Celery - it's what's for breakfast!

More raw vegetables! - one of my resolutions as we rolled into 2017. Easy to say, and even easier for that decision to slip away in the day to day routine.
I realized even if I made the effort a few days a week it would be an improvement.  Every little bit counts. Every little bit adds up.

At the top of the list was to add more dark leafy greens (the kale crisps are a tasty option), second only to more celery!  
I have been reading so much on the tremendous health benefits of celery so I keep looking for interesting ways to add it in. 

     Reduces inflammation
     Detoxes
     Helps prevent kidney stones
     Aids digestion
     Loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber

I chop it into tuna, egg or chicken salad, tossed salads, soup, jambalaya, but recently I have been experimenting with my magic bullet for breakfast... blending a stalk or two with a combination of the following that I have on hand: carrots, bananas, frozen strawberries, orange juice, yogurt, etc. 

I like to play and make different combos each time to see what I can create.
My favorite is 
1 stalk of celery
1 carrot
6 frozen strawberries
2 oz of OJ
2 ice cubes.
Refreshing and inspiring!

If you enjoy my art you can find more in my Etsy shop Erin Go Paint.
Or check out my daily illustrations on Instagram

Hurricane Spaghetti

Hermine came and went earlier this week, with little effect on Northern NJ.  I consider it very lucky that she turned out to sea - and hope we can get through the rest of the season with that kind of luck! 
But, that doesn't mean I wasn't ready. After living through Irene and Super Storm Sandy - I do not take hurricane threats lightly.  Best to be prepared with essentials, because we know what bad can be.

So I stocked up on bottled water, batteries, did a little baking, brewed just-in-case coffee, filled the gas tank, had cash on hand, and kept all electronics fully charged.  
And food. 
Gluten-free food that could be eaten as is, or cooked on the stove. We have a gas stove, which has been a lifesaver when we have been without power. (I will always choose a house - and stove - with gas!)

One of the warmest memories I have of Super Storm Sandy is cooking 'Hurricane Spaghetti' by candlelight, while my husband was getting a fire going in the livingroom. We ate dinner that night at the coffee table warmed by the roaring fire, and it is one of the loveliest memories I have. So while I was gathering essentials for Hermine's arrival, spaghetti was at the top of my list.

 Illustration from Simply Gluten Free Magazine, Sept/Oct 2016

 

'Reluctant' Cook

Reluctant. I used this to describe myself here but though I chose that word, it doesn't feel comfortable. And it has remained uncomfortable to me since I wrote it last week. 

It doesn't tell the whole story...  or give an accurate picture.  

Granted I don't have a passion for cooking, but I DO have a passion for eating healthy, eating fresh and most of all... eating safe!  

Cooking gives me that   So I am quite happy to cook.  It gives me peace of mind to know it's safe, to choose what goes in, to know what I am putting in my body - and into my family.  
And sometimes - it is fun!
So why 'reluctant'?  
Because pretty much any day of the week I would rather be making art... drawing, painting, sketching. Or playing with daughter.  Or painting,  crafting and sketching with her! 

My solution.... keeping a small sketchbook handy in the kitchen. So I can sketch between chopping, or while I am waiting between food prep steps.  Ideas come while I handle the vegetables, herbs and spices... or while I daydream looking out the kitchen window.   

Dinner gets made, and dinner gets drawn. All of the art in this post was conceived in my kitchen sketchbook.  

In fact, this piece became this page in Simply Gluten Free Magazine's Sept/Oct 2015 issue.

So it is a win-win situation.

And it is why I have started working on a kitchen coloring book for adults... more to come on that!

If you enjoy my work you can see more at Erin Go Paint

Measuring Up - Kitchen Confessions

I don't like to measure when I cook. Even when I bake, which requires a balance of ingredients to make the magic happen, I still tend to approximate wherever I can.  Not really sure why, but I definitely avoid it.

Maybe it feels to confining.  Too much like rules.

Somehow it feels like it stifles my flow and creativity. Guess I like to imagine I am conjuring up and magically creating something new every time.

The fact that I am a reluctant (for lack of a better word) cook may explain it.  I cook for necessity not for the passion of it.   I know people who touch heaven when they are in the kitchen. 

Seriously.  

And based on the exquisite foods they create I am pretty sure heaven comes down and touches them in the process.

Again, Seriously.

I touch heaven when I draw, paint and run. Those activities fill me up - even when they are difficult.  That is passion.

So in my daily cooking time I try to spice it up. (pun intended)  Looking to make the process more exciting, adventurous...  more of a game. So I wing it. A lot.  

I approximate. 

And guesstimate.  Makes the doing more interesting.

And makes the results more of... an adventure.  Nothing ever tastes exactly the same as it did last time. I know, there are pros and cons in that.

But the meals are there, hot, healthy and ready when everyone is hungry. And the cook is happy because she enjoyed the process.

If you enjoy my work you can see more in my shop Erin Go Paint and my online portfolio.

Easy GF Strawberry Ice Cream

As part of our Mommy-Summer-Camp plan, I promised my daughter lots of cooking, food prep and experimenting in the kitchen.  She's 9 and is a serious foodie, so we want to encourage that.

Also, given that eating gluten free is keeping her migraines in check... I want her to see how much great food can be made and enjoyed fresh and without gluten.
So we broke out the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer and the ice cream bowl that has been quietly and patiently waiting in the freezer for it's chance to make some magic!
I like things to be simple - the simpler the better - so 5 ingredients and straight forward preparation makes me happy.

5 Ingredient Strawberry Ice Cream

In a large bowl we combined the milk, cream, sugar, salt, and strawberries.

Stirred the sugar into the heavy cream about 30 minutes before so the the sugar can dissolve. And, we ran the strawberries through our Magic Bullet to prevent chunks in the ice cream(my daughter likes smooth ice cream).

Then she poured the mixture into the freezer bowl of the Kitchenaid. And licked all the bowls and spatula.

The machine mixed for 20-25 minutes while we went out to play in the yard.

When it was finished we scooped it out into a dish to freeze and again licked the spoons, etc.  It's amazing that we got as much ice cream into the freezer as we did!

Froze it for about 5 hours and had it for dessert - perfect and creamy with just the right amount of sweet!
There is still some left for tomorrow (unless my husband goes back in late tonight!)