Vegan Eats World: Review, Giveaway, and Spicy Drunken Noodles recipe!

The Wednesday Review:

Reviewing books, products and more you may be interested in

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all who entered!  Read on for the review and a free recipe, however! 

This is the fifth book in a series of giveaways!  

Like us on Facebook to stay up to speed with all our giveaways!  

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.  They did not pay me for my review.  As some of you know far too well, the opinions expressed herein most definitely are and perhaps unfortunately always will be my own! 

Dear cooks of international flair, 

I've been having way too much fun with this giveaway series.  Not only am I loading up on a stack of fresh cooking material for the kitchen and hopefully helping you to do the same, but I've been "meeting" readers from far and wide!  We've had winners in Missouri, Utah, Texas and Massachusetts, and I am curious to see where this next book will go!  The last book we gave away was Nourishing Traditions, and it sailed off to a new home in Utah!  We're giving away another book from the outstanding press, Da Capo Lifelong {follow them on Facebook for recipes, giveaways, and information on fabulous cooking books}; they generously offered us this giveaway on top of the one they just sponsored for Vegan Cupcakes!  

Speaking of generous, everybody's a winner with this review, because Da Capo's publicist gave permission to share a recipe for all of us to enjoy!  Read on for Spicy Drunken Noodles ... 

Vegan Eats World: 300 International Recipes for Savoring the Planet by Terry Hope Romero

This is a book on international cooking, and I guess it also happens to be vegan - which is almost beside the point when you start exploring these flavorful, exotic dishes that weirdly can be made as easily as a bowl of spaghetti, in your own kitchen!  

This is also a huge book.  Almost as big as my (huge) baby, it boasts over 300 recipes from around the world! 

What's with vegan eating?  Vegan and vegetarian eating may be a pseudo-faddish lifestyle for some Westerners, but in many parts of the world it's just a way of life; animal products may be costly or hard to come by, and people rely on a plant-based diet in many regions as a matter of necessity.  Not surprisingly then, fabulously creative and delicious recipes have developed in remote parts of the world, meals which are consumed by everybody, not just card-carrying "vegans"!  You might be living a purely vegan lifestyle and seeking new material to jazz up your weeknights, or you may be roasting a turkey this afternoon but looking for a nutritious side dish with a little Mediterranean flair, or hoping to use up a few extra eggplant and thinking a Lebanese Moussaka Stew might fit the bill.  I, a die-hard self-professed advocate of whole milk, cheese and bacon, am delighting over the traditional Garlicky Potato Dip from Greece, Coriander Rye Muffins from Russia, Okra Masala (Bindi Bhaji) from India, and Takeout Stir Fry Noodles with Mushrooms and Greens from China!

What's inside: Rather than dividing the recipes by region, which is a cute idea but can be inconvenient when you want to quickly find a soup for a cool evening, these recipes are conveniently and handily divided by food genre.  Preceded by a section familiarizing novice cooks on tools, ingredients and lingo, there are twelve fat chapters in this book: Spice Blends (like Olive Oil Harissa Paste), The Three Protein Amigos: Tofu, Seitan and Tempeh (like Lemon and Olive Chickpea Seitan), Pickles, Chutneys and Saucier Sauces (like Whipped Garlic Dip), Salads, Spreads and Sandwiches (like Avocado Mango Cashew Salad), Soups (like White Bean Farro Soup with Chickpea Parmigiana), Curries Hearty Stews and Beans (like Mexican Homemade Refried Beans), Dumplings Breads and Pancakes (like Ethiopian Savory Crepes), Asian Noodles to Mediterranean Pasta (like Sizzling Seitan Pho Noodle Soup), Hearty Entrees (like Korean Veggie Bulgogi), Robust Vegetable Entrees and Sides (like Crisp Stir-Fry Greens with Veggie Oyster Sauce), Rice and Whole Grains: One-Pot Meals and Supporting Roles (like Crusty Persiaon Rice with Dill and Fava Beans), and Sweet Beginnings (like Walnut Spice Sticky Cake).

Recipes are all accompanied by a few little purple symbols, helping cooks that are seeking a dish to fit certain specifications: 123 denotes the easiest recipes; 45 denotes under-45-minute recipes; a chair marks recipes that are mostly inactively cooking on the stove or in the oven so you can be out of the kitchen; $ indicates inexpensive ingredients; low-fat marks recipes with a tablespoon or less of added fats; G indicates gluten-free recipes; and S marks recipes without soy.

Of course, the book is scattered throughout with beautiful color photographs of many of the delicious recipes you'll be encountering.  With recipes using traditional fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi, recipes that bring on the heat with berebere and harissa, recipes that are familiar and recipes that are bizarre, there is something exploratory and exciting for everybody in this book.  But perhaps we should let the recipes speak for themselves?  I'll leave you with the recipe for Spicy Drunken Noodles, and then you can check out the book on your own or enter the giveaway below!

photo courtesy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz
used with permission

Pad Kee Mao 

(Spicy Drunken Noodles) 
From Vegan Eats World, reprinted with permission

Serves 2 to 3

There are many colorful stories about the origins of 

this addictive, fiery Thai noodle dish, but the strangest 

one may be about the wife who was so fed up 

with her drunken husband she turned to revenge 

via loading up his favorite noodles with fistfuls of 

hot chile peppers. Seems like her plan backfired, 

because the heady mixture of savory sauces and 

fiery chilies made him (and countless fans after) 

swoon and ask for seconds. Your homemade spin on 

this takeout favorite need not be punishingly hot to 

be just as good.

Thai soy sauce: Like her sister recipe, Pad See Ew (page 230), Pad Kee Mao is best made with genuine Thai soy sauces. One bottle of each Thai sauce will last for dozens of noodle dishes, making spontaneous Thai-style noodles an easy weekday meal treat. Chinese- or Japanese-style sauces don’t have the correct flavors; your dish may be good, but it won’t taste like Thai food. Thai thin soy sauce (light amber color, thin consistency, and strong, salty taste) does the job of standing in for fish sauce. Golden Mountain sauce is a special Thai seasoning sauce with a consistency and flavor slightly like Worcestershire sauce; it’s vegan, with complex flavors that soy sauce alone can’t cover. Thai black soy sauce and sweet soy sauce are thick and sweet sauces with molasses-like notes; both have their own unique character, but in a pinch are interchangeable. But for the most authentic tasting dish, use both!

