apple crisp

To me, nothing transforms a house into an oasis of homespun goodness like an apple crisp baking in the oven on an autumn afternoon. So this past weekend when I found myself reaching in the wardrobe for my hooded cardie, I knew the time had come. Fortunately, I had the forethought to buy some baking apples at the Saturday market. :-)

I adore how simple apple crisp is to make. The recipe I use more or less follows the general crisp recipe found in the Moosewood Cookbook. As an aside, I also love this cookbook; it has been getting regular use in our kitchen for years, even before I became a vegetarian.

Here's what you need:

4 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into chunks
(You can also use pears, or a mix of apples and pears, or even through in some frozen berries that need to be cleared from the freezer for fun :-)
A little lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 T cinnamon

For the topping:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup white flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg and allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 T melted butter

Preheat oven to 375F (or in our kitchen, to the medium flame). Arrange fruit in a 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with juice from 1 lemon, the granulated sugar, and 1 T cinnamon.

Combine the topping ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread over the fruit, and pat down into place.

Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes, until the topping turns a lovely light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so before serving. I hear this apple crisp especially delicious with some vanilla ice cream on the side. ;-) Enjoy!

vegetarian chili

We had a very wet weekend here, so the time seemed right to make a pot of vegetarian chili. Nothing like a little spicy heat to keep the damp weather at bay, don't you agree?

Our family is a mix of meat eaters and vegetarians, and this is one meal that everyone enjoys. Plus, the house smells fabulous while the chili simmers on the stovetop. :-)

Here is what you need:

Olive oil, 2 T
Garlic, 6 cloves, minced
Onion, 1 medium, chopped
Tomatoes, 3 medium, chopped
Red bell pepper, 1, chopped
Green Italian pepper, 3, chopped
Kidney beans
Garbanzo beans
Faux ground meat (I used Quorn-brand mince)
Pureed tomatoes
Tomato paste, 1 T
Corn (frozen or canned)
Cumin, 1 T
Red chili peppers, 3, small
Fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, chopped onion, for garnish

Note I used dried beans, but canned work just as well. If you use dried beans, don't forget to soak them overnight and cook until soft ahead of time. :-) I used one 16-oz. jar of pureed tomatoes that we canned ourselves; obviously, store-bought is also fine. We grow many varieties of chili peppers each year for our cooking; if you are not sure what Scoville level your family can tolerate, you may want to skip the fresh chilis and play safe using basic chili powder to match your comfort scale.

Saute the chopped vegetables and faux ground meat in the olive oil until onions and peppers are soft. Add the remaining ingredients (save the garnishes) and simmer for 40 minutes. While cooking if you find the chili too thick or thin, add a little water or corn flour, respectively. Enjoy!

3 months and counting!

No, I've not gone cuckoo. Check the calendars, people---only three months until the holidays arrive! Truly, I can barely believe it myself. September, in particular, seems to have absolutely flashed by!

One of the reasons I love autumn, though, is that the weather seems perfect for evenings in, working on my latest craft project (which I hope to have pictures of for you soon! :-). But after today's reality check, I realize I need to step up my gift-making into high gear.

Thinking about making some of your gifts this year, too? Well, if you are looking for some inspiration may I guide you to today's freebie alert. :-) STC Craft | Melanie Falick Books have selected twenty (20!!) awesome patterns from their book collection and made them available as FREE downloads. There's a little something for the knitters, the sewers, the paper crafters---all look such fun (and dare I say, pretty easy) that I'm not sure where to start first! Do check out this great web site, and see if you can't find a project to keep you busy this weekend. :-)

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone! The weather is turning even cooler here, so I am thinking apple crisp may be on the menu, yummm. ;-)

foto spot #12

holey font!

As a self-professed greenie, I am always on the lookout for ways to cut waste and conserve resources (and perhaps also save a little money along the way). Which is why I love ecofont---it scores a trifecta of good green sense. :-)

I think the company's mission statement sums up its aim perfectly: "After Dutch holey cheese, there now is a Dutch font with holes as well." Why is a holey font better? Well, the font remains completely readable on the printed page (and computer screen too) but uses up to 20% LESS INK! Oh, and did I mention the font is available as a FREE download on the ecofont web site? The download is quick, and clear instructions make the font installation very simple. Another innovative idea and great product that receives The Happy Recessionist seal of approval!

to autumn

1. SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,	5
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,	10
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
2. Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;	15
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;	20
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
3. Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,	25
And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;	30
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

John Keats (1795–1821)

Painting is The Apple Harvest by Carl Larsson.

day of peace

September 21 marks a holiday that probably should garner more attention: the International Day of Peace. The special day has been celebrated since 1981 and is dedicated to peace, specifically absence of war.

