Ahh....Comfort

The minute the temps drop a tiny bit, we start to crave warm comfort food around here.  Two favorites are Black Bean Chili and Tuna Casserole.

This dish can be used as chili or a side dish (great on taco night!).

Black Bean Chili

Heat EVOO or grape seed oil in a heavy large pot.   Add 1 yellow onion--chopped, 1 large red bell pepper--chopped.   Cook till softened.  Add squirts of garlic paste.   Mix in 2 T chili powder and a couple dashes cumin.   Stir two minutes. Mix in 3 cans organic black beans (drained but not rinsed), a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes and a squirt of tomato paste.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.   Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.      Serve with a dollop of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.

Tuna Casserole

Bring to a boil about 3 quarts of water.   Add about 10 oz. noodles, cook till soft (about 10 minutes).   Drain and return to pan.   Add in 1 family-size water packed tuna, 3/4 cup frozen peas, 1 can cream of chicken soup mixed with 1/2 can milk, 4 oz. cream cheese, softened and cubed.  Pour into a sprayed oven dish.   Top with either crushed potato chips or crushed tortilla chips mixed with grated cheese.    Bake at 350 degrees till bubbly, about 30 or 40 minutes.

Summertime Favorite

Hub's very favorite pie is blueberry!    Summer rewards us with beautiful, juicy, plump, tasty berries...in spades.    This recipe is one I have used for ages and may even have blogged it before, but it bears repeating.

2  unbaked pie crusts (your favorite recipe or store-bought refrigerated ready-to-roll)

4 cups fresh, washed and dried thoroughly blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.   Add the blueberries and mix gently.   Pour into an unbaked pie crust (9" pie pan).  Top with the other crust.  Brush with egg and sprinkle lightly with sugar.   Cut slits to vent.  Put pie pan on a cookie sheet...filling WILL bubble out!    Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes.   Let cool.   Slice and top with vanilla ice cream.    Soooooo yummy. 

Natural Beauty

Northern Cali

Just returned from a vacation tour of Northern California.   Wow, love that area:   San Francisco and Chinatown, wine country, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia, Monterey, Carmel...loved them all!!!

                                                                              

If you're going to San Francisco, you better wear some flowers in your hair...

                                                                           

What a magnificent state!!!

It Is Officially Spring Now

The farmers' markets are opening here in KC!!!!    Hooray, hooray, hooray.   We made our first voyage for the season to City Market, then Parkville Market bright and early this morning.   Though not too much ready yet, what I did get looks amazing...and scrumptious.

Some wonderful asparagus, washed, tough parts trimmed, grouped into threes and ready to spray with a little organic olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap in bacon and bake till yummy!

Broccoli to be steamed and buttered and salt-and-peppered; green onions to use in stir-fry.

New potatoes to be boiled (with their jackets on), smashed and tossed with butter, fresh chives and S and P.

And a wonderful loaf of honey wheat bread from a fabulous Mennonite baker.

And an early Mothers' Day present to myself, 

this gorgeous array of Million Bells in a handmade wooden container that just fits over the deck rail!

And who could resist this adorable handmade apron????

I would say I made quite a haul on my first 2014 farmers' market outing!    Bring on summer!!