Tortellini Soup

This weekend, several of the requirements I have in mind for my future dream home were illuminated. Top of the list is a mud room. This is something I think about a lot. I partake in some dirty sports and every time I come home from a local adventure, I'm reminded that I have no good place to shed and store my muddy, snowy, dusty, and/or wet shoes and gear. I make do with the small front door entryway, but it's not sufficient for the job. At the moment, it's covered with wet clothes, boots, mittens, and hats from my last two rounds of shoeveling. We are in the midst of a big storm with up to 20" of snow predicted. 

This brings me to my next wish list item - a garage. I've lived in New England my entire driving life and never had a garage. This is nearly 40 winters of laborioulsy cleaning snow and ice off my car. Forty winters of scraping and brushing ice and snow from the windshield, roof, bike rack, etc. before I can head out to do what I need or want to do. Some winters are more wintry than others and the last few have required less snow removal than in the past, but I long to just have to clear only the driveway as my ticket to departure. The garage would have other benefits, of course, like being the entry point to my mud room, but mostly I'd like to open the garage door and drive a snow free, dry car out of it. 

A third dreamy item on my list has nothing to do with the outdoors, but instead cozying up inside with friends and family at a long dining table in a space dedicated to gathering. I went to a dinner party last night with plenty of room at the table for the 12 people, platters of food, wine glasses, and candles strewn throughout. I currently have space for 6 people seated uncomfortably so typically my dining table becomes the serving area and my guests need to eat with plates on laps and their drink placed awkwardly and often precarioiusly nearby. I'd host more often if I had an appropriate and comfortable arrangement. 

This soup was one my guests had to eat from bowls in their laps last winter and I had forgotten all about the recipe until one of those friends recently reminded me of it when she was looking to make it for her own gathering. She said it was a hit and while it was on my mind, I decided to make it as a way to warm up after my snow shoveling sessions today and tomorrow. 

The original recipe is from The New York Times, so check it out there if you have a subscription.

Tortellini Soup Recipe

1 medium onion, diced

1 large or 2 medium carrots, diced

2 ribs of celery, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

4 cups vegetable broth (or bouillion plus 4 cups water)

1 8-10 oz package tortellini

4 cups roughly chopped baby spinach

1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

parmesan cheese for garnish

fresh parsley or basil for garnish

1. In a stock pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add onions, carrots, and celery with a large pinch of salt. Sautee about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are getting crispy. Add chili flakes and stir.

2. Add tomato paste and chop up with a wooden spoon so it breaks down into vegetables.Add diced tomatoes with their juices, rosemary and oregano. Add broth. Scrape up any of the bits that browned to the pan with the back of the wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and then simmer, partially covered for 15 minutes.

3. Add tortellini and let cook for a few minutes, a little longer if the tortellini were frozen.

4. Add spinach and cream. Let cook for a few minutes and then add vinegar. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Turn off heat.

5, Serve hot with parmesan and fresh herbs to garnish. Soup can be store in the fridge for up to 5 days. The tortellini will absorb water so you will need to add more water before serving leftovers. 

Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter Stew

I was late to the peanut butter party. I didn't start eating it in any real way until I was in my 30s. Of course I had peanut butter cups and Reese's Pieces. I'm not a heathen. But I don't recollect purchasing a jar of peanut butter until I was creeping up on 40. PB&J or PB&Fluff were not staples in my childhood lunchbox. I always leaned savory rather than sweet and my sandwich of choice was deli meat - ham or baloney - and cheese with mustard.  (Don't judge me, it was the 70s and 80s. Ask any Gen Xer. They ate baloney and still have a jingle about it committed to memory.) Always, there was a baggie of potato chips as an accompaniment.

When I did start to eat PB&J, it was more as a practical, portable sustenance to bring on a hike or to a bike race vs something I craved or felt excited about eating. Without any deliberation or experimentation, I identified as Smooth right out of the gate. It was unconscious, like I was just born that way. I did get nut butter curious by mixing it up with almond butter or the occasional jar of sun butter, but always smooth, never crunchy. 

As time went on, I began to truly enjoy peanut butter. In my oatmeal. On apples. Smeared on toast. But I struggled with finding just the right peanut butter that wasn't too runny with oil floating on the top or too dry from putting it in the fridge to deal with the oil. I tried different brands and settled on a local brand, Teddie, as the closest I could get to a consistency I could live with. Of course I was trying to keep it natural and low sugar, so something like Jif was not in the running.

Last winter as my peanut butter evolution continued,  I learned an important peanut butter pro tip. Tip the jar upside down for a few days before you open it. This allows the oil to blend into the butter, rather than separate and the result is a luxuriously creamy can't get enough of the sublime perfection right out of the jar with a spoon. Another result is the 5+ pounds I put on last winter as my peanut butter intake increased by about 700%. I can't point my finger fully in the direction of the tipped jar peanut butter, but it was no doubt a major factor.

Then, just last week at book club, the host made a soup recipe by Mark Bittman that contained crunchy peanut butter. It was such a nice eating experience, I went out as soon as I could to buy my first jar of crunchy peanut butter and made the stew myself. Since I had the crunchy on hand, I tried it in my oatmeal the next morning. Lovely! I recently also switched from rolled oats to steel cut oats. Having the bite of the steel cut oats along with the grit of the ground nuts and the crunch of the local diced Macouns transitioned my morning dining experience from a just trying to get some nutrition baby food like bowl of mush to a vessel of flavor and texture that elevates the start of my day.

Maybe the lesson here is you can teach an older dog new tricks, or we are fortunate to have so many options available to explore, or it's good to not get too set in our ways. All I know is I'm now BiButter and I'll need to have at least 2 variations tipped upside down in my cabinet at all times. 

Here's the link to the Mark Bittman recipe. I made it in under an hour which makes it a good winter weeknight choice. I was dubious about the large cuts of sweet potato and onion, but it all works out ok! Below is my version where I omit the garlic. Sengalese Peanut Soup

Sengalese Peanut Soup

3/4 cup shelled roasted peanuts, chopped or crushed

2 tablespoons oil (peanut, avocado or garlic infused olive)

1 medium red onion halved and sliced thin

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 pinch cayenne

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

6 cups of water with 2 No Chicken bouillon cubes

2 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and and cut into 1/4 inch slices

8-10 plum tomatoes, fresh or canned, cored diced and seeds removed

1 small bunch tuscan kale or collard greens, chopped

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter

1. Heat oil in medium sized sauce pan or dutch oven and then sauté onions and ginger for 3-5 minutes.

2. Add 1/2 cup of the roasted peanuts and cayenne, sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté for a few minutes.

