Have a Happy New Year!

Frozen lake of yesteryear

We've not quite made it through the holidays, but the seed catalogs are already pouring into my mailbox.  I can't believe it's time to start garden planning again.  Our season was so long this year that I feel like I haven't had an appropriate break yet.  But I truly am excited to begin thinking about my plot for 2011.  I may save the catalogs for a cold, dark day in January or February when the beautiful colors and varieties of the vegetables pictured will brighten my day.

Winter fun in the snow

Last night we returned from visiting my family in east-central Illinois.  The highlight of the trip was sledding.  We crossed the icy lake where we once skated and played hockey, traversed the field where I used to walk home from school, and finally reached a nice broken-in sledding hill at my old grade school.  Everyone took a turn, even my parents.  In fact, my mom and I doubled up on the inner tube and were, as the song goes, "laughing all the way" until we skidded into the brush at the edge of the woods.  With my brother in his too-tight snow pants, me sans proper footwear sporting my mom's leather fashion boots, and Vera running around like little brother Randy from A Christmas Story in her snow suit, it couldn't have been more fun.  My mom, being the former teacher, also had a craft ready for the kids.  We made bird feeders using plastic canvas, peanut butter, and a couple different types of birdseed.  Of course, Vera's didn't look like the picture and her 6-year-old cousin was the first to point that out, but she had a blast sprinkling seeds and licking pb and bird food from the spreader.

Bird Feeder Crafts

For the Birds

We have one more party to go as we plan to entertain a few close friends and six children tomorrow night for New Year's Eve.  It's the fifth event/meal we've hosted since Thanksgiving, but it's been a pleasure.  And we're looking forward to a lively evening of eating and game playing with a chorus of children laughing and running around in the background.  Amazing how our New Year's Eves have changed in the last decade.  Today I was thinking back to the NYE house parties on the east side during college breaks, progressing in later years to condo parties and bar hopping...one year I was almost convinced to take the Polar Plunge the next morning.  And now here we are about to quietly celebrate another year with children and a few friends all around.  Honestly, I wouldn't have it an other way.

Leaving you with a favorite recipe that I've been making all season.  Raw truffles--they satisfy my sweet tooth without all the forbidden ingredients.

Heaven
Makes about a dozen truffles

Adapted from my Holistic Moms Network annual cookbook.  You can take liberties with different nuts and even substitute peanut butter for the honey.


1/2 c. mixed nuts (almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, walnuts, etc...or a mixture of these)
1/2 c. pumpkin seeds
1/2 c. cacao nibs
1/2 c. raisins
2 T. cocoa
1/4 t. cinnamon
Pinch salt
4 T. honey

Chop nuts in the food processor.  Add cacao nibs and process until crumb-like.  Add raisins.  Mix cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and honey in a small bowl.  Add to dry mixture in food processor then scoop and roll into small balls.  Store in fridge--they last weeks and make a handy protein snack for children of all ages.

Last Minute Ideas

Today I finished wrapping gifts, made my grocery list for Christmas dinner, and even had some time to sit down and read for leisure and write in my journal.  It's been a slow, relaxing month--the first time I remember December being so pleasant since I was a kid.

If you're still in a frenzy wrapping presents, I have a last minute idea for a special accent.  This one goes out to my dad the "Bow Man."  Tough guy that he is, he can grow a mean flower garden, antique shop till he drops, and put together fun handmade bows for the holidays.  My mom wraps, my dad adds the bows.  This idea arose as I realized I was out of the bows I was reusing from previous holidays.  Looking into my box of wrapping paper, colorful tissue, and other accoutrements I realized I could made a funky bow out of some kraft paper.  I basically cut thin strips of it, bunched them together, then used a flat thumbtack to press the whole bow into the package (a la the type of bows that have a little plastic "pokey thing" you stick into the gift...do they still make those?)  You can also curl the ends with an open pair of scissors like you would regular curling ribbon.  Try it with it heavier paper.  Et Voila!  Instant decoration (and cheap!)

Last night I finished Vera's handmade gift, a "knitted helmet" as the pattern calls it, which I think sounds too much like my child is some sort of crash tester who needs extra protection.  I call it a balaclava.  If you've knit socks before, this is even easier.  I'm hoping it will solve the problem of keeping both her head and neck covered...and it's even harder to remove than a hat that ties under the chin.  I used some scrap yarn in gray, which should go well with her pink/black winter coat.

The broccoli sprouts have also popped out this week and now I have a lovely carpet of greens.  I should be able to harvest them in a day or two.

Time to Take it Slowly...

Busy needles

The winter has been slow thus far.  I am nearing the end of a knitting project that I've fought with for at least a week until today when I realized that I was reading the pattern incorrectly.  The light went on and now I'm off and running again.  Hoping to have it done in the next day or so to wrap for Vera for the holidays.  Stay tuned.  Otherwise, still working on plans for my new dietary needs for the new year.  We're hosting my in-laws for Christmas Eve/Christmas Day and I'm excited to prepare a sort of German-themed meal for the big day--my Gramma's Beef Rouladen with Braised Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage.  Admittedly when I was a vegetarian for a few years in college, I'd secretly eat this when I came home on breaks and my mom prepared it.  Who can turn down braised beef stuffed with dill pickles and mustard?  Mmm...

We attended a holiday party in the western suburbs of Chicago this past Sunday.  I brought a vegetarian dish and promised the ladies at the party I'd share the recipe.

