8 Feb

Andrea: Social Butterfly

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts. Tagged: .

Man, I’ve been busy this week!  Almost every night, I hung out with friends after work and this weekend, same thing.  I’m not complaining, but I’m looking forward to laying low this week before I head to Dallas on Friday.

This is going to be a hodge podge post, just kind of recapping the highlights of the past few days.  Where to begin…

Oh, I made goat cheese!

2 quarts goat milk heating up...

Citric acid & water

Draining

Mixing in the salt...

Some in the mold...

The rest wrapped in the butter muslin & pressed (like you would tofu)

Pressing the curds makes it firmer, which I prefer.  It turned out great, but I should have used more salt.  I used what was suggested, but I didn’t taste it before I pressed it.  This was so easy – I will never buy goat cheese from the store again.  I just used store-bought goat milk, but next time I’ll buy some raw milk from a place near my house.

Okay, what else…  Uh, I had some fast food on Friday!  After working a 12 hour day, the last thing I wanted to do was cook, so I stopped by Burgerville because I had a coupon.  You’ve probably heard me talk about Burgerville on here before – it’s a northwest chain that prides itself on being sustainable and using the best quality food available.  They have seasonal items and vegetarian burgers, so I had the Yukon & white bean basil burger.  It was delish.

I totally got fries AND a soda which was a really nice indulgence I thoroughly enjoyed.  Look, even they’re cups are compostable!

This morning was super productive – Chris and I cleaned the house, worked on the yard and even FINALLY unpacked the last of the boxes we had around the house.  When that was all done, I cleaned out & organized my pantry.  I buy a lot of things from the bulk bins, but I’ve never really tried to store my food properly.  This is what everything looked like before:

I didn’t want to store everything in plastic bags & tupperware, so I went to my local hardware store and bought a bunch of mason jars.  After:

And everything in the pantry…

It feels so good to have everything organized & labeled!  I really wanted to do some baking & cooking afterwards, but the Super Bowl trumped that.  We just watched it with some friends and were really low key.  Stephanie made her Mom’s famous dip, or as she called it, “middle of the grocery store” dip as almost everything in it is processed and canned :)

So good and so bad for you – but hey it’s Super Bowl Sunday!  And to wash down the dip, I hauled over my Vita-Mix and made margaritas!

The Vita-Mix is great because I just put a whole lemon and two whole limes, alcohol, ice, and a touch of agave and blended everything together.  I usually hate frozen drinks because I end up chewing the ice, but in the Vita, it gets all nice and chopped up!  It tasted so fresh and just as easy as using a mix.

At the end of the night, I was craving chocolate, so Stephanie brought out her stash:

This girl has excellent taste in chocolate.  I’ve had Scharffen Berger before, but I was so excited to try the Askinosie chocolate!  Askinosie is a fair trade chocolate company in Springfield, Missouri (Stephanie’s home town) and her friend Kesha works there.  Kesha has a beautiful blog that you should be reading called Shared Sugar.  This chocolate is amazing – some of the best I’ve ever had and I’ve been lucky enough to sample chocolate from all over the world.  You should definitely check out the Askinosie website – the company is just as impressive as their chocolate.

And saving the best for last, ROSE HAD HER BABY!

Rose is my closest friend to have a baby so this is very exciting for me and my group of friends.  Rose was always scheduled to have her baby early (due to a previous health condition), but the little guy decided he wanted out a week earlier than planned.  He’s in the NICU because his lungs aren’t quite developed enough yet, so if you could send some good vibes their way, it would be most appreciated.  I guess this is somewhat standard for a premie and he’s been improving the last couple of days and they expect him to recover fully – but a little prayer or two couldn’t help.  I totally cried when I saw pictures of him (he still has no name!) and can’t wait to meet him for the first time.  Congratulations Jon & Rose – I love you guys!

4 Feb

Andrea: Need a Polar HRM?

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts.

My boss just bought a Body-Bugg for herself and was going to sell her Polar F6 HRM monitor on Craigslist.  I thought maybe one of you guys would be interested?  She’s selling it for $75.00 including shipping!

