Best Recipes of 2014

As 2014 draws to a close, and I get ready to go back to work tomorrow after a nice week at home in Arizona for Christmas, here's a quick look back on the edible highlights from my year: 

January - Stuffed Cabbage Soup

March - Cheesy Stuffed Eggplants

April - Chocolate Almond Bread

May - Lentil Meatballs with Lemony Pesto

June - Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

July - Mini-White Bean Burgers

October - Chipotle Roasted Kabocha Squash and Kale Salad

November - Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

Not every month is represented in the recipes above, but as anyone who regularly tries new recipes knows, they can't all be winners.  However, the ones featured on this list are all worth repeating and it's been fun to look back at my year(s) in food.  The recipes from the first part of the year feel like I made them in another lifetime, but I guess in a way I did.

It's been a roller coaster of a year, and I am continuing to adjust to my new job and life in a new city.  Without a doubt, I am in a better place than I was at the beginning of the year and while it's hard for me to believe that there are only a few days left in 2014, I am looking forward to new challenges and adventures in 2015.

Thank you for following along on Two Betsu Bara & all the best in 2015!

Currently - Dec '14

Joining up with Anne with a list of things I've been making, listening (to), wrapping, watching and anticipating this month. 

Salty Sesame Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Bake-Off at work.  I thought was being very clever with my choice, so I was quite surprised when I saw another batch of cookies with sesame seeds on top!  The two sesame themed recipes were actually pretty different, and neither of us won.  The well-deserved grand prize went to a chocolate caramel walnut tart that was both gorgeous and decadent. 

I've listened to a few Christmas carols, but this song has been my favorite since late summer. I fell in love with the video set in Japan, and I expect everyone at my wedding to have the sweet dance moves memorized.

I am going home for Christmas (see below) so instead of wrapping things that are just going to be jammed into my suitcase, I have started collecting the few small gifts I am taking with me into a small pile.

Mostly though I have been wrapping myself up in my new winter coat.  It's black and puffy; neither exciting nor the best option for walking home in the dark, but it has fleece-lined pockets, covers my hips and I have yet to be cold while wearing it.

I've actually seen two movies in the theater in the past month!  My brother and I saw Big Hero 6, which had some real tear-jerker moments for kids movie.  I can't wait to have my own Baymax to take care of all my health care needs.  I also saw the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 over the long weekend.  My Hunger Games experience started with the second movie, followed by listening to all three of the books; maybe one day I will get around to watching the first movie, or maybe not.

A whole week at home for Christmas! It's been a whole year since I was last in Arizona, which seems like a very long time.  Even when I was teaching English in Japan, I made it home once in the middle of my two year stint.  I am hoping for some ridiculously sunny weather, some time with my mom's sewing machine (to make some of these), and spending time with family & friends.  Only 16 more days! 

New Recipes: November

November was a fun month around these parts.  I went to a wedding, a baby shower, a Friendsgiving potluck, hosted my brother for a long weekend and of course, celebrated a traditional Thanksgiving this past Thursday. The slew of fun events were almost enough to distract me from the very cold weather in the middle of the month, but as you will see from the dinner recipes below warming foods were very much on my mind.

Recipe 1: Pork and Poblano Stew

I made this the first weekend of November, and in spite of eating it for a whole week, I am not recalling much about it at the moment.  I don't think the chili peppers at my local Giant were properly labeled, so this would probably be spicier (and tastier) with the right pepper.

Recipe 2: Italian Chicken Sausage and Artichoke Soup

This soup is just from last weekend, and I finished the last serving yesterday so it's much fresher in my mind.  This soup was good and really easy to make.  The Italian sausage provides a lot of flavor, and the generous amount of chard (or in my case, collards since I didn't see any chard at the store) makes it full of vitamins.  The artichokes were a nice addition too, and something I wouldn't normally add to soup.  Best served with some parmesan cheese and warm crusty bread.

