Wordless Wednesday

Moss Beach

Yesterday was a good day.  I'm kinda getting over my illness, we had lunch in Moss Beach then went to the beach for a couple hours.  The beaches here are nothing like the beaches in Texas.  They are WAY BETTER here.  It's also a lot colder here, too.  We were bundled up in long pants and hoodies and I was still cold...and I loved every minute of it.  Growing up in Texas, you'd think I'd be all over 95+ degree weather at the beach.....NOPE.  I love that it's cold and windy and that the water is freezing.  It's such a strange combination to me.  But it works :)

While we were at the beach, Turkey, as usual, goes right for the freezing cold water, gets wet, takes off his pants and proceeds to enjoy the rest of his time in his Creeper shirt and underwear.  My little Bean is very timid of anything that looks slightly dangerous or different.  So, he was hanging back with Mommy and Daddy while his older brothers waded into the cold water.  He eventually got up his nerve and dipped his toes into the water near the tide pools.

Oh, and a funny thing happened while we were there.  Well, probably not funny to Pete, but funny, nonetheless.  We were leaving the beach and he couldn't find his shoes that he had dropped off at the bottom of the stairs.  Someone had stolen them!  Who does that???  Poor Pete had to walk back to his car without shoes on :(  I guess whoever took them, really needed some worn out flip flops.  What is the world coming too?

Wordless Wednesday

Butterfly Bean

Green Smoothie of the Day

Today's smoothie tasted much better than the previous liquid lettuce one I had to doctor up the other day.  I put carrot juice, coconut water, bananas, frozen pineapple, plain yogurt, chia seeds and kale in it. 

I used my regular blender instead of my magic bullet.  So this made enough for 4 people to have a smoothie.

1/2 c carrot juice

1/2 - 3/4 c coconut water

1 c frozen pineapple

2 small bananas 

1/2 - 3/4 c plain yogurt

1/4 c chia seeds

1 giant handful of kale

Blend all ingredients until smooth.  

There Should be a P.T.S.D. category for Recycling

I was at a birthday party this weekend and was about to throw away a paper plate and a plastic fork.  I opened the cabinet under the sink and asked if it was trash or recycling.  I was told it was trash.  I looked at the items in my hand and couldn't decide if it was trash or recycling so I ended up putting it into the trash.  Immediately realizing I should have put the plastic fork in the recycling and the paper plate into the trash.

This might sound a bit boring, but as I was thinking about which item was to go where, I could feel my pulse quickening and my mind racing about what is recyclable and what is not.   I felt as if I was being judged by everyone around me...."Tsk, tsk, what IS she doing?"  This is what I was thinking everyone was thinking about me...I'm sure they weren't.

Living in California does this to me.  Not that we didn't recycle before, but now that we are where recycling is mandatory and it's completely frowned upon if you don't, I get stage fright when I walk up to a trash can.  Am I putting things in the rights spot, will they separate it for me, is this lid recyclable, should I rinse every last spec of food/lotion/peanut butter out of the container before putting it in the bin?  Ahhhhhhhh!

Thank goodness for pictures, or what I like to call, the "How To Guide" on the trash cans/recycling cans.  If it weren't for those, I wouldn't know what to do!  Well, not really, but that is what it feels like.  I'm an intelligent woman, but as soon as I get near a trash receptacle, I become a flippin idiot.  Does anyone else feel like this?

To remedy my PTSD, I should just look on the website to see what is ACTUALLY allowed in the recycling bin and what is not...but, I've got better things to do with my time....like laundry...meh.





This is a picture I took when we were at McDonald's (don't judge - it happens sometimes).  See what I mean?  Even the McDonald's has a "how to" guide.

Happy Mother's Day!

This is a pic of me and my mom at the Berkeley Kite Festival a couple of years ago.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the hard working, wonderful Moms!  To all of my amazing friends, I hope Mother's Day is fantastic!  

Now, I'm going to relax...Peace Out!

Butternut Squash and Kale Soup

Last night's dinner was a bit of a throw together, but I think it turned out pretty good.  We had 4 butternut squash from the CSA I needed to use and a bag of kale that we need to use up too.  I roasted the squash in the oven, cooled, peeled then scooped into a pot.  Added some chicken stock, spices and the kale and let it simmer for a bit.  Then I blended it with the immersion blender and dinner was ready!  It's not the prettiest color (kinda greenish) but the boys are used to that, because I add kale and spinach to almost everything we eat.

Tip of the day....and maybe you knew this, but I just discovered this...when roasting squash in the oven,  just place the entire squash, uncut, onto a cookie sheet and bake it.  In about 45 minutes, the squash will be tender and you can cut and scoop out the insides.  Super easy and not as labor intensive as what I was doing before.

Oh and to make this vegetarian, just add vegetable stock or plain water to the soup instead of the chicken stock.  But if you do plain water, make sure to add more spices to get some flavor in there.

 The roasted butternut squash scooped out and cut into chunks

4 cups of chicken stock.  Or you could use vegetable stock or plain water. 

 Spices

 Combined and simmering till tender.

 I added a big handful of kale.

 Wilt it down

 Blend with the immersion blender until smooth.

Butternut Squash & Kale Soup

4 butternut squash
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock or water
1/4 tsp or more of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg
1 tbl sage
salt & pepper to taste - I think I put about 1/2 tsp salt and probably a tsp of pepper
large handful of kale - approx. 3-4 cups loosely packed


1.  Bake or roast butternut squash.  Let cool then scoop and put in pot.
2.  Add chicken stock
3.  Add spices
4.  Simmer until all the flavors meld together.  I think I did it for 20 minutes or so.
5.  Add kale and let the soup wilt it down
6.  Mix with immersion blender or put in blender to make it smooth

This soup will be creamy like it has dairy in it, but it doesn't!  You could make it vegetarian/vegan by using vegetable stock or plain water.  If you use water, add more seasoning to the soup.  Taste as you go along to get the flavor you want.

I'm thinking next time, I'll add a white wine.  I think it will add a nice complexity of flavor to the dish.

Enjoy!