Email me if you’re interested!  caretoeat@gmail.com

In other news, I’m drinking a Kombucha for the first time in months and I be buzzin’!  Good thing I’m at work :)

3 Feb

Andrea: Let’s cut some cheese

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts. Tagged: .

Hey y’all!  With Erin gone, I feel the need to keep “y’all” in use on the blog.  True story, when I lived in Texas I used to say “All y’all” because I am a redundant idiot wanted to make doubly sure everyone felt like they were included.

So last night, I finally got to take this cheese class I signed up for weeks ago.  As soon as I read the cheese chapter in AVM, I knew it was something I wanted to learn how to do at home.  I’m lucky in that I’m not super lactose intolerant (maybe it’s the Croatian in me?), but I don’t eat a lot of cheese on a regular basis because I’m not always sure where the milk is coming from.  Usually commercial dairy = no way José in the ethics department.  By learning how to make soft cheese and yogurt at home, I can have a better understanding and control of what’s in it.

The class was one of a 3-part series, but I just signed up for class 1: Paneer & Queso Blanco.

Cubed & fried in curry seasonings

olive oil infused

Colander pressed with herbs & smoked salt

There was also cheese in molded form, but I didn’t get a picture before it was all eaten up.

Not only did I get to learn how to make this simple cheese, I also made my TV debut!  The local news just happened to be doing a live segment about the class and I’m in about two seconds of footage :)

And a star is born.

For any Portland readers, you can find out more about the class (and Portland’s Urban Growth Bounty) by clicking on the link for the video (info on the KGW website) or by visiting this website:

urbancheesecraft.wordpress.com

Claudia, the instructor, makes these kits to get started which I bought one of last night.

  • thermometer
  • butter muslin
  • citric acid
  • cheese salt
  • cheese mold
  • instructions & recipes

The only thing not in the kit is (vegetarian) rennet which I would need to make some other soft cheeses like mozzarella.  But, turns out Claudia lives in my neighborhood, and she said if I ever needed any I could buy some through her.  I guess cheese making supplies are hard to come by and you usually have to order them online, which is why she started these kits that are sold in local grocery stores around Portland.

I’m super excited to get started – she even gave us some great resources on where to find local cow and goat milk!  I may attempt to make some goat cheese tonight – it depends on how much laundry I have to do tonight!  Plus, it’s 6:30 and I’m still at my office :(

1 Feb

Andrea: Suzy Homemaker

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts. Tagged: , , .

My house was built in 1951 and ever since we moved in, my inner June Cleaver has wanted to come out.

After I came home from work yesterday (because see, I’m a modern woman and can do it all!  Yeah, right!), I donned an apron and got to work in the kitchen.

I made bread for the first time!  And I didn’t fuck it up too much either!

After I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I was curious to see if I had access to any whole wheat flour, as in the book, Barbara Kingsolver did not.  I found that a Pacific Northwest based company called, Stone-Buhr, is the only one that uses grain from sustainable, local, family farms.  The last time I was at New Seasons, I picked up a bag of their whole wheat flour.

I used the recipe on the back of the bag, only it called for 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 unbleached white and I used all whole wheat flour.  I just couldn’t find another 100% whole wheat recipe online that I liked.  Although, I have to admit, I didn’t look too hard either.

The bread didn’t rise as much as it probably should have – I don’t think I kneaded it long enough and I bet our kitchen was a little too cold for optimal rising temperatures.  Nevertheless, the bread tastes pretty good, even if it is a little short :)

I thoroughly enjoyed my first attempt at making bread and can’t wait to try out other recipes.  If anybody has any they’d like to pass along, please do!

While my bread was in the oven, I made a minestrone soup for dinner.  I didn’t really follow a specific recipe, but rather just threw shit in a pot to see what happened!

  • sauteed onions, mushrooms, carrots, & garlic in olive oil
  • 1 can kidney beans
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 carton “chicken flavored” vegetarian broth
  • frozen, chopped spinach
  • frozen green beans
  • handful of dry pasta
  • dried basil
  • dried oregano
  • garlic salt
  • pepper
  • tumeric – just a couple of dashes
  • red pepper flakes

I didn’t measure anything – I just made sure there was enough liquid and seasoned everything to my liking.  I have to say, it turned out REALLY good – I was quite pleased!

