MOLE

Hey everybody! So far so good. It has been thirteen days and I haven't eaten out. Hoorah. This is definitely the longest stretch I can remember.

Today's plan is to have breakfast, lunch (soup) and for dinner...homemade Chicken Mole! This is an EVENT. It's not easy to make...first I have to boil a chicken...(not too bad). But it's the mole sauce that's the real pain. Lots of different kinds of chiles and chocolate and what not. Last time I made it, I slaved and slaved-- FINALLY got it into a blender and was almost done when I removed the blender from the stand and COVERED the kitchen in a cocoa flood. Our dishwasher is still an "off white" because of that fiasco. Anyway, mole it is.

I have noticed that the financial fear in my life is significantly reduced because I am not eating (literally) through my checking account. I have money...and it's slow. And I need money. And work. Soon. Hah! But really, it feels like I am my ally rather than enemy and that is a good feeling.

Weight. Just saying the word makes my stomach tighten with anxiety. It is a word that has been used against me soooo much, usually at my own hands. I think a lot of my weight is an outward representation of hiding. Hiding from people, afraid that they will hurt me. Hiding from challenges and opportunities, fearing that I will fail. Hiding from love...afraid that I couldn't face it...I still don't really get that one...but hey, addictions aren't known for their logic. Every time someone said something dumb, instead of confronting...I ate. A lot. Every time I was asked to do something that was on the edge of what I considered to be my abilities...yup...I ate. So, I notice that I have feelings that have never really been expressed. Well, here's to growth...as miserable as it is. Hah! I had therapist once say to me..."You can have the known misery, or the miserable unknown." What he meant was, I can stay unfulfilled and unhappy or I can face the miserable feeling of the unknown, upon which (of course) I tend to project catastrophe. "What if it all flies apart?" "I will be homeless" and it usually ends with.."..and I will die." I never a considered the good things that could (and indeed DID) happen. Not until I moved toward the voice that said "you'll never make it."

Well, I suppose I will sign off and get my day started. Moving toward the terror and willing to fail, I will boil my chicken and make my sauce. I will play my trombone and write. I will exercise and interact with the rest of the world. (Cue: "Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory"). Once again thank you all for reading, responding, and your much appreciated support.

Roy

Eat Like Your Grandma

In order to fully realize my vision for this project, I have decided to start another blog dedicated to rural/farm recipes.  It is located at www.eatlikeyourgrandma.blogspot.com.  Please check it out and follow along!

Kristie

Best EVER Vegan Nacho Cheeze Dip!

Hello my dear bleaders!  I like to pretend that here are hoards of you.  :)  Today was a challenge to be sure.  It was my first day back at school after my clinical rotation.  I was excited to start learning new things.  I had my books packed and my lunch packed, too.  I had my leftover grit cakes packed up with an apple and was looking forward to my deliciously frugal lunch.  But guess what?  I left it sitting on the kitchen counter to rot.  Dammit!!  After a frantic call to Roy to ask him to put it in the fridge for me so I could have it this evening, I resigned myself to a day of hunger.  There was NO WAY I was breaking our pact on day four.  No. Freakin. Way. Thank God I had eaten a hearty breakfast.  I did get hungry around noon, but the hunger subsided soon thereafter.  I made it home a little before 4pm and ate my leftover grit cakes.  They were delish!  Now, no one is allowed to lecture me about how bad it is to skip meals.  Blah, blah, blah.  I know it's best to eat five small meals per day.  Blah, blah, blah.  It just doesn't work for me.  Three is plenty and often two will suffice.  For someone with an addiction, it's best to limit the exposure to the substance.  Not the other way around.  At least it works better for me that way.   And since I can't hardly stand to post a blog without a picture, here's a recipe!

Vegan Chili Cheeze Dogs featuring Kristie's Vegan Nacho Cheeze Dip

Vegan Nacho Cheeze Dip

Servings: 8

Ingredients
4 cups water
1/2 cup raw cashews (buy at health food store or online)
8 oz canned pimentos or roasted red peppers, drained
4 T. cornstarch
Juice of two lemons (optional)
2 t. salt
2 cups nutritional yeast (buy at health food store or online)
1 t. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until completely smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan and whisk over medium/low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Don't give up on it if it takes longer than 5 minutes. It WILL get thick and creamy, just like nacho cheese dip.