Recipe 3: Pan-Seared Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

(No photos of this one, sorry!) This recipe was one of my two contributions to my Friendsgiving feast with fellow UVA MUEP alumni.  It was pretty quick to make and not surprisingly, pretty tasty with the butter and bacon.  I made this in the morning for dinner later that night but I think it would be even better served immediately.

My other dish was dessert (but doesn't qualify as a "new" recipe): Apple Crumble a la Naoko-sensei. I had known about this potluck for weeks, yet didn't choose recipes or buy ingredients until the morning of and thus appreciated the simplicity and awesome deliciousness of this recipe.  Apples, lemon juice and some sugar simmer on the stove while flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and a stick of butter are mixed until crumbly for the topping.  Filling + topping are combined in a baking dish and the results are hard to resist. This nearly perfect dish was made even better by some local salted caramel ice cream brought by another Friendsgiving attendee.

Recipe 4: Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake

As if Thanksgiving dinner isn't rich enough on its own, for the past three years I have felt the need to add an over-the-top pumpkin cheesecake to the dessert buffet at my aunt and uncle's house.  The first two years I made a pumpkin ginger cheesecake, but when I stumbled on the recipe above going through old holiday magazines before moving in August, I felt like it was time to switch it up.

This is one of the most beautiful cheesecakes I have ever made; I should have taken more pictures as it really did turn out very similar to the one in the recipe photo. Aesthetics aside, this cheesecake also received rave reviews for taste and decadence. I shared the leftovers and finished off my portion for breakfast this morning. It will be a bit hard to go back to multi-grain toast tomorrow morning, but it's all for the best: Christmas and the seemingly unlimited holiday treats will be here shortly!

I'm not sure how many new recipes I will have to review at the end of December.  There are a half dozen or so that I only make around the holidays and I would really hate to miss out on them by breaking with tradition.  Perhaps I will just have to share some of those instead!

Thank you for following along with my sporadic posts here on 2BB!

Currently

I am not a very good blogger, and I'm not just talking about the long stretches between posts lately. I'm referring more to my passive participation in the blogging community.  There are probably about a dozen or so blogs I follow on a regular basis, but I only comment on one or two of them, and even that is rare.  

One blog I have been following for a while (but have yet to comment on) is Anne in Residence. She gives great packing advice, has amazing monthly review posts, and presents everything in a professional, yet fun and friendly way.  Near the beginning of the month, she hosts a link up where bloggers share what they are "currently" up to.  I've always enjoyed reading these posts, and thought I would try one of my own based on November's prompts.

1) Reading -- At Home by Bill Bryson. This is the probably the third or fourth Bill Bryson book I've read, and I am enjoying it just as much as the others. I've even learned a few things, although there is so much information packed into these pages it can be a bit hard to absorb sometimes.

2) Wishlisting -- Some new furniture/decorations for my apartment. My walls aren't exactly white, but they are pretty bare and my living room definitely lacks a focal point.

3) Loving -- I think the leaves have been especially nice this year, and I have enjoyed this pretty stand of trees on my way to work the past few weeks (that's my office building in the background). It doesn't hurt that my go-to pair of sunglasses have a brown tint, which really brings out the color.

4) Appreciating -- So many things: a job with a future, a roof over my head and my good health.  And what does a Hello Kitty power wheel have to do with any of that?  Not much, but the photo was sent to me by my brother, who will be visiting this weekend, and reminds me of the 9-question Hello Kitty quiz Keizo read to me while I was getting ready this morning.  Getting to adventure all over Japan with Jamie is the only reason I could answer any of the questions (did you know Hello Kitty weighs as much as 3 apples?), so that flashy toy has me appreciating a lot of special people in my life as well.

5) Creating -- Just getting started on a small hat to be gifted at a baby shower later this month.  It definitely needs some work, or it will only be a headband!

