Media Monday: Valerie June

This rad lady came through Wichita a few weeks ago. I really wish I had checked out her music before hand, because it was off my radar and I missed her show. A friend of mine played her music for me just days later and I loved it instantly. I'm still kicking myself for missing the show, but totally diggin' the new tunes.




Bring It On Home To Me

Rollin' and Tumblin'

My Daddy Was A Gamblin' Man
It Takes A Worried Man
You Are My Sunshine

If You Love And Let Go

The Drifter

This World Is Not My Home

Hey



Love that twang. And doesn't she have the most awesome curly dreads?!

the Sunday Special: Veggie Loaf

I created this meatless "meat loaf" from eggplant and other veggies. (As always, the measurements are estimates.) I was really pleased with the flavor and meat-like texture. It even sort of looks like meatloaf.



Veggie Loaf

Saute:
1 Tbsp (4-5 cloves)Garlic chopped
1 handful baby Mushrooms sliced
1 large leaf Red Cabbage shopped
1/2 Bok-choy
1/2 Eggplant



Sprinkle with:
Cinnamon
Chili Powder
Cumin
Fresh Dill
Sea Salt

Blend with:
1/4 cup water

Stir in:
4oz Oatmeal
2 Tbsp BBQ Sauce
3 Tbsp Squash Soup
+ 2-3 Tbsp Garbanzo Bean Flour





Coat the dish with olive oil. (I actually coated mine with coconut oil and it was fine.) Press down and smooth out the mixture into the pan, forming a loaf. (I was experimenting so I left a dividing line between the two different halves.)



Spread a thin layer of bbq sauce on the top.





Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.







Serve with garlic sweet potato mash and steamed veggies.

Hoes and Logos

I decided to enter a logo contest at the last minute. I wasn't going to tell anyone unless I won, but I don't care if they pick mine, I love it.

I ended up staying up late Thursday night creating it, getting only 2 broken hours of sleep before heading off to the office....ya know, paid work. I worked at my computer for most of the morning until I finished my project and went looking for more active things to do (to help stay awake and pass the time faster). After helping in the warehouse, I got assigned garden duty. Yes please and thank you. I made 4 mound rows and planted onions in the first. The only tool I used was a hoe...(and a 4x4 to hammer in steaks, but that doesn't count, right?).

My office for the afternoon.

Well, I found it quite funny and ironic that my logo design, created and finished just hours before, also included a hoe. I should mention... I hadn't seen nor used a hoe in at least year, maybe a few years. Then 2 in 12 hours.

My design

the Sunday Special: Purple Patties

Here are a couple of my latest experiments. I used purple sweet potatoes to make veggie patties and pancakes.


Purple Patties

2-3 Purple Sweet Potatoes (about 2 cups mashed)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup Organic Rolled Oats
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Hemp Milk
4-5 Tbsp Red Onion chopped
4-5 Tbsp Red Bell Pepper
4-5 cloves Garlic

Olive oil, spinach, sprouts, pickled okra, hemp seed, homemade bbq sauce...

Boil the potatoes until they were soft and mashable. Cook the oatmeal according to the package's instructions. Mix the dry ingredients. Add that to the mashed potato and oatmeal. Then stir in the milk. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Form the first patty (btw, they are sticky...wax paper would be handy) and press garlic, onions, and red peppers into one side.



When the oil is good and hot, place the first patty in the oil then press more goodies into the other side of the patty. Continue with the rest of the batter.





Serve warm over a bed of spinach or spring mix. Top with homemade bbq sauce, sprouts, hemp seed, maybe a little greek yogurt...and a homemade pickled okra.



The bbq sauce was actually suppose to be catchup but tastes more like bbq sauce. Which is good because I don't care too much for catchup. Kan-Grow Hydro Farm made the sauce and the amazing pickled okra.



If you'd rather have something a little sweeter, the same base recipe can be used to make pancakes. Just add a little extra liquid and sweetness.


Purple Pancakes

2-3 Purple Sweet Potatoes (about 2 cups mashed)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup Organic Rolled Oats
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2-3 tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2-2 cups Hemp Milk
2 Tbsp Honey
Coconut Oil

Boil the potatoes until they were soft and mashable. Cook the oatmeal according to the package's instructions. Mix the dry ingredients. Add that to the mashed potato, oatmeal, and honey. Then stir in the milk. Heat the coconut oil in a pan. the oil is good and hot, pore a thin layer in. You can make traditional rounded pancake shapes or drizzle it like a funnel cake. It seems to take quite awhile to set up to be flipped. Keep yourself busy with other tasks while it's cooking. Continue with the rest of the batter.


(Pretty yummy just like this, or...)

Serve hot topped with fresh Raspberries (or compote), toasted almonds, maybe a little greek yogurt and mint.

Ginger

Look at the size of this ginger! I just couldn't help myself. I use it everyday so it's already being whittled away inch by inch.



10 Terrific Benefits of Ginger
(taken from foodmatters.com)

1. Haven’t been feeling hungry? Eat fresh ginger just before lunch to stoke a dull appetite and fire up the digestive juices.

2. Ginger improves the absorption and assimilation of essential nutrients in the body.

3. Ginger clears the ‘microcirculatory channels’ of the body, including the pesky sinuses that tend to flare up from time to time.

