Mock Tuna Salad

 

 

This is the first cookbook I've bought in years.

I had given away all of the ones I had,

as we tend to eat the same things most of the time.

Rarely did I venture out of my comfort zone with regard to eating.

This cookbook is chocked full of wonderful vegan  meals,

which has nudged me to try a few new things.

 

I've been a non-meat eater for decades.

I never liked meat as a kid,

so by the time I got to be a teenager, I swore off the stuff.

I have gone back and forth with regard to fish though.

But sometime last year, I just didn't want it anymore either,

with the exception of tuna.

 

 

The only fish I eat on a regular basis anymore is tuna.

It's one of my favorite sandwiches, or spreads for crackers or celery.

I buy the wild catch albacore tuna and eat that a couple of days a week for lunch.

chickpea chopper

 

This recipe from the cookbook had been on my "I gotta try this" list for a while.

If I ever decided to ditch the tuna, I wanted an alternative.

This recipe didn't disappoint.

With the addition of some pickled okra, it hit the spot.

The balance of the tart, spicy okra and the mild, sweet onion was fabulous.

As usual, I tweaked the ingredients to my liking,

and it turned out just fine.

I couldn't find her original recipe,

but you can find a similar version here.

It almost looks like tuna fish salad, doesn't it?

I'm not sure that it tastes just the same,

but it's doggone good!

It's great to have another option for lunch

and this recipe gave me a solid three or four servings.

If you give it a go, let me know how you like it.

 

Vegan "No Tuna" Salad

(Minimalist Baker)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained/rinsed

3 T mayo

1 t Dijon mustard

splash of fresh lemon juice

1/4 C diced onion

1/4 C diced celery

1/4 C diced pickles (I used okra)

healthy pinch of salt/pepper

 

Add chickpeas to medium bowl

and mash with a fork or potato masher.

Add mayo, mustard, veg and spices and mix to combine.

Enjoy!

 

Friday Fotos

 

 

 My daily walk (weather permitting),

centers me like nothing else.

Although I prefer to start my day with a power walk,

sometimes the weather does not cooperate,

and it must be postponed until later in the day.

No matter,

the important part exercise plays in my life

makes it worthwhile to adapt to any changes.

 

Lovely, sweet carrots were pulled fresh from the garden bed.

I can assure you, they didn't last long in the fridge,

as most were used as a snack all by themselves.

Yes, they're THAT good!

Another round will be planted soon for a spring harvest,

although there are still quite a few in our winter bed.

It's so rewarding to know that there are a few stalwart crops

that can grow and feed us through the colder months.

A sampling of Vates kale yesterday proved to be oh-so-sweet.

 

Onions are one of the easiest crops to grow.

and require little attention.

What you see here is the Walla-Walla variety,

which is a new-to-me plant.

The goal with this crop is to never  have to buy them again

at the grocery store or farmers' market.

Garlic and onions will be a winter garden staple from now on.

 

 

Yesterday a few spring bulbs were spotted popping up.

Our winter has thus far been consistently cool,

even downright cold at times,

but not so frigid that the bulbs couldn't wait to awaken.

These hyacinth flowers surprised me with a burst of color

in an otherwise barren and clay-laden bed.

I had hoped to fill this front flower bed with bulbs this fall

for spring blooming,

but I just didn't get a jump on it.

Maybe I'll try to plant in spring for the fall.

One problem is that the chooks enjoy dust-bathing and scratching in this area.

That's the reason I had laid the welded wire panels here

and it's worked fairly well.

These chooks have encouraged me to come up with creative solutions!

 

I had been communicating with someone on Next Door,

which is a local social media app, similar to Craig's List.

She is also a chicken keeper and she has the covetous conundrum

of too many eggs and not enough crates.

Which happened to be the exact opposite of our situation.

The good news is that we bartered empty egg crates

for eggs.

It was her idea, and I'd say that we got the better end of the deal.

Timely, as our girls are not laying much. 

It looks like there will be quiche in our future.

 

Some time was taken to

pulverize egg shells in the Blend Tec for use in the spring garden.

C enjoys watching the contents being crushed beyond recognition,

so I am happy to let him lend a hand.

The shells will be stored in the freezer until spring planting.

 

A few new recipes have been tried in the last couple of weeks,

with much satisfaction.

It certainly does make it easy to go meatless,

which is how I've been leaning for years.

Recipes will be shared soon,

if you are looking for something clean, healthy and off the beaten path.

Here's where you'll find me on most cold, rainy winter days.

Grateful for our toasty, cozy nest.

Hope you have many blessings to count this weekend.

Need Flags?

 

 

Our living habits are fairly simple.

We believe in the homesteading lifestyle which means

that we make do with what we have,

reuse or find a new purpose for items

and invest in quality merchandise when new elements must be replaced.

Shopping at thrift stores is always preferred,

as you never know what vintage treasures might be found.

 

That being said,

we were in the market for some new flags

for the garden and the house.

I've bought flags in the past from the usual places,

and been disheartened at how little use we got out of them.

For the most part,

they could not stand up to the elements,

fading with the sun and ripping with the gusts moving across the property.

