Recipe of the week: Lentil Stew with Butternut Squash

photo: James Baigrie

Mom pointing me in the direction of this recipe.
She said is was very good.
Mom's are ALWAYS right.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup (or more) vegetable stock
1 cup (or more) celery cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 of a large butternut squash (about a pound) cut into large 1 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 of a large onion chopped
1 leek cut into large chunks (don't forget to clean the dirt in between layers!)
1 generous of cup lentils (I used a mix of red and Spanish brown)
Dried Rosemary... a couple of hefty teaspoons
Sea Salt & Pepper

For serving:
Fresh Parmesan (shave into curls or use whatever you have!)

Literally the easiest recipe ever..... Throw all the ingredients into a slow cooker on low for 8 hours! BOOM BABY, YOU HAVE A WARM HEARTY STEW!

Make sure you have enough liquid. And season generously with fresh pepper!! YUM YUM.

TO SERVE:

Ladle stew into bowls, crack some fresh pepper, and curl some parmesan over the top. Be adventurous and dip a french baguette in the broth, OH BABY OH BABY, IT WILL WARM YOU UP IN A JIF!

I love clay, I love clay

Yes, I make clay miniatures.

I got hooked this summer when I had a stress fracture.
It is very amusing.

Cupcake charms

the doughnut collection :)

PB&J phone accessory

Pumpkin Pie earrings

Last but surely not least... Smore's earrings.

INDIAN INDIAN INDIAN FOOOOOOODDDD

I made a delicious Indian dish and you should too :)


Spices:
2 tbls Curry Powder (I used hot yellow curry powder... cause' I LIKE IT!)
2 tsp Tumeric
2 tsp cinnamon (less if you're not a fan)
1-2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp ground red pepper (once again I LIKE IT HOT, so less if you're not a fan)


Ingredients:
1 cup yellow onion chopped
4 large garlic cloves
2-3 large carrots sliced in 1/4 inch chunks
1 green pepper cut into large chunks
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
1 can tomatoes
1 tbls tomato paste
1 can garbanzo beans
1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut milk
A couple hand fulls of fresh spinach

This makes a huge batch... You can use whatever veggies on hand and also use a different protein like chicken, beef, lamb, pork or tofu! I have also made it with lentils and it was DELICIOUS!

Cook onion, garlic, and carrots in a large pan over medium heat with olive oil until softened. about 7-8 mins. Toss in all the spices and keep stirring around for about a min. add all the ingredients through tomato paste and stir. Cook over medium heat with lid on for 15-20 mins. Take off lid and add garbanzo's continue cooking for 8-10 more mins or until the sauce had reduced. Throw spinach and coconut milk in and cooka couple mins until spinach has wilted.

Serve over rice or with Naan! YUMMMMMMMMM


(You can also do this in a crock pot on low heat while your at work and POOF when you get home a delicious Indian meal is waiting for you. HEAVEN.)

To make with Crock pot:
Cook onions, garlic and carrots and spices the same as above.
Throw them in the crock pot.
(you may need a cup of vegetable stock if it doesn't look like you have enough liquid from tomatoes!)
throw all the ingredients except coconut milk and spinachin crock pot.
(also the garbanzo's will melt completely, so add at the end it you would rather have a heartier texture.)
Come home and stir in coconut milk and spinach.


ENJOY!

Let me know how yours turns out!

A few of my favorite things!

I was watching "Martha" while organizing yarn.

Julie Andrews was on.

I was inspired.

These are a few of MY favorite things.

AND of course Gemma's favorite thing...

The obsession of felt flowers...

I can't get enough of these babies.

Can you?

Anyone?

Nope... Nothing.

I know you are out there people.

Haller back.

Tech addict...

You know what "Caligirl". I hope you went back to "cali" and never come back. Or else I am going to be PISSED considering I CAVED and bought internet. I realized, I can live without TV but without the internet I am a HUGE grump and everyone should stand clear unless they want to be yelled, screamed, cried, grumped, or hallered at.

SO THERE. I said it. I need technology. HEY, so do you.

Grilling adventure with cupcake

Thank you Kel-bosh Myernick for the Cupcake Merlot.
5 months after the big "21" and I finally got a cork screw.
Congrats to me.

Chiffon Flower Headbands Anyone?

You know you want them.

CALI GIRL YOU SUCK.

I have to apologize to all my million blog followers for not posting as often as I would like. Someone by the name of "caligirl" has either moved or refused to fix their internet. And I have been happily stealing it for the past 7 months. Caligirl, if you are out there, please fix your internet. Mucho Gracias...

SUNRISES, SUNSET, SUNRISE, SUNSET

Airplane photos are the best.
Even if it isn't the legal "10,000" feet for electronics.
I'll risk it.
:)

Flowers Flowers everywhere!

This is a 4X4 foot mess.
I spread all my flowers out to see what I have,
And happily destroy my "clean" house.
It makes me happy.
How bout you?!

SEATTLE I MISS YOU!

SEATTLE I MISS YOU!

last sunset

Here are some pictures from my last sunset on Oahu...
TEAR :'(
We "enjoyed" a dinner at my Dad's favorite joint where you cook your own protein. (It's a genius place really... you can't complain that your food isn't cooked correctly because you are the one doing the damage!)
Grandpa was mad we had to walk further than the Hilton.
Grandma was mad we had to eat too much food.
I was mad happy how phenomenal the sunset was.. (and not to mention how perfectly cooked my Mahi Mahi was... a thank you.)

Headbands, Headbands, Headbands

Why are 90% of my titles in 3's? Because that's the way my brain works... I think...

Anywho, here are some lovely felt flower headbands.

Like Bowen says, "You can just throw it on and you automatically look better."

Did Bowen really say that? Who knows... please don't sue me.

:)

My Playdate With Josiah

Today I had a playdate with a 3 year old. We ate cheerios, set ships on fire, and watched Clifford. It was fun.

OWLIE FRIENDS

They are boyfriend and girlfriend.
They like to hold hands.
One is purple and the other is blue.
One is stumpy and the other is long.
He is leaving her to go warm someones phone today.
She will be sad until she warms Ali's phone.
:)

Death by ballet...

I was killed by a little thing called ballet today. Someone decided to take a picture. I came back to life after someone enticed me with cupcakes. Life is hard....

What's this?!

Let's play a game.

Guess what the picture is!

Mom, you're not aloud to play.

Morning Coffee Adventures

I went on my daily morning adventure for the greatest cup of joe, and saw the best sunrise over the hills. Of course I didn't have my camera to catch the photo of the hills flaming in pink and purple but I ran upstairs to grab the camera and rush back down to the bridge to maybe catch some of it. This is the crap end on it...


Woot Woot.

Jordan

Hat's, Hat's, Hat's.

My New Addiction. Crocheted hat's.

BLOG, BLOG, BLOG

I have finally done what I have been meaning to do for a while, MADE A BLOG. A place to throw all my creations, and share them with everyone. Whether it's a crocheted hat, a batch of homemade marshmallows, a new favorite photograph, or an update of my dancing career, I can have one consistent place to show and tell!

*Sigh.

Jordan