New Recipes: October

It is no longer October, which means I have officially passed the two month mark in my new apartment and at my new job!  Whatever feeling of being settled I alluded to in the last post was a lie, or at the very least, fleeting.  I am definitely still adjusting to life in a new place--which has its fun parts, like a bike ride to sample beer throughout DC with friends a few weeks ago--but it has been hard for me to get a routine established that includes important things like exercising regularly and pursuing hobbies that aren't Netflix centered.

One routine that I have been able to establish fairly well is weekly meal planning and grocery shopping.  I have used my Sundays the past few weeks to pick out some new recipes, procure ingredients, and make enough food for several meals throughout the week.  Read on for some of the new things I tried this month!

Recipe 1: Bone Builder Smoothie

I'm not sure how I came across this recipe, but Nutella and raspberries in a smoothie?!?  I even went out and bought raspberries just for this purpose.  I also added a banana when I made it and a little bit of almond milk to help things blend.  My one problem with this recipe is that 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese and a dollop of Nutella aren't exactly low-cal.  I never in a million years thought I would be someone who counts calories, but I started using the My Fitness Pal app earlier in the summer, and guess what?  When you burn more calories than you take in, you look/feel better in your clothes/skin ;-)  

This is especially important for me to remember in lieu of my confession above at how hard its been to re-establish an exercise routine.  My hilly 20 minute bike ride to work in Charlottesville has been replaced by a 10 minute-if-I-add-a-few-blocks walk to work in Silver Spring, so exercising in addition to my commute is key!

Recipe 2: Chipotle Roasted Kabocha Squash and Kale Salad

This is another superb recipe from An Avocado A Day.  A few months ago, I tried a recipe for lentil "meatballs" and with a lemon-pesto, which was well worth a bit of extra effort in the kitchen.  This recipe was easier (once I tracked down the canned chipotle chiles) and contains one of my very favorite vegetables--kabocha--aka Japanese pumpkin.  If you follow the link above, you can read about all of kabocha and kale's super food properties, but I think all any fellow squash lover really needs to know is you can eat the skin!  No more almost losing a finger trying to peel a stubborn butternut or scraping out the insides of a spaghetti squash (although I will still do those things on occasion).  I had chiles left over, so I made another batch of kabocha this past weekend.


Recipe 3: Garden Minestrone

I made several substitutions in this recipe based on what I had on hand, but I don't think that subbing kale for spinach or spiral pasta for "very short tube-shaped macaroni" had any ill effects on the final product or preclude me from pronouncing this a good basic soup recipe.  I may have forgotten the salt and pepper, so it sorely needed some cheese to help bring out the flavors, but let's be honest, I would be adding cheese anyway so no harm, no foul.


Recipe 4: Roasted Broccoli Enchiladas

This recipe came about because I bought some overpriced enchilada sauce when I went into Whole Foods looking for the chipotle chiles called for in Recipe #2.  I was looking for adobo sauce, and didn't realize until I opened the can that the chiles are packed in it.  Live and learn.  I also follow the Relay Foods recipe blog, and they happened to have a recipe for enchiladas last week.  I liked the filling, but perhaps there was not quite enough sauce to cover and cook everything as the end product was a tad dry.  Like the soup and cheese combo above, this recipe was made better with a simple addition--creamy avocado.

Recipe 5: Salmon Waldorf Salad (similar recipe here)

I don't have too much to say about this recipe, but that doesn't mean it wasn't quick and tasty.  I did most of the prep between work and meeting up with my apartment building's newly formed "running group" and only had to mix everything together and put it on a bed of greens when I got back.  One drawback is that I am hesitant to take the leftovers in for lunch due to the aroma, but after sitting in the fridge the salmon does not seem as "fishy" as tuna.

Recipe 6: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

And lastly, another smoothie.  I've made something similar before, but this is a new recipe which does not call for protein powder.  When looking up the link to share here, I just noticed it says it serves two, or more accurately, one of me for breakfast.  Although this version is looking sadly plain, I look forward to making this again and adding some Reddi-whip and cinnamon on top.


