Nicoise Salad, of a sort

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Last week, my CSA gave me almost all of the ingredients for a solid nicoise salad: little red potatoes, green beans (technically we got both haricots vert and regular old green beans).  We only missed the tomatoes (which I had on hand), the olives (which I tasked JBB with getting), the eggs (also on hand), and tuna (which would never come near my salad nicoise because I hate seafood and fish--that's another post for you).

And so, dinner was born!  Well, technically, dinner for me.  Because let's face it, my kids would much rather go to town on some buttered noodles and broccoli (trust, I know I'm lucky on the broccoli front), and JBB would rather die than have anything that includes olives come near him. WHATEVER MORE FOR ME THEN,SUCKERS.  

Normally, this would be a composed salad that you'd arrange prettily on the plate.  But screw that.  I was hungry so I threw everything--save the eggs--into a bowl and tossed it all together with the dressing, then ate it. 

First thing I did was to cut the potatoes down to bite-size pieces, the pop them into some heavily salted, cold water in a saucepan.  I brought that to a boil, and while that was taking forever to boil, I trimmed the green beans.  I hate trimming green beans, but I hate the stem ends more, so trim I do.  

Once the potatoes were boiling, I let them cook for about 8 minutes, or until a fork went into a piece relatively easily. While they were cooking, I took a big salad bowl and made some vinaigrette in the bottom of it.

honestly, I'd eat this by itself every night, too.

Here's where the lazy comes into play:  Rather than draining the potatoes and then setting another pot of water on to cook the beans, I fished the potatoes out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and put them them into the bowl with the vinaigrette in it, and then dropped the green beans into the already boiling salted water for about 2 minutes.  When the green beans were cooked but still crunchy, I drained the whole thing and added them to the potatoes, and tossed with the dressing while everything was still warm.

I don't do seafood, so no tuna, but I do love eggs on things, so I rinsed out the saucepan a bit, and then filled it back up with cold water, added three eggs, and made some perfect 8 minute eggs. (Remember: cold water plus eggs; bring to boil; cover, turn off heat, and set timer; when timer goes off, dunk in ice water and eat.)  

Look at that tomato!

While the eggs were perfecting, I chunked up some tomatoes, and threw in a bunch of pitted kalamata olives that JBB had grabbed from Trader Joe's, tossed those in with the potatoes and green beans.  Then once the eggs were done, and dunked in ice water to cool them quickly, I peeled them, quartered them, and added them (and more salt and pepper) to the salad. 

And then I ate it all.  (Not really--I had a ton left over so I had more the next day)

SO GOOD.

 

 

linky links! Organizing stuff

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I had nugget ice in the hospital where I delivered both kids. It is the SHIT, man! I don't know that I'd get this, but I understand the urge.

Confession time:  I would like nothing more than to sort the biggest little's Legos by color and then by shape.  I am also the person who wants to complete a set and NEVER have it taken apart. Yes, I do identify with Lord Business in the Lego Movie, why do you ask? (I mean, did you SEE his bin setup? Sweet.) So that's why I don't play with Legos.  However, this sorting machine would be my favorite ever.   

Speaking of sorting and organization . . . my affinity for Martha Stewart is well known.  And here is her cleaned up craft room. Covet. 

This playroom is probably a bit more "blogger organized" than anything we have will ever be--my kids put things away for the most part, but would also tear this place to shreds. I do like some of her tips and tricks--thick foam core wrapped in paper or fabric for dividers, and the link through to a puzzle pouch tutorial are great ideas

Anniversary!

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Today is our 10 year wedding anniversary! Happy anniversary to JBB, who not only puts up with my shit on a daily basis, but is still nice to me at the end of it!  I love you JBB!

aww, smoochies!

 

Whoda thunk it?  (Many, it seems.  Including my dad, the one who said--I kid you not--"no backsies" to JBB after walking me down the aisle. Nice one, dad.)

in Hawaii! Aren't we cute?

look at us: so young! so skinny! so well rested! 