3. Add water, bouillon cubes, and sweet potatoes, bring to a boil. Then turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sweet potatoes are just softening.

4. Add tomatoes, greens, and peanut butter. Blend and cover for 10 more minutes.

5. Serve and garnish with remaining roasted peanuts. 

The Negroni Cocktail

I'm trying to remember my first Negroni experience, but can't call to mind my initial impressions. To the best of my memory, I backed into the Negroni after having fallen head over heels for the Boulevardier thanks to David Lebovitz's "Drinking French". The Boulevardier is sometimes described as a French Negroni. While many cocktails are seasonal affairs for me - gin and tonics, Last Words and Paper Planes are strictly for al fresco drinking on a patio. In contrast, Old Fashioneds, Manhattans or a Vieux Carre are most enjoyed sitting next to a fire, like a cozy knitted blanket keeping your insides warm while the wind blows or the snow falls outside.  The Negroni I've found is an all season favorite for me. It has that warming affect in deep winter, the damp days of spring or crisp autumn nights. In summer, its bright vermillion color complements the golden hour and the complex blend of flavors require you to sip slowly, matching the pace of the sun dropping towards the horizon.

The Negroni is not a crowd pleaser like I find the Paper Plane to be. So when I discover someone enjoys a Negroni as much as I do, I feel an instant connection. There is something to bonding over a more complicated flavor profile. You feel like your drinking partner really gets you. 

I still have more experimenting to do and there are many riffs on the cocktail that I plan to try. From what I know so far, I find the most important part of preparing this cocktail to be the stirring in the mixing glass. This cannot be rushed. Think of it as an enjoyable moment to pause and fully relax into the motion so that tranquil vibe can be transferred into the glass and passed onto the recipient. I tend to stir for at least one minute, two is better. Then pour it over one round ice cube. This takes the bitterness down a notch and increases the enjoyment factor, 

As for proper glassware, I think this is where you can add some personality to align with your mood. If you're feeling easy-breezy go with a larger fancy coupe glass. More contemplative? A heavy-bottomed old fashioned glass will be more grounding. Not sure? A stemless martini glass is the middle of the road. 

Negroni

1 to 1 1/4 oz London Dry Gin (classic is 1 oz, I sometimes go a little more)

1 oz Campari

1 oz Carpano Antica or other sweet vermouth

1 piece  of orange peel or  slice of blood orange for garnish

1. Fill a stirring glass 2/3 full with ice.

2. Add all liquid ingredients. Stir slowly for 1-2 minutes.

3. Strain over one large ice cube (if preferred) and add garnish. 

Gin and Juice

If I had to summarize June 2023 with one image, it would be a grey cloud. Very uncharacteristic for my birthday month that is usually filled with lovely dry sunny days, perfect for drinking gin. This weather pattern even followed me out to Portland, Oregon where it had been in the 80s and sunny for weeks, and let's just say while it was certainly not terrible, the shorts and cute sleeveless dress I packed in my suitcase never emerged. The grey and damp has continued into July, but now with extreme humidity. You really just have to roll with it, try to do the thing you planned to do, maybe with some adjustments and take advantage of any sunny dry patches. 

I've picked this time to make a return to mountain biking which is adding a layer of complication as I try to overcome my fear of falling and incurring another serious injury. It's a constant internal struggle of wanting to push my boundaries so I can improve while also trying to be smart and not too risky. This can be a tough balance to achieve, especially with my fear taking a prominent role in the constant decision making that happens during a trail ride. The slippery roots and rocks are making this even more complex for me since anything slick has become an instant trigger. I can only hope I'm going to feel like a champ once I'm on my new much improved mountain bike in drier conditions. 

I've also persevered in drinking gin cocktails, even on days when the weather feels more bourbon. One that I had in Portland at a cute bar called Bellwether was a sort of play on a Last Word using a locally made green herbal liqueur. I brought a bottle of the Accompani Flora Green home and made that cocktail, but didn't like it as much the second time around. It had a sour feel to it with all the citrus and sweet. I will mess with the amounts and maybe post it soon. In the meantime I needed to use up the fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, so made a Gin and Juice from a NYT recipe and will definitely make this again. I loved the balance of the bitter and sweet. Definitely good for a humid summer evening, whether clear or cloudy.

Gin and Juice

2 oz London Dry Gin (I used Broker's)

1 oz. fresh lime juice

1 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

grapefruit wedge for garnish

1. Put all ingredients (other than garnish) in a mixing glass or shaker with ice. Mix well.

2. Pour into couple glass and attach grapefruit wedge to rim.

Mumbai Manhattan

While at a work event this week, someone asked what my "hype song" is. I didn't have one at the ready. It really depends what brand of hype I'm going for. If I want to perk up before an early morning work from home meeting, a few dance moves to "Into the Groove" is good for that. If I want to get energized for a workout, it's a myriad of 80s and 90s rock songs including U2, The Clash, Rage Against the Machine, Boston, INXS, Beastie Boys, etc. That list is long. Typically before doing something for work where I need to be "on", I go in the opposite direction and want to get centered rather than hyped up. As an example, during my drive to this week's work event, I listened to John Denver's "Poems Prayers and Promises". Like many of his songs it has a nature theme and the imagery they invoke help me to feel more relaxed.

This is similar to my morning meditation style when I do one. I wish I could say I diligently did this every day. While I think a quiet walk out in my local woods would be even more beneficial, I am less likely to make the time to do that on an office day in the winter, so I have to bring my mind into nature in a different way. My most common approach is to hold the Onyx (Grace) and Afghan Blue Calcite (Freedom) stones my friend, Lisa, gave to me and to read a Mary Oliver poem. I have a few go-to's for this because I like to try to memorize the poem as much as possible since this helps me get focused. One is Wild Geese:

You do not have to be good. 

You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles in the desert repenting. 

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. 

Tell me about despair, yours, and I'll tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese high in the clean blue air are heading home again. 

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, 

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting, announcing your place in the family of things.

In the past I've sort of joked about going to GT (goat therapy) in addition to PT when I was recovering from an injury. It's really not a joke. The goats have helped me through a lot in pandemic times. This poem captures the essence of what I think is going on. No matter what you're dealing with emotionally or physically, the natural world around you just keeps moving on, doing its thing. The goats still want their breakfast by 8:00, get antsy for their midday walk in the pasture, need to be milked, feed their young, give birth, ruminate, sleep, butt heads with one another, etc. This is an explanation in its simplest form. There's a deeper aspect of it that I can't yet articulate, but will continue to ponder. Consider this a teaser for all my devoted readers (haha, this is just for me to hold myself accountable since it's been rolling around my mind for a while).

