Archive for ‘November, 2012’

Being mindful

It is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States.

We celebrate the day with food and family and friends…food!

We speak of all we are thankful for and most of us have much to be thankful for.

Recently, I read an article about being mindful of the food we eat. The writer talked of her own thoughts while stirring honey into her tea… of being mindful of the bees who made the honey, the people who gathered it and the entire chain of distribution that brought that honey to her home.

It is a bit Zen, a bit 60’s…, but I tried it. As I sat to eat, I thought about the plants and animals that contributed to my food. I thought of all of the people who contributed to getting the food to the store. I brought to mind all the things I know about what it takes to get the simplest of food to my table. It is an interesting exercise and for me, it was calming and peaceful and ultimately filled me with gratitude and compassion.

The thoughts brought to mind the scene from Avatar when she blesses the animal that is killed, thanks the animal for its life and praises the animal and its creator.

A common mealtime blessing is to ask for the food to do good to the bodies that eat it, to bless those who prepared it and I now add a thanks to the animal and plants and people who provided the food to be prepared…being mindful of all it took to get food to my table.

Being mindful.

I sat this morning with Bob and Bear – my time of quiet contemplation and prayer. I listened to the rain falling. I enjoyed the companionship of my beloved boys.

I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day, but topping the list is the reminder to be mindful: to be mindful of the joy in the moment, to be mindful of all who have a part in the things that bring me joy and sustenance and to be mindful of the Creator who gave me and all those I love, abundant life.

So much pumpkin…so little time.

This time last year I was making preparations to head to my folks with Bear in Wild Thing. Today, I received a TDay email from Patty and her family…Bear and I enjoyed a night before and Thanksgiving Day morning with them in Missoula last year.

It was a wonderful trip and as I perused my blog posts from that trip I got to wishing we were on the road again! If not for Bear’s leg and surgery, we WOULD be off :)!

However. We will all still enjoy.

Yesterday my computer locked up and required a total reboot.

While that was happening I made a pumpkin pie! This was my first from fresh pumpkin…pumpkin from my CSA, roasted in my own oven….

…and topped with cashew whipped cream and a drizzle of cashew cream vanilla bean caramel sauce.

I jumped the gun you say ???? I say NOT!

I promised my neighbors pumpkin pie and so I had to make it before the day AND because it was my first from fresh pumpkin, I REALLY needed to make sure that it was edible!!!

Well, it was edible.

BUT.

I emailed my mother that I’d made the pie and that I’d used the Betty Crocker/Libby Pumpkin Can recipe and it was ok but I’d do a thing or so different next time.

She emailed me back that she didn’t realize I didn’t have Grandma’s recipe…actually Great, Great Grandma…a Scot from Aberdeen. My mother wrote the recipe as she sat and watched my Great Grandmother make pie. My own Grandmother Ruthie did not have the written recipe and was not a big fan of measuring and sometimes the pie was outstanding and one year it had a greenish tinge from a bit much of cloves. Anyway. The original recipe… which my mother wrote down and has been making all of her adult life – and finally – I also have it.

Another pie is in the works. Maybe my computer will lock up this evening…or tomorrow.

I have plenty of pumpkin.

Beardog approved

I love the wood floors in this little house but they are not so good for Bob and Bear, especially when there is something urgent that must be done. Post-surgery (Bear) we will need to be especially careful.

I ordered 4 VERY inexpensive 5 x 8 rug-mats and they arrived yesterday.

These rugs won’t make it to ‘House Beautiful’, but they are not bad and more important, they are Beardog approved!

Sunday before Thanksgiving Day

The Sunday before Thanksgiving Day…

visions of the meal…

From the summer garden: Cherry Basil syrup thawed for a cherry-basil balsamic reduction. Pumpkin thawing for pie and ???. Spinach thawing for a before TDay soup!

This is the first year that I have had such wonderful bounty in my own freezer.

Vegetable remnants simmer to make vegetable broth. In previous years, I spent a small fortune on organic vegetable broth. And while those boxes of broth were convenient, they were not only spendy but even the best of them had a lot of sodium. This summer, as I prepped veg from the garden (CSA), I saved bits and pieces and stems. Now, they simmer to make a wonderful, salt-free broth.

On Sunday morning, in the midst of cooking…one must have a treat!

It turns out that cashew cream will also whip!

Caramel latte – the cashew cream version: Peet’s Italian Roast with Summers’ cashew vanilla bean caramel and cashew whipped cream.

Meanwhile…Bob and Bear enjoy their Sunday morning in bed…a dog and cat kind of Sunday morning decadence.