Authentic Thai vegetables are much more challenging to find than the sauces, but a little cabbage, carrot, or even a few florets of broccoli or a handful of snow peas are fine.

Regarding the rice noodles, you have license to use whatever you can find. Many Thai restaurants use slippery, chewy, wide fresh rice noodles.  These noodles are delicious and will make the most authentic-tasting dish but can be difficult to find. If you can’t find sliced, fresh flat rice noodles at Thai markets, investigate Chinese markets for bags of soft fresh rice ho fun noodles: huge rice noodles that resemble a floppy kitchen towel folded into a squishy bundle. Regular Pad Thai rice sticks, if not authentic, are an easy-to-find substitute.

If you can’t use fresh ho fun noodles immediately, they can be refrigerated but will be stiff after being chilled a few hours (but they can keep for weeks, so it’s worth stashing an extra bag in the fridge for future stir-fries). To refresh ho fun noodles, steam them for 4 to 8 minutes until soft and pliable enough to unfold; the older the noodle, the more steaming required. Gently unfold this super noodle (if it rips a little don’t worry), and slice or tear into pieces. Don’t worry if they’re not pretty, they’ll taste like dynamite in noodle stir-fries. Keep the fresh noodles covered with a moist paper towel until ready to stir-fry.

Drunken Noodle Sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese vegetarian stir-fry sauce (see page 13)
2 tablespoons Thai thin soy sauce (see page 19)
4 teaspoons brown sugar or palm sugar
1 tablespoon Thai Golden Mountain sauce (see page 18)
2 tablespoons Thai black soy sauce or Thai sweet soy sauce (see page 19), or
1 tablespoon of each sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 to 3 teaspoons Asian chili garlic sauce or hot red pepper flakes

Noodles and Vegetables

12 ounces Thai fresh flat rice noodles or Chinese fresh ho fun noodles
3 tablespoons peanut, canola, or grapeseed oil
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 to 4 red or green hot chile peppers
(Thai, Indian, or serrano), sliced into paper-thin rings
One 8-ounce package fried tofu or 1 recipe
Savory Baked Tofu (page 50), sliced into
1/4-inch thin strips
3 cups shredded Napa or savoy cabbage
1 carrot, sliced into matchsticks
3 scallions, both green and white parts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup lightly packed Thai basil leaves
1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
Lime wedges for squeezing over noodles

1. If the rice noodles are very fresh and soft, you don’t need to cook them; just tear into bite sized pieces if needed and proceed to the stir-fry. If already sliced, gently separate the noodles and set aside, or refold the ho fun several times into a wide tube and slice into wide, 2-to 3-inch strips. If the noodles have been refrigerated and are hard, set up a bamboo or metal steamer over boiling water. Steam the Thai noodles or the whole, unsliced ho fun until soft (4 to 8 minutes), then turn off the heat and keep covered. If using ho fun, when the noodle is cool enough to handle, either slice into strips or tear into pieces 2 to 3 inches wide with your fingers. Keep covered until ready to use.

2. In a liquid measuring cup whisk together the vegetarian stir-fry sauce, Thai thin soy sauce, brown sugar, Golden Mountain sauce, black or sweet soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and chili sauce. Chop the vegetables and arrange all of the ingredients within easy reach of the stove for the stir-fry.

3. Preheat a wok or large skillet over high heat, then pour in 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is rippling, stir in the garlic and chilies, stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the tofu and fry another 2 to 3 minutes until the tofu browns on the edges. Transfer the tofu to a dinner plate. Add another tablespoon of oil and add the carrot, cabbage, and white part of scallions and fry for 2 minutes until slightly softened. Transfer to the plate with the tofu.

4. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, add the noodles, and stir-fry for 1 minute. If the noodles start to stick, dribble in a teaspoon or two of water; whenever sticking starts to happen add a little water but don’t add too much or the noodles will become mushy. Now drizzle on half of the sauce, stir-fry for 2 minutes and return the tofu, cabbage, carrot, green parts of scallions, and the remaining sauce. Stir in the basil leaves and cilantro. Continue to stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed, everything is coated in sauce and the noodles are gently seared in some places. Transfer immediately to serving plates and squeeze lime wedges over noodles before devouring.

Add any of the following to the stir-fry before adding the noodles:

With Green Peppercorns: Stir in 2 to 3 teaspoons of fresh green peppercorns along with the chilies.

With Shallots: Slice a large shallot into paper-thin slices and fry along with the garlic and chilies until golden.

With Snow Peas, Baby Corn, or Broccoli: Add a handful of snow peas, baby corn or thinly sliced broccoli along with the cabbage

Without Noodles: Or omit the noodles entirely and double the amount of vegetables for a spicy all-vegetable Thai stir-fry.

Enter the giveaway!  

1. Leave a comment below.  Do you prepare vegan foods already, or are you just an international-cooking fan?  What is the best feature of this book for you?  Use a current e-mail address or Facebook page when you leave your comment, and I will contact you via that route when you win - so be sure it's one you check!  Winner will be chosen Wednesday, January 23, 2013.

2. Share this giveaway with a friend!  The more popular a review is, the more giveaways we are privileged to do in the future!  Use Pinterest, Twitter, e-mail, Facebook or any other medium to share this review with somebody, and feel free to add a bonus comment for yourself letting us know you did so.

We're still giving away more!  Chef AJ's Unprocessed, Ron Schmidt's Untold Story of Milk, and a bonus, edible round from Tropical Traditions - so follow us on Facebook to be alerted to all our giveaways!!! 

Bon voyage,

Mrs H



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Spices: Homemade Blends and a Well-Stocked Pantry

Thanks for reading this post, I'm so excited to visit with you!  

After you've gleaned all the good information you need, visit our new blog platform at www.farmandhearth.com to read even more fascinating tidbits from the kitchen and the fields. 

