Butternut Squash Pear Soup

This is actually a recipe that originated with Jennie Jane, but Aunt Robyn emailed it out, and for any of you who didn't get it, or lost it or forgot about it, it's worth revisiting! I think it was maybe the most delicious butternut squash soup I've had. I loved the pear and the fresh rosemary in it. I doubled it because the squash I had was a 2 pounder, and I loved having leftovers for a few days. I added a tablespoon of fresh chopped ginger, because I had some, and I used rice milk and it tasted great.

enjoy!

Butternut Squash & Pear Soup

2 Tbsp ghee, butter, or olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 inch cubes (Fresh is best, but for a faster soup you can sometimes find it already peeled and cubed in the frozen section)
2 medium pears, peeled and sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup soy milk (or fresh milk)
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans, for garnish
medium pear, sliced for garnish

Melt ghee/butter/oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and stir occasionally until onions are tender. Stir in broth, two sliced pears, rosemary, ginger and remaining spices. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until squash is fork tender. Puree soup in batches in food processor or blender (or use immersion blender). Return pureed soup to pot. Stir in milk. Reheat, stirring frequently, until hot. Do not boil. Garnish with pecan and sliced pear.

From Delicious Living e-news

Banana Bread

As you can see from Jim's post, we were on vacation, which explains why after not eating much meat for weeks and then having tuna for dinner, bacon and eggs for breakfast, a cheeseburger for lunch and then KFC for dinner, I was SICK. I was hunched over my stomach for hours and even felt a little sick the following morning. Enough said, I had a vegan dinner last night. I've always made fun of those crazy vegans, but I'm really coming around!
On to what this post is really about: banana bread. I had 4 brown bananas on my table when we came home from said vacation, so I decided to make banana bread and use the non-dairy subs just to see how it turned out. That's not my bread there, but they all look the same, right? It was really good, pretty much just as good as any banana bread you've all eaten a million times, nothing too different. I was just excited that my substitutions didn't change it one bit.

1 cube Earth Balance butter sub.
1 1/2 c flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
4 ripe bananas
3/4 c sugar
2 large eggs + one yolk (who knows why?)
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c Tofutti sour cream sub.

Bake: 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

I admit, I still don't love soy milk, or any other milk substitute, but I'm doing it. But as to the butter, I think this Earth's Balance stuff is yummy, I have both the spread and the cube version and it tastes great. I don't miss butter a bit. The Tofutti sour cream is pretty good, but you can tell it's not the real thing if you are paying attention. However, I need to say that Tofutti makes a killer cream cheese (among a string of other products). I dream of clam dip...I'll never feel guilty again for eating the whole bowl!

*One more thing, since it took coming back to this three or four times to finish, I had a tasty treat that I'll share as well. Pita bread (the thick soft kind that doesn't make pockets) heated in the oven on bake, rip it in half, then spread hummus on both pieces. Add some black beans, sliced tomato & mixed greens and you have your tasty little sandwich. Just arugula would have made it really good, or it could have been beefed up for a full meal.

I have questions....

um...I'm a boy. Am I allowed here? Does it make a difference if I have bad grammer and can't spell? sometimes ya'll can be intimidating but I'm jumping in anyway.

Marie and I have really tried to embrace this lifestyle over the last month and it has been great. I'm still trying to figure out how to get enough food to keep me going through the day (I accidentally just ate about a pound of snap peas that were supposed to last me a couple of days - I ate them in less than 30 minutes. Seriously.)

So questions for you smart people - What do you do when you are on the road? How do you plan for it - what types of places do you eat? Are there things you often take with you? Things you buy along the way that work for you? let us know.

Also - Sometimes you just need something fast for dinner. You know, the days you are late coming home from the park and you have a church meeting your are late for but if you don't help get your kids in bed your wife might be crying when you get home and the art project from this morning has dried to the table and you can't get it off and so you really want avoid that room and you haven't been to the store for awhile and there is nothing in the cupboard but Ramen but you ate so much of that in college that it gives you a stomach ache because your body rejects it immediately and if you don't eat soon you may start using inappropriate words around your children and you just really need food now. You know those days?
Any simple things you have all come across that you can throw together in a pinch?

PS - I can no longer live without our blender. We got the Blendtec (http://www.willitblend.com/) over the vita mix because it can not only make good smoothies it can blend up a lava lamp if you need it too. This morning's concoction was 2 oranges, 1 kiwi, 1 banana, 1 cup soy milk, a few pieces of pineapple, a big handful of parsley, and an inch of ginger. yummy.

Taking Care of Your Beans & Grains

Hi there, ladies--

Aunt Robyn talked in her class about how grains need to be properly treated before consuming them. I found this very helpful article on the subject that I REALLY liked. Maybe you will, too. I remember that Robyn taught, "Fresh is best, fermented is next." The article talks about how important it is to ferment your beans and grains. Below is a list of directions to do so. I have done them with the raw apple cider vinegar and found no noticable difference in the taste. Let me know what you think. I know this is a controversial topic--wether it is necessary to do so or not.

ARTICLE:
http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/be_kind.html

DIRECTIONS for FERMENTING BEANS/GRAINS:

FOR WHOLE GRAINS: For millet, brown rice, oatmeal, amaranth, etc. soakdesired amount of grain in an equal amount ofwater to which you've added 1 tbsp. raw vinegar, fresh lemon juice, or plainyogurt. ( use 2-3 tbsp. if your cooking a large amount of grain)Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 7 hours, preferablylonger. When ready to cook, add remaining required amount of water or stockand cook. NOTE: To soak whole-grain flours or pancake mixes, follow thesame procedure as above, but make sure the flour is mixed well with thesoaking water.FOR

RAW BEANS AND LENTILS: Soak desired amount of beans in an equal amountof water to whichyou've added 1 tbsp raw vinegar, fresh lemon juice, or plain yogurt. ( Use2-3 tbsp if your cooking a large amount of beans or lentils) Cover and letsit at room temperature for at least 7 hours, preferably longer. When readyto cook, discard soaking water; add remaining required amount of water orstock and cook.

