Greens

Eat your greens, people!

I have found that, although it is difficult to convince myself to eat vegetables, it's worth it. I love vegetables, and I feel good when I eat them. Sometimes, though, I just want a ice cream. Or crackers. Anything that's easy to reach.

I like to make veggie platters, because it puts vegetables within reach. My favorite way to eat vegetables is dipped in hummus, so I keep that in the front of the refrigerator too.

Sometimes I pretend I'm a bunny and vegetables are my favorite food ever. Sometimes I arrange the food to look like faces or other things. It's okay to play with your food every now and then, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Feet (in the Kitchen)

Hello!

Almost always after cooking, my feet hurt. I bake and cook and mix up a storm without a problem, but when I finally crawl into bed that night, my feet ache. Sometimes my back aches too. The ache feels a little good, perhaps because I associate it with a long day in the kitchen (which always makes me happy).

This weekend I made cupcakes, and, as I did so, I remembered my aching feet. I decided to pay attention to how I treated them differently while cooking. I discovered two things: one, I rarely, if ever, sit down. I stand while cooking, stirring, mixing, and even while waiting. And two, I lean back onto my heals. The kitchen has tile floors, and this starts too hurt after leaning too long.

I didn't (and don't) plan on changing how much I am on my feet while cooking, but I did try to focus on not leaning back onto my heels. I mentally checked my posture while I was working, and often rocked onto my toes before readjusting my weight so that it was evenly distributed between my forefoot and the back of my feet.

I had fun bouncing around on my tiptoes and trying to stand up straight, and, in the end, my feet didn't hurt at all. Yay!

Lesson learned: check your posture while cooking and don't lean on your heels.

Fellow A to Z'ers (and any other visitors), do you have any kitchen tips? Or favorite recipes? Let me know =)

Elsewhere

Hi Friends

"Elsewhere" is my own term for my NeverNeverLand or Wonderland. I say I've been Elsewhere when I don't want to say where I've been or when I've been in my own little world, dreaming or meditating or feeling inspired.

For about the last week and a half, I have needed a little time Elsewhere. I haven't felt sad, or angry, or nervous, or happy, or anything at all. I don't even feel numb. I just don't know how I feel.

I have been trying to shake the feeling but nothing has helped. Suggestions welcome =).

Sorry I've been updating late. I will get back on track tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by anyways.

Daffodils

To me, spring starts when the first daffodil pops up. At my house, we have all sorts of kinds. Little, big, few petals, many petals, but it's spring once the first one comes.

Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

A while back, I saw a recipe for "mashed potatoes" made from steamed cauliflower, and decided to try it out.

The process is fairly simple. Break up a head of cauliflower and steam it, then throw it in a food processor and blend it until it reaches a consistency similar to mashed potatoes. Add cream, cream cheese, and bacon to add a little flavor, and that's it! I like to save a few pieces of cauliflower to mix in after I blend it, just to give it a texture like mashed potatoes.

It doesn't taste exactly like potatoes, but my bother gobbled it up without any questions (we didn't tell him it was cauliflower; we just said it was prepared differently--in the food processor rather than with a masher--and he didn't suspect a thing!) He gets most of his vegetables from salsa. He's not a veggie person.

I love this dish. I like it even more than real mashed potatoes. It doesn't have the same starchy texture, but it is healthier and tastes delicious.

Bubbles

Today is a two-for-one! Two posts for one letter--one Nibbles post and one Notes post.

I have a theory. A theory about why bubbles are relaxing.

 

Imagine blowing a soap bubble. You hold your little bubble wand and dip it in the soapy solution. Then you pull it out and take a deep breath. You slowly bring the wand in front of your lips, concentrating on the little net of soapy solution it holds to make sure it doesn't pop or drip. Maybe you even hold your breath as you do this. Then you slowly and carefully breathe out a steady stream of air, while watching the little soap bubble intently as it forms, balancing your breath to make sure the bubble doesn't burst from too much air or shrink away from too little air.

Slow down... breathe deep... breath slow... and concentrate on the here and now. Isn't that what we are told to do to relax?

Furthermore, if you are successful, the bubble wand will often release a stream of little globes that dance through the air. They drift and float until they seem to cross into another world, leaving behind only a puff of soapy droplets.

You may admire their dance, but if you try to hold one, it will shatter and slip away, like the others, into an invisible world.

It's like magic.

The only way to touch a bubble is to submerge your hand in the soapy solution before reaching out for it.

You can buy three bottles of bubble solution with wands for a dollar, which, in my opinion, is a dollar well spent.

Boiled Eggs

Hard boiled eggs, that is. If you want poached eggs, look for those posts in the beginning of this blog.

Hard boiled eggs are fairly simple, but it is best to have a method. The one I follow goes like this:

1. Set eggs in the pot, covering the bottom but only making one layer
2. Fill the pot (with cold water!) until there is about an inch of water above the eggs (using warm water can cause the shells to stick to the egg white)
3. Turn the stove on high, and bring the water to a boil (a little more than a simmer, a little less than a rolling boil)
4. Once the water is boiling, turn off the stove, cover the pot, and set a timer for 11-13 minutes (depending on how well done you like your eggs and how many eggs you are boiling)
5. After the 11-13 minutes, carefully pour out the hot water and fill the pan with cold water to stop the eggs from cooking any more.
6. Let cool, keep in the refrigerator, and enjoy!
*An extra tip: If you are having trouble peeling the shells off the hard boiled eggs, try waiting and using older eggs--they tend to peel easier.*
*Oh, and if you are needing a little spring fun, dye your eggs.*