As soon as I hit publish, I will have one blog post in the books for November!  And with all the foods of the holiday season on the horizon, let's hope it won't be the only one.  Thanks for stopping by!

New Recipes: September

Stopping by with a quick post this evening to get back on the blogging wagon after a rather long hiatus!  

August was every bit the whirlwind I anticipated--moving all my stuff out of Charlottesville, finding a place to live in the DC metro area, moving my things into my new apartment, visiting Keizo in Japan for a week, unpacking all my things and starting a new job--it's taken most of September for me to start feeling a bit settled again.  At least I have been cooking again, and even have two new recipes to share.

Recipe 1: Rice Noodle Salad from Cooking Light

This is the second or third time I have cooked with tempeh, and the next time I will have to branch out more and try it in something other than a stir fry.  I don't really understand the name of this recipe, nor do I understand how it could possibly be six servings, but otherwise it was pretty tasty and a bit different from my normal repertoire.  It also helped me feel like moving heavy pots full of dirt and herbs was not a completely crazy endeavor.


Recipe 2: Lentil-Chickpea Chili from Family Circle

Yesterday I broke out the crock pot for the first time this fall, and tried a new vegetarian chili recipe.  This does not taste like a traditional chili--in fact, it reminded me more of split pea soup--but it's warm and comforting just the same.  I think I will hold onto this recipe to make again, but will consider adding a bit more spice to it.

Keeping it short and sweet, but will plan on being back again soon!

Bye-bye 405

I am both nervous and excited to move into my new apartment tomorrow, but before settling into my new place, I wanted to have one last look at the place I've called home for the past three years.  

My entrance around the back of the house

I found this converted basement apartment on Craigslist, and rented it based on photos before moving to Charlottesville to attend the University of Virginia in 2011.  A whole lot could have gone wrong by doing that, but I was extremely fortunate to find the space much like the photos and a friendly housemate who bequeathed me old furniture and took me around in her SUV to pick up more upon my arrival.  The house was located in a quiet residential neighborhood, about a 15-20 minute bike ride to both school and the Downtown Mall.  

In addition to the location, I also enjoyed the following (pros):

• Lots of space to myself
• Excellent natural light due to the slope of the lot
• Patio

However, as a basement in an older house, it also had some cons:

• Lots of noise from upstairs
• Occasional flooding from heavy rain
• Cold in the winter

The pros outweighed the cons, and wanting to avoid the hassle of moving, I stayed put for three years.  When I moved to Charlottesville, everything I brought with me fit in the trunk and backseat of my Corolla.  When I left last week, I had two van loads plus a full car!  What a difference some furniture and a well-stocked kitchen makes!

Kitchen; living room through door on left

Kitchen; the sink is on back wall of house

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen.  As you can see, it was large and had plenty of counter space for cooking.  I also found it easier to spread out on the kitchen table to study than to work at my desk when I was in school.

Door to bathroom

No photos of the bathroom; I took these right before I tore everything apart to pack and therefore hadn't cleaned the bathroom for a few weeks.  I will remember this bathroom for its lime green color scheme and efficient use of space.  No tub, just a shower, toilet with shelves above, and sink with storage below and a medicine cabinet above.  When it was time to finally clean it, the whole thing took about 20 minutes.

Looking into the living room from the kitchen

Living room from entryway

Bookcase in living room

Living room; door to entryway

View from living room window

The living room was also my bedroom.  When I moved in, I didn't really have the budget for a both a sofa and a bed, so the colorful sofa is a futon that I slept on every night.  I thought this might change over time, but I was never really sure how long I would be in Charlottesville, and didn't bother looking for more furniture.  Most weekdays the futon remained in bed form, but on weekends (and for these photos) I put away the sheets and blankets.  This arrangement certainly made it a bit easier to move out, but for my next place I will be looking for some dedicated living room furniture to add to the pink chair.  The pink chair may not be much to look at, but its quite comfortable and has made the trek with me.