However, one does not need to declare a cease-fire in a war zone to observe peace. To work, peace must first be practiced on an individual level and then within the home. "The only way we can make peace is for each of us to be the peace we want to see." ---Susan Collin Marks

For today's Peace Day, Beliefnet put together a list of 10 ways to bring peace to the world. Why not take a few minutes to think about some of the small changes we can make in our lives that will make large and POSITIVE impressions on the world. And remember:

"Dream. Dream. Dream. Be idealistic. Dream the world can be a better place." ---Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Happy Monday, everyone. Let's have a GREAT week! :-)

recession humor (plus a freebie!)

A sense of humor is vital, I think, to living a long and happy life. But during tough times, having a laugh becomes even more important.

Which is why I love Case-Mate's special iPhone 3G/3GS recession case for just 99 cents! Or better yet, stock up and purchase the "bailout bundle"---10 cases for $7.99!

Someone working at Case-Mate has a cheeky sense of humor, and The Happy Recessionist wholeheartedly approves of recession fun. :-)

What are your plans for the weekend? We're spending tomorrow cleaning out wardrobes, packing away swimsuits and sundresses and replacing them with jeans and turtlenecks. And finally taking the bags of donations we've collected since June to our local charity shop!

Sunday is our quiet family day, and this week I am setting aside more crafty time. If you're still stuck for an autumn project (or two or four!), here are the latest eight FREE patterns from Knitting Daily. Now which to choose first....

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone, and most importantly, be sure to have a good laugh (or two or four!).

vegetarian moussaka

It seems impossible that just two weeks ago the mercury pushed past 95F; today I don't think the high temperature will make it to 70.

But rather than lament the passing of summer, today was perfect for whipping up a casserole of veggie moussaka. :-)

Here's what you need:

2 Yellow (or red or green) bell peppers, cut into med. chunks
1 Red onion, chopped
2 Medium zucchini, thickly sliced
1 Large eggplant, cut into chunks
Greek yogurt
1 Egg
Olive oil
Feta cheese
Passatta/tinned tomatoes (not puree)
Dried (or fresh) oregano
Black pepper

Preheat the oven on medium flame while chopping the vegetables. Using a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan, cook the veggies until soft.

Mix the egg, yogurt (I used one and a half personal serving-sized containers, and crumbled feta (a 2-inch X 3-inch section worked well) in a medium bowl.

To the cooked vegetables, add the passata/tomatoes, breaking up into chunks if using whole, and about two tablespoons of oregano and a generous few twists of the pepper mill. (No salt is required as there is plenty in the feta. Trust me.) Heat for just a couple more minutes, and then take off the flame.

Transfer the vegetables to an ovenproof dish, and spoon the egg-yogurt-feta mixture over the top. Bake at a medium temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, until the topping is well set. Remove from the oven, and let cool for five minutes before serving. Delish!

foto spot #11

Another shot from Venice, 2008.

eMusic

After yesterday, I realized that my music collection seemed to be seriously lacking in the John Denver department. So I went off to remedy this situation and visited my favorite music download site, eMusic.

If you're not familiar with eMusic, let me fill you in. Even with their recent subscription price restructure, tracks still work out to be half---yes HALF---the price of tracks from iTunes, a savings that is difficult to ignore. True, their library is not as extensive as iTunes and some of the other providers. However, for fans interested in hard-to-find indie music, eMusic is hard to beat. Additionally, with their recent Sony acquisitions, plenty of more mainstream music is now available.

Several monthly subscription packages can be bought, and if you find yourself with zero credits and are DYING to download to a track before your next credit refresh, it is possible to purchase an extra bundle of tracks to tie you over. Also, if you have a Facebook account (and who doesn't), there is a special eMusic widget that allows you to download a free track every day, which means another (average) 30 free tracks a month. Cool or what?

Quick point: if you already use iTunes (and again, who doesn't), eMusic downloads automatically are copied into iTunes, so there is no fussing with importing or exporting or any of that nonsense.

Right now, eMusic is offering a special free 10-track offer. All members who rank 10 albums before September 30 will receive 10 free tracks in October. I did my 10 rankings this morning, and I believe it took all of 5 minutes, if that. So if you're not already a subscriber, I recommend you mosey over to eMusic.com right now and check it out. :-) Happy listening!

sunshine

I started the day in a bit of a funk, but luckily an old friend reminded me of this song. And I've been all smiles ever since. Happy Monday! :-)

9.11.2001

The sky is gray and the air cool and damp today. Seems rather fitting. I woke this morning unsure of how I wanted to mark the eighth anniversary of that sad, sad, horrible day.

At the time, I worked and lived in neighborhoods surrounded by national historic landmarks and offices. Arriving home by 10 am, I spent the day alternating between the telephone and the television, checking in on loved ones and watching more of the horror unfold on screen.

