Beekeeping

When my Mother found out I wanted to keep bees, she was shocked. She said, "I cant believe this is the same girl that ducks and hides when ever a winged creatures comes around. The same girl that would swat at the air and yell, is it a bee?" It is true, I have always been afraid of bees, and let me tell you why. One of my earliest childhood memories started on a warm summer day in my hometown of Yakima. I had just finished a long day at the public pool when I saw my mom pull up in the parking lot. I lit out across the grassy field to her, when I was suddenly stopped short by what felt like a needle going into my foot. Being a young child, I instantly sat down to see what I had stepped on. Yep, you guessed, it..I got the same needle feeling in my ass. I remember sitting in that field feeling totally stranded, positive that if I moved again, I would surely step on more. I would like to say that mom was super sweet and supportive, telling me she was so sorry this had happened to me. But, If I know my mom she was probably laughing her ass off, I blocked that part of the memory out. This was my first encounter with a honey bee, and I had always hoped for it to be my last.

I have always been the kind of girl that liked to face her fears. I think its because I don't like to have things that limit my experiences. I also don't do well with "what ifs". Even if it turns out to be a mistake, at least I can learn from those. But "what ifs", those things can haunt you forever. Heights has always been a big one for me. I get that prickly feeling on the back of my neck and sometimes even get a little light headed. In some cases I have had the overwhelming urge to jump..I know, crazy right. So when I found myself cleaning a 14th floor penthouse condo with roof access, there was only one thing to do. I walked out on the ledge..maybe 2 feet wide. I stood there and imagined what it would be like to fall and when a strong wind came up, I actually felt myself being sucked away from the building. It was terrifying, invigorating, and stupid? Yeah, probably. But, I can tell you this, I don't sit here today and wonder what it would have been like to stand out on that ledge.

When I first heard that Seattle Tilth was having beekeeping classes I was intrigued. Being a gardener I'm always looking for healthy Organic ways to improve upon my gardens productivity and over all health. I thought, what the hell, theres no harm in taking a class. I signed Alex and I up for the class. Alex was a little hesitant, turns out there was a bee encounter in his past also. The class was taught by a local Seattle beekeeper, Corky. I'm not sure if it was his love of the subject, or my love of peoples reaction when I told them I took a beekeeping class, what ever it was, we signed up for the second beekeeping class. We were able to put in our order for our "package" of bees, and purchase our equipment from Corky also. This man literally gets an ear to ear smile on his face when he talks about bees. His love for these magnificent creatures is contagious.

I will admit it was a little Intimidating when 3-4 thousand bees showed up in this little box. And I had to get them from in there, to in their new home. At this point the bees are actually in "swarm" mode, so they have no interest in stinging me. There was a whole process involved, I will say it went off without a hitch.

I got my bees mid April of last year. We have gone through one whole year together. I watched the bees forage in my yard all summer. My mom talks about sitting and watching her chickens for hours in the summer, We are the same with our bees. We also have mason bees and bumble bees in our yard. I just cant get enough of these little furry guys. Every ones first question is, have you been stung? Yes, of course I have, but its kind of like child birth, once its over, you forget the pain. When a honey bee stings you, it is its last resort. Chances are they have given you plenty of warning, and are sacrificing their own lives to try and save the rest of the hive. Quite Noble little creatures huh? They do get more aggressive in late fall when they are protecting their winter honey store, but hey, who can blame them right?

I did my first mini hive inspection this morning. I still get the shaky hands and nervous stomach even thinking about going out there and interacting with them, I guess that's why I like it. The good news is, they lived through the winter and looks like they still have enough honey stored up to get them through till the nectar really starts to flow around here. There is a tiny sun break as I sit here, watching my bees coming and going from the hive with all of the precision of a well staffed airport. When the sun is fully out, my back yard is glowing with tiny glints of gold darting to and fro. It is simply a sight to behold. Beekeepers have a very important job these days. With bees vanishing and no one being able to figure out why, its the backyard beekeepers bringing the numbers back up, and keeping our food supplies pollinated. The next time you are purchasing honey, think about buying it local. Either by visiting a beekeeper in your area or going to your local farmers market. Support your local beekeeper!