After dinner I went grocery shopping for this week’s meals (more details on that tomorrow) and when I got home I made some granola as I had run out of my last batch.  This time I used:

  • 3 cups oats
  • 3/4 c slivered almonds
  • 1/2 c raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tbsp wheat germ
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 c golden raisins

Best batch yet!  But, can anybody answer this question for me?  The granola is still too sweet for my tastes, so I’d like to reduce the amount of maple syrup/agave/honey/whatever I use in my recipes.  But, I want to make sure there is enough liquid to sufficiently coat all the oats and I don’t want to sub the “sugar” with oil – any ideas?

In other news, I just booked a ticket to Dallas for next weekend!  I was chatting with my Mom on Saturday and trying to figure out when we would see each other next (I haven’t seen my Mom since June and my Dad since February of last year) and she decided just to fly me down for their 35th wedding anniversary on the 15th!  I’m super stoked!  I’m looking forward to spending some quality time with them, but I’m also hoping I’ll get to meet Little Jack, a.k.a. “The Senator,” a.k.a. “Spawn of HeatherBakes.”  Of course, she may not want me to meet her son now that I’ve called him a spawn…

31 Jan

Andrea: I was so excited….

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts. Tagged: .

….and I just couldn’t hide it!

So, one of my blog BFFs, Yooli, recently got a Vita-Mix when they came through her local Costco.  Yooli was kind enough to impart to me that if you call your local Costco, they will be able to tell you when the Vita-Mix rep will be there.  So, Thursday night, I finally remembered to call my Costco and as luck would have it, the kind lady said that the rep would be there THE NEXT MORNING!  The following ensued:

  • I had a little freak out and I immediately Tweeted my excitement.
  • Then I barely slept a wink that night because I was so excited to purchase my Vita-Mix.
  • I arrived at Costco promptly at 10 a.m. when they open and practically skipped to the Vita-Mix set-up.
  • Tweeted Yooli while I was in line that I was purchasing the Vita-Mix.
  • Spent all day at work in agony that I was in my office and the Vita-Mix was in the back of my car unopened.
  • Changed my Facebook status to “Vita-Mix!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
  • Had husband call me and ask me about said status change.  Then, I had to drop the bomb that I spent $400 on a blender of the Gods.  That didn’t go over too well, but we’re all good now :)

That ended my Vita-Mix buzz a bit, which was okay because we had “family dinner” plans with our good friends Friday night.  Sadly, the Vita-Mix box stayed unopened until Saturday morning.

But, Family Night Dinners are such a joy for me and Friday night was no exception.  The menu was pizza, so each couple brought their own creations.  I brought:

  • Whole wheat crust
  • Olive oil & herbs base
  • Massaged kale
  • Red potatoes
  • Red onions
  • Sprinkle of parmesan cheese
  • Over easy egg

I made my own crust from scratch and I’m pleased to say it turned out very well.  I used THIS RECIPE – I would highly recommend it if you like hearty crust on pizza.  I would also recommend pre-baking it for 10 minutes.

I also made the crust for Chris’ pizza – a white thin crust.  The results weren’t as good, but we survived.  The recipe claims it makes two crusts, but that’s if you want two small pizzas.  It also says you can prebake the crust, so that’s what I did.  This happened :)

Luckily, I had the other half of the crust set aside, so I just used that!

  • White crust
  • Marinara sauce
  • Arugula
  • Prosciutto
  • Red onions
  • Sprinkle of mozzarella

All the pizzas that everyone brought that night were hits, but I have to say, my potato/kale one was my favorite.  Expect to see that on the blog again!

There ended up being 12 (!) of us and it was quite a lively night.  We were there to have one last hurrah before Rose’s baby arrives – isn’t she cute?!

I kept staring at her belly all night.  It was kind of hard to miss :)

Ok – on to the good stuff!

