Jalapeno, Bell Pepper, and Bean Salad

My husband found another tasty looking recipe for us to try on Facebook.  I adapted the recipe a bit to suit our taste buds.  The original recipe called for 3/4 cup of sugar in the dressing, which involved cooking the dressing in a pan on the stove top until the sugar dissolved.  Why add more empty calories and one extra step to the preparation, when it tastes quite fine without the sugar?


Jalapeno, Bell Pepper and Bean Salad

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed
1 jalapenos, minced
1 red onion, diced (optional, I will leave this out next time)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup organic canola oil
1 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and let sit in fridge several hours or overnight.  One serving is equal to about one cup.  Makes about 8 cups.

Jalapeno, Bell Pepper, and Bean Salad

Makes a HUGE bowl!

Look at all those veggies!

Very Chocolatey Brownies

In honor of Caitlyn, who is leaving the Library and moving far, far away, on Wednesday I baked my first recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (which Caitlyn gave me).  A copy of this book is available through the Washington County Library System or Carrie's personal library :-).

Holy moly!  These are VERRRRRY Chocolatey Brownies!  Delicious, if you love chocolate.  My husbands' response to tasting them was "Yuck, these taste like you dumped a can of cocoa in them."  He's not so far from the truth, as they call for 3/4 of a cup of cocoa!

This is a definite repeat recipe, although I have not calculated the nutrition facts yet - that may make them a once-in-a-while treat.  The good thing about them, is they are oil-free, egg-free, and dairy-free!  Yes!  But not sugar-free!

With a little coconut ice cream...

Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta

My sister, Dina, was just here for a visit, along with one of her twin sons, Christopher, who is in the Marines.  He is shipping out to serve a term in Okinawa, Japan very soon.  We will miss him greatly while he's gone, but hopefully, my sister and I will get to take a LONG trip to visit him in a year or so.  Plus there's also Skype!

Having a bountiful garden this year, Dina brought me some eggplant and squash from her garden.  She also found a couple of recipes for me to try out using the eggplant.  Eggplant is an excellent source of  fiber and manganese.  It is a very good source of enzyme-catalyzing molybdenum and heart-healthy potassium.  Eggplant is also a good source of vitamin K and magnesium as well as heart-healthy copper, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, and niacin.  Eggplant also contains phytonutrients such as nasunin and chlorogenic acid.  (Source:  The World's Healthiest Foods)

Below is the recipe I chose, due mostly to its' simplicity!!  It turned out pretty tasty, and a little bit spicy - which we liked.  I served this dish with some buttered Naan bread.

Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta (adapted from Eating Well)

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant, (about 1 lb), cut into 1/2-inch cubes.  I did not peel my eggplant.
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Hunts Basil, Garlic and Oregano Diced Tomatoes (I used one can tonight, but it definitely needed more liquid for sauce)
1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives
2 T. red-wine vinegar
4 tsp. capers, rinsed
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
12 oz pasta (We have preferred Pozza's Pasta, a local brand, for as long as I can remember!)
Parmesan cheese, to taste,

Preparation:  
1)  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute.  Add tomatoes, olives, vinegar, capers, pepper, crushed red pepper, and basil, and cook, stirring, 5 to 7 minutes more (while the pasta cooks).
2)  Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions.  Drain and divide the pasta among six shallow bowls.  Spoon the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta

Be Here Now

Recently I finished reading Be Here Now by Ram Dass (formerly Richard Alpert), written in 1971.  The edition I purchased is the Nook e-reader enhanced version, complete with the reproductions of the author's handwritten text and illustrations.  Thankfully, there is a transcription of the handwritten writings, as I cannot tell which direction to turn my Nook to read some of the drawings/writings!  The author was obviously under the influence of LSD or some such mind-altering drug when he did the original writing.  I didn't let that scare me off though!   Notwithstanding the books idiosyncrasies in style, it does have a lot of good ideas.   In fact, I actually quite liked the book.

I often struggle with trying to do too many things at once, with the result that none of the things I'm working on get my full attention.  Sometimes, my husband has made me realize that I wasn't REALLY listening to what he was saying, since I could not respond to his question or statement - my mind was somewhere else.  If anything, this book has awakened more awareness that I need to BE HERE NOW more often than not.  Give my full attention to the person I am talking with.  Give my full attention to the recipe I am preparing.  Yoga helps us to return to the NOW by focusing on our breath and noticing how we feel in different asanas.  

Summer Salad

My favorite summer salad that is soooo easy to prepare is Black-Eyed Pea Salad.  The first time I ever had this salad was in Newnan, Georgia.  Each week I attended an oil painting class and once a month we would have an "Eating Meeting", where each student would bring a dish and we would paint, then eat, and then paint some more.  Donna Haynes brought this dish and I fell in love with it!  Donna is a talented painter, and she and her husband now run a Bed and Breakfast in a beautiful, historic home in Pine Mountain, Georgia called The Chipley Murrah House.  Her paintings grace the walls of the house, surrounded by Victorian style furniture and the gorgeous gardens outside.  Callaway Gardens is a short distance away.  We've been to Callaway a couple of times to see the azaleas in bloom.  One summer we went there and saw The Beach Boys in concert.  That was fun!

