Vegetables on Parade

Sweet Corn:

It is delicious! Go get some. It turned out perfectly when we put in a pot of cool water, set it on the stove, and let it cook until it came to a rolling boil. When it was time to eat, my fiance was desperately searching for a slice of bread to go with his corn (okay, maybe he wasn't that frantic). His family puts a square of butter on a slice of bread which they then use to butter their corn on the cob. My family sets out the butter dish and melts down a stick when it's sweet corn season. How do you butter your corn?

Baked Zucchini Fries:

This recipe came straight off of about.com. Dinnertime was drawing near, and I knew I wanted to turn my zucchini into baked fries, but I hadn't settled on a recipe. Since someone had eaten almost all the eggs, this recipe was most appealing because it called for only one egg. Changes I made: I used only 1 cup of breadcrumbs and still had quite a bit left over. I didn't blend anything in the food processor either.

Spaghetti Squash:

While I was at a wonderful market on the side of the road, I overheard a woman sharing "the most fantastic way to cook spaghetti squash" with another customer. Since I had just made spaghetti squash the night before (and thought it could have gone better), I asked her about her technique. Here is what she told me.

Cook in the Crock-Pot on high for 3 hours.

That's it. You do not need to poke holes in it or do anything to the squash. I purchased another spaghetti squash and decided to try again using this method. It worked great! I scrubbed up my squash and placed it in the Crock-Pot and cranked that magic contraption up to high. I think it could have been done at 2 hours. I pulled mine out around 2 and 1/2 hours. When your squash starts to look sweaty and it marks up easily when you poke it, it is done. 

Take the squash out with potholder(s) and place it on a cutting surface. Puncture the squash with a sharp knife to let out some of the steam and then slice into it. Seeds and goop in the middle should scoop out very easily (I used a spoon from the silverware drawer). The fleshy part of the squash cooked so long that it is already coming apart in beautiful spaghetti strands. It might be best to let the spaghetti squash rest for a bit before handling, but if you are too hungry to wait, proceed with caution and use potholders. When emptied, you will notice that the outer wall of the squash is very rubbery and flexible. 

Since spaghetti squash does not have a strong flavor, it is very versatile and will work with many different kinds of sauces. In this picture I added about a Tbsp of butter; a splash of milk;  a dash of salt, pepper, and garlic powder; and a few shakes of Italian seasoning. Fresh grated Parmesan cheese was served on top.

Chocolate Banana Bites

Yum. These little bananas make for one incredible dessert, and I am of the belief that fruit doesn't count as dessert. People are raving on Pinterest about fried bananas and how they are the sweet-tooth cure. I call BS. Here is the real solution.

Chocolate Banana Bites

I ate most of them before I unpacked the camera...

Ingredients:

-3 bananas
-1 bag of chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)
-splash of milk
-a little bit of peanut butter (if desired)

Directions:

1. Slice up bananas. Pick a size any size. I went small because I wanted to stack mine like peanut butter banana sandwiches. That technique gets really messy, by the way. If you are not stacking, I would recommend slices about an inch thick.

2. Put banana slices in the freezer so they are not as slippery when you are ready to dip them in chocolate. I chopped mine up on a cheap plastic plate and then stuck that in the freezer. Mine also went in as sandwiches. It might have been easier to freeze slices, add peanut butter, stack, and refreeze. But I am not that patient.

3. Go do something for 10-15 minutes. Then come back and dump half of bag of chocolate chips in a bowl. Add a splash of milk to chips, shake bowl around, and microwave for 15 seconds.

4. Stir chocolate mixture and microwave for another 15 seconds. Repeat until mixture is creamy and easy to dip bananas in. I think it took me 45 seconds. Do NOT microwave for the full time all at once, or the chocolate will burn. : (

5. Dip bananas! Get them good and coated. Then place bite-sized decadence on a cookie sheet covered in tinfoil. When finished put entire tray in the freezer. It will take about 3 hours for the bananas to freeze, but I ate one periodically just to be sure.  ; ) Remember to put these in a freezer-safe container when they are done.

