Barefoot Professor Explains the Benefits

 Food for thought... also read Christopher McDougal's book 
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Velvet Scrambled Eggs with Sheep Feta on Sprouted Bread

OK, so I eat way too many eggs.  We have 20+ hens and a lot of eggs.  We sell some eggs, feed our dogs some, give some away, sell some, and eat lots.  Some of my favorite things to do with our fresh eggs are: soft boiled, scrambled, and in quiche.  What I want to share with you today is my *favorite* scramble recipe.  It is easy to do,  but it requires that you stir the eggs constantly for about 5 minutes.  You have most likely never had eggs this delicious.  I grew up eating dry tasting scrambled eggs and hard fried eggs.  I can't stand over cooked eggs now.  Yuck!  So here is a recipe for moist scrambled eggs.  Yum!

Velvet Scrambled Eggs with Sheep Feta Served on Sprouted Bread
 serves 2 adults and two kids

6 eggs, mix thoroughly
feta to taste
olive oil
cast iron pan, preferably (heats more uniformly and retains heat well)

Preheat a cast iron pan to (on my oven it's between medium and medium-low) just below medium.  Pour 1-2 TBS of olive oil in pan, enough to cover the surface.  Once you have thoroughly scrambled the eggs in a dish add them to the preheated pan.  Make sure to have your wooden spoon in hand to stir the eggs.  Once you have added the mixed eggs to pan, stir them constantly, making sure to get to every part of the pan.  When I make these scrambled eggs I stir without stopping until they are done, that way no part of the scrambled eggs gets overcooked.

The idea is to cook the eggs slowly but consistently so that they do not harden into larger size balls.   If you do it right you will have no egg "balls" just a soft, but thoroughly cooked mush.   Remember to stir until the eggs have lost all their water or moisture.  They will still be soft and mushy, just not "watery".  In other words they will taste cooked, but not rubbery or hard in any way.

Add crumbled feta to cooked eggs, as much or as little as you desire.  The eggs will be good served on top of bread (we love using sprouted Sesame "Ezekiel" bread, but you can use any bread.  Here is another picture so you can see the consistency of the eggs.  It may take a few tries to get them just right.

Soft Eggs, pictured with sheep feta on buttered Ezekiel Sesame bread. 

I miss it already...

 

 the sun that is...

  

 Marina found a very interesting book at the library. 

  

 More sun fruit :)

  

 New Whidbey Island Bank location

  

 Sunny, but cold, above.  Now it is raining and wet. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips

I should be making more of these cookies instead of writing this post.  We have already finished them, but I forgot to pick up fresh peanut butter from the store, so here I am.  They are that good.  You will want to make more right away. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon (tsp) baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature.  I used freshly ground peanut butter from our local grocery store, it is so much yummier!
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon (TBS) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F Bake.  In a bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and the salt.  Set aside.

In another bowl:
1. Thoroughly mix the butter and peanut butter until fluffy.
2. Add the sugar adn the brown sugar, mix
3. Add the egg, mix.
4. Add milk and vanilla, mix.
5. Add the flour mixture. 
6. Add choclate chips, mix thoroughly.

 Mixing the peanut butter with the flour

Grease a cookie sheet.  I made my cookie about spoon-sized.  Make them into round balls, place on cookie sheet leaving some room between the cookies for expansion.  Take a fork and squish them down just a bit before cooking.  Your cooking time will depend on how big you make your cookies.  I cooked one batch for 12 minutes, and it wasn't quite enough.  the second batch I forgot about and cooked for 30 (!) minutes and they were pretty good, even still a  little soft in the middle.  So I would cook between 15-25 minutes, depending on the cookie's size. 

cookies ready to cook

Signs of Spring

My girls and I play a game on our walk.  We look for "Signs of Spring".  It motivates the girls to actually go on a walk, makes the walk fun and different, and teaches a lesson about the seasons.  As the girls point out signs of spring, I photograph them.

 

 Salmon berries are flowering

  

  

 Our climbing rose is leafing out

  

 Spring flowers coming up . . .

  

  

 Butterfly bush has leaves (above)

  

 Pussy willow, actually comes out in January (depending on the year).  This one is Stella's birth tree as she is a January baby and it was planted over her placenta.

  

 Maple trees have buds, soon to be leaves

  

 a few dandelions are blooming

  

 

Iris

  

  

 Nettles, ready to harvest

  

 Marina found something green

  

 Cat tails coming up in the pond

  

 Marina looking for signs of spring...

