If you would have had a conversation with me two months ago about my feelings on Boston, it would have gone starkly different than it would today. For starters, it is finally spring time here. It was an incredibly long and hard winter. Spring time in Boston (and I am guessing for most North Eastern cities) is amazing and fairytale like...there are birds and tulips and trees that literally rain down tiny little pink and white and yellow flowers...everything smells so good and happy and new. And everyone finally seems happy because they have spent months, and months, and months, indoors ...... shoveling themselves out, and trudging over pile after pile of sloppy, dirty old snow.
    I vividly remember every emotion and thought I had prior to our move here. I am an "overly passionate" person some would say ( DAVE) and that is not always and endearing trait..as it turns out, passion can be confused by those around you as anger or aggression from time to time ( I know! I was shocked to learn this too!!) but those of us who are 'overly passionate" know it comes from a place of love, excitement and mostly just overwhelming emotional attachment to a thing...I am very easily attached to things..my heart is big and squishy and spills over most of the time. I was optimistic about our move. I had always wanted to go to New England and it was exciting. A new start and there are actual seasons there!! But still I cried for 10 of our 20 hour pilgrimage..My heart instantly ached for my home, friends and family. These friends that have become our family. They know us up and down, good and bad. They have cried with us, laughed with us. We have fought and made up. We have "grown up" together..we have witnessed the births of each others children and been at every birthday party. We have visited each other in hospitals and held hands when we were scared. We have comforted and been comforted at times of loss. We have prayed with each other, held one another accountable. We have listened and been listened to we have loved and been loved beyond anything we could ever deserve....and I over passionately cried and cried and cried as we drove away...
       Friendships take time, and trust and heart and more time...and it seems the older we get, the harder it is to make friends...this move has certainly proved that true. A lady told me yesterday that in the south people will welcome you with open arms, and over time decide if they like you, gradually backing off if you are not a good fit...but in the north they keep up a brick wall and slowly remove one brick at time  until they are ready to let you in...I found this to be a very true and interesting observation...I think the southern approach will cause heart ache down the road..and I think the northern approach causes heart ache from the jump...this said  its been a pretty lonely year and  half here and we were certainly not greeted with a smile and open arms....it is a cold city on more than one level.
   But then a unimaginable terror happened in this city last week....it was devastating and horrible and  just  insane..we watched it all unfold with the rest of the country on the news..but we were sitting just miles away from the reality. Dave's office stayed closed for a week and a half  because the area surrounding it remained a crime scene...we sat on lock down, not leaving our homes because we were told not to as they hunted down the person responsible for these crimes, this terror.... the one who took multiply lives, left countless people in critical condition..devastating an entire city. It was surreal to say the least....and I watched this city that I have felt no connection to prior to this, stand together..I watched the bravery and determination of this city...I watched the city get back up and move forward despite such tragedy.....and I finally felt like I had some connection here.....a bond you could only have if you here for this thing..this tragedy...it links you together somehow...because you came out of it together...even if you have not clue who the  "yous" are on a personal level..
   I drove Dave to work today and the city was lively...full of people out and about, because it is a beautiful day...its spring time in Boston..trees raining flower and birds singing and police barricades are coming down. I could not help but smile but then suddenly before I knew what happened I was crying. We move in three weeks and my big squishy heart began to ache. I know I want to go home. Our kids want to go home...I want to be able to drive them to see their grandparents and spend summers with their families..( without spending 50 hours in our car) I want to be close by as our parents age and need us close...I want to be close by our parents as our kids grow and we need their support and encouragement.. this city has history, charm and beauty by the bucketful..it does not have our friends and family and personal history which is worth its weight in gold... but has a little piece of me now.
    This year has been hard, discouraging, and up hill all the way battle...it has taken a toll on each of us differently..there has been many tears and broken hearts...mine has been broken for sure..but taped, glued and sewed back together little by little...and nestled right in the middle of my big, broken/mended, squishy, overly passionate heart, there is a piece of shrapnel left by this city..and I never want it removed..it will stay there forever..because I will never forget the loneliness and hurt..and I will never ever forget how much I changed and grew and learned from being here...God breaks us and sifts us to refine us...and as strange as it may sound, Boston refined me...and I will be forever grateful.

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Falafel

So due to an over abundance of sweet potatoes, I decided to poke
around th

e interwebs for some new recipe ideas....In my search I stumbled across a recipe for sweet potato falafel and I LOVE FALAFEL!!!

