Always Remember and Never Forget

We all have dates that we remember, for one reason or another. All of us remember our birthdays; some of us even remember our mother’s. We remember holidays, car crashes, the passing of loved ones, weddings, births, and probably the year Christopher Columbus found North America.
Throughout history, the ratio of happy endings to tragedies has always been a harsh reality. Wives kissed sailors goodbye, not knowing how many seasons would pass before their return..Families watched soldiers gather their weapons and march away..Mothers buried sons, children grew up fatherless. Death has always surrounded us, and is as much a part of our life as our existence is.
September 11th is a day I remember as a vague memory; there is merely acquired feeling attached to it, as I was only 11 years old when the Trade Centers fell. Death to me held little meaning beyond the realm of temporary goldfish. As I have grown up, I have come to respect the significance of that day. For many people, that day defines their lives more than their birthday or anniversary does. Some wounds will never heal until time has made that date into only a notation in a history book. It was that day, however, that created the vow to “never forget”, in the hearts of Americans. It was that day that defined the fate of thousands of lives to come.
This week, 31 more of those marked lives were lost. They will never be forgotten; especially by those who loved them most dearly. Wives, children, parents, and fellow soldiers; these people will define the rest of their lives as “before” and “after”, starting now . Let’s honor those who bear most horribly the scars of this loss. Without them, it might be your door being knocked upon tonight; it might be you holding a folded flag. It could be you who has to plan no more birthdays, no more holidays; merely a funeral. It could be you with a raw nose and swollen eyes; running out of Kleenex as the night deepens. It could be you gathering all the photos you can, because no more will be taken. I hope and pray that it is not.
As a nation, some of us will forget the fallen. We will watch the news and shake our heads, turn off the TV and go to bed. Those who gave their lives will not know the difference. Those who cannot sleep, those who are searching for a grip, those who see no end to this sudden pain; they will.
Today, remember those who can never forget.

Well Butter my Butt and Call me a Biscuit

Today was the sort of day where, if you set you apple on the counter, it would fall to the floor.
And you wouldn't bother to pick it up.
Today was the sort of day where, if you tripped over your apple and dropped your toast, it would land face down.
And you would walk away.
Today was the sort of day where, if you happened to have dropped your toast on the floor at work, the supervisor who never comes around would, for unknown reasons, pass through your office, and step on dropped toast.
And you would hide under your desk and plan a vacation.
Today was the sort of day where, if you were on an African safari, you would get trampled by elephants.
And you would survive.
Today was the sort of day where, if you were recovering from an elephant trampling, you would be suddenly struck with the chicken pox, and not be able to scratch under your bandages.
And you would be threatened with a straight jacket.
Today was the sort of day where, if you were Robin Hood, Maid Marion would leave you for Friar Tuck.
And you would flee to France.
Today was the sort of day where, if you were French, all of your souffles would crash, and the wine would be gone.
And you would drink cold coffee.
Today was the sort of day where, if you were drinking cold coffee, you would spill it on your clean shirt.
And you would change into the hoodie you keep in your car.
Today was the sort of day where, if you were wearing a hoodie, without a shirt underneath, and without a shirt to change into, the temperature would soar.
And you would think about putting your stained shirt back on.
Today was the sort of day where, if you were sweaty and sticky and nasty, in a hoodie on a hot day, your deodorant would be nowhere to be found.
And you would walk around like a penguin with your arms at your sides.
Today was the sort of day where the cute guy down the hall who never speaks to you, would stop to ask why you were walking like a flightless bird.
And you would go home.
Today was the sort of day where your socks don't match, the whipped cream can explodes in your fridge, your toothbrush is missing in action, the last page of your mystery is torn out, your tooth starts to hurt, you stub your toes on every conceivable protruding point that your feet come across, and your goldfish dies.
And you call your mother.
Today was the sort of day where, for first time in a million years, your mom doesn't pick up the phone, and you get to hear about your little brother's lego collection for the next 20 minutes.
And it makes you smile.
Today was the sort of day that ended with a smile.

Foodie Post: 06/06/11 Summer Sweet Pea Pesto Quinoa

Yes yes...I'm a little stuck on the quinoa. It's just..so much less boring than brown rice. Or oatmeal. Or all those other "good for you" grains one was raised on. Oh, and it cooks much faster, thus making it a favorite of this anti-microwave person. (I don't believe in tempting cancer to strike for the convenience of quick cooking.)

