Posted by Trina on October 17, 2009 at 07:38 PM in Beverages, Desmond Approved, Fall, VeganMoFo | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
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We also managed to pick a pumpkin. (When we got home the boy had a melt-down because I wouldn't let him eat it. Ah, the son of a food blogger.) We also watched apples being pressed into cider and brought home a gallon of our own.
And we bought apples - little tiny sweet tart cameos for snacking. And then a big bag of granny smiths and another of pippins (I think. We bought those just before we drove home at 2:30 when we had finally resigned ourselves to not picking apples, and by that point we all really needed a nap, and the bag's not labeled.) for baking.
There were also old-timey tankards of cider for drinking. Riley's Apple Farm does this whole big colonial schtick - New England colonial - with costumed guides and candle making demonstrations and kids rolling hoops on the big center lawn. We went for a pint in the period reproduction tavern, but the only thing on tap at Riley's Apple Farm is juice. You should know this before you tell your husband for a week that he can have a nice pint in a big tankard, before he starts imagining what sort of ales they'll have on tap, before he says that he doesn't mind that his birthday's not a big deal this year - just as long as he gets a good pint.
Despite the disappointments (that could have been avoided with a bit more research and preparation on my part) we actually had a pretty fun day out. The weather was crisp - we got to wear sweaters. And we had our first successful family of four major outing. (Did I tell you about our previous family of four outing where we forgot Desmond's shoes? So the relative success of Apple Town was huge.) We'll go back. Cheers.
Riley's Apple Farm (909) 797 - 4061
(In the future, I will save the colonial schtick for field trip groups.)
Riley's at Los Rios Rancho (909) 797 - 1005
(We picked a pumpkin here.)
Willowbrook Apple Farm (909) 797 - 9484
(This seemed like one of the least gimicky apple farms, but they're only open on the weekends.)
Snow-Line Orchard (909) 797 - 3415
(This was my favorite - fresh pressed cider, berries to pick, and picnic tables underneath a huge chestnut tree. Incidentally they're famous for their apple cider donuts, but I haven't checked on their vegan-ness so I wasn't going to bring it up.)
Posted by Trina on October 16, 2009 at 08:36 PM in Fall, Los Angeles, VeganMoFo | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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I keep thinking that maybe if I have just one more cookie I can get some writing done. I'm afraid that this is going to soon expand to other parts of my life - you know - just one more cookie and then I can make dinner for my children, and so on. Please, before this becomes a bigger problem - you take them.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe is pretty directly adapted to my kitchen from the package of Quaker Oats and was originally brought to my attention by Joy the Baker, who writes an adorable blog filled with beautiful photographs, delightful writing, and enticing recipes.
Makes about 6 dozen 3-inch cookies.
*Do you have a cookie scoop? It might sounds like a silly kitchen gadget, but if you like cookies, it makes getting them a lot faster. Please don't tell me that's not a good thing.
Posted by Trina on October 14, 2009 at 04:08 PM in Cookies, Desmond Approved, VeganMoFo | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)
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There was a brief period in our lives before Desmond and Felix, before we were married, when I had my first grown-up job, and there was no mortgage, when Paul and I went out to eat whenever we felt like it. It was pretty great, and obviously, fleeting. We were even regulars. There was this little Italian restaurant in that mini mall across from the Beverly Center where we ate every week or so. The waitress knew us and we always ordered the same thing - I can still taste it - it was this perfectly luscious, summery pasta with smoky eggplant. It was so good. And so worth making our own.
Pasta with Smoky Eggplant and Tomatoes
Serves 4 - 6
1 lb fusilli
about 1/4 cup olive oil (divided)
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 1/2 lbs tomatoes (I used 2 big fat heirloom tomatoes)
1 medium eggplant
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
about 1 T red wine vinegar (optional, depending on your tomatoes)
a few leaves of basil
salt
smoked sea salt (optional)
Boil pasta. In a large skillet gently toast the garlic in 2 - 3 tablespoons of olive oil. When the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant, add the chopped tomatoes and a good pinch of salt. Let simmer until the tomatoes have grown saucy and begun to reduce. In the meantime, slice the eggplant about 1/4 inch thick, brush with oil, sprinkle with salt, and grill over medium heat until squishy and nicely browned.
Once the tomatoes have reduced a bit (They’ll still be more watery than you would like in the finished pasta dish.) stir in the nutritional yeast and the eggplant.
When the pasta is just al dente, drain it and toss it into the sauce to finish cooking. Just before serving, stir in another swirl (about 2 T) of olive oil. Taste for salt. If you happen to have it, you could add a pinch of smoked sea salt at this point, but it's just a little bonus. And if your tomatoes are very sweet and mild you might want to add a little swig of vinegar.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Posted by Trina on October 11, 2009 at 08:15 PM in Fall, Pasta, Summer, VeganMoFo | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
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I'm having difficulty thinking straight. The baby woke up something like every half an hour last night. And then there's the laundry. I forgot about new baby laundry. There's a lot of it. That kid can poop on anything. And good land, he's hungry again. I have to go. Did you seen that list over there on the left? I've got a rotating roster of VeganMoFo blogs that you should be reading - I'm changing it every week. So get going. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks so much for being here.
Posted by Trina on October 08, 2009 at 07:46 PM in Desultory Remarks, VeganMoFo | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
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