{Meatless Monday} Syrian Vegetarian Red Lentil Soup

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Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a marvy weekend.

Wow! Can you believe it’s already March ? No, way.

Baby C is going to be a year in exactly one month from today.

Hard to believe.

Alright, time for another {Meatless Monday} edition and you know that means another kick ass recipe!

There’s no denying…

I’m a huge soup lover. I just love soups. I especiallydig easy soup recipes and ones that are versatile.

AND

I LOVE lentils. Brown lentil soup is at the top of my list as far as favorites.

My mom made it a lot growing up and it was always so full of flavor and just pleasing to the tummy.

I request it of her when I’m sick because it’s that good and soothing.

I say GOOD soup for the soul, no?

I’m also a fan of Indian food and I really can appreciate a good serving of dhaal or lentil soup.

All the wonderful flavors of curry, turmeric, coriander…

Mmm!

Last time while I was perusing the bulk section at the market I decided on some Red Lentils.

I came home and found THE. PERFECT. RECIPE.

Simple, yet soooo pleasing and completely full of flavor. The three ingredients of coriander, garlic and salt bring such a tang of flavor to this soup.

It’s 10x better the next day.

Which is another reason why I love soups… they take on a completely different character the next day.

So, last week I prepared the Syrain Vegetarian Red Lentil Soup and am VERY glad I did.

Get your hands on some red lentils – asap!

This recipe is easy to prepare and it’s yummy.

Oh and did I mention it’s meatless? You can’t go wrong.

It’s a no-brainer recipe, too.

Loved it so much so; it’s on the menu again this week!

What meatless dishes are you whipping up?

Let the Liberating Begin: Plant Freedom Seeds!

Howdy! Happy Saturday Sunday!

Gotta luv the weekends, right? So much to look forward to and so much to accomplish. With Spring just around the corner it’s hard not to think about this year’s summer garden and greenhouse plans. All the daydreaming we do of having a xeriscaped front yard (no lawn, hopefully!) with wild edibles planted and where nourishing foods grow is quickly approaching it’s season. We couldn’t be more excited to make this our reality.

You know, become an urban gardener. A freedom gardener, if you will. Liberating yourself from all the corporate muck and dirty chemicals. Why not get down right dirty in your own backyard and produce the foods you need to live on with untainted seeds. The idea of growing your own food to feed your family and possibly community may sound like a lot of work but it also sounds so enticing. Especially, after learning about the true freedom gardeners; the Little Homestead in the City, the Dervaes family in Pasadena, Ca aka “The Urban Gardener’s”. Their little homestead yields almost 6,000 lbs. of  food yearly. It takes a lot of serious motivation and determination to get to where the Dervaes family is but the possibility of getting an urban garden started is far greater.

The hub and I have always had a passion for gardening it’s something that we naturally felt compelled to do since we bought our home almost 10 yrs. ago. Our house sits on a little less than a quarter of an acre and to us that instantly meant we would have room for a garden. It’s funny, because as we live in an area where a good majority of the people sit on more than acre of land – this town is also known for agriculture and farming, yet, not many people, take advantage of their land by growing their own fruits and vegetables. I know gardening isn’t for everyone but for us it just seems like common sense to have a garden and reap whatever benefits you can on your own property. It was just our observation this morning over breakfast. We all have the opportunity basically. Not to mention, it allows us tobe in control of what’s going into our bodies. With all the chemical use within the food and agriculture industry it’s hard to say whether our food is really safe anymore.

So, to say the least… this year we’re committed to green up our yard in more ways in than one.

We’ve been talking about digging up the front lawn to make it more drought tolerant for quite some time now. We believe, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be taking advantage of the local conservation nursery in our town which sells native and drought tolerant plants. Since we live in the desert having drought tolerant landscape seems more appropriate than lilies and orchids which would require lot’s of watering. Were looking forward to creating a sanctuary with native plants, shrubs and trees etc. that will bring in natural wildlife to enjoy also.

The nursery is having their open house in April and has announced a sale on plants, shrubs, wildflower seeds etc. I’m pretty excited about it. Were pumped to learn more about the native plants and wildlife in our area and start being smart gardener’s. We recently resurrected the wriggley wranch worm bin and replenished it with some mighty fine earthworms (stay tuned for an upcoming post)

Raised Beds

This is our first year attempting  the raised beds, square inch gardening theory. Well, we kinda took a stab at it last year but this is our first “real” attempt.  The hubby built a raised bed about a month ago using reclaimed materials as a tester and so far so good. It appears all of the seeds we planted have sprouted. Yahoo! For the past five years we always turned over the soil and planted directly in ground. It will be neat to see the differences.

