Song of the week.....

I am going to start sharing a song of the week with you all.  Music is a huge part of my life.  I listen to music all day and use music to get me through any happy or tough times in my life.  I strongly believe that music brings people together like no other art form and that peace can happen through music.  Since I believe this in a very strong sense I play music in the morning, while we play, while we color, drive, cook dinner, and get ready for bed.

There is so many different musicians and types of music that I love and I constantly research new and old music.  I want to share some of my favorite songs with you all.  So every week I will pick a song and post it. 

Since I just went to the John Butler Trio concert last night with my husband, then I feel it is appropriate to share one my favorite songs of his.  He is an amazing musician and I enjoy seeing him live (3 times now)!  His message of peace and unity really shows in his lyrics and songs.  His music inspires his audience to fight for the planet and to join the peaceful revolution.  I grew to love JBT for the heavily acoustic and politically charged songs that inspired me to take a good look at myself and the world we live in.   If you haven't already, check him and his band out! 

Here is his song Peaches & Cream....After I gave birth to Ayden, Drew and I listened to this song a million times finally realizing what his lyrics really meant.  Enjoy!

Potato & Mustard-Greens Soup

I made this on Monday.  I had a ton of potatoes in my kitchen and I had mustard-greens in my garden just waiting to be picked.  So I wanted to find a soup recipe that had both of these ingredients.  I searched for hours trying to find the "right" recipe.  Everything I found was either extremely fattening or non-vegetarian.  I decided to look at a few different recipes and make up my own.  It turned out delicious.  I was very happy with the end result  and so were my boys.  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 celery stalks, cut fine
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 water
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups potatoes, diced
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup mustard-greens, chopped
1/2 cup of milk, you can use non-fat, 1%, or 2%
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onions and celery.  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Blend in flour.  Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add potatoes, water, vegetable broth, and salt.  Stir constantly until boiling.

Turn the heat down to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add mustard-greens, cook for 2 minutes.

Add milk, let it heat for about 1 minute.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.  Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Enjoy,
Alyson

Menus and watching the time fly by....

I can't believe May is almost over.  Where did the month go?  But it was an exciting month.....Mother's Day, turning 30, our first wedding shoot of the season, planting more seeds on the farm, camping with friends, and BBQ's.  I am excited for June but more excited for the sun to come back!

Out little backyard garden is doing well and we have already started picking our lettuce and greens to eat.  It is pretty awesome to go out to your backyard, pick some lettuce, and make a quick salad to eat.  I am excited for the peas to show up and the garlic to be ready.  When it stops raining...I will grab the camera and take some pics of our little backyard garden to share with you all.

Last week our menu went really well and everything was delicious.  I would highly recommend the Tortellini Primavera.  It was easy, quick, and delicious.  It would be perfect for a busy evening.... for the parents out there.  This week we are trying one new recipe but mostly just doing some family favorites.  I hope everyone is well and doing there part in the food revolution. 

MONDAY:  Potato and Mustard Green Soup.  (The mustard greens were fresh from our garden.  This was my own recipe that I made up because I couldn't find a recipe I like with these ingredients.  My next post will be the recipe for this soup.) 

TUESDAY:  Spaghetti with homemade sauce and roasted veggies.

WEDNESDAY:  Veggie tacos and homemade spanish rice

THURSDAY:  The husband and I are going to see one of our favorite musicians play, John Butler Trio at The Crystal Ballroom.  We have seen him play twice before but never in Portland and we are very excited to see him here.  We will have dinner at the Ringlers Pub which is the restaurant downstairs from The Crystal before the show.

FRIDAY-  Salmon with Pepita-Lime Butter, brown rice, and roasted zucchini.

SATURDAY-  Green Pizza with homemade pizza sauce and dough.  (Late dinner because of a photo shoot that early evening, so I will have the pizza prepped and ready to pop in the oven when we get home.) 

SUNDAY-  BBQ at our farm.  Salmon burgers and grilled vegetables!

 Mustard Greens from our backyard garden

For more meal planning inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie every Monday.

Happy gardening, cooking, and eating,

Alyson

"Households that have lost the soul of cooking from their routines may not know what they are missing: the song of a stir-fry sizzle, the small talk of clinking measuring spoons, the yeasty scent of rising dough, the painting of flavors onto a pizza before it slides into the oven."  -Barbara Kingsolver

Menus and Farms

I'm here!  Blogging has definitely been on the back burner lately, which is kind of a good sign.  Our photo business has been booming and life has just been busy.  I'm trying to get back in the swing of things in this blog world.  I have some great ideas that I want to create here.  I hope to continue blogging about 3 to 4 times a week.  Let's see if this busy mama can do this!

