Food and Pictures

Just some pictures and a little commentary today. Every time I try to upload pictures to blogspot, I'm reminded why it's free.

Today's exercise. Yes, this isn't a picture of me walking, but someone had to take the picture. I was walking along with them.

Tynan's "New American Plate." He's trying. He has found he does better if he focuses on the map and then quizzes us, or answers our questions. Whatever works. He'll know more about geography, too, which is good since geography is so poorly studied in the USA.

Aidan trying to eat veggies.


Nathan creating his plate. Rather reverse proportions.

Nathan's plate before adding the "grows in the ground" stuff.

My "NAP" with food courtesy of Debbie Long. Peanut Pork stuff was awesome and got 5/5 from the family.

Some of the end results of this week's roasted veggies. Tried something new to make them tastier, less boring, more like comfort food, and healthier. I ground flax seed very finely and used that as bread crumbs on the mushrooms and orange cauliflower (what is that...please, please tell me it is a hybrid and not dyed). Top: roasted exotic mushrooms; Left: asparagus with whole garlic cloves and lemon juice; Right: Garlic, oregano, and cauliflower.

Cauliflower with flax seed "breading" heading into the oven.

Asparagus and Garlic right out of the oven.

Mushrooms just out of the oven. They are the best tasting shrooms I've ever eaten. They smelled awesome, even outside of the house. They smelled so wonderful that Tynan was chomping at the bit to eat some, and like them. Even Aidan was going to eat some, thinking they were chicken, until his father said the "M" word. Aidan doesn't eat fungus. Taco Bell, yes, but not fungus. However, I'm thinking the "meatier" ones could be substituted for chicken in some dishes...hehehehehehe.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms before cooking.

More Mushrooms. I also added a pound of baby portabellas. YUM!

I also have Muesli finishing in the oven right now. I just added the honey, vanilla, and cinnamon to thick rolled oats, rye flakes, and almonds (which I ground a little too finely in an effort to save time...should have chopped them the old fashioned way and left the magic bullet alone). Now they sit in the cooling oven until morning.

2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats2/3 cup rye flakes or wheat flakes (see Note)1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds (1 3/4 ounces)2 tablespoons flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)1/2 cup raisins2 tablespoons honey1/2 teaspoon vanilla extractPinch of cinnamon1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground (optional; see Tip)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread oats and rye (or wheat) flakes on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir in almonds and coconut; bake until the oats are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Turn off the oven. Stir raisins into the muesli.2. Microwave honey for 10 seconds in a glass measuring cup. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon; drizzle over the muesli and stir to coat. Return the muesli to the turned-off warm oven and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Stir in flaxseeds, if using.
Makes 8 servings, about 1/2 cup each.

Tomorrow, Tynan and I will work on his brussels sprouts and cactus leaves. I've also been craving mashed potatoes, so will make some faux mashed potatoes and we'll be trying a new soup this week.

I love weeks when food sounds good, tastes good, I have energy enough to want to cook (even if it is simply roasting veggies and pureeing beans), and I'm not bogged down with grading papers so I have time to cook.