Black Bean Burger

I decided the other day that all this "from scratch" cooking was getting quite tiresome and that I wanted to get a few "easy" things to have on hand. I decided on some pre made meat alternative patties. Standing in the freezer section of whole foods, my jaw hit the ground when I saw that they wanted $6 for 4 patties! What? There must be gold in these things, nope, but there is dairy in most of them. So, I decided to make my own. This would be my second attempt at Black Bean Burger patties. The first was a total failure. They didn't stick together when cooking, they were way too thin. I guess not a total failure, as the flavor was good. So here I am with attempt number 2. Better, but still not on the mark. They were nice and thick, but still didn't hold together well when cooked. They did form a nice crisp crust when fried, but a chunk fell off when I flipped it. It tasted awesome, and was plenty filling, but was more like eating a sloppy joe(although not messy), instead of a "burger". This Recipe made enough for 13 patties. I cooked flavor into each ingredient to insure a flavorful patty.

1&1/2 to 2  Cup Cooked Black Beans cooked with cumin and garlic
3 Cups Cooked Brown Rice cooked with salsa
2 Cups Diced Small Veggies Slightly Roasted (I used half a zucchini, leek, Red and Yellow peppers, tossed in olive oil and garlic roasted on 350 for about 5 minutes)
1-1/2 - 2 Cups Re hydrated TVP(textured vegetable protein)
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
1/4 Cup Flour
2 TBS. Cumin
1 TBS Chili Powder
1 TBS. Garlic Granules
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix everything together. To form the patties I used a fried egg ring, thingy. Not sure what those are technically called, but they work perfectly for this. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. When making patties really squish it in there and them simply lift off the ring. I then popped them in the freezer and when they were frozen, put them in a plastic bag and stored in freezer. Today I took one out and put it on the griddle with a little oil and covered it with a lid. It warmed up with the pan which unthawed it. After about 5 minutes I flipped it and cooked on the other side a few more minutes. I had it on a Whole Wheat bun with a little Cashew Queso. I will keep at this recipe until I have it perfected, In the mean time I will enjoy my vegan sloppy joes! Any Input on ways I can get these to hold together better woould be greatly appreciated!

Portabella Parmesan

Oh man, Am I in LOVE with Portabella Mushrooms! It all started with Portabella Yakisoba at Japonessa the other night. Then the very next day I got a Portabella burger at Sunlight Cafe in Ravenna. I'm hooked! So, of course this means I had to try cooking some for myself. I had originally planned on making Portabella fingers and fries. But, being the savvy cook I am, was faced with a challenge. You see, making the mexi bowl the night before, I opened what I thought was a large jar of "The Moms" home made salsa. Mom not being the type to fuss with things like..labels..I was mistaken. I had actually opened a jar of Italian Tomatoes. So, I decided, I will throw those Portabella fingers on top of some Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Zesty Tomato Sauce. As you can see I did sprinkle a little Parmesan On there. I can honestly say that with all the flavor in the Mushrooms and the sauce, it could easily have been left out and not missed.

To Prepare the mushrooms, Start by cutting the Mushrooms in half, and then each of those in half. You can make the slices smaller, I wanted them to be big and "meaty". Drizzle with a little Olive Oil and season with Italian herbs and some Garlic, Salt and Pepper. Beat 2 eggs with 1/4 cup Almond milk(if your eggless, simply omit eggs and double the almond milk). I made the bread crumbs from Daves Awesome Bread, I used the heals where there is lots of nuts and seeds. I ground them in the food processor then toasted them in the oven till golden brown. When they cooled I ground them again in the food processor with about 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese. Now pour the egg mixture in one plate and the breading in another plate. First dip the slices in the egg making sure to coat up into the mushroom gills. Then into the breading, giving them a nice coat. Heat up your skillet and pour in a couple TBS. of Oil. Fry those suckers till golden and crispy on all sides.

