Little Green Monsters

Posted by random olio

Back in February, I posted a blog about Green Smoothies. For the past few years I have started my day with a green smoothie.

Last week a Facebook friend posted a link to a blog about kids and green smoothies. I had to watch the video included in the blog a few times. Specifically I loved watching the little boy and his intense desire to have his green smoothie. He looks like a little gentleman in a toddler’s body. I hope my kids are as enamored with green smoothies as these two precious little ones. You will also want to try the “Green Monster Chocolate Smoothie” recipe posted at the above blog link. We made it yesterday morning and this morning and are enjoying it. It gives us another option to our usual green/fruit smoothie. It consists of spinach, kale, peanut butter, chocolate almond milk, ice, and a banana. (We did not have any kale so we doubled the amount of spinach).

For background click the above link, and here is a direct view of the video:

A note about green smoothies. Buy a Vita-Mix. We literally went through about 10 blenders in a short amount of time (all that eventually died through electrical smoking) and we finally dropped the money for a Vita-Mix. It is worth every penny.

The Pesto That Changed My Life

Posted by random olio

About 10 years ago, Chris and I had just begun our first stint at sharing a living space. We had a lot figured out in terms of keeping things clean and organized, sharing responsibilities, and roles in our home. One area that was not as clear was the kitchen. Chris loved to cook and had always been adventurous to try to recreate amazing food that he had experienced in restaurants in New York, and other cities he had traveled to around the country. Let’s just say he wowed me with what he could do in the kitchen.

Since I am a bit competitive (okay very competitive), I wanted to show him I could cook too. I decided to make pasta with pesto for dinner one night. For those that read my blog recently, I spent many summers learning how to bake (and follow a recipe). I was not a complete cooking novice, but some of you may agree with me, that following a recipe for cooking can be different from following a recipe to bake something. I made a mistake that altered my future forever. Although some may say it was a good mistake, it has meant I no longer make the main courses for meals in our home. I am the sous chef or the baker and dessert maker.

My mistake: adding an entire head of garlic to the pesto I was making rather than one CLOVE of garlic. Chris was an angel. Maybe it was because he was balancing the boundaries and newness of the beginnings of a relationship, or maybe he just is truly an angel. HE ATE THE PESTO…and, smelled like garlic for days. I did not want to be near him. I wanted to create something for him in the kitchen, made a mistake in the ingredient, and lived to smell it for days.

What it did to us? He started doing all the cooking. I learned to just let him alone in the kitchen. If I try to talk to him while he is cooking, and I bring up our conversation later, he will have no recollection or remembrance that the conversation ever took place. So. We altered life. He cooks. I go into my writing world while he cooks. It all works out. The way I balance this wonderful gift in my life is to occasionally bake breads and yummy desserts. I would do it more often, but while the sugar goodness tends to do nothing to Chris, it tends to add wobbly bits to my body. He will have to be okay with occasionally.

My mistake made 10 years ago = a gift.

…the beginnings of coconut creme pie…

Delicious Ambiguity, 4-H, and Aprons

Posted by random olio

I love finishing a good book. It always inspires me of the possibilities of what has not been written. Since each of us have such an individual experience there are infinite outputs to what can be encapsulated in new books. So when I find one that leaves a smile on my face and a bit of inspiration in my life, I have to share!

“Apron Anxiety” by Alyssa Shelasky is a memoir about a woman who falls in and out and in love with food. Her book is not entirely about food, and it is not written in a way that makes you feel like she is a die-hard foodie either. It is perfect for those of us that tread on the perimeter of food and the foodie world. She starts out as many might, timid. She eventually jumps in with her entire soul. What it did for me was make me want to TRY. While I am a confident baker, I am not a confident cook. When I was young I was in 4-H. Yes, the summer program that makes you think of raising cattle and pigs. For me it meant summers learning how to sew and bake. It was just something I did. I do not think I knew whether it was cool or not to be part of 4-H. I rode my bike to a local high school, daily for a few weeks and learned, tried, laughed, and made new friends while exploring an oven and the frustrations of a sewing machine.

I have not forgotten those summers. The baking programs I was involved in meant I learned over the course of five summers to make cookies, muffins, cakes, breads and yeast rolls. For sewing, I learned how to hem, make darts, button holes, hook and eyes, zippers, skirts, tops, dresses, etc. While I do not make my clothes, I still remember how. What has stuck with me the most is what I learned baking. “Apron Anxiety” has made me want to try to tread water in the world of cooking. I had a thought last week, that just maybe if I one day am preggers and at home with a little one, that I might want to try my hand at cooking. Here is my setback. I have horrible timing. I can make a lot of things in the kitchen. What I fail at is making them ready at the same time. If I steam broccoli, it is never ready when my entrée is ready. So that is my test. Can I find a way to time things so that I can make the parts of a meal ready to savor at the same time?