Summer Sweet Pea Pesto Quinoa
1/2 cup dry quinoa + 1 cup water
1 package Simply Organic Pesto Mix
1 can sweet peas
1 can mushrooms or 1/2 cup chopped fresh
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced avocado
2 Tbl nutritional yeast
Sea salt, cayenne pepper

1. Rinse quinoa and prepare. Fluff.
2. Saute onions and mushrooms until golden.
3. Drain peas, reserving juice.
4. Whisk pesto mix (or put in container and shake vigorously) and liquid from the peas until homogeneous.
5. Toss together all ingredients except for avocado, and let rest at least an hour for flavors to absorb. (I like to chill mine in the fridge and serve as a cold salad.)
6. Add avocado and season with salt and cayenne pepper to serve.

Foodie Post: 6/6/11 Ginger Molasses Quinoa Cookies

Ginger Molasses Quinoa Cookies
1 cup flour (I used a mix of whole wheat pastry flour and oat flour)
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup milk (I used soy milk)
1/2 cup pumpkin or carrot puree
1 egg (I used EnerG egg replacer)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup molasses (I used organic black strap molasses for these cookies, you get a richer flavor while using less)
1/3-1/2 cup raw sugar, depending how sweet you like your cookies

1. Rinse your quinoa, at least twice. Toast in pan until fragrant, add milk and spices. Bring to scald if using real milk, bring to boil if using non-dairy. Cover and cook on low at least 10 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat, keep covered and let rest at least 5 minutes. Fluff.
2. Whisk together the rest of your dry ingredients. Puree your wet ingredients in blender or food processor, except for the egg.
3. Combine wet and dry, fold in egg and quinoa.
4. Bake at 350 until just set. (Approximately 10-12 minutes.)

Foodie Formulas

 I like rules that always work.  I am a person who needs consistency. A recipe is like a formula; that is part of its appeal to me. However, since recipes were first created, the foodie world has grown and expanded in leaps and bounds. Absolutely anything can be customized, substituted, tailored and altered to the palate, values, and nutritional needs of any person. Recipes are a dime a dozen. So here is my challenge: To have one formula, made up of variables, which is able to create a consistent product. Take chocolate chip cookies for example: Pick your flour, sweetener, binder, leavener, and moisturizer. Use the formula to calculate your proportions and thus your measurements and viola, cookies for anyone and everyone.

 Life is not consistent. You will not always have exactly what you need to be able to make what you are trying to create. But if the end product is ALWAYS equal to the sum of its parts, then the parts can be substituted interchangeably. So, this is not your traditional foodie blog. There will be tons of recipes, tons of trial and error, but the end result is not meant to be strictly recipes. The end result I’m searching for is a formula.

Leaveners, moisteners, binders etc are not in categories of their own. Your leavener could be a wet OR a dry ingredient. If you choose to switch which side of the spectrum it falls into by which ingredient you are using toward your end result, you have to compensate to balance the recipe. For instance, if you choose to substitute honey or agave nectar for white sugar, you suddenly have a greater ratio of wet ingredients to dry, and your product will become much more dense. Or, if you want to substitute stevia/erithritol/xanthan gum/(or heaven forbid) aspartame, all products which are several hundred times sweeter than sugar, all of a sudden you have to compensate for having much less dry ingredients. And let us not forget that sugar adds a serious moisture kick to a product, so you may have to add some type of fat. Enough rambling for this post.

Sunshine Muffins

(vegan)

3 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup oat bran

1/3 cup sugar (organic)

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½  tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp cinnamon

¾ cup carrot juice

½ cup apple sauce (unsweetened)

2 TBL maple syrup

2 TBL virgin coconut oil

1 cup chopped peach

2 TBL agave or maple syrup

½ cup walnuts

½ cup rolled oats

1.       Chop or grind walnuts. Combine with agave or maple syrup and oats until crumbly. This is your topping.

2.       Whisk together dry ingredients

3.       Pulse wet ingredients in blender to ensure they are well combined.

4.       Combine wet and dry ingredients; gently fold in peaches. DO NOT OVERMIX.

5.       Portion into muffin tin, or loaf pan. Sprinkle with topping.

6.       Bake at 375 until light and fluffy (12-15 minutes).

I really liked these, next time though I would add a tsp or two of erithritol, and probably another 1/3 cup of carrot juice for sweetening and moisture.