As I said, the sauce was something Mom came up with, so use what ever Marinara type sauce you want. I was sceptical at first when it came to the Whole Wheat pasta, it has definitely grown on me. Its bulkier so you eat less and has great flavor. And hey, its way better for you!

I'm not one to condone eating fryed foods all that often, but when your starting with something containing no fat and bread it in Super high Fiber Whole Wheat Bread, there really is no room for guilt. These got a super crunchy outer coating and were super moist(sorry Kristen) and meaty inside. Simply amazing. Taylre even ate them, and she doesn't like the texture of Mushrooms.

Mexi Bowl

Mexican Whole Wheat Cous Cous with Fajita marinated Tofu and Black bean and Corn Salsa

I have never been much of a fan of Tofu..I will be the first to admit, It looks funny and isn't super exciting in the flavor area either. But once you get the marinating down..its like a whole new product! You have to start by getting the water out of the tofu. My trick is to wrap the tofu in a couple paper towels and squeeze it pretty good. The firm tofu will take a pretty good manhandling. I then cut the tofu block in half and squeeze it again. For this recipe I sliced the tofu in about 1/2 inch slices. Then laid each slice on a paper towel, laid another paper towel on top and pressed the whole thing to get every last bit of moisture OUT. Now you are ready to get the flavor IN!

Tofu "Fajita" Marinade
As per my usual, I didn't measure as I went, I will give you a list of suggested spices..add as much of each as you like.

Garlic Granules, Onion Flakes, Cayenne Pepper, Cumin, Paprika, Salt, Chili Powder. Mix in 2 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar & 1 Tbs. Agave Nectar(optional). Add enough water to give you a pourable yet still slightly pasty consistency.

Pour a little on a plate and smear around. Now line the plate with tofu slices and pour on the remaining marinade. Let this sit as long as possible. At least 4 hours. I then fry them in a little oil on my Cast Iron Griddle. I swear by this pan for cooking tofu..and honestly have not tried it in a stainless steel or non stick pan.

Mexican Cous Cous
Boil 1&1/2 cup water mixed with 2 Tbs. Salsa. Add 1 Cup Whole Wheat Cous Cous. Stir to combine, then remove from heat and cover with a lid. In about 10-15 minutes, fluff with a fork.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1&1/2 Cup Cooked Black Beans( I cooked them with a little garlic and cumin)
1 The Kernels From One Cob Of Cooked Corn
1/2 Of a Red Pepper
1/2 Of a Red Onion
The Juice from 1 Lemon or Lime

Saute Onion and Pepper in a little oil till just soft. Cut the kernels from your cooked corn cob and add those to the pan. Cook for a few minutes, your mainly looking to get the moisture out of the corn. Now add the Black Beans and Season to taste. Finish off with the juice from one Lemon or Lime.

I served this with some slightly softened Onion And Red and Yellow Peppers. And topped it off with fresh diced Tomatoes. I also made some Corn Tortillas, But they were not so photogenic..so we will be trying those again. Still pretty tasty though :)

Cookies!

I may have mentioned that I have a hellofa sweet tooth. And of all sweet treats..I'm a sucker for cookies. I have come up with these two recipes both are low in sugar and high in fiber. Oh..and did I mention super hella yummy?


Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Dry Ingredients                                                  
1 Cup Unbleached White Flour                                                         
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour                                                                 
1/4 Cup Wheat Bran                                             
1&1/3 Cup Old Fashioned Oats                         
1 Teaspoon each Salt & Baking Soda               
                                                                           
Wet Ingredients
3/4 Cup Honey
2 Tbs. Pure Maple Syrup
2 Tbs. Molasses
1/2 Cup Oil
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree  
1 Teaspoon each Vanilla,Cinnamon&Nutmeg                     

Combine Dry Ingredients. In separate bowl combine Wet Ingredients. Combine both and mix well. These will not spread much, so I smoosh them down pretty flat. Bake at 350. Bake until done(depends on cookie size)


Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Dry Ingredients                                                   
1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour                    
1 Cup Unbleached White Flour                      
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats                             
1 Teaspoon each Salt & Baking Soda    

Wet Ingredients      
1/2 Cup each Oil and Apple Sauce
1/2-3/4 Cup Agave Nectar                         
1 Tbs.each Vanilla, Maple Syrup & Molasses
1 Apple pealed and chopped in small pieces   

Combine Dry Ingredients. In separate bowl combine Wet Ingredients. Combine both and mix well. Add Apple and mix well. Bake on 350 till done.

