Easy Dinner: Crab Tostadas

A very Happy Birthday to my dad today! When I think about home and my dad, I think of happy weekends spent on the boat, usually crabbing.  Luckily for me, my parents came to visit last week and to check out our progress on making this house a home. They brought us a few pounds of crabmeat from home as a treat. It was to help hold us over on our food cravings until we get to visit them down the Eastern Shore next month. Seafood, especially crabmeat, always help me feel a little less homesick. 

Here is a recipe for one of my successful dinner experiments that I made last week with the aforementioned crabmeat. It was a nice dinner to enjoy on a very hot summer night. It was also a great way to use up some of the wonderful produce that keeps best when not in the fridge.  A lot of my facebook friends have requested this, so here you go:

Michelle's Black bean & Avocado Crab Tostadas
Serves 4

You'll Need:
1/2 lb fresh Blue Crab Meat, preferably jumbo lump, but backfin works nicely too
1 can Black beans
1 1/2 Cups Cooked  fresh corn cut off off the cob
1 Cup diced Jicama
1 1/2 fresh avocados diced
Organic Corn Tortillas (Small whole grain wraps will work too)
Lime juice
1/2 cup  salsa verde (if you use store bought instead of homemade, Wegman's brand works well)
1/2  red pepper, diced
1 tomato diced
Monterey Jack or Mexican blend of shredded Cheese

Preheat your broiler (I use the one in my convection toaster oven). Toss together beans, corn, red pepper, tomatoes, avocado, the salsa and lime juice & salt to taste. Place corn tortillas on broiler pan and let them begin to crisp in the oven slightly. Once crispy, top each tortillas with a scoop of the bean mixture. Then top that with a handful of the lump crabmeat. Cover the entire pile with a generous amount of the shredded cheese. Then place the loaded tortillas under the broiler until the cheese is completely melted. 2 of the small corn tortillas is a pretty generous dinner portion for 1 person. Goes great with a refreshing watermelon aqua fresca to drink.

I'm Waging war on cute fluffy creatures

A few months ago I posted about starting my first real backyard garden (as opposed to the container gardening I've been doing the last several years).  This larger than expected undertaking is most of the reason why its been a month since I last posted.  In many ways it has been rewarding. I get some good zen moments weeding and digging in the dirt each day and am having fun watching my future refrigerator contents growing and becoming ripe..... not to mention creating recipes to enjoy them.

Unfortunately two major issues have halted my progress: a large groundhog and a very cute baby bunny. I noticed about a month ago my lettuce plants weren't thriving the way I expected and some of them had been munched down to the stalks.  The following morning I let a loud squeal as I viewed my first groundhog in super proximity. My husband thought it was hilarious. Groundhogs are not something I ever dealt with in Maryland and they definitely are much bigger than I expected.  I had no idea how destructive they could be either (his tunneling seems to be part of the cause of all the moisture in our basement too).

I begged my husband to try to come up with a humane way (most people around here just shoot them) of dealing with our unwelcome garden inhabitants.  They have taken residence under our deck it seems and enjoying each others company as roommates. After finding their entrance routes we tried blocking the area with stones and spraying the area with vinegar. My understanding is that if the groundhog is grumpy he'll go away on his own.

We thought this was working, no major munching for about 2 weeks and then I came out one day and my new broccoli plants had been eaten down to the roots. Apparently the ground hog love broccoli, while the bunny friend has been working on my newly sprouted cabbage leaves. I'm starting to feel a bit like Bill Murray in Caddyshack ( I know he was matchign wits with a gopher but it feels the same), constantly researching and trying new strategies to deter this groundhog as he seems to be getting fatter and my yard is paying the price.

Here are the latest tips I'm going to try I'll let you know how it goes:
1) groundhogs don't like areas with out a lot of cover so I'm making sure the piles of brush from our yard are to be moved elsewhere/ destroyed so its no longer near our garden
2) groundhogs don't like motion or noise so some pretty pinwheels and windchimes will be finding their way into my garden. Scarecrows apparently seem to help as well.
3) I'll be fencing in the lowest of my 4 raised garden beds (which I find frustrating but oh well. The taller beds are too high for the groundhog and bunny to get into, so those plants have escaped the carnage.  Fences should be about 3 ft tall and a foot deep into the ground from all the articles I've read
4) Groundhogs don't like the smell of epsom salts and apparently the plants in question like it. I'll be sprinkling them around hoping it will help deter the groundhog's healthy appetite.

