Solstice and New Beginnings

First, I'd like to wish everyone who bothers to read my random ramblings a very blessed and joyous Yule!

Overall 2015 was a difficult year for me. I feel hopeful, however, for the first time in a LONG time, that 2016 is going to be better. I'm usually pretty jaded when it comes to New Year's celebrations, I have never really seen the point in wishing for things to be better when I know that they probably won't be. This year I think it's finally time to let go of some of that cynicism and acknowledge the gifts that I have been given.

I was finally able to leave a job that was killing me (physically, mentally, and emotionally) and was able to gain an opportunity that will hopefully lead to much less stress, more happiness, and more opportunity to develop my skills and move forward in my career. It took a lot of work, time, and a LOT of patience and faith, oftentimes when I felt like I had none left, but things finally WORKED. THANK YOU to my husband, my family and friends, and my coven for being tremendously supportive, for working magic, praying, and sending good energies my way, for being understanding when I needed to retreat to my fortress of solitude, and for challenging me to never give up. I love all of you more than I can say. Also, THANK YOU to the folks who gave me this opportunity, whom I doubt will ever see this.

VICTORY IS MINE! :)

Adventures with CSA: Week 16 (Summer 2015)

This week's share included red lettuce, a bag of arugula, a bunch of curly kale, more beans (YAY!!), white potatoes, a couple onions, a head of garlic, bell peppers (red and yellow), 6 poblano peppers, a bunch of parsley, and a bunch of lemongrass.

I am a huge fan of poblano peppers. I have tried growing them to no avail several times, so I am pumped to have some. Chile Rellenos is one of my most favorite Mexican dishes. I am going to make this: Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Poblanos

For the bell peppers and onion, I think I may make pepper steak. I am going to omit the sugar, and serve it over brown rice.

The beans and garlic I am going to use to make my grandmere's recipe, which is pure comfort for my soul. The beans are par-cooked and then sauteed over low heat with a little EVOO and butter, and LOTS of sliced garlic. The garlic gets all caramelized and the beans brown on the outside...SO good!!!

I may end up steaming and freezing the kale for later, since I just cooked the bunch I got a few weeks ago. I'm thinking it will get used in a nice pot of beef and barley stew this fall. The lemongrass I also may freeze.

I am not a huge fan of arugula, but I may look on Pinterest and see if I can find any good salad recipes that use arugula. I feel guilty not making use of things from the CSA.

Adventures With CSA: Week 15 (Summer 2015)

This week's share was again abundant and included: tomatoes, a bag of arugula, bell peppers (yellow and purple), sweet carmen peppers, yellow and green beans, fresh ginger, an onion, bartlett pears, and a sweet dumpling squash.

The bell peppers were used in a big pot of chili, which my husband and I have been eating off of this week. The weather has been much cooler recently.

The beans got roasted in the oven with a little olive oil and Penzey's roasted garlic sprinkled on them, and that was my lunch yesterday before work. I'm hoping we get more this week. I LOVE green beans. LOVE them.

The ginger is going to get used in a pot of soup with chicken, carrots, celery, onion, lemongrass, and cous cous. I'll probably make that Friday evening.

The tomatoes will probably get used for salad, either caprese or tomato-cucumber.

Adventures with CSA: Week 14 (Summer 2015)

This week our share was very plentiful! It included: a sweet baby watermelon, a small spaghetti squash, a big bunch of curly kale, a bag of arugula, a bunch of various kinds of tomatoes (heirloom and hybrid--so many I had to grab a bowl to put them in because I ran out of space in my hanging basket), a yellow onion, several varieties of eggplant (oriental and fairy tale, which I am also growing in my garden), many colored sweet peppers, a bunch of lemongrass, a bunch of basil, and a bunch of parsley.

Not sure what color the watermelon is, but it will get cut up and eaten. Nothing is as good in the hot summer weather as cold watermelon!

I am going to roast some of the tomatoes, peppers, and the onion and then freeze them to use at a later time: A Peck of Peppers

The spaghetti squash I will roast and eat myself. My husband is not a squash fan. I'll probably have it for lunch on Saturday. I love squash!!

The eggplant dish I made with the baby eggplants was AMAZING and super easy, so I may make that again using the eggplant and some of the tomatoes from this week and freeze it for consumption at a later time when I don't feel like cooking. I need to get more freezer containers and a sharpie to label all the things.

I have not cooked with lemongrass before, but I know it is used in Thai cooking, so I'm thinking that and the basil may get used in a Thai-inspired dish. Time to hit the Pinterest!