FOR RAW NUTS AND SEEDS: Place raw nuts or seeds in a bowl, add 1 tbsp seasalt and cover with water. Leave at room temperature for 6-8 hours. Drainthe water. Place the nuts on a cookie sheet, and dry on low heat in theoven. You can also air dry the nuts on a towel, but it takes much longer todry them this way.

SPROUTED ALMONDS: Sprouted almonds are much more digestible than untreatedones. Rinse 3 times per day. Ready in 3 days. Sprout is merely a tinywhite appendage, about 1/8 inch long.

BREAKFAST PORRIDGE:1 cup oats, steel cut, or rolled, or coarsely ground in your own grinder.1 cup of water plus 2 tbsp. fermented whey, yogurt, or buttermilk. ( I dont see why you could not use kefir)1/2 tsp. celtic sea salt1 cup water1 tbsp flaxseeds (optional)For highest benefits and best assimilation, porridge should be soakedovernight or even longer. (ancient recipes from Wales and Brittany calledfor a 24 hoursoaking ) Once soaked, oatmeal cooks up in less than 5 minutes-----truly afast food.Mix oats and salt with water mixture; cover and let stand at roomtemperature for at least 7 hours and as long as 24 hours. Bring additional1 cup of water to boil. Add soaked oats. Reduce heat, cover, and simmerseveral minutes.Meanwhile, grind flaxseeds in a mini grinder. Off heat, stir in flaxseedsand let stand for a few minutes. Serve with butter or cream thinned with alittle water( I use kefir here ) and a natural sweetener of your choice.

EASY BROWN RICE: 2 cups brown rice4 cups water of 2 cups of water mixed with 2 cups stock1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or yogurtSoak rice in 2 cups of water with the vinegar or yogurt for at least 7 hours Transfer to your pot or rice cooker. Add theremaining water or water/broth, and cook till tender. If your cooking therice on a stovetop, bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer and cookcovered, stirring occasionally. Serves 6-8. This recipe can be used forany whole grain you wish to serve by itself.

All of these recipes for fermented grains, etc. are from The Makers Diet.

Jackie

(I took these instructions from this website:
http://archive.kefirtanesi.com/how-to-ferment-grains-whole-grains-beans-and-lentils--yazi51353.html)

BAD COMBO

Warning: Whatever you do, don't mix broccoli and grapefruit in a smoothie. GROSS.

We've been trying to make green smoothies a lot. Jim's been taking full creative license with this venture, and blending just about everything he can think of (but not quite everything that cath can think of - she's hoping to blend a few of my dad's clothes, but I don't think they'd taste very good.)

Anyway. We were running low on fruit and on greens, and didn't have a lot of variety on hand. We put in a couple of grapefruits, and all of our greens were gone, but we had broccoli and Jim, in typical fashion, thought, "why not?" Well now we know why not. Because it's disgusting.

Consider yourself warned.

as a side note, here's something I don't understand: Romney, who turns his nose up at most other delicious tasting smoothies mysteriously chose to drink his! completely! and Laine drank hers too, although she had the same response as I did, which was a shiver/gag response with each sip. How does that make sense?

The Mormon Diet Cookbook

I hope no one minds that I changed the blog design. I figured no one else would since Marie made the blog. This one is kind of plant-y, per the new diet. Speaking of, my friends mom has been doing this diet for about five years because she's been fighting her husbands prostate cancer, and she has other health problems that she has solved with it as well. She recommended this cookbook:


The Mormon Diet Cookbook. It isn't all totally vegan but has easy places to substitute. I hear the recipes are really good.
By the way, I also posted that picture from my shower, of lots of the Curtis women. I wish you could see it better! AND, for the record, anyone who really wants to eat what Marie's cooking can come to dinner at my house, since that is where most of her meals end up. :)

What a lovely idea, Marie- thank you for inviting me to see what you eat. It is very beautiful.
Your Thai dish looks truly inspiring. Which is also code for intimidating. I mean color pictures, fish paste (?!!) a tablecloth and all. But seriously, kudos to you for taking this thing seriously. I would rather be invited to dinner than look at your leftovers, but at least we get to talk to each other, right?

Please forgive me if my recipe tones this thing down a notch (for people who accidentally eat 7-9 peanut butter blossoms on the weekends) by contributing the ASPARAGUS SOUP I made up last night- As near as I can remember, not having photographed it.

In a few cups of vegetable stock simmer 1/2 -one onion, one potato, three ribs celery and finely chopped celery leaves, 1 to 2 c baby bella mushsrooms, half -1 diced red pepper and many asparagus. I don't know how much, about half or more of the big bunch you get at Costco - all finely chopped if you don't have a Vita-stinking mixer- no bitterness there. Add salt, pepper and whatever spices you prefer. I add garlic and secret herbs I crush under the heel of my name brand boots. Just Kidding! My boots are from Costco.
When the veggies are tender, pour them into a blender and beat them to a pulp. Gently. I have to do this in about three batches. Add stock to make your desired consistency. I leave mine thick. It is rather delicious with peanut butter blossoms. Only three at a time. I have also added spinach and carrots, but prefer the original grouping I have named. To health! Love, nanny