If nature doesn't work to calm my nerves after a particularly intense work week, there's always cocktails! This one was passed onto me by my co-worker, Sue. We have similar taste in libations. I arrived to my office one day to find a bottle of cardamom bitters on my desk and this has been a wintry favorite ever since. Here is the link to the original recipe Sue provided:

Mumbai Manhattan recipe

Mumbai Manhattan

2 oz rye whiskey (I like Rittenhouse)

1/2 oz amaro montenegro

1/2 oz ginger liqueur (like Domaine de Canton)

2 dashes cardamom bitters

1 bourbon soaked luxardo cherry

1. Put all ingredients except for the cherry into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir well.

2. Drain into coupe or Old Fashioned style glass. Garnish with cherry. 

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

 I miss mixed tapes. Listening to them. Making them. Gifting them. Receiving them. I loved the experience of putting a tape into the cassette player in my car on a road trip, the pavement and songs unfolding before me. I would never read the list written on the cardboard insert first, if one was provided. I wanted to be surprised by the songs chosen for me and pay attention to how one song segued into another. I would think a lot about the order of each one when I made them and know my friends did too. Truth be told, making a mixed cd was a much easier process and I could put one of those together in a fraction of the time, sliding songs around rather than pressing "play" and "record" together at just the right spot, a few seconds after the last song ended. Now, it's even easier with Spotify with most every song in the world available as options to add. It's a less satisfying experience somehow and doesn't feel as meaningful a gift to send to someone.

I have made and received some playlists on Spotify and while creating one for a friend yesterday, I discovered a new feature I like and hope to use more. Tricia was returning home to the Pacific Northwest after a whirlwind weekend back east and was going to be driving her daughter back to college, both of them being short on sleep. It's a two hour drive and I thought having some good road tripping tunes would make the drive more pleasant. I quickly assembled about 20 songs and as I was sharing it saw there is an option to invite someone to collaborate on the playlist with you. By today she had already added a bunch more songs that worked really well with the vibe I had going. I listened to it while cooking this evening and smiled every time I heard a song she had chosen. I think this could become a way that we stay in touch, continuing to add songs to this list and making new ones. 

It made for a lovely end to a Fall weekend. I made this soup for a second time and a friend stopped by for dinner and a game of Scrabble while we listened to the joint effort "mixed tape". 

This soup can be made on the stove top or in a crock pot/Instant pot. The original recipe is here.  I plan to try some fresh herbs instead of a dried spice blend next time. 

Cozy Autumn Wild Rice Soup

6 cups water

2 veg broth boullion cubes (or use 6 cups of veg broth of your choice

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 stalks celery, diced

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 large sweet potato, not peeled, diced

8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay spice blend (or something similar)

1 cup wild rice

1 14 oz can coconut milk (unsweetened)

2 cups chopped kale

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in large stock pan over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Sautee for about 5 minutes, then add garlic. After a minute add celery, carrots, sweet potato, and mushrooms. Stir to coat them in oil and then sauté for a couple more minutes. 

2. Add broth, seasoning, rice and some salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes until rice is cooked. 

3. Add coconut milk and kale. Let simmer for about 10 minutes more to let kale cooked down. Add salt and pepper. 

White Rice in the Instant Pot

 Each time I have moved I've had to go through the arduous process of getting rice just right on the inherited stove. The last place I lived had a horrible, ancient, tiny electric stove surrounded by minimal counter space which made for many an unpleasant cooking experience. So, I was overjoyed to then move into my house with a much more updated gas range. It's not perfect, but much better than most of the stoves I've had in the past. It's good for most things, but despite trying all four burners and utilizing different pots, I can't seem to get rice to come out consistently good. Since my Instant Pot doesn't get used frequently (see past posts) I decided to give that a go, hoping to find it a special purpose. I've tried several recipes I've found on line and this one seems to be pretty close to the texture I'm looking for. You cannot skip the step of rinsing the rice and you can't do it half-heartedly. I used to rinse rice in the same fashion that I washed my hands pre-pandemic - quickly and not like I really meant it. Now I rinse for several minutes until the water goes from white to more clear. And, yes, I also now wash my hands for the recommended 20 seconds. 

Here's the original recipe:

Amy + Jacky recipe

Instant Pot White Rice

1 cup rice (or more - use exactly 1:1 ratio water to rice)

1 cup water

1/4 tspn salt

1. Put rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water for several minutes until water starts to run clear. Shake out excess water.

2. Put rice water and salt in Instant Pot. Put on cover and turn seal/vent knob to "seal"

3. Turn onto to pressure cooker, custom and set to 3 minutes. 

4. Once the pressure cook part is done and the machine beeps, let it sit and the timer run to 10 minutes. Switch seal/vent knob to "vent" to let out any additional steam. Take off cover.

5. Turn Instant Pot off so it stops cooking. Fluff rice with a fork and transfer it to a serving bowl.

Brown rice: Same process, but 15 minutes pressure cook, let it sit for 5 minutes and then open the vent to release the steam. I find taking it out of the pot right away and putting it in a serving bowl is best so it does dry out.

Sautéed Asparagus with Yogurt Sauce

 April is, without contest, my least favorite weather month. Yes, April is the gateway to warmth and summer. Trees and flowers are practically exploding with life, adding color to an otherwise brown and bleak landscape. Bunnies are hopping about getting ready to bring their offspring into the world and chipmunks are scurrying about. Birds are singing out their enjoyment. I know about 325 people with April birthdays to celebrate. It's time once again to eat asparagus. I enjoy all of this. It's the in-between temperatures, indecisive skies and defeating winds that get me down. A teaser of a 65 degree sun-filled sky day is followed by several 40 degree, rainy, windy ones. As I mentioned, though, there is asparagus, so let's just focus on that. 

I've made this recipe twice already this month and planning to make it again while asparagus is still in season locally. As I prepared it, I was so pleased by my own efficiency in trimming the bottoms by snapping them off instead of cutting them. Then, I just watched this video and learned how wasteful that is. 

Cooks Illustrated Asparagus Video

This is worth watching. It's informative and also quite funny. You can find out what kind of person you are regarding asparagus smell. I am an MS. After watching this I am eager to try the braising method and peeling the stalks. The truth is, I'll probably still snap the bottoms since I think it's faster. At least my wasted parts are going into the compost so I can feel a bit better about it. 

Here's the link to the original recipe I used for this dish. I've never added the egg. I think it's a good idea, and I'd enjoy the flavor, but haven't found it necessary based on what it was accompanying. 

SK Asparagus w/yogurt sauce

I hope this makes your April more tolerable. :) (I fully realize I'm in the minority with my 4th month annoyances.)

