Come See My Green House!!

Hey Friends,

Check this out.

Nick and I found this little greenhouse at the grocery store for only £25 (score!) 

and we put it together yesterday.

It's not the most classy looking green house ever, but whatever - 

even Martha Stewart had to start somewhere.  

Anyways, come on in!

It's actually quite cozy inside, 

and I let my little seed babies spend their first day out today. tear...

(Momma's got separation anxiety...)  

Until now they've been growing in the kitchen.

I still have to bring them in at night, in case they get too cold, 

but I am so pleased with their progress.

And the fact that it appears I may in deed have a green thumb!

Here are my tomatoes and sweet peppers.

We also have eggplant, strawberries, mint, basil, and tomatillos growing now.

And here are my little carrots.

They got attacked by some weird green fly thing,

 but I went on a crazy fly slaughter and killed them all....

with my bare hands.

Ahem.... anyways my carrots seem to be growing pretty well now, 

and there are no more flies brave enough to hang out around here.

So yeah I've become a crazy gardening lady. 

But I'm just so excited to eat something that I have grown.

I've got so much more to plant in the next few months that

Nick is worried we are going to run out of room.

But there is a plot of land behind our house that is totally overgrown and unused

so I am plotting to make a little vegetable plot there.  

(Overuse of the word plot?)

Nick is also worried (notice a trend here?)

 that this is trespassing, but seriously, what are they gonna do?

Arrest us for growing corn?

If they do....

 I'll have to sacrifice one of my phallic vegetables to a place where the sun doesn't shine.  

So be it.  

Hope you had a fabulous weekend.

Vegan Blueberry Pancake Monster

Lately I've been more seriously dabbling in a bit of veganism.  

I feel like all the junk food I eat is based around animal products, 

so in order to get healthier I thought why not purchase a few vegan cook books.

The real problem with this is Nick is pretty much anti-vegan.  

I think it is a dude thing.  

So usually I pick the most unhealthy vegan man friendly recipe 

from the cook book AND then we end up de -veganizing it.

The other weekend for example, I made pancakes from Veganomicon and used

butter to grease the pan.

Vegan Fail. 

Now, I think I still need to try more recipes from this cookbook to give it a fair review,

 but so far I am finding learning to veganize food challenging.  

Like when I made these blueberry pancakes the other day.

This was the runniest pancake batter I've ever seen,

 spread thin like a crepe if you ask me...

Then it turned into this green little blobby pancake monster... 

that just so happened to match my nail polish.

But after a few more tries I was able to get it to come out like this...

And I have to say, even though it is messy, 

and not the most attractive blueberry pancake ever, 

it was certainly scrum-diddily-umptious.  

Blueberry Corn Pancakes from Veganomicon  

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 1/4 cup plain soy milk 
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla - I subbed this for almond extract because we were out of vanilla, and it gave them a lovely marzipan flavor.
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (we used frozen, just microwaved them before adding them to the batter)

In a large bowl sift together dry ingredients.  Mix together wet ingredients in another bowl, then add wet to dry - being careful not to over mix and gently folding in the blueberries.  

The instructions say to use a quarter of a cup of batter and cook over medium high heat, but I found it was best to just make one big pan sized pancake and fold it up like a crepe.  

Have you guys tried any vegan cooking?  

What were your results?

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Let me start by saying that I think the fact that I read this book is a little embarrassing.  Self help books remind me of something that 40ish downward spiraling divorced people read while eating ben and jerry's and sipping on a little too much vino.  I, for one, am only 24, and though I sometimes feel like I'm in the middle of my own downward spiral (helllllllllo quarter life crisis drama queen), I'm not currently shoving ben and jerrys down my pie hole.  And perhaps talking about -admitting, in fact, that I have these sad and depressing moments - is a little too much airing of the ole dirty laundry..... Whatever.  It's not like it hasn't been done before around here right?  Right.  


Oh hi this is me - the creeper with the dirty eyebrows reading self help in the corner by my glitter wall.  

Now that I have written that little confession of sorts can I tell you how great this book has been?  I finished it last week, and I'll be honest it's not a real page turner, but it is interesting and I think within the pages lies the best advice I have ever been given.  Lot's of the advice sometimes seems super tricky to enact, but you know if you did what the author said that your life would be fricking fabulous and you'd smile more and you'd be prettier and skinnier and your husband and parents and siblings and children (future children in my case) and dog and cat and maybe even your gold fish - they would all like you more.  And if they didn't - well you'd be so damn pleased with your jolly EFFECTIVE self that you wouldn't really care all that much.  