Dear spicy ones,

Some people collect Cabbage Patch Dolls.  Others collect antique teapots.  I suppose you could say I collect spices!  Spices are a nice collection to have because it is a constantly evolving, changing, updating collection that technically expires after only a few months, and needs to be refreshed.  Thus, I get the rush of satisfying serotonin from buying New Stuff every few months, and the drawers remain about the same size and I don't need to feel like I'm wasting space or money.

Plus, we like a lot of flavor in our food.

I love MarketSpice, which has a little outlet in Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle, Washington.  They also have a warehouse in Redmond, Washington, where you can call in your order and pick it up pre-packaged; but I love the heady rush of seeing row after row of fresh spices on the wall, teas and coffee blends, and the tiny store full of tea pots and tea strainers and French presses, spice grinders and mortars.

When I moved to Virginia, I made a visit to MarketSpice to stock up all my jars before heading to questionable territory that may or may not have spices suitable to my standards.  Southern Belle came with me and took the snapshot you see above!

People come in to the store with long lists they need to replenish, so when I came and said I had a long list and started rattling them off, the clerk suggested I just hand him the notebook.  I did, and he stopped what he was doing to stare.  "Well," he said.  "We've had some pretty long lists, but I'm gonna have to say this is the longest one I've ever seen."

"I'm just restocking the ones that are low," I said.  "You guys have the best."

By the time he finished, two other employees had joined him, starting from the bottom of the list and working their way up, while he worked his way down from the top.  They brilliantly deciphered my hieroglyphic notations and determined how many ounces of each I wanted - it was like they could read my mind!

While I love the spices at Penzeys, too (I'm told MarketSpice sources some of their spices from them, as well), the beauty of MarketSpice is you can buy whatever quantity you want; Penzeys come pre-bottled (which makes them fabulous gifts!), so they can be a little bit pricier; but the quality is just as high.  I source my vanilla beans from Beanilla, a great online resource with the most competitive bulk prices on the market today, and use them to make our homemade extracts and other deliciousnesses like ice cream or tapioca pudding.

Miz Carmen gave my sister Melissa the idea for these little spice jars, which
I received from Melissa as a wedding gift!  This is just one drawer out of several ... 

When I was home for Christmas this past December, almost a year after my earlier visit, I stopped in at MarketSpice to restock on a couple items, and find a few new spices to try.  It's a busy store, and there were even a few new employees - but the old employees remembered me - "Didn't you come in with that huge list?" and the new employees had heard of me - "Didn't you come in with that huge list?"!  I had to laugh - but this is just another reason why I love this store.  Quality customer care, every single time!

Following is a list of the spices and blends we currently have on file right now.  The list is always evolving - some things run out, others are replaced, gifts are received, some are good, some are bad, new blends are mixed - and so it will probably be different if you come in a week from now!  These are sorted by letter and variety, but they aren't exactly alphabetical.

MS = Market Spice, P = Penzeys, HM = Homemade blend or home-grown and dried

Numbers 33rd & Galena (P blend)

Aa Allspice (ground), Allspice (whole), Anise Seed, Anise (ground), Arizona Dreaming (P blend)

Bb Baking Powder (home mix), Baking Soda, Sweet Basil (HM, dried, frozen), Sweet Basil (Frozen Oil Paste, HM), Cinnamon Basil (HM, dried, frozen), Lemon Basil (HM, dried, frozen), Purple Basil (HM, frozen), Bay Leaf (dried, HM), Bread Topping (HM), BBQ3000 (P blend), Beaumonde, Berebere (mixed by my cousin)

Cc Chinese 5-Spice, Caraway seeds, Cardamom (ground), Cardamom pods, Cayenne, Celery Seed, Chili Powder (MS blend), Cinnamon (ground, Oregon Spice), Ceylon Cinnamon, China Cinnamon, Vietnamese Cinnamon, Cinnamon Stick, Cloves (whole), Cloves (ground), Coriander, Cornstarch, Cream of Tartar, Cumin (ground), Cumin (whole), Curry (regular), Curry (additional blend), Curry (Madras), Vindaloo Curry, Crab & Shrimp Boil (MS blend), Cajun (P blend), Chicken and Rib Rub (P blend), Cilantro (dried), Cilantro (HM, frozen), Cider Mulling Mix (HM - recipe below), Hot Chili Powder, Whole Cayenne, Seattle Chai Mix (MS), Chai Spice Blend (MS, no tea)

Dd Dill Seed, Dill Weed

Ff Fennel, Fenugreek (ground), Fenugreek (whole), Fish Stock (Hon Dashi, grains), Fennel, Flax (ground), Flax Seeds

Gg Garam Masala, Garlic Powder, Garlic Salt, Ginger, Gumbo File (Sassafras root, powdered), Roasted Garlic Seasoning,  Game Hen Blend (MS blend. I used this all up after compiling my list so it's actually all gone!), Galena Street (P blend), Ground Virginia Peppers (HM)

Ii Italian Seasoning (MS blend)

Jj Jamaican Jerk (MS blend), Jalapeno Powder, Juniper Berries, Crushed Jalapeno

Mm Marjoram, Mustard Seed (yellow), Mustard Seed (brown), Mustard (ground), Hot Mustard (ground), Mint (whole leaf, HM), Mint (coarse grind, HM), Sambhar Masala, Pav Bhaji Masala, Karahi Chicken Masala, Chunky Chat Masala, Mchuzi Mix (Kenyan blend), Matcha Powder, Sweet Mesquite Seasoning, Smoky Meat Rub

Nn Nutmeg (ground), Nutmeg (whole), Nigella Seed

Oo Onion Powder (HM), Oregano, Orange Peel (dried, HM), Chopped Onion (HM)

Pp Paprika (hot), Paprika (sweet), Paprika (smoked), Paprika (Spanish Smoked), Parsley (dried), Parsley (frozen), Pepper (Tellicherry, whole), Pepper (ground) Pepper (crushed, red), Poppy Seed, Pickling Spice (store blend), Pumpkin Pie Spice (HM)

Rr Rosemary (Whole, HM), Rosemary (Coarse grind, HM), Rosemary (fine powder, HM)

Ss Saffron, Sage (HM), Sage (ground, HM), Seasoned Salt, Penzeys 4/S Seasoned Salt, Pretzel Salt, Kosher Salt, Celtic Sea Salt, Pickling Salt, Bacon Salt, Truffle Salt, Mural of Fire (P Seasoned salt), Sesame (Black), Sesame (Yellow), Sugar (Green Chile), Sugar (Cinnamon, HM - recipe below), Sumac, Sour Cream Dip Mix (HM, recipe below)

Tt Tarragon, Thyme (whole, HM), Thyme (ground, HM), Thyme (flaked), Turmeric, Taco Seasoning (HM)

Vv Vanilla Bean

A Few of My Favorite Spice Blends

I like blending my own spices - although there are a few favorite blends I love to buy premade! - and if you have a great spice blend you are willing to share, I'd be keen to hear it!