Custom PVC wardrobe in the dressing room

The combined living room/bedroom arrangement left me with a lot of space.  Instead of using the nice-sized closets to store my clothes, I used a room most other people would have deemed a study.  It housed my dresser as well as some free standing clothing racks.  I made the PVC one above with some help from a Lowe's employee.  It did not make the trek with me; after doing some DC area apartment hunting online I realized there would be no room for it in any of the apartments I could afford.  It was disassembled and donated to the Habitat Re-Store.

Spare room/yoga studio

In addition to the dressing room, there was another room next to the kitchen that was used at different times for storage, hosting guests, and working out.  I will definitely miss this space when the weather prohibits running outside or I just want to follow along to an exercise DVD.

My next apartment is going to be completely different: its on the 8th floor, probably around half the size but with a big walk-in closet, balcony and full size tub!  I am looking forward to decorating and making it feel like home.  Let's hope I can learn to like city living!  

New Recipes: July

Hello August! (I started this post August 1st, but wonky internet and my brain going in a bajillion different directions turned it into a two-day affair.)

I have a crazy/fun month ahead with a move and a new job starting in early September.  This has all come together in the past 72 hours, so it's still very new and despite having to be out of my cozy basement abode by August 14th, I have barely started packing!  However, before finding out about my new job, I had already made the decision to end my work with the City of Charlottesville.  My last day was Thursday, so now only things like updating the blog, finding a new place to live, and enjoying the unseasonably cool weather, are keeping me from getting things into boxes.

July was a good month for new recipes, at least at the beginning.  I exceeded my goal of four new ones, but like the blogging, the new recipes have slipped during the final weeks of work (and general life uncertainty):

Recipe 1: S'mores Brownies

I mentioned these in a previous post; any problems with the recipe were likely my fault.  I am holding onto the recipe, but I am not in a rush to make it again.  There are too many other delicious desserts out there!


Recipe 2: Zucchini Fritters

While I was looking forward to this recipe, the fritters were not one of my favorite uses of zucchini this summer.  I don't think I got  enough moisture out of the zucchini shreds, so my fritters were a bit soggy in the middle.  I tried dressing them up with some plain Greek yogurt, but I found I liked them better plain.


Recipe 3: Summer Veggie Potato Salad

This is a different take on potato salad sans mayo, but don't worry, the olive oil/balsamic dressing has calories a plenty.  I found the dressing to potatoes ratio a bit high, and by the time I got through my leftovers, the last servings were pretty soggy.  Otherwise, this recipe is fresh and summery.


Recipe 4/5: Roasted Vegetable & Ricotta Pizza on Quick & Easy Pizza Crust

This pizza was delicious!  The dough was quite tasty and had good texture without much effort on my part; I am thinking of making it again this week to use up some flour and other ingredients I don't want to move.


Recipe 6: Mini-White Bean Burgers

These are the best veggie burgers I have ever made!  Granted, this is only the second time I can recall trying to make my own, but these didn't require a food processor, held together really well and were quite tasty. 

I am glad I got in so many new recipes in July.  For the next week, I am going to be cleaning out the pantry which doesn't bode well  for recipes requiring new ingredients, or complete meals for that matter.  It's also harder to cook with pots and pans in boxes.  The next "new recipes" post might have to wait until the end of September...

Summer eats

A few summery things I have enjoyed in the past few weeks:

1. Ice cream for dinner on my drive home to Charlottesville from an interview in Silver Spring, MD.  I was far from being the only person stopped at the Moo Thru on a warm summer evening, and like every other time I've stopped, I was not disappointed.  I relaxed my usual "it must have chocolate" requirement and tried blackberry and cake batter.  Blackberry was quite good, but like most cake batter/cheesecake flavors I didn't care for this one too much after the first couple of bites. 