Black-Eyed Pea Summer Salad

1 can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can white shoe peg corn, drained
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tomato, chopped (can use a can of diced petite tomatoes if you don't have a fresh tomato)

Mix all ingredients and marinate in Italian dressing of your choice in the refrigerator.  The longer it marinates, the better it tastes!  Will keep for several days in the fridge.

HOW TO MAKE LOTION BARS

My sister can make ANYTHING!  Believe me, she's AWESOME!  The recipe below is from my dear sister, Dina at Five Cats From Crazy.  These lotion bars are SO easy to make!  To use a lotion bar, warm it up between your hands for a minute or less, then glide it down your legs, or any area that needs moisture.  Your skin will feel a tiny bit oily/greasy at first, but it rapidly absorbs.  These bars are especially good for itchy, wintery skin.  The ingredients can mostly be found at Ozark Natural Foods, on-line, or from any good natural foods store.

Final Product After Hardening

Top View of Mold

After Pouring Into Mold

4 oz shea butter (try to find deodorized shea butter as regular can have slightly "off" smell, can also use deodorized cocoa butter).  I couldn't find anything labeled "deodorized". 
4 oz beeswax pastilles
5 ounces jojoba oil (can use sweet almond oil instead)
4 grams Vitamin E Oil (optional)
2 tsp Essential Oil of your choice (Fred loves Eucalyptus & I love Lavendar)

1. Weigh out ingredients.  I weighed and put all (except fragrance) in a coffee can and then put the can in a pot of boiling water to melt it all together.  Stir with a disposable spoon.  **Crimp the top of the can also, to make it sort of have a spout for easy pouring.

2. Mix well, stir in essential oil, and pour into molds or lotion bar containers. **Found clear plastic molds at Hobby Lobby that makes 4 rectangular or 4 oval bars.  This recipe made exactly 4 bars for me.

3. Mixture will harden in approximately 1-2 hours. The cooler the mixture is upon pouring it, the less pockets you'll get in it (but don't wait too long to pour it!).  When hardened, they will pop out of the mold easily.  Before everything cools/hardens in the coffee can after pouring, wipe it out well with a paper towel.  Would NOT advise washing or pouring down sink because of hardening beeswax.

Southern Beans & Greens

One of our favorite plant-based recipes is Southern Beans & Greens. It's relatively easy to make and doesn't take very long - maybe 30 minutes. Leftovers taste even better than when first cooked!

Southern Beans & Greens - adapted from 21DayVegan Kickstart Program - GF (Makes about four 1-cup srvngs)

Ingredients:

1 cup water

3 cups drained, cooked or canned (2 cans) black-eyed peas (or great northern beans, not good with pinto beans)  (Note:  to cook beans from dry, soak overnight covered by  2-3 inched water, then cook on low in crockpot 8-12 hrs covered in fresh water - 6 cups per 1b.)

½ tsp crushed garlic (about 2 small or 1 large)

4 cups chopped or torn kale, collards or turnip greens, center ribs removed, lightly packed

Freshly ground sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Green Tabasco sauce, to taste (added at plate)

Nutritional Flakes, to taste (added at plate)

Directions:

1)  Combine beans, water, and garlic in a large sauce pan (I used a big enamel pot).

2)  Place chopped greens on top of beans  and bring to a boil.

3)  Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until greens are tender, about 15-20 minutes.  

4)  Remove from heat and stir in oil, salt, and pepper.  Add Tabasco sauce at plate to taste.

Nutrition (approximate as analyzed by "MyFitnessPal" app):

Calories:  181 per cup

Fat:  1.1g

Chol:  0

Sodium:  500.2mg

Pot:  483.3mg

Carbs:  30.6g

Fiber:  11.8g

Sugars:  3.7

Protein:  13.3g

Vit A:  49%

Vit C:  22.7%

Calcium:  12.4%

Iron:  18%

Good with sliced tomato and cornbread

I'm Still Here...Summertime Busyness...

Wow!  I had not realized it's been more than two months since I've posted anything on my blog!  I am still here!!  A lot has happened since 5/12/13.

My husband lost his Mother on May 29, 2013.   She will be greatly missed.

We gained a new daughter-in-law on June 15, 2013!  She is a wonderful young lady!

I attended YogaFit Kids Yoga and Level 2 teacher training in June.  Then I just finished YogaFit Level 3 training last weekend!  Whew!!

I am third from the left.

July has seen my husband teaching swim lessons four days a week, plus outdoor and indoor aqua pilates classes.  I think he is growing flippers for feet!!

I am currently teaching only the SilverSneakers YogaStretch Classes two mornings a week at Branchwood, but additional teaching opportunities are on the horizon starting in September at Metfield Country Club in Bella Vista.  Stay tuned for official times and dates.

This summer is speeding by.....