Asparagus 

1-2 bunches of trimmed asparagus

1 tblspn olive oil

salt and pepper

lemon juice

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds (less is ok)

Sauce

1 cup  plain Greek yogurt

2 tblspns lemon juice

1 tspn paprika

1 small clove minced garlic or big drizzle of garlic infused olive oil

1/4 tspn salt

1. Toast almonds in the toaster oven until lightly browned. Set aside.

2. Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Spread 1/2 cup onto the surface of a serving platter. 

3. In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Place the spears in the pan, laying half in one direction, and half in the opposite direction so they fit nicely. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes depending on thickness (5 minutes if they are fatter). 

4. Uncover, turn the heat to high and season with salt and pepper. 

5. Sauté, turning with thongs until they are all browned on 1-2 sides, 5-7 minutes. Turn of heat and squeeze lemon juice on top. 

6. Place on yogurt smeared platter. If you want, drizzle with olive oil and more lemon juice. Then with a spoon drizzle more of the yogurt dressing. Serve and enjoy!

Green Beans Almondine

 As I look back on 2021, I read my post from January 1 last year. It was mostly about parsley. Not much in the way of reflections of 2020 or looking ahead to the coming year. I think this was appropriate as we were still in pre-vaxx life and living in the moment was an important coping mechanism. Today, there are still many unknowns when it comes to getting back to a version of normal, or perhaps creating a new normal. I am, nonetheless, allowing myself to think a little bigger about the year ahead and plans I'd like to make. I'm craving some exploration farther afield.

While things opened up this year as more people became fully vaccinated, I still spent far more time at home than I typically would. This was partly due to COVID circumstances and also as a result of my accident. Some of the most memorable moments for me were ones that may have felt ordinary in years past, but instead felt luxurious - sitting a dinner table with my family for a holiday meal; huddled with friends playing board games; having a girls' weekend; driving to a local destination with a friend in the car singing songs; going to lunch with co-workers. 

I had mentioned in a previous post that taking on the mindset of having many "firsts" while recovering from my injury was helpful to me, but it turned out this also had another application with firsts in trying to emerge from pandemic life. I fondly remember a list of firsts from 2021, including those mentioned above.

A lot of takers for my acorn sorting party

One "first" I experienced was holding an acorn sorting party in my backyard. For the record, this was a first in life, not just post-injury or post-quarantine life. While we were in winter foraging mode for the goats this autumn, my focus was acorns. There weren't many locally this year, but there were elsewhere. I collected many while hiking and walking in NH and western MA. There were also a surplus in my parents' yard. My dad raked up boxes of them, but the raking included other bits of twigs and grass that the goats won't eat. I sent an email to the ladies to see if anyone might be interested in helping me sort and the r.s.v.p's came back all yeses! So we worked out a system and sat around my fire pit in the low light of the evening hours with cookie sheets and headlamps until we had two big buckets of acorns for the girls to enjoy in the cold months. We discussed what a satisfying experience this was to have a common activity while we chatted and have a bounty at the end. Several of the friends who attended haven't even met the goats. They've just heard me talk about them a lot!

Mei Mei, happy in the sun

I took a simplistic approach to cooking for the various dinners I was able to attend over the holidays. I made this green bean side dish on 3 occasions (please note that I actually had 3 occasions to bring green beans to. This, in itself, is the most important piece of my holiday cooking). It's simple, yet has flavor and is a good accompaniment to many entrees. The green beans come out just the right amount of crispiness. 

Green Beans Almondine

12 oz green beans, trimmed (approximate amount)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon parmesan (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Bring a pot of water to a boil (large enough to fit the green beans). When it comes to a boil, add green beans, return to a boil then blanch green beans for about 2 minutes. Drain the green beans and then add them to an ice bath to arrest cooking. Lay them out on a dish towel to dry. This part can be done ahead of time if you want to get the green beans ready and then do the remaining steps later.

2. In a toaster oven bake the almonds on 350 until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Take the pan out and shake it at least once. Even if you like them more brown, take them out a little sooner than you think. They will continue to cook once you remove them.

3. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add garlic and shallots. Add a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add green beans and blend with the oil mixture. Add a few more pinches of salt. Sautee for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Remove from heat. Drizzle with lemon juice and mix.  Transfer to serving dish and top with almonds and sprinkle with parmesan if you are using it. 

Roasted Tofu and Winter Squash

 Nine months post-accident and while I'm doing well overall, I'm not fully recovered. One of the biggest hurdles has been getting back to running. I've been doing walk/runs which started with intervals of 10 steps and increased from there. This has been a slow process over several months. Each time I think I've reached a turning point, and on my way to running a 5k, I've had a knee issue and have backed off. It's difficult to not worry that running will never be available to me again. I miss it a lot. I wasn't a fast runner and I no longer ran long distances, but I enjoyed it and it's an efficient way to get some outdoor exercise. 

Every so often I still think back to the moment of my accident and get upset with myself for the poor decision I made. Recently, on a group hike, I was comparing injuries with a fellow hiker and while discussing this he said, "if you make enough decisions, you're eventually going to make a bad one". I suppose this is true, and when you're riding trails, many decisions are being made along the way picking lines and deciding whether or not to ride a particular feature, etc. I prefer this line of thinking to my particular case over the common "accidents happen". That is also true, yet more generic as a retort.

This same concept could apply to cooking - if you pick enough recipes to make, you'll eventually pick a bad one! Thankfully this wasn't the case here. It's another one by Smitten Kitchen and I can feel confident I'll most likely enjoy a dish created by her. I had some tofu I needed to use up and had all the other ingredients on hand as well. The recipe calls for acorn squash, but I used delicata. I roasted some sliced acorn squash as well and mixed it in at the end. Original Recipe

Roasted Tofu and Winter Squash

1 medium delicata squash, sliced into half moons

1 block of tofu, pressed

7 tablespoons peanut or olive oil, divided

1/3 cup tamari

3 tablespoons honey

1 inch of ginger, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon chili flakes

fresh lime juice to garnish (not optional!)

sesame seeds toasted for garnish (optional)

chopped scallions for garnish (optional) 

1. Either press the tofu for several hours or press it while you're preparing the squash and marinade. 

2. Preheat the oven to 400.

3. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds and pulp with a spoon. Slice into 1/2 inch thick half moons. 

4. Whisk together in a small bowl the honey, tamari, ginger, chili flakes and 4 tablespoons of the oil.

5. Slice the tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices and then cut each slice in half.

6. On a cookie sheet, arrange the squash and tofu pieces intermingled in a single layer. Using a spoon, drizzle the marinade over the whole thing. Then flip each piece so both sides get some marinade.