Back in the kitchen…

I clarified butter…my second go at this and as I re-read the process and thought and I GOT it! The process removes the moisture at low heat. When the butter stops sputtering, it is “done”!

This version – perfect!

The weather this weekend was better than advertised with sun more often than not.

So, we enjoyed.

Each in our own way, we enjoyed.

The moon. The sliver of the waxing crescent moon.

And finally…

Sunday supper: Cream of Tomato soup with grilled cheese. The soup…puree of Roma tomatoes with red pepper “cheese” (cashew) sauce plus fresh basil, garlic and coarse ground black pepper.

Sunday before Thankgsiving Day.

Cooking with cashews

In July, after buying 10 pounds of cherries, I made the chocolate mousse above – made with cashews instead of heavy cream – something to go with the cherries :) ! Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse – except mine was not vegan as I used processed cocoa vs raw cocoa. Anyway, it was good! The cashew mousse was my first experience cooking with cashews.

In August, I made my first Caramel Sauce… to have with peach-pecan frozen yogurt!

Similar to my light box procrastination, making caramel sauce had been on my list for some months. I’ve since made it 3 or 4 times and keep perfecting the procedure. The recipe is pretty simple…heat sugar slowly until it liquifies, then whisk in heavy cream that has been waiting with vanilla bean in it. Add some vanilla extract and salt and there you have it, caramel sauce. The “trick” is whisking the cream into the hot liquid sugar. My first two tries, the sugar “seized” and it took awhile for it to all melt back to liquid and it took a lot of stirring. I had a few nuggets that I finally removed, let cool and ate like candy…not a perfect procedure but the sauce was wonderful.

I got to thinking that maybe things would work better if the cream was warm – THAT helped tremendously. Also, you either need another set of hands holding the pot or have the pot stabilized as you slowly add the cream so that you can really go at it with the whisk and not give the sugar a chance to clump up. Another set of hands is not an option at my house so I wedged the pot firmly and major success. NOW, I can whip up a batch of caramel sauce in about 15 minutes and most of that time is melting the sugar.

This granola-yogurt-caramel sauce parfait has become my go to dessert.

Back to cashews.

I’ve been following a blog titled “In pursuit of more”. I love Shira’s premise of doing with a little less in order to give and get (in return) a little more. She and her family are doing it with food. There are many ways, though and reading her blog has been inspirational to me. Also most of her recipes! The first I tried was a recipe for Tahini Goddess Salad Dressing which has become my absolute favorite dressing.

Two weeks ago, Shira posted a recipe for a Cashew Rice Loaf with an accompanying Red Pepper “cheese” (cashew) sauce. Knowing how the cashews worked in the chocolate mousse, I was most interested in the red pepper sauce but decide to make the loaf as well. Holy cow, Batman!!! – both are wonderfully scrumptious and easy and quick. I did not get photos of my loaves, but Shira has wonderful photos with the recipe: In Pursuit of More’s Cashew Rice Loaf with Red Pepper Sauce – click over there and take a look!

I have no intention of eating 100% vegan or vegetarian, but options are good and this loaf is an excellent option for a meatless meal. I didn’t actually think of it as meatless at all. My favorite part of making a meatloaf is sandwiches with the cold loaf the next day.

And this loaf works for that as well.

The red pepper sauce has been used on pasta, veggie-rice pilaf and even on a hamburger. It is wonderful, creamy-cheesey and dairy free.

Cashew milk and cream are staples of creamy sauces and baking “milk” for those that do not eat dairy products. I don’t find anything lost in flavor or texture with the cashew cream. I eat plenty of yogurt and cheese so am happy to have this non dairy option. PLUS, heavy cream does not have much going for it nutritionally, but the cashew cream has fiber and protein to offset the fat. At any rate – an option.

So…I got to thinking about the caramel sauce and cashew cream and would the cashew cream work in place of the heavy cream (cow’s) to make the caramel sauce.

Well, it does!

The only trick to making the cashew cream is that the cashews have to soak overnight in water. Next morning, rinse them, put them in the blender (you do really need a Vita-Mix or Blend-tec for this), add water to an inch over for regular cream, less for very thick cream and whiz them smooth.

This was 2 cups of cashews which makes about 3 1/2 cups of cashew cream…1 1/4 cup with vanilla bean for the sauce and the rest into the frig for something else.

The sugar does its magic liquefying…

Whisk in the cashew cream… Add a bit of vanilla extract and some salt…

Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce!

It gets a bit lighter in color and thicker as it cools.

And then it sits in the refrigerator tempting me every time I open the darn door. That is the red pepper sauce to the right of the Ginger Beer…more temptation.

Are you hungry now???