Wish me luck! In the meantime I'll be posting some of my recent food experiment successes. It is summer so I am now officially craving crab and am a bit homesick.  Check out the blog tomorrow for my crab tostada recipe. It was delicious!

Healthy Breakfast Challenge Day 2: Strawberry Banana Breakfast Wrap

Morning! I've had a very busy week and in continuing my daily breakfast challenge I've been making a lot of grab n go and make ahead breakfasts to help manage my time. The last few days I've been munching on organic blueberry yogurt with my homemade granola and previous to that I was a glutton on a weekend away. If my day goes well you'll see the gluttony posts later. In the meantime, here is a favorite quick breakfast for on the run that still gives me the energy I need to start my morning. 

take your favorite wrap or flat bread (I prefer whole grain ones, gluten free  and vegan ones are also available) and smear it with 2 tablesspoons of peanut or almond butter.  Then I like to sprinkle some granola  into the nut butter. Then I slice up a  few strawberries and place them as the next layer. I like to toss in a couple blueberries as well. Then I put half of a banana in the center. Roll up you wrap around the banana like you are making a burrito.  This breakfast is easily portable and I find the granola gives it a nice crunch.  Then simply enjoy.

One of Our First Milestones

Today is the one year anniversary of my husband and I getting married.  After all the stress, drama and chaos of the previous year of wedding planning we were so looking forward to a break.  We imagined the first year as husband and wife to be one of relaxation, bliss and lots of wonderful time together. Whomever started this rumor, I want to smack them. Apparently, so do all of our friends who've been married recently. 

For today's young, or even not so young, newlywed couples this vision truly is a fantasy. We juggled jobs, a new home and school..... not to mention trying to maintain a good relationship with our families who are just as busy  as we are and rather far away.   We've talked to a number of fellow newlyweds and the fact of the matter is that we're all too exhausted to be making whoopee all the time. I honestly felt relieved that it wasn't just us.  From the first week of our marriage we began running to family events, even before we left for our honeymoon. As soon as we got back we dove into work and were house shopping. Not exactly a relaxed lifestyle. My husband and I have decided that is not going to be the case for the rest of our marriage. I talk to make clients about creating their own "Life in Balance", and this is the year my husband is teaming up with me to make our home life just that. 

On Wednesday we're getting out of town for a few days to enjoy Virginia wine country and renew our vows.  We found some great restaurants that specialize in local sustainable foods.  Time away for us has been long overdue.  Charley and I have decided this is going to be the the beginning of "our year". We have vowed to travel more, spend more time turning our new house into the home we've dreamed of, get in shape together and he is helping me turn my dream job into a full time career. This is huge since currently my job to pay the bills has a very inconvenient schedule that is one of the reasons we don't see each other enough.  I am really excited about all the adventures we will have this year and maybe with all of this new found time spent together one of those adventures will be to become parents. 

Here's to hoping. I'm not going to stress about what may or may not happen this year, but one thing I will definitely be doing is enjoying the ride.

Is there a 12 step program for Pinterest users? & The Healthy Breakfast Challenge

I have discovered that I have an addiction.... to using Pinterest.  For those of you whom are unfamiliar with this marvelous little app, it allows you to "pin" pictures with links you've found around the web to your own virtual styleboards. Then your friends can follow and look at your boards and "repin" the ideas you've saved and liked to their own boards.

I am a very visual person who also has a million and one "to do" projects in my brain. I am also a list maker and a dreamer. For me, Pinterest fits all of those needs and I don't have to lose any of my ideas. Previously I spent hours making a board manually. Now it takes seconds. The only problem with that is that Pinterest has become a major way for me to unwind and I seem to be losing hours of my life. I have decided that I need to to come up with a way to make my time a little bit more bankable or productive.

Being the food obsessed individual I am, my favorite ways to use the boards is to categorize recipes that I's like to try. I started  reviewing my boards this morning and had a light bulb moment. I will be blogging about my recipe adventures that I've saved on Pinterest. The first board I'd like to tackle is one I've entitled "The Healthy Breakfast Challenge." 

Eating breakfast every day is hugely important. I am challenging myself to make a different breakfast every day and share what worked and what didn't with all of you out there in blogland.  I will only be sharing successes, to hopefully save those of you attempting to do the same some time and frustration.  The first recipe I'd like to share is one of my own concoctions, after that you'll get Pinterest recipe central.

my egg poaching cup- makes it so easy!

