my coconut curry soup

a friend recently asked for a curry recipe, which made me realize i have never posted mine. shame on me. after making it frequently for the last five years, i guess i haven't stopped long enough to share. here it is (complete with borrowed picture, because i didn't have time to take my own)...

coconut curry soup

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, pressed OR  1 T minced garlic OR 3-4 frozen garlic cubes

sauté onion and garlic in 2 T cold-pressed canola oil or peanut oil, with 1 t sesame seed oil. then add:

1 ½ T curry powder (big ol' heap in your palm)2 t ground coriander2 t ground ginger½ t basil

continue to sauté. then add:

2 cans coconut milk (or two boxes coconut cream)
about 4 C chicken stock (less if using coconut milk...coconut cream is thicker. also, use less if you want a thicker sauce and not a soup) 3-5 carrots, shredded (or finely sliced)½ bag of haricots vertes (small green beans, not cut or frenched)salt and pepper to taste

bring to simmer for 7-10 minutes, until beans are just cooked. then add:

1 bunch cilantro, minced
2 limes, juiced (easiest to do with a citrus reamer)
4-7 green onions, sliced

stir in and serve with rice or rice noodles and chopped peanuts, if desired.  **if you want to make this in the crockpot, reduce canola/peanut oil, but keep sesame oil. add everything to the crockpot except carrots, and beans, which you will put in during the last hour.

two other notes...

1. you can use a lemongrass stalk, and put it in at the same time as all the liquid. i never have it on hand, and between the coriander, fresh cilantro, and limes, i don't think the dish needs it.

2. i like the frozen haricot vertes from trader joe's or whole foods best. they taste the most like garden fresh green beans. you can use fresh green beans, if they are in season. normal, grocery store frozen green beans are not high on my list of favorites. in a pinch, however, the frenched green beans (like what you would use for green bean casserole) would be your best alternative.

grain-free goodies

since going mostly wheat and sugar-free i have been searching for an acceptable treat...or treats. ;) a few promising recipes have turned up on pinterest and, after a few alterations, i have landed on a few favorites. two are raw, two are baked, all are delicious. i'll revise when i have pictures for all the recipes. for now, i'll just go with what's ready. ;)

no-bake peanut butter cookies

16 oz jar natural peanut butter (no need to stir)...you could totally use almond butter, sunflower nut butter, etc
2 C raisins
3/4 C - 1 C peanuts or almonds (optional)
pinch of sea salt
1 T vanilla

put everything in the food processor and let it whirl for 3-5 minutes or until raisins are fine and nuts are chopped. this is SO easy to make and has become my crack...seriously. you can add 2-4 T of cocoa powder if you want a chocolate peanut butter cookie. you can form them into balls or just put it in a container and spoon out what you want to eat.


oatmeal cookie "dough"

1 C raw almonds
1 C raw walnuts
1 C oatmeal
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch sea salt
1/4 C agave (or less...i think i only used about 2 T) OR 1/2 C raisins
1 T vanilla
1/4 C cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips

put nuts, oats, cinnamon, and salt in the food processor and grind until fine. add agave and vanilla and pulse to combine. add cacao nibs or chips and pulse to combine. roll into balls or just put dough in a container and spoon out what you want to eat. ;)

chocolate oatmeal muffins

3 1/2 C oats
4 eggs
1 C applesauce or 1 stick of butter, melted
3/4 C cocoa powder
1 T vanilla
1 C yogurt
3 T apple cider vinegar
1 T baking powder
1 T baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 C agave
2 bananas
chocolate chips or cacao nibs (optional)

place all ingredients except chocolate chips in food processor (keep baking soda and ACV away from each other in the bowl!) and process 3-5 minutes, until all bananas are broken down. bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes. makes 24 normal sized muffins (or 18 pink/blue/brown ikea silicone baking cups). these are SO good. delicious warm out the the oven, but equally good the next day. your kids will think you made a special treat, but they are so full of good things that you can serve them for breakfast...which i do often these days!

chocolate coconut baked oatmeal...a variation on my original baked oatmeal recipe

2 C milk or coconut milk
6 eggs
1/2 C cold-pressed canola oil
1/4 C - 1/2 C agave
1 T baking powder
1 T vanilla

whisk together. then add:

6 C oatmeal
1 C unsweetened shredded coconut
1 C almond meal
1/2 C cocoa powder

pour into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. serve with milk (or coconut milk) and, if you want to win major kid-brownie points, whipped cream (or whipped coconut cream). delicious!

let's give it a whirl...