These are both pretty similar recipes, and I imagine you could do all kinds of customizations to them. The first time I made the pumpkin ones I still had a handful of white and dark chocolate chips laying around, so I added them also. There being no butter to cream, vegan cookies are pretty easy to whip up on the fly.    

Pantry makeover and weekly veggie box

Where once lived Campbells chicken noodle soup, now lives ball jars full of whole grains, dry beans and legumes. No more boxes of Mac and Cheese, nope, now its Whole Wheat Pasta and Almond milk. How do I feel about this you ask? Pretty damn good! We are coming home with bags and bags full of bulk stuff from the store and storing these can be tricky. I recently bought a box of quart canning jars to use for storage. This is not a new concept for me..I have been storing stuff in these jars for years. Now there is just a lot more of them. I whipped out the label maker and marked them all on top for easy reference. With the lids on all ball jars being interchangeable, I can start a new product in a small jar, and if we decide we like it, switch it up to a large jar and use the same pre labeled lid! Brilliant! I wont show you the top drawer/shelf..we are still working out the Costco box of granola bars(they have the same sugar content of a candy bar!!) and cans of condensed milk, I'm thinking a trip to the food bank may be in order. We are a work in progress, But working in all of these healthy alternatives feels pretty darned good!

I cant tell you how exciting Friday mornings are when you have this beautiful thing waiting for you on the front door step. We have been getting an Organic Veggie Box delivered to us every week for almost a year now. Alex and I tossed around the idea for a while, before deciding on Full Circle Farm. We liked these guys for a few reasons. They deliver right to your door, where some have a community pick up spot. They also allow you to log on and see what is coming to you and even swap things out. I love most all veggies and really only swap out things that I know we wont use, or that we already have coming out of our own garden. I also usually swap out most fruit, I find we just don't eat that much fruit. They use local produce when possible, obviously this is easier in the summer. By mid summer most of the box's contents come right from the farm, which is located over in Carnation. They also send a little Insert with "farm news" and recipe ideas. It feels good supporting a local farm and also forces more healthy eating habits into ones life. We have been introduced to new things like Fennel Bulb(that big furry thing on the left there). My favorite recipe last year was Scalloped Potatoes with Fennel bulb..lets see if I can come up with a vegan alternative.

If no veggie delivery services in your area, visit your local areas farmers markets or better yet, visit the farm! EAT MORE VEGGIES!!

Spring Rolls

Veggie Spring Rolls have become one of our new favorites around here. I will apologize right up front to those of you that live in places that don't have an Asian grocery store. We are lucky enough to have one relatively close to our house.The round things in the above picture are the rice paper wrappers and the bag next to it is rice sticks(tiny little rice noodles). Slivered long ways is red pepper, fresh water chestnuts, carrot, bib lettuce, Asian cucumber, and green onions. You want to make all of your veggies about the same size and length, this will make assembling the rolls much easier. To get started put a pan of water on to boil. Break off a chunk of the rice noodles and place in a large bowl. Once the water is boiling pour over noodles and cover with a plate. They will need to soak for about 10-15 minutes. Now you can get the veggies all sliced up. You can use whatever veggies you have, we have also tried bean sprouts, cabbage and diacon radish. When your noodles are soft drain and toss with a little soy sauce or braggs. Now its time to get your rice paper wrappers softened up. To do this, fill a plate with barely warm water. Taylre and I found out the hard way not to use too warm water, as the wrappers will tear. Fresh out of the package the wrappers will have a thick paper like consistency. you will slide them into the water and kinda move them around in the water while keeping them fully submerged. You will feel them turn to a pliable wet noodle like consistency under you fingers. When this happens they are ready to use. This is where it gets tricky! Move to a work surface and smooth out flat. If you tear the first one, don't feel bad..grab a new one and try again. Once you have one laid out, make a pile of veggies and noodles in the middle, just like your making a burrito. When you have a nice little uniform pile in the middle, fold the edges closest to the tips of the veggies, up over the veggies. Now you simply roll the whole thing up like a burrito. It is pretty tricky till you get the hang of it, so don't get frustrated. The wrappers are super inexpensive and you can even eat the ugly rolls!