I love poached eggs.  Unfortunately they can be a royal pain to make, not to mention time consuming. About a year ago my mom got me these marvelous silicone cups to make poached eggs in. That was the moment when the egg experimentation started. One of the by-products of these experiments is my recipe for Poached Italian eggs.

A few years a go there was a dish on the brunch menu of my parents restaurant called Italian eggs.  Essentially it was a variation of  the English "toad in the hole". They took Texas toast garlic bread and baked an egg in the middle of it. IT was wonderful but rather greasy and not exactly on the light side.  I took the concept and ran with it.

I love savory flavors like rosemary oregano & tomatoes, so why not enjoy them at breakfast?! I take a piece of my favorite whole grain bread and lightly toast it. Meanwhile I poach my egg using my egg cups on the stove top. Next I take the toast and smear on some pasta sauce and sprinkle it with mozzarella cheese and italian herbs. I pop this back in the toaster oven so the cheese melts slightly. By the time the cheese is toasted my egg is ready (I like my yolks nice and runny and the timing seems to always work out). I place the egg on top of my pizza toast (as the hubby calls it), sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little bit more herbs.

Italian Eggs

I love the way the yolk soaks into the bread and all the flavors blend together as I cut this breakfast into bites. Not only is it delicious but it gives me the energy I need to get my day started. Bon Appetito!

Earth Day 2012

Happy Earth Day everyone! This Sunday, April 22nd is Earth day. It is a holiday very near and dear to my heart since I was in middle school and met a  biology teacher, Mr. Thompson, who taught me about conservation and the importance of taking care of our home planet.  On some fronts we've come a really long way since I was a kid: recycling is a standard curbside service at most cities across the country, eating local organic foods is getting increasingly popular and a lot of people are using less energy by switching their light bulbs and major appliances to more energy efficient models.

We still have a long way to go though and everyone's participation and attention to what is happening around our little green planet is so crucial. There are also a lot more of us around, using up the resources even faster. We need to work together to make a much smaller impact so our grandkids won't have to live  a life without the things like water and trees that so many of us take for granted. Want to plan a fun earth day with your loved ones but don't know where to start ? Here are a few suggestions and links to help you on your way.

1) Have a Picnic- whats a better way to appreciate the outdoors than to spend a day outside. A day outside is a great way to enjoy the natural surroundings mama nature has provided for us. It also is a great opportunity to get your family active and moving with a game of frisbee or catch. You can get your kids involved by letting them help plan your menu. This is also a great opportunity to talk to them about where their food comes from.
Another bonus of a picnic is that by enjoying the energy of the sun you will not be raising your electricity bill by staying home watching tv or playing video games.

The nature conservancy is sponsoring a worldwide event called Picnic for the planet. They are trying to break a record. Check out this website to see if there is an event already being hosted in your tow, or you can organize one to join the movement: http://www.nature.org/earthday/attend/index.htm

2) Catch a Flick
If the weather doesn't cooperate and you end up being stuck inside, why not watch a great movie with the family that has an environmental message. Here are a few of my favorites:
1) Ferngully, the Last Rainforest
2)The Lion King
3) Finding Nemo
4) Happy Feet
5) WALL-E

If the kids want to go out to the movies (or you're a big kid yourself) here are two great choices currently in the theatres
1)Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
2) Disney Nature- Chimpanzee

3) Have a special Earth Day Meal
This is a great time to introduce concepts like the importance of eating local and organic foods. Head to your local farm or farmers market to pick out the ingredients for your meal and talk to the people who grew them. You can also talk about going meat free at least once a week and why it is important. You also could find a local grass fed meat farm locally. It is so important for us as a society to start eating a more sustainable diet. 

4) Plant a Tree

Every day we cut down thousands of trees around the world and only a small fraction of them get replanted. This not only destroys the landscapes and creates more desserts, but also depletes our planet of oxygen. Trees also act as natural filters and help clean our air. There are a number of places to buy seedlings online.  Local businesses like hardware stores and nurseries will also have special deals on Earth day to help plant more trees.

5) Help Clean up
Tons of trash is left along our roadways and get into our water supply every day. Spend a few hours with some of your neighbors cleaning up a local park or stream area. Not only will it make the area more beautiful, but it also will be a much safer place for local animals to live.

6) Go on a Hike
get some exercise and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while you're at it.


