This is a look at my backyard garden today. My purple hydrangea from the Farmers Market this past Saturday still looks great today, Thursday. I change the water in the vase every other day, and add sweet lemon thyme to the vase, free floating. It’s such a great look for clear vases. Tender young green leaf lettuce is in full bloom. My Roma tomatoes have their first bud, a single tiny green ball. The Tabasco pepper plant has tiny little yellow peppers budding everywhere. (editorial note….these peppers are as hot as fire!) Very young Jalapenos, two single stubby peppers emerging out, in the past few days. Cayenne peppers are green, and will turn red if you leave them on the vine long enough.
Health up your salad. Instead of reaching for the croutons, which can contain a high butter and fat content, reach for whole wheat crackers. Just crumble over a fantastic salad and get the benefits of whole wheat and fiber, along with great taste with half the calories.
Today was a delicious day. I spent all morning at the Farmers Market, all afternoon playing in my garden, and all evening cooking. It’s good for the soul…try it. Here’s a look at the day….
You are going to have to come up with new ingredient combinations if you want to make a smoothie interesting. We’ve all been making smoothies for years, so it takes something special to really make one stand out.
Try this on for size…a Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie. Fantastic with pastries or coffee cake in the morning, or as a dessert after dinner.
Recipe:
1/2 cup milk (low fat)
3 oz. PHILADELPHIA Light Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup blueberries
2 Tbsp. plus 1-1/2 tsp. sugar or honey
1/2 cup ice cubes
BLEND First 4 ingredients in blender until smooth.
Bell jars make backyard gardening so easy. Positioned on top of sunken pots of lettuces, they create a greenhouse-like effect for accelerated growth of plants, and also do double-duty by protecting young growing plants from frost. They also look beautiful in your garden, making your backyard garden aesthetically more appealing to the eye.
I buy vintage garden bell jars any time I find them. Although they are glass, they are made of very thick, very hard to break glass. They are also very heavy, so you won’t have a problem with rabbits or squirrels knocking them over. They give your garden instant “wow” factor. It turns a backyard garden into an English garden look-a-like in seconds. Perfect for lettuces. Talk about a garden salad! Super-fresh and delicious.
Don’t shy away from making your own pizza crust. It’s super economical to make your own, and very easy. Don’t let rising yeast scare you. It’s easier than you think. And lets not forget, better tasting. You can add extra herbs (such as Rosemary or Basil), or seeds (such as Sesame or Poppy) to your crust to make it gourmet. Not to mention, less than 300 calories. Love that! When the onion and fennel caramelize, they become very sweet and smell amazing (the whole house smells amazing, in fact!) The presentation is beautiful, and your family and guest will think you spent hours making it.
Try this delicious pizza with caramelized fennel, onion and olives. Great for entertaining.
Servings: 6 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)
Ingredients
Dough:
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal
Topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 4 small bulbs)
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Remaining ingredients:
1 cup bottled tomato-basil pasta sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
Preparation
To prepare dough, dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 3/4 cups flour and salt, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into the dough. If an indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; knead 5 times, and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface. Place dough on a (12-inch) pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.
To prepare the topping, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and the next 5 ingredients (fennel through black pepper), and cook for 20 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.
Studies have shown that people who eat diets rich in Omega-3 (found in salmon and nuts) tested high for mental sharpness. It’s certainly possible to consume Omega-3s in supplements, but taking in vitamins via real, whole foods is far more satisfying than a supplement.
Recessionista Tip: Don’t throw those bananas out just because they are starting to get brown spots on the peel. You can throw the bananas in the freezer in their peel until you are ready to use them. The peels will turn black in the freezer, but the bananas will be delicious and ripe on the inside. Thaw bananas before using to make numerous recipe such as banana bread, banana nut muffins, banana pancakes, smoothies, chocolate dipped frozen bananas, etc. Utilize everything that you have on hand and become a Recessionista Diva! In this economy, no wasting is allowed.
Having an herb garden means having easy side dishes for dinner. Take a bag of baby carrots or new potatoes and place on a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and generously sprinkle with fresh herbs (I used Rosemary, Sweet Lemon Thyme, and Parsley here.) Throw them into a hot oven, 475, for 15-20 minutes until completely roasted. How easy can that be? Healthy, fast and delicious and it looks great in a serving bowl on the table.