Behold:

I spent most of yesterday playing with the Vita-Mix, researching recipes and watching videos about it online.  The first thing I made was a vegan kale and potato soup (what I had on hand, leftover from Friday) and it was heaven.

I also made a very non-vegan cheese sauce which I didn’t get a picture of.  It was equally as tasty!

This morning I made smoothies for me, Chris, and even Basil :)

And while I’ll appreciate a good smoothie every now and then, I will probably use the Vita-Mix for them the least.  I am still a HUGE believer in juicing vs. blending.  Yes, the fiber that stays in a smoothie is good for you.  And yes, the Vita-mix claims that it is strong enough to break everything down to a cellular level so that it absorbs in your body quickly.

But…

Have you ever tried to chug a smoothie?  It seriously takes me like 30+ minutes finish one glass.  Fruits and veggies start losing their enzymes and nutrients after 15 minutes of being broken down, so the quicker you can get it in your body, the more benefit it will have.  Also, with NO fiber to contend with, I know that my body will definitely be absorbing all the nutrition from the food immediately (if I drink it on an empty stomach, which I always do).  The little bit of a “high” I get after drinking a glass of juice tells me so.  After drinking a smoothie, I feel very full – which is good, but I’m not exactly bursting with energy.  Fruit flavor maybe, but not energy.

So, that’s my little spiel.  Smoothies are healthy and wonderful for you, but you’re still going to have to pry my juicer out of my cold, dead hands :)

28 Jan

Andrea: Hot date

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts. Tagged: .

Last night I stood up someone I love.  My yoga mat.

I got derailed from making a 6:30 yoga class by a couple of vodka tonics.  Then, I didn’t do any home practice this morning because of the slight hangover from said vodka tonics.

There’s an 8 p.m. class at the gym near my house, but if I decide not to go to that, at least I have a great space in my new house to practice in.

We temporarily have our TV in here, but other than that, it’s an almost empty room – perfect for exercising!  That mat is from Aurorae – they sent me one (for free) to try out a few weeks ago.  I absolutely LOVE it.  Even though I am a midget petite, I often find my feet off the mat after a couple of flows.  This mat is a longer and slightly narrower than my last one, and I’m happy to report that my feet haven’t once escaped my yoga island.  Success!

In other news, nothing too exciting has been happening food-wise at Casa Andrea.  I had a hankering for pizza all day yesterday, so when I got home, Chris and I ordered one from a local place in our new neighborhood.  The pizza was just okay ( :( ), but I thought the box was cute and very true:

I’m going to make up for my disappointing pizza experience tomorrow.  We’re having a “family” dinner over at my friend/neighbor’s house tomorrow.  Our good friend Rose (remember her?!) is going to give birth in two weeks, so we’re having one last couples dinner before the baby arrives.  The menu is pizza and each couple is bringing their own creation to bake and share.  If you’ve read this month’s Sunset magazine, then you might have a clue as to what special ingredient I’m going to put on mine…

On that note, I wish you a happy Thursday and I hope you were able to enjoy a delicious moment today!

26 Jan

Andrea: Perfect Microwave Oats

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts, Breakfast. Tagged: , .

For years now, I’ve been a stovetop oats kind of girl.  But out of necessity (i.e. having to make breakfast at work because I can’t get my ass out of bed in the morning) I’ve finally perfected my microwave oats recipe.  So much so, that Mr. Microwave and I have gotten pretty exclusive.  Mr. Stove wants me back, but he takes too long to finish and there’s all that messy cleanup afterwards – we all know how annoying that can be, am I right girls?  Oh God, did I just go there?

Anyways!

Step 1: Pour dry old-fashioned oats (not the quick kind!) in a bowl – however much or little you want.

Step 2: Put just enough water in the bowl to cover the oats, like so:

Step 3: Microwave for 90 seconds on high.

Step 4: While oats are cooking, slice your banana.

Step 5 (Optional): Test pug’s agility and accuracy.

Wait for it...

...catch mid-air...

...chew and enjoy!

Step 6: Add banana to oats and mash with a fork.

Step 7 (Optional): If oats aren’t to your desired “doneness,” add splash of milk/mylk or water.

