Small Business Saturday

I committed myself to the concept of Small Business Saturday, shopping local (tho' I must admit, another blogger suggested something I've thought about before, that even the big stores with a nationwide or larger reach, hire local folks, so what's "local" anymore, anyway?). Still I decided to give it a try. I started the morning at Java the Hut:

And you know what? I ordered a "skinny hazelnut latte" (with the sugar-free hazelnut) and I liked it better than my usual Starbucks...it was even a bit less expensive (but then again, overhead for this little hut in the center of a small mall parking lot a few blocks from my house is much less than what Starbucks shells out, I know)...

From here, with hot coffee warming my chilly fingers, I ran across town to my favorite fabric shop, Creative Quilting.

I didn't do as much damage as I sometimes do, but I had a particularly difficult fabric this time. Still, it's always fun to stop by and visit with Judy.

I stopped on the Farmer's Market again (as I did last weekend) and bought honey from one of the vendors. It's wild, local clover honey. I did shop a bit in the various stores but I'm at my wit's end of what to buy certain folks for the holidays...as a result, I got ideas, but didn't make decisions yet.

Then I headed into SW City to Grandin Village. I had to visit the Natural Foods Co-op, but first I visited a new shop called Urban Gypsy. I loved the ambience and the clothing was interesting (tho' a touch young for me) but I was saddened to see so much of it coming from China. Still, it's a neat shop and I wish them well.

The shop on the corner of that photo is Too Many Books, a used bookshop that's a lovely spot to pick up something interesting...if you've not succumbed to e-readers, yet, that is...

On up the street a couple of blocks is New To Me. It's a recycling store - lovely furniture, jewelry, clothing, virtually anything you could envision is right there, everything sold on consignment. It's the shop I always wanted to open, to be honest! I love to poke into the corners and see what's shown up since the last time I was there. If I had a bit of extra space, there was a lovely wardrobe in there today! :)

Finally, I took the time to run out to the edge of Salem, a town not far, but still not on my normal route these days. I'd heard there was a quilt shop there, Quilting Essentials, and I just hadn't made it out there before (since mostly my available days are Saturday, and I spend those sewing most of the time):
They've a nice shop, big and airy, with lots of choice fabrics. The folks working there were helpful, and a lot of fun to chat with. I bought a few things, and will be back, that's sure...

So that's my Small Business Saturday. I hope I helped our local economy a bit, and if you didn't get a chance to do so today, I'd say, pick your next day off and explore your own community. There are always surprises in store!

Meatless Thanksgiving Dinner...

I'll admit that we did have salmon - because my friend Lynette was having a second Thanksgiving dinner tonight, and they were having turkey, so I was flexible, because my turkey breast is going in the crockpot tomorrow for a weekend of meals...

But I really wanted to make my mother's traditional vegetarian recipe for Nutloaf. Big Sis kindly sent me the recipe and I think I can easily share it since my mother allowed it to be printed in the Unitarian Universalist Church of Roanoke's cookbook (which is ancient, I think the Women's Group had it printed in the 1970s)

Here are the ingredients:

Just in the top right-hand corner you'll see the English walnuts...

My mom had an antique meat grinder (which is not in my possession and which had never been used on meat, as I understand it) that she used to grind the nuts in. I used my Cuisinart! Times change, and I'm all about shortcuts.

The only other adaptation I made was swapping out Egg Beaters for the 2 eggs (saved a bit of fat that way...)

Aren't these lovely little loaves? (don't worry, I'm giving the recipe at the end)

I said all thru preparation of the meal that I'd take a photo of our plates. By the time I remembered to get the camera? Our plates were clean. So you get photos of the leftovers:
And I goofed and didn't baste it with the butter mixture my mom used. So maybe that, or maybe not using real eggs, or maybe both, but the nutloaf didn't slice well. It did make a lovely hash mixture on the plate. It doesn't matter. The flavor was there, and it was delish!

I also baked two organic Honeycrisp apples with maple sugar candies, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger dusted over them - these were HUGE apples:
each one weighed about a pound! I said that if these were the apples Eve offered Adam? Well...that was too much temptation for ANYONE! They are fabulous either baked or eaten out of hand!