Here are two of the quotes in “Apron Anxiety” that really resonated with me:

“I will always meet people who don’t like me, or don’t get me, who think I’m dressed like a high-class hooker or raised by wolves. But as all women I’ve ever admired would say, “At least you’re interesting enough that someone gives a shit.” Which reminds me: There will always be people who think I’m not interesting enough at all.” page 226

“Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it…Delicious ambiguity.” page 236 (a Gilda Radner quote)

I definitely recommend adding “Apron Anxiety” to your list of books to read. It is a fun, light-hearted, and inspiring read! Here is to starting my future delicious ambiguity and to hell with those that do not think I am interesting!

Are You “Drop Dead Healthy?”

Posted by random olio

I just finished reading the book: “Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection” by Esquire editor, A.J. Jacobs. I was intrigued about the book when I read a quick soundbite from A.J himself in Shelf Awareness about his new book. He takes two years to make his body healthy, one body part at a time. Here is the soundbite from Shelf Awareness:

“Writing at .7 MPH

I predict that this essay will take a bit less than a mile and a bit more than 90 calories to write.

To explain: I’m writing this piece while strolling on my treadmill. As part of my new book, Drop Dead Healthy, which chronicles my quest to be as healthy as humanly possible, I joined the small but growing club of treadmill desk devotees. I perch my laptop (a bit precariously, I must admit) on top of my treadmill’s display panel, and tap tap tap away as I walk at a molasses-like .7 miles per hour.

I do this because of the alarming number of studies that say that extended sitting is terrible for your heart. As in eating-Paula-Deen-bacon-doughnuts terrible. At first, I thought treadmill writing would be distracting. But it’s actually easy (and believe me, I am far from coordinated). It’s also strangely energizing: walking raises your brain’s serotonin level, which helps with focus. I can’t yet tell if my walking is affecting my writing. Do these sentences feel more kinetic? I’ll leave that for you to judge.”

For those of you that work from home or telecommute, let me know if you rig a treadmill desk and if it makes you feel more focused, that you accomplish more and if it was worth the effort. One excerpt from his book (again broken down with each chapter on a different body part), was on his nose, he talks about snoring and how it is taking over marriages. For many snoring can be because of your nasal passages, your weight, and multiple other issues. I found this quote to be interesting information:

“A couple of months ago, The New York Times ran an article about separate-at-night couples. We’re part of the trend. A survey by the National Association of Home Builders says 60 percent of custom homes will have dual master bedrooms by 2015.” page 259

Who knew snoring had such an effect on families that it is changing the way homes are being built! You will find many more interesting details on health in his book. He does not side with the über organics or the sugar fiends. He tries it all and finds what feels right for him. A.J. Jacobs has written a few books and he does not just write them. He lives them. In his book: “A Year of Living Biblically,” he spent a year attempting to live every rule in the Bible literally. Another book called: “The Know-It-All” where he takes a year to read the Encyclopedia from A-Z. You can read more about his books on his website.

I highly recommend “Drop Dead Healthy.” It is a quick read, sprinkled with witty humor, and contains interesting information about health that you might want to look into for yourself.

Amsterdam = Bikes, Canals, and Oliebollen

Posted by random olio

Did you have a good weekend? I hope so! Over the weekend I was going through files and photos on my computer and thought about Amsterdam.

Last November my husband and I took a trip to Amsterdam. What an experience! We were there for about 5 days and it was the perfect amount of time. It felt like a mix between Venice and a town in Germany and also a lot like Portland. When we got there it was foggy for the first few days, and rainy. It felt like being in Portland although 1000 of miles away. Maybe that is why I instantly felt comfortable, like I could so easily live there.

bike parking garage

Bikes rule in Amsterdam. They are everywhere. Cars come next and pedestrians last. So different from what I am used to in Portland, where a car tends to stop whenever someone crosses a street (even if it is not at a cross walk). The picture to the left shows a bike parking garage by the train station. Yes, that is really four levels of bikes parked. I was in awe.

I was also surprised by a few things. There was gum on the streets and sidewalks everywhere. There was also quite a bit of litter everywhere. The below picture shows the canals, with lots of trash, and on the left side of the canal the white thing is actually a refrigerator.

to the left down the canal is a refrigerator

We ate plenty of food. I found it interesting that most menus did not have many vegetable options. But, they like their cheese. We had the most amazing smoked goat cheese, and I had a salad with fried goat cheese, honey, and pears (I never would have thought to put all three together). We had traditional Dutch crepes, and my favorite of all: oliebollen.

Since we were there during Thanksgiving week, the holidays were in full swing. Between Thanksgiving and New Years they have outdoor holiday markets (which look beautiful at night with all the lights). There are an assortment of food trucks, and one had a specific holiday Dutch treat – Olibollen (or fried dough). This particular holiday market was quite a long ways from our hotel, but we make the trek each day for this amazing, warm, and sweet goodness. Who could resist!?

mmm…Oliebollen

I think I have the travel bug again. I am ready to go and explore someplace new. My heart is set on Copenhagen. I love the opportunity to try new food, explore local art, boutiques, architecture, etc. Thank you, Amsterdam for such a wonderful trip!