls gotta' live.

What's your favorite rhubarb recipe?

Kristin

Cinco De Mayo

Who doesn't love Mexican food?  Here's a few of my favorites:

First up, fruit salsa! 

FRUIT SALSA
1 mango, peeled and diced
3 kiwi, peeled and diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/2 diced red onion
1/4 cup cilantro, packed, chopped
Juice of 1 large lime or one small lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and let sit for one hour.   This time around I forgot to peel the mango, but I would highly recommend peeling the skin.  This is super yummy though!!! 

Fruit Salsa

TORTILLA SOUP

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 cups canned vegetable broth
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 cup tortilla strip
• 12 ounes cups chopped tomatoes
• 2/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed, drained
• 2/3 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chili

Add garlic and onion to a hot oiled pan and saute for 5 minutes.  Add tomato paste, cumin, chili powder, broth and cilantro and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat for 15 minutes and then add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 5 minutes until warm.  This was a geat way for me to use up the rest of te zucchini in my freeer.  Of course you can also add shredded chicken to this recipe.

Tortilla Soup

This is an EASY family favorite that my cousin Erinn turned me onto a few years ago.

Huevos Rancheros

INGREDIENTS:

4 corn tortillas
1 can refried beans (nuke for 30 seconds to warm)
1 cup salsa
4 fried or poached eggs
1 cup of cheese

Cover each tortilla with beans, then salsa, egg and cheese.  Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted.   I used a whole wheat, high fiber low carb tortilla so I was able to make this delicious meal at 350 calories and with about 20 grams of protein!  Super delish!!!

Huevos Rancheros - check out my Grandma's vase with my Dahlia's!

And, I will end with a sinful NOT SO HEALTHY but oh so absolutely delicious Mexican dessert:  Chocoflan      The recipe is slightly complicated with a lot of ingredients, but I actually had everything on hand and I always love the idea of trying a new Mexican recipe.

Chocoflan - on my Grandma's platter

This tastes like a cross between custard pie and chocolate cake - I've never had anything quite like it.  It's very filling but very good - and even the pickiest eater in the house gave me a double thumbs up.

What's your favorite Mexican recipe?

Adios!