Tag Archives: Life

Nourishment Lately 2.17.16

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{Slippers and french press coffee, made for me, by Greg, for my birthday. 2.9.16}

Here’s what has been nourishing us lately.

These spiced lentil, sweet potato and kale whole wheat pockets. We tried this recipe a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. We have been trying to make and freeze as much food as possible lately, to take advantage of all the freezer space that we have and to stock up for our busy spring, summer and fall. We made a double batch of these, ate half for dinner/lunch and froze the other half. These pockets were not only incredibly delicious, but so fun to make, too! We tried to stay as organized as possible when making them and it really helped the process go smoothly, as these do take some time + work. We did a little assembly line. I rolled out each piece of dough and passed it off to Greg’s station, where he had the lentil filling in one bowl and the mashed sweet potatoes in another (we didn’t add the extra caramelized onions, for simplicity). He filled, folded and pinched. Only changes we made were leaving out the caramelized onions and adding more spices – just about double what the recipe called for. We also added some feta cheese to a couple of the pockets – they were good both with and without cheese. Also, the dough for this recipe is my new favorite pizza-like dough. It was so soft, fluffy and delicious. We will for sure be making these again, as is, but also using the dough recipe with other fillings.

These homemade chicken cheesesteaks. Or in our case, mushroom cheesesteaks. This is a recipe that we have been making + loving for years and for the last few months, Greg has been requesting it. Finally on the day of the Super Bowl, I made these and we both agreed that it was the best we’ve ever made them. It may have been due to the fact that we made homemade rolls for the first time ever (see below), but now I truly can’t wait to make them again. What I do: I leave out the chicken completely. This time around, I made eight sandwiches and for that I used 2 large green peppers, 2 large yellow onions and 8 portabello mushrooms. I cooked the onions and peppers together first and then I cooked the mushrooms, just because I didn’t want the pan to be too full at once. I made one and a half recipes of the cheese sauce (didn’t want to skimp, because it is the good stuff). For the cheese sauce, try to use a realllly good, realllly sharp white cheddar. Good cheese is worth it here. For the assembly, I went cheese sauce first into the roll, then pepper/onion/mushroom mixture and then topped each sandwich with a little bit of shredded cheddar. This hasn’t always been the case with these, but this time around, with the homemade rolls, these were great leftover warmed in the microwave. Wish we still had some leftover, but they went quickly! 🙂

These easy hoagie rolls. So I’ve already mentioned these above, but I can’t sing enough praises about these rolls, really! I have been intimidated by sub (or hoagie) rolls for the entire time that I’ve been making bread. Greg has really wanted to try them and for some reason, I have been just afraid to do it. Last Sunday, I picked this recipe (after much consideration) and just went for it. They turned out fantastic! I followed the recipe except I used 2 cups all purpose flour and 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour and I used 2 tablespoons of honey and no sugar. It was not hard to do, and it seems that the part that I was most afraid of, the shaping of the rolls, is actually pretty forgiving. My “shaping” of the rolls was a total guess and way less than perfect, but when it came down to it, they all made great sandwiches. These rolls are soft and hearty and will be made again and again in our house!

These one-pot creamy spinach lentils. I made this for dinner last week for the first time and it was definitely nourishing. There were so many reasons we loved this. It was quick and easy to make, it was warm and comforting to eat, it was healthy and it made a lot which was great for leftovers. Greg said that it kind of reminded him of chicken pot pie, but a vegetarian version and without crust. Changes I made – doubled up on the onion, carrot and celery, used veggie broth instead of chicken broth, used dried herbs instead of fresh and added a splash of lemon juice. We will be making this again and again. 

I’d love to know what has been nourishing you. Leave links to your favorite recipes in the comments!

Nourishment Lately 2.1.16

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{Brunch with Greg, mom, dad 1.30.16}

Happy Monday, everyone!

How was your weekend? Mine was excellent, spent with Greg, my mom and dad. We ate some great food – tried a new restaurant that we will definitely be returning to, and made an excellent brunch Saturday morning, featuring a couple of the recipes I am sharing below. We visited Gettysburg National Military Park Museum – a great stop for a cold, winter day, played some Disney apples to apples (fun!), hung with Ivy and just relaxed and had a good time. 

Now, here is what has been nourishing us lately!

