J'Adore

All these photos are from the online magazine, Adore.

LOVE IT.

Here is a link to the magazine so you can drool on yourself, just as I am currently doing.
http://www.adoremagazine.com/

Week Four Menu

Monday: Josh and I were so tired that we just ate out

Tuesday: Spaghetti

Wednesday: Tofu veggie stir-fry over rice

Thursday: Lentil soup, bread, spinach salad

Friday: Waffles, fruit salad, fried potatoes

Saturday: Sweet potato chipotle soup, quinoa, salad, bread

Sunday: Garden burgers, sweet potato chips, baked beans, green beans

Signs of Spring

It is almost April, and there are some sure signs of spring at the Knight house! We have daffodils blooming...


plenty of muddy mud boots...
cherry trees blossoming...

and mysterious bulbs emerging.
But the best sign of spring at the Knights is this:

That is right! It is time to tackle our home improvement projects! I could not find any pictures of the before, but, just outside our dining room sliding doors was a covered patio. It was just a concrete slab. Kinda boring! We had been entertaining the idea of framing it in, putting in electric, heating, etc and creating an addition. We figured out that that project had the potential of costing us about $10,000. Yikes! Way too much!

So instead, we thought it would be fun to extend the patio and make a kick-booty outdoor area. The first task was to dig out where we will be extending the patio out too. Because we decided to lay flagstone on top of the concrete slab, we have to pour concrete on the rest of the new patio area. Which means we have to dig tons of dirt, lay about 3 inches of gravel, about 1 inch of sand, and then pour about 3 inches of concrete. Did I say fun? What I meant to say was back-breaking, time-consuming, dirty, and tiring.

Josh and I basically dug non-stop for about four hours Saturday, and we are pretty much done. Just a bit of leveling and raking and then we can pour the gravel.

Also, I got my garden area planned out, dug, and almost lined. I have to wait till after we complete the patio till I can pour my dirt and plant.

Here are some more pictures from the day.

And here are some Internet pictures of what a flagstone patio looks like.

And Another One Gone

It Doesn't Get Any Cuter Than This:

Rest of the Week Menu

We just got back from spending the weekend in Seattle with Josh's family, so I did not have to plan Monday's & Tuesday's meals.

Wednesday: Haystacks
Thursday: Tofu Curry (Thai)
Friday: Salmon, couscous salad, some sort of homemade bread
Saturday: Aloo Matter, Naan, Rice
Sunday: Roasted Vegetable Pizza

The Easiest (& Tastiest) Vegan Cookies!

Thumbprints

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cups oat flour (I did not have and used bread flour instead. worked fine!)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup fruit preserves (I have used strawberry and apricot)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place almonds in a food processor and grind to a meal. Place oats in food processor and grind to a meal. Add flour, cinnamon, syrup, and oil. Pulse to combine.

2. Wet hands and form dough into walnut-size balls. Place on an oiled cookie sheet. Press an indentation in center of each with your thumb. Fill with jam. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.

~The American Vegetarian Cookbook by Marilyn Diamond

Your Wish is My Command

Easy Corn Chowder

from The American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit for Life Kitchen

by Marilyn Diamond

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups diced white onions

1 1/2 cups celery

1/2 cup diced carrot

3/4 cup diced bell pepper (any color)

4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

8 cups water

2 tablespoons light miso

3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels

3 tablespoons minced green onions

1. Measure oil into a large soup pot. Add onions, celery, carrot, and pepper and saute until vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add potatoes and sage. Mix well and saute an additional 3 minutes.

2. Add water, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but not mushy.

3. Remove 1/2 cup of broth and dissolve miso in it. Add to soup and mix well. Cook soup an additional minutes, stirring continuously.

4. Remove 1/3 of soup with lots of vegetables in it and set aside. Blend remaining 2/3 of the soup until smooth with hand blender or food processor. Stir in reserved soup, corn, and green onion.

5. Bring soup to a low boil, stirring frequently, and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat, continuing to stir so soup does not stick to the bottom.

Mujadarrah (Lentils and Rice with Fried Onions)

from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

by Deborah Madison

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 very large onion, sliced into rounds 1/4 inch thick

1 1/4 cups green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed

salt and fresh black pepper

3/4 cup white or brown long-grain rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it's a rich, dark brown, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, put the lentils in a saucepan with 1 quart water and 1 teaspoon salt, Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Add the rice, plenty of pepper, and, if needed, additional water to cover. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is done, about 15 minutes. Stir in half the onions, then cover and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes. Spoon the lentil-rice mixture onto plates or platter and cover with the remaining onions. (I don't do this, as my kids hate onions, but love lentils and rice!)

Another Attempt at Menu Planning

I think each Lent/Advent I have the best of intentions of posting our weekly menus. I like to see what others cook for these seasons, and perhaps, somebody will be interested in what I make. Our family rang in Lent with strep throat, ear infections, sinus infections, rashes and colds. So last week we were in pure survival mode.

But today, I did sit down, plan my weekly meals and go grocery shopping before I had to pick up C from preschool. I only spent $107! And that includes alcohol! Whoot!

Monday: New York Goodwiches
Coleslaw
Tuesday: Sauerkraut Dogs
Roasted Potatoes
Fruit Salad
Wednesday: Potluck @ church
Thursday: Corn Chowder (yes! this is vegan and delicious!)
Bread
Green Salad
Friday: Mujadarrah (a Indian dish: caramelized onions over lentils, over rice. YUM)
Naan
Green Salad

The Sunday of Orthodoxy

Confession of Faith for the Day of Orthodoxy

Second Nicene Ecumenical Council: 787 AD

"As the prophets beheld, as the Apostles have taught, as the Church has received, as the teachers have dogmatized, as the Universe has agreed, as Grace has shown forth, as Truth has revealed, as falsehood has been dissolved, as Wisdom has presented, as Christ Awarded, thus we declare, thus we assert, thus we preach Christ our true God, and honor as Saints in words, in writings, in thoughts, in sacrifices, in churches, in Holy Icons; on the one hand worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord; and on the other hand honoring as true servants of the same Lord of all and accordingly offering them veneration.

This is the Faith of the Apostles, this is the Faith of the Fathers, this is the Faith of the Orthodox, this is the Faith which has established the Universe."