Miss me?

If you've been missing posts here, I'm over at a new blog, Lisa's Foods on the Move.

Check it out here - I'd love to have you join me!

Lisa's Foods on the Move

I'm experimenting with a new blog on WordPress, called Lisa's Foods on the Move. Not sure yet if I'll still post to this one, though I'll certainly hold onto it for a while. Since I spend so little time crafting (I don't even remember the last time I knit on knit nights!), I'm trying out a new server -WordPress - and a new focus - foods, fitness, and travel.

Please check it out and leave some comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it while it's still new.

Wish me luck!

The good to come

Hello, hello! Having a great week, and I can't believe how every week goes by so quickly. (It's one thing I definitely don't like about growing older.) I'm sure part of my good mood involves the recent beautiful weather, which has also inspired me to get into running again, and the increased exercise probably enhances my mood too. I'm trying to choose a 5k to run in the coming months. (Trying to accomplish more my birthday goals as the next one nears.)

Hmm, what else...Steve and I have made travel plans for April! We're flying to Spain, and then are headed to Morocco for five nights! I've wanted to go to Morocco for years, and I'm really really excited. We got pretty good flights, and we'll have some time in Spain too. Can't wait for the food, the culture, the warmth. And I'll have gone to Africa!

Been reading a new book - Diet for a New Planet, by Anna Lappe. I received it from Bloomsbury USA, with the agreement that I'd write a book review of it when I'm finished, so you can be sure to read about it soon. So far I'm learning a lot on agriculture's affect on culture change.

The photo? Steve and I went out for Moroccan food last week - before we planned our trip - it must have been in the back of our minds. I ordered baba ghanoush, he ordered falafel, and we shared some bites. The falafel were so fresh and delicious. Mine was good too, but I liked his better.

On another note, I've been thinking about starting another blog, with a focus on the Berkshires and sustainability. If you are interested in contributing a weekly or monthly post, let me know! It would be much more regular than this blog, and I'm interested in including posts on food and farms and green initiatives. We'll see. I suppose with full-time teaching I have a lot on my plate from now until June, but would like to get something going.

A sunny weekend

Hooray for sunshine! And for two days in a row, which can be unusual here in New England. I had a pretty good week, despite feeling on the verge of a cold from Thursday until today. After loading up on vitamin C and getting lots of sleep each night, this cold seems pretty mild.

Tuesday was a great after-work day: first, Steve took me cross-country skiing on our property, which neighbors a lot of trails. We turned around at Ralph's Outlook, above, and ended up skiing for over an hour in a total. It was a great workout, and the fresh air was beautiful.

That night our friend Sarah had us over for a scrumptious, wholesome dinner: homemade lentil soup with kale (made with tomatoes, making it extra savory), and bread with butter. Whenever I make lentil soup I use broth or water, but the tomatoes added this delightful sweetness to the dish. Yum, yum!

The weekend's been okay here - I had a teachers' exam to take yesterday, which took up my afternoon, and today I might venture out for a walk, but that's about it. I'll probably make a loaf of bread and some more homemade granola bars. I just keep thinking about spring! Funny enough, for years I would grow frustrated in spring because I have pretty bad pollen allergies, but this year, with my incredible longing for summer, I can't wait until springtime. Springtime means summer, and summer means vacation...for which my plans are still in the works.

As I long for spring and summer, I'll leave you with this photo from our Southwest trip in December. Ah, sunny sunny Arizona.

Spring is even closer...

...but I'm still doing my best to appreciate winter. After a successful snowshoe hike Saturday morning, Steve and I decided to go on another one together yesterday afternoon. With a thick layer of snow still coating everything in sight, and with no wind in the air, we had perfect weather. We did the same hike, around the lake, but I managed to take my camera along this time.

The same shed by the dam here. I am soooo lucky to live right near this beautiful lake!



We're also lucky to live near a cross-country skiing center.

I love how the weight of the snow looks on the coniferous trees. It's like a giant marshmallow tree.