These homemade whole wheat crackers. Greg and I made these crackers several weeks ago. They were fantastic and so fun to make together! Again, with the homemade bread products, crackers like these, when store bought, have so many ingredients. These were not hard to make, so I could see us doing this any time we need crackers. We followed the recipe exactly and stored them in a sealed plastic container in the fridge and they kept fresh for over a week. 

This lentil, mushroom and sweet potato shepard’s pie. I have never made a vegetarian shepard’s pie until now, but this recipe is definitely being added to our regular dinner rotation. This was the absolute perfect winter meal for me, I would eat it every day if I could! It had all the right flavors and textures and was loaded with so much good stuff. 

The best hummus. Yes, this really was the best hummus we have ever had. Greg said so after his first bite! We ate it with the homemade whole wheat pita bread and that combo was just so right. This recipe does take a bit of work (soaking and cooking dried chickpeas), but it is very much worth it. 

This healthy banana bread. I don’t usually make sweet breads just to have around, but a banana bread with no white sugar and whole wheat flour only is something that I am into. I made this for mom and dad’s visit and then again for a brunch with Greg’s family on Sunday. Every ingredient in this recipe is one that I feel good about and it tastes so good, too. This was approved by all!

This baked steel cut oatmeal. This is another brunch-approved recipe from this weekend. The flavor is classic, it’s timeless. It’s something that I would never get sick of. Just yummy, cinnamon-y oatmeal, but a little more special because it’s steel cut and it’s baked. We made it with no blueberries, but I bet it would be great with, too!

Nourishment Lately 1.25.16

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{Our snow day view. Saturday, Jan. 23.} 

Hi! Happy (one month into) 2016. It almost feels foreign to be sharing with you today because the last I posted was, uh, two and half months ago! I’m just going to jump right in.

Today I am sharing some recipes from around the web that I have been making and loving lately. Our nourishment lately. A sort of “friday favorites” post, but all about food, and on a Monday. This is something I am going to start doing on the blog regularly..but more on that later. First, a couple of thoughts.

This is a recent thought but I’m really feeling it and that is that I’m going to take a more lighthearted approach with my blog this year. My lack of sharing over the past couple of years is due to what I think is being overly conscientious and particular with myself. From what I’ve read lately, there is a shared feeling that blogging has evolved to a place where as a blogger, you feel your content must be perfect. That’s what I’m feeling, and have been feeling. I haven’t wanted to post anything unless my recipe was flawless, my writing was just right, my photos were magazine worthy. Proof: I posted eight times in 2015 – only three of those were food posts!

But, The Dreaming Foodie has always been just a hobby, and I am certain (and happy) that it will stay that way. So bearing that in mind, I want to take a much more gentle approach. I want to share more often and I want to stop being so gosh darn hard on myself. I don’t want my unrealistic goal of perfectionism to be in the way of sharing anything at all. This isn’t a paying job, I am my own boss when it comes to this space and I am not anything near a professional chef, writer or photographer. If I were any of those things, I’m sure this space would look a lot different, and I might want to treat it differently. But I’m just a 25 year old who loves to be in the kitchen and loves sharing and talking about the food that comes out of it. I want The Dreaming Foodie to reflect more of that this year.

That being said, I won’t start posting just to post. I will continue to share only things that I’m completely in love with and things that I think will bring goodness + happiness to the world. But what I am going to do – I intend to share more everyday-type food recipes. The stuff that Greg and I eat regularly, during the week, during busy times. Something like this pasta dish is great, but it’s not a reflection of the yummy, yet simpler stuff that we eat on a daily basis. The more of the simpler stuff that I decide to share, the more that I will have to share in general because really, that’s mostly what I make.

I also intend to do more posts like the one I am getting to today. Fun posts! I’ve been wanting to do something like this ever since I started my blog three years ago (speaking of, check out my first ever post, ha!). I had Week in Photos going for awhile but I’m now looking to do something a little more focused on the sharing of food and what I’m cooking and loving. I’m not going to say that I’ll do this every single week, but I’ll strive to. 

So, here is to 2016. Here is to lightheartedness. Here is to a FUN year of blogging, to sharing more of what I love and what nourishes me so that it might nourish you, too.

For now, my first ever Nourishment Lately.

This homemade peasant bread. At the beginning of 2015, I had a goal of learning to make my own bread. I started right away and learned and kept with it. For all but a few months in the busy summer, I have been making homemade bread just about weekly and am pretty excited about it. This recipe that I discovered a few weeks ago is a game changer. Hardly any work is required and the bread is so gosh darn good! Changes I made – I use 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all purpose and instead of the sugar I use 1 tablespoon of honey. 