Spinach-Mushroom Stroganof

8 ounces fettuccini or spaghetti pasta

½ cup chopped onion

1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

Large handful of fresh spinach =)

2 TBL minced garlic

I cup beef stock

2 TBL Dijon mustard

1 TBL soy sauce (or Worscheshire)

Splash of red wine* optional

2 TBL flour by itself OR

1 TBL corn starch mixed with:

 ½ cup cold (plain) soy milk

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp cumin

1.       Cook pasta according to package directions

2.       Saute onion and mushrooms until caramelized. Add spinach and let wilt. Deglaze with wine.

3.       Add flour and stir constantly for about a minute. Don’t let it scorch!

(Skip this step if you are using corn starch.)

4.       Add garlic, stock mustard, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add soy milk (and thus the corn starch) and let thicken. Add more milk if too thick. Season to taste. Serve over noodles.

Enough with Labels.

Well, here goes, yet another foodie blog. As if cyberspace needs another one to further confuse it about food quality. You can find blogs about everything these days: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free-vegans, almost-but-I-can’t-give-up-eggs-vegans, gluten-free foodies, sugar-free-health-nuts, kosher-flourless, organic-cruelty-free, raw foodies, food-network-addicts, blah, blah, blah. Everyone has a different aspect on quality food. Every person has a different reason that they are looking for “healthy”. For people with allergies or intolerances, “healthy” takes on a different definition entirely. If you try and follow all of the different opinions, lifestyles, exclusionary diets and LABELS out there, you will end up  just drinking water, because as far as I know there has not been a trend started against that. Yet. But you probably would call yourself “water-free”. It would be something like vegan-nonfat-gluten free- kosher-raw-sugar free-low carb-all organic “foodie”.

For me, food is a journey. Food has been a healing process. Food is something that the more I get into, the more I feel I am in over my head. I am a self proclaimed health nut. Because of all the different definitions of “health” on the market today, sometimes it gets confusing doing research for my own kitchen. From my point of view though, food should not be exclusionary. I should not be constantly trying to rid my palate of certain elements of cuisine. Food should be inclusionary. In every dish that I prepare, I would like to know that it is doing my body the most good that it possibly can. Granted, I have no allergies, I can digest just about anything my palate desires. But that is why this blog is not to benefit anyone carrying a label. If it can help you in your own quest for health, great; but these recipes are being tailored explicitly for the kitchen of Brenna Cliver, and her quest for health. If you keep reading I hope you come to understand how this blog functions as a band aid, as therapy, as education, and most of all, a battle.

Nutty Banana Bread (Take 1)

(Gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, no added fat)

Ingredients:

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raw walnuts

½ cup whole, rolled oats

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 TBL erithritol (4 packets Truvia)

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

2 TBL ground flaxseed + 6 TBL water

2 aged bananas

1 cup plain soymilk (or non-dairy milk of choice)

1 tsp vanilla

1.       First, grind your flaxseed. You can buy ground flax, but I prefer to grind them as I need them, it keeps the omega-3’s from being destroyed or going rancid. (I keep my flax seed in the freezer, and my walnuts) Mix your flax meal with water, stir, set aside to thicken. This is your binder, since there are no eggs in this recipe.

2.       Next, make your flour from the almonds, walnuts and oats. You can do this in your blender or food processer, just remember to clear around the blade frequently or it will bind up. Whisk together with rest of dry ingredients.

3.       Puree together the bananas and soymilk.

4.       Fold together the dry, the wet and the binder. Pour into well greased loaf pan. (If you flour your pan, remember that adds a minimal amount of gluten.)

5.       Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 for another hour.

Okay..If I was attempting to make a delicious custard-style banana bread with a nutty crust, I would have been extremely successful. Tomorrow I’ll adjust the moisture content and I have a few ideas on how to make fluff-not-fudge. We shall see. Other than the obvious flaws, this recipe is a powerhouse of good-for-you-stuff. Fiber, Omega-3’s, potassium, natural sugar, metabolism boosting cinnamon, lean protein..there’s really not much to not love.

Forever Letters.

You can call and say I love you8
You can play me pretty notes7
Leave flowers on my window sill 8
Or to your friends can boast. 6

You can take me out to dinner
But the things that mean the post
Is not the box of chocolates
But what comes with the post.

A missive in your scribbley hand
My name scrawled on the front
A rumpled, folded piece of you
A letter to my heart.

You say I'm often on your mind
So send these thoughts my way
What is expressed when you take the time
Is more than words to me.

Twenty, thirty years from now
All else may be gone
Memories fade and roses droop
Letters linger on.