I’m happy to say, that we’re ditching the plastic soil bags this year! I did some research and found a quarry in town that carries local ORGANIC humus soil. Score! I was so thrilled to bring home a truckload home the day Ty built the box. Tyler’s parents used the quarry’s soil last year and had such a glorious garden yield. Their garden had a different glow to it then ours that’s for sure. As far as  plastic goes we did use some for wrapping around the box to trap the heat inside which creates a greenhouse effect. I know there’s gotta be an alternative and it’s definitely on the green up the garden list.

After building a bed from wood he built a raised bed from bricks (given to us by a customer who no longer had use for them). He lined the brick bed with cardboard and viola’ it became a new home for some lettuce! My husband REALLY enjoys doing this so I have to admit he does get carried away. It’s his passion so I try not to step in the way. He bought the lettuce from Lowe’s so it could be Monsanto laden… but hopefully living in organic humus it will balance out the negative. Nevertheless, it too is doing well and will hopefully has fresh lettuce in just a couple weeks maybe even sooner.

He also planted some old veggie seeds just for kicks and on a whim one sunny afternoon alongside our driveway (next to a Raspberry bush he bought the same day).  Honestly, I don’t know how great the Raspberry bush will do (let’s hope for the best). As of right now, it’s doing surprisingly well ( all of the rain has been a major benefit). Some of the seeds in the patch alongside the drive away are also beginning to sprout. Yippee!

Speaking of seeds, we planted our first batch of freedom seeds this afternoon! Yes, that’s right, you can get heirloom and organic seeds directly from the Dervaes family…

“Seeds for the people!”

and to save on shipping costs and carbonemissions the hub was able to pick them up. Sweeeet!

Reused seed starter!

What we planted

- Red Russian Kale

- Cayenne Peppers

- Anaheim Peppers

- Red Bell Peppers

- Peace Vine  Red Cherry Tomato

- Valencia Tomato

- Brandywine Tomato

- Cherokee Purple Tomato

-  Aunt Ruby’s German Green (real green tomato’s *squee*)

We still have more tomato seeds to plant and a few other varietys of seeds that don’t need to be started indoors. I’m really, really, excited about 2010’s gardening adventure. Planting pure seeds, free of chemicals; makes me grin from ear to ear.

“The seeds from the Little Homestead in the City are carefully screened for genetic manipulation.…they possess the nutritive properties of old and locally developed strains, based on eatability instead of portability.”

If you have not yet seen the Dervaes family documentary Homegrown Revolution-you can view it here!   Their honest commitment to live sustainably makes me realize how important it is to support their cause and continue to fight the good fight.

I encourage you to “break new ground” and start your own victory garden.

Liberate your yard & get down and dirty doing it. 

Have you started planning your garden?

Read more

The No ‘Poo Method Update!

Hey guys & gals!

I promised you an update on this crazy no ‘poo journey of  mine… and so far it’s been 3 months without using any shampoo. Wow! I seriously can’t believe it. Honestly, nothing feels better than being liberated of having to spend the crazy amount of cashola on a bottle of shampoo goo!

I’ve been playing with the conditioning part of the recipe by allowing fresh herbs and essential oils I have on hand. So far I’ve done peppermint, mint and rosemary. In fact, I just made the rosemary version last night and haven’t cracked the jar open yet. I’m excited. I’ll give it a few more days to infuse. So far the peppermint wins over the mint… and I love mint! Mint alone isn’t strong enough for apple cider vinegar (ACV).

The no ‘poo method doesn’t mean you have to be a dirty hippie type just because you aren’t producing any suds upon washing. I still “wash” my hair. I still work the no ‘poo solutions into my my scalp  as I would with “normal” shampoo. I’m not shy about letting my hair go a few days before washing it out with baking soda and vinegar just to experiment and see what state my hair is in. So far, nothing funky has occurred.  Phew! My hair and face have always been a bit on the oily side so it’s hard to say whether the no ‘poo has really affected the oily factor.

