Per A Sister's Request....

The other night, my sister said she missed how she and I would come up with yummy recipes for the fam when I lived with them. So Jams, this one's for you!

What do you do when your refrigerator is overrun with vegetables that are on their last legs? Throw them away? No! Feed them to the dogs? Never! Then what? you ask. Why, you make a casserole, of course!

That was my dilemma Monday night, so I went for it. Finding a good vegetable casserole recipe, though, wasn't as easy I anticipated. I went to Epicurious (a great cooking site with an awesome app if you have a smart phone) to start. Sadly, I wasn't impressed by what they had to offer in the casserole realm. Not one to be discouraged though, I took a few of the decent recipes I found and decided to make it my own! This was no difficult challenge considering my guy and I like to eat healthy and have fun tweaking recipes to include more veges, less fat and more overall goodness.

The first thing I noticed was that the recipes called for very few vegetables and a lot of cheese and heavy cream. I basically switched that around and used a ton of veges and less cheese. Now, don't get me wrong, cheese is the best thing on the planet, but I'm getting a little round around the edges and I don't need to get rounder! I also substituted all of the heavy cream with almond milk. As strange as that sounds, I've been using almond milk for years now and have never tasted any difference.

Anyways, let's just get this recipe rolling!

Ingredients:
1 Large Zucchini, Diced
1 Large Yellow Squash, Diced
2 Medium Carrots, Shredded (love the mini food processor for this!)
1/2 lb. give or take Crimini Mushrooms, Sliced
1/3 Cup Frozen Peas and/or Corn
1 Large Shallot, Minced
3 Large Cloves of Garlic, Minced (use less if garlic is too much for you)
8 oz. Grueyere, Cheddar, Swiss - CHEESE! of your choice, Shredded (again, mini processor is the best)
3/4 Cup of Skim or Whole Ricotta
1 Cup PLAIN Almond Milk
3 Eggs, Beaten
Couple Tbls of Olive, Coconut, or Grape Oil (whichever you prefer)
1/2 Tbl. Dried Basil
Pinch of Paprika
1 Box Mac 'n' Cheese (I prefer Annie's White Cheddar because it's delicious, organic, and it has bunnies on the box)

1. Cook only the pasta from the mac 'n' cheese, slightly al dente (not too mushy) then rinse under cold water to stop it from cooking more.

2. In a large-ish saute pan heat the oil with the shallots and the mushrooms until shallots are translucent and mushrooms are browned. I'd say about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. *NOTE: many recipes would also include the garlic to saute, but trust me, it will burn.

3. While that's sauteing, mix the eggs, dried basil, almond milk, the mac 'n' cheese cheese (don't forget about that!) ricotta cheese, salt & pepper to taste and shredded cheese (save a little to sprinkle on top) in a small to medium mixing bowl.

3 1/2. At this point, turn on the oven to 350 degrees if you're in hotter parts of the world, 400 degrees in the colder parts (don't you hate it when turning on the oven's the first thing a recipe calls for and an hour later you're still not ready to put in your food?).

4. Your mushrooms and shallots should be just about ready at this point, so throw in the squash, zucchini, carrots, and garlic. Keep in mind that this will also go in the oven, so you don't want to cook the squash for too long on the stove or it'll become mushy (Grandma, Grandpa will probably like it like that). What I suggest is that you turn off the stove, throw a lid on that puppy and wait a few minutes. The squash should steam pretty well.

5. While the concoction is steaming and sharing juices, get a 9" x 13" pan and oil it up a little bit.

6. Now, mix the the pasta into the vegetable mix really well. Mix, mix, mix. Once everything looks good, spread it evenly into the oiled 9 x 13. Now for my favorite part, pour the cheese over the mix and give it a good spin with a spoon. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top, and throw it in the oven!!

7. Bake the yumminess for 20 - 30 minutes, and Voila! You have a delicious, healthy, delicious casserole.


Ok, it's not the best picture, but these are leftovers that we had for dinner tonight and I've got to say, mmmmmmmmm. To re-heat, toss it back in the oven at 350 - 400 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes.

