This week I got my hands on some fantastic field tomatoes. They were enormous and perfect looking. I wanted to enjoy them as they were, so I dug out a recipe for a simple sandwich featuring tomatoes as the main ingredient. Like usual, I was missing a necessary ingredient for the sandwich…bread. Kinda important,right? Not really, I decided to just toss everything into a pita and call it done. The result was scrumptious.

I gently heated some Tofutti cream cheese and stirred in some garlic, oregano and s&p. I lined the inside of the pita with lots of this mixture. Then, I layered in the sliced tomatoes and fresh basil leaves from the garden . I spread EB on the outside of the pita and gave it a healthy coating of garlic powder. I think this garlicky, buttery, crispy outside is what makes this sandwich so outstanding. I grilled it on my cast iron griddle until the outside was browned and the inside was gently heated through….mmm…

It was fabulous. So fabulous that I’ve eaten it three times this week and had to run out to the market and stock up on tomatoes. Of course, this tasty creation got me to thinkin about what else I could shove into a pita and grill…spinach, peppers, zucchini…oh yes, I’m thinking eggplant is up next!

To celebrate my return to my much loved vegan kitchen, I decided to whip up a hearty, tummy filling meal. I’ve been on vacation and while I had a wonderful time, I couldn’t help but miss my yummy home cooked vegan grub.

Overall, vacation was a ton of fun! (I got to go to the beach and make my own pretzel in America’s oldest pretzel factory…exciting, right?)

I was able to plan ahead and pack lots of vegan snacks(hummus, pb, oreos…hey, it was vacation!) In addition, I found a cute little sandwich shop in Chincoteague, Virginia that actually advertised its vegan food! Shocking, considering the island basically exists solely on its own seafood. We were there for a couple of days and I had several tasty vegan hoagies and soups…however, things started looking grim on the drive home. We went through Pennsylvania Dutch country…lets just say they don’t have a word for “vegan”…

By the time we got into Amish territory, my stash had almost run out and my hummus had gone bad in the backseat. I found myself paying $20 for a salad bar(with surprisingly limited items I would consider “salad”) and homefries that I kept telling myself had not been fried in butter. I was getting hungry and missing my kitchen full of veggies and grains and cute little legumes. My kitchen was missing me too. I could feel it.

Upon my return, I booked it over to my trusty neighborhood market and found it bursting with summer’s bounty. Good times! I got a ton of fruits and veggies and found myself experiencing a strange craving for chili(it being summer and 90 degrees and all…)with cornbread….yeah, that’s right…mmm…

So, chili it was! As for the recipe, well, I almost botched it by completely missing the main seasoning ingredient. But, I was able to come up with a fabulous alternative version that filled my chili craving needs. For the cornbread, I broke out of my baking rut and decided to try a new one…good thing I did because it is the most delicious cornbread ever!!!(don’t tell my old recipe I said that, ok?)

Overall, I’m delightfully stuffed and glad to be back home in my cruelty free kitchen.

eta: Must go eat more cornbread…

It only lasted about 5 minutes before turning to heavy rain, but those 5 minutes did some serious damage to my beautiful plants…

Now, I don’t see hail very often and I admit I was not prepared. I knew there was a chance of rain, but I honestly would’ve been more proactive had the weatherman mentioned there would be ninja-quality ice daggers shooting out of the sky! (actually, I don’t know what I would have done…maybe convinced my neighbors to gather their umbrellas and stand vigil in my garden?)

All I could do is stand at the window and watch(and wince) as the hail stones pummeled my plants…

I’ve decided I should stop complaining about this because it could have been worse…much worse.

The damage here was minimal and was nothing like the hail storm we had last June. I saw a video from somewhere in Akron of that one….

Luckily, my plants seem to have weathered the storm just fine(give or take a few shredded leaves here and there…)

My flowers have perked back up and the zucchini forges on, holes and all!

I decided to go all out this year. I have lots of charts, diagrams and seed catalogs to prove my enthusiasm. I decided I was going to build three new raised beds. Being the impatient and somewhat lazy gardener that I am, I didn’t want to waste time trying to single-handedly, yet perfectly, align those boards to create beautifully perpendicular corners. Fortunately, I found a quick and easy way to assemble the beds. Here goes:

The Quick and Easy Slacker Way to Build a Raised Bed

 

1) Decide on the size you want your bed to be. Really, the options are endless. (well, you don’t want to make it too big, cuz you will never safely make it to the middle without squishing something precious….) I made mine 5′ by 10′.

2)(just so you know, this is the slacker part…) Order some “raised bed corners”. I got mine for a good price from Gardener’s Supply. But feel free to shop around.

3)Get your lumber….have them cut it for you at the store…slacker!

