Waiting for Baby

There is a possibility that I have been too prepared, too soon for this baby. I mopped a week ago, cleaned the corners, washed the windows, put a meal or two in the freezer. And the baby did not come. So every day this week I sweep the floor again, wipe the spots off the floor, do another load of laundry, make another loaf of bread and eat all the easy meals that I had stockpiled, when all I actually want to do is have this baby and start our family babymoon.

So, I am saying hello here again. Mostly to distract myself, but also because there are a few things I have found lately that are too good to keep to myself.

First, yogurt cheese, otherwise known as labneh. This amazing website explains how to make it, although I confess that I am a bit less professional. I simply put the yogurt and salt into a cheesecloth-lined colander, set it over a large bowl, and leave it overnight in the fridge. I love it on toast in particular. Is it terrible to admit that I sometimes put a layer of butter on my toast, AND a layer of yogurt cheese, AND a drizzle of honey or swipe of strawberry jam? Another toast variation is found here, and this one is good enough for dinner. It is powerfully delicious.

Secondly, this crunchy broccoli salad is delightful. It was a perfect fall salad. I only wish that I had doubled the amount of the crispy fried shallots, for I loved the salty flair they added.

Finally, I have completely swallowed the hype about elderberries and immunity. Rowan is very prone to catch every cold that crosses our path, due to his respiratory issues. However, we have escaped two of the last bugs that invaded the church nursery, and I am willing to credit the elderberry. Or maybe I just really like elderberries. Regardless, I paid a fortune for a small bottle at Whole Foods, which was gone in the blink of an eye. Then I found this video and ordered a pound of dried elderberries from Mountain Rose Herbs. The savings are tremendous. The main cost is the honey, for it is essentially elderberry flavored honey. Good stuff. Completely harmless, can be eaten by the spoonful or drizzled into yogurt or ice cream, and prevents the dreaded cold...what could be better! Plus, it is fun and easy to make on a cold and gloomy day. Have I convinced anyone yet?

That's it for now. Hopefully baby will come and you will not hear from me for a very long time again:)

Cravings

Currently craving Yeasted Popcorn and Sliced Apples and This.
I think our Friday night just got planned.

Two (Relatively Healthy) Snacks and a Thank You

I owe my friend Sarah much more than I could outline in one post. But two things must be mentioned here as indicative of her creativity and resourcefulness. First, she photographed, designed and helped me put up the new header for this blog. Heck, she probably even handpicked the blueberries. Secondly, she maintains this tumblr, which acts as a bit of a goldpan in which she swirls the muddied particles of the internet and ends up with a few good nuggets for people like me, who find the whole thing rather overwhelming. Recently on that tumblr she posted a link for this amazing snack. If you don't think snacks should be described as amazing, consider a nutritious and delicious ice cream made of just one ingredient. In three minutes. That is amazing. So thanks Sarah. As usual. We loved it.

This second snack is the ubiquitous zucchini bread of summer. I searched the internet for days to find the perfect recipe before doing what I always end up doing-opening up one of my old cookbooks and hoping for the best, even without eighty-five reviews and a star-rating. It turned out beautifully, moist and flavorful with a crunchy and caramelly top. I added some wheat flour and wheat germ, cut back on the sugar, and eliminated the pecans. Half of it became a classic loaf and the other half became nine large muffins.

Classic Zucchini Bread
Adapted from Quick Breads, Soups and Stews by Mary Gubser

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3-4 tablespoons wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 medium eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup light oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8x4x3 loaf pans or one loaf pan and one muffin pan (I use melted butter to coat the pans).

Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Sift, if you are ambitious. In another large bowl beat the eggs until they are foamy. Blend in the sugar, then the oil and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients slowly, stirring between additions in order to incorporate them completely. Fold in the zucchini. Divide the batter into the pans. Begin testing the loaves for doneness after one hour. (The muffins will take about half that time.) When the breads are done, cool them in the pans on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.