The only Eggplant I would eat....

 

It was how I felt about eggplants growing up when my mom would serve a plate of stir fry purple-brown stuff. But I've come to enjoy this fruit for its lovely color and versatility in cooking. Since eggplants are in season, I got two small ones at the farmer's market. Unsure which direction these eggplants should go, they sat in the fridge for a week, then was inspired by the prettiness of it on Smitten Kitchen.

As always, mine are slightly different from the original receipt. After baking the sliced eggplant, a layer of quick-boiled spinach went over. Then the marinara sauce with onions and cubed baked tofu. Sprinkled with germinated rice crackers and a fresh basil leaf! Similar to a bruschetta, the baked eggplant acted like a piece of soft bread, needless to say, I ate all of them in one sitting.

Tutu

For the annual KickBall dance, I decided to wear the one thing that I've always wanted to wear but perhaps got too old to - a tutu skirt! An adult tutu skirt is difficult to come by, pretty pricy for layers of tulle, so I decided to make it myself. Slightly daunting at first, but the process was quite simple, for an overall pink color I sewed an extra layer of tulle over the knotted strips of fabric on elastic band, and there were layers of tulle underneath as well, to cover my bum. This skirt made the night so much more fun & only costed me a total of $25 in materials!

Pumpkin patch

I hate to see summer go, so in an effort to welcome the change of season, I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. Altering the original recipe just a slight, coconut oil is what I have on hand instead of vegetable, whole grain pastry flour instead of white. These were easy to make and ready to eat in under an hour. They turned out soft & bready, just the way I like my cookies! 

Hoarvesting

Had found this curvaceous lamp almost a year ago in the garbage, tacky plastic flowers filled inside with a dusty, musty smelling lampshade. The clear wide vase made my mind race with possibilities.  My first desire was making it into an aquarium but the logistics of it is more complicated, hence the discontinued product. Another was a miniature dollhouse with a spiral staircase around the spin of the lamp. But having miniature items around always makes me feel like a giant, which depending on the day, can be a great feeling or a depleting one. During spring-cleaning of the apt, the yarns found themselves out of a plastic bag and into the vase. The white lampshade also presented itself to me on the side of the street just last week. It came together just in time for those gloomy fall days.

And if I was miniature, this would be my oasis.

Beets Me!

This Beet Brown Rice salad started out as two different dishes that were missing parts of the ingredient the other complimented. So, they came together to be a new recipe that suited my convenience.  The beets were made following this recipe, without the fusilli pasta. Cubed cucumber, chilled brown rice + quinoa were mixed in with carmelized onions + mushroom. Topped with the very versatile fruit, avocado. 

Leafing Lettuce Alone Salads

Just the idea of turning on the stove or the oven in these summer heat waves make my armpit sweat. So, I've been exploring with summer salads. These salads are not the traditional chopped lettuce with dressing, but more like dishes that doesn't need reheating. Also taking advantage of the farmer's market by the office, getting in season produce and eating locally makes a big difference in how fresh dishes turn out.
I enjoy buying ingredients that interest me first while shopping, then look up recipes to make with them, and substitute where ever needed. Which is why a site like Gojee.com is convenient for me. The site allows you to input ingredients on hand, cravings/dislikes, and large photos of dishes you could be creating appears before you.

The above Zucchini Quinoa salad started out with finely minced garlic and onion sauteed in coconut oil. Sliced zucchinis were tossed in followed by small white beans from the can. A final stir with cooked red quinoa and black rice. Salt & pepper to taste. Topped with a handful of cilantro, lime juice, and feta cheese for a slight creamy kick.

Potato salad, paired with a side of red quinoa on a bed of lightly sauteed kale in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Team Spirit

This summer has been a continuation of revamping my kickball team, The People's Court jerseys. The above was our first year edition uniform, hand printed in Brooklyn. Making the sleeves into ruffles really spruced up this battered old tee. I will string these uniform series together in the near future.