Sunday, January 13, 2013

The White House Austin




This weekend my husband and I explored a little bit of Rainey Street in Downtown Austin. Our favorite find was the bar The White HouseFor $6 you get a drink setup and a token (alcohol is free!) Then you plop that token into any charity box around the bar. There must be a 100 charity boxes. It’s a nonprofit bar which means that after operational costs are covered, the rest of the proceeds go to the assortment of charities based on the tokens. My tokens belonged to the animal wall. 




What a beautiful concept for a bar!

Friday, January 4, 2013

Smokey Beans and Greens



So hearty and healthy.

Smokey Beans and Greens
Adapted from the Sauteed Brussel Sprout Greens with Bacon and White Beans recipe at Mary Makes Dinner. 
4 serving
Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch of hearty greens, washed (preferably swiss chard)
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 4 oz smokey marinated tempeh, store bought or homemade
  • 15 oz (or two cups cooked) white beans, drained

1. Separate the greens from their stems. Shred the greens and set aside. Thinly slice the stems like you would celery.
2. In a large skillet heat over medium heat saute the stems in one teaspoon of the olive oil for 5 minutes.
3. Add 1/4 c. of water to the stems and cover the skillet to allow the stems to steam. It should only take a few minutes.
4. Once the water has evaporated remove the stems from skillet and set aside.
5. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the skillet. Add the tempeh and cook until crisp.
6. Once the tempeh is crisp, add the shredded greens in batches. Use tongs to sort of fold the greens in until they’re all added. Cover the skillet and let the greens steam in their own juices for a minute or two. Uncover the skillet, give the greens a stir and recover to steam for another minute or two. Do this until the greens look sufficiently wilted. You may need to add a little water to the greens if they look too dry. Use your judgement.
7. Stir the beans into the greens and cover for a few more minutes until the beans are heated through. 
8. Eat it. We served this over quinoa, but it’s also really good with a side of cornbread.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Shepherd’s Stew




Last night I made this Shepherd’s Stew from VegNews. The recipe was written by Angela from Oh She Glows and (as with all of her recipes) it was wonderful! Perfect for cold and gloomy January.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2013

I don’t usually make resolutions. I usually just make wishes. Last year was so amazing though that it left me with very little to wish for. But I suppose there’s always something that could be better so this year I’ve decided to resolve some things. I resolve to:
  • Blog a little more.
  • Take my vitamins.
  • Utilize modern wonders like calendars.
  • Live in the world. (See more than two new movies, read more than two old books.  This does not include rejoining Facebook. That ship has sailed.)
  • Buy no store bought beer for drinking at home. (Any at home beer drinking will be made by our hands in our kitchen. We already home brew, but we just want to do it more. So much more that we only drink our beer at home.)
  • Get my oil changed. On time…



2013’s color is Emerald. A beautiful color that fits perfectly with my feelings about the upcoming year. It’s refreshing, lush, warm, sophisticated and a little magical.