Our farm has been on full force this past week.  We got peas growing and seeds planted!  This last weekend we planted corn, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and kohlrabi.  I can't wait to start seeing the little sprouts pop out of the ground.  One of our partners of the farm is looking into getting a couple chickens this summer.  We have enough land where we can build a chicken coup and area for the chickens.  I will keep you posted on this project but I think it will be so amazing to enjoy our own fresh eggs. 

I am excited for this upcoming season of fresh growing food from our farm, my father's garden, farmer's markets, and local co-ops!  It is so prodigious to raise our son in an environment that supports healthy, organic, and local food.  That is where our change will happen, in our children.

Here is our menu for the week:

MONDAY-  Tortellini Primavera

TUESDAY-  Veggie Stir Fry (Drew's night to cook)

WEDNESDAY-  Auntie and Ayden dinner date with MJ and AC. (I work and my husband is in school late)

THURSDAY-  Polenta & Vegetable Bake and a garden salad

FRIDAY-  Camping in a yurt at Manzanita Beach with friends.  BBQing salmon and veggies.

SATURDAY-  Camping.....Salmon burgers and tuna pasta salad

SUNDAY- Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and a tomato caprese salad

Happy cooking & eating,
Alyson

"'Just living is not enough,' said the butterfly. 'One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.'"-Hans Christian Andersen

Menus, Meditations, and Mama's Day!

I have been meditating a lot lately.  In the beginning of my journey of motherhood, I told myself I was going to practice peace and bring mindfulness to our lives.  My husband and I both knew that this was the type of environment we wanted to live in and bring our son into.  It has been a journey, with many different obstacles trying to get in the way of our goal of practicing peace.  We jumped right over those obstacles and continued on practicing and learning along the way.  It has been amazing.  Meditation is something that I have done from time to time but I want to start bringing it into our home more.  So now I add daily mediation to my journey.  I am learning to meditate within my daily activities;  waking up before my family and sitting on the back deck, sitting in the backyard under the sun, while gardening, on long walks, and while cooking.  It is so easy for me to meditate while cooking and I personally think it makes the meals better.  I hope to continue my journey towards daily meditation.

I am still learning.

I am continuing to menu plan every week and it has been going very well as usual.  This is an exciting week for us.   My husband's first art show during First Thursday at the Pearl District.  I am beyond proud of him and can't wait to for the show.  It has been so fun helping him prepare for this event.  We will also be spending lots of time at the farm.  And of course, celebrating my mama and being a mama on Mother's Day. 

Here is our menu for our week:

MONDAY-  Baked Salmon, whole wheat couscous, and steamed broccoli

TUESDAY-  Tuna melts and sauteed vegetables in a garlic sauce.  (My husbands night to cook, while I work.)

WEDNESDAY-  Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Chilaquiles Casserole, chips & homemade guacamole.

THURSDAY-  My husband's photo show.  Appetizers and finger foods at the show.

FRIDAY-  Breakfast for dinner-  Southwestern Tufo Scramble with whole wheat tortillas and black beans

SATURDAY-  Gemelli with bell peppers and tomatillo*

SUNDAY-  Mother's Day BBQ at my parents house.  I am baking carrot cake to bring.

*RECIPES:

Gemelli with Bell Peppers and Tomatillo (One of my best girlfriends from Turning Thirty gave this to me, while visiting her.)

Ingredients:
2 large red bell peppers
3 ears of corn, kernels removed (about 2 cups) OR frozen corn
1/2 pound of gemelli pasta
1/2 cup roasted tomatillo salsa or salsa verde
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon of salt

1. Preheat the broiler.  Line the broiler pan with foil; place the bell peppers on the broiler pan.  Broil 4 inches from the heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until evenly charred, 13-16 minutes.  Remove the pepper from the broiler, then wrap in the foil and let steam 20 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, peel, core, and seed the peppers and cut them into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
2.  Heat a 12-inch nonsticl skillet over medium -high heat.  Add the corn and cook until lightly charred in spots, 2 minutes; transfer to a large serving bowl.
3.  Meanwhile, cook the gemelli, according to package directions.  Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
4.  Toss, the gemelli, salsa, peppers, goat cheese, salt, and enough of the reserved liquid with the corn until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy .  Serve at once. 

Happy Mother's Day,

Alyson

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."  ~Washington Irving

Sneaking in a Menu Plan

WHOA.....life just got crazy busy!  I either need a few more hours in the day or 10 more arms.  We have had a lot going on the past couple of weeks.  It feels good to be busy and accomplishing a lot but I like simple and slow days too.  I have been trying to catch up on my blogging but haven't had a chance.  I have promised myself that I will do it AND I will!