2. The Fourth of July could not have come at a better time this year.  I was out of the office on Monday, so I only had a three day work week, but there seemed to be an inordinate amount of stuff crammed into those three days.  On the Fourth, the weather was more early fall than middle of summer and my friend Christina was in town for a visit.  We prepared a small backyard dinner with some of our favorite summer dishes: veggie patties, corn on the cob, couscous with tomatoes, basil & mozzarella, and a watermelon, mint & feta salad.  

The first time we made the watermelon salad two summers ago, I was highly skeptical of adding anything to one of my favorite summer fruits.  The dish turned out better than I expected then, and even better than I remembered this summer.  I think we got the ratio of watermelon to mint and feta just right.

Dinner in the backyard was followed by fireworks viewing from the top of Montalto and some s'mores brownies.  I think I did an excellent job of toasting the marshmallows, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the graham cracker crust on the bottom, which was mostly graham cracker dust.  The chocolate center was proclaimed "neither cake-y nor fudge-y" and overall, maybe this was not the best dish to eat without utensils.  I later discovered (with plates and silverware at my disposal) that 15 seconds in the microwave made all the difference--the insides became warm and moist and the marshmallows went from stiff to gooey.

3. The first of many ways to use zucchini that will be appearing on here in the coming weeks.  Thankfully, zukes are relatively flavorless and can be added to just about anything, like this shrimp scampi recipe.  There's half of a giant one sitting in my fridge as I type this, and another one needing to be picked, plus two smaller ones in the garden!  Next recipe: stir fry.

30 before 30: 6 month report

Six months ago, I finalized my "30 before 30" list and created a page for it on this lil' blog.  I also proclaimed "I will be crossing off items as I finish them"  and "assessing my progress every six months;" the first part of which has not happened, but never fear for I have not forgotten the second part of that declaration!

The complete (updated) list can be found here, with my notes on my achievements to date below.

Blog--Nothing to report in this category; sticking with my ongoing 1X/week goal (19/26 Jan-June 2014) seems challenging enough.

Cooking
6. Bake bread from scratch Chocolate Almond Swirl 4/6/2014

9. New recipe 1X/week--(17/26) Jan-June 2014 I've edited this item to reflect my ongoing new recipe/week goal.  #9 originally read "vegan/ethnic recipe 1X/month" but keeping track of that in addition to other new recipes seemed like a bit much.

Fitness
10. Run color/electric race Rainbow Rush "5K" 5/25/2014

14. Yoga 1X/week--(12/26) Jan-June 2014

Personal Growth
15. Study and take JLPT--I looked up the test date...
17. Attend 2  professional conferences--one down, one to go; National Women's Bicycle Bicycling Forum 3/3/2014
18. Find & commit to a regular volunteer opportunity--Girl Scout Troop 788 Cookie Manager/Volunteer
19. Read 12 non-fiction books--(4/12) Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices,Visual Display of Quantitative Information, Bikenomics, Blink
20. Donate blood--I have an appointment on 7/7/2014  

Relationships
21. Plan wedding--Printed a to-do list, perused wedding magazine, contemplated joining pintrest...
24. Write letter 1X/week--(14/26) Jan-June 2014

Travel--sadly, nothing to report here.  How I would love to change that, ASAP!

Well, I have certainly made some progress, but with only 10% of the items completed to date, I will have to apply myself a bit more if I really want these things checked off by my 30th birthday.  It's interesting to me how much has changed in the six months since I wrote these all down.  The small edit in the Cooking category is the only change I am allowing myself at this time, and I am going to try not to make others in the future.  The Blog category hasn't inspired any action to date, although I am pretty sure I included it to have some easy things to check off.  Even though I have a copy of the list posted by my desk where I can see it on a daily basis, this sort of more detailed accounting has been way more helpful for me to see where I stand.

I hope to be much further along at the next check-in six months from now!