(Also this just reminded me that I have never uploaded our actual photos by the photographer. Ten years later.  Whoops.)

 

 

Bunny!

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His name is George. and he will love him and squeeze him and call him george.

I finally made the littlest little's bunny, using Kate Gilbert's Bunny pattern (rav link, thanks for the suggestion Judy!).

It's super cute. His name is George, as all bunnies are named George in this family.  The little one likes him, and screamed "BUN BUN BUN!!" when he saw him so all is good.

Partially knit, missing an ear and a third dimension.

However, I do have a few quibbles about the pattern.

The first quibble has nothing to do with how the pattern is written: I just like to do everything in the round, because I am lazy and hate seaming.  But since this pattern was written for knitting flat and seaming, I knit it flat and seamed it. I don't think I'd knit it flat again, because to me, there's very little reason to do so.  And I mean, I TOTALLY GET why it's written flat.  It's way way way easier to write a pattern for a stuffed animal flat or in pieces, because they're weird and fiddly and it's hard to explain in words and whatnot.  But other than the arms, which I think I might tweak with short rows or something of that ilk, the rest can be pretty easily translated to in the round.

finished, seamed, but unstuffed. like a plushie skin.

The second quibble I have is that I suspect I found an error in the stitch counts for the size I made (Papa Bun), once you get to the head and ears section.  It threw me off as I was knitting it, because I was out and about, working along, got to the ears, realized that something was off, and had to rip out an ear to fix it.  Annoying, but fine.  It was an easy tweak for me to adjust to, but something that would completely throw off a less experienced knitter. 

And of course, because I was out and about, my first thought was "shit, I missed a row or two".  But nope.  I double checked and I didn't.  Then after the kiddos went to bed, I sat down with pencil and paper and charted out the increases/decreases row by row and sure enough, there it was again. So at least I'm not completely crazy.

I did email the designer with my notes, and hopefully it's an easy adjustment on her end with some errata or something. 

I was going to make a second one, and still might (in the round, natch), or I might just go rogue and do a totally different pattern. Maybe Henry's Bunny (rav link)?

remember how I went running?

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Remember that time I went running? (You should, loyal reader, it was just last week.)

I did it again on Sunday! In the awful heat! And shockingly did not pass out from heat stroke!  Yay!  But I did get a goddamned blister on my heel. Boo!

I don't think it was my shoes--which by the by are the first athletic shoes ever to not make my feet go all pins and needles-y when I run, because I sucked it up and got the less-cute-colored-but-actually-fit-my-feet wides.  But I'm pretty sure it was my damn socks.  Stupid cotton socks.

Luckily there's a running store in town, and the nice folks there directed me to better socks.  I picked up a thin pair and a more padded pair to see what I end up preferring, but I am hoping they'll be better than the crappy wigwam cotton ones I had. 

Now I have to go dig through the boxes of crap I packed up from my office and see if I can find the good blister bandages I kept there.

Running inspired

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God help me, I went for a run this morning.

look, I'm wearing running pants! WHO AM I EVEN??

I HATE running. I hate exercise in general.  The outdoors and I do not get along, unless I'm floating in water somewhere with a frozen boozy beverage awaiting me on the lanai. Those who know me (and let's face it, you're probably not reading this if you don't know me), know that I am not a fan of exertion.

And yet.  AND YET. I RAN.  

And I actually ran-ran, all the way to the end of my street (maybe 1/2 mile?), walked back up the hill a bit because let's not go too crazy here people, and then RAN AGAIN to the park and around the loop.  

Why, you ask?   My friend Kari posted this article from Runners World this am. And damn if Mirna Valerio's story isn't going to a light a fire a hell of a lot more than some bullshit thinspo on Pinterest. I will be following her blog, Fat Girl Running from now on, for damn sure. 

