quick, waffles!

I haven't really tried a new recipe in a while, except for a ruttabega soufle that didn't turn out so well.

Two quick things, I plan on posting a better post later this week...

1.) I made an entire bag's worth of oat-bran waffle/pancake mix. My mother-in-law has a waffle maker (score!) and I spent about an hour a few saturdays ago making tons of waffles and freezing them. I added some flax meal to the batter. They are grainy but very tasty with pure maple syrup on and butter on top. Yum! Spending the hour on saturday saved me lots of time and energy for later times when I just need a quick meal.

2.) We've had some fun dates lately and discovered some great eateries. I will share these in the next post!

Croutons, Salsa Verde, & Sprouts!

It’s 8:30. The baby has been in bed an hour, I just finished up getting dinner ready for when John gets back from school, I have a glass of Sangria by my side, and it’s time to review this week’s food adventures.

I’ve been trying to be more thrifty and less wasteful. This week I used old bread to make croutons, and stale pita to make pita chips. My Grandmother gave me a garlic herb spice mix for Christmas. I mixed the spices in olive oil and tossed cubed pieces of bread and pita triangles until they were well coated. Then I put them in the oven with the broiler on low for 7 minutes. Now I have a heap of croutons I can store for the many salads we’ve been enjoying lately. Speaking of which, I found sprouts at the Ingles I like to shop at that are organic and local! (from Tryon, NC). Sprouts are like magic food. I feel like the growing process of the sprouts continues inside my body and builds new brain cells. I feel energized and clear-headed after I eat a salad full of sprouts. Magic!

We had a Mexican fiesta Tuesday night. This dinner was inspired by the left-over tortillas that have been neglected in the fridge for a couple weeks. I bought tomatillos and made my first salsa-verde. I cooked the tomatillos in a cast-iron frying pan for about 45 minutes. Then I put them in the food processor with two jalapeños and onion, salt, and pepper. It was really good! I think a little lime juice and garlic should have been added, though. How did I leave out those lovely ingredients?!? Unfortunately, my spicy barometer is regulated a little differently than the rest of the folks in the house, and I ended up being the only one actually enjoying the salsa. And to me, it wasn’t even that hot! Oh well. Wimps.

Using the agave nectar has been great. I put it in our oatmeal and in my coffee now. I like it because it is easier for your body to digest than sugar, but it doesn’t have a crazy after-taste like Stevia. In the oatmeal, it just tastes “sweet.” I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but it’s very pure tasting. The same goes for adding it to my coffee.

Oh! I almost forgot. The beans for the Mexican fiesta turned out really yummy as well. I diced up an onion, sautéed it, and then put in the pan two cans of black beans and a can of refried beans. I have a ton of dried black beans and intend on starting a practice of soaking and cooking a crock-pot full for each week. However…well, it’s a long story but it just hasn’t happened yet. Anyways, the real secret ingredient in the beans was a few shakes of Mrs. Dash’s southwest chipotle blend. I borrowed it from my friend Michelle. It was great!

This is all I have time for tonight. I need to go put away laundry and such. I hope you can gleam a few fun ideas for your time in the kitchen!

Blessed

Awakened Joy in the Kitchen

I haven't posted on this blog in a long time. I started it oh so long ago when I first moved to Asheville before husband and baby. Actually it was only 3 years ago, but I find myself so far away from the person I was in that stage of life that it might as well have been a decade ago.

The one thing that hasn't changed much from the "Nicole of Innocence" past and the "Nicole of Reality" present is my interest and passion in sustainable, delicious eating.

As I said, I gave birth to my first child, Anna-Joy in May of 2009. Today at a local mom's meeting, we had to state what we do for ourselves. I like to cook (as long as I'm not rushed). The rhymn of chopping, stirring, tasting is very therapeautic for me. My awakening joy in the kitchen is challenged by a limited budget and a little Anna-Joy clinging to my legs. However, I look at her and hope she will grow up knowing what real food is and where it comes from. God gave us a beautiful Earth where the sun beats down and lovely colorful delicasies come up from the dirt just like magic.

I am enthralled by the magic, and I love to journal and write. So this blog is for me, but you're welcome to enjoy it as well.

SO - here goes...

I hope, by the time I'm old, to have at the very least one dozen recipes mastered. You know the ones that Grandkids eagerly request of their Grandmas.

Here's what's on my list so far:
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Apple Pie (and pie-crust for that matter)
- Eggplant Parmesean (a dish I eagerly request of my Grandma)
- White Bread with home-made strawberry preserves
- Pot Roast - I'm all ready on my way to a pretty good one!

That's all for now. I think the others will come by way of trial and error. Here's some recipes I tried this week:

- Kale Chips - Very good, but time consuming. Wash & Dry kale, tear into smaller pieces, massage 2 T olive oil into the leaves, salt & peppah, bake at 350 for 15 minutes on a rimmed baking sheet (or two).