Finally I made Pumpkin Fluff:
It's a recipe shared at Weight Watchers, and since I had to add it to etools, I don't think there's any copywrite to violate, so I'll share it:

1 can of pumpkin (NOT pie filling)
1 large package of Sugar-Free Fat-Free Vanilla instant pudding
2 cups of skim milk
1 8 oz tup of Cool Whip Fat Free
your favorite pumpkin pie seasonings (I use Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, and Cloves)

Make the pudding with the 2 cups of milk...I wisk it together and beat it well till it begins to set. At that point, I add the spices, then the pumpkin. The very last thing I do is fold in the Cool Whip and mix it well, but don't beat it, because you'll beat the "air" out of it and you want it fluffy. Chill and serve - one CUP is 1 WW point!
Who needs pumpkin pie?

Ok...here's the nutloaf recipe:
1 and 1/2 c. ground walnut meats
1 and 1/2 c. ground peanuts (Spanish or unsalted)
4 slices bread, broken up fine (or toast them lightly and pulse in food processor)
2 Tbs poultry seasoning
1 small onion, grated (oh heck I just tossed this in the Cuisinart, too)
2 eggs (or, as I said, I substitued the equivalent in Egg Beaters)

Mix dry ingredients; add eggs slightly beaten and the onion. Mold into two small loaves. Cover & bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes - basting occasionally with 2 Tbs butter in one cup of boiling water. Do not bake too dry. (oh well, I missed this part of the directions!)

Slice the loaf & serve with tomato sauce:
1 large can of tomatoes thickened with flour
seasoned with 1 tsp grated onion salt and pepper

Mix the flour with a bit of water in a small lidded container and shake well so the flour isn't lumpy - I used hot tap water - then add that into the tomatoes. Heat and allow the sauce to thicken. I also used a can of tomatoes with Italian seasoning already in there, so I didn't add more onion or seasonings.

**by the way, I'm not affliated with Cuisinart, nor with any of the products shown in the photos, and am only a Lifetime member of Weight Watchers, not a paid representative - just for anyone who might wonder about it**

Have a terrific Thanksgiving Holiday!

Two Big Days Coming Up...

...and I don't mean Thanksgiving and Christmas, tho' they are, too.

I'm thinking about Buy Nothing Day (November 26) and Small Business Saturday (November 27).

Buy Nothing Day (BND) has been an event in my life for about as long as it's been going on (maybe longer, as I despise crowds and almost as much as that, I dislike spending a ton on *stuff* that very few people need). I think the most I've ever bought on BND has been emergency cat food.

This year's Small Business Saturday is an event I can totally get behind. I'm trying very hard to buy smaller, buy local, and give handmade as much as humanly possible. My focus this year in my gift giving will have much more reliance on supporting the small businesses in my town as well as the small crafters on Etsy (and yes, I, (Nana Sadie Rose, am one).

I'm interested in any purchase that supports:
1. my local arts community (handcrafted items and concert tickets)
2. the small businesses on our City Market: our huge Market Square Building has been closed for renovations that will take a long time to do - many of the small businesses that were housed there have relocated to other spots along the Market area (some just folded - sob!). Traffic is being re-directed around the building and it's not much fun to navigate. The upshot of that is that many folks are not going downtown they way they used to. But I will!
3. food entrepreneurs - locally grown, locally baked
4. Gift Certificates for services: yoga classes, massages, haircuts, and such.

Then, at the next level of gifting, I'm doing a Handmade Holiday:
5. handcrafted items on etsy
6. handcrafted items I create myself
7. handcrafted items from my local craft shows

Finally, for those family and friends farther away:
8. contributions of cash to groups that do good - in the local community. My hope is that Americans realize that for all our generousity to the people of countries afar, we have serious concerns in our own hometowns that need addressing (and need funding). Most folks are still feeling pinched, so contributions to nonprofits are down (yes, I work for one), and the corporations and governments that used to help fund these groups have had to cut back on their giving/funding, as well. If you have a group in your area that does good and has the need, consider a gift in the name of someone you care about. That nonprofit will send a thank-you to your honoree on your behalf. And your honoree won't have to figure out what to do with the *stuff* you gift...(yes, we all have that happen once in awhile, eh?)