So Ifigured what the heck. Now naturally I was not satisfied with the found recipe and decide to change it up. For starters it was only sweet potato and spice..this in my mind seemed too mushy. I

like the grit of a falafel. So I decided to try

adding quinoa, and It worked...it added just enough grit, helped hold it together and made it even healthier!! Now because it is not monday yet I took some liberty, and therefore it is not totally vegan. The falafel itself is but of course I felt the need to top it with a yogurt lemon dressing...also I felt the need to serve it with a hot bowl of matzo ball soup!!!!! NOMMNOMMNOMMM MATZO BALL SOUP!

I think I liked the end result..a sweet falafel ball. It my no means changes my love for a good ol fashioned falafel..and honestly I think I prefer the ol fashion to the new fangeled. But I was able to use us my potatoes before the produce delivery man dropped more on my doorstep, literally, while I was pealing the before mentioned sweet potatoes..and it is healthy , so you can't beat that!

RECIPE:

- 2 sweet potatoes

-1/2 cup uncooked quinoa

-1 cup water

-1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

-1 1/2 teaspoon coriander

-1/4 teaspoon turmeric

-3 cloves chopped garlic

-palm full of parsley

-salt and pepper to taste

-1/4 cup whole wheat flour

*preheat oven to 450 degrees

*chop and boil sweet potatoes, drain

*bring 1 cup water to boil, add quinoa and simmer until water is absorbed

*in a bowl mash potatoes, mix in cooked quinoa and flour and mix

*mix in garlic, parsley and spice

*on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, scoop potato mixture with a small scoop or spoon to form falafel balls

*spray with a light coating of cooking spray and bake at 450 for about 20-25 minutes

falafel balls should brown on outside a bit and be crisp to the touch.

****serve in pita with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and whatever else you like!

*

21 days : Vegan, Gluten free, Refined sugar free

Ok, so we are going vegan, Gluten Free, and Refined sugar free for 21 days!!

Yikes, I love me some bread so this is not gonna be a cake walk..ahahhahahahhahaha..I am such a nerd...pretty sure I am the only one laughing at that one. Ok, so my sister in law is actually the one responsible for this idea..I just blindly jumped on the train because I like a challenge...everything is more appealing if it seems like a game, am I right? Also being that we have moved a million miles from home, and I am currently friendless and bored in a the big city.....its seemed like something to fill my time.

It should not be too hard. We actually just finished a 3 day juice fast so anything is a step up from that. I am just happy to be chewing anything honestly..just don't make juice for three days ever again! ( after saying this out loud as I type it, I instantly am positive I will one day do it again..blraggggg!) It had its perks. Felt great after..stomach felt good, did not miss coffee, did not really miss sugar...just missed eating. So going vegan, sugar free and gluten free seems doable.

The plan here is simple: find recipes, tweak them, make up recipes, take pictures, post pictures and recipes and share.

So if you are feeling crazy, THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM ON THIS TRAIN!

We are starting monday so expect pics and updates starting monday morning! whoop!!!

Quinoa/ Veggie burgers

So I wanted a veggie burger...an excellent one...delicious...healthy and home made...not a gross frozen one. So like any ambitious cook would do, I started digging through the fridge in search of on hand veggies...pulling out the bag of quinoa and devising my plan.....but like in any story there is a beginning and mine started in Asheville Nc.

We went to Asheville for our 10th anniversary and of course visited the Biltmore Estate. After the long, hunger inducing tour was over, we ended up eating lunch at the Carriage House. I order a veggie burger and was surely skeptical. If you have never been to Asheville let me tell you its the bees knees for all foodies...I wanted to eat somewhere way more exciting but I was too hungry to wait.. The nice waiter assured me the veggie burger was his favorite thing on the menu. Well, he didn't lie. It actually turned out being one of the best veggie burgers I had ever had. Odd, because Dave's food was gross and the menu as a whole did not appeal to me. When the nice waiter brought us our check he also brought out a card with the recipe on it! GREAT..HOORAY....but of course me being me..I lost it..SUCK......this was some time ago. Long enough that I forgot all about it until staring into my pantry at a bag of quinoa that I needed to use up. Then I remembered the burger and decided I had to make up a recipe for a delicious quinoa/veggie burger..BETTER THAN THE CARRIAGE HOUSE..( this cold air is getting to me, giving me high hopes and lofty ambitions ) so here it is. I was impressed with even myself. If you hate it, well I am sorry. If you love it..YAY. Its healthy and yummy and pretty easy.

