In the way that writers sometimes use story prompts to stimulate their writing, I use recipe prompts to stimulate my cooking.  One of my favorites is: How can I use up X?

This is a particularly fun prompt because it tends to cascade: in planning how to use up X, my solution may yield extra Y, which starts the whole process over again.  This works ( Read more... )

This Monday in our CSA box we got:

• lettuce
• mixed salad greens
• apples
• broccoli
• radishes

I'm sick today, for the first time since giving birth.  I wonder whether the whole breastfeeding has boosted my immune system somehow; nI kept skating on the edge of things, but this is the first time I've fallen through into full-blown illness.  I don't know whether I have what Doug has, or whether I have what one of the hundreds of people on the ( Read more... )

This week's CSA box included:

• Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Swiss chard
• Asian pears (No Spray)
• Peppers

Last week at our CSA we got:

• An onion
• Green peppers
• Green beans
• Swiss chard
• Radishes

Joy has chosen this week to throw over her sleeping-through-the-night routine - and this when I'm already staying up late sewing.  Two nights ago, 3 am; last night, 11:30 pm and 4 am.  Now she's clobbering me with sleep-inducing nursing hormones.  Little girl, I love you, but your timing is lousy ( Read more... )

Almost forgot - here's this past week's veggie haul:

• Snow peas
• Arugula
• Swiss chard
• Zucchini
• Garlic

I'm thinking of making the local weather forecast my home page - the weather is the biggest factor in solar cooking (well, probably in solar everything), and lately it's been so changable, it's apt to catch me flat-footed. I've ended up scrambling in the kitchen when Monday and Tuesday tuned from potentially rainy days into solar days ( Read more... )

Wowee, but today's quichelike egg dish came out of the solar oven looking fantastic - all puffed and browned and gorgeous. Of course it probably helps that when it went in the oven was at 375 degreesOh, I love my new solar oven ( Read more... )

Well, it's official - the new solar oven, when in direct sun at midday, does reach 350 degrees. Woohooooo ( Read more... )