I know folks like to use the big charities - and I won't say don't, do what works for you, but do take a moment to think about your local humane society, homeless shelter, domestic violence shelter, food bank, art museum, or opera company and symphony. Perhaps they have a greater need than the bigger groups at least during this time of economic distress.

Lastly? On Buy Nothing Day? Why not take the time to de-stuff your closets? And donate to a local organization that helps provide for folks just starting over, those who've lost everything due to natural or economic disaster?

Because after all, do we really need everything we've got? Isn't a bunch of it just "STUFF?"

And isn't this time of year about so much more?

Farmers Market STILL!

Yes, our area still has veggies on the Farmers Market downtown this weekend...While there's a vendor or two who bring in veggies from down south, I was able to buy local produce from Sandra's farmer friend from Franklin Co. He had a wonderful array of squashes, greens (spinach for salad on Turkey day and turnip greens tonight), and potatoes (red & white sweet, and white regular), and I picked up a couple heads of garlic and a big onion.

I baked the two red sweet potatoes for dinner tonight and Tuesday and froze some of the turnip greens after having a nice sized serving for dinner.

Life is good. Especially when you can hook up and visit (however briefly) with a friend. Her farmer friend did the honors and snapped a shot of us together:

That's pal Sandra (who I see too infrequently!) and me. If you're interested in seeing a little Fair Isle knitting, you can jump on over to my other blog and see the cat mittens I made that go with my lightweight winter coat.

I'm hoping to make an old vegetarian favorite for Turkey Day (when I won't be having turkey, I'll be having salmon with friend Lynette!). The recipe for the family dish has nothing to do with fish, of course, it's ...

Nut Loaf!

Be sure to stop by, okay?

It's Been a Long Time!

This might seem pretty amazing, but I'm still eating from last year's CSA share! I had two small bags of peppers which I'd frozen whole after de-seeding them and lopping the tops off. I saved them with this in mind:

Raised a vegetarian, my Mom used to make stuffed peppers just this way: stuff with your favorite sage stuffing mix (I do use Stove Top, because I rarely have time to do anything more, and besides, it tastes JUST like my Mom's - at least the Savory Herb flavor does). Fit them into a covered casserole, top with a can of tomatoes (flavored with Italian herbs so I don't have to add anything) and sprinkle a tablespoon or so of shredded Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for an hour or so.

Absolutely delish!

I've been gone a bit from this blog and I apologize. Life seems to be moving faster than a speeding bullet, and I've neglected both this one and my knitting blog. While the holidays are approaching, I think I'll be able to spare a few minutes to post occasionally, but I'm still toying with ideas for this particular blog and am unsure of the direction I'll take it. Let me know if there's something you'd like to see?
(((hugs)))

Have You Discovered?

Patti? I just did...Well, let's just say you may not see me for a bit, as I have a lot of catching up to do...Putting my own world and life in perspective, and reading her stuff.

WOW!

Reposting From Cheap Healthy Good for Meatless Monday!

Making Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch apparently is very easy, and I think it will go on my fall list of "must-dos" because recently I've had no time, and had to eat things with little or no "chewability" thanks to a flare-up of my previously-under-control TMJ. I am okay with jarred sauce, but I usually doctor it up quite a bit. Why not just go ahead and make fresh, especially with tomatoes all over the place (for a bit longer, but they'll soon be gone). If I can act fast enough, maybe I'll can some? Oh, who am I kidding? That would mean buying all those canning supplies, so I guess I'll find room in the freezer instead.

I have no photos to share, but tonight's dinner is scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese and baby carrots cooked well beyond my preferred al dente to a very soft state, and covered with a honey (2 Tbsp), grated fresh ginger (to taste, I used about 1 Tbsp) and a mite of butter (just a tsp) glaze. Yummy. And easy to chew (or slide down the gullet as the case may be). Also really easy to make. Put the carrots on in a pot of water and boil to smitherines (ok, probably 10 minutes or so) and then mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and nuke for 30 seconds. I was able to use up the remains of a bag of baby carrots I'd been crunching on at lunch...which no doubt exascerbated the TMJ flare, right along with my dentist visit and X-rays...! (ouch)

The doc warned me to "cut my meat into teensy pieces" and I laughed. What meat?
(just the occasional salmon fillet, and I don't have to "cut" that - it flakes)

Meatless. The way to go, especially if you've got jaw issues!

