Summer Canning Fun

2 flats of fresh picked organic berries for $20.00

(I "heart" the Sunday farmer's market at Pike's Place)

Yesterday was a scorcher in Seattle (90+ degrees) - a perfect day to walk to the market and lug 3lbs of peppers and 2 flats of berries home, and then stand at the stove for 3hrs canning (yay boiling steamy water!).

Or not...but I did it anyway.  I like to take action as soon as inspiration hits, otherwise I forget all about it.

9c crushed berries (blueberry/blackberry) + 6c of sugar

bring to a boil and cook to the gelling point.  Ladle into jars and process

15 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Habanero, Banana, & Jalapeno Peppers

(Pickle in 6c vinegar, 3 garlic cloves, and 2c water.  Bring to a boil, then ladle

over peppers packed into jars.  Process 10 min in a boiling water canner)

Finished product (every jar sealed!  Sorry the pic is so dark, the shades

were drawn and the air conditioning was cranking)

Vegetable Beauty

Yes, vegetables can be "good looking" - as evidenced by the lovely (and healthy salad above).

If you'd like to take a crack at making this delicious Tuna, Arugula, and Egg Salad  (from the August 2010 edition of Cooking Light), check out the recipe here.

Note: I omitted the pita chips from the recipe...mainly (1) to save calories and (2) they made no sense.  Pita chips with salad?

Back in Business

After a week of eating the delicious detox meals I prepared - the hubby was more than ready to get back in the kitchen.

On the menu - Chicken Tacos and Caramel Cake (I can't find the recipe online right now, but I think the recipe is from the most recent edition of Food & Wine).

The caramel cake was delicious!  The cake itself was light, moist, and not too sweet - and the frosting was gooey and decadent.

I may have to go on another detox diet just to recover from all that sugar!

Chicken Tacos

The new gadget Ed HAD to purchase for cake making

Caramel Cake

Fall?

I'm in a weird place right now - not yet ready to admit that summer is slowly winding down (although its 60 degrees and gray out right now), yet lusting over all of the new fall fashion offerings that keep on popping up (yay fall?). 

Since I'm really not willing to pack up my bikini and pull out the wool cardigans, especially now that I'm down 5lbs from the Goop detox diet, I've decided to focus my shopping cravings on dresses for work.  With a little layering they're seasonless, easy to throw on in the morning, and usually pretty darn comfy compared to slacks.

Calvin Klein Bead Trim Stretch Dress

J.Crew Super 120's Banquet Dress

Ann Taylor Silk Military Shirt Dress

Banana Republic Lightweight Wool Sheath

Detox Day 4 & 5

Aside from my cravings for cookies, diet coke, and wine - detoxing this week has been pretty easy, even more so now that the end is in site (somewhere there's a magnum with my name on it).

On days 2 & 3 I was feeling exhausted, most likely from the lack of caffeine and too few calories, but now that I've made it over that hump I feel pretty energetic.  Not "light" and "glowy" like some detoxers report, but I can make it past 7PM without crashing.

Anyhoo - pictured above is the Steamed Salmon with Greens from day 4.  In my opinion, it's the best dish on the detox.

Even if you aren't detoxing, it'd make a great light dinner (and an easy to pack lunch).

Detox Day 3

The Goop detox diet has been surprisingly easy so far (yes - Mo, Ed, and I are still "master of our domains" - in the detox sense), but I'm expecting to hit a wall and have uncontrollable ice cream cravings any minute now.

Or maybe coffee cravings.  Mmmm...coffee...wine...mmmmm

Sigh.

I switched up yesterday's menu a bit - and had the miso soup for lunch instead of the teriyaki chicken, pumpkin/almond seeds for a snack, and then made Raw Sweet Corn and Cashew Chowder for dinner (pic above).  It was quick and easy to make (all you need to do is chop a tiny bit and blend).

Tonight we're having the steamed salmon instead of miso soup for dinner (the hubby needs some protein, miso soup can wait until tomorrow).

I'm still not sure if I feel any physical benefit from the detox (I've actually been really tired, probably from the low calories), but mentally - I feel great about going three days without sugary treats, coffee, and alcohol.

Detox Diet - Day 1

I'm feeling pretty optimistic, even though I haven't had coffee and drank a protein smoothie for breakfast.  On the menu for today: coconut water, salad with carrot/ginger/miso dressing, pumpkin seeds, and arugula/broccoli soup for dinner.  Yumm.

My current good mood may also be due to the fact I'm still full from the decadent dinner the hubby & I had last night at 94 Stewart.  I picked up a $55.00 Groupon for the restaurant last week (for $25.00) - and we decided our "last dinner" before detox week was reason enough to use it.

Hushpuppies w/Crab

Foie Gras

Duck breast w/Blackberry Jus & Fingerling Potatoes

Mushroom Ragu