Cinnamon Sugar
This is the perfect ratio of sugar to cinnamon! 

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Blend thoroughly.  Sprinkle on toast, cinnamon rolls, steamed milk, chopped apples, applesauce ...

Cider Mulling Mix
A little cheesecloth or a mesh tea ball filled with spices, a pot on the stove and a jar of home-pressed cider ... I like to use just a small amount, maybe two teaspoons approximately, per quart. 

Approximately 1 tablespoon whole allspice
Approximately 2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon, approximately two inches, broken in half or shattered coarsely
Approximately 1 tablespoon dried orange peel pieces
A few shaves of a whole nutmeg

Toss together; increase amount in ratio listed as desired.  Store in an airtight jar.


Pumpkin Pie Spice (see the original post here!)
If you make the Libby recipe, just use two teaspoons per pie of this in replacement of what the can of puree calls for.  I use this to make my homemade pumpkin spice granola! 

1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice (optional)

Whisk ingredients together well; store in an airtight container.

Big Batch of Pumpkin Pie Spice (x 8)
Just a little pluttification ... and we have MORE! 

1/2 cup cinnamon (8 tablespoons)
1/4 cup ginger (12 teaspoons/4 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons cloves (6 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons allspice (optional)

Taco Seasoning (see the original post here!)

I got this recipe from Miz Carmen, who got it from Allrecipes, to which it was submitted by Bill Echols (thanks, Bill!)

Find a recipe for tortillas (whole wheat or white) here

1 tablespoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon paprika

1 – ½ teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Big Batch of Taco Seasoning

Have a huge family?  Making taco beef for a party?  Freezing batches of seasoned meat?  

To sedecuple the recipe (multiply it by 16), and make 16 ounces of taco seasoning (2 cups): 

1 cup chili powder

4 teaspoons garlic powder

4 teaspoons onion powder

4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

4 teaspoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons paprika

½ cup ground cumin

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sea salt

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ground black pepper  

Adjust the ratios as you like to make it more to your tastes; do you have any good ideas of other spices to add to this mix?

Sour Cream Dip
Blend this with sour cream - how much you use is up to you, as strength of flavoring is purely a personal choice - and serve with chips, vegetables, meat, fried hobo pockets, or whatever else you love to dip!  I used to enjoy the Lipton Onion Soup mixed with sour cream, but when I tried it again a year or two ago I realized all I could taste was MSG and artificial flavorings - my taste buds have refined since my teen years!  I had to come up with this mix so I could enjoy that oniony, salty dip again! 

1 tablespoon Beaumonde
2 teaspoons chopped or flaked onion
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dill weed (or two teaspoons, if you like it less dominant)
2 teaspoons dried parsley

Blend well; whisk into sour cream.


Aluminum-Free Baking Powder (read the entire article here!)
If you bought this at the grocery store, it would cost twice as much as regular baking powder.  Crazy, huh?  

Sodium bicarbonate: 1/4 cup baking soda
Acid Salt: 1/2 cup cream of tartar
Starch: 1/2 cup arrowroot powder or 1/4 cup cream of tartar (optional, and highly recommended especially if you are going to put this in your cupboard for storage)

More!  We must have more!! 

All you spice fans and foodies out there - I am currently in the testing phase for a great chai spice blend, pickling spice, and an italian seasoning blend.  If you have a favorite recipe you are willing to share, please let me know and I will be anxious to try it!

Do you know of other great blends, or fabulous resources for spices?  Is there a great spice shop in your town?  I am always hunting for new and adventurous blends and applications for spices, like pepper in cookies and cinnamon on chicken - what is the most bizarre way you've ever used a familiar spice?  If I come across any new great resources or come up with a new great blend, I'll update this post!

Yours in season and out,

Mrs H

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Top Ten Posts of 2012: Salad, Gifts, Kids - and Lord of the Rings?

Thanks for reading this post, I'm so excited to visit with you!  

After you've gleaned all the good information you need, 
visit our new blog platform at www.farmandhearth.com 
to read even more fascinating tidbits from the kitchen and the fields. 

Dear gentle and faithful Readers,

It's been a glorious year of blogging for me, as I have have learned, studied, stretched my limits, and watched the blog grow by leaps and bounds.  You, the faithful and cheerful reader, have visited again and again, increasing our readership by several hundred percent over the course of 2012.  You can't imagine how encouraging that is to a simple blogger like myself!  It motivates me to write and write some more, learn and learn again, and try, try harder!

I look forward to another year of growth, vibrant and sustainable living, and of course some more technical learning.  Looking back over my stats from the year, I pulled a list of the most-viewed posts.  Here is our collection of the top 10 reader favorites in 2012, in ascending order ending with the most popular of all.

This guy's favorite things are his toes!

#10  |  Educational Packs for Little Kiddos
I actually shared this post in Christmas 2011, but it has remained a steady favorite.  Download some coloring and activity packs for kids, and get some recipes for a very-homemade hot cocoa night!

#9  |  Fair Careers: Why I Work Full Time
This hot topic stirred up some interesting discussion on the sidelines, and got a lot of positive reviews from readers.  I don't think any two homes needs to be exactly the same, but sometimes I think people wonder why I don't do things "the way everybody else does!"  This post may answer those questions ... and provoke even more questions to follow!

#8  |  Dinner for a Hot Day: Cold Overnight Salad

A family heirloom recipe, I finally broke down and shared it on the blog (my secret is out!).  It stayed solidly in the top two slots for over half a year, and finally slid down as new posts usurped its position - but it remains a huge favorite with you and other readers, and with myself of course, because it is one of my all-time favorite recipes!