*I don't think I'll make these again unless I get a major craving. But yum!

- Apple-Stuffed Acorn squash - Cut in half two acorn squashes, remove seeds. Dice up two apples. Mix 1/2 stick of diced butter with the apples, and sprinkle with ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinamon, salt, and peppah. I also added quinoa to this buttery apple mixture. Spoon the apples into the center of the squash. Bake for 45 minutes at 350.

* I didn't care for this. I usually like most vegetables, but turns out I don't like acorn squash, but I bet this would be delicious with butternut squash. The quinoa-apple mixture was great and would make a yummy porrige for breakfast with milk added.

- Cranberry Spelt Muffins with Sunflower Seeds - This is a recipe I adapted from the Baklava Queen. I have never used fresh cranberries before. I think they're probably better if dried first? They are kind of potpourri tasting fresh. The actual muffin texture, though, was nice. This was also my first time using spelt flour.

- Sesame-Cream Cheese Dates - I think I bought the wrong kind of dates. My friend Nancy made a date treat and the dates were much more moist. Or maybe these were just a little old? Either way, they turned out pretty good! These dates had a hole straight through the center from where they were pitted. I put some cream-cheese in a ziploc and cut the end off to make it a pastry bag. I squirted cream cheese into the center of the dates. Then, I drizzled Raw Agave nectar over the dates and tossed 'em around in the bowl until they were well coated. Then I rolled them in sesame seeds. Great success (says Borat)!

*Note, next time get better dates and maybe toast the sesame seeds beforehand for added flavor of toasty goodneess.
The baby is in bed and I feel like writing, so I'm also going to include a shopping list. Here's a look at what kinds of wholesome foods $93.80 will get you at the local co-op.

- 2.1 lbs Organic Rolled Oats (Anna-Joy and I eat soaked oatmeal everymorning for breakfast) That's what I call a cheap breakfast! This will last us over a month unless we decide to use them in baking.
- 0.56 lbs Walnuts
- 0.66 lbs Pitted Dates
- Organic Teething Biscuits for - Guess who!
- 1 lb Organic Maple Syrup
- 2.83 lb Corn Meal - For corn bread and dusting french bread.
- 0.62 lb Organic sesame seeds
- (1) Box Artichoke flour Angel-hair pasta
- (1) Box Gardenburgers (mostly mushrooms, not soy!)
- (1) Bag frozen corn
- (1) 1/2 Gallon Organic Milk
- (2) frozen Spelt pie shells - for a quick quiche dinner.
- 2.8 lbs Organic Sugar
- (1) 44 oz. bottle of Raw Agave Nectar - I've heard of friends using this and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Your body processes it better than sugar. I used it in the cranberry muffins and for the date dish and still have 3/4 of a bottle left.
- 2.99 lbs unbleached white flour - for baking bread! Nothing like home-made bread!
- (1) tub of Organic cream cheese
- (1) tub of Organic shredded Parmesean
- 2.29 lbs Organic Spelt flour
- 2.7 lbs Organic Sunflower seeds
- 3.73 lbs ***Local*** Organic Sweet Potatoes - These were $1.99/lb compared to $0.68/lb at Ingles - I was shocked! It is worth it, but we also have a very limited buget. I think I got maybe 5 sweet potatoes for almost $8 - yikes!
- (2) Bunches Organic Kale
- (1) Box Annie's Deluxe Mac & Cheese

Here's what I got at Ingles for $97.28:
- (1) jar organic salsa
- 4-Pack cane sugar Root Beer for the Honey
- 02433521116 (your guess is as good as mine)
- (2) cans black Olives
- (2) cans evaporated milk - I'm going to use these in a recipe I found for home-made mayonaise
- (1) Organic Apple Juice for AJ
- (1) Jar coconut oil - like the agave nectar, I've heard good things about this stuff and wanted to try it out. I post when I use it.
- (2) jars Prego pasta sauce
- (1) carton sea salt
- (1) Bottle Organic lemon juice
- (1) Bottle Olive Oil
- (2) bags Caribou Coffee
- (1) bag Organic Pinto beans
- (1) bag Great Northern beans
- (1) CELES TB CHA (? any guesses?)
- 1 lb Organic butter
- (1) carton Organic 1/2 & 1/2
- (1) Box of Garden Burgers
- (2) Frozen Pizzas
- (2) Boxes Organic Frozen Waffles
- (1) Organic Frozen Spinach
- (2) acorn squashes
- 25 lbs (yes, I said 25 FREAKIN pounds!) of Organic Carrotts for juicing
- 6-pack Kiwis for juicing
- 3 lbs grapefruit
- (1) Bag of Organic onions
- (3) bulbs of Organic garlic
- (5) Organic Gala apples

And there you have it. This food should last us all month. We only need to pick up a few fresh veggies and salad mixing here and there.

Ok, I think that's quite long enough. I may have just been making up for lost time on this blog. Good nite!