I didn't start really trying to perform what I learned in this book as I went.  But once I finished it, I immediately went to the front and started reading it again.  This time I am going to try to use the book more as a tool, rather than a straight read.  Right now, I am 5 days into the author's recommended 30 days of Proactivity.  And let me tell you, it is going down a treat.  


So good in fact, that I question why I was ever embarrassed in the first place.  I mean, surely people who read these types of books are just looking to improve themselves - and what is more noble than that?  My 5 days of proactivity so far have provided me with multiple new friends, a better relationship with my husband, and issues at my job are now being addressed by my boss.  If all this can happen in 5 days, I am excited for what the next 25 more days will hold.  


I would highly recommend this book to anyone who ever talks to a person ever.  Even if the only person you talk to is yourself, actually ESPECIALLY if the only person you talk to is yourself.  

Friends, do you think you are effective?

I feel so effective right now.

ps.  Finishing this book was also on my Day Zero, 

which is back up and running fyi, so I can cross it off!  Woo hoo.

Happy Valentine's Day

I wanted to wish you a happy Valentine's Day.  

Actually.... I just gave myself the most prettiest festive V-Day manicure and

 no one noticed it today so I wanted you to compliment it.  

So I took a little hipster picture of my ugly mug flashing you a peace sign.

Compliment away....

Then the doodle interrupted to give me some Valentine's day puppy loving.

And then the Neener came in and we took some more horrible family photos.

But we ended up with this half decent one. 

(You can compliment it if you want.)

Happy Valentine's Day my bloggy friends!

And my real life friends who read this blog.

And my real blog friends who are pretty much real friends.  

I hope it is filled with peace signs and puppy kisses and no bitterness!

Even if you're single - cuz you're a hot single betch. 

Paris Hilton says... 

you can judge how hot you are by looking at your friends.

Juding by these shots - all my friends are hotties. 

Wooo hoo!  You sexxy things you.  

Also, we went to the movies tonight and we saw Paul.

I know I have puritanical American values,

but seriously, I have NEVER seen so many people making out at the movies.

And seriously, an alien comedy movie is not exactly romantic right? WTF?  

ps.  I thought it was funny.

Slowwww Food

About a week ago I picked up a few packs of seeds.

I planted them in a little propagator in our kitchen.

And slowly, very slowly, they have come to life.  

Sometimes I think maybe I am far too impatient to ever really be a gardener.

And other times I think it's the most exciting thing ever.

Look....

This little seedling will hopefully produce tons of golden tomatoes for me by summer.

And these carrots are coming along ever so nicely.

And look at this beauty!  

I searched high and low for tomatillos last summer - 

I LOVE them in salsa, but I couldn't find them in England.

Who knew they would sell tomatillo seeds at the garden center?!

I can't wait till they're ripe and ready for the picking.

This cute little guy wants to be a basil plant when he grows up.  

He'll be perfect match for my summer tomatoes.  

I've also planted mint, strawberries, eggplant, and peppers.  

But they're trying my patience a little more and

 haven't all decided to pop their heads up from above the soil just yet.  

I'm not sure whether I have a green thumb or not 

- this is the first time I've been really invested in any plants.

I just can't wait to see what summer brings.  

It is one of my goals in life to be as self sufficient as possible, 

(....maybe I was Amish in a past life... nah)

and I think growing your own food is very exciting and special.  

It really makes you respect all the hard work that goes into growing food.

I also like the idea that this is the most seasonal, local, organic food I can get my hands on.  

It's fantastic!

Are you growing anything?  

If you haven't started yet it's not too late! 

 Go get yourself some seeds!

But hurry, summer will be here before we know it....

Carrot Soup with Harissa

Dear Friends,


Sorry for the lack of posting.  The lack of sun in the winter after work and bad lighting in our kitchen means I have been taking less than stellar food photos and I have been reluctant to share them.  But I figured at this point my blog is dying a slow painful death, and maybe you're not all food photo snobs and maybe you're just interested in what's being served up for dinner around here lately.


So if that's the case, let me share this little soup recipe with ya... It's from my favorite cookbook, yes yes you guess it, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone!  Ha I need to branch out...

Carrot Soup with Harissa

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3 Tablespoons white rice
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Salt and pepper
• 7 cups water or Veggie stock

In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, bay leaf, parsley and rice.  Stir frequently, until the onion is soft.  Then add the spices, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper and cook for about 5 more minutes.  Add the stock or water (I just used some stock cubes to be honest), bring to a boil, and simmer for 25 minutes.  

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to the desired consistency.  Seriously if you don't have an immersion blender, get one.  They make pureeing soups a lot less messy and less of a hassle.  

