A New Twist On Veggies

During a recent quilt shop adventure with one of my sisters and a sister-in-law I could hardly believe my eyes when I turned the corner and found an entire shelf of vegetable fabrics! An entire shelf of fruit fabrics stood directly above. I have seen veg and fruit fabrics before but never to this extent! Oh, my goodness! I could hardly believe my eyes! I walked away to look through the rest of the store, but soon I found myself in front of that shelf again. What would I do? What choice did I have when it was calling my name?

My new vegetable collection

I found that fabric winking at me and demanding it go home with me. The vegetables called much louder than the fruit. And so, the choosing began. A stack started on the counter, green beans, kale, asparagus, tomatoes, purple onions, potatoes, garlic, carrots, some corn. The switching was minimal and the cutting began. 

Will my quilt be a soup or a salad or maybe a garden? I'm not sure, but in another shop I found the cabbage fabric that will link it all together. A plan is formulating in my mind and before long the sewing will begin. I can hardly wait to show you the finished quilt sometime later this summer. It will be delicious!

In the meantime, I will soon be sharing some of the great recipes I have recently acquired from my sister Pam. I have a new Spinach Quinoa Salad and a new Spicy Cole Slaw that might jazz up your summer meals. 

I hope you have some fun projects lurking in your future.

Mrs. Clark's Clean(er) Eating

Over past couple of months I have been cleaning up my eating. That means I have been doing my best to avoid processed foods, eating whole foods instead. I'm not saying I have completely come clean, but I have cleaned up my act. By avoiding most processed foods, I feel like I can allow myself an indulgence every now and then. Sugar becomes a treat, not something I am mindlessly eating at every meal. 

Since I have been eating this way I haven't been using many recipes. In the words of my sister Pam, "I don't use recipes I just make stuff." And that's about right. I don't use many recipes and if I do, it is for inspiration, rather than for following. I simply cook real food. 

Here's What I Mean . . .

Tonight's dinner of vegetables, whole grains and shrimp

This was a typical evening dinner for me. I chopped up some yellow pepper, some onion and some kale. I cooked that in some lightly salted water water along with a brown rice and barley mixture, making a pilaf. While the pilaf was cooking I made the salad with spring mix and spinach, green pepper, cucumber, shredded carrots and tomatoes. I cooked the shrimp quickly in a bit of coconut oil, just enough to grease the skillet. I cooked it for only a couple of minutes, until the shrimp turned white and pink. I sprinkled on a little salt and pepper and some oregano and thyme. I dressed the salad with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and garlic. I drizzled a tiny bit of that dressing over the shrimp, too. Delicious!

I was inspired to change up my eating by watching my girls eat as they have learned to minimize sugar and processed foods. If they can do it, surely I can do it! About the same time, my church offered a class called The Daniel Plan which focuses on keeping all aspects of one's life healthy and strong. In the food portion of this study, minimizing sugar, MSG, and hydrogenated fats was urged along with maximizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. All of this sort of worked together to challenge me to make some changes. 

And Next . . .

Tomorrow morning I will be cooking some buckwheat for breakfast. That will be new! My plan is to cook it like oatmeal along with some chopped apple and cinnamon. 

I hope you enjoy hearing a bit about my latest adventure in the kitchen.