These homemade whole wheat pitas. We are definitely all about the homemade bread products lately – the ingredient list on something like this store bought is a mile long. We have been loving these pitas (I’m making a batch today!). We have used them for homemade falafel, veggie burgers and egg and cheese wraps. It’s so nice to have a bag of these ready in the fridge – sometimes a nice alternative to bread.

These simple peanut butter granola bars. I love trying out new homemade granola bar recipes and so many just have so many ingredients. Which can be great! But sometimes I crave something simple, just back to the basics. These are so good and even the non-peanut-butter-lover, Greg, loves them! They hold up well after not being refrigerated which is a must for us. Changes I made – for one recipe, I only use 1/4 cup of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I also add a spoonful of coconut oil to the honey. 

This simple vegan pesto. This has become my favorite pesto! I use a mix of whatever fresh herbs I have on hand and usually use walnuts as the nut, but the rest of the recipe as is. We have been putting this on pasta and in soup. 

This butternut squash gnocchi. I had a surplus of butternut squash from fall markets and while I love soup, I wanted to use a bunch of it on something different that would be great for freezing. Greg’s idea – gnocchi! I am so glad I used Iowa Girl Eats’ recipe because it was just so good! I made a triple batch – we had one batch for dinner right away and the other two batches are food saver’d in the freezer. Can’t wait till it’s time to eat them!

This peanut butter + berry smoothie. Still going at it, every single day, for almost two years now. How I’ve been making it lately – 1 banana, scoop of frozen blueberries, scoop of frozen raspberries, spoonful of peanut butter and almond milk is my liquid of choice lately!

A simple winter fruit salad of chopped apple, orange and grapefruit. I have been making a big batch of this combination to keep in the fridge throughout the week for quick snacking. The combo is just so perfect for me. Great bonus: the citrus juice keeps the apple from browning after being cut!

Have a great week!

Autumn 2015

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Happy autumn, everyone!

Whew, it’s good to be back posting in this space. I do intend to keep this primarily a food blog, despite what the last 6+ months have shown. My last food post seems like ages ago. But I will say, I have liked sharing these little life posts with you, one in spring, one in summer and now, autumn. These surroundings are just too beautiful not to share. 

I’ll keep the words brief today – but just a little life update for you. Greg and I have been busy {busy!} but enjoying life oh so much. We are doing THIS, getting cozy in our new home (!), still making and enjoying food that we love, hanging with Ivy, getting outside as much as possible and looking toward a slower winter season – when I plan to have more time to share food stuff with you here.

For now, some fall photos from around the farm! I feel like this has been a particularly gorgeous fall (thank you mother nature!) and I feel lucky to have witnessed it. Enjoy autumn, friends!

{One last note – while in the autumn spirit, consider checking this article from NPR, Inside The Life Of An Apple Picker. Each and every apple you see and eat – it’s picked by hand. Try to imagine that incredible amount of work and let’s appreciate and be grateful for what others do so that we can enjoy apples!} 


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Apple Crisp

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I cried after my last farmers market of the year.

There was a local arts + crafts show occurring after market, and I wanted to wait around for it to start. It would start 30 minutes after we were done cleaning up, which seemed like forever after already being out in the cold Philly air for six hours that day. I sat in the car and cried. And I thought about it. I thought I was crying because of the seemingly long wait to check out arts + crafts (dramatic, much?). But I wasn’t. I was crying because I didn’t want market to end. I didn’t want to get into the car and go home. That would just mean that I’d have to admit that it was over.

While reminiscing with Greg recently, I told him that I’d never forget the very first time I got to work market. It was just over two years ago. I was still at IUP, finishing my bachelor’s and Greg was living in Philly, just beginning his time at Drexel. It was a Saturday, and I was sitting on the bed in his tiny studio apartment. He was sitting at his desk when he turned to me and said, nonchalantly, “We are good to work market tomorrow.” I freaked out. I had always loved farmers markets and for me, it was a dream to work at one. I get to work at one TOMORROW?? And for his family’s farm?! Dream. Come. True. The next day, I geared up with a light green Three Springs tee shirt, traveled to market, and loved every second of it. 

