Mint & Strawberry Salad

Devin and I finished taking out the fence in order to get the garden ready for building.  We broke for a nice lunch and utilized some of the spearmint that's popping up in the yard (and by some, I mean more mint than I will ever be able to use).

Here's a photo set Devin put together from our lunch.

Broccoli, corn on the cob, swiss mushroom brat from the farm,
and mint-strawberry salad.

We aren't very good at the before and after shots yet, but this is from the same angle and gives you an idea of what we've done so far - and here's where we hope to go!

Big Black Fence 

Fenceless! Next the tilling & building.

Bruleed Bananas

Devin and I had a hankering for something sweet this afternoon.  Inspired by an episode of Good Eats and equipped with a blow torch from my dear friend, Monica, we tried our hand at Bruleed Bananas.

Photography by Devin Hendrick of dehephotography.

Ingredients
2 bananas
3 tsp vanilla sugar*

Directions

Sugared bananas, before they were peeled.

1. Slice the ends off each banana then cut them in half length-wise and width-wise so you're left with 4 pieces per banana.



2. Coat the cut edge of banana in the vanilla sugar (nestle it in).

See that guy in the back? Burned.  It happens fast, people.

3. Peel the bananas and lay them, sugar side up, on a heat proof pan.




4. Torch those babies in an even sweeping motion until the sugar caramelizes - don't let it burn.

Delicious with that crispy crunch!

5. Cool and enjoy!

*You can use regular white sugar, but we thought the hint of vanilla would add to our enjoyment.  I make my own vanilla sugar by stashing emptied/used vanilla bean pods in a small container of sugar.  I shake it and adjust every few months.

Surprise Surprise Surprise...

Wow, it's been three weeks since my last post.  It's almost as if some life altering event has taken place that has been preventing me from sitting down and writing/posting pictures.  Oh yes, that's right...

I found out I'm allergic to gluten (NOT celiac disease though, whew)...
...and dairy (NOT lactose intolerant, but allergic to casein in ALL dairy products)...
...and we got a dog!
...and Sammit's been on an ICU (intenstive care unit) shift this month, meaning I'm picking up all the house slack that he usually does (laundry, dishes, trash, compost, pet food...he's a good husband).

So, I'll play a little catch-up and then see what I can work out - I'd love to start posting more cooking experiments, especially gluten free recipes (and boy do I have some failures).

Gluten Free
I've had a sneaking suspicion that I might have a gluten intolerance for a few months now.  Sammit and I don't usually eat bread and we switched to a gluten free pasta a while ago, so the transition isn't as hard as it could be.  Gluten is in almost every processed food, but I've been trying to eliminate processed foods in our house for a while - so it's almost a win.  I've been emotionally preparing myself for this for a while and the idea of eliminating my symptoms like fatigue, extremely stubborn weight, headaches, and nausea is really exciting.  When my doctor sat down to talk to me about my blood tests, I was ready to hear this and felt validated that I wasn't going crazy.  She told me that I don't have celiac disease, which was a relief and meant that I can work toward eliminating this intolerance, an option not available to those with celiac. I felt empowered and ready to make a life change, but then she continued...

Casein Free
When she told me I has a dairy intolerance my heart sank a little.  "But, I've read that people who have problems digesting dairy are often fine on raw milk and I just bought into a cow lease, so I might be fine?" I asked with hope. She told me that I didn't have lactose intolerance, something that I could take a pill to deal with, but that I was actually having negative reactions to casein, a protein found all dairy products (milk, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, whey, etc...cow's or goat's milk). 

I love dairy.  I mean, I LOVE it.  I can drink milk like water, especially the new raw milk we have.  I make my own yogurt, I have friends who make their own cheese.  I can live without gluten but not if I have to do it without dairy as well...at least that's what I'm muttering to myself as I try to build an arsenal of new gf/df recipes.

Molly
A few weeks ago I was trolling around petfinder, looking for corgi's in our area.  Sammit and I love corgi dogs and had talked about having one someday.  So, I've always enjoy seeing if they are nearby and dreaming about having a dog when we are older and more responsible.  And then I saw Molly.  She's a daschund/corgi mix and a rescue from South Carolina.  I made the call, we visited her in her foster home, fell in love and took her home that night.  She's incredibly sweet and a wonderful addition to our home.

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