Inspired by Fresh Food Grown with Love

(image from Web)

"There's a nobility to growing food and allowing people to share it."

A Deliciously Resourceful Town Aims For Total Food Self-Sufficiency Within 7 Years

Fantastic article on a town in the UK growing food all over public locations...for each other! A must read.

~Ally

Sharin' the burrito lovin'

So I decided to "pay it forward" today, when I saw a homeless man with his hand-scrawled cardboard sign saying, "Anything will help. God bless" standing outside on the coldest night of the year. It has been between -15 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit for the last few days in Concord, and it is bitterly cold.

He stood bundled up in the coats he had, at a busy traffic intersection by a strip mall. I did not have any cash - I rarely do anymore, now that most places take a credit/debit card. I rustled through the car looking for my pregnancy snacks - which at this point, consist of a mostly-eaten bag of trail mix, a frozen solid granola bar, and a few frozen water bottles. Not exactly helpful. I thought, "Do I hand him my emergency pair of socks or Dad's IOWA sweatshirt to keep warm?" What is the right thing to do in these situations - I never know. I do know that doing nothing is rarely an option, and I would rather err on the side of gullible and taken advantage of than cold-hearted and blind to the suffering around me.

So you give a 'bum' $20 and he spends it on alcohol. Well, what if he spends it on food to feed his freezing children who are huddled under the bridge in a cardboard box, and likely will not make it through this cold night? That's a chance I am willing to take.

This man is my community, my neighbor, in my town. He is 'my people.' And there are plenty of homeless folks in Concord, all quite chilly tonight. There are a few homeless shelters, and yes, not everyone takes advantage of them. It is statistically true that many homeless people suffer from various forms of mental illness. Does this make them not worthy of warmth, shelter, clothes on their back or food in their bellies? If their pride or insanity keeps them from going to a shelter, does this mean that freezing to death is justified?

So what I did, misdirected or not, was swing around the block, get Scott's and my dinner at Boloco as planned, and pick up a $10 Boloco gift card for the homeless man. I thought, burrito: sustaining rice, fresh vegetables, hearty meat - hot meal that can be eaten with the hands and without utensils (or pretense)...what's not to love? This whole process took about 5 minutes.

I drove back through the previous intersection, snow piled high on both sides, and he was gone. This has happened to me before, and I don't know (karmically) what it means.

But now I drive around town with my Boloco gift card, ready to be handed out the window the next time I see one of my Concord neighbors suffering in this blistering cold winter weather. I encourage you to do the same.

burrito gift card: $10. minutes spent getting a gift card: 5. saving a life (or just warming a heart for a minute, showing someone you care about their existence in this world): priceless.

Pass it on.

~Ally

p.s. Tonight we tried the Bangkok Thai burrito with chicken and the Classic Mexican with pork - yummmmm-tastic! Scott wanted to drive back to town to get more, though he was full! He especially loved the Thai, and so did I.

Boloco, or, my favorite new mid-morning stop

Thanks, BOLOCO!

Mama got a wicked craving today at yes, 9:15 a.m., a mere two hours into my workday.

Must. Have. Burrito. NOW.

Where can one find a burrito, or any Mexican food, in Concord at that time of the morning? Well, FYI, nowhere...except the kind-hearted goodness of the chefs at Boloco on Fort Eddy Road (see link above).

I know because I googled every Mexican joint in a ten mile radius. And they all open at 11 a.m., or 4 p.m., or some other ridiculous, not-friendly-to-preggos times of the day. Except for Boloco, which opens at 10.

So at 9:15 I called. He picked up. I said, "Here's the situation: I am pregnant and I need me some Mexican food RIGHT NOW. I know you don't open until 10, but you think you could make me a burrito...pleeeease?" And the response I got was: "When could you get here?" "Fifteen minutes." "I think we can make that happen."

Oh how I love you..... (I think I might have even said that out loud.)

When I arrived, they had unlocked the doors for me (nice touch). I walked in. He said, "What size?" "Uh...LARGE!" And within moments, I had a piping hot, beautifully prepared Classic Mexican burrito with chicken. Oh YUMMMMM. And some blue corn chips and plenty of sour cream for the side.

~*~*~*~

Ne'er has a burrito tasted so delightful, so full of love, so gracious, so "ay mami, mi amore!"

Thank you!!