I was super thirsty when we got back home, and I remembered that I had brewed a batch of peppermint tea the night before and stuck it in the fridge. Cool peppermint tea equals a really refreshing pick-me-up after an hour of snowshoeing.

To make it, use one teabag or one teaspoon of leaves for every cup of water. Pour boiling water over the leaves, and brew for five to ten minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge until you're ready to drink it. I wouldn't keep it in there for more than four days though.

My early morning routine continues to consist of a big bowl of oatmeal. I bought loads of steel cut oats earlier in the winter, and want to use them up before it gets too warm. Oatmeal also seems to bring on a warmth unlike any other breakfast food, perfect for these still chilly mornings. And it's filling. And I love being creative with the toppings. Today: oats cooked with cinnamon, raisins, and dates; topped with banana, cashew butter, and homemade peach jam (made last September). But by spring and summer, I'll be more interested in muesli, homemade granola, and yogurt.

Off to bed soon for a fun day tomorrow: Steve and I are going cross-country skiing in the afternoon, then our friend Sarah's making us dinner!

A good Saturday

What a great day today has been. I'm feeling relaxed, refreshed, and accomplished. Steve and I slept in this morning (until about nine, which is really late for me, but it felt good to take it easy). We had oatmeal and tea for breakfast, and decided with our housemate to go for a snowshoe walk around our pond. It felt great to get lots of exercise, especially since we had to break the trail, and there were quite a few feet of snow in the woods. Plus, with the loads of snow we've gotten in the last week, I haven't gone for a run since last Monday. When I finally get home from work, I just want to read or cook.

This wasn't today's oatmeal, but I did eat this for breakfast earlier this week. More barley with banana, cashew butter, and maple syrup, but I added some canned pumpkin and cinnamon on top. I know the pumpkin may sound unusual, but I had been craving pumpking flavored foods, and it tasted a little like pumpkin pie for breakfast.

I made these delicious baked oatmeal snack bars tonight for dessert. I've wanted to try them out as an easy afternoon snack. Since I love oatmeal, and I love experimenting with different nuts and dried fruits, they sounded like a good treat. I made these ones with peanut, dried cranberries, raisins, and a drizzle of maple syrup before baking. I'd like to try them with lots of other items: coconut, dates, candied ginger, walnuts. (But not all in the same batch.)

An easy dinner tonight: Steve called them Mexican pizzas. We had a few tortillas in the fridge that I wanted to use up, plus just a tiny bit of tomato sauce left. Topped with the sauce, mozzarella cheese, portabella mushrooms, red bell peppers, and some onion, I baked them for about ten minutes in a 350 F oven. Along with steamed zucchini and baked sweet potato, it made for a wholesome meal.

On another note, if you're interested, you can read my most recent JCarrot post here. It's about Community Support Agriculture (CSA)...and no, we haven't decided whether to join a CSA yet. I think we'll wait for now, since the shares seem quite large, and I love going to farmers' markets.

Back in the groove(s)

I've been feeling inspired lately. Inspired to blog more, to photograph meals and cooking again, and to go for runs. Maybe it's the warmer weather blooming (while just above freezing is not warm, it is warmer).

Yesterday I spent a greater part of the morning cooking. I prepared my Monday lunch (millet mixed with beans, salsa, and sugar snap peas and a side of cottage cheese; along with some grapes), baked white bread in the bread machine, cooked up some grains, and made our lovely lunch. I also went for my first run of the year (only about a mile, but it felt really good.)

I made two pots of grains: the one in the back is millet, the one in the front is barley. Millet has a similar taste and texture to couscous, but is gluten free. The barley's gluten free too, and I like eating it as a breakfast cereal, as a replacement for oatmeal. While it's typically eating in soups and stews, it tastes really nice with fruit and nuts. I'll show one of my barley breakfasts later this week.

Steve and I ate the same lunch too: multigrain Fairmount bagels, more Le Pizy cheese, some raw red pepper strips, and red grapes; I had a cup of peppermint tea too. We're trying to eat more veggies to stay healthy as we plow through the end of winter.