So, that's that. The great thing about a recipe like this one is that you can adjust it every time until you find the perfect combination, substitute vegetables for ones that are in season depending on the time of year, and play around with different flavors in general. Also, it's incredibly easy to make and unless you're a giant like my brother - in - law, there are usually plenty of leftovers for a couple lunches or another dinner!

Worm Wranglin'

Let me start by saying my boyfriend is amazing! When he says he wants to build a chair or make compost bins, you better believe that when you get home from work, you have new furniture and new compost bins. Needless to say, we now have compost bins - and WORMS!! Don't cringe, these aren't an invasive species issue or an outbreak of the creepy crawlers, but rather an aide in creating nutrient rich soil. These worms will eat your vege scraps and then - this might be gross! - poop it all out for some extremely healthy soil. I know it sounds dirty, unsanitary, crazy even, but I remember learning about the necessity of worms in dirt when I was in elementary school. As usual, none of this is new!
The other week we were excited to get worms for our compost bins. Amazingly, we were able to find worms LOCALLY! Narda, who sold us the worms, is the all-knowing vermiculturist when it comes to the red wrigglers; a sort of 'worm guru', if you will. She's also from my area and buying from her not only helped our local economy, but also saved us about $30. Pretty sweet if you ask me.

We decided that Thursdays are to be designated feeding days. Narda informed us that the more we bug the bugs, the less handiwork they'll do. Red wrigglers, as they're known throughout the composting world, don't like a lot of light. In fact, when you open the lids to wherever it is you have them working, you won't see them. They are amazingly fast for worms.

Anyways, Thursday = feed day, and it really couldn't have come sooner. We'd been saving all our veggie scraps and the tubs we use were filling our fridge up fast. And it was starting to smell a little funky to me. Finally though, I arrived home from my long day at work, and we went to the bins. Let me back up by saying that we had been adding vegetable and fruit scraps to the bins in the week while we were waiting for the worms, so they had been working hard for a week already and we were about to see what they had done. At first, it wasn't really visible that anything had been eaten, and there seemed to be a lot of other bug - life going on in the bins, so I was a little worried. But then, we dug down a little bit and lo and behold!

There was what looked like rich, black compost! It was so exciting! Everything has been a worm success so far. In fact, we are probably going to get more worms for the other bin we have. We're planning on using all the compost for our own garden, and whatever we have leftover, we look forward to sharing with friends and family.

Planting the Future

Oh Monday, how quickly you come and go each week!!!

This weekend was Mother's Day, and it was really lovely. Firstly, I want to say, Happy Mother's Day once again to all the mothers who have been in my life. I have been touched by each and every one of them and they have all taught me valuable lessons to follow. Mothers are unique, special and irreplaceable. My sister, who is a great mother to two amazing children, feels every day should be Mother's Day, and she's right about that. So, Happy Mother's Day today, and everyday.

This weekend was special not only because I spent so much time with my mom doing fun things, but because we have started our vegetable garden! My boyfriend has created vegetable beds and compost boxes so that he and I, and my parents can grow our own vegetables safely and organically.

To start our amazing garden, we went seed shopping at the Sun Valley Garden Center on Saturday and I won't even try to remember everything we got plant-wise. My mom and I also loved everything the nursery had to offer that wasn't alive! *Note to self: shop there for MDay next year!

We mostly purchased seeds because they're cheaper than seedlings (seeds that have already started growing) and because they came from Botanical Interests and Seeds of Change, both incredibly reputable seed companies. Also, instead of buying the plastic starter kits, (remember, PLASTIC IS EVIL!) we made our own! Because I'm an interior designer, I have a lot of project material, which includes heavy stock paper. It is perfect for seed starters! Cut some construction paper, which can be even more fun because it's colorful, into 2.25" x 5.75" strips and tape the seams together with Duct Tape. Because these are filled with an organic compost blend found at almost any store, ie dirt, I recommend using cookie trays. I managed to make about 120 of these little guys! They're very easy to make, and when it comes time to plant them in the vege beds, all we have to do is peel off the paper and Voilà! no irritated roots.