~*~*~*~

"We try to help out in any way we can," said the cook/manager. Well you did, and I will be back. Gracias~!

~Ally

A little bit of fennel, a lot of love

Dear Sarah Barry,

After just fifteen years, Sarah, [I always was a late bloomer] I finally got my mortar & pestle. I remember watching you grind fennel seeds, releasing that blissful aroma, preparing onions and garlic (for every dish!), practicing the perfect rice, trying Indian recipes, stir fry's, and experimenting with exploding, fantastical rice noodles. Oh. Those were good days and I can still feel the warm glow from your living room, catch the hot and steamy scent of good food cooking in your wok, hand-oiled, in that tiny, run-down kitchen in the back of your mother-in-law's house, or other times, in our shared apartment. You taught me to love cooking food, and to relish health and creative artistry at the same time.

I burst my new mortar & pestle out of its box, without even washing it (and you know how I feel about germs), and threw in some fennel, ground the seeds wide open and tossed them into the tomato, onion and sausage quiche I am preparing for dinner. It's baking now, and I am thinking of you with fond and loving memories.

Thank you for teaching me to love, Sarah, in so many wonderful ways. And thank you for bringing me to a deep love of cooking delicious food.

Love, Ally

photos by Scott Snyder

Great things I did on my summer "vacation"...

...and it's not even half over yet!

1) Went on a 3,008-mile road trip with Scott to visit friends, family, grandkids, and an old college buddy.

2) Had dinner in Andover with Kel.

3) Talked on the phone regularly with Robin in Canada.

4) Helped Laurel and Conrado (and Bumbers) move into their first new home!

5) Went surfing with Scottie and Mattie in Hull at the wonderful (and missed) Nantasket Beach...followed up by dinner at our favorite Indian restaurant, Punjab Cafe in Quincy.

6) Went kayaking on a beautiful mountain lake with Barb and Ted.

7) Planted flowers on Dad's pretend grave for Father's Day and introduced Scott to the Concord Beef & Seafood store. (And later, the quirky, strange and delicious Gas Lighter Restaurant, which has a Ms. Pac Man machine!!!...I am in heaven.)

8) Hiked up to the Canterbury Water Tower with Izzy and Tammy.

9) Doggie-sat for Dufus, our favorite canine neighbor.

10) Went to Beech Hill Farm (to visit our favorite goats and their new goat-lings, donkey, and ice cream barn), and to Dimond Hill Farm for incredibly fresh and delicious produce.

11) Started going weekly to the Concord Farmers' Market, and sometimes the Art Market and other local farm stands.

12) Went to the wonderful hidden treasure, the Mill Brook Gallery and Sculpture Garden.

13) Took photographic adventures with Scott, including Merrill Pond and Bear Brook State Park, to name a few.

14) Saw the hysterical musical, "A Year with Frog and Toad," and yes, I said Frog and Toad.

15) Had a great Fourth of July with Mom, Laurel and family, and Scott, including swimming at the pool AND Lake Winnisquam, and fireworks in downtown Laconia.

16) Swam in the Merrimack River with Mom and Scott on a lazy hot afternoon.

17) Went to warm and inviting gatherings with White Mountain Sangha.

18) Enjoyed backyard-neighbor barbecues and fellowshipping.

19) SWAM IN OUR NEW POOL!!!!

20) Just enjoyed a wonderful and too-fast weekend at Grape Island in Maine with Laurel & Co. and Laurel's family, including old summertime friends and Conrado's sister Shanti (whom we just love).

What am I missing? I'm sure I'll remember some other fun soon.

I am blessed and grateful.

~ Ally

(photo by Scott Snyder)

This Simple Woman's Day Book

The Simple Woman's Day Book . . .


FOR TODAY, March 26, 2010

Outside My Window... it has turned to night. The sun stays out longer now and the air has been quite warm, though today, evening brought a chill with it. New Hampshire is officially in Springtime, as the snow and ice have melted, buds have begun on the bravest of trees, and the ticks, bees, geese, and even one sly black fly have returned. Don't they know it's only March? Ripe time for a blizzard. But our pool house opened today and we have forgotten our mittens and shovels altogether.

