tag: simple

dinner served on the farm

August 22, 2012

Posted by in simple living

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be still my heart. after seeing this recent article on chris fischer and the beetlebung farm, i quickly found myself doing some extra research and reading up on the farm. after a long stint of working as a chef, chris decided to go back home and work on his family farm serving up farm to table (or should i say table to farm?) meals for private gatherings in their elegantly rustic greenhouse. with menus that consist of only what is season and grown on the farm, the meals are what i consider truly a dream come true.

diners gather around tables built from barn boards or driftwood, and find themselves sitting on bales of hay. possibly what i love most it the simplicity of the meals- they simply pick what is fresh and prepare it. they have also been kind enough to share several recipes, which you can find below.

recipes:

Grilled oysters with chervil butter
Island fish crudo
Frozen yogurt with honey, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds
Chris Fischer’s Perfect Eggs
Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Herb-Stuffed Bluefish
Herbed Fingerlings
Beet and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
Carrot Salad with Parsley and Spring Onions
Pan-Roasted Romanesco Cauliflower with Peas
New Potatoes with Garlic Scapes

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all photos: gabriela herman

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Posted by in simple living
 idle mouse

as soon as i discovered idle mouse, i fell in love with their mission. after founder brooke condolora wrote a simple message to herself on the front of her notebook that read ‘cure for compulsive clicking’, idle mouse was born in efforts to share the message with others.

as brooke puts it, technology is shiny, and we like it. and that’s okay! but our hands were designed to be skillful, life is given for participation, and people need love. idle mouse products are reminders and enablers of those truths. to make something tangible, start conversations and above all, be present.

sometimes we all just need to hit ⌘Q and step away from the computer, take a deep breath and create. as a little bonus exclusive to ghtr readers, brooke has offered you early access to download 2 of her new desktop backgrounds for free! click here to see and download them. :)

as if all that wasn’t enough, each idle mouse purchase also directly benefits the mission lazarus vocational schools in honduras, where young men and women study trades like carpentry, sewing, and leather-working.

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Posted by in handmade

easy diy handband

i recently discovered a new found respect for headbands. they can instantly take your bed head to a casual, comfy and guest-appropriate look. i can’t believe i haven’t been relying on them longer (haha)! this easy diy from fine and feathered especially caught my eye. no sewing needed!

easy diy handband

now maybe i can put some of my many fabric scraps to good use. and i’m sure my post-gal will appreciate it, too!

visit fine & feathered to see more of this diy, & make sure to check out her other’s as well!

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dinner ideas 3.23.12

March 23, 2012

Posted by in dinner ideas

dinner ideastime for my favorite post of the week- dinner ideas! this is what you would have found on your plates had you dined with us this week. my favorite recipe was most definitely the vegan lentil loaf- it was amazing! what was yours?

monday: butternut squash and red onion pasta served with homemade whole wheat bread
tuesday: warm butternut chickpea salad served with tomato fennel soup
wednesday: pumpkin, cashew and coconut curry served with brown rice
thursday: vegan lentil and walnut loaf served with sauteed kale and sweet potatoes
friday: black bean and butternut squash burritos- i served this ‘naked’ (no tortilla) over polenta, topped with avocado

what was on your plate this week? any favorite recipes you’d like to share?

follow this foodiewe follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!
 

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dinner ideas 2.17.12

February 17, 2012

Posted by in dinner ideas

dinner ideasdinner ideas

 

 

 clockwise: warm butternut and chickpea salad | butternut stew | sweet potato oven fries | guacamole | vegan lasagna | polenta pizza | fall foliage lemon grass soup | no bake cookies | white bean and vegetable stew

man, i always get the stomach growls when i write these posts. is it wrong to crave lasagna first thing in the morning? i have to admit that i’m a creature of habit. i’ll find a recipe and just make it over and over again (as i’m sure you’ve noticed!). i always try to throw in a few newbies though. this week i cooked with lemongrass for the very first time and hope to do so more and more, it’s so yummy! i also discovered a new favorite recipe- this scrummy warm butternut squash and chickpea salad (thanks for the recommendation, jessica!).

monday: polenta pizza topped with seasonal veggies
tuesday: butternut stew served with sweet potato oven fries and homemade guacamole
wednesday: fall foliage lemon grass soup (left out the rutabaga and cilantro and subbed with potatoes and parsley)
thursday: white bean and vegetable stew served with a warm butternut and chickpea salad
friday:  vegan lasagna with basil cashew cheez and no bake cookies for dessert :)
what was on your plate this week? any favorite recipes you’d like to share?

we follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!

dinner ideas

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dinner ideas 2.10.12

February 10, 2012

Posted by in dinner ideas

dinner ideasdinner ideas

 
 
 

kale chips  | sweet potato chili | butternut squash and red onion pasta | pumpkin coconut bisque | basil cashew cheeze | vegan lasagna

nomnomnom! i get hungry every time i write these posts. my favorite recipe this week? probably this pumpkin coconut bisque. what was yours?

monday: vegan lasagna with basil cashew cheeze (i’m addicted!)
tuesday: sweet potato chili served with kale chips
wednesday: butternut squash and red onion pasta
thursday: southern fried tofu and waffles from the global vegan waffle cookbook
friday: pumpkin coconut bisque served with a seasonal salad, topped with roasted chickpeas

what was on your plate this week? any favorite recipes you’d like to share?

we follow a whole foods, plant based diet. the dinner ideas posts are a way for me to log our dinners, how we make eating this way easy, and hopefully inspire you to try some new things as well. they are always meat free, dairy free and often gluten free. you can follow the posts here, and i encourage you to share your favorite recipes with us as well!