#7  |  Barney Fife Nips it in Wyoming 

I really don't know why or how this post made it to the top ten, but it's amusing enough that I guess people find it interesting!  It was a freak occurence during part of my long year of travel when Mr H was going through rounds of training across the country with the Navy; I guess most of you can sympathize, and hopefully got off as easily as I did, in this instance! 

#6  |  A Penny Found is a Penny Saved is a Penny Earned

This post easily scored in the top ten because of the wildly popular recipe for Indian Fry Bread contained in it.  I myself love this recipe - for a while, we were making it a few times a week (we were poor!  I didn't have yeast!  The sourdough starter died!  What was I supposed to do?!).  It's sister post, while not making it into the top ten, is still one of our popular posts and a family favorite.  

#5  |  I Like Convenience: Mind-Blowing

This one seems a little random to me, but we like what we like, right?  This is the post where I found out about reCap ... if you own a mason jar, you will probably want one, too!!  Or ten. 

#4  |  Best 15 Gifts for Homesteaders 

This surprised me a little because I posted it so near to the end of the year; however, I am excited that you all enjoyed it so much and it has become one of our most popular posts!  It lists some of my favorite or most dearly desired tools for the kitchen - all the best and most tested of their kind.  It's sister post, my top picks booklist, is one of the favorite posts of the month, but not the year.  

#3  |  Out of the Mouths of Babes  

"Kids say the darndest things ..."  This post recalls some of the funny things I've heard kids say, weird things we believed as kids, and a few comics for, well, relief.  When I was a kid, I thought pickles grew in the ocean and that's why they were so salty; as a babysitter, I learned what a bobba chaya was.  Did you believe or say any weird things as a kid, or do your kids crack you up with their unfiltered view of life?  

#2  |  Cloth Diaper Detergent: Yeah, We're Cheap

This detergent post definitely earned a top spot in our year review.  My favorite detergent recipe of all time - we use it for diapers and clothes, and my husband takes containers of it with him on deployment - it is easy (3 ingredients!), free of chemicals, fragrances, damaging whiteners, and skin irritants!  

#1  |  If Lord of the Rings Characters Drove Cars

I have to say, this one took me completely by surprise.  The most favorite post of the year by far, it has somehow gone viral and raked in 1,500% more views than any other post.  I don't know why; but I think it's funny.  It's not even related to my general blog topics - it's just a humorous post about Lord of the Rings!  

More favorites:  These recent posts have scored top slots for the recent months, several of them spread via Pinterest and rapidly becoming favorites with many of my beloved readers!

Render Unto Caesar: Orange Julius
Well, it definitely made my nice list.  When I went home for Christmas, I blended up a few huge batches of this drink, much to the delight of my family!  Chill out with a creamy, smooth drink that has no added sugar!

Storing and Using Bananas: Freezing and Dehydrating and other awesome uses
It's not every day you end up with five cases of bananas, but I was happy to acquire them and even happier to use them!  If you want to stock up, save up and use up bananas, this is the post for you.

Nourishing Traditions Book Review
One of my favorite cookbooks and possibly one of yours, I wrote a thorough review (with links to an interview with the author!) and gave away a copy.

Booklist: Top Picks and Recommendations
As mentioned above, when we posted my list of favorite books it became a reader favorite and I can imagine why; I love reading booklists from other bloggers who read and ponder the same topics I do, and I am always eager for new material! I am sure many of my readers feel the same, and am glad I could be of some use by sharing this list.

Off to write again with the hopes of making you a happier reader!

Mrs H

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Visitors: A Short Ode

To those far away yearning for home, To those at home aching for movement, 

It's hard to think several of my sisters were just here a few months ago, sweltering with us, sitting sweat trickling in the Jeep.   How I miss them!  

We've been blessed with visitors from home several times out here in Virginia.  My mom came, three sisters, my mom-in-law, and one of my closest friends - what a joy for us!  I was inspired to write an ode to these generous-spirited travelers.

Ode to Visitors

Visitors are so 

Sweet

Like a piece of pie gone

Too soon

But the memory stays

Mrs H


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Letter to My Husband

                                        

Dear Husband,

I know you've only been gone a few weeks, and we have over a year of separations stretching out ahead of us.

But baby and I already miss you. I hope it's okay to say that.

Whenever I see couples together, I think of you.  Your hands are so tough and calloused, but they hold my hands so tenderly.  Your chin is sometimes scruffy and scratchy, but I love to feel it on my cheeks.

Baby wants to be just like you.  I tell him about you every day.  I tell him how much you love him.  How you will do anything to keep our family and our country safe so he can grow up and have a family, too.

Every night we write to you.  I don't include things like the cockroaches that came in through the crack in the wall, the toilet seat that broke, the extra-big electricity bill we had from last month.

But I tell you about the extra box of vegetables our CSA gave us.  The extra bunch of tatsoi the farmer stuffed in our load.  The ladies who surrounded me at church and carried my diaper bag and purse and coat to the car for me.  I tell you how baby wears your old t-shirts and looks at pictures of you.

How he took me on a date to Starbucks, and held my purse, and talked and laughed with me just like he always saw you do every Sunday after church.

Even held my hand, just like you.

I miss you, darling, and I'm not ashamed of that.

I'm proud of you, and I want everyone to know that.

Baby is just like you, and you should know that.

We're just waiting, now.

love,

Wife


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The Experience - Unloading Our Household in Virginia

Dear anxious reader, 

After three delays (and they almost delayed delivery again, until the following week - we would have found this out an hour before our items were due to arrive) our household goods finally arrived in Virginia ... but not necessarily in the best of shape!  

Every family that has moved with the military is familiar with dings, scratches, broken items, missing items.  So it wasn't with a whole lot of hope or significant expectation that I watched the truck doors open and the items begin to flow out. 

When the truck pulled up, he was over-height and almost took out the cables hanging from the telephone wires across our street.  Mr H hollered, and he stopped; we solved the problem by having somebody stand on the back of the truck with a broom lifted high, and as the truck approached the wires they used the broom to push it up and over the top.  We thought that problem was solved, and moved on.