7. Put the sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Take out and flip with a spatula, then drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Bake for another 15 minutes. (I ended up messing this up and putting all the oil in the marinade and using it all at once and it was fine, but will try it the correct way next time and see if there's a noticeable difference.)

8. Arrange in bowls, over arugula if you'd like and squeeze lime juice over the top. This is important! If you don't have lime juice, I read a comment that some cider vinegar will work. You need a bit of acid. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds and/or scallions if that sounds good to you.

Amaranth and Millet Porridge - Slow Cooked

 I finally caved right about this time last year and bought an Instant Pot. I had been thinking about it for a while and came across a good deal so decided to try it. I mostly wanted it for the slow cooker, since I don't have a crock pot anymore. I thought since I was working from home, I could put ingredients in the slow cooker while I was making breakfast in the morning and have a tasty and nutritious dinner waiting for me when I was done with work. The best part would be that I'd get cozy and warm aromas of food cooking throughout the day. Unfortunately, what I've discovered is that many of the vegetarian recipes I've found for the Instant Pot are geared towards the pressure cooking component. 

It's not just taking up real estate on my counter, without earning its keep, however. I slow-cooked dried beans a handful of times. I wanted to completely do away with canned beans, but haven't reached that goal yet. I'm also working on finding the right method for cooking perfect rice. While I would prefer to cook it on the stove top, there is some benefit to doing it in the pressure cooker. I tried a couple of stew type meals from Milk Street Fast and Slow cookbook. I didn't love either. But this porridge was one I happened upon while trying to figure out how to work amaranth into my diet and also have some variety for breakfast. The recipe calls for just amaranth, but I started to add some millet into it. I think I did this to dial down on the grassy, earthy flavor of the amaranth. This is the first time I've made it this season and since we've had some below freezing temps in the mornings I thought this would be a hardy breakfast to wake up to for the next few days. 

Here's the link to the original recipe on Delicious Living. I have a hard time locating it every time I go looking for it, never using the right search words, so wanted to have easy access to it here. 

Amaranth Porridge

Amaranth and Millet Porridge

1 cup amaranth

1/2 cup millet 

3 cups oat milk (or other milk of your choice)

1 cup water

3 apples, cored and diced (I like Macoun or Macintosh)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon cardamom 

1/2 cup yellow raisins (or chopped dates of your choice)

1. Put the apples, cinnamon, cardamon, salt and raisins in the slow cooker. Stir to coat almonds.

2. Add milk, water, vanilla and stir to blend.

3. Cook on slow cooker, low setting for 6-7 hours. 

4. Stir and then serve with your favorite garnishes (walnuts, maple syrup, yogurt, etc.)

Cacio e Pepe Popcorn

 As a person who loves savory snacks, it's comforting to know that as long as I keep popcorn kernels "in the pantry" (I don't have an actual pantry, but long to live in a house with a nook lined with shelves, drawers and cabinets filled with any dry or canned good I could possibly need.) I will never be without the option to produce a large bowl of crunchy, salty goodness in a matter of minutes. I prefer cooking popcorn the old-fashioned way, on the stove, and have a large pot which is reserved for this purpose. It has unremovable oil burned to some of the sides and bottoms. My usual go-to for flavoring is olive oil, nutritional yeast, salt and Justice spice blend from Penzey's. Every so often I try something new. Recently a friend sent me a link to a cocktail she thought I might like and in the same article, I noticed this popcorn recipe. I bookmarked the cocktail for later use, headed straight to the kitchen and in less than 10 minutes was reaching for a handful of this cheesy, peppery delight. It won't replace my regular combo, but if I'm in the mood for something that packs a little more punch, this would be a great option.

Cacio e Pepe Popcorn

2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1 tablespoon olive oil (you could also use melted butter)

3/4 cup grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese

1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

salt to taste

1. In a large pot, heat canola or grapeseed oil on medium-high heat.

2. Add popcorn kernels and cover. 

3. Once the popcorn starts to pop, shake the pan about every 30 seconds to prevent the kernels from burning.

4. When the popping slows to only a couple of kernels popping, immediately remove from heat and pour popcorn into a bowl. 

5. Toss the popcorn with the olive oil to moisten it. Then sprinkle with cheese and toss. Add salt and pepper and toss until it is the desired amount. 

Fennel and Pea Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Me: Hi Google. I have some fennel, peas and mint in the fridge I need to use up. Any ideas?

Google: Why, yes, I do. Here's a few.

Me: Scroll, scroll. Read through a couple of recipes. Voila! Perfect solution and I have all ingredients on hand.  

As a person who enjoys sitting back with a pile of cookbooks surrounding me on the couch, perusing them in a leisurely fashion, I find myself feeling just a little repentant, like I'm offending the authors of my cookbooks or I didn't work hard enough to find the perfect recipe. I know this is silly. I imagine there are many people out there who have never found a recipe in an actual book, just like they've never had to look at a map or write down directions to get to a new location. It's so convenient to find exactly what you need on the internet or use GPS to get to where you're going. The process described above took less than five minutes and the results were outstanding and EXACTLY what I was in the mood for. This same task using cookbooks would have taken an hour and I probably wouldn't have found anything that satisfied my current need. Instead I would've earmarked things that looked good for the future and who knows what I would've ended up eating for dinner. 

Several aspects of internet recipes I do not enjoy at all are the pop-ups, ads and repetitive nature in which many authors approach their recipes. I understand why they do it, but I find it a nuisance and it's one of the reasons I keep my own blog, so I can locate the recipes I like easily and distraction free. 

I still look through my cookbooks on occasion, but it's not the rainy Sunday morning activity it once was. I do appreciate a well-written and photographed one, and will continue to add to my collection.

The original recipe is from a produce store in Australia. I added cucumbers and after I finished eating it, I thought a handful of toasted pine nuts would be a good addition. 

Fennel and Pea Salad

1 small head of fennel

1/4 of a medium english cucumber (optional)

1/2 cup shelled english peas

handful fresh mint, chopped fine

handful fresh dill, chopped fine

1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 tblspn olive oil

1 tblspn lemon juice

1 tblspn white wine vinegar

1tspn dijon mustard

1 large pinch of sugar

salt and pepper to taste

handful toasted pine nuts  and a sprig of mint or dill to garnish (optional)

1. Boil a small saucepan of water. Once it comes to a boil, add peas for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. 

2. Use a mandolin to shave the fennel and cucumber into a mixing bowl. Add peas, mint and dill.

3. Mix the cheese, oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and sugar. Stir until well blended. Pour over salad. Top with salt and pepper. Blend and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.  