Step 8: Add favorite toppings and enjoy!

Flax & pecans for me!

Most directions for old-fashioned oats call for too much water and too much cooking time – this just leads to mushy oats and usually bowl overflow when in the microwave.  I’ve found that 90 seconds is the perfect cooking time, and if you like your oats a little soupier than me (I like mine thick and chunky ;) ) just add more water from the get-go!

I absolutely LOVE bananas in my oats, but I’m kind of conflicted with my whole trying-to-eat-seasonally/local thing I’ve got going on.  Not only are they not grown in Oregon, they’re not grown in the US!  Just about any other food I eat on a regular basis, I can at least get from California when in season.  I only eat bananas in my oatmeal, but I only eat my oatmeal with bananas – herein lies the conundrum.  Gonna have to reflect on it more and sort out my feelings on that one, but I have a feeling I’m going to keep eating bananas.

25 Jan

Andrea: Magic Fingers

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts, dessert. Tagged: , , , .

Or not.  Meet my new beast of burden:

You know what’s great about practicing now as a 30 year old as compared to when I was 16?  I can yell, “Motherfucker!” real loud when I miss a big note and I can drink beer while I play.  The beer doesn’t make me play better, but I think it makes me sound better :)   This piece by Debussy is the one I’ve chosen to learn and “master” this year.  Although, I’d like to see where I am in six months and hopefully take on a Scriabin Prelude I’ve always wanted to learn as well.

As I mentioned yesterday, part of my desire is to eat more locally is my wanting to create less waste with what I eat.  I’m just so disheartened when I’m at the grocery store and I see rows and rows of great, healthy “convenience” food, wrapped up in plastic and cardboard.  So, if I can’t always get local ingredients, if I think I can make it from scratch, I’m at least going to try.

Yesterday, I made my first attempt at meatless meatballs.  I did a little Google searching and settled on THIS recipe from Vegan Visitor.

**side note: Chris just asked me what I was blogging about and I said, “My balls!”  No lack of maturity here!**

The recipe called for a boullion cube, which I never really have on hand.  But, I stopped by New Seasons on my way home from work yesterday and picked up these:

They’re imported from Switzerland, so big FAIL in the local ingredient department, but they can’t all be winners.

All the ingredients before mixing it up…

My “raw” balls…

and the final product…

I made these last night before bed, and finally got to try them tonight at dinner on top of some whole wheat pasta and marinara sauce (jarred – I’ll attempt making my own this Summer when tomatoes are in season).

The result?  Not bad, but the recipe needs tweaking.  I think there’s too much vital wheat gluten for my tastes – it makes for a chewy texture.  Some gluten is necessary as a binder, but just not as much as the recipe calls for.  The taste is good, but I also think the recipe could use some onion.  I’m anxious to try these again – but for now, I’ll just freeze the leftovers and use them up as I need them!

Last night, I also made some vegan brownies using a recipe I saw on Yooli’s blog.  Although she can’t post as much as I would like (due to a little thing called Law School….whatever.), I absolutely adore this girl and her blog.  She always has the most brilliant ideas and recipes.

I was finally able to sample a piece today at lunch and I was not disappointed!  The texture wasn’t quite brownie like (more like a dense cake), but the taste was phenomenal – very dark and cocoa-y.  Yeah, it may not have been exactly like a “regular” brownie, but with NO oil and very little sugar (just some agave and what’s in the chocolate chips), you won’t feel guilty eating them!

And finally, I discovered another thing I want to attempt to make at from scratch:

Barbeque sauce!  That seems kind of daunting though, so I may just puss out and buy some from a local place here in town.  I used this sauce  – Carolina style, my FAVE! – on a sweet potato and a first for me….Humblecue!

I think Miss Bender herself originated this?!  Well, if not, that’s where I first heard about it way back when.

Please ignore the paper plate - it was all I had a work!

Jenn, I love you, but I did not like the humblecue!  I think I’m just not a fan of hummus + ___________.  I’ve tried mixing hummus with other stuff before and thought the same thing.  So, if you haven’t tried humblecue before, I would definitely suggest trying it for yourself and seeing what you think!