A Link...and Short Comment

I'm hoping I make up for being gone a bit, and I do hope to be back to regular posting soon. If you're not familiar with the site I'm featuring here, do start with this post Cheap, Heathly, Good, 20 Cheap Healthy Dishes Made From Ten Pantry Staples.

I wish my pantry looked like that! (I love the light, clean, spacious feel of that space!)
(sigh)
Now I'm off to clear out my pantry to send things off to Weight Watchers Lose For Good at my meeting tonight. I'm taking the list from the article above to my grocery store, and stocking up.

Then when I pick up fall veggies at the Farmers Market, I should be all set...

(hmm...better clear out the spice rack, too - some of them are really older than I'd like to admit!)

Meatless Monday After a Weekend Away

A long weekend away doing Nana Sadie Rose things...very busy, and very tired.

So the easiest thing to fix is a Vermont Hunter Cheddar Cheese toasted on Rosemary Sourdough with steamed pattypan squashes...

And then...to sleep, perchance to dream - oh heck, I'd rather NOT dream, but sound sleep would be really good!

It's Meatless Monday!

The next few Mondays my meals will be much the same for me...simple, fast to prepare, and full of the bounty that's at the Farmers Market right now:
I'm spending long hours at the sewing machine, creating stock, so pick-up food is the order of the day.

So here again, my new favorite tomato - the Heirloom Purple Cherokee - on two slices of locally baked rosemary sourdough with a touch of mayo (I'm sorry for you purists, but it's the fat-free jarred mayo; thankfully, I like that) and salt and cracked pepper. Along side you can see a block of my favorite cheese ever: Vermont Hunter Cheddar. This cheese, at room temperature has a bite that many don't like, but I was raised to consider it the finest there is. While in Vermont last weekend, I picked up a block, but it's been long enough that I forgot that the wax it's encased in needs to be encased in plastic or foil to protect surfaces...sure enough my carryon/knitting bag has black wax inside it.
:(
I will work on that. But this meal is simplicity personified.

And wow. Was it ever good.

The next couple of weeks I'll be slammed as I work feverishly to prepare for, and then vend at the National Capital Cat Show. I'll be hosting a booth near the front door, so do come and visit if you're in the Northern Virginia area. We'd love to see you! (One night, will be La Madelienes for dinner, and I make no promises, but often it's reasonably easy to eat Meatless there! I'll try to remember the camera!)
(((hugs)))

Watch...and Learn...

Meatless Monday - Chana Masala

I mentioned last week that I was having vegetarian at a local Indian restaurant after my yoga class. I did and it was wonderful!

I had Chana Masala, and a tomato/coconut soup (must search for recipe), along with naan...I found this recipe for Chana Masala which looks a lot like what I had, with, of course, jasmine rice.

We had such fun, seeing off the daughter of one of our members who has spent the summer in class with us. She's off to college, and we wanted to share a celebratory meal in her honor.

It's Another Meatless Monday...

I missed last week...I'm so sorry, but I did eat meatless, I promise (I'm doing this many more days than just Mondays, too...)

But I have a photo:

This meal included a mess of fresh green beans from my sis-in-law's garden. Now I have to admit that while I use the Southern term of "mess" to describe the large bag she brought me, I do not cook my green beans Southern-style. I simply cook them in water with a little salt, then serve them with a bit of butter and freshly cracked pepper.

I had 1/2 a sweet potato, too. I wrap them in aluminum foil and cook at 425 for 60 minutes...they're melt-in-your-mouth soft and sweet. Add a touch (a small one) of butter and a bit of salt and pepper, and yumm....

The corn and grape tomaotes and the Artisan Bread were from the chain grocer, but I didn't have a chance to get to the Farmer's Market this weekend. I'll make a better effort to do so next week!

Now, tonight? I'm going to one of our Indian restaurants...and I'll report back next Monday on the vegetarian meal I have...okay?