Simple Roasted Winter Vegetables
Serves 4

Adapted from Eat Fresh, Stay Healthy by Tony Tantillo and Sam Gugino.  You can take liberties with root vegetables and substitute/add rutabaga, Brussels sprouts, leeks, etc.  

3 medium potatoed, washed but unpeeled
3 small turnips, peeled
3 medium parsnips, peeled
1 1/2 lbs. butternut squash or other winter squash, peeled and seeded
3 medium carrots, peeled
1/4 c. vegetable stock
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
8-10 small onions, peeled
1 t. dried basil
Basil pesto, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees  Cut potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and squash into 1 1/4-1 1/2-inch square chunks.  Cut carrots into 1 1/2-inch lengths.  Mix stock with 1 T. olive and half salt and pepper.  In a large mixing bowl, pour mixture over vegetables and toss.  Put potatoes, turnips, parsnips, carrots, and onions in a large roasting pan.  Roast 15 min.  Add squash and cook 30-35 min. more, stirring a few times, until nicely browned and easily pierced with a fork.  Toss with remaining oil, salt and pepper, and basil.  Serve with basil pesto if desired.

Keeping Busy

During the summer, Ben told me I should save some of my posts for the winter when there isn't much going on.  I told him there would be plenty to blog about in the colder months, especially about recipes that utilize my preserves from the season.  But I've found a few other activities to keep us entertained as well. This week I started preparing some broccoli seeds for sprouting.  As I was looking through a hand-me-down cookbook from my mom, Healthy Food for Hungry Kids, (one I remember from childhood) I came across a section on sprouting, something I'd planned to do soon anyway.  I had just purchased some broccoli seeds at the co-op for this very purpose.  I've sprouted seeds in jars before, but I thought I'd try tray sprouting, which is much easier and works best for alfalfa, buckwheat groats, lentils, or brassica seeds.  First you cover the seeds with water and let them stand at room temp. about 3 hours or until the seeds swell.  Drain the seeds.  Line a shallow tray with 3 layers of paper towels.  Top with a single layer of cheesecloth.  Arrange the seeds in a single layer over the cheesecloth.  Spray thoroughly with a fine water spray.  (Paper towels should be wet, but the seeds shouldn't stand in water.)  Prick holes in a large piece of foil and cover the tray loosely.  Store in a warm (65-75 degrees), dark place.  Uncover the tray and spray with water 4-5 times/day until seeds sprout and grow 1/4 inch.  Then spray 2-3 more times/day, keeping sprouts moist at all times.  The sprouts are usually ready to eat in 3-5 days.  At that time, remove foil and set tray in a sunny place for several hours to let the leaves turn green.  Continue spraying sprouts.  To harvest, pull them off the cheesecloth.

Unholiday Gingerbread Cookies

LICK!

This week we were cooped up inside as I was very actively working on potty training Vera, which was pretty exhausting and rather boring at times--lots of sitting, reading, sitting, watching vigilantly, sitting.  To pass the time one day, we were paging through one of my photos albums from early childhood and I came across a picture of me helping my mom make Christmas cookies, which I remember being a super exciting activity.  I decided that even if I can't eat the cookies that I should still engage in mixing, rolling, cutting, and baking them with Vera.  I found a recipe for "Gingerbread Boys" in Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, one my Gramma's coveted baking books that I inherited after she passed.  Vera loved licking the beaters, something my mom used to let us do.  This recipe was eggless so I figured the damage was minor.  She also seemed to enjoy rolling out the dough and loved using the cookie cutters.  I emptied the drawer of the cutters I thought she'd find most interesting, seasonal or not.  So we ended up with lots of gingerbread butterflies, bears, hearts, and stars.  The excitement was rounded off as we watched the cutouts puff up in the oven (Vera gasps and looks at me saying "Oo-ooh!")  Tomorrow we'll decorate them and take most to a holiday gathering on Sunday.

Roll It...

...And Cut It...

As you might imagine, since my allergy diagnosis last week I've been delving into research about food allergies as well as poring over gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and other-free cookbooks from the library.  I've found some great titles that I think I'll add to my new collection.  Flying Apron's Gluten-Free and Vegan Baking Book looks like a perfect fit for me.  In a different book I was reading the foreword about how food allergies arise.  It mentioned that one of the first symptoms is eczema or other skin irritations.  Last year I saw a dermatologist for a regular mole check and he told me I had eczema, which I'd already sensed.  He gave me some petroleum based shampoo, which I politely handed back to him and asked if there was some more natural or homeopathic way to deal with it.  He told me that was ridiculous and basically laughed me out of the office.  I'd like to find him now and ask him if he's ever heard anything about food allergies.  This also makes me wonder about my family's history with skin problems as well as Vera's intense eczema that was attributed, by her allergist's prick test, to a dust allergy.  Interesting that since we've weaned it's really cleared up.  Once again I'm amazed at how things circle back to nutrition.

On the topic of my new eating plan, it occurred to me yesterday that I might rethink my desire to have urban hens.  If I can't eat the eggs I need to recalculate whether it's worth the work.  Of course, backyard poultry is still advantageous for producing one's one garden fertilizer as well as having insect control and pets, not to mention a very strong bartering tool--those delicious huevos.  I'll still fight for others to have this opportunity, but I need to do more thinking before making plans for our own coop.