Additions: A can of Rotel tomatoes will make this more like the Velveeta cheese dip we all had growing up, but MUCH healthier!

Serving ideas: I mix in black beans or vegan chili and pour it over baked tortilla chips. It's also great with veggies for dipping.

Kristie

When life gives you grits...make grit cakes!

I am the self-proclaimed Queen of Guilt.  I can feel guilty about absolutely every freakin' thing.  I feel guilty when I don't wash out baggies, because they end up in landfills.  I feel guilty when I do wash out baggies because I'm wasting water and soap to wash them.  Hell, I feel guilty when I use a baggie, period.  For the love of God!  It is annoying to be stuck inside my head sometimes.  But the good news is that I have one less thing to feel guilty about today.  I made grit cakes!  I made a big batch of grits three days ago and swore that I would parcel out a generous serving to myself every morning until they were gone.  BUT I KEPT FORGETTING ABOUT THEM!  So today I decided to reinvent grits.  Behold Kristie's Grit Cakes!  I have to admit, I used a recipe from the "More-with-Less Cookbook" by Doris Longacre as a guide, but made plenty of modifications to make them my own.  Fry 'em up and give me some feedback.  Enjoy!

Kristie's "I-Don't-Want-To-Waste-The-Leftover-Grits" Grit Cakes

Serves 4

Two cakes per serving

Combine in a large bowl: 

2 c. cooked and chilled grits

1 12oz. can light tuna (not white!) drained and flaked

1/2 small white onion, minced

1 t. salt

dash pepper

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 c. Italian style bread crumbs, with extra set aside for coating the cakes

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

1 egg, beaten

Mix everything together well.  Shape the mixture into 8 cakes about the size of your average burger.  Roll in additional bread crumbs and pan fry in olive oil until golden grown.  Garnish with more fresh parsley and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  Now chow down!  I put ketchup on mine.  Don't judge. 

Vegetarian variation:

Omit the tuna and the Worcestershire.  Add in 1/2 cup corn kernels, 1/2 cup drained and rinsed black beans and one small can of chopped green chilis.  Substitute cilantro for the parsley if you like and top the cakes with salsa and guacamole.  I haven't tried this yet, but I think it will be delish!

Kristie

What do you eat when you have "nothing" in the house?

Pasta with Swiss chard, shallots, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, parsley and feta.  That's what! It is amazing to me that such a wonderful meal can be prepared with no planning and no recipe.  One of the lies I buy is that I have to have a recipe for everything I make.  I am perfectly capable of using my noodle (pun intended) to create recipes of my own.  I am convinced that if you keep a well stocked pantry and fridge, you can create a wonderful meal in no time flat.  You just have to keep things simple.  The noodles I used were made locally with free range eggs.  The Swiss chard came from our wonderful winter vegetable CSA (www.bountifulblessingsfarm.com) and the parsley came from our garden.  Parsley is crazy hardy, but I think it bit the dust with the freeze last night.  All that said, here's my very own recipe for this quick pasta dish.

Kristie's "Nothing To Eat" Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients

12 oz. fettucini pasta

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. Smart Balance margarine

2 shallots, sliced thinly

6 cups Swiss chard, cleaned and chopped

1/4 c. sundried tomatoes packed oil, chopped

1/4 c. kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley

1/2 c. feta cheese

Preparation

Bring a LARGE pot of water to a boil on the stove and salt the water liberally.  Boil pasta until al dente.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.  Drain and set pasta aside.

Meanwhile, add oil and Smart Balance to a large pan and saute shallots and Swiss chard for 5-8 minutes.  Add sundried tomatoes, olives and parsley and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  Add reserved pasta cooking liquid to vegetables bring to a bubble.  Add pasta and toss.  Remove from heat.  Pour into serving dish and top with crumbled feta.

This would be AMAZING with a nice, crisp white wine, but we didn't have any.  We drank Cumberland punch instead (a.k.a. Tennessee water).  Enjoy! 

Kristie