Chickpea Pan Bagnat

 As my days of working entirely from home start to dwindle, I want to take advantage of the situation as much as possible. Unfortunately for me, this doesn't mean moving to Montana for the next two months to spend my work days surrounded by mountains. Instead it means that I can do things like a weight workout for my arms while listening in on a meeting, or hard-boiling some eggs in between calls. Not very glamorous, I know, but it is practical. I also intend to visit a farmers market once a week to buy all my produce, eggs and some other items. Today was the first time since they opened that I've been able to go. And since I recently purchased a bunch of vegetables at my usual produce haunt, I had to control myself to mostly look and ask questions. It was quiet and the vendors were friendly. I walked away with purchasing only a baguette, but this one item was put to very good use.

When I got myself into picnic mindset (see last post), I had come across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I've been waiting for the right time to make it and since I was the proud owner of a large fresh baguette, today was the day. 

WOW! In order to describe how I felt about this sandwich, I want to post a picture of it surrounded with heart-eye emojis. But, instead, I'll try to use my words. As Deb mentions in her post, finding a veggie sandwich you can get excited about is rare. Usually it is heavily dependent on cheese, and I've never understood restaurants' fascination with roasted red peppers and eggplant as part of a Mediterranean style veggie rollup. (I've probably mentioned my extreme dislike of rollups. This was a very unpleasant food trend to emerge from the 90s.) Anyways, this sandwich has it all. It satisfies my nostalgia for an Italian grinder of my youth, my favorite aspect of that being the seasoned oil and vinegar that it was dressed with. It packs a lot of flavor into each bite, and has a solid and gratifying texture with the crusty outer layer of the bread and the crunchy vegetables within. (Not a mouthful of mush like aforementioned rollups.) It was such an enjoyable sandwich eating experience that I can hardly wait for lunchtime tomorrow to put more of my baguette to good use. 

I hope you make this and appreciate it as much as I do. Or, if you are my friend, please come over and I shall make one for you. 

Chickpea mash

1 15 oz can chickpeas or the equivalent cooked from dried

2 tbspns olive oil

juice and zest from half a lemon

few shakes chili flakes

handful of fresh parsley, chopped fine

fresh ground salt and pepper

Assembly of layers

Baguette or ciabatta sliced open in respectable sandwich size

Thinly sliced cucumber - about 5 per sandwich

Thinly sliced roma tomato - about 4 per sandwich (I only had grape tomatoes so used more)

Thinly sliced red onion - small handful per sandwich

capers - 1 tblspn per sandwich

hard-boiled egg, sliced thin, 4 slices per sandwich

olive oil 

red wine vinegar

basil leaves (optional)

salt and pepper

1. In a mixing bowl, roughly mash the chickpeas with a fork. You don't need to work too hard at this, just somewhat mashed up is fine. Add all other ingredients and mix.

2. On both halves of the bread, drizzle olive oil. On one half, spoon a layer of chickpea mash. Place a layer of onions on top of that. Drizzle vinegar and add some salt and pepper. 

3. Next layer is the eggs. Add a row of egg slices then some salt and pepper.

4. Add capers and tomatoes (you could also add olives here), another drizzle of olive oil and vinegar. These are supposed to be wet and flavorful, so don't skimp on this layer of oil and vinegar. 

5. On the other half, layer the cucumbers salt and pepper, and flip this on top. If you are bringing them on a picnic, wrap in foil. If not, put on a plate and cut in half. 

Crunchy Asparagus and Pea Salad

At the risk of being a tedious New Englander, I'm going to talk about the weather. It really is noteworthy this week. Six days ago, as I was contemplating which side dish to bring to my book club meeting, my priority was using as little heat as possible since it was 87 degrees and I don't have any air conditioning yet. Yesterday, the temps dropped by 40 degrees, it was pouring rain, and just like that it was bourbon weather again. On those days in between, I got in picnic mindset with variations of crunchy veggie salads and refreshing gin cocktails. So, here we are on probably the worst Memorial Day weekend weather that I can remember, but at least I now have some time to log these recipes.

This is the dish I brought to book club to accompany the delicious doughy pizzas Lisa got at Tendercrop Farm. This platter practically screamed "SPRING"! This was an exciting gathering for us because, while we have been meeting during the pandemic, we've done it either virtually or spaced out in someone's yard, sans food. It is so so so nice to be sharing food with others again. I cannot put enough of an emphasis on how happy I am to be doing this. I think we'll need to make up for lost time, so I want to be picnic ready. Stay tuned for more dishes to put in your picnic basket. 

To know me is to know that I adore shelling peas. I've mentioned this before, but there is something about seeing them all nestled together inside their pod that I find comforting. I also adored the characters in the book we read for this meeting for similar reasons. Perestroika in Paris was my choice and I was pleased to find that most of the book club gals had a similar experience to mine when reading it. It was laugh out loud funny at times and the interaction between the characters was so endearing. I should point out that it is told from the perspective of a race horse. While some members of my book group were skeptical at the start, they were soon won over by: the curiosity of Paras; the clever problem solving by Frida the shorthaired pointer; the strong opinions of Raoul, the raven; the quibbling of Sid and Nancy, a husband and wife team of mallards; and the antics of a father and son pair of rats. If you need an escape, this group of eclectic characters where there is just enough drama to keep it interesting is just the thing. 

In addition to the ladies enjoying the book, they also liked this salad and I will definitely make it, or a variation of it again. The avocado dressing is versatile and easy to make. Here's the link to the original recipe from Love and Lemons

Crunchy Asparagus and Pea Salad

2 bunches of asparagus, ends removed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup of shelled fresh peas or frozen peas

4 radishes, sliced thin

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)

chopped mint for garnishing

1 tblspn olive oil 

1 tblspn lemon juice

salt 

pepper 

Avocado dressing

1 ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed

juice from 1 lemon

tablespoon fresh dill, chopped

3/4 cup water

1/2 tspn salt 

pepper - a few shakes

Salad

1. Boil a pot of salted water. Add the asparagus and peas and cook for a minute or two, until the asparagus is tender but still bright green. Drain and rinse with cold water to arrest the cooking. 

2. In the bottom of a mixing bowl, add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and peas and mix. Transfer mixture to a serving platter. 

3. Garnish with pine nuts, radishes, mint and feta if using. Drizzle with the avocado dressing. Mix just prior to serving.  

Avocado dressing

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency. 

 

Aviation Cocktail

Finally, it is warm. Short-sleeve shirt and skirt warm. No need for another layer warm. No brisk breeze to chill you to the bone warm. The April air that was over-staying its welcome has finally bid adieu. To celebrate this, I finished up work a bit early on Friday and headed out for two forms of GT - goat therapy and gin therapy. I think my PT would agree that these are both important elements of my recovery. 