Tony Mac

My computer has been officially named "Tony Mac."

I don't know if I will be able to convey the intensity of what I am about to say:

GOD LOVES YOU.

GOD IS REAL - AND GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE.

and we are FREE. and we are BELOVED. and we are TREASURED. and we are BEAUTIFUL. and we are PERFECT.

and by the blood of JESUS we are GOLDEN.

no worries.

none at all.

"Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey."

To every artist, every person bound by the chains of drug use, to every one down-and-out, to every child not loved as they should be, to every woman not loved as she should be, to every homeless, wreckless, hopeless ....

GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU WILL PROSPER.

and that's a message straight from worship at the Body to your ears. Digest it.

Busy Busy

It's been SO long since I've updated. There is no way I could accurately convey all the ridiculous (in the best way possible) things that have taken place here in Asheville lately.

I've been really busy...hanging out with my boyfriend! Seems kind of weird to post about, but it's a big part of what's been going down here lately. His name is John Mahshie and he loves Jesus, and God's brought our paths together. Pretty cool. What am I saying? It's ridiculously outta control cool!

I have transitioned from Missio Dei to The Body. The Body has an amazing ministry downtown, and it's been so awesome to become a part of what's happening there. I know I am about to learn a whole heck of a lot!

So many exclamation points!

Also, I withdrew from UNCA. I felt like it was hindering, rather than helping, me reach my photography goals. Plus, it was just not where I needed to be. I start working full time at Olan Mills today! I hope you all realize how impossibly amazing it is that Olan Mills just happened to be hiring right as I decide to leave school. God is so freaking faithful!

I love you all. Peace in the Middle East.

~ Nicola

His love is really really real.

As you might be able to tell from the last post, my adjustment to being here in Asheville was far from easy and I handled it in a less than glorious manner. I got stuck in this gross sin cycle of self pity and selfishness and I don't even know what else. Gross stuff. But I am so glad to be here. And, recently, I have met a bunch of wonderful people and have been introduced to this church called "The Body" which is outta control! It's everything I dreamed of being a part of when I moved up here.

I can't post too much now, more to come later.

peace in the middle east,
Nicola

Gus and the Great Adjustment

Gus is my neighbor. On September 19th she will turn 93 years old. The only thing that doesn't work is "from [her] knees down" but she doesn't complain because "they've been holding [her] up for a long time." Gus became a Christian at the age of 10. She has read through the bible 54 times and is currently on her 55th. She is the last surviving member of her family. Her sister died in the chair that I sat in, "right there, in [her] arms." She met her husband at a party. He walked her home, and "that's where it started." He died after 12 short years of marriage. She raised her kids, took care of her elderly parents, ran the choir, and worked at Woolworth's for 47 years. She told me she loved me as I left her house. I love her too.

I'm sorry It's been so long since I've last posted. I don't have any excuse except for...well, that would negate the first part of that sentence, huh?

I have struggled in my adjustment here. It is a good struggle, like the salmon that struggle up stream towards life. I'm struggling, but that doesn't mean the struggle is to my detriment. I find myself asking old familiar questions, and now I am dealing with the answers in a completely different context. The context adds complication to formerly convenient answers.

For instance, Friday night I went out with my roomie and some friends. Part of our conversation was about the Bible and how reliable it is. I listened to some pretty convincing arguments concerning its credibility as a piece of literature, and agreed that it often is put on the same level as God when it should not be. Then, on Saturday night, I hung out with Gus who has read the Bible 54 times and is more alone than I ever want to be, and more content than I could ever hope to be.

I am surrounded by blatant sin, but stand perplexed because it doesn't look as "bad" as I had been told it would. In fact, it's pretty attractive in a lot of ways. Idolaters are some of the nicest people I know.

There is an incredible spiritual dialogue taking place in Asheville. I want to enter into that dialogue and attest to the beauty and hope found in Jesus, but I find myself thinking: "What right do I have to assert my beliefs? What do I really know, anyway?" It's not that I doubt the reality of Jesus (of course, I have plenty of moments of doubt, but overall, I'm owned), but I rather doubt my ability to enter in and say, "This is what I know..." without sounding superior. That's the last thing I want, because that's the last thing I am. I am not superior. I am a beggar in the Kingdom of God. I beg daily for my bread, for the grace to believe, the grace to be faithful, the grace to understand this great mystery called redemption...

This phase of struggling is good, but very strange. Even though I'm asking questions I've asked before, the setting of Asheville makes me consider them in whole new way. If you are reading this and you are my friend, please don't think I'm forsaking the Gospel or getting "sucked in" to the crock pot of Ashevillian Spirituality. I'm not. At the end of the day, I always conclude that without Jesus there is absolutely no hope, no purpose, no beauty. But during the day, I wonder what that looks like, and how it should apply to my life. It's a messy process of prayer, discussion, listening, reading, and questioning.