One of a Kind Prep

So it only took a week to get over jet lag from the West coast. I, like others I'm sure, was never good at time change. Even daylight savings time seems to put my sleep pattern into a tail spin.

While in my zombie-like state I found this scrap piece of paper with a recipe on it, and I have no idea where it came from. I know I didn't rip it out of a magazine at the doctor's office. That drives my crazy. I find a recipe I like while flipping through a magazine in the waiting room, I pull out my pen and paper to write it down and when I get to the page, it's been ripped out. Grrrr.

I have been prepping lots of good food for the marathon stint at the One of a Kind Show. So this salad seemed perfect as it has healthy ingredients to keep me full and energized: green beans, pasta and kidney beans.

Green Bean and Pasta Salad (from I don't know where)

Cook 1 1/4 cups of penne pasta adding 1 cup of green beans halved crosswise during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain and run under cold water. Toss pasta and green beans with 1 cup kidney beans, 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and salt and paper.

I'm hoping this will help keep me away from desire to eat lots and lots of chocolate while in the booth...we'll see :P

See you at the show! It starts today. We are in booth I-26

xo
penny

West Coast Love

 

It has been a really busy time for us at Domistyle. We have been going through many changes and with that a few bumps in the road. But it's the start of the frenzied holiday season and we couldn't be more excited to kick it all off with Circle Craft our fave west coast show.

It's the 39th annual Christmas Market and people come from all over to check out all the great artisans. We met one couple who travels 8 hours to attend the show and they haven't missed one in 10 years! It's such a wonderful community the people at Circle Craft have created.

"Circle Craft Co-operative is a unique BC Artist Cooperative dedicated to providing opportunities for craftspeople to connect with the community. Formed in 1972, Circle Craft has grown to become a major force in the marketing and promotion of quality craft, utilizing a ‘direct from the artist’ approach."

So, if you are in the Vancouver area, come by the market and say hello. We are in booth 348 this year. Hope to see you there!

xo
penny

Peacekeeping Lasagna

I had a bit of a dilemma this week. I was having a few people over for dinner but it was a mix of hard-core meat lovers and vegetarians. I wanted to make something satisfying for both. I knew that the carnivores would revolt at the sight of tofu but I wasn't going to roast meat and traumatize my veggie friends.

Vegetable lasagna was the perfect answer. It is filling and satisfying for meat lovers, and vegetarians will not feel ostracized. I found a great recipe from Canadian Living that was remarkably unfussy and quick. It was extra easy because I used oven-ready lasagna noodles. I added pesto to the sauce along with a splash of red wine (one for me and one for the sauce) to take it up an extra notch.

I served it with crusty rolls and a crisp salad, along with lots of red wine and everyone was happy and united. I love it when things are easy!

Fall Cleanse?...Yep.

I don't want to alarm you with the word "winter" so I won't say it again in this post. But we do need to prep for the colder weather and it's actually important for us to cleanse not only in the Spring but in the Fall as well.

I discovered this post from Organic Authority which talks about why we should cleanse this time of year and has some easy recipes for juices and meals such as Butternut Squash Soup with Sage.

So like how we get everything else ready for the upcoming season: snow tires for our car or bike, weather stripping for the home and shoes for the dog, why don't we do it for ourselves too? I know I will...

Happy Cleansing! Keep me posted on how you are doing or if you come across and great recipes to share.

xo
penny

Soups On!

The cooler, damp weather makes some of us want to insulate by wrapping ourselves in a cocoon. What better way to keep warm than with a big bowl of hot soup? Pumpkins are currently so abundant and good for you too. Here is an oldie but a goodie from Simply Recipes to try out. The spiciness of curry will keep you nice and warm:

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (adjust to your taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• 3 (15 oz) cans 100 percent pumpkin or 6 cups of chopped roasted pumpkin*
• 5 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)**
• 2 cups of milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (optional or use less)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional or use less)

*To make pumpkin purée, cut a sugar pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lie face down on a tin-foil lined baking pan. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use.
**If cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free broth.

Method

1 Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add spices and stir for a minute more.
2 Add pumpkin and 5 cups of chicken broth; blend well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
3 Transfer soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return soup to saucepan.
4 With the soup on low heat, add brown sugar and mix. Slowly add milk while stirring to incorporate. Add cream. Adjust seasonings to taste. If a little too spicy, add more cream to cool it down. You might want to add a teaspoon of salt.
Serve in individual bowls. Sprinkle the top of each with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Serves 8.

Happy Cocooning!