Eventually, I had to leave my safe cocoon and venture into the late afternoon streets to walk the dog. The city should have been alive with the throes of evening rush hour, but we only saw other dogs and their nervous walkers. And police---on foot, on horseback, on bicycle, cruising the streets.

Almost all the shops were shuttered, save one. A hand-written sign in the window announced free coffee and tea, as well as a space to be with others from the community in case one wasn't comfortable being at home alone. I thought what a wonderfully kind gesture. Which reminds me now of the incredible demonstrations of generous spirit from people everywhere in the days that followed---REMEMBER?!

We packed off boxes of food, clothes, pet and emergency supplies. People stood in line outside of every Red Cross building across America to donate blood. We were selfless, and anyone who had anything to give did so.

If only we could tap into this part of ourselves more often. If only we remembered those who work so hard every day to keep us and our neighborhoods safe on more than just this one day. Food for thought, eh?

Finally, I recommend listening to one father's tale of losing his two sons 9.11.2001. Then count your blessings, and tell those you love how much you care about them.

Photo from NPR, courtesy of the Vigiano family.

for all the yarn lovers

I don't know about you, but when the early September temperatures dip ever so slightly, I find myself getting itchy for yarn---and new knitting projects! :-D

So you can imagine how excited I was when I received an e-mail from Lion Barn Yarn that they were making their pattern library---2700 patterns!---available online FOR FREE!!!!

This vast resource includes crochet, knitting, and other craft patterns and instructions for people working at every skill level. Additionally, there are projects for you, the kids, the pets, and the home. Visit the Lion Brand web site to sign up (also free) and start planning your craft hours for the autumn season. I don't want to scare anyone, but the holidays are just a few short months away! ;-D


Photo is from Lion Brand.

back to school

Although it has been many, many years since I excitedly looked forward to the start of the next school year---I was a kid who actually loved school, and would even play school during summer breaks---I still feel urges to stock up on fresh notebooks and pencil cases, add a trendy outfit to the closet, and start anew with a clean slate. Life seems to run over with possibility in September, doesn't it?

Here's to the new school year, a time to grow and learn no matter what your age. I just hope that your school bus isn't quite as crowded at this one we spotted in Pakistan a few years ago! :-)

adios, verano!

Today we reluctantly unofficially say good-bye to summer. ::Sigh:: And although the calendar officially declares more than a week until the equinox, the seasons HAVE changed here: our first rain of the wet season Saturday night and now a cool breeze pushes the curtains back and forth through the open windows.

But before we bid Summer 2009 adieu, one last cookout demands a heaping bowl of my All-American potato salad. :-) Here's what you need:

8 Medium-large potatoes, cut into approx. 1/2-inch cubes
3 T Vinegar
3 Hard-boiled eggs
3 Stalks of celery, diced
1 Large red bell pepper, diced
1 Medium onion, finely chopped
Mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
Celery salt & pepper

Cook the potatoes (I leaved them peeled) in lightly salted boiling water for 15-20 minutes---you want them cooked but not mushy. Drain and rinse in cool water; drizzle with the vinegar and set aside. Chop up the veg and hard-boiled eggs. Combine with the cooled potatoes, and then add 1/2 to 1 cup of mayonnaise, depending on your preference (I start with 1/2 cup and then add more until I've achieved the desired "wetness"), as well as a tablespoon or so of Dijon mustard. Season with celery salt and pepper. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Delish!

Happy Labor Day, everyone!

bring on the the weekend!

Last weekend for riding the waves! Have a GREAT weekend, everyone, and be sure to stop by again before Labor Day because I'll be posting my superyum potato salad recipe, an essential for any holiday picnic. :-D

Painting is The Great Wave of Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai.

recycling inspiration

This article in the NY Times just makes me smile so wide---I love everything about it: the reasons that inspired the project initially, the enthusiasm that keeps it moving forward, and the creatively unique and beautiful homes that result. Dan Phillips has taken the Habitat for Humanity sensibility to a whole new level. This one is for all the naysayers who claim recycling isn't worth the effort! Do read this article, and don't miss the photo slide show, too. A HUGE Happy Recessionist seal of approval! :-D

Photo is from the original NYT article.

fast food

Today's dinner was so simple that you can prepare this easily in less than half an hour. Plus, it is a great way to use end-of-season tomatoes and zucchini.

I first quartered and sliced the zukes into chunks and sauteed them with a little olive oil, chopped garlic, and tomato. Then I simply tossed with cooked spinach and cheese tortellini and topped with a little grana padano.

Alternatively, you can also eliminate the pasta and just serve the vegetables as a side dish. Enjoy!

foto spot #10

One of my favorite photographs from our trip to Pakistan four years ago---the spice man.