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Diy Dried Apples

January 30, 2012

Posted by in simple living

diy dried apples

Homemade dried apples are such an easy and inexpensive way to sneak more fruit into your diet. Of course, nothing beats a fresh, juicy apple, but I like dried apples for their portability and versatility. A little bag of apples can be slipped into a small purse for an anytime-snack, and they make a great topping for salads. They’re also a fantastic way to preserve a large bounty of apples through the winter. The idea came from the book How to Sew a Button by Erin Bried, and I modified the directions to fit my needs.

Ingredients

- apples
- lemons
- water

Directions

Slice as many apples as you would like into pieces 1/4″ thick or less. They can be as wide or long as you like. You may also peel them, or leave the peel on. I chose to leave the peel on and they came out great.

Soak the apples in a mixture of equal-parts lemon juice and water. The lemon juice not only preserves the color of the apple, but it creates depth to the apple flavor without having to add sugar.

After soaking, place the apples on a cake rack on top of a cookie sheet. If you don’t have a cake rack (I don’t!), then just place the slices directly on the cookie sheet. I did not need to grease the pan – the apples came off fine on their own.

The oven should be preheated to 140 degrees F, and the apples should remain in the oven for five hours. If your apples aren’t on a rack, flip them half-way through. I found that my apples really needed about 6 hours.

The apples should be flexible and bendy. You can eat some immediately, or all of them if you just used a couple of apples. If you’re looking for long term storage, then after they have cooled, place them in a sealed jar for a few days.

Shake the jars every so often. Pasteurize them by freezing them in bags for two days, and keep them for up to 6-12 months in a cool, dry place.

ashley paul indie pretty projectOut to find ways to make life simpler, Ashley is tackling life one DIY project at a time. Learning as she goes, she also spends her days writing Indie Pretty Projects and creating for her Etsy shop.

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Posted by in simple living

this month, it will be one year since my husband and i became a couple of veg-headed vegans. i know it can be a controversial issue, and so i encourage you to read the reasons on why we decided to make the switch in the first place. today though, i only want to share with you why it’s been the best decision of our lives. the results that we’ve experienced from the change is undeniable. tomorrow, i plan to share with you why i believe it is also incredibly easy. stay tuned!

cherries

{sweet cherries}

you can read the reasons why we decided to become vegan, but in short, here’s our story. we decided to be vegetarians about 7 years ago, a decision we made in efforts to avoid the antibiotics and hormones found in meat, for promised health benefits and to do something to alleviate the horrid practices of factory farming and environmental distress. several years later, we realized that we were relying heavily on cheese, milk and eggs, especially when we ate out. in our case, that meant that about 90% of the dairy we were consuming was not organic and came from who knew where. there we were, still eating antibiotics and hormones, being unhealthy and supporting the factory farming business of dairy cows and laying hens (which are absolutely terrifying, ask if you want more info!). so we made the switch, here’s why it was the best decision i ever made!

just to clarify, we don’t take supplements and don’t believe you should need to. we eat a well rounded, balanced diet full of incredibly tasty and nutritious things

1) i haven’t gotten sick now for the longest period of my life. it’s been one year with no sickness, woo hoo!
2) i feel better than ever. my energy is up and my eyes are bright.
3) i’m more eager to wake up and get going in the morning. seriously! i have felt a decrease in my ‘sluggishness’.
4) i’m more focused. i have found a noticeable difference in how focused i am and how much more productive as well.
5) my skin has finally cleared up, completely. i’m off all of the creams my dermatologist had me on and use no particularly special routine for my skin for the first time in my life.
6) my fitness has improved. i feel better when i run and have seen quicker results in my endurance than ever.
7) my body odor has decreased. not sure how to explain this one, but it’s true. better breath and no need for deoderant.
8) my nails and hair haven gotten stronger and prettier.
9) i have a sense of responsible about my lifestyle. like i’m making a difference in my health, my future health and the health of our planet.
10) i’ve lost weight. not much, but 7-8 pounds, effortlessly.
11) i love cooking vegan! no spoiled dairy, no germy meat. i haven’t had to disinfect my kitchen in a very long time.
12) my digestion is better and noticeably healthier than it was before.
13) i love being a part of the community. it’s (mostly) filled with inspiring, supportinve and truly lovely people.
14) i have less headaches. i used to get frequent headaches and occasional migraines, and haven’t had hardly any at all this year.
15) as soon as we cut out all the fillers (meat, cheese, eggs) our diet expanded tremendously. there are so many grains, beans, fruits, veggies, nuts, sea veggies and seeds that we never had tried before!
16) my allergies have gotten better. again i can’t really explain this but studies agree that cutting out dairy and meat can help alleviate allergy symptoms.
17) we save money. we don’t waste as much money on eating out (though it is easy to eat out if we want, i’ll tell you why tomorrow!). and we don’t buy as many snacks and unhealthy filler foods at the store.
18) reduced PMS symptoms. something about eliminating dairy does this!
19) i’m not as sleepy in the afternoons. i haven’t felt the need for an afternoon nap in months and months.
20) we’ve increased our awareness of the foods we put into our body. each food makes us feel a certain way, and we’ve become much more aware of it.

i will say that many of these benefits weren’t noticeable right away. it’s something you have to stick with. i lost the weight after 6 months, my skin cleared up after 10 months. but, i started feeling better almost instantly. give it a try, but be prepared to stick with it for amazing health benefits down the road.

tomorrow i plan to share with you why i also believe that it’s incredibly easy. stay tuned!

gotta question? comment? are you a vegan? do you have any benefits you’ve experienced? please share them with us in the comments section! i’ll ‘meat’ you there. :)

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