When I say oily… I don’t mean greasy or matty (my hair is really fine). It just has a bit more shine to it.  When I run my fingers through my hair it actually feels great. Going a few days without any routine either shampoo or no ‘poo it usually proves I do need to cleanse my hair unless I plan to dread it….which has actually crossed my mind.

In all actuality, most of my life I grew up with short hair. Just after I gave birth to the eco tot I chopped it off. Lately, I’ve been feeling the need for some change and have thought about hacking it off again.

But, I digress.

I still feel like I’m in the “transition” period. It’s only been 3 months… so maybe some of the oily business will let up… OR NOT! Either way, I’m on this journey for good!

The Routine

When I first started (original post here), I would fill up my pint mason glass with the baking soda and do the same with the ACV in a reused peri bottle. It was a bit of a time killer at first but now it’s part of the routine as with anything else when first learned. I’m still working on figuring out a way of having pre-made solutions without spoiling. I’m waiting on an agave nectar bottle for the baking soda rinse to switch out having glass in the tub. Then I will  have two squeezie tops which makes applying both solutions much easier.

A few months back, I cleaned out our cupboards and saved two Malt O Meal boxes for reuse. I remembered them last week and immediately filled up an empty box with baking soda for the ‘pooing part. Prior to the Malt O Meal box, I was scooping out the baking soda from a plastic bag… gross! At least this way the baking soda is contained and makes for easy storage and pouring ability.

Next, I take the ACV infusion and dump some of it into the peri bottle with water. I like adding in peppermint essential oil too. BUT, not too much or your head will tingle. ALL. DAY. lol! I learned this the hard way. One or two drops is plenty. Believe. I’ll let you know how it goes with the rosemary infusion. I’m hoping it’s heavenly… I think I may just do a rosemary mint combo too!

All in all, a few extra steps hasn’t made this a make or break deal. I still feel like I’m in the “transition” period. It’s only been THREE months…so maybe some of the oily business will let up at six. OR NOT!

Either way, I’m on this journey for good.

How about you?

Do you no ‘poo?

Hooray for Homemade Hippie Hummus!

Hey there!
How are ya?

Today, I’ve been in the kitch making some fun raw vegan treats (in dehydrator) for the tots but I also made some hummus to snack on. Us hippies… well, we love our hummus. Which is why it’s a staple food around here.  It’s so versatile that you can practically eat it with anything. Serve it with veggies, on a tortilla, with tortilla chips, sourdough bread or even alongside a salad it’s pretty killer stuff.

Here’s what I did today!

I actually obtained this recipe from a friend back in massage school… she made her beans and tahini from scratch. The beans were from scratch but I still had some tahini left… but the next batch I’m swearing to make some homemade tahini! I swear. It’s too flipping expensive not to! Which is the main reason I make hummus in the first place. The guy at the farmer’s market wanted $6 for 4 oz.  … it’s really good but NOT not healthy for my wallet.

Hippie Hummus

(use organic ingredients whenever possible)

• 4-6 garlic cloves (depending on how gah-licky you like it! we <3 garlic!!!)
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
• 8 cups of freshly cooked chick-peas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 2/3 cup well stirred tahini
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil or to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted lightly

In a bowl or on a cutting board mince and mash the garlic to a paste with the salt. Purée garbanzo beans in a food processor or blender with the garlic paste, the tahini, the lemon juice, 1/4 cup of the oil, and 1/2 cup water, scraping down the sides, until the hummus is smooth and add salt to taste. Add water, if necessary, to thin the hummus to your desired consistency and transfer the hummus to a bowl.  Divide the hummus between shallow serving dishes and smooth the tops. Drizzle the hummus with the a bit of EVOO  and sprinkle it with toasted pine nuts and freshly chopped parsley.

You can kick up the base recipe a couple notches and add in different fresh herbs and spices. I like sundried tomato or avocado cilantro. Today, I added in what was left in my sundried tomato jar… a little less than 1/4 cup but I usually add about 1/2 cup maybe more depending on taste. The trick is taste testing. Don’t be afraid to dip those fingers in and taste your creation. Double dip if you have to! LOL!

Hippie hummus usually doesn’t last more than a week but I’d say you could safely store this in the fridge for 3-5 days. Our favorite way to eat it is on Ezekiel bread with cukes and a little shake of sunflower sesame, and maybe some poppy seeds sprinkled on it. Mmm!  Enjoy!

What’s your favorite homemade snack?

{Happy WW!} the lil superman wants to walk & peek a boo!

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