The guy unloading our stuff was inebriated.  Not the driver, but the man he hired.  He smelled of alcohol and couldn't walk in a straight line.  It was hard to understand what he said (mostly just calling out numbers of boxes, but any sentence was a puzzle). 

They pulled my husband's baby, his barbecue, out of the truck.  My husband loves his barbecue; he saved up for it, bought it on sale, and after every use he scrubs it, washes it, and puts away all the tools meticulously - and we use it a lot!  For his birthday one year, my mom gave him a whole case of barbecue cleaner.  He loves that stuff!  (Too bad we couldn't bring any with us - when I asked the movers what items they couldn't pack, so I could carry them in the Jeep, they forgot to mention quite a few things, including batteries and aerosol cans - so all of that got left in Washington State!)

The movers were pretty unsentimental about it.  It has two pieces extending off of either side - one is a little counter for placing items and cooking tools on, and the other is a mini burner for cooking pork'n'beans.  You cannot lift the heavy barbecue by these side panels - they are flimsy, bendable metal, and cannot support the weight of the cast-iron grill, metal interior, et cetera.  

Mr H told them this as they took it off the truck.  

Trouble began before the work even started: when they unloaded the barbecue, one of the wheels was missing.  So they dragged it across the brick and pavement, crashing and bouncing with every step.  After shattering one of the caster wheels in this manner, they hiked it up by the fragile side panels and hauled it out back to the deck.  They balanced it, tottering, on the deck; the side panels are now cranked up and the metal pulled out and away, bent, where their hands were tugging on it.  

Mr H looked like he was in pain but all he could do at this point was take pictures and record the damage.  

Then they returned to the truck to unload my baby - my pride and joy - my piece de resistance for the kitchen ... the coveted chest freezer that Mr H bought for me last Christmas.  I was inside the house when Mr H came in.  "The freezer ... is pretty damaged."  My heart sank.  

I rushed outside to the deck and watched in horror as they pushed it up beside the pitiful barbecue.  The lid was buckled and caved in, causing the seals to warp up on the sides so that they didn't even make contact with the freezer, the back of the lid bulging like a slipped disc. 

"This was like this when I picked it up," the driver said.  

I kept my cool, but I stood my ground.  "Oh no, it was not," I said.  "This was not in this condition when it was loaded."  

"This dent was in the lid," he said, pointing to the destroyed top of the freezer.  "Check the paperwork."  

When we purchased our freezer, there was a small, aesthetic dent.  This is truly recorded in the paperwork;
"Dent by outlet."  The lid is now completely ruined; the freezer is inoperable.  

"Yes, it had a small dent," I said, "but it was not completely ruined like this."  I only speak in italics when I am very upset! 

"When I went to pack it," the driver said, "there was a speaker sitting on top!  That must have made this dent.  When it was in the truck, the only thing on top of it was that light little love seat inside." 

Our couch was on top of  the freezer, in a truck, for 21 days, as it drove from Washington state to Virginia, stopping for 5 other military moves along the way.  And you want to tell me a delicate, foam-and-particle-board speaker resting on top of it for a few hours did more damage than that. 

I think not.   

I've sat on top of that freezer (not recommended, by the way) and it withstood my weight (which is ... significant).  This was not done by a speaker!  

I went back inside to continue checking off the items as they were unloaded.  Polished bookshelves came in with deep grooves running down the side, fresh bits of wood and paint falling out.  Scratches on the table, on the furniture.  Our battered, cat-scratched, water-stained couches, purchased used on Craigslist, were without further damage; our cheap Ikea dresser, purchased in the pre-assembled discount section, and an old, beat-up dresser passed down from Gary's grandparents, were fine and dandy.  

I noted every possible dent, groove, ding, and scratch to the nth degree, making meticulous note of everything.  A Navy wife with nine moves under her belt advised me, "Better to make note of every possible thing and maybe not get paid for quite all of it, than to under-annotate and not even break even and be bitter about it later."  With camera and notebook in hand, I am definitely taking her advice!  

This was all stuff we observed before a single box was unloaded, too!

We had our work cut out for us ... 

As the truck driver left I heard shouting and hollering outside; as he drove away I came outside to see that his truck ripped out the cables hanging across our street, leaving a long black cable hanging down into the road and through our trees, across our driveway.  Not sure what to do, I called the moving company, they referred me to accident reporting, I filed the claim with them, and then I took pictures and emailed them in with our reference number.  

People back home were confused as to why I was so resistant to having the Navy run our move, a decision which we fought tooth and nail up to the last minute.  "It must be more convenient," they told me.  "They pack everything, they move it, they unload it."  Everybody forgot to add one last thing - they don't care! 

I thank God that my husband is safe, I am safe, the baby is safe.  Those are the big things.  It sure would be nice to not have to deal with all these hassles, though!  Have you ever had movers move your stuff?  If you're in the military, how do you usually choose to go about your move?  Based on our experience, I can't say I'd recommend it to anyone. . .

Mr H wrangled empty boxes and paper packing materials as Mandatory and I
ripped everything out of the boxes

Such a task lay ahead!

We unloaded every single box that day, and had them all emptied out by 11:00 PM

We celebrated with glasses of carbonated water + home-canned Concord grape juice

Mandatory upgraded from her bed on the floor to the couch that night, as there
was nowhere to blow up the air mattress - it was too crowded!

Everything has now found a home - it took some creative engineering to make it all fit!  Life is so comfortable with the simple luxuries of a bed, a couch, and silverware!  

Mrs H

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Creative Kitchen

Dear ingenious divergent thinkers,

When Mr H left for boot camp in March 2011, almost all of my Stuff was packed away into Rubbermaid boxes in my parents' shed, and there it has remained during my past year of traveling and cavorting.

I kept aside a small amount of Useful Items to bring with me when I stayed in Chicago for a few months, and subsequently when I stayed in California for a few months.  (I didn't bring any to Florida ... that trip was too short!)  I kept out such items as my favorite handy-dandy peeler, a mesh strainer, a large soup pot, a cast iron skillet, a jelly roll pan (rimmed baking sheet), an airbake cookie sheet, a blender, and so on and so forth - items that would be hard to find a replacement for (a disposable mesh strainer?  Haven't seen one yet, and your straw hat does not count!) but that could all fit into one, tightly jammed box.