...otherwise known as my crazy attempt to make a bid for "project runway, season 10".

yes, it's a bit crazy. i am aware of that. but i am also the only one who is fully aware of how EVERY piece of clothing i look at gets a pattern and construction run down (that includes what you were wearing the last time i saw you), how my brain always goes to new designs for fabrics in my overflowing stash, and how many of my sleepless nights and free moments are filled with all things apparel.

this is not a new thing. i have been sketching clothing for as long as i can remember and even have books saved in a box from when i was in elementary and junior high.

three years ago i discovered "project runway" on netflix. INSTANTLY, i was hooked. season 5 was the first one i watched, and over the next three months i ran on my elliptical, lost 10+ pounds (from two baking and eating and rainy weather/outdoor exercise-less years in oregon), and motored through the first four seasons before beginning to watch the current season, season 6. initially, it was just my thing. then one evening andy sat down with me and watched a few episodes. from then on i wasn't supposed to watch "project runway" without him.

occasionally i was inspired to make something, but not consistently with all the other craziness in my life. most of the things i was making then were quick, uncomplicated projects: dresses for the girls, simple things for myself, stuff for the house.

last year "project runway" applications were due on tax day. at that point i knew i wasn't ready, but was intrigued by them taping through the summer. was this a do-able thing for me? if, if, IF they had the same time frame, maybe, mayBE, MAYBE i could do it.

then, andy began prompting. when could HE stay home with the kids and have ME go do design work? so, i put together a plan this fall. if the timing was the same as last year and i was ready, perhaps i would apply. thinking the process wouldn't open until late march like last year, i procrastinated. i was unmotivated. i was tired. i was...making a lot of excuses...

ash wednesday, less than a week ago, the posting went up on facebook. applications were being accepted. the deadline was the day before my birthday. i sighed...i was not ready...but i printed off the application anyway and began filling it out.

all evening it pulled on me. was it even possible for me to get everything together?

thursday, i talked to a friend who is a wonderful photographer, but also a stay-at-home homeschool momma. to my surprise she was available the next day to take pictures. so i started digging, finding things i could show. instead of going to see my beloved annie bethancourt in concert, i spent thursday night sewing new pieces to add to other things i had already created. it was incredibly exhilarating, albeit exhausting.

friday was my day to play model. the only bad thing about making things for yourself is that you end up being your own model. who did i know that is my same size who was available at a moments notice? uh, i think that leaves me. so i posed and gazed and worked it while kendra took close to 400 photos.

saturday i hit the wall. the exhaustion set in along with the overwhelming reality that i will be up against so many other designers who have been working full-time at this the whole time i have been mothering, cooking, and cleaning. by lunch time i surrendered to the emotions (and a nap) and by dinner i was feeling much better. once the kids were in bed i quickly finished draping the dress i had tried to start that morning, having the whole thing completed before 10pm. maybe, contrary to the morning's emotions, i CAN do this.

so, for all those words, i will show you a few of the pieces we photographed on friday.

 i hope to "see you on the runway." i'm putting myself out there, so i guess we will see...

coconut lemon no-bake cookies

i needed a treat! (and we're not doing wheat or sugar) but i needed a treat!! i saw a recipe for these coconut lemon cookies and decided to give them a whirl. after all, it combined two of my favorite things: coconut and lemon. i had to make them easier, so tonight i made them a second time to change the recipe a little.

coconut lemon no-bake cookies

3 C raw almonds (or one 16 oz bag)
3 C unsweetened shredded coconut

--put almonds and coconut into food processor and process for 3-5 minutes. it should be very fine, but with the addition of the coconut will not turn into almond butter. ;) transfer to the bowl of your mixer and sprinkle in 1/4 t sea salt.

1/2 C agave OR raw honey OR combination
1/2 C lemon juice
zest of one or two lemons
1 T vanilla

--whisk wet ingredients together in a small bowl and pour into mixer. blend well.