One of the seedlings we did buy though, were jalapeños. I have a habit of needing to name everything, so, I present to you, Gonzalez and Oscar (Gonzalez is on the left).

I know, I'm totally silly. Anyways, we are very excited for our first jalapeños to grow so we can make tacos and other delicious food!

On a serious note, we are very excited to be doing this. Essentially, we are creating life. We are growing generations of vegetables (did I mention that most of the seeds are Heirloom seeds, which means they come from 30 - 50 year old strains?) which are being grown with love, patience and most importantly, knowledge. We have taken the responsibility into our own hands, which is way more than I can say for most these days. We were tired of buying genetically modified foods that offered little to no nutrients, and instead of whining about it or even shelling out extra bucks for organic foods, we're doing it ourselves.

Wish us luck! :)

Earth Day Every Day

I get really annoyed/upset when I go into a store on Earth Day and there are signs all over advertising 'green products' or using a reusable grocery bag for the day. These are easy, mostly affordable options that should be in use everyday. In fact, we shouldn't even have to think about it anymore, these practices should be as ingrained into us as brushing twice a day.

What I think is the easiest to do and to remember is bringing your own bag to the store, any store. By using one, only ONE, of your own bags, you not only prevent about 1 million bags from ending up in a landfill, waterway, or street, but you also cut down on plastic production. Producing plastic is an ugly, ugly process that creates tons of toxins in the air, water and land and cause cancers. Plastic bags are made from ethylene, a petroleum byproduct. Making these little nasties uses up 12 million barrels of oil a year, in the USA alone. Imagine how many more cars could be fueled if we brought our own bags to the store.

We haven't always been so dependent on plastic bags for our shopping. Plastic bags have only been around since the 1930s; that's not even a century. My grandparents are older than plastic bags! The damage that they have caused in such a short period of time is astounding. Thousands of land and marine animals have died, they've caused flooding by blocking sewers and drains, and don't forget the 'Island of Plastic' that stretches from the tip of Hawaii to Japan. This is literally an island of plastic bags and other garbage that has been washed into the ocean. As the plastic falls apart (it doesn't decompose), it creates a 'plastic soup' that is consumed by marine life. Needless to say, it's unhealthy for everyone and everything involved.

Imagine running into this while snorkeling in Hawaii on your honeymoon!


This is horrifying information, I know, but the solution is so easy and even fun! Most grocery stores and big retailers offer reusable bags for super cheap. Albertson's offers 10 bags for $10, (not a bad deal), and they're right there when you walk in the store! You can immediately forgo the plastic. Other retailers, like Target, offer a discount for bringing your own bag. Sure, it might just be ¢5, but it adds up! And who doesn't like a little money off the tab? Ikea, which I probably miss more than any other store since leaving SD, has started charging for their plastic bags, or they offer their sturdy nylon bags for 39 cents (last time I was there). The best part is though, the money they make from the plastic bags goes straight to the American Forests.

There are also a lot of online companies that are dedicated eco friendly retailers, like ecoshopper.net, who offer chic and stylish bags that you won't want to leave home without.


Neiman Marcus is even getting in the Green Game by offering reusable bags by Mikado. They are beautiful as well as earth friendly. This is a set of five bags, for all your shopping needs, all for $40.00. Not too shabby for high-end shopping!


I love bringing my own bags with me to every store I go to. I might get a few looks, but I like to think that I've also put some ideas into peoples' heads! I have a few bags that a friend of mine in San Diego made and people ask me about them every time I take them out (pictures soon). I love that being responsible can be so fun and such a conversation starter!

I have to say, it's pretty great being a 'moderne hippie'. I admit it!

Besides.....the planet doesn't stop turning when it isn't Earth Day, so why should we stop acknowledging that every day is Earth Day?