It's not just because I'm going to turn 40 this year, though that's part of it.  My family history of diabetes and weight struggles doesn't help my natural inclination to laze about.  I've struggled with my weight for pretty much my entire life, and my natural inclination is to gain weight, not lose it. While diet can control a lot of it for me, at almost-40 I'm far far less likely to subsist on sugar free jello, cool whip free, and popcorn, they way I did when I was at my skinniest.  

And the almost-40 part is actually a boon, because I am far more comfortable in my own skin than I ever was when I was younger. Despite always being outwardly relatively self-confident (except, ugh, teenage years), 20 years ago I would have been MORTIFIED to go out and exercise where people could SEE me.  Because yet another fat girl sweating in public, taking up space, daring to do what the THIN girls do.  (Not really, but you see the thought process). 

I still don't believe the platitude that "no, no one's watching you, really!"  because that's bullshit. Bullshit spread by the non-fat and parents of self conscious teenagers.  People ARE looking.  And yeah, some are judging.  It's one thing a big girl learns early: people watch the big girls, people judge the big girls, and people feel free to share their comments on you.

But the biggest difference is that now?  I got zero fucks to give y'all.  Want a show, looky loos? I GOT ONE RIGHT HERE. MY FACE VS. A BEET: CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?

I will say, a decent outfit helps. A decent outfit being not cocooning myself in heavy, stretched out shitty cotton.  I mean, a solid sports bra is a literal requirement, but the rest of the gear helps too. So now I had:

  • a good sports bra that comes in my size (F, by the way.  Good luck finding that at Sports Authority, fuckers.) I've since bought two, in case they discontinue it. I am paranoid. 
  • athletic leggings that weren't a vain attempt of let's-hide-the-big-girl-in-a-sack (P.S. Decent plus size workout wear options are few and far between. Don't even get me started on attempting to find tennis whites not in size XS. I'm damn lucky I have no ass and can fit into Athleta's XL pants).
  •  a pair of running sneakers that were wide enough not to make my feet get pins and needles after 15 minutes of torturing them. 

And the capper? It wasn't eleventy billion degrees and sweltering outside. 

I mean, it still took me over an hour to prep for what wound up being 40 minutes outside (I count my stopping for food after as well), cause I had to find my ipod, charge my ipod, fiddle with the playlist and delete some weird shit I'd put on there, sync my ipod, decide maybe to listen to a podcast instead?, download a bunch of podcasts, revise that plan, and tweak the playlist some more (I confused that Budapest song with Barcelona, and realized it just in time but couldn't think of Budapest, so was like, hm Euro city with a B.... Belfast? Belgrade?  Then I figured it out.).  Then which water bottle to bring?  (note: carrying a water bottle while running hurts my shoulders but I need to drink the water so I don't pass out and die on the curb.  Solutions, runner friends?)

Red! and Green! and cleavage!

Now I'm drinking green juice (what, I like celery and cucumber!), sweaty and gross after a run, outside, in SUNLIGHT. I'm even debating another tennis lesson.

Jesus, I don't even know who I am anymore.

the only way to make vanilla extract

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Once upon a time, I promised you more info on how to make your own vanilla extract.  And so it shall be.

There are a billion different posts on Pinterest and the like about making your own vanilla extract.  And I'm here to tell you that they are straight up bullshit.  Not because it's hard to do--it isn't.  Or because the ingredients are super expensive--they aren't. Or because the end result is not as good as commercial extracts--it's WAY BETTER.

They're all essentially the same concept: pour vodka or a neutral spirit (grain) over a split vanilla bean. The problem is that they claim you can make decent extract with one piddly little vanilla bean.  You can't. One vanilla bean in a little bottle of booze does jack all.  (I lie: it makes a meh vanilla vodka. Throw in three, and you have a much better vanilla vodka.)

And here, dear reader is the true secret: what you need are a half pound of vanilla beans and a big ass jar. 

actually, this is in dire need of some topping off. 