New Recipes: June

What happened to June!?!?  The month really flew by, but by some small miracle I tried three new recipes amid the whirlwind that was family, work and saying good-bye to a friend starting a new adventure in the Big Apple.

Recipe 1: Strawberry Mint Smoothie

I followed the recipe as closely as I could with what I had on hand the first time, halving it to serve one person.  But my smoothie came out pretty chunky (gross).  The flavors were good though, so I made it again but skipped the raw almonds in favor of some peanut butter, used a whole banana and a little less almond milk.  I want to say that I really like the strawberry mint combination, but more likely it's the chocolate that makes it so tasty.

Recipe 2: Mini Party Quiches 

I earmarked this recipe for a potluck, not thinking about how long they would take to put together.  I arrived more than fashionably late, and there was a lot of other food, so I ended up bringing home several leftovers.

The recipe turned out fine, but wasn't anything remarkable.  Plus, with all of the frozen mini-quiches out there, I don't think I will be making this again any time soon.

Recipe 3:  Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another great recipe from Joy the Baker.  I will admit I was not sure browning the butter would be worth it, but it was, even for the smell alone!  The brown butter also gave the cookies a subtle flavor boost.  I liked the cookies so much I made this recipe twice in one week; once to take into work and a half recipe to bring with me to share with my extended family as we continue to work on my aunt's estate.  My family was very appreciative, one of the many reasons I love them so much ;-)

Two out of three during a busy month isn't too bad!  More potlucks on the horizon for the Fourth, plus some prolific zucchini plants will help keep me creative in July.

Week of Eats: 6/7

I concluded my New Recipes: May post by saying I tend to cook less in the warmer months, and I am finding that to be very much the case as summer arrives.  It's halfway through the month, and I've only tried one new recipe!  Instead, my meals have been a combination of eating out, improvisation, and revisiting previous recipes.

"Old" meals

Last week, I put a lot of my farmer's market bounty to use in these savory "hand-pies."  The turnovers are good cold for lunch, and thanks to my disregard for measuring, I ended up with a substantial amount of extra filling, which makes an excellent hash with egg on top.

I walked into work one morning and found this waiting for me at my desk!  It wasn't totally a surprise, my co-worker had asked if I liked kimchi the day before, and said she would bring me in some from the batch she had made.  There's only about half of it left now; I've sandwiched it with cheese in corn tortillas (inspired by my meal from the Kogi truck a few summers ago) and used it as a condiment on vegetable ramen.

Sorry for the awful lighting in the ramen picture.  The power went out for about 90 minutes during a storm this week; thankfully the kitchen upstairs has a gas range, so I could finish cooking dinner and the battery in my camping headlight worked!  I was also glad the power came back before I went to bed, so that I wasn't woken up in the middle of the night with all of the lights coming back on!

A made-up meal

The pinkish hue in the dish below is courtesy of beets from the farmer's market.  This dish was completely made up and I had my doubts as it was coming together, but it turned out alright.  I was trying to recreate a very tasty curried couscous salad I had at bridal shower a few weeks back, but this was nothing like that at all.  Oh well.

A very lazy meal

I didn't shop at the farmer's market this weekend, but why should I when there's some fresh produce right in my backyard?!?  I have basil, lettuces, and kale that are all ready to harvest, two big zucchini plants that are coming along nicely (I am expecting some tiny zukes any day now!) and some small cucumber, yellow squash and carrot plants. Pardon all of the weeds in this photo; I spent some time out there this morning tidying up and it looks a little better now.

Tonight's dinner was leftover pizza and fresh kale chips, plus a hard boiled egg because waiting 6 minutes for the pizza to reheat and the kale to crisp was just too long.

This week I have a dinner event on Wednesday and a potluck to go to on Thursday.  I have a new recipe all picked out for my contribution to the potluck; I hope it's easy since the only time I will have to put it together is right after work on Thursday.  Stay tuned to see how it turns out in the June re-cap!