Almost-Vegan

This post is in honor of Lauren and Matthew who bought me the Forks Over Knives cookbook a couple of weeks ago. Yes, they are possibly the most thoughtful people on the planet. Love and thanks to you two! 

On Friday night, I attempted to make vegan white bean chili from scratch. Spoiler alert: I ended up ruining the vegan component by dumping a handfull of mozzarella in the bowl before I ate it, but it was a pretty decent effort.

I diced almost-all of the vegetables by hand and minced some fresh garlic, while simultaneously talking Dad through a complicated iPhone procedure. So, Lauren, that's why my the onions aren't all in perfect squares -- I can almost hear you gasping right now. 

I cheated by adding canned tomatoes and pre-packaged vegetable broth. Don't judge me.

 

I rinsed the beans (yes, I added black beans to my "white bean" chili), and noticed there was a rogue kidney bean in the mix. I don't know about you, but I am going to go out on a limb and say that is some kind of good luck:

And then I mixed it all together, and let it cook:

The result was nothing short of ah-mazing. I am attributing much of the success to the lemon juice and lime zest:

Oh, and the cheese, of course.

Here's to eating almost-vegan-homemade-chili alone on a Friday night and writing a blog post about it. Procrastination is a beautiful [and delicious] thing.

Ryan

Weekend Wrap-Up

Disclaimer: This guy gave me his head cold this weekend and I have been hopped up on cold medicine for approximately 24 hours -- I am a little loopy, and take no responsibility for any typos and bad jokes that may ensue. 

This weekend, Jeff brought out the big guns:

We began the ominous task of hanging a new chair rail and assembling our own wainscoting in the dining room on Saturday, and I have to admit -- we felt pretty legit.

Jeff got a miter saw for Christmas, and this was the first time he has used it. It even has a laser.

And yes, I am pretty sure we broke every rule that I ever learned in wood shop by putting this saw in the middle of the room with no eye protection, and me running around barefoot... but we're learning. Jeff is still working on this project, but here's a sneak peek:

I also started painting the trim work in the dining room, and finished taping off in the formal living room and the foyer. I know that doesn't sound like a major accomplishment, but I went through three roles of Frog Tape and it took me all weekend; so, I apologize for needing a moment of recognition.

I am pretty sure that I will be able to paint trim in my sleep by the time we finish this house. And you should get used to seeing photos of the process here, because it will likely be my only project for the next 2-3 weekends. 

In other news, I didn't quite get around to cooking a new recipe this week (like I mentioned here) -- so, one night I poured my butternut squash soup into the crock pot to make myself feel like I had tried something new, and I put my sandwich on a frying pan to heat up. In my book, that is cooking.

School started back on Monday [after a two-month-long winter break] so my system is in shock and slightly resistant to the idea of class and projects and studying; so, bare with me over the next few days as I adjust -- there may be more posts about what I'm eating than about remodeling projects, but I'll try to stay focused, I promised.

Here is a bit of iPhoneography from this week to put this cold-meds-induced post out of its misery:

A heavenly moment after Jeff set up the miter saw:

Jeff being asked to hang work at the pin-up show we went to last night:

The beginnings of my first project this quarter:

 Our date night on Thursday night to see Django Unchained:

 And Toby, on one of our walks this week:

Happy weekend, all.

Here's to hot tea ... and cold meds.

Love,

Ryan

Recipe-schmecipe

One of my resolutions for 2013 is to cook at least once a week. I know that sounds like a wimpy resolution, but for someone who can barely manage to heat up a can of soup in the microwave without burning it, spilling it, splattering it, etc., this is a lofty [and perhaps, unattainable] goal.

With that being said, I am happy to report that I managed to make a decent meal last week, thanks to Giada De Laurentiis and the Food and Wine Annual Cookbook 2012. For those of you who don't know, the fact that I even pulled out a cookbook is a big deal - as 95% of the time, I find them insulting and bossy. I hate being told what to do, and I also hate math. So, it's pretty much a lose-lose from the start.

I set out to make Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce and a Snack Mix for dessert. Sounds good, right? Well, I had the best intentions, I did -- and I bought almost all of the necessary ingredients. (Sure, I omitted a couple of unnecessary grains and spices, and added a few things that I thought might improve upon the culinary outcome -- but essentially, I felt as though I was on track.)

This may or may not come as a surprise to you, but I ended up with two dishes that held zero resemblance to either of the original recipes.

Naturally, I have decided to rename them -- Ground Turkey and Publix Brand Marinara Sauce Lasagna with Tomato Penne and Gooey Sunflower Pretzel Melt. You can use your imagination as to where I went wrong.

It still tasted good; which, apparently, is all that matters.  (Note: this is what they tell people who don't know how to follow a recipe. I've heard it a million time, and it never makes me feel better.)

Here's to learning to follow directions, and investing in better measuring utensils.

All of my culinary love,

Ryan