it's a battlefield

(Source: gettingfitandstayingthere, via motivationintohabit)

I had barely glanced at the book in the pedlar’s house save to ascertain it was the right title. Now I allowed myself to pore over its cover, to run my fingers across the leather binding and trace the cursive indentation of the letters that spelled along the spine, THE VALLEY OF FEAR. I whispered the thrilling words to myself, then lifted the book to my nose and breathed the ink from its pages. The scent of possibilities.
— Kate Morton, The House at Riverton (via bookoasis)

What a brilliant book.

(via bookoasis-deactivated20120227)
bookoasis: This Mark Twain doll is just one of the author and literary character dolls that are handmade and sold by Debbie Ritter at UneekDollDesigns. I want a Louisa May Alcott or Charlotte Bronte one!

bookoasis:

This Mark Twain doll is just one of the author and literary character dolls that are handmade and sold by Debbie Ritter at UneekDollDesigns.

I want a Louisa May Alcott or Charlotte Bronte one!

(via bookoasis-deactivated20120227)

A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.
— Edgar Allan Poe (via bookoasis)

(via bookoasis-deactivated20120227)
Spinach and artichoke pasta Whole wheat penne Yellow onion Spinach (frozen or fresh, I used fresh here) Artichoke hearts (canned) Milk (I only use skim) Parmesan cheese Red pepper flakes In a pan, cook onion, spinach and artichoke hearts (you can vary how much you want of each. I love onion and spinach, so I made sure there was quite a bit of that) until onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan, add to pasta. To the hot pan, add just a little bit of milk as well as two tablespoons of the parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to taste. Heat until the mixture is thickened from the cheese. Stir in pasta and veggies, pour into a casserole dish and top with a little more parmesan. Bake until golden on top with the tops of the pasta crunchy - however you like it. This is a very low fat/better alternative to spinach artichoke dip. You have all the flavor, but hardly any of the fat. You can also add other kinds of cheese to make it a bit cheesier, if you’d like. Go crazy! This little dish filled me up.

Spinach and artichoke pasta

  • Whole wheat penne
  • Yellow onion
  • Spinach (frozen or fresh, I used fresh here)
  • Artichoke hearts (canned)
  • Milk (I only use skim)
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Red pepper flakes

In a pan, cook onion, spinach and artichoke hearts (you can vary how much you want of each. I love onion and spinach, so I made sure there was quite a bit of that) until onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from pan, add to pasta. To the hot pan, add just a little bit of milk as well as two tablespoons of the parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes to taste. Heat until the mixture is thickened from the cheese.

Stir in pasta and veggies, pour into a casserole dish and top with a little more parmesan. Bake until golden on top with the tops of the pasta crunchy - however you like it.

This is a very low fat/better alternative to spinach artichoke dip. You have all the flavor, but hardly any of the fat. You can also add other kinds of cheese to make it a bit cheesier, if you’d like. Go crazy! This little dish filled me up.

Turkey sausage and kale soup! 1lb package ground turkey 1 bunch kale (I used 2 in this because I really love kale) 2 boxes chicken stock or 1 big box (low sodium) 1 large onion 1 can white beans (optional) cumin red pepper flakes chili powder fresh dill I started by mixing the turkey, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, dill and chili powder and let the mixture sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. Then I made small sized meatballs and cooked them in a non-stick pan on the stove so they were crispy on the outside and just cooked on the inside. Set them aside. In a big soup pot, saute the chopped onion until just translucent, add chicken broth and enough water, it should be about 8 cups, you can add more if you’d like. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin and chili powder to taste. Add the chopped kale and bring the soup to a boil, pushing the kale down into the hot water. Reduce to simmer and let cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Add meatballs and beans, bring back to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes. For this particular recipe, I added about a cup (maybe more ) of milk and then some cornstarch to thicken it up slightly. This is optional, but it adds a nice creaminess to the soup.

Turkey sausage and kale soup!

  • 1lb package ground turkey
  • 1 bunch kale (I used 2 in this because I really love kale)
  • 2 boxes chicken stock or 1 big box (low sodium)
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 can white beans (optional)
  • cumin
  • red pepper flakes
  • chili powder
  • fresh dill

I started by mixing the turkey, salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, dill and chili powder and let the mixture sit in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Then I made small sized meatballs and cooked them in a non-stick pan on the stove so they were crispy on the outside and just cooked on the inside. Set them aside.

In a big soup pot, saute the chopped onion until just translucent, add chicken broth and enough water, it should be about 8 cups, you can add more if you’d like. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin and chili powder to taste.

Add the chopped kale and bring the soup to a boil, pushing the kale down into the hot water. Reduce to simmer and let cook for 20 to 30 minutes.