Peace and Namaste'
Carrie

Enjoy one of my favorites by MC Yogi:

Memories on Mother's Day

Mother's Day can be sad for those of us who have lost our Mothers.   This summer will be six years since my Mom lost her long battle against breast cancer.  There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about her in some way and feel her prescence.  So many little things.  Sometimes all I have to do is look in the mirror to think of Mom, because I favor her so much.  Other times, I will say something and think, "Oh, my, that is exactly like something Mom would say".  Sometimes I feel her spirit soaring on the whispering winds in the trees.  I miss her.

My mother was an amazing woman.

She loved her family more than anything else.  Mom and Dad always worked together throughout their entire marriage.  First in the Pharmacy, then in the Real Estate office.  It takes a special couple to be able to work together, all day, day after day successfully.  They did it well.  She loved being able to take care of my nephews when they were small.  She loved reunions and digging into genealogy.  She loved the community of friends that she and Dad found in the pow-wows that they attended.

She loved reading.  One time, Mom and Dad and I read the same book by Stephen King, "Dream Catcher".  Now - this is a strange story with some even stranger characters and events in it.  Afterwards, we would burst out laughing when one of us would mention a particularly weird and gross thing from that book.  (You'd just have to read it!)

She loved flowers and plants.  Many of the plants in her yard were transplants from other locations.   There was a lovely little vine that she got a start of from a rock wall in Eureka Springs, plants from her Dad's yard, and so many more.   I remember vividly one occasion when, even though she was not feeling that great, she insisted on digging up a rose bush at one of their rent houses to transplant to her yard.  Digging in the dirt refreshed her spirit.

She had a Zen/yoga-like philosophy.  When any of us were suffering through a difficult time, her response was to remember that "this too shall pass".   One time my husband and I were meeting Mom and Dad for dinner at a restaurant near their farm.  First, you must know that my husband is very time conscious, and is ALWAYS on time or early for appointments.  Well, the designated meeting time for dinner came and passed, and my husband was getting antsy.  Mom and Dad finally arrived, and when we commented that we wondered if they'd gotten lost, she said, "Oh well, time is of no importance".  Mom was a peace-maker, she was always the defuser in tense situations.  She would often tell an upset family member, "Now, just calm down".  She didn't like conflict any more than I do.

She loved music of ALL kinds.  If you looked through her CD's, you would find:  Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country, Bluegrass, Classical and Jazz.  One of her favorite songs was, "All the Gold in California" by Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers.  When the line:  "All the gold in California is in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills, in somebody else's name," would come up, we would all sing it together at the top of our lungs.  It was hilarious!  We all went to Branson twice to see Andy Williams, and once got to see Glen Campbell.  A month before she passed away, I took her to see "Cats" for the second time, at the Walton Arts Center.  She loved that musical, and named one of her cats "Macavity", after the mystery cat from that show.

In her last year, one of her favorite songs was "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe.  To this day, I can't listen to this song without crying, because I love and miss Mom so much.  I can only imagine what it will be like to see Mom and Jesus in Heaven.

Mom
 

- 

Back in the Swing of Things

Whew!  This week has been a blur since we returned home from Long Island.  We got back Tuesday evening and I went back to work at the Library the very next day.  I was ready to get back to a routine.  I LOVE working at Bentonville Public Library!  If you live in Benton County, Arkansas, get a library card if you don't already have one!!  Go to this website:  Bentonville Library and find out exactly what to bring with you to get your FREE card, and check out all the very cool FREE things BPL has to offer, i.e, downloadable ebooks and audiobooks, free music downloads, free magazine downloads, and tons of other resources.

Wednesday afternoon I taught my first class at the NWACC Bella Vista Center.  Yippee!  I had five students sign up, so the class was to be held!  Most of my students are new to Yoga, so I offer lots of options for poses that may be more challenging here at the beginning.

I returned to my volunteer chair yoga class at Concordia Retirement Center on Friday morning.  It was so good to see these folks again!  This week we had a smaller than normal class though, probably because IT SNOWED in Northwest Arkansas - the first recorded May snow in history!  Yikes!!

Friday evening was spent visiting with my Navy nephew, Wesley.  We are all so proud of him and his brothers for the accomplishments that each have achieved.

On weekends, I like to cook up several dishes that we can eat now and freeze the extra for later.  This weekend I made a new recipe called Spicy Chickpea Salad.  It is VERY spicy (might have used the whole jalapeno instead of half - oops!)  This will be a very handy summer recipe. I adapted it from this recipe:  Spicy Chickpea Salad.

Spicy Chickpea Salad

I also prepared my Spinach Chickpea Burgers.  They remind me of Salmon Patties that I used to make in my pre-vegetarian days.  My husband likes to take these Chickpea Burgers with him on busy teaching days as a quick meal-on-the-go.  He likes them cold or hot!  They are good with some mustard spread on top also.

Spinach Chickpea Burgers

The last new recipe I tried today was adapted from this recipe:  Asian Roasted Broccoli with Cashews.   Delicious!  The garlic caramelized, the cashews were divine, and the broccoli was tender yet crunchy.  Definitely a repeat.

Asian Roasted Broccoli with Cashews

Well, it's time to prepare for tomorrow's SilverSneakers YogaStretch Class, so must go.

Happy cooking!
Carrie