4. Feeling airsick or nauseous? Chew on ginger, preferably tossed in a little honey.

5. Can’t stop the toot-a-thon? Gas—oops—guess what?! Ginger helps reduce flatulence!

6. Tummy moaning and groaning under cramps? Munch on ginger.

7. Reeling under joint pain? Ginger, with its anti-inflammatory properties—can bring relief. Float some ginger essential oil into your bath to help aching muscles and joints.

8. Just had surgery? Chewing ginger post-operation can help overcome nausea.

9. Stir up some ginger tea to get rid of throat and nose congestion. And when there’s a nip in the air, the warming benefits of this tasty tea are even greater!

10. Bedroom blues? Try adding a gingery punch to a bowl of soup. (Pss...the Ayurvedic texts credit ginger with aphrodisiac properties)


mmmm... Good to know!

the Sunday Special: Oatmeal Bars

Oatmeal. I have quite a bit of it. My fave grocery store was giving out 2 lb bags with purchases over $30 and well, I rarely get out of there without spending 3 or 4 times that.

Since I don't normally eat oatmeal for breakfast, I've been experimenting with different recipes that can incorporate oatmeal. So far I have made pancakes.



A spiced pear cake.


Yeah, I know. No one saw this fun pattern I made with the pears, but it made me happy. And now you've seen it too!

(They were just covered up by this last layer of chocolaty spiced goodness before being baked to gooey perfection.)

I'm playing around with purple....pancakes? Veggie patties? We'll see.

And these guys.



Vegan Oatmeal Bars
2 cups Organic Rolled Oats
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnomon
2 pinches of Sea Salt
1 tsp Cacoa Nibs
1 row of 72% Cocoa Dark Chocolate broken in pieces
1 heaping tsp or so Gogi Berries
1 ½ cups juice/pureed overly rip Organic Pears
Coconut Oil to grease pan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.. If the coconut oil is solid, put a tsp or so in a dish and stick it in the oven to melt. (I melted it in a different dish and then poured it into the pan I wanted to use for baking. That way I was able to just use my finger to coat the pan and didn't have to worry about the pan being to hot to touch.)

Combine all ingredients except pears. Once that is thouroughly mixed, add the pear puree.


Pour into greased pan and bake for about 20-30 mins.

They can be cut into squares and be ready to grab on the go for breakfast or a quick snack. They have no added sugar so the sweetness is very light. (If you need extra sweetness, you could add a like brown sugar or honey.) For extra indulgence, they are amazing with vanilla ice cream and toasted almonds. But what isn't, right!

the Sunday Special - Oatmeal Pancakes

plus homemade Cranberry Compote and Candied Pecans



I made 2 different batches of oatmeal pancakes. The first came out pretty dense where the second was lighter/creamier. All measurements are rough estimates, as I don't actually measure the ingredients.


Candied Pecans
Toast pecans in a dry skillet on med/high. Once they are done toasting, add coconut oil and stir. Sprinkle/dust with brown sugar and stir. Spread out on wax paper to cool.

Cranberry Compote
Heat cranberries in a pan with a small amount of water to keep them from sticking. Heat until they burst or just pop them when they are soft. Stir. Add sugar or other sweet alternative if you like. I added a little agave and honey.

Batch #1: White Chocolate Cider Pancakes
1/2 cup Oatmeal
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour (substitute almond meal or coconut flour for gluten free)
2 tsp Cocoa
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Apple Cider
1/4 cup chunky Peanut Butter
2 over ripe Bananas
1/2 cup Milk (use almond or coconut milk as an alternative)
1 Egg (this can be omitted since the bananas and pb bind the ingredients well)
handful of White Chocolate Chips
Coconut oil

Pulse the oatmeal in the blender 5 times if they are not quick oats. Combine oats, flour, cocoa, and baking powder in a bowl and mix well. Mix all other ingredients (except chips) in a separate bowl. Combine dry and wet ingredients then stir in chips.

Heat coconut oil in a skillet or griddle. Drop a bit of the batter in the oil. It is hot enough when it sizzles. When I flip them, I lay them done on an oiled spot, adding more oil if dry.


Batch#2: Cacao Nib Oatmeal Pancakes
2 cups Water
1 cup Oatmeal
2 very ripe Bananas
3 Tbsp whole Greek Yogurt (use coconut milk as an alternative)
1/2 tsp Almond extract
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cacao nibs
1/3 of a Plum or 1/4 cup of other fruit
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour (substitute almond meal or coconut flour for gluten free)
1-2 tsp baking powder

I decided to cook the oatmeal this time. Follow the instructions that come with your oatmeal. My instructions were to heat 2 cups of water to boil. Add 1 cup oatmeal, lower heat, cover and simmer til water is absorbed.

In a blender, I added all the other ingredients except the flour and backing powder. In a bowl, I combined the cooked oatmeal and blended mixture. (This was sooo yummy. I could have just eaten this for breakfast, though it needed more oatmeal to less "sauce".) In a separate bowl, I mixed the remaining dry ingredients and then stirred it in with the rest.

Cooked them in coconut oil like the first batch.

Top with cranberry compote, candied pecans, a little light agave syrup.



The thick consistency (of the first batch especially) lends to making fun shapes. Just in time to let your sweetheart know how much you care (breakfast in bed...hello!!).