First, a grooming session with the girls. They were also quite content to be sitting in the sunshine receiving some brushing attention. While I was there, I picked some violets to be used for a garnish in the cocktails we would enjoy on Sandra's deck. An Aviation seemed like the perfect way to enhance this kind of spring day, both because gin is something I mostly associate with temps above 70F, with some exceptions, and the color reflects the massive blooming spurt happening. (I feel for those with seasonal allergies, but it is quite pretty.)

Aviation

2 oz of a London dry gin

3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 oz maraschino liqueur

1/4 oz creme de violette

1. Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for at least 15 seconds.

2. Pour into a coupe or small martini glass and garnish with some pretty flowers, lemon rind, or a maraschino cherry. 

Pasta and broccoli with "cheesy" sauce

 One thing I'm grateful for now that I've been unable to ride a bike for seven weeks, is that I had an incredibly fun winter season of riding. The conditions were great for fat biking. I got out nearly every weekend, and when the snow was too deep for riding, we had some nice snowshoe treks. In addition, I had joined Henry and Rick's indoor trainer series again this year and twice a week, they guided the group through some hard efforts. I was feeling good and ready to take this fitness onto the road this spring. We were just going into our last week with that when I had my accident. I'm hoping all that time in the saddle has served my recovery well. 

There are many days from this winter that will be especially memorable for me well beyond my current reveries. Riding across the frozen reservoir at the Fells, cutting fresh tracks under a bluebird sky with Rachel was extraordinary. Floating over ice in a wide open space is liberating. Maybe this is what ice skaters feel like. Riding the Western Greenway snow highway and the local Pond in Rock Meadow with April and Carlos was a blast. Riding through endless tree tunnels with Jenny early in the season was beautiful. Hitting the groomed trails at Yudicky with Zabeth and Sandra for swoopy twist and turns while big fluffy flakes fell upon us was reminiscent of childhood joy. Morning cappucino meetups with Rachel were frigid, but a nice way to start the day during pandemic work from home times. 

One of my most memorable winter days on a bike didn't even include much pedaling. It was a dreary Sunday in late February and I was feeling very little motivation to get outside. April needed to get out and work off some energy, so I reluctantly agreed to meet her. The conditions were tough. The snow was melting with patches of ice in various stages of life mixed with sections of mud. Lots of bike walking. We started out with a visit to the goats at pasture and by the time we finished there I was cold and even less interested in riding. I had no route in mind and trails were out of the question, so I suggested we just start riding the bike path and see what happened. About a mile into this endeavor, April said, "I have an idea, let's go check out Revolution Hall."

Those were magic words. That was EXACTLY what I wanted to do. Revolution Hall is a new local brewery that only recently opened and is accessible from the bike path. I had watched it being built all summer on one of my common road routes, but hadn't yet had a chance to check it out. It has an outdoor patio with propane fire pits, french fries and beer, and I was ecstatic. 

Looking back on this I recently realized that part of the joy in this excursion was the spontaneity of it. That was one of the casualties of the pandemic. Both in work and leisure, mostly everything needed to be planned and deliberate. No more running into a co-worker in the hallway and catching up. Hungry and want some food? Sign up for another website to place your order and have it waiting for you at the door in an hour because you couldn't go into the restaurant. Feel like meeting a friend for a drink? Sorry - that will have to wait until the next night that it's warm enough to sit in someone's backyard for a fire pit gathering.

I am looking forward to more of this brand of last minute fun as the weather warms up and things start to re-open. Today I was resting my leg after a walk outside and scrolling through Instagram found this recipe by Cookie and Kate. Original recipe I was hungry for lunch and the leftovers I had in the fridge were not going to do. I had to have this mac n "cheese". I had all the ingredients in the pantry so went for it. Another spontaneous endeavor that made me very happy. 

Pasta and Broccoli with "cheesy" sauce

1/2 pound pasta of your choice (I may try a whole grain pasta next time)

1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets 

2 tblspn olive oil 

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 medium russet potato, peeled and grated

2/3 cup raw cashews (you may want to soak them, depending on how good your blender is)

1 cup water (or more depending on your consistency preference 

few shakes of chili pepper flakes 

1/2 tspn mustard powder

1/2 tspn onion powder

1/2 tspn garlic powder 

salt 

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tspns cider vinegar

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. When there is 2 minutes left of cooking time, put the broccoli in with the pasta and cover the pot. When done, drain, put back in the pan and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking heat the olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the onions and a big pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the chili flakes and stir.

3. Add the potatoes, garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder and some salt, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes. The potatoes may stick easily to the pan. Add a bit of water if necessary.

4. Add the water and cashews, stir and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for about 8 minutes until the potatoes have cooked through.

5. Carefully put the potato mixture into the blender. Add the nutritional yeast, vinegar and blend for 2 minutes. Taste and adjust as necessary with salt vinegar or more water if you'd like a thinner consistency. Add to pasta and broccoli and blend together. 

Dehydrated Citrus Wheels

 This has been a tough week in Recovery Land. My six week x-ray is quickly approaching. I'm feeling both anxious and hopeful about that. I've also been feeling cooped up, frustrated and in low spirits. I had mastered being stuck in the house during pandemic times. At least I had regular rides with friends to look forward to. This is a whole new level of being stuck in the house that I haven't figured out, nor do I really want to if I'm honest. I have no idea what to expect in the coming weeks in terms of what I will and won't be able to do.

It seems that at least several times so far during this process, someone has come along and said just the thing I needed to hear at that time. Recently, in a text exchange, Rachel said to me "you have so many firsts to look forward to!" What a helpful way to re-frame things. As a person who has had several injuries herself, she gets that the ups and downs are inevitable. So, I have in moments of taking pity on myself, tried to halt that line of thinking and either reflect on a recent first I've had, or ponder the next one I will be experiencing. I'm finding this conducive to the emotional aspect of healing. It's essential to have things to look forward to. More importantly, it helps to feel like I'm accomplishing something rather than fixate on all the things I am currently unable to do. 

Recently I went for my first walk outside alone with one crutch. It was slow and short, but exhilarating. I have done others since. The next first I am aware of will occur on May 8. I think I've mentioned that I've abstained from drinking any cocktails during my recovery process. This is for many reasons. For one, I'd like to focus on proper nutrition to keep my bone healing on track. Secondly, given my lack of activity, I don't need the extra calories. But, most importantly, I'd like to remain stable and not risk any other kind of fall! May 8th will be the day I become "fully baked" from my second vaccination and I think this is cause to celebrate. I will raise a glass to honor this moment in my personal pandemic experience. 

