reusing If You Care muffin cups

A few weeks ago my friend, Ann, was over baking with me. She thought I should tell you about how I reuse my unbleached paper muffin cups. It's a great way to save money, plus it's better for your health and the environment. 

I discovered a couple years ago that the If You Care brand of muffin cups came off so clean. So I decided to put them in a bag and keep them in the freezer (top photo) to use again the next time. After using them twice, they were still coming off easily and clean. I put them back in the bag and into the freezer. Ever since, that's what I've been doing. I can usually get at least three uses out of them, depending on what I'm putting in them. 

Cheers, Kelly

spring planting

While Andy's sister, Tegan, was here, we took her to the Boulder Farmers Market. We had a great time, eating Nigerian food in the park, and picking up a few herbs for the kitchen. Then, a few days later, after she flew back to Phili, Andy and I took the girls to our local garden center, The Flower Bin. We picked up two red cabbage, which as you can see are a glorious purple color. I don't know what I'm more excited about, growing cabbage or enjoying the ornamental leaves ;-) We also got some organic seeds, which we're starting inside, before planting them in the garden. The seeds are pumpkin, squash and watermelon. Zoe is especially excited about the watermelon. I'm especially excited to see the pumpkins climb and cover our picket fence ;-)

bean & "cheese" burrito

For as long as I can remember I have been a huge fan of the bean and cheese burrito. Before I ate healthy I would drive through a fast food window at least once a week, and order up two, with a Coke. (I was also very addicted to refined white sugar) It's been many years since I've done that and yet just the thought of a bean and cheese burrito makes my mouth water. 

I tried a couple times, unsuccessfully, to make a bean and cheese burrito myself, until now. I admit, I think it can be further improved—not so much in taste, but in consistency. Basically, the burrito is floppy, literally. But next time I'm going to put down a couple leaves of lettuce first, then apply my filling, and I think that should give it the structure it's lacking, and maybe even add to the taste too. 

As you can see it was quite easy to do. I had some red beans that I had soaked and cooked this morning, but black beans would be really good too, and more traditional. I would have added some pureed soaked cashews, if I had planned this, but since it was spur of the moment, I just heated cashew milk and mashed it into the beans with some Herbamare seasoning and a little garlic powder. Pureed soaked cashews would make it even creamier -- next time. :-)

chicken stew

We were all set for 20 or more inches of snow. Kitchen and pantry stocked, shoes inside, bikes covered in the driveway... And then it rained, and rained and rained -- for two days straight! We made stew anyway though, after all, it was cold and rainy. :-) I don't even measure when I make soup like this. Just see what I have leftover, like rice and broccoli, and throw it all in. The ingredients in this one are:

about 4 cups of chopped carrots

about 3 cups of chopped thawed potato waffle fries

chicken breast 

about 2 cups of cooked wild rice

a few cups of organic, vine-ripened tomato sauce

about 2 quarts of organic chicken broth, or just to cover the ingredients

I sauteed the carrots in some coconut oil for about 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients. After it was covered with broth, I let it simmer with the lid on for a few hours. I added the broccoli about half an hour before I turned off the heat. Then I removed the chicken, shred it with two forks, and put it back.

It was so good and I love having leftovers so I don't have to cook as much.

Kreativ Blogger Award

I'm so flattered that Naomi of, Straight into Bed Cakefree and Dried 

tagged me with the Kreativ Blogger award to write seven things I love. Here is my list in random order.

1) Sunlight. Sunlight that makes me happy, that nourishes my body and soul. Sunlight through my family room window, and my kitchen window, through leaves on big old strong trees. Sunlight, ever changing, that feeds us, that keeps us balanced. Sunlight that kisses my face and shines on my beautiful sweet girls. I love sunlight.

2) The Rocky Mountains. Sigh. I think if I live here my whole life, I will never get tired of those big awesome mind-blowing mountains. I love them in the morning, when the low rising sun showers them with a pink and orange glow. I love the mountains at sunset, when the sky changes from blue to pink and purple, lighting the mountains from behind my view, casting them in a cool blue shadow, towering above and behind everything else. I love that every time I get in my car and turn west, the mountains take my breath away, as if I am seeing them for the first time. 

3) My girls, Zoe and Ashley. The way they teach me how to live, how to appreciate the simple pleasures of life. The way their eyes sparkle with pride when they learn something new. How they giggle and laugh - contagious. The power of the love we feel for each other. Unconditional, unmistakable, irresistible. 

4) My love, my best friend, my greatest companion, who I can't get enough of, my husband. The way he drinks tea all day long. How he dances when he's happy. How he loves food, though you'd never know it by looking at him :-) I love our time alone in the evening, after the girls are in their bed. I love our weekends and trips together as a family. I love how we've grown and changed together through good times and bad. I love my Andy.

5) I love to cook, but even more I love to eat. :-) I love the smell of food in the dehydrator, the oven and the stovetop. I love the texture of food, the way it feels in my mouth. I love the smell of coffee, and going out for coffee. I love how food brings people together, how it comforts, how it nourishes. I love to read, research and photograph food. 

6) I love to read and write. Books, blogs, fiction and non-fiction. I love to read with my girls. I love when they ask me to read to them. To get caught up in the stories. When the characters become like close friends. Pagoo, Alice, Dr. Dolittle, Laura Ingalls, Eloise, Max, Hubert Horatio, Louis, Mr. Popper... I love the vocabulary Zoe and Ashley acquire from great books, the lessons books offer in writing, in history and science, imagination and make-believe, integrity and quality of character. 

7) I love art and the environment. I love how my passion for the two merge together in so many ways. The beauty I see in nature, in the elements, in light and reflections, texture and color, in people and animals, big and small. I love to capture the emotion in photography and mixed media. I love to experience the art of others, to take the girls to museums, to talk and share our feelings. To appreciate art and the environment, to be inspired to protect what is important. 

Mrs. May's Ultimate Crunch

This is another Costco find. The little Celiac Sprue Association logo on the top right side of the bag caught my eye. I think it's the first product I've seen with that logo, though I don't usually buy a lot of packaged goods, so I wouldn't really know. I picked up the bag and was impressed by the ingredients which include cashews, almonds, walnuts, dried berries like raspberry, blueberry, gojiberries, and pomegranate and acai powders. Additionally, there are no artificial ingredients, and the they are packaged in a peanut free facility. I only wish they were organic. 

I went to the company website, so I could tell you about them, and I was surprised to see the cost compared to Costco, where a 2 pound bag is just under 10 dollars. Some of the other flavors look really good though, and this is the only one they offer at our Costco. 

Mrs. May's Ultimate Crunch

Ventana Riesling sparkling wine

Andy's sister, Tegan, is visiting, which gave us a great excuse to buy one of Andy's favorite wines, Riesling sparkling wine. It's dry, but a bit fruity, and very nice to drink. After about an 8 mile bike ride today, towing the girls, it's nice to sit back and enjoy some wine :-) I should sleep well tonight!