Yes, vanilla beans are expensive. When you buy them at Williams-Sonoma or specialty cooking stores and buy the itty bitty canister of two premium beans. But I get mine from Ebay.  Because honestly, I'm making vanilla extract, and I'm not putting the beans on display.  I don't need pretty, fat grade A beans that come at a premium price.  I just need good flavor and bulk.  You can get a half pound of beans from Ebay sellers for about $30.  

Get yer beans, a big ass jar (I got one of the biggest ones with a locking bail at the container store--similar to this one [affiliate link], but any wide mouth, glass, airtight jar will work), and a bottle or two of cheap (but not trashy burny hurty) vodka.  

Take your sharp paring knife, split each bean in half, the long way, and pack in the jar.  You don't need to bother scraping out the seeds.  Top with the vodka, and seal.  Keep in a cool dark place for at least two weeks (longer is better) before decanting the liquid into smaller containers. 

I originally made my jar to make Christmas gifts in 2008.  I decanted a bunch of extract into smaller bottles, including one split bean for decoration, and then just left the big jar in the pantry.  I refilled my own bottle (and my mom's) from the stash, and when the liquid level gets low in the big jar, I just top it off with more vodka and let it chill. I have not replaced the beans, and as they're covered with booze they are just fine.  

Every so often, I steal a bean from the big jar, let it dry out, and bury it in a canister of regular old sugar. Give it a shake, and after a week or so, voila: vanilla sugar. Which is KILLER in baked goods. And coffee. And also makes a fantastic gift in a mason jar. When the sugar level gets low, just top it off.  When the vanilla starts to fade, steal another bean from your jar of extract and repeat.

Adventures in the CSA! Cauliflower

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I know I am not the first, nor will I be the last, to write about the magic of roasted cauliflower.  Why? Because it is the SHIT, man.  I could eat a whole head of roasted cauliflower and make myself ill (knowledge born from experience, my friends)--it's crunchy and savory and so so much better than any other form of cooking the veg.

My CSA delivered a great looking cauliflower head, with tinges of purple.  Not too big, thankfully saving myself from myself.

I snapped the leaves off the head, then sliced the florets off the stalk.  Then I sliced the florets themselves into thin-ish slices/crumbly pieces, dumped all of that onto a sheet pan, and doused with a hearty douse of olive oil.  Normally, I would have peeled a few cloves of garlic, left them whole and dropped them in there too. Several BIG sprinkles of kosher salt later and a good toss later, voila:

purply cauliflower about to be delicious purply cauliflower

You want the veg in a single layer, for the most part. Technically, the picture above is a bit crowded, but the cauliflower shrinks substantially as it roasts so I wasn't too worried.  If you get the pan too crowded, or the veg not in a single layer, everything will steam and not brown the way you want it too.  Which is a bummer to say the least.  

Pop it into a 450 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or so, stirring things up every 10 to 15 minutes, or until you get this:

mmm, roasty. (also, see what I mean about shrinkage?)

See that brown? The color on the cauliflower? That's the minimum of what you want.  Honestly, I could leave that pan in the oven for another 5 minutes or so and still be just fine.  (DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO--need I remind you of the clafoutis?)

If after 30-35 minutes your cauliflower is only slightly golden brown, give it another stir, and LEAVE IT IN THE OVEN.  Roasted vegetables aren't just "cooked through" to be edible, they're browned and nutty and delicious when they're dark brown (but not burnt!). Also, don't forget the salt.  It's not just flavor, it helps draw the moisture out of the veg, which evaporates in the hot oven and speeds up the caramelization and browning.  Plus it's salt.

It is SO GOOD, you guys. SO GOOD.  I ate about half of it before I finished up the rest of the dish (caramelized onions--in the background there--sauteed zucchini noodles, goat cheese, roasted cauliflower, and butter).

Also, this is a default cooking method for veg for me, and has been for years.  Carrots are CRACK cooked like this. CRACK.