If you are feeling lazy and still want to snack on chocolate bananas, check your grocery's freezer section for Diana's Banana Babies. These are what led to my addiction in the first place. You could also bust out some Nutella to smear on your fruit.

I was lead to this recipe via Pinterest. Thanks!

Capital Crescent Trail

Catching up on some posts. : ) I am busy training for a new job, we (me and my handsome new roommate) moved over the weekend, and we are also getting married this weekend. Whew! Life is busy and exciting. Here's a look at a relaxing and outdoorsy outing from last week.

It really was this green!

Living in the city, but longing for some trees and fresh air, my fiance and I decided to walk the Capital Crescent Trail. We had used nearby sections for a few scenic runs, but with 11 miles of trail there was much more to see (Ha! I never thought I would describe running as "scenic"). Walking with a pack of snacks and water allowed us to take as much time as we wanted to walk 8 miles of trail from Bethesda through Georgetown. It is a really nice walk, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to get outdoors and move while avoiding the more crowded areas in/around D.C. Bonus: We found a National Park off the side of the trail about halfway through our trip. They rent kayaks, canoes, etc. and have some really nice picnic areas.

After our walk we decided to take the metro over to the courthouse to pick up our marriage license. That was not a quick stop like we were hoping. I felt bad for the people who had to sit next to our sweaty selves. An hour and a half later... we emerged victorious with an official document in hand! In total, we probably walked 10 miles that day getting to the trail and around the city by metro.

We made it to Georgetown.

Note: while walking sounds like easy exercise with minimal consequences, we were both incredibly sore the next two days.

cool old tunnel on trail route

Great Falls National Park

The other day my fiance and I took a short drive over to Great Falls, VA to enjoy some fresh air. While the drive was short, we had to sit in a long entrance line to the park once we got there. In the future, we will be leaving the house a little bit earlier to avoid sitting in the car for a half hour. Once we escaped from the automobile, though, we had an excellent time! This park has tons of picnic tables and open spaces outside the visitor center. It was pretty crowded with picnics, pets, and family outings, but there was plenty of room left over. A bonus which I did not expect was a concession stand! That's right. If you get there and decide granola bars aren't going to cut it, there is a full concession stand below the visitor center that offers plenty of affordable food options (even ice cream!).

 Moving past the entrance and picnics, the views here are gorgeous. There are some easily accessible views by the picnic area if you don't feel like a long hike. Some careful maneuvering over rocks may be required, so good shoes might be beneficial. However, I was surprised by the number of people I saw walking around in flip-flops and dresses. This site caters to all levels of outdoorsy individuals. You can see a beautiful series of waterfalls/rapids on the Potomac which are surrounded by rocky cliffs. We took the River Trail from the picnic area and enjoyed a scenic route overlooking the river. Warning: this trail has many rocks to clamber over and around. It is a fairly level trail, though, which makes for a leisurely, interesting walk. It was not quite the "hike" we were expecting. On the way back we took Old Carriage Road which was gravel-paved and lined with trees. Overall, this was a great outdoor experience close to D.C., and we will definitely by visiting again!

Crusty Bread

It looked much prettier the second time I made it.

**This recipe comes from simplysogood.  

It is absolutely amazing, so I am reposting for others to enjoy. This bread was very easy to make. I baked it in my Pampered Chef Covered Baker, and it expanded to take on the oval shape of the pan the first time I made it. The second time resulted in that beautiful picture above. I added about 4oz of shredded Gruyere cheese and a large sprig of rosemary. These ingredients were mixed in at the same time as everything else. If you like gorgeous pictures of food, you should check out this recipe's original site. Tonight I am going to try another loaf with shredded Parmesan and some of the leftover rosemary. This makes a great gift alongside a bottle of wine if you are invited to a friend's house for dinner. Everyone will be so impressed with your baking skills! Another important note- this bread is very filling which is great if you live with someone who eats as much as my fiance. ; ) 
 

 

Crusty Bread

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon Instant or Rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 18 hours.  Overnight works great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. 

