Enjoying Winter, Planning for Spring

Packets of energy waiting to be cared for and turned into vegetables.

It sure has been a weird winter here again.  Last year we adapted to having very little snow and cold, but this year we've had a little bit of everything: rain, snow, warmth, sunshine, deep cold, deep snow.  I guess that's what they call a "wintry mix."  We've managed to get outside a good bit (though it's never enough for me) this season, which keeps the cabin fever at bay and by my theory is what's kept us so healthy (Ah! that fresh air does wonders!)  But I am getting excited for spring and our 2013 vegetable garden.  My attitude towards gardening has improved greatly from last year when we had just finished our kitchen (so were thoroughly exhausted from both mentally and financially) so I really kept the garden spending to a minimum.  It was also a test for myself to see if I'd miss the extra work and subsequent poundage of veggies.  I did and I didn't, but regardless I'm ready to jump back in full force this year.

I don't know if it's just the cold, dark days or the fact that I'm still enjoying the benefits of green juicing, but when I went through the seed catalogs this year all I wanted was greens, greens, and more green stuff.  I hope my attitude is the same in May and June when we're buried in salad mix, collards, and Asian greens.  (I see a bartering opportunity or two or three!)  As I mentioned in a previous post I'm also trying to capitalize on V's current obsession with pink and purple; she's excited to grow a pink and purple garden: pink radishes, beets, tomatoes, and pole beans; purple string beans, broccoli, tomatoes, basil, lettuce, and tomatoes.  Let's hope she enjoys eating those colors as much as she enjoys wearing and coloring with them.

Not a ton to report on the recipe front as I feel like I'm just beginning to crawl out of a winter rut--a cycle of [homemade] quesadillas, soup, pizzas, pasta on a loop for too long.  Lately I've been pumping up our homemade regular pizza dough (not gluten-gree for my husband/daughter) with lots of supplemental goodies.  I knew these extra ingredients wouldn't so much affect the outcome of the dough so I added ground arame (seaweed), ground flaxseed, chia seed, daylily powder, hemp seed.  You could also throw in some beet green powder, ground shiitake mushrooms, nutritional yeast.  Go nuts!

Super Pizza Dough!

They will seriously never know it's good for them.

Rolled out and ready to pre-bake

I finally had an opportunity to get back to a project I began last February--making gluten-free flatbread.  My attempt back then turned out a rigid though tasty bread.  More recent attempts gave me a pliable bread for which there are endless possibilities.

Grain-Free Flatbread (for Gluten-Free Wraps)

Many homemade gluten-free, grain-free flatbreads I've found use psyllium husk for pliability.  This recipe contains very few ingredients compared to some of the complex formulas out there.  That makes it easy enough to produce weekly (and freeze after baking if you'd like.)  (Note: If you haven't been eating a lot of fiber lately, don't eat the whole pan at once. Psyllium is very high in fiber, which should be added to the diet gradually with lots of additional water daily.)

½ c. coconut flour

2 T. psyllium fiber powder

¼ c. coconut oil

1 c. boiling water

Optional:

1/8 t. sea salt

1/8 t. granulated garlic

½ t. Italian seasoning herb blend (or Herbamare seasoning)

Whisk coconut flour and psyllium together in bowl along with salt and herbs, if using. Add coconut oil. Add hot water a little at a time, stirring as you add (will melt coconut oil). Mid well making sure all dry bits are incorporated.

Roll (w/ rolling pin) or pat (w/ moistened spatula) bread out on silicone baking mat or parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan until thin and even. The dough is forgiving, so feel free to move pieces around and repair patches as you go. Bake at 375F for 15-20 min. depending on your oven and how thinly you've rolled the bread. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool to room temp. before slicing/eating.  (Note:  It's better to err on the side of baking less as overdoing it will make a crispy, fall apart wrap.)

Before you know it I'll be starting all my garden seeds so stay tuned for those adventures.