Spring Roll Dipping Sauce

2 parts Rice wine vinegar

1 part Braggs Aminos or Soy Sauce

A drop or 2 of Sesame oil

Garlic Sriracha and black pepper to taste

Combine Ingredients and enjoy!

For those of you that dont want to mess around with rolling up spring rolls..throw all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional Yeast..Its whats for dinner! Around here anyway. I have been hearing about this stuff for years, and I may have even tried using it a time or two back in my old veggie days. But I have rediscovered it in a huge way. It started with a recipe I was making called cashew queso. It calls for quite a bit and was described in the recipe as the thing that gives this "fake cheese sauce" its cheesy taste. If there is one thing I have learned the last month on this food plan, it is, don't expect to replace the things you miss from your old eating plan. If you do, you will end up disappointed most every time. Does this cheese sauce taste like real cheese sauce, No, not really. But when a girl is craving something to dip her organic blue corn chips into, does this sauce taste frikin fantastic? YES!

My take on Cashew "cheese sauce"
1-2 Cup Soaked Raw Cashew(I soak 4-5 hours)
1/4 -1/2 Cup Almond  Milk or Dairy Alternative
2-3 TBS. Nutritional Yeast Flakes
1/2 of a small onion, chopped ( I have also used shallot or the white part of a leek)
2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
2 tsp. Garlic Granules
Salt and Pepper to taste
Juice of 1 Lemon


Heat a small skillet with a dab of canola oil. Saute the onions till just soft. Place soaked, drained Cashews in the food processor with Almond milk. Start with 1/4 cup of the milk and add to get the consistency that your going for. Puree for about 3 minutes. Open and check texture. It will never get perfectly smooth, but should have a hummus like texture. Next add the rest of the ingredients and puree till smooth. It will be fairly thick at this point. In fact I am making some now and plan to try a grilled "cheese" sammich with tomato tonight. If you add more almond milk you will get more of a cheese dip like texture. At this point you can add some of your favorite salsa and have a yummy mexi queso dip!

*If you dont have time to soak the cashews, cover them with boiling water and let sit for 15-20 minutes. May take a bit longer in the food processor.

So, Back to Nutritional Yeast. I guess its high in b12, and derived from all natural sources. Go here to learn more about nutritional yeasts nutritional facts. http://www.bestnaturalfoods.com/nutritional_yeast.html

I have also had it sprinkled on popcorn..that is super yummy! And here is my quick "go to" pasta dish.

Boil up a couple cups Whole Wheat pasta shells. While they are draining saute up some diced veggies of your choice in a dab of cooking oil. Here I used yellow pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini. When they are just soft, remove from heat and add the pasta. Drizzle with a little good olive oil and sprinkle generously with nutritional yeast & salt and pepper..stirring to coat. Topped with a fresh diced Roma tomato.

I look forward to discovering multiple ways to use this healthy and yummy stuff, and I hope you do too!

High Fiber Granola

I am a girl with a sweet tooth! That being said, I have cut out all refined sugar. I am a recovering dark chocolate chip addict, I was about a half a cup a night user. It was not only a sugar addiction but a nightly habit. I loved going to the cupboard and getting out one of my little sauce bowls and filling it with ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, frozen of course. Its just what I did..pretty much every night. What I recently learned was, that I had conditioned myself to do so. Weird huh? Anyway, I have replaced those bad habits, with this good one! High Fiber Granola. Packed with protein rich nuts and high in Fiber. I make a standard base granola, then everyone can individualize single servings to their liking. I have stocked up on a variety of dried fruits and raw nuts for adding in. All portions are approximations and I highly suggest you personalize it to your liking.