I'm off to get ready for bed, in hopes for an early night before rising at 5:45am! At least the sun is peeking through closer to 6:00, making the early mornings much more pleasant than back in December. Good night!

Back again (from Montreal)

We got back from our trip to Quebec last night. It felt so good to get away for a few days - to ski, eat new foods, and explore. Just a few photos for you...

Cute little chocolates lay on the nightstand of the first place we stayed, in the Latin Quarter. I love the packaging on these ones.

I love to photograph signs that I like, with great graphics and fonts and things. Montreal seems to be full of them.

Look at these mushrooms! We stopped at Marche Atwater (Atwater Market) yesterday morning for breakfast and to pick out a nice cheese to accompany our lunch.

Just a snippet of our delicious breakfast at the market: cafe mochas, chocolate croissant (called chocolatine in Montreal), toast with butter and blueberry jam, and a wholegrain berry muffin. I sure got my fill of sugar for the day, but it tasted so fresh and wholesome.

We settled on this Quebec-made cheese, called Le Pizy. It had a strong odor, but was a creamy-tasting cheese, a bit like brie.

Lunch in the car: Fairmount bagels with Le Pizy cheese. And some water. We stopped at a rest area in the Adirondacks to eat, admiring the falling snow.

Now that I've done my full share of catching up on blog posting and reading, I'm going to spend the rest of the day reading more of Mark Bittman's Food Matters, getting ready for school tomorrow (I always lay out my clothes the night before, and pack my lunch and snacks beforehand - I'm just too slow in the mornings), drinking tea, and going for a walk in the sunshine. A nice, lazy Sunday after a nice, lazy vacation.

On oatmeal

With the snow piled up outside, and with a slight breeze - making for a chilly morning - I woke up craving oatmeal for breakfast. Today I had rolled oats cooked with half a banana and cinnamon, topped with maple syrup, the other banana half, and a blob of cashew butter. Sided with a cup of tea with a dash of milk. Simple and scrumptious.

I've noticed that many people have been writing about oatmeal lately, whether in blogs, or magazine articles, or on websites. This old-fashioned, simple breakfast is making waves. And the toppings! I'm a traditionalist when it comes to oatmeal, mostly: plain nuts or nut butter, raisins, banana or apple, and a bit of maple syrup or brown sugar. I find too many tastes overwhelm my tastebuds. But check out this Tribute to Oatmeal - wow! Oatmeal is not as modest as it used to be.

If you like oatmeal, or New York City (or both!), check out these two articles from serious eats New York.

I haven't left the house since Friday, and today's the day! As you can imagine, I'm getting pretty restless, especially since we live in the woods, and we got hit with about six inches of snow yesterday. But the snow has stopped and the roads are clear; I'm off to run some errands this morning, and then we're off to Montreal later today! I'll post some shots from the trip when we get back. Au revoir!

Blog makeover

It was time. While I loved the old picture on the top of my blog (is that called a banner?), I needed a change. For the last week or two, I keep having images of spring in my mind. And I don't even love spring, which brings on incredible pollen allergies. But spring leads to summer, which leads to vacation and warmth (if not like last summer's cold wet misery), swimming and hiking and biking and running. I love winter too, but I'm ready for the transition. So, this new banner is in anticipation of spring, and green...and fiddlehead ferns.

I'm in such a good mood today, despite being the third cloudy day in a row. It's snowing a bit, I'm on vacation, we leave for Montreal in just a few days (here we come good skiing, yummy food, and new sites to check out!), I've been lazing around the last two days drinking tea and catching up on books, going for walks, and I've been getting eight to nine hours of sleep each night. We're having friends over for pizza tonight. What could be better?

If you haven't checked out Mark Bittman's latest article on comparing soda drinking to cigarette smoking, it's worth a read. He brings up a lot of points that people I know have been talking about for years; now it's time for something to happen politically.