Add meatballs and beans, bring back to boil, reduce to simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

For this particular recipe, I added about a cup (maybe more ) of milk and then some cornstarch to thicken it up slightly. This is optional, but it adds a nice creaminess to the soup.

Breakfast this morning. Poached egg on top of roasted asparagus. Hit the spot.

Breakfast this morning. Poached egg on top of roasted asparagus. Hit the spot.

LENTIL SOUP: 1 medium yellow onion 2 medium to large carrots 2 stalks celery 1 large can tomatoes 1lb bag of lentils 1 tbs minced garlic 1 container chicken stock cumin chili powder red pepper flakes Finely chop onion, carrots and celery and cook over medium heat with a bit of olive oil in a big soup pot until they are tender. Add can of tomatoes (with the juice and all), cook for a minute and then add lentils, stirring and cooking. Add cumin, garlic, chili powder and red pepper flakes, all to your liking. Add chicken stock and enough water until it’s the consistency you want. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for at least 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender and where you want them to be.

LENTIL SOUP:

  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 2 medium to large carrots
  • 2 stalks celery
  • 1 large can tomatoes
  • 1lb bag of lentils
  • 1 tbs minced garlic
  • 1 container chicken stock
  • cumin
  • chili powder
  • red pepper flakes

Finely chop onion, carrots and celery and cook over medium heat with a bit of olive oil in a big soup pot until they are tender.

Add can of tomatoes (with the juice and all), cook for a minute and then add lentils, stirring and cooking.

Add cumin, garlic, chili powder and red pepper flakes, all to your liking.

Add chicken stock and enough water until it’s the consistency you want.

Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for at least 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender and where you want them to be.

My lunch today. Fresh Market spicy guacamole, fresh green and orange bell peppers, jalapeno jack pretzel crisps and some kalamata olives and mozzarella balls :) Yum!

My lunch today. Fresh Market spicy guacamole, fresh green and orange bell peppers, jalapeno jack pretzel crisps and some kalamata olives and mozzarella balls :) Yum!

Homemade tomato soup. That’s right, homemade. My mother always tells me I should write down all these crazy recipes I come up with and create some sort of cookbook for frugal folks who cook for one or two and are looking for things to use all the crap thrown in their refrigerator and pantry in. So, here’s my first. I tend to make lots of soups because you can stretch them really thin and they last you forever. Not to mention, broth based soups are amazing for you. Tomato soup with spinach and white beans One 28oz can of crushed tomatoes One can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed One small to medium yellow onion, chopped 1/2 jalapeno, with the ribs and seeds (I like my foods spicy, this is optional) One low sodium chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in a small amount of hot water Frozen spinach, however much you want. I do not wring my spinach out, I like the spinach ‘juice’ in my soups. Minced garlic, again, however much you want. I tend to go heavy because I love garlic. Oregano One dried bay leaf Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste In a large pot, cook the onion and the jalapeno over medium heat until the onion begins to turn translucent. Add the crushed tomatoes, garlic, oregano and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add dissolved bouillon cube and then add water in small batches until you have the consistency you want for your soup. Some like theirs hearty, some like theirs thin. It’s your soup, make it however you want. Add spinach and cheese, stir and bring the soup to a boil. Once it begins to boil, cover the pot and lower the heat to low. Simmer for 35 minutes. Then add beans and cook for another 10 minutes. Salt and pepper can be added to taste.

Homemade tomato soup. That’s right, homemade.

My mother always tells me I should write down all these crazy recipes I come up with and create some sort of cookbook for frugal folks who cook for one or two and are looking for things to use all the crap thrown in their refrigerator and pantry in.

So, here’s my first. I tend to make lots of soups because you can stretch them really thin and they last you forever. Not to mention, broth based soups are amazing for you.

Tomato soup with spinach and white beans

  • One 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • One can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • One small to medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 jalapeno, with the ribs and seeds (I like my foods spicy, this is optional)
  • One low sodium chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in a small amount of hot water
  • Frozen spinach, however much you want. I do not wring my spinach out, I like the spinach ‘juice’ in my soups.
  • Minced garlic, again, however much you want. I tend to go heavy because I love garlic.
  • Oregano
  • One dried bay leaf
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

In a large pot, cook the onion and the jalapeno over medium heat until the onion begins to turn translucent.

Add the crushed tomatoes, garlic, oregano and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Add dissolved bouillon cube and then add water in small batches until you have the consistency you want for your soup. Some like theirs hearty, some like theirs thin. It’s your soup, make it however you want.

Add spinach and cheese, stir and bring the soup to a boil. Once it begins to boil, cover the pot and lower the heat to low.

Simmer for 35 minutes. Then add beans and cook for another 10 minutes.

Salt and pepper can be added to taste.

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