Books, books, & More Books

Erin Morgensterns's debut novel Night Circus is a glorious and enchanting ride into the circus of our own imagination. If you are a dreamer at all you must read this book. I will be devastated when I finish it.

I have not been this excited about a book in years. It touches on so many of my personal sensibilities. Turn off  Pintrest now and step into this pure cerebral beauty. Amazing.

http://erinmorgenstern.com/the-night-circus/

Lucky me!

So in following in the vein of the no one is perfect, but we can try anyway theme of my blog, I will not chastise myself for the extended duration of time between posts. Well, Julia has been here, just very busy taking life by the horns and hanging on for the ride.

I had to stop for a minute to pop up a picture of my lucky shamrocks! Everyone who has stopped by the past few days loves it.



                                                              



 Leave it up to good ole' Traders for selling these cute shamrocks for $2.49. I snatched one up took a little green moss (found at any hardware store),and tucked them both into a clear canister. Any clear vessel will work with a big enough opening for the shamrock pot. If it happens to be a little to small, just compact the moss in the bottom of the vessel  take those lucky little leaves out of their pot and plop them right in there. Cover up the top soil with a little more moss, and you have a great Saint Patty's decoration of under $5.

The Season of Giving is Here.......isn't it always?

Hello all! The season of giving is here......well in my house it is always the season of giving. We do not have a very big family, but it seems like every time you turn the corner there is a birthday or a holiday staring you in the face. So being a small business owner myself I would like to pass on some of my favorite home made/small business sites for you all to browse, purchase and enjoy. I will post more here as I find them!!!

Here is Stacy Harris' link to her Etsy site. It is full of homemade fresh herbal products for your home and body!! Yummy!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/108508684/lavender-wand-lavender-sachet-ribbon

Here some amazing jewelry by Summer Raven Creations.

https://www.facebook.com/SummerRavenCreations/photos_stream

I don't like pork.

I love pork it may be one of my top three meats, along with a nice perfectly cooked steak and a garlic and rosemary smothered lamb chop. I am a carnivore. There is no doubt about it. I even like it medium rare and dripping....yum! 

Pork is one of the most versatile meats out there. You can substitute pork for almost evey beef or chicken recipe in the book......tacos, meat sauce, burgers, you know all of those healthy American favorites. 

Dijon and herb crusted pork medallions with a fresh raspberry and balsamic glaze, truffle mashed potatoes and a side of fresh spinach.

The response was " you know pork is not my favorite", COME ON!!!!

Every time I cook pork in my house my husband says "you know, pork is not my favorite".That is until recently. He loves it. Gobbles up every bite. It is like one of my five year old kids discovering something outside of their white only pallet that they finally tried and LOVE, like tacos.

My husband miraculous change of heart comes from being diagnosis with high cholesterol, (well moderately high any way). Come to find out pork is the other white meat......REALLY??? Who Knew??

http://www.livestrong.com/article/352605-pork-cholesterol/

He is on the pork train now. The only problem is that it comes with conditions  No white carbs! That means no truffle mashed potatoes. So I have found an alternative, pureed cauliflower. That's right cauliflower. It has been passed around the park bench by the moms for years as an "I can get veggies into my kid without them knowing type of secret". Well now I get to try it for my biggest kid. The only problem with this recipe is that it is still high in fat. So I will replace the butter with Earth's Best 0 Chol. spread an a touch of low fat milk. Maybe I will even cook them in Chicken stock.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2023704_fake-mashed-potatoes.html

Brussel sprouts are also one of my favorites, and they are good for lowering cholesterol, so I am going to throw this one in here too. I will of course use olive oil and the Earth's best spread instead of butter.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shaved-Brussels-Sprout-and-Shallot-Saute-240111

So the menu for tonight is:

Grill Pork Chops with a Tuscan Herb and Garlic Rub

Cauliflower Puree

Shaved Brussels Spouts

 Spinach Salad

Now that the husband is happy what am I going to do for the kids?

