Tag Archive: breakfast

1. Ours To Keep

   May 1, 2013 8:23 pm 45 Comments

   

   “And I asked myself about the present: how wide it was, how deep it was, how much was mine to keep.”

   ― Kurt Vonnegut

   Kurt, I asked myself the same question this morning. I poured myself some coffee, looked at my squash and tomato starts on the kitchen counter, safe from the snow coming down more violently than usual outside, and thought for a moment that all of the present — the deep, the shallow, the long, the short, the good, the bad, the snow, the sun — is all mine, and ours, to keep.

   

   Whole Wheat Belgian Waffles with Mascarpone, Thyme, and Strawberries 

   • 1  1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
   • 1 cup warm water
   • 3 cups whole wheat flour
   • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
   • 1 cup milk or milk alternative
   • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
   • 2 large eggs, separated
   • 1 orange, zest and juice
   • 1 pint fresh strawberries
   • 20 springs fresh thyme
   • 1-2 cups mascarpone cheese
   • 1/3 cup honey, plus more for finishing

    

   Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan, set aside. In a small bowl, mix and dissolve the yeast. In a larger bowl, combine salt and flour. Whisk together the yeast-water, milk, butter, egg yolks, and honey and combine with the dry ingredients. In another small bowl, beat the egg whites (like a crazy woman) until frothy. Fold into batter with 1/2 cup mascarpone, zest of half the orange, and leaves of 10 springs of thyme. Set aside, covered, for 10-20 minutes.

   Preheat the oven to 200′. Turn on your waffle iron to medium-high heat. As it warms, cut strawberries into slices or quarters in a bowl. Mix with extra honey, the remaining thyme, and the juice and zest of your small orange. Set aside.

   Grease your heated iron with butter or coconut oil. Pour a heaping cup of the batter and cook until golden and crispy on the outer edges. Transfer waffles to the oven to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter. To serve, smear with marscapone and top with a heap of gussied strawberries and a drizzle of honey.

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2. Banana Hemp Granola

   August 2, 2012 6:26 pm 44 Comments

   

   Dear Universe,

   I am in constant awe of your timing and how you always seem to bring people into (and out of) my life with such explicit purpose. I feel moved and changed and inspired by so many souls in ways that I cannot yet put into words. Thank you. 

   That’s all for now.

   Kelsey

   

   Banana Hemp Granola 

   • 3-4 ish cups thick-cut, old-fashioned oats
   • 1 cup hemp seeds
   • 2 ripe bananas
   • 1/2 cup coconut oil
   • 1/3 cup grade b maple syrup
   • 1/2 tsp vanilla
   • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
   • pinch of sea salt

   Here’s a quick and dirty way to make ultra-clumpy granola: stand mixer. I discovered the technique on a rushed morning while juggling fifteen balls before for a camping trip to the mountains. Mix together all wet ingredients and bananas until you get a thick, chunky liquid. Add oats and let the machine run on medium-high for a few minutes before adding the hemp seeds. Scrape the sides as needed until everything is well-coated and clumping.

   Turn out and spread granola onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes at 400′ F. Check at around 20 minutes and turn over with a spatula or wooden spoon to evenly brown everything up. Let cool for 30 minutes before storing. We enjoyed it camping fireside with greek yogurt the next day.

   

3. To Be Free

   June 20, 2012 11:43 am 45 Comments

   We’re here now. With roof, and kitchen. Community. Plans for a garden. It is a wonder to me now that we resisted the temptation to carry on as gypsies forever. The further we let ourselves drift away from the clutter and noise of reality, the more absurd the conventions of our lives always seem to appear. The open road and an empty agenda make few demands of a person – curiousity, patience, willingness, a sense of humor, maybe a toothbrush. Tall grasses, mountains, and the wind gently whisper permission to step out from the rigid set of ideas, requirements, expectations we’ve set for ourselves and make space for new truths and new understandings of what our purpose is on this planet.

   It’s easy to romanticize the freedom of it all – no sense of time, place, before, or after. And it’s important. To leave, to get away, to lose oneself to it all. But I think it’s also important to come back. There is an even more profound freedom to be experienced when we recognize that we have the power to create that same sense of adventure, inhibition, and joy in our daily lives. That is my intention. To let myself be free everyday. Wherever I am, wherever I go, wherever I don’t.

   Thank you for your love, kindness, and support over the past month as we’ve meandered to our new resting place here in Colorado. Cheers to the next chapter.

   * Open fire scramble technique borrowed from “Cooking in the Moment” by Andrea Reusing.

   * *  Video shot in our favorite parts of Alaska. For more behind the scenes action on our Alaska visit, see here. 

4. A Parable + Breakfast for Spring

   April 22, 2012 7:53 pm 53 Comments

   

   “When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”

   “What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

   “I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.

   Pooh nodded thoughtfully.

   “It’s the same thing,” he said.

