Tired Skin.

So after such an exciting weekend, my skin was looking a little sallow today. In order to perk it up, I whipped up a little face masque. It is currently on my face and it makes it feel pretty good. It's ridiculously easy and the best part is that it was junk I had around.

1/3 a ripe banana (you know the kind...with the brown parts, the ones that usually go in my trash)
1 tsp honey

Mash the banana in a small bowl, then add the honey. Mix is up well and then apply to your sad face. Lay on your couch for 15 minutes and think about how pretty you are. Then, rinse it off with cool water. Look in the mirror and think about how good you look.

I've read the bananas have all sorts of vitamins that aren't just good for your belly, but for your skin, too! So mash it up and enjoy.

Thanks for coming this weekend, I had a super time and I really like the plant. It's really neat...I've never seen one like it.

Keep on the lookout for your shoes.

Love,
K

Rain, Rain.

Dear Sister,

Here it is, Thursday. It's raining today, which is great-I can feel the pollen getting washed away, which is spectacular. Although, I broke down and picked up some new allergy meds this week and they seem to be working like a charm, so I guess the rain isn't as important as it otherwise might have been.

Did I tell you that I made my very own patio fountain? It's pretty sweet and it makes the perfect water clinkling noise. Very relaxing.

I'm looking toward this weekend with trepidation and excitement. I'm giving up my LAST Saturday to the Grad School gods. (What more can I say?)

On to your recipe for today.

I'll have to admit, there are very loose measurements for this recipe, adjust it as you need.

Crustless Apple Pie:

Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter
1 apple for each serving/person you want to make. (Tart ones work best: Empire/Braeburn)
1.5 Tbsp Brown Sugar/serving
1 Tbsp Unbleached flour
.5 tsp Baking Powder

Spray (or actual) Whipped Cream

1. Rub half of the butter on the bottom and sides of a baking dish.
2. Using your apple corer, cut up the apples into slices
3. Layer the all of the apple slices in the buttered dish (they can go on top of each other)
4. Combine the dry ingredients and remaining butter together
5. Cover the apples with the dry mixture
6. Place in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes (depending how crunchy you want it to get)
7. Remove, allow to cool (serve when it's warm, don't wait until it's stone cold)
8. Serve on plates with liberal amounts of whipped cream

I sort of made this up. It's super tasty. Enjoy!

Upcoming: Italian with fake Snausage...yum!

Starting Out.

Dearest Sister, this blog is devoted to you. Consider it an apology for anything I've said or done that you haven't been thrilled with. Have I forgotten a gift for your birthday (I doubt I have)? Then, consider this your gift.

I thought that it would be lovely for you to further embrace this slogan:

Vegetarian...and loving food!

That will be the main idea, so you'll get at least one recipe or food idea out of each posting.

Now, I've been thinking that you won't like (or have to adjust) some recipes. I've given it some thought-I think we've become vegetarians for completely different reasons. You are a vegetarian because you don't like the taste of meat (or that's what I perceive), I am a vegetarian because the idea of meat is gross when it involves me eating it. If I'm wrong, let me know.

I'll point out that I do cook with eggs. It's funny, I won't eat a plate of eggs or an egg sandwich, but I gladly eat pasta that I make from the KitchenAid book. I'm trying to phase eggs out completely because quite frankly, they freak me out. I love soy yogurt, but I know that I'll never be able to desert my two favorite dairy friends...cheese and ice cream. No soy alternatives for me when it comes to those two.

I'll start the recipes on a high note with an Arlington family favorite:

Couscous Cakes with a Tomato-Garlic Ragout
From the book, Vegetarian Planet

Ingredients:

Couscous Cakes
3 C water
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 2/3 C couscous (I like the whole wheat kind)
3 eggs
1/2 C unbleached flour (the only kind we have)
1/2 C chopped parsley (curly or Italian work, run them under hot water first to activate the lovely odor!)
1/4 C crumbled blue cheese (I know you won't use this, but if you're adventurous, if you use half this amount, you won't be able to taste it...Romano works as an alternative)
1 Tbs olive oil

Tomato-Garlic Ragout (Did you know that Ragout is pronounced like Ragu? It is.)

1 Tbs olive oil
1 C chopped onion (they get really sweet...yum!)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced (another interesting did you know...you should smoosh garlic [with the side of a knife] 10 minutes before you intend to use it, it helps get the good 'chemicals' out to make the garlic good for you)
10 plum (or Roma) tomatoes, coarsely chopped (you can use canned, but fresh is WAY better)
1/2 C white wine
1/4 C water
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

*Garnish with parsley*

You're making the couscous first!

1. Put the water into a saucepan over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add the salt, pepper and couscous. Remove the pan from the heat, cover it and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then, fluff the couscous with a fork.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then slowly add in the flour. With a spoon, stir in the parsley and the blue cheese (or the Romano I know you'll use). Add the couscous and then put the bowl into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 Tbs of olive oil, then add the onion. Saute it over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring once in awhile. Add the garlic and saute for 5 minutes more (you don't want to burn the garlic). Add the tomatoes, white wine and water. Let the ragout (remember how to pronounce it?) simmer for 10-15 mintes so that it ends up the consistency of a thick sauce-it should be chunky when finished. Season with salt & pepper, then keep warm.

4. Remove the cooled couscous mixture and heat a large skillet with 1 Tbs of olive oil over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, make 3-inch cakes ahead of time (otherwise, they won't cook evenly!). Put the cakes into the hot oil, sear them on one side for about 3 minutes until they are golden brown, then flip them and do the same. Continue until they are all cooked.

5. To arrange: put a scoop of ragout on the plate, then put 2-3 cakes, then put 2-3 scoops of ragout over it.

End Tips:

• avoid the draw of putting grated cheese on top...you'll be glad you did.
• if you have too much batter, leave it uncooked and put it in the refrigerator-you can cook it later
• if you have cooked too much, eat it the next day cold, it's yummy
• This recipe makes enough for 4-5 people, they'll be happy they had dinner with you.

I hope that you've enjoyed this post. I have a pretty exciting desert coming up, so get excited!

Love you, sister!