*Use your best judgment when it comes to baking time. In my stoneware, the bread is fully cooked in 30 minutes. I do not put it back in to brown the outsides because they are already toasty. If you are not sure if the bread is finished, give it a good poke. It should not be soft. The insides are nice and fluffy, but the outside should be firm. 

Polenta with Vegetable Marinara

Polenta with Vegetable Marinara:

Ingredients:
-1 tube of polenta
-chicken and breadcrumbs (optional)
-olive oil
-1 onion
-1 squash
-1 zucchini
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 pint cherry tomatoes
-1 jar marinara sauce


First, polenta comes in a tube at the grocery store (You can also find it dry, but precooked makes dinner easier). It is usually in the Italian section, but sometimes it is in a refrigerated area. I have had troubles finding it before, but maybe that's just me. When everything is just about ready, cut thin to medium slices of polenta and pan fry with some olive oil.

I am perfectly okay with keeping this dinner vegetarian, but if you are making this for a meat-eater, baked chicken makes a nice addition. Lightly coat chicken breasts with olive oil and roll in breadcrumbs. The olive oil keeps the chicken from drying out in the oven. Trust me.

Sauce:

1. Cut up one onion and saute.
2. Cut up one large squash and zucchini and throw those in the pan, too. (If you have a deep skillet, that would work best.)
3. Add in two cloves of minced garlic towards the end so they don't burn.
4. Lastly, add in a jar of your favorite marinara sauce and anywhere from 1/2 to a whole pint of cherry tomatoes. You want to simmer the sauce until the tomatoes are about ready to explode. Probably 5-10 minutes depending on heat. If you are not sure, poke a tomato or eat one and see if it bursts in your mouth.

Then it's ready! Serve sauce over polenta cakes.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Dinner this evening was fantastic! I got the original recipe from here and tweaked it a bit for what I had on hand. This made 4 more pepper halves, and I had extra filling left over.

Ingredients:
-6-8 bell peppers
-1 package ground beef (in the neighborhood of 1lb.)
-1 onion (white or yellow)
-1 cup rice (brown or white)
-1 can black beans
-1 cup corn (more is fine, too)
-1 package taco seasoning
-1 jar salsa (get creative and try different flavors)
-cilantro
-cheese
-sour cream
-extra salsa

Directions:
Start cooking rice. Saute onion and add in ground beef. Rinse black beans and add to meat once cooked. Add in taco seasoning, corn, and salsa. When rice is finished add to mixture and stir together. Stuff peppers. Bake peppers at 400 degrees for 30 minutes uncovered. Pull out and cover with shredded cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes and serve.

First Post

Greetings!

This seems like a good time to introduce myself. I graduated with an English degree in May. Yes, I carefully considered this major, and after trying numerous introductory classes in any other field, I said screw it. There is no point in fighting what you are meant to do; so I proudly pursued a major in English and loved every minute of it (except those agonizing weeks surrounding research papers). I've considered blogging for several years, but the lack of a unifying theme was my good reason not to start a blog of my own- until now. As a recent graduate, I am trying to figure out my place in the world and what being a grownup truly means. From that perspective, I can share my thoughts and adventures, both big and small, with readers like you.

Here's a little more about me and what you can expect to see in some of these posts. I grew up in Alabama and moved to D.C. in July. I am super excited to explore my new home. Some of my greatest passions are traveling, cooking, and reading. On that subject, I got engaged last month and plan to marry my wonderful fiance in the very near future. : ) I love arts and crafts and frequently bounce around from one project to another. One hobby I gained this summer in addition to crocheting is running. I am looking forward to participating in a 5k this fall. Since my work schedule might be a combination of part-time jobs and/or internships for a while, I would like to include volunteer work in my weekly schedule. Right now I am interested in organizations that promote literacy. Personally and perhaps professionally, I would like to help people read and enjoy books. That's all for now, and thanks for reading!

Sarah