Our week is pretty busy with work, school, and photo shoots!  We are headed to Bend for a photo shoot, going to see a showing of the movie Fresh, another photo shoot in Portland, Tulip Farms, Seed The Farm meetings, and sneak in some family/friends time!   We are very excited for the photo shoots so we can practice with our new equipment and editing tools!  The Tulip Farm is another family favorite of ours.  We have been going since Ayden was born.  It's fun to look at the pictures of him with the tulips when he was a baby till  now!  We plan to go every single year!  I hope everyone is taking steps to eat healthy, local, sustainable food!  We are doing so well with it and can tell our bodies are thankful for it.

Check back soon for a special Earth Day post.

MONDAY-  Nacho Mama's with my mama

TUESDAY-  Broccoli, spinach, capers, and olives in a white wine sauce over angel hair pasta.  (Drew's night to cook.)

WEDNESDAY-  Healthy homemade Mac and Cheese (I use non-fat cottage cheese and fresh spinach)

THURSDAY- In Bend

FRIDAY-  Fresh Egg Salad Sandwiches and whole wheat couscous

SATURDAY-  Quick dinner downtown after a photo shoot

SUNDAY-  BBQ Salmon, vegetable kebabs, and pineapple

For more meal planning inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie every Monday.

Happy eating & cooking,
Alyson

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience." -James Beard

Menu Plan Monday

Bring on the sunshine!  I hear this week will be full of sun here in Portland and I already have a lot planned this week to enjoy the much needed sun.  Our farm is also longing for some sun in order for the soil to dry a little before we till the land.  I'm anxious to get the seeds in the ground.  We have planted 55 tomato plants in starter trays already and plan on starting more vegetables in trays in the next week.  I can't wait to get farming!

I have a lot to blog about this week.  So expect about a blog a day with lots of musings about our adventures, ideas, pictures, events, and our changes!  For now here is my menu plan for the week!  Cheers to yummy, delicious, organic food!

MONDAY-  Sauteed zucchini, broccoli, capers, and olives in a lemon garlic sauce over whole wheat pasta.

TUESDAY-  Poached Salmon with Piccata Sauce, whole wheat couscous, steamed broccoli (Drew's night to cook)

WEDNESDAY-  Penne Spinach Bake*

THURSDAY-  Hungarian Mushroom Soup* with homemade bread

FRIDAY-  Green Pizza with homemade pizza dough and a garden salad

SATURDAY- BBQ salmon, veggie kebabs, and BBQ pineapple

SUNDAY- leftovers

*RECIPES:

PENNE SPINACH BAKE- (from my mother's Wellspring Heart Program cookbook)

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
1 28 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce or homemade sauce
1 (1 pd) package frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed
1 to 1 1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 (19 ounce) can white kidney beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups fat-free mozzerella cheese
1 tbsp Italian seasonings

Directions:
Cook penne pasta  as directed on package. Drain.

Lightly spray an eight inch square (two quart) baking dish with non-stick spray.  In medium saucepan, heat spaghetti sauce over low heat.

In large bowl, combine cooked penne, spinach, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and spices, mix well.  Add beans; toss gently to mix.

Spoon mixture into sprayed dish.  Spread with one cup warm spaghetti sauce.  Top with remaining penne mixture and remaining ingredients.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. 

HUNGARIAN MUSHROOM SOUP (from the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen)

Ingredients:   (yields 4 to 5 servings)

2 tablespoons of butter

2 cups chopped onion

1 1/2 to 2 pounds of mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon salt

2 to 3 teaspoon dried dill

1 tablespoon mild paprika

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoon  flour

2 cups of water

1 cup of milk (I use non or low fat)

black pepper, to taste

1.2 cup sour cream (I use non fat)

finely minced fresh parsley, for the top

Directions:  (1 hour to prepare):

Melt the butter in a kettle or Dutch Oven.  Add onions, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes.   Add mushrooms, salt, dill, and paprika.  Stir well and cover.  Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally .  Stir in lemon juice.

Gradually sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir another 5 minutes or so over medium-low heat.  Add water, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in milk; add black pepper to taste.  Check to see if it needs more salt.  Whisk in the sour cream, and heat very gently.  Don't boil or cook it after this point.  Serve hot, topped with freshly minced parsley.

For more meal planning inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie every Monday.

Happy Eating & Cooking,

Alyson

"Laughter is brightest where food is best."  -Irish Proverb