Spaghettio Soup

My best friend and neighbor loves tomato soup. She just returned from a trip were she told me she had the best bowl of it. She also was referring a friend to stop at this quaint little restaurant where they have the best tomato soup in Laguna. I just remember it as something I was forced to eat as a child. Slimy and sweet and tomatoey.
I had to find out what this was all about. In my determination to burn off the 5000 calorie a day diet I consumed during summer I have switched gears. I love a low calorie soup lunch where I can read e-mails and pay bills and sip my soup out of the box lunch. I love it. I usually have the black bean variety, but have gotten bored with that. So I ventured out.....and it was an ugly trip. Now I know soup in a box may not be the best way to taste test a new item, but I love the Black Bean in the box, so what the hell! I fired up the computer, poured the soup in a pot and waited, regretting my decision at the first whiff.
It tastes like the sauce that Spaghetio's sits in. Slimy, and sweet, and tomatoey. Just like I remember. Bleeck! Don't get me wrong. I love tomatoes, in sauce, salads, plain with salt, and tons of soups, just not tomato soup. I know there has to be an amazing tomato soup out there. I have heard of the tomato and basil variety,  and tomato and roasted red pepper. I think maybe I just need to stay away from the Spaghettio variety. So if you have a great recipe, or your favorite spot to pick up a bowl let me know. We can pop out and grab one together. You might want to wait to order until I try it. You may end up with a free lunch.
XX, Julia

Two for one.

I miss cooking. After some serious family drama at the holidays, the loss of two amazing Aunts, a client's house to finish, my husband working continuously on a move outside of his 40 hour a week job, room-mom for my children's classrooms, and housewife duties, I seriously got my ass kicked in the last few months, and have truly missed my connection here.

We had an awesome early and much needed spring break, and upon return I am ready to jump right in. Only in Cali can you be sunburned (or is it sunburnt? Webster says either),and it be raining outside. Glowing in my sun kisssed skin I still feel the urge to burrow in on days like this, crawl under the blankets, read a good book, and snuggle with the fam. The constant drum of the rain outside calls to me.....yummy warm sustenance, or in other words soup and chili!

Appraising what we had left after a week away and what we needed for a week at home I hit the store. After spending a grip load of money on not so great food on our vacation I am ready to dig in this week, and to get it started I am doing a two for one combo.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup & Soy Chorizo Chili

These two dishes have many common ingredients, and are so easy to cook side by side. They will set your week of lunches and easy dinners up nicely.

List of ingredients:
Two cans of diced tomatoes
Two large onions

8 cloves of garlic

4 carrots

A few old bell peppers

1 can of white beans

1 can of black beans
2 boxes of chicken stock

Cumin

Salt  & pepper

Garlic powder

Fresh basil, or dried if you have it

1 package of soy chorizo

Pinot Noir if you have it or beer will work.

Frozen corn

Side by side in two large pots or saute pans, saute the onions, carrots and 4 cloves of garlic in each ( I chop the onions, carrots, and garlic in the food processor).

Obviously one will be for the pepper soup and one for the the chorizo chili.

Add the soy chorizo to one of them.

Cook until tender adding the garlic last.

When they are nice and soft add 1 can of diced tomatoes, with the juice, to each.

Follow recipes below.

Roasted Pepper Soup:

1 box of chicken stock

3-4 roasted bell peppers,chopped, preferably red, yellow or orange (if you use green the soup will be brown, see how to roast peppers in "roasted peppers entry")

5-7 fresh basil leaves, or 1-1 1/12 dried basil

salt & pepper to taste, & a pinch of garlic powder

Bring to a boil and puree with an immersion blender or cool until steam subsides and blend in blender.

Serve hot.

I put a swirl of heavy cream and crushed red peppers on top. It was a heavenly moment. A fresh basil leaf will send your guest over the limit if you need to dress it up.

Soy Chorizo Chili:

Drain and rinse beans, 1 can white, 1 can black, put in pot.

1 box of chicken stock

1 tsp cumin

A splash of pinot, and a glass for yourself.

2 handfuls of frozen corn

Salt and pepper & a pinch of garlic powder

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let the liquid reduce until desired thickness. If you love a thick chili add a thickening agent like corn flour, rice flour or Wondra. Remember to remove some of the liquid and add the adjent to a side dish whisking thoroughly, making sure there are no lumps, and then slowly add to the pot of chili, otherwise you will have lumps galore.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings: Chopped onions, cilantro, cheese, avocado.

This chili has enough just heat from the chorizo I did not feel like it needed more. If you like it hot the by all means spice it up.

If you are a veggie then sub out the chicken stock for a veg, stock. Mushroom would be great in the chili.

This made enough for my husband and I to enjoy today and a couple of times during the week for lunch, as well as putting half of each aside in the freezer for next week. Each pot will serve at least eight.

So snuggle up and dive in.

 Me personally, I am stuffed. Yum.

Excursions

Is anyone interested in joining me at the Ventura Swap Meet? It takes place every Wed. from 6-2. I am thinking of starting a both and want to check it out. Free entrance and parking. It is MUCH smaller than the monthly production.
Just post if you are interested.
XX,
Julia