My partner Daniel's cousin Mike has just concluded a 25-year tradition of inviting all the extended family to Thanksgiving dinner at his home in upstate New York. We're planning to get together next November, too, but it'll have to be somewhere else because Mike is selling his house and moving to Florida. As one of … Continue reading 24 Ways to Use Thanksgiving Leftovers–Not Just Turkey!
Recipes
Delicious Roasted Broccoli Leaves
The past few years have taught us what Earthlings really want to know, and we are pleased to be spreading the word that cauliflower leaves are edible! In that spirit, we'd like to tell you that broccoli leaves are edible, too, and explain a slightly easier method of preparation. Our local organic CSA farm has … Continue reading Delicious Roasted Broccoli Leaves
Two Healthy Breakfasts for Late Summer
Tomato season is in full swing and apple season has begun here in Pennsylvania, so I'm alternating between these two delicious breakfasts! Both are quick to prepare, with minimal dirty dishes. They make good snacks, too. You get plenty of vitamins and fiber from the fruit, plus protein and fat to keep you feeling full. … Continue reading Two Healthy Breakfasts for Late Summer
Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
This recipe came about when my ten-year-old Nicholas rejected the first two ideas I proposed for using the enormous zucchini we got in our farm share: (1) "Nooo! We still have zucchini bread from last time!" and (2) "Nothing with tomato sauce unless it is a pizza." Hmmm... I remembered a casserole recipe from some … Continue reading Cheesy Zucchini Casserole
Top 3 Veggie Burger Recipes
Daniel and I have tried dozens of varieties of veggie burgers in the past 15 years or so, since they started appearing in stores and restaurants. We gave up meat for Lent in 2002, and since then we've never gone back to eating as much meat as we used to eat. In particular, we really … Continue reading Top 3 Veggie Burger Recipes
Grildebeen Burgers (homemade veggie burgers)
Most supermarkets these days sell convenient frozen veggie burgers. We've eaten a lot of these, and most of them are quite tasty and nutritious. But they tend to cost around a dollar per patty, and they're packed in plastic, and they've been shipped across the continent in a freezer truck, and many of them feature … Continue reading Grildebeen Burgers (homemade veggie burgers)
Ginger Black Bean Soup (slow cooker)
We got a slow cooker a little over a year ago, and we like it a lot! It's a great way to make a lot of food without having to stand over it stirring, which is a relief in hot weather and convenient anytime. So far, we've only made other people's recipes, as we develop … Continue reading Ginger Black Bean Soup (slow cooker)
A Robot’s Cookbook, Chapter 2
See Chapter 1 for explanation of this unusual recipe collection. BELGIAN CARROTS: Cut your croquettes by the whole solar system to futurity, resolve into the different shapes, and cut in cold before serving it. Mix till it simmers in the breadcrumbs, grated cheese, sliced carrots, and chocolate for five minutes, while a few Brussels sprouts … Continue reading A Robot’s Cookbook, Chapter 2
Baked Tofu at The Purple Tulip
This recipe has been in development for more than three years. Our son Nicholas first suggested it as part of a dish he wanted to serve in his pretend restaurant, The Purple Tulip. It turned out very well that first time, but we had to make it several more times to be certain of the … Continue reading Baked Tofu at The Purple Tulip
Lemon Creamy Salmon photo tutorial!
Lent is about half over. If you're fasting from meat during Lent, and you normally eat a lot of meat, by now you're probably getting kind of bored with fish sticks and macaroni-and-cheese. Time to try something new! I've posted this recipe before, explaining how this delicious complete meal can be adjusted to work with … Continue reading Lemon Creamy Salmon photo tutorial!
Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake
This recipe was in the cookbook that came with Daniel's grandmother's food processor, decades ago. Daniel and I bought a used food processor shortly after we began living together 19 years ago, and when his grandmother heard about this, she insisted that we look through her recipes and copy some we'd like to try. Next … Continue reading Blueberry Streusel Coffee Cake
A Robot’s Cookbook, Chapter 1
I decided that this text requires its own post to really do it justice. It started as an extremely lengthy spam email received by my ten-year-old Nicholas, who immediately turned it into a bizarre modern entertainment experience by having the computer read it aloud. Then he wanted to post it as a comment to one … Continue reading A Robot’s Cookbook, Chapter 1
Flexican Cornbread Pizza
This recipe has a history. It started with my mom's trusty recipe for Mexican Pizza. Then came my serendipitous discoveries that (a) it can be adapted to a non-Mexican-flavored version, which my family loves just as much as the Mexican version, and (b) it can be baked in a toaster-oven. More than a year ago, … Continue reading Flexican Cornbread Pizza
DIY Instant Oatmeal: Ditch the Packets!
I love oatmeal. It's nutritious, with plenty of fiber and minerals and Vitamin B1, and has many health benefits. It's filling. It can be seasoned any way you like. Quick-cooking oats are really easy to make--I don't even bother cooking them in a pot, just mix them with boiling water in a bowl--and very low-priced, … Continue reading DIY Instant Oatmeal: Ditch the Packets!
Knock Out a Cold Quickly and Naturally!
Last Wednesday, I felt like I was coming down with a cold: runny nose, itchy throat, ominous heavy feeling in the middle of my head. The typical cold lasts 7-10 days. Bummer. Today is Tuesday. I'm still having an episode of sneezing and nose-blowing every few hours, but otherwise I feel great! I've been feeling … Continue reading Knock Out a Cold Quickly and Naturally!
Tetrazzini
This rich, filling casserole is a wonderful comfort food for chilly days! It's made with real ingredients--no canned soup--yet it's fairly easy to put together. Turkey Tetrazzini is traditional, but my family usually doesn't eat meat other than fish, so we most often make Tetrazzini with canned Alaskan salmon. We've also made it with cubes … Continue reading Tetrazzini
Roasted Tomatoes
Late last summer, we took a tip from our CSA farm's newsletter and converted some of our surplus tomatoes into roasted tomatoes, which we froze and later used in a spaghetti sauce. This year, when I'm not pregnant and feeling weird about food, I am even more excited about delicious roasted tomatoes, and some experimentation … Continue reading Roasted Tomatoes
Green Ribbon Lentils
Almost two years ago, I saw this recipe for Garlicky Lentils and Tomatoes, which is very flexible. We have tried it several different ways, and this variation has become a favorite. This recipe is easy, cheap, and pretty quick! It is vegan and gluten-free. It has lots of fiber, vitamins, protein, and iron. It can … Continue reading Green Ribbon Lentils
Refreshing Herbal Iced Tea from Loose Leaves
In this hot weather, it's important to drink plenty of water...but plain water gets boring. Soft drinks and juices are expensive and bad for your teeth, unless they are sugar-free and sweetened with weird chemicals. Here is a calorie-free, caffeine-free drink that tastes great without any sweetener and even has health benefits! I make herbal … Continue reading Refreshing Herbal Iced Tea from Loose Leaves
Bean Wraps with Smoked Gouda and Pineapple
UPDATE: Eight months later, I'm sharing this recipe at Meatless Monday. It's a great quick meal at any time of year because all the ingredients are shelf-stable except for the cheese and wrapper; it doesn't use fresh foods that are in season at a particular time of year--unless you live in pineapple country! Don't eat … Continue reading Bean Wraps with Smoked Gouda and Pineapple
The Earthling's Handbook 