A leftover bottle from Trader Joe's makes a great pitcher for orange juice -
I put chunks of concentrate in a funnel (which fortunately was in my Box of
Tricks) and inserted it in the narrow mouth of the bottle; then poured hot water
into the funnel and smashed it all around with a plastic fork.

It has been a very enjoyable year, and I've learned to be creative in the kitchen plenty of times.  Not only by using regular old fashioned skills (making whipped cream with just a jar and a lid, for instance), but also by repurposing dishes over and over.  As a simple example, a soup pot also makes a good mixing bowl, sort of.  It is, at any rate, a container, and can contain things.  A glass baking pan makes a pitiful but serviceable cutting board.  Foil makes an excellent pan in many instances.  An oven is just a well a toaster as any toaster is, and a microwave will boil water if you have no other option.  Alternatively, an oven makes a great microwave, albeit a slow one, if you have no microwave.  Mason jars are great for a double-boiler - set them in a pan of hot water and cook away!  Or a pan of hot water is great for a microwave, since the Mason jar is also working as a leftovers-container - just set the jar of soup or whatever it is you're heating in the hot pan of water, and again ... cook away!

Mincing onions for Sunday lunch was a drag with no plate or cutting board,
so I sliced them on a piece of foil and then minced them with scissors

There is always more than one way to skin a cat; you just have to remember what the final outcome is to be, and then simplify the procedure to get there.

Now that we are living in Virginia, we have a regular ol' apartment and I am eager to see my little dish friends again.  But once again we are living a Spartan lifestyle as we await the long and slow delivery of our items by Naval shipment!  Our Goode Items will arrive at the end of April, so we've been enjoying plastic silverware and we finally broke down and bought paper plates (it was getting really tiring for the three of us to share one tiny Glad container), coupled with an excellent Kitchenaid immersion blender and a row of empty Mason jars.

I love our air mattress - it has saved us many times.  And yet I am so looking
forward to having our real bed once again! 

You can always make things work ... but I am excited to get my dishes out again!

Mrs H
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Little did they know ...!

Dear adventurers and at-home-stayers,

Growing up, we had a few catch-phrases that we used amongst our circle of siblings.  You're already familiar with "us kids," of course.  But there was another favorite phrase we'd use when we were playing in the backyard pretending to be on bucking broncos or stranded on the prairies of the midwest, or when we were huddled around a "campfire" lamp with our toy horses in our bedroom, setting up intricate plots and circling home-made wagon trains around to protect from wolves.

"I know," we'd say.  "Little did  they know ... Indians were just over the hill."

"How about this," we'd say.  "Little did they know ... the mosquitos all had malaria!"

"I know, I know!" we'd say.  "Little did they know ... right before they came into the room he had secretly managed to swallow the elderberries and that made his heart rate go so slow it just seemed like he was dead and when nobody was looking he was somehow able to stitch up the his leg so it wasn't dangling by a tendon and he climbed back up the cliff and saved everybody!!!"  

One day, Mandatory and I were driving from Minnesota to Ohio.  Little did we know ...

The day started out pleasant and sunny, as foreboding days commonly do.  We had stayed the night at a little motel in Minnesota just an hour from the Wisconsin border, with an innkeeper who spoke in such a whispered hush and understood so little English that it was with some difficulty we procured our rooms for said night.

We partook of the continental breakfast before leaving, but the waffles were gluey and pasty; the apple juice watery; the Nesquick chocolate mix was old and stale ... we should have taken this as a sign of warning.

We left on our merry way and made good time; in fact, we made excellent time plugging across the remainder of Minnesota, charging through Wisconsin, and then cutting off of I-90 and diving down through Illinois on I-94, our first departure from that fine interstate since we had left home.

There are no tolls on I-90, by the way.  The same cannot be said for any of the remaining interstates we traveled on our way to Virginia.

But I digress.

We arrived at our goal in Libertyville, Illinois, a little Thai food restaurant where we had called ahead with our order of various lunch entrees and drinks.  We picked up the food and then drove a short distance to a very dear friend's house, where we had planned a three-hour stop for recuperation and visitation.

I found it impossible to tear myself away from her and her precious new son (and we stayed long enough that we got to see her husband when he came home from work, as well!), and three hours quickly turned into five.

He tried to warn us, but we didn't understand baby-speak 

 We had tentatively hoped to make it as far as Avery, Ohio that night, but with any delays we figured we might get as far as Toledo.  "Looks like Toledo for the night!" we said cheerily as we got in the Jeep to head out of Dodge, stopping only for gas on our way to the interstate.  We would make it by about 8:30 PM, our latest stop yet (I'd been diligently stopping by 7:30 PM or sooner to ensure "safety" and all those sorts of things that family talk about all the time.  Of course with my lead foot and eager desire to get to Virginia quickly, this took enormous power of will).

Earlier in the day, we had called ahead to a hotel in Avery that sounded incredible for our last night on the road.  A jacuzzi in the room, a hot breakfast at six - we were ready for this.  We weren't sure if we could make it that far now with our additional two-hour delay in Chicago, but we were willing to give it a shot.  If not, Toledo was always an option.

We drove hard but we hit traffic snarls and toll after toll, and road-work speed limits which hampered our progress.  We also forgot that we would cross over the Eastern-time dateline in Indiana, and so we automatically lost an hour.  It was well after dark, and after 9:30 when we pulled in to Toledo - that is to say, when we reached the city limits and couldn't see any lights on either side of the highway.

This is the last picture we took that day ... things got too crazy for photos

We decided it was too early to stop; plus, we didn't see any hotels we liked there.  And we didn't feel like it was 9:30 in our heads; and we hadn't been driving that long, anyway.  And we really wanted that jacuzzi room in Avery.

So we forged ahead.

Does anybody else recognize this eerily similar situation?  Once upon a time in Montana ... but some of us never learn.

Looking at our maps, we could see that there were plenty of cities dotted between Toledo and Avery, so we didn't even think we really had to stop there.  What we didn't realize is that a turnpike is not like an interstate; you can't just pull off an exit, check out a few hotels, and get back on.