That was September 2012. Then, until May of 2013, I worked market when I was in Philly, visiting Greg on weekends – and yes, that is how I wanted to spend my Sundays visiting. May 2013 – present, I’ve worked market every Sunday that Greg and I have been home in Philly – which has been most.

This past Sunday was the last market that I will have worked as a Philly resident. The last Saturday that I made sure to be in my Queen Street apartment bed early, to be refreshed for market Sunday. The last Sunday morning that I took my breakfast to go, to eat in the car while taking in the Philly skyline on the drive to market. The last Sunday we searched for a parking spot along Pine Street. The last Sunday Greg and I came home with goodies from all of our favorite Headhouse vendors. To be honest, there won’t be many “lasts” in Philly that I am sad about, but all of these, are surely some of them.

Completely bittersweet.

I can honestly say that I’ve looked forward to working Sundays for the past 2 years. I’ve enjoyed every moment working at market for Three Springs Fruit Farm. All of this is thanks to Greg, and his family. Thank you Greg, thank you Three Springs and thank you Ben (Greg’s cousin), for giving me the opportunity to live out a dream. How a farmers market has made me so happy and particularly emotional, I do not know, but it surely has. In this new adventure that Greg and I are embarking on, I can hope that I find something that makes me as happy as market has here. 

Now, this recipe. I’ve had this apple crisp recipe and post sitting in my drafts for months. I couldn’t find the right words to pair with the post. But it’s time to share, and my recent emotions with my last market seem the right fit for a recipe featuring Three Springs apples.

I know that there are a lot of apple crisp recipes out there, and a lot of people are loyal to one, so I’ll tell you just a bit about mine.

Here’s what I love about my crisp recipe. The apples are just lightly sweetened, with no cinnamon – just 1 tablespoon of sugar in all of those apples, for a very natural apple taste. The apple skins are still on – a must for me. There’s no traditional white flour – instead I’m using almond flour which adds a great, nutty flavor (and for gluten free friends, is naturally gluten free). And butter, because sometimes it’s just necessary and it tastes so darn good in this. 

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

-Almond flour: I know that it is not a staple ingredient for most people, but it is for me and I love always having it on hand. It adds great taste and texture to baked goods. If you don’t keep almond flour on hand, consider it. In addition to today’s recipe, use it in these, these and this, too!

-Apples: Use any variety, don’t be particular. Admittedly, I am particular about many things in life, but which apples I bake with is not one of them. I’ve made this crisp many times and have used a mix of different apples each time – whatever I’ve had on hand. What you use will be good. Also, use local apples when possible!

-Arrowroot starch: This is what I have been using instead of cornstarch. Arrowroot is a natural and more nutritious option. Cornstarch can be substituted if desired, and although I have never made it with cornstarch, I feel fairly confident it would produce a similar end product.

–Penzeys vanilla sugar: I picked this up about a year ago and to be honest, this is the first time I’ve used it. I am in love with it for this recipe though and plan to keep stocked with it just for this. It’s just sugar mixed with vanilla beans (yum!). Plain, white sugar can be substituted, and, if you’re feeling fancy, throw in some vanilla beans with that sugar.

It’s been awhile since I’ve share a dessert recipe with you (or any recipe, for that matter!), and this is one that I feel especially good about. I hope that this crisp is enjoyed in every way by all who try it.

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Apple Crisp
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Ingredients
  1. 4-5 large apples, any variety
  2. 1 tablespoon Penzeys vanilla sugar (or plain, granulated sugar, see note in post)
  3. 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (or cornstarch, see note in post)
  4. 2 cups rolled oats
  5. 1 cup almond flour
  6. 1/2 cup brown sugar
  7. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  8. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  9. 6 tablespoons cold butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350*.
  2. Rinse, dry and slice apples as thin as you can get them.
  3. In a large, but shallow baking dish, add apples, 1 tablespoon sugar and arrowroot starch. Mix gently to coat all apples.
  4. In a mixing bowl, add oats, almond flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well to combine.
  5. Cut butter into small cubes and add to the dry oat mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingers (like me!), mix butter into the dry mixture to make the crisp. When done, the mixture will look like coarse crumbs and butter will be fully incorporated.
  6. Evenly distribute crisp mixture on top of the apples in the baking dish. Bake 45 - 60 minutes, or until apples are soft and crisp is slightly browned and crispy.
  7. Enjoy!
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/