--meanwhile, melt coconut oil by placing the jar into hot water. you can use tap water if yours gets hot enough or you can warm water on the stove or in the microwave. i don't normally use a microwave for food, but in this case you will not be doing anything other than using its heat. measure 1/2 C of melted oil and pour into mixer while it's running.

--use a cookie scoop to measure out balls, rolling in your hand to press together. continue with the rest of the dough. place finished cookies into the refrigerator to solidify, at least one hour. makes 53 cookies if you have the same size scoop as i do. ;)

cauliflower pizza crust

when my sister decided to go on the GAPS diet in november, she was at my house. she ordered a few books and even got a menu plan. one of the recipes i remember seeing was for cauliflower pizza crust. it was intriguing, but at that point i wasn't interested in anything beyond my standard sicilian pizza crust.

enter "wheat belly" and rethinking our grain consumption. cauliflower pizza crust seems so much more appealing... ;)

i had seen a recipe on pinterest, but decided to consult kara who gave me her recipe. armed with her tips, i set to making a new kind of pizza. the recipe i had seen on pinterest said the cauliflower needed to be cooked, but kara assured me she never does this. the pinterest recipe made a very small pizza but i have six people to feed. i also don't like using part of things (like 1 C of riced cauliflower?!) so, as with everything, i changed it and it turned out very good. so good, in fact, that i decided to share this newly tweaked recipe.

cauliflower pizza crust

1 head cauliflower, core and leaves removed, broken into florets

--put cauliflower into food processor to create "meal". this took three batches through my 11-cup food processor. a couple times i put too much cauliflower in the bowl and a few large pieces wouldn't process. i scooped out all the finely chopped cauliflower that accumulated on the side of the bowl and ran it again. once it's all done, put it in a large bowl.

2 handfuls of mozzerella cheese (2-3 C)
3 eggs
1 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t garlic powder
salt and pepper

--mix all ingredients together well. preheat oven to 450. line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. divide mixture between the two pans and press evenly to edge of parchment, about 1/4-1/2" thin. bake for 15 minutes.

--top pizza as desired. return to oven for 15 more minutes, or until cheese is browned. after 15 minutes you can turn on your broiler if you want it done sooner.

when this crust was cooled, i was able to peel it off of the parchment and it held together. i was able to pick up some of the outside pieces like "normal" pizza, but chose to eat most of it with a fork. it was very good and i will definitely be making it again.

quinoa with black beans, red/yellow/orange peppers, and honey lime vinaigrette

i found a recipe on pinterest the other day and decided tonight was the perfect time to try it. the original is here: http://www.theperfectpantry.com/2010/04/quinoa-recipe-black-bean-quinoa-and-red-pepper-salad-with-honeylime-vinaigrette.html

the recipe seemed insanely small (one cup of quinoa?!), so i changed it a little. well, when don't i? ;) here's my version:

quinoa with black beans, peppers, and honey lime viniagrette

1 box trader joe's quinoa (2 1/2 C uncooked quinoa)
5 C water
1 T cumin
2 t kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

add above ingredients to a stockpot and bring to a boil. cover and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes.

while  the quinoa is cooking, prepare:

1 red pepper, diced
1 orange pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
5 green onions, sliced
2 cubes frozen cilantro or 1 bunch fresh
2 cans black beans, about 3 C

add everything to the pot with the quinoa. juice 1-2 limes, two pinches of kosher salt, a little more fresh pepper, 2-3 T raw honey, and then drizzle an equal amount of rice wine vinegar and cold-pressed canola oil, about 1/4 C of each. stir well and serve. this makes enough for 5-7 main dish servings or quite a few side dishes.

i'm so excited for tomorrow's leftovers!

surprise spoiler! a couple new blankets...

they are not yet in the mail (but will be tomorrow afternoon), but i have two blankets to show. one blanket is for a good friend whose baby was born WAY too long ago. the other is for a new baby...much more timely on this one. i am pretty sure the mommas in question do not read my blog, or at least not regularly enough for this post to spoil the surprise. ;)

i have no idea why the bottom pictures won't load properly, but you get the idea. and, yes...that IS r2d2 on a little girl's blanket. ;)

now, to mail those blankets...