Project ‘Much ado about nothing’

So, yeah… I just ripped off Shakespeare…. (btw… if you google that particular piece of work just know that the cinematic version with Emma Thompson has lots of butts in it.)

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was fearless. She didn’t shy away from ner a bully or a challenge. One day, she decided that she wanted to invent something out of nothing…. well not quite nothing. In fact, one might say it was quite a bit actually.

You see, her pantry overflowed. Her fridge was packed and her freezer was bursting. Determined not to throw out another head of lettuce or a furry steak she decided to take stock. ‘Surely,’ she said to herself, ‘out of such abundance she could feed her family on a budget for a month.’

Many questioned the wisdom of such an undertaking. Why would she do such a thing?

to be creative with what is already right in her hands.
to be less wasteful. (ie. a good steward)
to challenge herself to grow through taking on something new.

P.S. does anyone have a good recipe for random, unidentified dried goods? (asking for a friend….)

Project Yummy

I made food that transported my family back to a different time, a different place, a different life.

I love that food can be so transformative for the mind and body. Food for me is family, friends, fellowship, feelings and sometimes epic fails. Thankfully, this one was a win!

Morocccan Rghaif/Msemen

Msemen – also known as rghaif – are Moroccan pancakes that have been folded into a square shape before being fried in a pan. This is a recipe for the dough used to make msemen. The dough is kneaded like bread dough until soft and smooth.

How to Fold & Make Msemen: -Flatten portions of the dough and fold them into squares. Frying the dough in a pan yields a layered pancake or flatbread that is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. – The recipe below uses a little semolina flour for texture and taste. The use of semolina is a matter of personal preference. Substitute more semolina for the white flour if you like a coarser texture. Or, you can omit the semolina entirely.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Yield: Approx. 20 msemen (4″ square)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour (340 g)

1/2 cup fine semolina (90g)

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 1/3 liter)

For folding and cooking the msemen:

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup fine semolina

1/4 cup very soft unsalted butter

Preparation:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add 1 1/2 cups of warm water, and mix to form a dough. Add more water if necessary to make a dough that is soft and easy to knead, but not sticky. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little flour one tablespoon at a time.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, (or knead the dough in a stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes), until the dough is very smooth and elastic.

Proceed with folding and cooking the dough.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve the msemen plain, with butter and honey, or jam.

To make a syrup from butter and honey, simply melt equal portions of butter and honey in a pan until hot and bubbly. Carefully and quickly dip the msemen in the syrup and place on a serving platter.

Project Sorry, not sorry

I am not sorry that I am in love with Egg McMuffins ( if you have healthy, homemade options please share your recipe … I have a problem!) #eggmcmuffinsarecrack
I am not sorry that I told my son that too much texting will give him turrets in his thumbs (I am not sorry I accidentally typed Turrets instead of Tourette’s because that is almost funnier..)
I am not sorry that I do high karate kicks at the grocery store to show the clerk I am wearing slippers
I am not sorry that I tell Starbuck’s baristas my name is ‘Sam’
I am not sorry that I tell my family all the goings on of my bathroom habits
I am not sorry that I tell my daughter to give a wink and a finger gun when she doesn’t know what to say.
I am not sorry that I told an obscure acquaintance that accidental bottom to bottom contact is called a ‘moon landing’
I am not sorry that I hug large stuffed animals in stores (and my collection is ever increasing at home)
I am not sorry that I insist on a regular basis to my husband that I am delightful
I am not sorry that I meow at our cat or speak baby talk to our dogs
I am not sorry that I left my clean, folded laundry in the middle of the kitchen table for a week.
I am not sorry that my husband shows off his amazing dance moves in public
I am not sorry that I occasionally leave my bra on the stairs and that it makes my son say “ew!!! mom!!”
I am not sorry that a)I own a carebear onesie b) I bought one for my friends too c) that I insisted we wear them out into the world (You’re welcome Walmart and Tim Hortons)
Finally, I am not sorry that I am sharing this with all of you. I have found freedom in my depression to just be me. I am DELIGHTFUL dagnammit!!

Project Nacho Cheese

What do you call cheese that isn’t yours??? …………..

NACHO CHEESE!

I recently was host to a large group of hungry women and I wanted to make something that was sure to please and that I could mass produce. And so began my adventure into nacho cheese…

My goal was cheese sauce that rivaled 7-11’s. Guess what happens when you fudge a recipe? Or quadruple it? Lumpy sauce. Thanks to google and my blender I redeemed my sauce and it was a big hit.

My mistakes in the kitchen and in life are always redeemable. #thankful#cheesefordays#broccoli

I kinda made this recipe :

I substituted evaporated skim milk to add a sweetness and sprinkled in cayenne for heat. (when my sauce separated I threw a portion into my blender with a little flour and voila … sauce restored to greatness)

https://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/green-chile-cheddar-queso/

Project Brussel Sprout

I discovered yesterday that reheated brussel sprouts explode in the microwave.

I feel like an evil, mastermind, culinary genius as I stroke my cat and riffle through my latest cookbook in search of inspiration.

Food helps me tap into unknown resources that feed my creativity and daily activities. My depression is kept a little better under wraps through the joy of cooking. Sometimes I blow up brussel sprouts in the microwave…. other days I create a healthy six course meal. There is joy in this journey of self discovery through food and depression.

Project Vegan

I am meatless only on Mondays. I don’t remember how or why I started. It can’t hurt right?

Things I have learned:

Cauliflower smells like a SBD (‘silent but deadly’ for those of you who are uninformed)

I still hold brussel sprouts in my mouth and refuse to swallow.

Kimchi = DEATH

You CAN eat too many chickpeas and you can blame it on the dog only so many times.

My digestive system LOVES its weekly cleanse.

My family does tire of hearing about my bathroom activities.

I DO delight in grossing them out regularly.

YOU’RE WELCOME WORLD!!

A couple of my favorite Pinterest recipes: