Meanwhile In Portland - Current Pics #wandering @sizzlepie @stumptown @groundkontrol

We've been having lots of fun this year. Helps to scare away the fear of our newest president, global warming and the looming mega earthquake that is bound to hit PDX. Here are some shots taken during my recent escapades.

This is the prettiest alcohol advert I have seen in awhile. Such striking colors! I try to tread lightly when it comes to hards but this picture is my current favorite self composition.

Inclusivity based signs are popping up all over the place. I really like this one found at Ground Kontrol, one of my favorite arcades. It covers so many bases. Hugs to everyone feeling out of place lately!

I spotted this lovely terrarium while drinking coffee at Stumptown. Not sure which location. It is quite large for a terrarium. The vine may be baby monstera leaves, which remind me of Hawai'i. Been having a bit of island fever lately, in the midst of our grey skies haha. 

I bought these Smash Mallows for $4 a bag at REI. They are lightly sugared, absolutely delicious marshmallows. Everyone at my place loves them! Nom!!!

I absolutely love this unnecessary, overpriced Moschino bag. It was on sale for $750 at Off Saks. 

This vegan pizza is so good that it literally made me shed tiny tears of joy. Sizzle Pie's spiral tap pizza is THE BEST pizza for those who don't do real cheese or fake cheese. So good! I like the W Burnside location so I can look for books at Powell's after stuffing myself. 

This is what the homeless camp by Chinatown looks like at the mo'. They have tarp tents and porta-potties. I have no idea why this site was chosen or taken over but its been here for quite a long time. 

It is kind of scary to pass by, but I am glad that it provides shelter to some members of our homeless community. I have watched it evolve over time. I'll try to take some more pics of it in the future, for the sake of history. 

Wishing you all the very best! 

<3 KM

Tetra Pack Beans! @target #BPAFree

Being somewhat environmentally aware I have learned that most canned goods have BPA in the lining of the cans. To avoid this I use fresh or glass jarred items as much as possible, but sometimes convenience wins and I grab a can of beans or tomatoes. With these new strange beans I can avoid one more canned convenience food. Score!

I was pleasantly surprised with the tenderness of the beans. Sometimes kidney beans can be a bit tough, which is the worst. I had maybe two tougher beans in my pasta but it was better than some other organic brands I've tried.

Tetra packs still contain some plastic so ultimately it is better to cook your beans from scratch. Since that doesn't always happen these are a good alternative. Tetra packs are easily recyclable in most areas, Portland included!

<3 KM

Brainless Funfetti Cookies

These cookies are way too easy, extremely cheap, and just fun. I wish I could tell you that they are healthy too, but sadly they are not. Make sure you have lots of people to share them with.

Ingredients:

• 1 box Funfetti Cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut or vegetable oil
• 1-2 TB star Sprinkles (not optional, according to Z)

Extras:

• Sparkle Gel for cookie faces

Method:

Put all ingredients into a bowl. Mix together with a fork until all dry mix is combined. Sprinkle lightly with colored sugar if you'd like. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 on an un-greased cookie sheet. 

There is plenty of oil in the mix so the cookies shouldn't stick to the pan. The bottoms will probably brown excessively if you use cooking spray. Parchment paper may be a good alternative. 

<3 KM

Ridiculous Snacks I Want To Try

I am a sucker for adorable, colorful packaging and sugary stuff so I have a hard time resisting the snack aisle. Most of the time I remind myself that candy isn't food and I try to pick healthier treats so I don't feel so awful about my food choices but these are so tempting! I get really bummed out if they don't taste good though. Sugar is only worth it if it's amazing. 

These are probably the strange chewy type of fruit snack. I like the ones that taste more like a gummy bear than fruit roll ups. That box though, so cute!

I love birthday cake ice cream, and birthday cake in general, but I am super skeptical about these. 50/50 chance they taste like sugary cardboard. May be worth it for the sprinkles. Possible cupcake substitute for a school birthday treat?

I just can't bring myself to pay for these but I am so curious. I did try the confetti cupcake and I was so sad because it does not satisfy a funfetti craving. 

This stuff looks dangerous. Was this around back in the day? If so I totally missed it. I wonder if it tastes like Waffle Crisp. Nom.

I'm sure the marshmallows are good but the cereal is probably awful lol.

Same here, but it is so cute! Mornings are not my favorite so happy looking cereal is a plus.

Happy snacking!

<3 KM

Pizza Dip Fail

When I was little my Mom used to make pizza dip for football parties. I have watched her make it so many times but somehow I messed it up. Don't use this recipe, try a different one.

Failure Pizza Dip

1/2 Block of cream cheese

1/2 jar of pizza sauce

2 different kinds of pepperoni 

Munster cheese slices

Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper 

Warning: I do not recommend this recipe. This is just here for scientific purposes. Will try to get Moms recipe soon.

1. Mix cream cheese with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on bottom of glass smaller rectangle Pyrex dish. 

2. Pour some sauce over the cheese mix.

3. Layer with muenster cheese slices. 

4. Cover with lots pepperoni.

5. Be sadly disappointed that it doesn't taste the way it's supposed to.

If anyone has a good recipe for pizza dip let me know! I mostly followed a few different recipes other than the cheese recommendation. The Munster I get basically tastes like fancy mozzarella and I use it on pizza and pasta so I don't think that's the culprit. Maybe I used low fat cream cheese on accident. That stuff is never as good.

Hubby thinks I may have used to much pepperoni but I didn't think that would be possible. Come to think of it my Mom doesn't put pepperoni on hers... At least the kids liked it lol. 

<3 KM

Easy Strawberry Brunch Ideas

It is strawberry season! Time to go picking or head to the store to grab some of nature's most delectable treats. Strawberries make an excellent snack on their own and everyone knows they are great in desserts. This post, however, is dedicated to meals. I have yet to perfect my strawberry rhubarb crumble.

Strawberry Avocado Goat-Cheese Sandwich 

Smash an avocado and spread on a piece of toasted sour dough bread.

Spread a little goat cheese on the other half, place sliced strawberries in the middle, and the other piece of bread.

Grill in butter until golden-brown.

Eat hot.

Strawberry Poppy-Seed Bagel

Toast a plain or poppy seed bagel (never enough poppy seeds - am I right?)

Spread on some cream cheese and sprinkle on (more) poppy seeds, pressing them in slightly so they won't fall everywhere when you shove it in your mouth.

Arrange sliced strawberries on top.

 Strawberry Spinach Salad

Slice some strawberries and put on top of some baby spinach.

Blend a dressing of strawberries, stone ground mustard, poppy seeds (optional), and balsamic vinegar.

 Strawberry-Shortcake Pancakes

Make pancakes as you normally would.

Whip some heavy cream with a little vanilla extract. You can add some sugar, but it is not necessary.

Top with sliced strawberries. 

If you want a more "strawberry shortcake" feel, put some sugar over the sliced strawberries and let them sit a while. The strawberries will soften and a lovely red syrup will form.

I thought everyone should know that while writing this I made the typo of "stabberies" multiple times. I thought is was hilarious. They leak red juice!

Campfire Veggies

I recently went on a camping trip in the high desert and had lots of fun cooking with fire. I took along a bunch of veggies to cook the first night. I had the awesome idea of putting eggplant in the fire along with the potatoes. It turned out almost like baba ganoush. I wish I would've remembered to bring a lemon. You can see my foil-wrapped eggplant nestled in the coals in the photo above. 

I waited until the coals were hot and stuck the foil wrapped veggies into the sides of the fire.

The eggplant was really easy to tell when it was done - it turned squishy. The potatoes were done after about 45 minutes because the coals are hot enough. The skins got a bit burned, but they were perfect inside.

I added butter, salt, and pepper and they tasted so good, as only camping food can.

I also threw some zucchini and some peppers on the grate. They were super tasty and smokey. 

Sorry about the photos' poor quality - it was pretty cold, so I took them super fast.

7 Layers of Dip

Are you are looking for mildly impressive, but simple food for the big game? I am getting lucky this year and will spend the day hiking in the desert instead of sitting on the couch. I know some of you will not have the ability to shy away from social gathering, so I will give you my 7 layer dip recipe in condolence. Unless, of course, you like foot ball - then you can just enjoy the game and the food... and the beer, obviously.

I bolded the ingredients in this recipe:

Take a can of beans (I like Amy's refried beans) and dump it in the skillet with some diced onion and grated cheddar cheese. 

While that is all melting together, mash up an avocado and put some lime juice on it.

Put the beans in the bottom of a clear dish.

Put the smashed avocado on top of the beans.

Put diced tomatoes on top of the avocado (this layering it important because the acid in the tomato will keep the avocado from browning).

Put raw diced onions on top of the tomatoes. 

Spread sour cream over the onions.

Sprinkle grated cheese over the sour cream.

Put sliced olives or jalapenos over the cheese.

Done. Put in refrigerator.

I like to serve this with blue corn chips, but I think any chip that doesn't break easy will work.

Have fun!

Hokkaido Squash

I had never seen a Blue Hokkaido Squash before, but once I saw it I knew I had to have it. I really want to visit Hokkaido in the winter one day for the beer and the snow. And the noodles and the hot springs - you get the point. Back to the blue squash. It does really have a blue rind, which is amazing because I can't think of any other blue veggie. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't blue on the inside, too.

I knew I wanted to use enoki mushrooms in my squash, so I took to the internet and found One Messy Kitchen's recipe. I would have never thought to put cream in squash. It is a truly amazing idea.

I cut the squash in half and took out the seeds. I put a bunch of holes in the flesh (not the rind) with a fork. I then put in the enoki and a portobello mushroom cap with the gills removed. I poured half and half over the mushrooms until it was about half an inch from the top, sprinkled some salt and pepper, and popped it in the over for about an hour at 400 degrees F. 

It was super delicious. This is a great vegetarian main dish. I think it would work with any kind of mushroom and any kind of squash that is not too sweet. 

One Ingredient Mochi Waffles!!! #Moffles

Gluten free and gooey, these one ingredient moffles (mochi waffles) are everything.

Seriously all you really need for this recipe. 

Ingredient:

- Hard Mochi Squares

Machinery:

- Waffle maker

- Heatproof gloves

The only ingredient needed.

Preparation:

Place Mochi square on heated waffle iron. Press down firmly but slowly. Mochi will start to melt and soften. When the iron closes completely the waffle is done. 

Please be careful, it's hot!

Nom! If you like plain mochi, these will be your friend.

Topping Ideas:

• Chocolate Syrup
• Maple Syrup
• Furikake
• Other Syrups
• Fruit

Hints:

• This requires quite a bit of pressure but don't hulk out on your waffle iron.
• It could break. 
• Cook a bit longer for a firmer waffle.
• Slightly less if you like more goo.
• Be careful! 
• You could easily burn yourself but it's worth it IMO.
• Eat the squares quickly, refrigerate any extra. 
• They mold quickly once opened.
• PDX peeps: I buy my mochi squares from Uwajimaya. 

Happy New Years! 

<3 KM

Fake Cake

Don't want to succumb to all the sugar of America's birthday weekend? Try cutting up a watermelon like a cake and surrounding it with strawberries.

I think watermelon is the perfect summer dessert. It cools me off and isn't too heavy when the humidity is high. 

Serve with some salt, and maybe some whipped cream, if you're feeling decadent. 

Eat bugs to fend off the apocalypse!

Do you enjoy stir fried crickets? Meal worm meatloaf? Chocolate covered ants? If so, you might just be doing the world a favor.

In my Ripley's @ OMSI post last week I briefly mentioned Ripley's Bug Cafe. The cafe was a food cart embedded with three screens which showed a play explaining why we should all eat bugs. It is a legitimate concept for conservation conscious humans to consider.

MR Fish has tried bugs before and that has made me a bit curious. Can they really be all right? Wouldn't it be nasty if a leg got stuck in your teeth or something? Aren't they a bit weird texture wise?

I think I'll hold off until they make something like an insect veggie burger. If I can't tell that it used to be a bug I might eat it lol. More likely than not we've all eaten bugs in our life times, on purpose or accidentally, but it still sounds so gross.

We do everything we can to keep bugs from getting into our food, so why should we eat bugs? Apparently there are lots of reasons!

Reasons to Eat Bugs:

• Bugs are easy to raise
• It takes less space and water to raise bugs than livestock or plants. 
• They are so easy to raise that they might become a future space food. 
• Bugs are good for you
• They are a great source of protein, calcium and other vitamins and minerals. 
• Bugs are relatively clean
• Many insects compulsively clean themselves. Yes, even cockroaches! 
• Our ancestors ate bugs
• Even the Romans ate beetle larvae and locusts.  
• Many cultures enjoy eating bugs today
• Worldwide there are far more people that eat bugs than those that don't.
• The UN urges us all to eat bugs
• Read more at LiveScience
• Bugs are tasty
• "Stinkbugs have an apple flavor, and red agave worms are spicy. A bit of tree worm apparently brings pork rinds to mind." - Jennifer Holland for Nat Geo
• Eating bugs could end world hunger
• Since bugs are so easy to raise with limited resources, cultivating more bugs could feed a ton of people. 
• The company Aspire USA has already begun raising insects in the US for just this purpose! 

Reasons to Avoid Eating Bugs:

• They look gross.
• They crawl around on the floor. 
• Some eat yucky stuff. 
• They can potentially carry disease.

Most of these negatives can be avoided if you cook bugs before eating them and purchase bugs from reputable sources. Keep in mind that many other food sources can carry diseases and bacteria as well.

So I want to Eat Bugs, Where Should I Start?

If you are adventurous enough to start eating insects straight up, Girl Meets Bug has an excellent list of sources for clean, edible bugs here. Daniella Martin, author of GMB also has recipes on her blog and even wrote a book entitled, Edible: An Adventure into the World of Eating Insects and the Last Great Hope to Save the Planet. I'm not sure if I'm ready to start eating bugs yet, but I really want to read this book!

If you're interested in eating foods that contain insects, but don't look like insects you can check out Six Foods. They sell chips called "chirps" which contain cricket flour, but look like any other tasty whole grain chip. If you know of any other hidden insect foods, please let me know!

☮ & ♡ KM

P.S. - The link to the Edible book is an Amazon affiliates link, thank you for the support! 

Got an entire bunch of overripe bananas? Make Kona Inn's Banana Bread!

I bought bananas a few days ago, totally forgot about them and they got mushy really fast. All 6 of them! Most banana recipes don't need an entire bunch of bananas but Kona Inn's Banana Bread does. It is so good, and so moist.

I wish I had more pictures to share with you, but this is all that I managed to take before I left for work. My sons destroyed this. When I returned home there was only a tiny piece left. I totally ate it right away, and I got some glares for eating the last piece lol!

Full recipe found on Food Network's web site here.

Notes:

• This recipe contains much more wet ingredients than dry ingredients. 
• If the liquid mixture looks like a ton of banana sludge don't worry - you are doing it right. 

Ingredients:

• flour, salt, baking soda, vegetable shortening, sugar, bananas, eggs, walnuts
• only 8 easy to finds items - yay! 

Substitutions made:

• I used non-hydrogenated margarine instead of vegetable shortening. 
• Whatever you use make sure it's room temperature. 
• I cooked this recipe in a glass 9x13 pan instead of using 2 loaf pans. 
• It was done in 50 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Additions:

• I added some cinnamon and vanilla. 
• I bet nutmeg and ginger would work well too. 

Mess Level:

• This whole recipe only required 2 bowls, 1 or 2 cooking vessels, measuring cups and a measuring spoon. Not bad! 
• I crumbled the walnuts directly into the bowl because I didn't feel like chopping them :P. 

Hungry yet? I know I am actually looking forward to the next time I have a bunch of overripe bananas. It's definitely a keeper. 

☮ & ♡ KM

Green Jello

I had so much fun making my own green gelatin. Taking backlit pictures of this ectoplasmic space goo was such a blast!

Juice of 1 lime (2 tablespoons)
Zest of 2 limes(1 teaspoon packed)
1 tablespoon Gelatin powder(+2 teaspoons if you want squares instead of goo) 
1/4 heaping cup Sugar (more if you like it sweet)
Water
3 drops Green Food Coloring (optional)

Add lime juice and gelatin to 1/2 cup cold water.

Boil 1 1/2 cups of water and add lime zest. 

Boil for a bit until you can smell the lime. 

Dissolve the sugar in the boiling lime-water.

Add the boiling water to the cold, gelatin water.

Add food coloring and stir.

This awesome, yellowish, pond-scum look is what you're going to get if you forgo the food coloring. 

Put in fridge for about 8 hours. The freezer will speed it up a bit, but don't -whatever you do- don't let it freeze.

The lime zest will probably settle in the bottom and you will be able to see it, so the jello won't be perfectly clear like the commercial stuff. It looks spookier, but you should probably strain it out with cheese cloth after it boils with the sugar for a bit because it leaves a weird texture. If you forgot, you can always just cut off the bottom where most of it settles, which is what I ended up doing.

Green Jellÿ, pronounced green jello, named their band after what they thought was the worst flavor of Jello. Whatever. I've always loved green jello, even when I was a little kid at the hospital. They also self-report themselves as the world's worst band. I think I would have to disagree with them on that, too. They are like a cheesier Gwar, which I happen to find quite amusing. Check 'em out. It's great fun to listen to while playing with your gelatinous space-goo.

Congee with Extra Pork Products

I have not been feeling the best this past week, but one thing I know will make me feel better is congee. It was all I ate one day. For those of you that don't know, congee is rice porridge. I think it works better than chicken noodle soup!

My rice cooker has a "porridge" setting, so it is super simple for me to make the rice, which is nice when I'm sick. I use one cup of rice to five cups of water. If you don't have a rice cooker, I'm pretty sure it's almost as easy on a stovetop. I haven't done it in years, but I think it's just as simple as stirring it every once in a while until the rice has absorbed most of the water and disintegrated a bit.  

I usually add a few slices of ginger and some sliced wood-ear mushrooms near the beginning of the cooking process for flavor. I like my congee pretty creamy, so when it's done I like to take a spoon and push the rice up against the sides of the pan to make it disintegrate more. 

I love my congee with fishsauce, lime, and green onion, but this one time I went nuts and added both bacon bits and spam. I think it was the best idea ever.

A Week of Savory Oatmeal

 I've tried to like oatmeal for a long time. I can usually get about a week in before I am utterly sick of it. But I have found 2 solutions: steel cut oats and savory oatmeal. The first one I tried was the simplest. Just butter and salt. Man, it was good, so I decided to try more.

The next one I tried got rave reviews all over the internet. Mark Bittman told everyone his soy sauce and scallions version on NPR a few years ago, I guess. I was not a huge fan. I enjoyed it a lot more after I added a little sesame oil and some bonito flakes.

I tried this one with real sausage instead of vegetarian,  The gouda didn't really do anything for me, so I added sour cream. Pure perfection with the arugula and herbs.

I had some sausage left over the next day, so I made up my own version. I just added butter, salt, pepper, and plenty of dried sage. I think it turned out pretty good.

I saw some recipes touting the benefits of a fried egg on top of oats. I went full on Popeye and added a bunch of spinach, too. I added on olive oil, too. It turned out okay. Once the egg was gone there wasn't much flavor.

I decided to go all out and add bacon. I got the idea from MrBreakfast. I didn't go all fancy and cook the oats in milk, but the chives and cheese made this a delicious feast. If you try only one savory oats topping, this should be it. 

I've saved the best for last. I stole some of my man's fancy salt, grated in a bit of amazingly old cheddar, ground some pepper and topped with some olive oil. It was soooo good. I got the idea from this site. 

I am not sick of oatmeal yet and I found some really good combinations. If you're sick of the sweet and gooey normal oatmeal you have to try some of these ideas. As soon as I can find some good tomatoes I am going to try that, too! If you want more ideas you can check out the World Porridge Making Champion.