7) Where's My Water?
Water is a precious resource on our planet and most of us don't realize how much we waste everyday.Do some exercises around the house to measure how much water you use and then work together with your family to figure out how you can bring that amount down.  A good place to start is http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sq3.html.  There is also a great ipad app created by Disney called "Where's My Water?" to help explain the concepts to the younger members of your family

8) Head to the Zoo
Zoos are a great way to learn about how our actions every day affect lives of animals all over the world. The kids will be fascinated and who doesn't love pandas or polar bears?!

9) Start a Home Garden
You don't need a big  yard to have a great garden. You'd be surprised at what you can do with containers when space is a luxury.  Start small with a few easy to grow staples like tomatoes, lettuces or culinary herbs. Then you can branch out from there.

And the most important rule of all no matter how you celebrate is to have fun & enjoy your time together!
Remember: Every day is Earth Day. Anything to help our environment is a perfect thing to do on Earth Day and every day. Don't restrict yourself to just one day a year; learn about how you can make a difference to environmental protection all the time. And put it into practice - every day!

We're building a grocery store.... in the back yard

parsley, mint & rosemary

OK, so this post took me an entire month instead of a few days to get written.  About a month ago, I mentioned I was planning a garden. As life got busier and more stressful, getting the garden started has become my lifeline. Getting seedlings started, nurturing them to life and getting my hands deep in the earth really relaxes me. Plus, the warm weather showed up about a month early so I had some outdoor catching up to do.

My first task was planning out what we wanted to plant. I wanted to choose things we eat a lot of and really enjoy. The prospect of a much smaller grocery bill was really intriguing.  I also wanted to make sure everything I grew was an heirloom organic variety. This took a little research on my part to find companies that had seeds not only to meet those high standards, but also that would do well in our growing region.

I see blueberries starting to form! yay!

I settled on 4 different companies based on what each had to offer:
1) Seeds of Change- asparagus crowns, catnip, cucumbers, lettuces & marigolds
2) Annie's Heirloom Organics- 2 tomato varieties, celery, watermelon, carrots & golden beets
3) Shenandoah Farms- organic herb plants
4)True Vine Ranch - Organic blueberry bushes

Next once the seeds arrived I set up a little incubator area in my living room. I bought some organics seed starting mix, moistened it up and then put a small scoop in each of my biodegradable seedling containers. I placed each container on a tray covered them with plastic wrap and put a grow light above them. Then was the hardest part.....the waiting. I am definitely an instant results kind of gal so this has been really tough. I'd water my seedlings every day and finally after about a week and a half I started to see sproutlings.

A word to the wise, just because the sprouts are looking healthy does not mean they are necessarily ready to leave their warm cocoon yet. I made that mistake to early (like I said, I'm crazy impatient) and had to start the process all over again with my beets and cucumbers. 

one of the overgrown & neglected raised garden beds we inherited with the house

While I was waiting on my seeds to grow, I've had plenty of work to do to get the yard ready. First I had to clear out all the leaves, weeds & dead plants left behind by the previous owners.  I also cut back the existing raspberry bushes so they could get healthy again and have some breathing space (they were completely overgrown).  Next I had to empty out the raised beds of the old dirt and put in new, organic dirt, since I had no idea what had been in there before and I didn't want to contaminate my wonderful organic heirloom veggies. What I thought was a simple job turned into a very grueling week-long project. So yes, gardening is definitely hard work but it will be so worth it! (not to mention my arms are starting to look great form all the digging).

Our cat, Isis, seems to enjoy all the outside activity too. She's never been an outdoor cat before, but with the security of a nice fenced in yard, we can't seem to keep her inside. She loves being out in the garden, and munching on leaves of my raspberry bushes (when she thinks we're not looking).

Another related project we started is a compost pile. I bought a nice stainless mini bucket for my countertop, complete with charcoal filter so it doesn't stink up my kitchen.  I place all my vegetable scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds in the pot. When it gets full, I empty it into a a bin my husband rigged up out of an old storage tub. He just drilled some holes into it the mixture could breathe. We have plans to get a big double barrel composting bin, but this was an easy to do free way to get started.  Once the mixture breaks down, it becomes a natural and effective fertilizer for my garden crops. No chemicals needed.

After the the little shoots get some bigger leaves on them and the ground is warm enough you can plant them in a pot, raised bed or a traditional garden bed. Be sure to keep watering regularly and to cover your plants in the event of a chilly night since it is a bit early in the year to be planting in some parts of the country.

I'll follow up and let you know how the garden is progressing. I also will talk about natural pest control.  Hopefully you'll be inspired to start your own garden. The food really does taste so much better when you grow it yourself!