Meatless Monday...Farmer's Market Edition

I visited the Roanoke City Farmer's Market this weekend for the first time all summer (yes, I know I'm awful, and I really do love the place, but I despise having to pay to park so I do visit other Markets that don't have that drawback, but Roanoke's was the first and is the best, no argument).

I brought back a few things. I'm trying really hard this year to remember that it is just me, and I don't have much freezer space or time to put by. Still I tend to overbuy anyway...without applying the brakes? I'd have bags and bags of stuff and be overwhelmed (like last year with the CSA) and I'm trying hard to keep that in mind:
I picked up all three sisters, tho only two are here. My favorite October beans (or "shellies" as my Mom called them) cooked up nicely with a teaspoon or so of olive oil, freshly cracked pepper, a touch of salt and about a tablespoon of dried rosemary in the cooking water. I adore them and was promised the farmer who had these would have many many more all the rest of the summer - I might have to put some of these by, as it's just my favorite bean in the world (I take after Mom in a lot of ways, but when I eat these, I remember the simple delight she had in them and it's a lovely memory!). There were two ears of yellow/white corn, too, and the yellow squash was fabulous.

This is the primary reason I love the Roanoke City Market - because I can stop at On the Rise bakery for their amazing Rosemary Sourdough bread.

But then, as I wandered thru the marketplace, I suddenly heard my name, and lo and behold there was friend Sandra, who helps a friend of her's at his farmstand booth every weekend. Now I have another reason to go down there. What amazing produce!

Sandra immediately told me I had to try one of these:


Saturday and Sunday I had this for lunch, making it a purely meatless weekend (breakfast is always meat-free):
The peaches made my mid-afternoon snack extra special. I'm not a huge fan of peaches, except when they're fresh, in season, and eaten out of hand. This is a good year for peaches, apparently!

And the Cherokee Purple heirloom tomato? OMG. No joke, it's amazing. As soon as I took my first bite, I phoned Sandra and asked her to pick up a couple more of the treasures for this week. I added just a touch of fat-free mayo to the sourdough bread and tomato...I think I'll be stocking up on them each week as long as they last. Hmm...wonder if I can grow two or three of these plants next summer on the front stoop? (Those of you who've been here awhile know perfectly well that it will be a pitiful attempt. I just don't get enough sun...better to plan on every Saturday morning from July into September being at Sandra's friend's booth, right?)

Oh...And Sandra dropped off some of her fresh, home-grown basil on Sunday afternoon, and I made pesto, and added a few leaves and some mozzarella to the sandwich - it was equally amazing...

It's Meatless Monday AGAIN!

I was thinking salad, I was craving Mexican. Taco salad? Vegan style? Well...

I ended up tossing together what I had (wish I'd had a lime or lime juice, but I didn't) and came up with this:

I tossed in:
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained (and I patted them dry with a towel, too)
1 ear of yellow corn cooked and removed from the cob
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/3 of a Vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno (frozen from my CSA share last year), seeded and chopped

I seasoned with smoked paprika, cumin (probably 1 tbsp or more), a touch of hot sauce, and lemon juice and olive oil - I can't give you actual amounts, b/c (1) I didn't measure, and (2) I think probably you'll want to season to your own preference.

(I like mine spicey!)

And then I carefully mixed it all up (those black beans tend to mush if you're too forceful!). I tossed broken up multigrain Tostitos chips and romaine in a bowl and added the mixture on top.

Next time? I think I'll make up a bit of salsa and fat-free ranch dressing for a topper and add in some (non-vegan) sharp cheddar shreds.

Meatless Mondays - Veggies

I'm not sure you can tell what's on the plate (well, except that obviously there's an ear of corn!

My meatless meal tonight was veggies: On the right, the thing that's probably not obvious at all is a roasted white patty pan squash. Then there's the corn, and of course a garlic baguette with seasoned olive oil. I had nectarine for dessert.

So what is it with me? I seem to put many many white, yellow, pale, blah, beige sorts of foods on my plate. Or at least it seems to me as if there's a lot of it. (On the rare days I eat anything animal based (other than dairy - oh! There's that white stuff again) I eat chicken. White.Meat.

Hmm...I do eat carrots and winter squash, sweet potatoes (hmm...yellow, orange)

And tomatoes (red).