*1 cup cooked quinoa

*1 cup herb bread crumbs (i used day old french bread and tossed in some rosemary and thyme)

*1 red bell pepper

*1/2 red onion

* 1 cup carrots

*1 and 1/2 cup broccoli

*1 can drained and rinsed black beans

*1 8oz can tomato sauce

*1 egg

*1/4 cup whole wheat flour

* a few good shakes of turmeric ( cause that's how I cook)

*a shake of cumin

*salt and pepper

* and if you don't use herbs in your bread crumbs, maybe and little rosemary and thyme

-

-chop all veggies pretty small and sauté in pan with preferred oil until tender...dump beans in too

-mix quinoa, bread crumbs and tomato sauce in bowl

-dump veggie mix in a food processor or blender and pulse..just to break down and mix em up a bit.

-combined veggies with quinoa and bread crumbs

-add spices and egg and mix until combined

-add flour a little at a time, just until it has thickened up a bit

-form burgers and cook in skillet or grill pan

It will make you around 10 burgers..I tossed the leftovers in my freezer and fully plan on reheating them for lunch later this week!

#9 Kale and white bean soup with roasted red pepper

-1 buch kale, leaves removed from tough stalks, chopped

-1 cup cut button or crimini mushrooms

-1 can white beans drained

-1 roasted red pepper chopped

-4 cups vegetable stock

-2 cups water

-1/2 white onion

-1 tablespoon minced garlic

-1 teaspoon thyme

-salt and pepper to taste

-dash of lemon juice

-table spoon olive oil

*heat oil in heavy stock pot, add garlic and onions until tender

*add broth, water, mushrooms, and beans

*add roasted red pepper

*once liquid is to a boil add the kale and let wilt into soup

*add thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes

*serve as is or sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese

***** i just realized how much it looks like Christmas in a bowl...random side note

#7 Flourless chocolate cake with Garbanzo beans

Ok, I know you might be thinking there is no way you can make a cake with beans and it be good. Well I hate to tell you but you are dead wrong!!! And then I manage to take it a few step farther and take out the sugar and butter......OH, NOW SHE HAS LOST HER DANG MIND....nope! my brain is still in my head (although some people might still want to argue that fact) Now I do not really want to dispute the joy of a cake baked with flour and sugar and butter, dripping with delicious butter cream frosting...I love cake, and I double love cupcakes...but I have husband who can't eat a lot of things and over the last few years our diet has done a lot of changing mostly out of need. I have sworn I would never cut out gluten claiming it was not hurting anyone in this house but now it seems that might not be true. So instead of being heart broken I figure it is just better adapt and move on. This cake is dense and almost brownie like. It is perfect topped with whip cream or ice cream...rich and but light at the same time! I am not 100% awesome with measurement. I know it should be more accurate with this if I am gonna go making up recipes but if you just do what I say, around about, it will turn out and it will not disappoint... I hope......

Flourless Chocolate cake with garbanzo beans

-4 eggs

-1 can garbanzo beans drained

-10 oz chocolate chips..i use bitter or semi sweet(so not a whole bag maybe like a cup plus an hand full ;)

-1/3 cup coconut oil

-one big heaping table spoon almond butter

-three good squirts of agave nectar

1/2 baking soda

*in a blender of food processor, process beans until smooth

*in a a small pot or double bowler, mix chocolate chips, almond butter and coconut oil over low heat until melted

*add chocolate, eggs, baking soda, and agave to beans in food processor and blend until smooth.

*prepare and 9 to 10 inch round cake pan, add batter and bake on 350 for 30-40 minutes or util center is set and a tooth pick comes out clean when put in center of cake.

*cool and top with whip cream or at our house we top it off with coconut milk vanilla bean ice cream!!! WOOT

*****i failed to take a picture BEFORE we almost destroyed the cake....one slice left and it has my name on it!

#6 Healthy Granola cookies

So I want to eat and I want to eat junk most of the time....but that is not going to get any of us any where....so i decided I needed a cookie that did not make me feel bad. Thus the healthy granola cookie was born. It has only a little brown sugar, whole wheat flour and is perfect with a cup coffee after dinner!

-1 cup whole wheat flour

-1/3 cup coconut oil

-1/3 cup brown sugar

-1 egg

-tspn vanilla

-pinch of salt

-1/3 to 1/2 cup granola of your choosing

-1/4 cup raisins or dark chocolate chips

-squirt of agave nectar or honey

*mix coconut oil brown sugar and vanilla then add egg and mix

*next add the flour, pinch of salt and granola

*squirt in a little agave or honey for a little more sweetness and mix

*fold in raisins or chocolate chips

*i use a small melon sized scoop to form them. bake at 350 until done (10-13 mintues) they stay sort of "mounded" up but are super yummy.