I picked up some store bought Harissa paste, which is a spicy condiment you can find at the grocery store, probably in the ethnic section.  

The addition of Harissa takes the soup from a mediocre soup to the most perfect carrot soup I have ever tasted.  It plays nicely on the sweet flavor of the carrots, while really adding that extra zing to make it sing!  There is certainly something about this sunny little concoction that is helping me fight off these February blues.  The best bit is the soup is freezable, so I highly recommend making as much as possible and freezing it for a quick, easy and healthy week night meal.  Note : this recipe makes 4-6 servings.  

In unfood related news, Heidi has eaten 3 important pairs of shoes in the past 2 weeks and my H20 audio device.  (I highly recommend them for any of you swimmers.) I'll admit I cried two out of the four times I caught her.   In the year that we have had her she has always stuck to only chewing her bones, now she seems to be seeking revenge against me for starting work.  Anyone have any tips?  She is doing this very sneakily while we are home. 

A Vegetarian On a Soapbox

Dear Friends,


As many of you already know, I am a vegetarian.  Duh.  Now, when I was younger, I used to go all PETA on people's asses.  Telling them that eating meat was disgusting and wrong, abusing boys at high school football games for "killing an entire cow" to make their leather jackets.  As I got older, I simmered down with abusing people for making a different life choice than me.  Not because I think that eating meat is any less wrong or less disgusting than I did in highschool, but because I don't think attacking people is a good way to help them see the light.


Now more often than not, I leave most my comments to myself, and instead try to lead by example (our wedding was even vegetarian), and get very excited/give my friends lots of tips and advice when they announce that they've decided to embrace the vegetarian way of life.  Unfortunately, I actually only have a few vegetarian friends, and alas, even Nick is not a vegetarian - which I would like to point out before I continue this little rant.


Hi people that are meat eaters and read this blog, I like you.  I like you a lot.  I like when you come by and leave nice comments.  (and occassionally mean ones - hi Charlotte - you telling me my pictures were wack was possibly my most fave comment ever.)  Now that I have said that... I am going to go PETA on your asses.


I understand that there are many causes one can be passionate about in this world and sometimes we must choose our battles wisely, but I think vegetarianism/veganism is more of a way of life than a cause.  I can't count number of times I have been absolutely disgusted when a person has said, "I just don't want to know where my meat comes from."  But friend!  You are PUTTING THAT INTO YOUR BODY!!!  You, you crazy person who counts calories, and worries about getting enough protein (which we vegetarians have NO problem with BTW), and portions out your food so as to make it match the food pyramid.  Maybe you prefer to buy things that say local and shop at farmers markets in the summer.  You think about and worry about food... and you don't care where it comes from?!?  Nothing offends me more than an individual who chooses the ignorance is bliss route when it comes to meat eating.  You should know what you are eating.  You should know the process that landed that pig on your plate.  Ignorance is certainly NOT bliss for the animals you are eating, the conditions many of them are raised in are absolutely horrible, not to mention inhumane.  


I bet plenty of you love animals.  And if given the opportunity to kill a cow yourself, you just couldn't do it.  There is a reason you couldn't do it, silly - it's because it's WRONG.  Killing cows and pigs for your own carnal pleasure is wrong, especially ones that have been raised in factory farms.  There is no way on earth that you can call yourself an "animal lover" if you eat animals.  It's a contradiction.  Plain and simple.  


Personally, I am mostly a vegetarian for ethical reasons, but there are other reasons to be one as well.  It's better for your health, it's much better for the environment (hello cows are big methane producers), no worries about foot and mouth disease, food poisoning, or consuming weird antibiotics or hormones either.  


If you have read this far, thanks for sticking with me.  I think Sir Paul McCartney can explain things a little more eloquently and in a little more detail than I can... so can I kindly ask that you meet your meat before you leave this page, or leave any snarky anti-vegetarianism comments on this blog.  After you watch it, be my guest.

And, if by any chance you have been contemplating vegetarianism and don't know where to start, or are now contemplating it, please PLEASE email me and I promise that I will help lead you in the right direction.  And I won't judge you if you still really like bacon or can't imagine a life without hamburgers.   


xoxo


Kelly


ps.  Are any of you already veggie?  I would love to know why you chose this lifestyle too!  

Tweet Tweet.

My friend has been hassling me about getting twitter since she says FB is dead now that all our moms are on it.  (Hi mom).  So here I am.  I don't know what I'm doing, but I guess I'm late to the club.

Will twitter enhance my life or just provides me with another distraction from actually doing useful things?

Follow me if you want, but be warned, I'll probably write a lot of crap and you'll soon discover what a crazy dog lady I really am.  So be it.

KellyLeighDC