   

   Broiled Asparagus, a Poached Egg, and Charred Spring Onion and Garlic over Grits

   • 1 cup coarse grits (polenta)
   • 1 bundle (about a pound) asparagus
   • 3 spring onions
   • 2 stalks spring garlic
   • Lemon juice, lemon zest
   • 2 eggs
   • olive oil / butter
   • salt

   Combine 1 cup grits with 5 cups cold water in a heavy, deep pot. Bring to a boil, toss in a bit of salt and reduce to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring very frequently and adding water and oil/butter to your liking. Meanwhile, prep asparagus on baking sheet. Coat with olive oil, salt, pepper and zest of 1 lemon. Broil on the top rack for no more than 5 minutes. Remove asparagus from pan and set aside. Slice the white and light green portion of both garlic and onions and toss in leftover olive oil from the asparagus on the baking sheet. Squeeze the juice of the fully zested lemon over the garlic and onions. Add a bit more oil if you feel necessary. Return to the broiler, and check every 2 minutes to make sure they don’t burn. Pull them out when they have a nice brown char on the edges. Set aside.

   Prepare the water for poaching the eggs in a deep pan. Once things come to a boil, it’s time to start prepping the serving bowls with the warm grits and asparagus. 1-ish cup of the grits, followed by half of the asparagus… bring bowls/plates over to the stove for easy transfer of the eggs.

   I have recently adopted this bangin’ poaching technique, thanks to Bon Appetit: when the water has just come to a boil, create a vortex in the center by whisking a fork in a counter-clockwise direction. Once you’ve gotten up enough speed, set down the fork and quickly crack the egg into the middle of the whirlpool you’ve created. Now just watch. Seriously. Magic is happening. Cook for 4 minutes.

   Place finished egg on top of the asparagus, and pile on a generous handful of charred onions/garlic.

   

5. Granola for fellow Granolas

   June 22, 2010 10:40 am 1 Comment

   

   According to the “Urban Dictionary,” granola can be defined as:

   “An adjective used to describe people who are environmentally aware (flower child, tree-hugger), open-minded, left-winged, socially aware and active, gay friendly, anti-oppressive/discriminatory (racial, sexual, gender, class, age, etc.) with an organic and natural emphasis on living, who might refrain from consuming or using anything containing animals and animal by-products (for health and/or environmental reasons), as well as limit consumption of what he or she does consume, as granola people are usually concerned about wasting resources. Usually buy only fair-trade goods and refrain from buying from large corporations, as most exploit the environment as well as their workers, which goes against granola core values. The choice of not removing body hair (see ‘amazon’) and drug use are not characteristics that define granola people, and people, regardless of granola status, may or may not partake in said activities. This definition is sometimes confused with hippie.”

   I’d like to wear the “granola” badge proudly, and I’ll bet this granola recipe can bring out the granola that lives deep down in you too! Okay, it’s a goofy thought but if tree-huggin’ ain’t your gig, this will at least get you rolling for a perfect day living your best life. We have a lot of breakfast-y recipes on here so far, probably because it’s the meal that sets us up for success throughout our busy day. If Shaun or I run or bike or swim for an hour in the morning then just grab an apple on the way out the door, by my 11am class my blood sugar drops so low I can’t tell if my professors are talking about multilaterism or mutiny. Protein + whole grain + fruit = superhero status throughout the morning.

   This granola is pack pack packed with goodies from the exciting bulk aisle in Whole Foods or your local health food store. Although nuts and seeds are high in calories, they have tons of fiber and good fats (omegas 3, 6…), antioxidants and protein. The nuts and and seeds used here have plenty of:

   Manganese: important in metabolizing carbs and amino acids, and also promotes bone health and energy production. Copper: metabolizes iron, the formation of red blood cells, and strengthens the immune system. Magnesium: nervous and musculatory system regulation. Phosphorous: protein synthesis, muscle contraction, and bone strength. Thiamin: (another) carbohydrate metabolizer. Omega 6 fatty acids: ding ding ding! These play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids , they help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, stabilize cholesterol and maintain the reproductive system.

   (more…) «Granola for fellow Granolas»

   To make a big batch (and please do, it will disappear quickly) combine the following ingredients in a jumbo glass bowl:

   • 3-4 cups quick oats
   • 2 cups plain kamut puffs
   • 1 cup crushed raw walnuts
   • 1 cup crushed raw almonds
   • 1/2 cup crushed raw pecans
   • 1/2 cup crushed raw cashews
   • 1 cup pumpkin seeds
   • 1/2 cup raw coconut flakes
   • 3/4 cup unsweetened raisins
   • 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
   • 1/3 cup chia seeds
   • 2 tbsp vanilla
   • 2 tbsp nutmeg
   • 2 tbsp cinnamon
   • 1/2 cup maple or brown rice syrup (you might need a bit more, stir first to see!)

   Lay flat on two cookie sheets or low pans in the oven at 250 for 45 minutes. Let cool, then crumble into bags or tupperware to store. Enjoy by the handful or mix with berries or a banana and a 1/2 cup of ice cold almond or rice milk. Go granola!