 

Until now.

For the last year or so,

I've purchased several a dozen or so flags from 

Discount Decorative Flags

and been pleasantly pleased with the quality of their products.

Even with the windiest of conditions and ample sunshine,

the flags we've purchased still look brand new.

Their collection also includes door mats,

mailbox covers, windsocks, and more.

The bonus is that the flat rate shipping of $5 for orders under $49,

makes it that much easier to dress up your home and garden.

Orders amounting beyond that, include free shipping.

 

The selection of subject matter is diverse.

Everything from seasons, to specific holidays,

to sports teams to any number of animals, floral,

military, nautical, outdoor, and patriotic

themes are available.

There really is something for everyone here.

With the average price of house flags hovering around $10,

this company gives you your money's worth.

And if that isn't enough,

there is a clearance section with a wide variety of choices.

I find it difficult to restrain myself when perusing this area on the website.

I do change our flags out with the seasons,

so this section makes it easier to add to the collection.

I think I might just need a few more flag poles around the homestead. 

 

This website is a fabulous place to find a thoughtful gift.

I'm not much of a shopper, but this company provides great products at a good value,

and that's an important aspect for me.

 

If you find yourself wanting to dress up an area of your homestead,

pay them a visit and see if you can't find something

you can't live without.

 

(I'm not receiving anything for reviewing this company,

I just like to keep the good stuff moving.)

 

 

Friday Fotos

 

 

 

 It's Friday Fotos!

Would ya look at these sweet pansies?

They just don't give up, no matter how chilly it gets.

They have been going strong to greet visitors at the front door for months!

 

Our rooster, Gandalf, has been part of a little experiment.

He is being separated from the hens for most of the morning.

I had to rig up a makeshift divider between them and him.

We're trying to solve a mystery.

 

When I last cleaned the coop,

I found this in the nesting boxes.

I have caught him in there,

sometimes alone, sometimes with one of our girls.

I'm not sure if he is eating the eggs, 

or simply stepping on them while in the box.

I have no idea how he even fits in there,

he is huge!

 

 

 

So far this week, we've gotten 3 eggs,

and since we hadn't gotten any in three weeks,

I think I might be on the right track.

The experiment continues...

 

I'm overwintering the turmeric and lemongrass

in the garage.  I merely pruned it down to the soil

and left it alone.

I'll be curious to see how the turmeric comes back.

I'm hoping there will be enough to harvest for cooking.

 

 The chipping is going well and I was able to create enough

to finish around the veggie beds and had enough

to add to the pathway behind the house,

which can be slippery if it rains or snows.

With no shortage of twigs in sight,

this should keep me happily busy.

 

A peek underneath the row covers

surprised me with an array of fine lettuce.

I sampled it just to see if it had turned bitter,

and was thrilled to find it sweet and tasty.

The spinach, kale and broccoli leaves are also dee-lish!

Although overall, I'm a bit disappointed in the crops this winter,

I'll chalk it up to experience and try again next winter.

Gandalf and his harem

 

We're still enjoying winter temperatures in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

Having lived in Florida for over forty years,

I have to say, that it's a remarkable and welcome change.

The hope for a good snow day remains.

 

I am so grateful to be able to enjoy time outside,

no matter the weather!

Gluten-Free Tortillas (cf, df, ef, gf, sf, vegan)

 

 

 

I found a new website called Ela Vegan for vegan recipes.

You can find it here.

Her recipes are so simple and clean as a whistle.

These gluten-free tortillas/crepes/wrappers are fantastic!

The end product depends on how much water is added,

so these transform from thicker sandwich wraps

to less thick but hearty tortillas,

to thinner crepes for dessert.

 

They look like conventional crepes, right?

Believe it or not, they are quite healthy!

That wasn't even my first desire when I was watching her videos, 

but it is an added bonus.

 

My mom, also known as Mimi,

 being the amazing French chef that she was,

used to make us crepes every New Year's.

It was one of the traditions we adored as kids.

She would have three separate skillets on the stove,

and could hardly keep up with us devouring them

hand over fist.

Ah, the good ole' days!

 

It's been a while now that I've been frustrated

with the offerings of tortillas at the grocery store.

I wasn't even looking for something necessarily gluten-free,

but these fill the bill remarkably well.

I've reintroduced gluten into my diet

over the past few weeks with success.

But I still have a gf son, and I enjoy finding new recipes

that we can both test out.

I'm sure making them from scratch yourself

would be wonderful,

but I needed something that was quick

and didn't require a beloved abuela to teach me.

These did not disappoint.

 

They are made with 4 ingredients 

(although I added garlic powder for the savory version),

fry up fast in a cast iron skillet,

and can be made savory or sweet!

What else could a gal ask for?

 

These are too good not to share.

 

Gluten-free Tortillas

 

1 C chickpea flour

1/2 C tapioca flour or arrowroot

1/3 teaspoon salt

(1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)-savory version

3/4-1 C water

 

Add dry ingredients to bowl, whisk to aerate.

Add water as needed to acquire desired consistency.

Pour 1/3 C batter into skillet or pan.

Cook 2 minutes each side.

Enjoy!