Now, the all important question. Which cocktail do I have on this momentous occasion? It may be the only one I have for another chunk of time, so I need to make it good. Do I go with an old standby? A Paper Plane? A Last Word? A martini? Or do I choose from one of the drinks I've been bookmarking to try in the future? I have time to think about this, but one of the deciding factors will be whether it lends itself well to one of the dehydrated citrus wheels I made yesterday. (I just realized this was also a first. The first time I've played in the kitchen since this happened.) I'm so excited to use these. Some of them are so pretty and I think the aesthetics will elevate the drinking experience!

Dried Citrus Wheels

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Slice the fruit thin. Somewhere between 1/8 to 1/4". I used lemon, lime, orange, blood orange, cara cara navel.

3. Lay in single layers on lined baking sheets. Put in oven. Flip each slice over after 2 hours. 

4. Lemons and limes take about 3-4 hours. Oranges about 6 hours. You want them to be brittle, with no moisture left in them.

5. Store in an airtight container in your fridge. They should last quite a while. (I read up to a year.)

Green Beans with Lemon and Pine Nuts

 I've been pondering some good slogans for PR posters on the recovery process. These would be both from 1) my own experiences thus far, and 2) the advice I've been given repeatedly. You might be able to guess which ones come from each of these categories. I imagine these posters hanging in a Physical Therapy office or being flashed in front of me on my phone as a notification from a recovery app. Maybe the app is called Get Over It! The pictures behind the slogans are peaceful landscapes or vibrant and bold backdrops, depending on the message and whether it's supposed to be calming or inspirational. 

Recovery - Some days are better than others!

Recovery - How much patience do you have? Let's find out!

Recovery - Take it day by day.

Recovery - Don't overdo it!

Recovery - You need to go slow to go fast!

Recovery - It's not linear. I hope you like roller coaster rides! 

Recovery - Be sure to stick with your physical therapy even if you're feeling good!

Recovery - Enjoy the process. What's the rush?

Recovery - Don't overdo it! (Yes, I know I already mentioned this one.)

There are so many more. Maybe I'll do a Part 2. Please feel free to submit yours. I'm not knocking the advice, by the way. I know many people are providing me with cautionary tales of how they messed up their own recovery and basically saying - "don't be me" or "here is what I learned the hard way". I'm sure I'll be offering up the same advice. I'm still early in the process, so like I said, I'm anticipating a Part 2. Maybe even a trilogy, given full recovery is supposed to take up to a year. Only 11 more months to go!

I'm hoping to be able to start doing actual cooking in the next couple of weeks, more than just heating up food that was made for me, frying an egg or making toast. I think this dish could be something I start with. It's pretty simple to put together. It will be a nice side dish for the summer months. 

Lemony green beans with pine nuts

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 lb green beans, trimmed

2 tblsp garlic infused olive oil (or 2 tblspsn of olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic - I was using this as a low FODMAP recipe and fresh garlic is not allowed.)

1 tblsp lemon zest and juice from one lemon

1. Toast pine nuts either in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring and shaking fairly constantly or in a toaster oven on 350 for 5 minutes or so. DO NOT walk away. You want these lightly toasted, but not lightly burned or they will be bitter. Set aside in a different container to cool. 

2. If you're using fresh garlic sautee that in the olive oil.

3. Boil water in a saucepan big enough to fit all the green beans and have them all submerge. Drop the green beans in the boiling water to blanch them. I like mine crispy, so only keep them in there for about 2-3 minutes. Drain the beans and run cold water over them to stop the cooking. Shake out excess water. Dry a bit with dish cloth if necessary.

4. Transfer green beans to bowl. Add grated lemon zest, olive oil and pine nuts. Toss together.

Tin Lizzy (Irish Manhattan) Cocktail

As I mentioned in my last post, I am not able right now to do many of the activities I find pleasurable. If all goes well, I will have a full recovery and be able to return to my normal recreation in time, but for now I'm looking for alternate ways of adding joy to my days. During the pandemic I was gifted the novelty book "Do One Thing Every Day That Makes You Happy." The idea is that for a year you pick one of the exercises to do each day and periodically check in on your happiness scale. Each exercise is based on a quote by a famous author, entertainer, politician, philosopher, etc. Previously I've only thumbed through the pages and read some of the quotes. I thought this would be a good time to try doing the activities. 

My first approach was to open the book to a random page to pick an exercise I could begin with. That didn't go well. I happened to choose the page with a quote from J.F.K., "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." Then I'm supposed to describe today's ride. Seriously? On the opposite page I'm asked to list the Top 5 outdoor activities that make me happy. At least I can do that, but not without feeling a bit melancholy. Riding on trails - dirt or snow; snowshoeing; hiking to scenic summits; riding under the night sky; sitting in a shady spot on a hot summer day reading a book while drinking a cold brew coffee. There.

My next approach was to choose deliberately, based on a high ease of execution to good feelings ratio. I found one by Iris Murdoch. I don't know who she is, but will find out. She says, "One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats." I totally buy into this doctrine. I often say I work well on the treat system. The exercise is to list today's small treat. That's easy. In one of the get well baskets I received, there was a box of small Italian cranberry sesame flavored biscuits. They were delicious and paired well with my afternoon tea. 

Another good cocktail I never got around to posting was the one I had for Saint Patrick's Day on a Zoom call with Tricia. I liked it and it was made even better because I drank it from the pretty glassware Tricia had sent me as a surprise gift for no reason. I enjoy pretty glassware and am hoping to build up my own collection. In addition, I used, for the first time, one of the Luxardo cherries I had splurged on and treated myself to. (Bonus points for listing a second and third small treat without even trying.)

An ingredient in this drink is Benedictine, which is a liqueur I had never heard of prior to January and now seem to be putting it in most of my cocktails. It's like farro was to me for cooking during winter 2020. Something I had never used and then ended up wondering how I ever lived without it. (I'm really knocking it out of the park here mentioning many small treats in my life, past and present. Mission accomplished. My happy meter has been taken up a notch.) 

p.s. Iris Murdoch is an Irish and British novelist and philosopher best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality and the power of the unconscious. Hmmm. Seems fitting to have chosen an Irish philosopher for my St. Patrick's day cocktail post. 

Tin Lizzy/ Irish Manhattan (inspiration from @denverbarkeep on IG)

2 oz Irish whiskey

3/4 oz Benedictine

1/4 oz Lillet Blanc

Dash of angostura bitters

1. Stir with ice, strain into glass of your choice and garnish with a Luxardo cherry or lemon peel.