No.

You find an exit that advertises four thousand sparkling hotels and resorts; thinking this sounds pretty good, you exit.  Which is what we did when, halfway between Toledo and Avery, as our energies were wearing thin and, with the road-work slowing us down, we realized we wouldn't make it to Avery.  We weren't keen on going another sixty miles any more; we were getting tired.  We called ahead to this hotel that said, Yes, we're just off the turnpike.  Yes, you can see us from the road (why didn't I ask which road?).  Yes, we have jacuzzi rooms and a hot breakfast.

So, as I was saying, we exited.  First you are faced with a wide row of toll booths, glowing in the night like demonic beacons.  Mandatory reached into the console and pulled out our bag of quarters.

Oops!   In the dark and confusion, she grabbed the bottom of the unzipped ziplock bag, and fifty dollars in quarters gushed down into the blackness of the transfer case and under the emergency brake handle.  Money sloshed through the console as she frantically scooped at it, in helpless futility.  I stopped at the toll booth and the clerk stared down at us, unamused, as we fumbled for money.  I think it was about ten dollars to get through the toll.

I paid, and we trundled on to the exit.  Mandatory was still digging for quarters in deep crevices, and I was throwing receipts and change about to add to the mess.

The exit faced us not with a road, but with another interstate.  What?!  No hotels were in sight.  I took a right and we blasted down the direction the hotel was supposed to be, the infamous Crown Inn.  Money crashed and change rattled down into the depths of the Jeep as Mandatory, by the light of the fog-resistant make-up mirror on her sun-visor, inserted her fingers into little mechanical gaps and dragged out another forty-two quarters.

As we drove, I began to realize that this Inn could be farther than we thought.  Suddenly, it appeared!

I exited the interstate and rolled slowly in, and began to wonder how this place could house jacuzzi rooms.  One level, with about twenty doors leading to rooms.  Dingy and greenish, with a bright sign advertising "$30 a night!"  Semi-trucks were parked in the gravel lot.  I pulled up to the front doors and got out, buzzed the bell, and waited until it unlocked.

Inside, a teenage Indian boy with a huge mop of black hair stared at me with large, unblinking eyes.  "I called ahead," I said, "asking about jacuzzi rooms?"

"Oh no," he said, "we don't have jacuzzi rooms."

I stared back, except I blinked a few times.  "But I called ahead ..."

"No, that's another Crown Inn, and we are not affiliated with them," he explained.  He had obviously done this before.  "Go down This and That highway, exit to East Other Highway, take Exit 10, and follow the main road down ..."

I went back out to the car.  Mandatory was still hunting for quarters.  I told her the news.  We got back on the interstate and drove a few more miles before I determined this was Utterly Pointless.  "We'd be in Avery by now if we hadn't stopped here!" I said, and took the first exit I could find, whipped around, and got back on heading towards the turnpike.

To get back on to the turnpike, we had to stop at the toll booth and get a little card that we would turn in at our next exit, which would then determine how much we were to be billed.

Once we were on the turnpike, we hauled it to Avery and rolled in by midnight.  We got off the exit and paid our fine.  Taking a right, we could see the hotel almost immediately off the freeway, and we rejoiced!  I had called them earlier in the evening and they had said they would definitely have jacuzzi rooms, no need to reserve them.

Ha.

We stopped at a gas station to fill up so our morning would be a straight shot out of town.  Ironically, the pump I was at was out of paper and I had to trudge wearily inside to get a receipt, and then drove back to the hotel.  Or, attempted to.  All of the hotels were right off the main drag, with the exception of the one we wanted to go to.  For whatever reason, this one was separated from the main road by a low median and an access road.  An access road with no apparent access.  In the dark, we drove up and down trying to figure out how to get onto the access road, with no luck (in the morning we could see it clearly, but things were a little foggy by this time ...).  We tried going into other hotel parking lots, but there were no through-ways.

We returned to the main road and slowly drove in front of the Inn of our Desire.  Coins settled peacefully in the console as we came to a contemplative halt.  "Well, I just ... I don't know ..."  I was a little too tired to be formal at this point.  "Whatever, it's a Jeep."  Turning the steering wheel, I put down the gas pedal and the Jeep crawled heavily up onto the median, coins crashing down again.  We rattled and clanged, dropping over the other side like an overweight whale.  "Whatever," I said again, "let's just get to our hotel!"  We bullied our way up the driveway and Mandatory was laughing hysterically.

When we stopped, she couldn't find her phone.

I went inside to secure our room.  They told me the jacuzzi rooms were all full.  I gave them a glassy-eyed stare and said, fine, just give me a room then.  Like a robot, I filled a bowl with ice and took it back outside.  Mandatory was trying to find her phone, but she couldn't call it from mine since mine was dead, conveniently.  While I drained our cooler of food and drinks and filled it with ice, she took a flashlight and hunted.

"I have good news, and bad news!" she said.  "Good news is, I found it ... bad news is, I can't reach it, because it's in the console thingy where the quarters fell."

In our Jeep, there is a small crack about the size of a toothpick in the console where the emergency brake handle comes out.  Unfortunately, items up to the size of a small child can fall into this crack.  The phone, apparently, had.

I wedged myself into the passenger side of the car and flexed my eyes, peering around corners in the console to see the phone reposing in a heap of quarters underneath a lot of metal stuff.

"I tried to wedge my hand in there," said Mandatory, who has tiny hands, "but I couldn't get it to fit."

I remembered the median.  I remembered raw strength.  I remembered the determination of Woman.

And I contorted my hand into a small shape the size of a flattened Hotwheels car and crammed it through the crack, lengthening it as I went so my fingers would extend beyond human capacity and fumble down into the crack to reach the phone.  I felt my fingers touch it, and it slithered quietly away from my grasp.

But I remembered the determination of Woman again, and with that determination, little webs of sticky steel emerged from my fingertips and wrapped around the phone, clutching it tightly and drawing it out of the crack with inhuman power.

Mandatory took it gratefully.

"Let's go to bed," I said, and so we did.  That is what I remember of Ohio.

Mrs H
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