Small steps, small steps

I can't believe it's been more than a month since I last posted. I guess life gets in the way sometimes.

G and I are still trying to get grass to grow in our front yard. One side of the yard has verdant fescue, it's a couple inches high, and although there are a couple of thin spots, the grass has taken quite well. The other side, well, I'm at a bit of a loss. We have several sparse patches of grass and a couple of baby Sweet gum trees (not that we particularly wanted saplings in our front yard). I managed to procure some unwanted zoysia sod from a friend, but we won't know if it's taken for another couple of weeks.

G's mom gave me a rabbit foot fern. At the moment, it's sharing our front step with a potted cucumber plant. I'm hoping to get the cucumber plant in the ground by next weekend. G's brother has a superb vegetable garden this year. He brought us fresh salad greens as part of the meal we made for Mother's Day. Right now he's getting his first squash of the season, as well as some early cukes (my cucumber plant looks pitiful by comparison).

Even though my dreams of a vegetable garden didn't materialize, G and I found out that we have a farm in the neighborhood. City Roots is only a couple of blocks from us, and they have an ever expanding list of fruits and vegetables for sale. A few weeks ago, I picked up half a gallon of organic strawberries for $6. Delicious. Unfortunately, some of the berries had been sitting in water over the weekend and the were starting to go bad. It seems like we've gotten a fair amount of rain in the last few weeks, but NOAA is showing my part of the state as being abnormally dry. Here's hoping we don't get into drought status again this year.

Today was a marathon of cooking. I've gotten a little off track as far as cooking at home and making sure I have lunch to take to work. Some of this week's dishes are a little labor intensive, and with summer starting up at the library, I can't afford to not plan ahead. G and I would be eating out every night otherwise.

I found a really nifty website called No Meat Athlete. There are lots of fantastic recipes there, including three that made it onto this week's menu. One recent post is specifically about beans and rice, five different ways. This week we're having beans and rice, Indian style. No Meat Athlete also has a feature called Sweet Tooth Fridays. I made black bean brownies to satisfy my sweet tooth, and as a way to resist temptation at work. There is constantly food at work. Always things like cookies, cake, brownies, or ice cream. I haven't gained weight from eating crap at work, but it certainly isn't healthy. I've been a little lazy lately. I haven't had the foresight to take snacks to work, so when I get the afternoon munchies, I just eat whatever is in the break room. This week I have brownies and strawberries. It's a small step back to where I need to be.

Our last recipe from No Meat Athlete is one I'm really excited about. They're called wheatball subs. The wheatballs aren't actually so much wheat as chickpeas and mushrooms. I have high hopes for these guys. G adores meatball subs (as do I). Since G and I are trying to gradually eliminate meat from our diet, we're looking for suitable replacements for foods we already enjoy. I don't think I'll ever find a replacement for my beloved czirke paprikas, and I don't think I would have a problem with consuming the occasional piece of humanely raised meat.

Backyard musings and really good black bean soup

I was hoping start gardening this week. My guy and I bought our house in October, and even though we've done a lot of work, it's mostly been inside. So far the only bit of yardwork that I've managed to tackle is a pretty intense ivy infestation. It was so bad that my pecan tree failed to yield fruit this year. My hope is that there was no lasting, substantial damage to my trees, but I likely won't find out until the leaves start peaking out.

The previous owner of our house used it as a rental. As such, the yard was not properly maintained. Right now, I have two types of fencing in my yard. One fence is in need of serious repair (possibly replacement) and the other needs to be removed. We have bald spots in our backyard, out of control shrubs, trees that need pruning, and no outdoor storage. And don't even get me started on the number of Miller High Life caps I've picked up.

My main hope for this season is an herb garden. I fleshed out a plan for a vertical herb garden, but the weather has not cooperated long enough for me to build a frame. I'm not as organized as Amber. I haven't started any plants indoors. The process of applying to graduate school has taken over my life. I'm almost finished though. Here's hoping I can start some plants next week.

Now, if I could only figure out what's going on with our camellias...

This week's weather has been enough to test even the most patient of souls. Sunday was 68 and sunny; today was 45 and windy enough that I felt the cold through my sweater and a wool coat. Even though today was sunny, it was tempting to stay at home with a book and a pot of soup simmering invitingly on the stove. Alas, work beckons.

Luckily, I am the proud owner of a slow cooker. My slow cooker is pretty high on the list of things that I love. Few things are better than coming home to a warm meal.

Tonight's dinner? Black bean soup.

You will need:

• 1/2 lb. black beans (also called turtle beans)
• 3 c. water
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 poblano peppers, chopped*
• 1/4 c. lentils
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder (Why, yes, you did read that correctly.)
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 c. uncooked rice
• 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar**
• salt to taste

In a large bowl, submerge black beans in water. Make sure the beans are covered by at least a couple of inches. Soak overnight.

In the morning, drain beans and rinse. Add to crock. Add water, carrot, celery, poblanos, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, the bay leaf, pepper, and lentils. Cook on high for 3 hours.***

Switch temperature to low, give everything a good stir, and add tomatoes, rice, and salt to taste. Cook on low for 3 hours.

Add vinegar just be serving. Adjust salt.

* If you can't find poblano peppers or they're not in your budget, chop a bell pepper and a jalapeno (make sure you remove the seeds and veins) and toss them in the pot.

**If you don't have red wine vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar in a pinch.

*** Times are approximate. Every slow cooker is different, and so is every situation. I'm very lucky that I'm able to come home for lunch if I'd like. For me, it makes sense to cook the beans, veggies, and seasonings on low for four to five hours and add the tomatoes and rice when I come home for lunch. For those who cannot interrupt their day to adjust temperatures and add ingredients, consider a slow cooker that has a delay function. Toss in everything up to the can of tomatoes and set your cooker to come on a few hours before you come home. When you get home, leave the cooker on the high temperature setting, add the tomatoes, rice, and salt, and let it cook for an additional one to two hours.