DRY INGREDIENTS
4-5 Cups Organic Old Fashioned Oats                                      
1/2 Cup Wheat Bran
1/2 Cup Flax Meal
1 Cup Organic Non Sweetened Shaved Coconut
1 Cup Chopped Raw Nuts(I do pecans, almonds & cashews)
1/4 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg to taste

WET INGREDIENTS
1/3 to 1/2 Cup Oil(I use canola, but just switched to coconut oil. Will update with how it works in this recipe later)
1/4 to 1/3 Cup Honey
2 TBS. Agave Nectar
2 TBS. Pure Maple Syrup
1 TBS. Molasses

Turn oven on to 325. Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Heat wet ingredients in a small sauce pan on the stove until it is mixed well. Add wet ingredients to dry in 4 parts, stirring well in between. Line sheet pan with parchment paper and pile on the mixture. Level out and smash down with metal spatula. This will help granola to form nice big chunks. Cook in 325 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, rotating pan half way through cooking. Let cool completely before you remove from pan.

* The wet ingredients can be altered to fit your preference. If you add less oil you will get more of a dry cereal like texture from the oats. You can also cut back on the sweet ingredients. I use Organic ingredients whenever possible, but sometimes choose local over Organic.

How it all started

As some of you may know, Alex and I recently embarked on a new eating plan. I refuse to say we are on a diet..fearing if I do I will be tempted to rebel. I say eating plan because I see this as a whole new way of living for us. It isn't something I plan to do for a certain length of time..only to loose weight I will eventually gain back. I have been looking for a way to shed a few pounds and feel "better" for a while now. "Better" meaning, more energy, less lethargic(kinda redundant, I know), Less depression, you know..just all around better! After a glutenous Presidents day weekend spent eating super heavy greasy meals and having no energy for much more than couch surfing; I was ready for a change. Enter, "Forks over Knives". If you haven't seen it..get to it! Talk about a slap in the face. This show talks about folks with some serious health issues that were able to turn them all around in a matter of weeks. Whats the miracle drug you ask? A whole foods, plant based diet. Yep, that's it. No more heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. What exactly is a whole food, plant based diet you ask? Well, basically it means going vegan. We gave up all meat and dairy products. We still eat eggs in this house, because, as far as i am concerned, they are a super food! We do only buy from farmers we can look in the eye while purchasing. Free Range, Organic, Happy chickens only! We also cut out refined sugar and all processed food. Let me tell you, our grocery cart looks a lot different. We are buying tons of whole grains, veggies and fruit. I will not say it hasn't been a challenge to stay creative and keep yummy food on the table, but the benefits are so worth it. Alex and I both feel loads better already. It has been about 4 weeks and we have both lost weight. We don't have a scale in our home, but clothes are fitting noticeably better. We both have more energy and I am in a better mood, even with this funky weather! I decided to start this blog so friends and family that ask me "what in the hell CAN you eat" will see that there is a huge variety in what we are eating..you just have to be creative! Alex and I have both been Vegetarians on and off, so we are pretty comfortable cooking and eating like this. Taylre is hanging in there, bless her little heart :) I have never really been a huge fan of most meat or dairy, so this has been pretty easy for me. I will admit that the first words out of my mouth were, "I wont be giving up half and half in my coffee". Then I looked up the calorie content in Half and half. And then I measured how much I put in my coffee on average. I will admit I was a bit horrified. So, I switched to "so delicious" coconut alternative. After about a week..I was over half and half! Butter was a bit tough..But I bit the bullet and went cold turkey! I can honestly say, I haven't looked back. Yes, bread with butter slathered on it is awesome..its just not what I'm choosing anymore. I also recently read a book called, The end of overeating. After describing what has been my relationship with food all of my life, it gives you tools and strategies to help you change your evil ways (hence that little.. its just not what I'm choosing anymore, bit back there).  Each individual has to choose what works for them and their body, this seems to be it for me. I hope to post recipes, shopping ideas, and garden tips here. Stay tuned and I hope you enjoy!