In other news, I went to the gym today for the first time in months, and ran for the first time since October!  I was able to do just under three miles before calling it quits.  I’m pleased with that, but am looking forward to getting in to better shape.

Ok, monster post ending…now.

24 Jan

Andrea: Ch-ch-ch-changes!

Posted by Andrea of Care to Eat in Andrea's Posts.

Hi Lovelies!

It goes without saying, that no one is more sad than me that Erin has decided to stop regular blogging.  We started Care to Eat together and it will be weird not to have her here.

So, what does that mean for the future of Care to Eat?  I’m not exactly sure, but at this point, I am still going to continue blogging – even if it is sporadially.

See, I started this blog for very selfish reasons.  I wanted to be healthier and blogging was a way to keep me accountable and on track.  Well, mission accomplished!  I may not be the healthiest food blogger out there, but a year and a half after starting, I’m comfortable with my diet and no amount of blogging is going to make it any better.  However, I am inspired every day by other food bloggers out there, so I am still voraciously reading every post I can!

If you read my resolutions post a month ago, then you know I’m trying to improve my self this year.  I’m almost done with my third book this month.  I’ve been practicing yoga at home.  Last night I practiced the piano for over two hours – the last time I played the piano for more than 20 minutes I was in high school.  My free time is becoming more and more precious and quite frankly, blogging gets in the way of my other hobbies.

All that being said, and being the selfish person I am, I just don’t want to give up the blog!  Plus, as comfortable as I am with my diet, it is going to go through some changes this year – it already has.  The book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle has really inspired me to eat more locally and to make my own foods.  I mean, the other day I Googled, “homemade mustard recipe.”  Who am I?  The effect will really start to take shape when I start my garden this spring.

So, dear readers, if you’re still in, I’m still in.  I still have things I will want to share if you’ll still listen.  I know you guys like to read the blog because we’re not afraid of saying things like “Fuck my shitballs!” on here, but seriously, why do you read Care to Eat?  I had my chart read over a year ago, and the “psychic” asked, “What is it that you do that helps women?”  The only thing I could think of was the blog.  So, without sounding obtuse and full of myself, is this true?  What do you like, hate, or would like to see changed on Care to Eat?

With Erin gone, I can’t promise you beauty tips or pictures of cats.  But, I do have a sexy husband so I guess I’ll have to start posting more pics of Chris if he’s going to be the resident Care to Eat Hunk.  Although, I’m sure Robbie would still send me pics of him to post on here for you :)

Thank you Erin, for sharing part of your life with us.  You will be greatly missed and I’m so fortunate to call you my cousin and even better, my good friend.

21 Jan

Erin: My blogging days are donezo

Posted by Erin in Erin's Posts.

Holy balls!

I’ve been so biz. I literally don’t have time or mental energy to post, read other blogs, or maintain my popularity presence in this truly amazing community at the moment. My work is all consuming. And I have no complaints about that.

Haha! That is such a lie. But seriously, I’m really happy with where I’m at and I am truly blessed to have the educational and career opportunities that I do.

Our time in Texas has gone by very quickly. We moved here with the expectation that I would take five years, plus an internship year, to complete my education. However, I’m ahead of schedule by a year. Amaze. I’m ready to get out of school and into a job – to have a life, a normal schedule, time to cook, weekends, money, more time with my Robbie and our growing menagerie (we’re applying for another rescue doggie!).

My current and future work requires me to be anonymous. Writing a blog that students or clients could read is not smart or safe for me – or others in the mental health field – unless it’s totally private. I knew when I started blogging that I would reach a point where it wasn’t safe for me to continue, and I’m definitely at that point. So, I have to stop.

When I think about leaving this blog – temporarily or permanently – I feel sad and maybe even get a lump in my throat. So, I’m not going to think about it. :) I don’t anticipate that I’ll have much time or motivation to contribute in the coming months, but if I do I will pop back in to say hi!

This has been really fun for me. I hope it has been for you, too. Thank you for taking an interest in my life. It’s been a joy and a privilege to be a part of yours in some small way.

I love you! And I really mean that.

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