4)Bring home lumber. Attach corners. Almost done…

5)Place bed in an area with good exposure.

6)Fill will good quality dirt. I use a 3 part mix of peat moss, vermiculite and compost(mine is a custom blend of doodoo from some carefully chosen ponies, llamas and goats… ;))

 

 

 

There, you did it! Your bed is ready to go!

 

Here is the Easy Slacker Way to take care of it:

 

 

1)Toss in some seeds/seedlings and add water.

2)Proceed with your summer as planned.

3)Check back in couple of weeks to clip some lettuce for dinner and maybe look for a weed or two.

4)Enjoy your status as a talented gardener!

For more information about growing a successful raised bed garden, I highly recommend “All New Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholomew. It is extremely helpful and one of my favorite beginning gardening books.

View recipe for Devil Made Me Do It cake.

Needless to say, I was intrigued. I dutifully went out and bought some prunes for the cake. During the process of whipping things together, the prune packaging caught my eye. Right there in front of my face was a chart explaining how healthy those little guys are! Prunes have over 4 times the amount of antioxidants as strawberries and over 6 times as much as oranges. Gasp! This information was exciting. I started wondering what else there was to know about the misunderstood prune.

I found this chart that illustrates the many health benefits of prunes.

In short, prunes are full of Phenols. Phenols are antioxidants proven to prevent free radical damage. Prunes also contain Beta-Carotene and lots of dietary fiber. They also help give you a “full” feeling and would make a nutritious portable snack.

If you find yourself dreading the thought of prunes, don’t despair. There are new varieties with special natural flavors added. My fave are the “orange essence” kind. I dare say they are quite yummy!

By the time I got down the steps and outside he was already down around the corner…..

Is that crazy or what?

I just don’t understand his motivation…he was completely alone…maybe it was a dare or something…or maybe he was a confused member of The Garden Gnome Liberation Front …who knows. I’m not sure how to feel about all of this. He broke off a bunch of flowers and now bunny(a statue) is gone. And I thought I lived in a really boring neighborhood…

The above picture is the scene of the “crime“.

After some consideration, I realized that this strangeness has actually brightened my day….the whole occurrence keeps popping in and out of my mind and every time I just start cracking up! I have been telling everyone I see and they all think it is just completely random and hilarious .

I admit I was kinda pissed at first, but now I just keep laughing about it. I hope the “villains” decide to return him sometime. It makes me think of all the crazy things I did back in highschool….

However, I’m still seriously considering posting “lost bunny” posters…

In closing, if you feel you may become a victim of lawn ornament theft, here are some tips for keeping your loved decorations safe.

Best wishes, Michelle

Totally Awesome Tacos

• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15oz can kidney beans, drained
• 2/3 cup water
• packet of taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

1. Saute onion in med-large skillet til golden brown.
2. Add salt and bell pepper. Saute a few minutes til pepper is softened.
3. Add garlic and saute a few minutes more.
4. Add kidney beans, water and taco seasoning.
5. Let simmer, stirring occasionally. I like to use a potato masher to smash up the beans.
6. Once the mixture has cooked down some, add nutritional yeast. Simmer until thick as you like.
7. Serve in hard or soft shells. Or use as a base for a dip or nachos. Yum!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14776405@N05/sets/72157605190271088

I have been taking lots of pics and loving all the recipes I have tried. I will let you know when the cookbook is released. You are gonna want a copy!

Here are some pics of my faves:

Lowfat Basil Linguine

Luscious Lemon Bars

I’m drooling just remembering how good those were…

Never heard of a ganglion cyst? Good for you, because they are torture. A ganglion cyst is defined as “a swelling that often appears on or around joints and tendons in the hand or foot. The size of the cyst can vary over time, often becoming more inflamed if irritated. It is most frequently located around the wrist and on the fingers.” In other words, a pain in the tucus…er wrist…

I searched the web for a home remedy but surprisingly found none. I spoke to my family doctor and she referred me to a specialist who could fix the bump with injections or surgery. Neither of these seemed all that pleasant to me. So, I decided to find my own answer.

Wanna hear my brilliant solution? Get ready, here it is: I quit drinking coffee…seriously. After about 6 weeks of caffeine free mornings, the cyst is considerably smaller and I have begun to bear weight on it without extreme pain.

Unfortunately, I can’t locate any conclusive evidence that caffeine consumption is directly related to ganglion cysts. In my personal experience, it would appear to be. I would say giving up caffeine is worth a try if you are experiencing cyst trouble or just hoping to improve your overall joint and bone health. If you know of any other ways to naturally heal ganglion cysts, I would love to hear!

Now, if you please excuse me, I am going to have some caffeine free tea.

Best wishes, Michelle