But Mom always taught me to have something green on my plate.

Oh well. In past weeks? It's been some sort of salad, so I guess it's okay that tonight's meal is blah, ho-hum, beige...right?

(oh, that black stuff? I'm totally enamoured of freshly ground pepper...)

In The Realm of Far-Fetched Fantasy...

I often dream of this for my retirement.

Of course, these days, the thought of spending the $$ for fuel to travel around the country combined with the limited balances in the IRAs - can anyone afford to retire anymore? - has me cringing in the midst of my daydreams.

(But you know? I've got a bit of a crush on the pink and white one with the vintage kitchen chair in front! Only I'd have nothing but pillows of barkcloth roses and lace inside!)

But there is the fact that these are pint-sized homes and one can park them as much as one can drive them. That little tidbit offers a glimmer of hope that living this way might be an option one day...(and who knows, maybe there'll be some sort of renewal energy source someone creates to work around the combustion engine in order to power them?)

Hmm...I'm thinking the SW (New Mexico) for the winter, and perhaps New Hampshire or Maine in summer? Now to whittle down the yarn and fabric stash to fit inside this tiny wheeled wonder...oh and then teach the cats to walk on a leash!
*wink*

Meatless Monday - Dinner Out!

So it's Mealess Monday again, and I'm expecting company. Dinner will be in a restaurant today, so will either be Buddhist Delight at a local Chinese place, or perhaps salad bar and baked potato at a local chain restaurant.

Sometimes, you just gotta go with the flow, you know?

Oh...and breakfast is a "fast food" sandwich I make myself:
Thomas' high fiber English Muffin
1/4 c Egg Beaters w/ shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Morningstar Farms veggie-sausage patty

It's really good, and only 5 points on Weight Watchers. Holds me over for a long morning, as well.
Happy 4th of July holiday weekend, if you're still enjoying a day off today!

Another Meatless Monday Salad Day...

I visited a newly forming farmers Market last week and was pleased to see the people in attendance, the vendors being patronized, and the quality of the food. I purchased beets, Swiss Chard, and a summer squash.
When I got home, I immediately put the beets in to roast with rosemary and olive oil, and then tossed the chard into boiling water for that night's dinner. The beets I knew would take a lot longer, so when they were done (and forgotten for a few hours in the cooling oven!) I just put them in the fridge for the future.

So for Meatless Monday, I was able to pull them out, chop them into a mixed mesclun green salad, add in a tablespoon or so of feta cheese and a couple of tablespoons of chopped walnuts. A quick vinagrette later (did you realize you can get the last vestiges of mustard out of a container by adding a bit of vinegar (balsamic or white - choose whatever) and shaking it into the container? The mustard mixture forms a base for vinegrette that's got some substance to it - that is, as long as you don't use that yellow stuff! I added in some canola oil (the flavor of the mustard would overpower olive oil) and then some rosemary to continue the flavor I'd already used with the beets.

It was a delightful salad! With our weekend temperatures posting close to 102, a cool salad keeps me from heating up the kitchen and that agrees with me completely! Someone at work (who doesn't get - or agree with - the warming of the globe or the level of commitment it takes to be an evironmentalist) asked why my upstairs was hotter than down, "don't you have air conditioning?"

Yup...I do. I also push it way up when I'm not home, and it's pretty high (77) when I'm there.

So I don't make the heat pump work harder to cool the house by heating up the kitchen (well, not often anyway...)

I promise I bought this baked item! A lovely mini-loaf of banana bread I picked up at the farmer's market.

I didn't save any. It was good.

Obviously, I Can Do This...

I'm a sewist and Knitter (yes, with a capital K), who must have huge amounts of cotton fabric and yarn in my stashes, and I'm also an armchair environmentalist who can only step up and do what one aging Nana can do from her overwhelming sense of duty, but very limited available funds and energy, so I'm going to make some knitted dishcloths and small fabric handtowels for this project:

How can you even watch the news footage in the Gulf and not be moved to do something - at least for me, anything is better than sitting by and feeling so helpless. Finally, today? I found something that *fits* with who I am, and what I can offer!

Thank you, Green Phone Booth