The kale I will likely just saute like I did a few weeks ago with a bunch of garlic, it was so good!!!

Adventures with CSA: Week 13 (Summer 2015)

This week has been pretty awful. I realized when my husband brought home the CSA share yesterday that I really look forward to discovering what we got every week. It's like a tiny bright spot in an expanding sea of shit. :P

This week's share included lettuce, swiss chard (rainbow), heirloom and hybrid tomatoes, two massive potatoes, a green pepper, a bag of hot peppers, an onion, a fat shallot, a bag of baby eggplants, a bag of okra, and a baby watermelon (not seedless--this one was pink, not the amazing yellow variety from last time).

I'm definitely going to make some home made salsa with some of the tomatoes, onion, and hot peppers.

Everyone who knows me knows that Indian cuisine is my favorite food--I'm not descended from Indian heritage at all, but my ex introduced it to me in my youth and I've been steadily trying new things through my late teens and 20's and into my 30's now. I was vegetarian when I was younger so I loved the diversity of choice it offered compared to other types of cuisine--and I was veggie before we had the wealth of options there are now--where people would sneer at you if it came up in conversation. Anyhow...the spices and flavors of Indian cuisine are so amazing! One of my favorites is baingan bharta, which is made with roasted eggplant. My local favorite Indian restaurant uses the baby eggplants when they make it. It is pure comfort food as far as my soul is concerned.

Anyhow, I think this dish is going to happen, like, TODAY: Fried Eggplant with Chickpeas and Mint Chutney

And this: Aloo Bhindi Bhujiya Potato and Okra Stir Fry

The chard will probably get sauteed with the shallot as a side dish. I do love sauteed greens. T sauteed a bunch of kale last week with a whole head of garlic sliced up and thrown in ala the style of my grandmere's green beans, which is again pure comfort food--the garlic get all soft and caramelized when you do it over low heat for a longer period of time. OMNOMNOM.

The baby watermelon got cut up immediately (again) and put into a bowl in the fridge--it is good, but not as sweet as the last (yellow) one.

Adventures with CSA: Week 12 (Summer 2015)

This week was insane at work, and I haven't had much time to cook at home. So I'm going to cook a bunch of things this weekend and early into next week.

This week's share included: Lettuce, heirloom and hybrid tomatoes, asian eggplant (3), green peppers, onions, a yellow doll watermelon (!!!!), a bag of okra, fresh ginger, basil, parsley, and cilantro.

The watermelon is AMAZING. I cut it up into a bowl and stuck it in the fridge. I wish it was seedless, but it is absolutely the sweetest and most delicious watermelon I've ever tasted. I HAVE GOT to learn how to grow this myself next year.

The eggplants I am going to grill. I absolutely love eggplant. I am growing fairy tale variety in my garden, but they are still very small and not ready for picking yet.

The tomatoes and basil is going to become caprese salad, I just need to get some fresh mozzarella.

I think I'm going to use the cilantro, peppers and the onions in fajitas with chicken.

I don't think I've ever cooked with fresh okra before. For me, okra goes in gumbo.Reading online, I am seeing a lot of positive things about roasting it, so I may try that.

In exciting Pagan-y news, I am going to be starting an online class with a group of really fine folks working our way through the Poetic Edda, using the lense of a particular deity in exploring different perspectives/points of view about the stories. I am going be to working with Ran and Her lense, which I am super pumped about! I had my first experience of Her at the beach this summer, and am really excited to get to know her better!

Happy weekend!

Adventures with CSA: Week 11 (Summer 2015)

This week's share was not as big and bountiful as past weeks have been--they are turning over some of their fields, and giving folks a chance to catch up on using their produce. This week we got a bunch of kale, some nice big heirloom tomatoes, two green peppers, six sweet banana peppers, red, white, and purple potatoes, red and white onions, garlic, and a bag of carrots.

The banana peppers will get stuffed. I absolutely love stuffed banana peppers, they are one of my favorite dishes on the planet. Here's a good recipe for those: Hot Sausage Stuffed Banana Peppers

I'm going to use the carrots for a sweeter treat: Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

The potatoes and garlic will go into this: Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken with Potatos

We're cooking out for our gaming group today so I will likely slice some of the tomatoes for burgers.

The kale will probably get sauteed and eaten as a side, maybe with the chicken.

Not sure what to do with the green papper. They may get cleaned, chopped, and frozen for soup at a later time.