  

 Skunk Cabbage

Happy Baby Tea

This was one of the first pictures that I posted on my blog.  Stella was a infant and I came up with a tea that helps nursing moms enrich and increase their breast milk.  It is calming and nutritious as well.  The tea is also great for toddlers, just dilute it some. 

Happy Baby Tea
use equal parts dried:

Nettle
Chamomile
Fennel Seed

Seep in hot water for 5-10 minutes for mothers.  Seep for 2-5 minutes for toddlers.

How People Live to be 100+ TED talk

Gluten Free and Low-Fat Asparagus and Ground Turkey Lasagna

It all started because I couldn't find my book to read.  After searching the house fruitlessly I settled on Sunset magazine, opening up to their article, "Comfort Food Makeovers" with a big dish of lasagna staring up at me.  I must have been hungry, and it was just too much.  I thought, Wow I have never made lasagna.  The challenge was on.  

I adapted Sunset's recipe in several ways, although mainly to include asparagus, which is currently in season here in Washington.  Another big change was to do fewer layers of noodles and sauce.  I'm not sure how they worked the layering with the amounts listed except that I just did not have enough ragù to make the extra layers when all was said and done.  This turned out to be a blessing of sorts, as fewer layers was more than enough!  I also doubled the recipe and froze a pan full for later use.  I figured why both spend all the time cooking if I don't have a lot of leftovers? Although, it does make the preparation time longer.  The recipe I posted below is not doubled.

Despite the long preparation time, it was all worth it in the end, the lasagna was amazing!  This was due, at least in part, to the delicious ragu sauce which is made from scratch and entails reducing the liquids in the turkey and vegetable saute: first the milk, then the wine, then the tomatoes and tomato sauce.  This recipe is low fat and wheat-gluten free.  I usually don't care one way or another whether a recipe is low fat or not, but in this case, it is great as there is less cheese and dairy.  As it is, the recipe still uses Parmesan cheese, milk, and cottage cheese.  It still tastes rich and satisfying. 

Asparagus Lasagna with Ground Turkey Ragù Redux

Serves 6-8, Cooking time 2 hours, longer if doubled

2 TBS olive oil

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 large onion

1 1/2 pound ground turkey

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup of milk

1/2 cup dry white wine, I used Pine and Post Chardonnay

1 can whole tomatoes with juices (chop or crush with your hands)

1 cup tomato sauce

1/4 tsp ground pepper or 1/2 tsp if you like it spicier

2.5 cups cottage cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp nutmeg

12 oz lasagna noodles, I used brown rice lasagna noodles (see pic below)

1 pound of asparagus, cut off hard ends then break into 1.5 inch pieces

Ragu

1. In a large saucepan on medium heat cook chopped onion in 1 TBS olive oil for about 4 minutes.  

2. Next add carrots and celery, cook for another 5 minutes.

3. Then add ground turkey, breaking it up in the pan as it changes color.  

4. When turkey is cooked, add milk and stir occasionally until it has evaporated.  This will take about 15 minutes.  

 Above: The turkey, carrots, celery and onions before milk, wine, and tomatoes are added

5. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, then add tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer.  Cook for 30-35 minutes or until liquid reduces to a 1/3. 

Meanwhile make the White Cheese sauce: 

In a food processor add the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, pepper, and nutmeg.  Mix until smooth.  Set aside for layering with the noodles.

 Above: The white sauce, or cheese mixture

Stir Fry Asparagus

trim the asparagus ends by 2 inches or so, then break them into 1.5 inch pieces.  Heat pan with olive oil on medium heat.  Add asparagus and cook, stirring regularly for 5-8 minutes.  The asparagus should be firm.  It will cook in the oven as well, so it is better to cook it less.

 

Above: the asparagus

Preheat oven to 375 F Bake.  Now it's time to make the noodles.  Follow directions on package, being careful not to overcook.  Drain noodles and spread them flat on kitchen towels without touching each other.  

Above: brown rice lasagna, it was excellent in the recipe!

Layering Lasagna

Oil a 9x13" baking dish, below is the order of ingredients to add to the pan:

1. Spread a 1/2 inch layer of ragu, or about 1/3 of the ragu

2. Add a single layer of noodles (about 3 sheets per layer)

3. Spread another 1/2 inch of ragu (1/2 of the remaining mixture)

4. Another layer of noodles

5. Half the cheese mixture

6. Noodles

7. End with remaining ragu and cheese mixture.  Top with the stir fried asparagus.

 

Above: the layering

Cook for about 30 minutes at 375F Bake, or until thoroughly warmed up.  Let cool for 15 minutes and serve with a salad, or all by itself, if you are time-challenged like me!