holga + tofu scramble

these pictures were taken by me, using my 35mm holga camera. the best thing about it is the color (mint). the worst thing about it is everything else, and the thing is definitely not worth what i paid for it at urban outfitters (why do i go there?)

however, glass half full: these pictures came out dreamy. ele is 13 and not very good at walking in the woods, but she was a trooper.

and here's something delicious that you can make! this recipe is just a loose guideline.

tofu scramble :: serves 1

a few teaspoons olive/vegetable/canola oil, for the pan
1/2 of 1 block of drained & pressed tofu (press it real good), cut into cubes
1/2 clove garlic, minced fine
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
1 thin carrot, sliced into small circles
1/4 green bell pepper, diced
handful of fresh spinach
salt, pepper, & hot sauce, to taste

heat a small skillet, then add oil. when it's hot, throw in the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are just turning translucent (a few minutes). then add tofu, carrot, and pepper and stir-fry, pressing down on the tofu to eliminate any remaining water, for about 5-7 minutes, until the tofu starts turning gold. next, clear a space in the center of the skillet and throw in the spinach. cook until it has wilted (this happens quite quickly).

prepare two slices of toast (i used rye because that's all i have) with plenty of butter, heap the tofu mix on, add salt, pepper, and hot sauce (or sriracha...) and go to town! best served with orange juice and a crossword puzzle.

if you can chop up vegetables quickly, then this is a very quick meal. if you are like me and for some reason cannot, it'll take a bit longer. if you have all your vegetables pre-chopped, i bow down to you. this recipe is also very flexible...you can easily add other veggies such as mushrooms, if you are a hobbit.

this morning

1. morning glory muffins

2. nice walk with Ele. could almost hear the sap flowing. 

3. someone found a mouse....

adventures in house sitting

1. Ele, the black lab. She's 13 and loves carrots. 

2. Potatoes, carrots, and onions, about to be roasted in a cast iron skillet. oh yes. (between me and the dog, we're going through a lot of carrots.) 

3. This is the bathroom...that should give an idea of how pretty this house is.

I'm house/pet sitting in my hometown for the next 2 weeks. the owners are on vacation in the Bahamas. with me are Ele, as pictured above, and Beach, the cat. I like her, but not as much as River. although I do like that their names go together well. 

what i'm reading :: pt 1

i have always been a reader of books. i have also always been a huge advocate of books on tape. and on top of that, i have a habit of re-reading books i love over and over and over. i would not hazard a guess at how many times i read esperanza rising in middle school. reading is just something that i do. i like to think that i am accepting of all types of people, but i have a hard time understanding people who just don't like to read recreationally. je ne comprends pas. but as they say, it takes all types. and i guess some of those types haven't read baudolino, to which i say...nothing, because people don't seem to like baudolino as much as, say, the name of the rose, in terms of umberto eco. but i digress.

this morning, i finished reading the secret history. i hadn't read a really good fiction book for a while (i've been on a non-fiction kick for the winter; i now have a weird amount of knowledge of the russian revolution and the hibernating habits of new england fauna) and thank god i decided to read this one because....right, THAT'S why fiction is so amazing!

next, i will be starting either alias grace (margaret atwood) or when we were orphans (kashuo ishiguro). i've read 2-3 other books by each of those authors, so i'm fairly familiar with their writing styles. i think i'll start the ishiguro first...

me vs chester :: round 1

he's cute, but he's a bastard.

this guy is completely dedicated to getting into my bird feeder. his ingenuity is fairly impressive, but he is waging an unwinnable war against a girl and a cat who love birds, albeit for different reasons. 

he broke my original bird feeder, which admittedly was a cheap one. so yesterday I purchased a rather more sturdy model, and equipped it with a diy squirrel baffler:

(yes, it's march 20th, and yes, it snowed all night. New England.)

for now, I have the upper hand and River is being very vigilant. 

your move, Chester.

would you like to meet my cat?

her name is River Song. yes, after the doctor who character. and she definitely lives up to her name. she's extremely spunky. 

here are a few facts about her:

1. she only eats food out of human dishes -- that is, bowls and cups. she's very specific. 

2. and she is a gravy lover.

3. she is a mix between a Maine coon and a feral barn cat. so she has a fair amount of personality (by which I mean she has a gigantic personality). 

4. she doesn't like cheese, but she does like skittles. 

she's the most amazing cat in the world.

mint + carrot

yesterday i made from-scratch carrot soup (I even made the stock! very proud.). the recipe was loosely based on the carrot soup from the original moosewood cookbook (which is an amazing book -- the gypsy soup is my favorite). I made a few changes though. i sautéed minced garlic and ginger together in quite a bit of butter, then added the onions later because I had cooked a big batch of onions earlier. I also left out the cashews, and I used only 1/2 cup of vegan sour cream at the end. I also added just a pinch cinnamon. 

as for the mojito...that came together rather serendipitously. I went to the grocery store early in the morning, and their fresh herbs were on sale. so, I bought an ounce of mint, then brought it home and made a simple syrup (1 pt water + 1 pt sugar + I pt chopped mint.). then I realized I had about one shot of white rum left and an unopened bottle of club soda. ta-da! I love making my own food.