What is the perfect brownie for a major Texas rivalry game? Fudgy brownies made with black beans, cinnamon, and CHILI PEPPERS!!!
I started with a box mix:
And added:
The key to this was to puree the chili peppers with a bit of brownie batter to make sure they were very fine.
Quick, semi-homemade, and with a very nice kick.
The boys told me that they went nicely with cold beer.
Hook-Em!!
Last night, I took my annual turn in line at the Just Between Friends sale (and when I say “line” I do mean the 70 minutes I spent waiting to pay—totally worth it). For those of you who have not heard of this, it is basically the biggest child-centered yard sale you could ever imagine. It is actually amazing to see. Ours was held in a huge arena and there were stations or areas designated for everything baby/child-related that you could imagine. From strollers, to toys, beds, bedding, shoes, books, and of course- Clothes!! Oh, the clothes! They seem to go on for miles and are marked at prices a fraction of their original cost. They are also all in very good condition and much of it is expensive brands. I pretty much bought our toddler’s entire fall/winter wardrobe last night for $89.
As a school district employee, I got to attend the night before the actual start of the sale (along with first time mommies and volunteers). On Saturday, everything will be marked 1/2 off.
I bought:
13 pairs of pants
6 tops
1 jacket
1 heavy coat
1 sweater long john (Gap brand, perfect condition, $5.50, and will make the grandparents drool)
1 dress
4 onsies
4 pairs of colored bloomers for next summer
1 halloween costume
I love, love gently used baby clothing because they grow out of their clothes so quickly and they are hard on clothes (or the baby is messy and my scrubbing and soaking is hard on the clothing).
In general, I have been really into consignment or used clothing because of these reasons and also because it allows me to re-use something that has already been produced and at the same time, keeps me from “demanding” brand new items.
I suppose some people could talk about how demanding new items keeps people in jobs, but this is just the way I see it and how it makes me feel.
And as a rule, I think used/consignment clothing is awesome!
If you are interested in JBF- check out their website and see if your area/town is listed for a sale. If it is not, I think there may be a way to start one.
As I say this, I sigh wistfully. I really am in awe of how so many people of like mind to me can live in one concentrated place. A recent trip was indeed, lots of fun, but at the same time made me feel a little sad for what I am missing here in West Texas. Everything that comes so easily (seemingly at least) in Austin, seems to take so much effort here.
Fabulous Farmer's Markets, teeming with produce and volunteers (!!)- DONE.
Fantastic grocery stores with delicious organic food, 5 aisles of bulk bins, complementary (flavored) coffee samples, the best soups on the planet, and free family-friendly live music (with a dancing area so kids can go nuts)- DOUBLE DONE!!
Millions of gravel (better for my knees) trails for riding or jogging- DONE.
Cafes, microbreweries, wineries, vegetarian restaurants- DONE.
Frontyard, backyard, community, and shared gardening- Hello, Done!
Everything else in between- Surely Done.
It is pretty easy to live “green” or “righteously” in Austin when they all but spoon feed it to you. But here in West Texas? Nope, we must work for it. While I’m proud of the few of us here that try to live more consciously, I can’t help but feel a little jealous of how easy others have it.
Anyone else ever feel like you are swimming against the current?
Last week I did something I swore to my mother that I would never EVER do-- I canned tomatoes!
As a child, my lazy summers were always interrupted in August for the dreaded canning of tomatoes with my mother. The arrival of 5 gallon buckets filled with tomatoes from a great uncle were always the signal of the laborious and messy chore to come.
See. I hated tomatoes when I was a kid and I especially hated the hand-crank food mill that we used to puree the tomatoes because I would end up with *disgusting* tomato juice all over me. ECK!
In response to my whining and groaning about helping with the annual project, my mother would assure me of the value of learning this skill so that, I too, could preserve my own produce one day. To her, I told her emphatically that I would NEVER EVER stoop so low as canning my own food.
Fast forward 15 or so years and here I am, pots overflowing, tomatoes in my sink (!! another huge thing for a sink-a-phobe like me), and hot jars covering my countertops.
Thanks to my local CSA, I was able to “put up” (smacks of the frontier or depression era, doesn’t it?) 16 quarts and 16 pints of whole or crushed tomatoes.
My favorite method was to blend the de-stemmed tomatoes, fresh, in my all-purpose NINJA (perhaps more on this versatile kitchen gadget later?). The consistency is a lot like diced tomatoes from the can. Next, I ladled the tomatoes into warm jars with a little lemon juice and then boiled them in water for maybe 30 minutes.
One thing I realized is that canning takes more tomatoes than you would ever think. I used two big buckets and could have done even more.
Overall, it was a satisfying experience and my goal is to not have to buy any diced or crushed tomatoes at the store this year. This would be pretty major since we use a lot of tomatoes for cooking soups and pasta.
Here are some pictures:
Start to finish of canning whole tomatoes. This was more labor intensive with the extra step of blanching and peeling the tomatoes.
My preferred method was to blend/chop in the blender/food processor-
Since this was my first year, I did not do anything fancy. Maybe next year I will add fresh herbs or make salsa.
Somehow, I think my great-grandmother would be proud of me.
What are your favorite canning recipes? Any good tips, tricks, or easy recipes?