I am thinking... how amazing it is that a song, a scent, or the words of a stranger can evoke the strongest heart pulls toward an old friend. Last night, I heard a Little Song by Sarah Jarosz that made me long in my heart for my friend Molly, whom I have not seen in years. Today, the scented oil at the massage therapist reminded me of Amy - and now that sweet smell is on my skin, continuing to bring me back to my dear sister-like friend. Some moments in life never fade on the inside, and we are blessed by the unexpected reminders.

I am thankful for... the wonderful women with whom I work - who are kind, generous, and able to laugh at themselves. Today at work we celebrated Social Workers' Month. In Hospice, this is a particularly hard job, not for the weak of heart. I used to know a woman who worked with Aids patients. I wondered how she could endure such pain and suffering on a daily basis. Now I know that it is in helping people through their most vulnerable, frightening, and fragile times that our hearts are strengthened to love more fully, listen more deeply, and relax into the ever-present changes of a life.

From the kitchen... Scott and I will soon be enjoying the L&A Sausage Quiche, which I made again last night. Delicious! Will make some blueberry muffins - good ol' 50 cent Jiffys are still the simplest and best in my opinion - and maybe a salad to accompany the eggy pie.

I am wearing... jammies, since I am a) off work, b) home, and c) ready to enjoy a relaxing weekend! It's movie night here at Snyderville tonight - we are deciding between a scary one (Sixth Sense), a silly one (Boat Trip), and an interesting one (The Real Dirt on Farmer John).

I am creating... new habits of relaxation and de-stressing my body. Each day I work on stretching, sleeping, and bringing down my crazy by deep breathing, meditating, reading on my lunch hour, or taking in the natural world around me.

I am going... to a moving party tomorrow. Sarge, my 84-yr old friend is finally moving out of the big family house and into some more affordable apartment housing. It will be a big relief for those of us who do his finances and help with his complicated old man life. But it will probably be hard for him to leave that old house. He loves his yard projects, his gardening, his "home improvement" ventures, and most of all, his independence. How will we convince him that living in an apartment does not mean he isn't independent? And he will be right downtown, able to do all the walking and visiting he loves, shopping in his daily haunts and running up his tab at Madeleine's. All good things. His wife died in that house, and he has put in 50 years of love, sweat, and toil. I hope tomorrow he will be buoyed by friendship and laughter, and not too sad.

And FOR TODAY, March 29, 2010

I am reading...
The Elegant Gathering of White Snows, by Kris Radish

This is an amazing book that tells the stories of eight women who decide one night to take off from their lives and begin walking through the night, and then many following days. They are on a pilgrimage of sorts to think about and evaluate their lives, sharing sorrows and unraveling the tales of how they experienced life. I don't know how to put it in graceful words, but this book is very powerful and moving. Each woman's life is part of the universal story of women everywhere. It is definitely worth reading. I have been enjoying it bit by bit on my lunch hours, falling into the prose and not wanting to stop reading.

I am hoping... I have so many hopes right now I don't know where to begin. But I am also thinking on a principle from Donna Q. about how the combination of our longings and self loathing thoughts form a constant circle of frustration. Our attachments to wants and "shoulds" bind rather than free us. But meanwhile, a few of my hopes are: that Sarge can accept and delight in his new life in the apartment; that Caralee can have a break from her cancer pain and suffering and enjoy the many last days of her life; that Lauren will find a close woman friend in Mexico to share her joys, thoughts, and burdens; that my grandmas will feel loved and well taken care of in Indiana and Minnesota; that Kenda's wedding plans will bring her joy and turn into a wonderful day she will love remembering; that Laurel's new job will be a blessing to her; that my father and Grandpa C. will know they are loved and remembered, wherever they are; and that Dad will send a special blessing to Mom for their anniversary this weekend.

I am hearing... the hum of the noisy but comforting refrigerator. It is time for bed and I am avoiding the start of a new and exhausting week. But I am grateful to not be experiencing The Sunday Night Dread, as I have been lucky enough to find a job I like.

Around the house... are piles of tasks waiting to be accomplished - laundry, financial papers, my new pine cone project (from beautiful branches I gathered on our walk at the Pine Barrens on Saturday), library books to return, movies to watch and return, Pete's birthday present to mail and Easter goodies to be stuffed in baskets...the list goes on and on...

One of my favorite things... is cooking for someone else. Tonight I enjoyed making an Aztec Casserole for a dear friend and nurse with whom I work. I bribed her with Mexican food so she'd work an extra on-call shift tomorrow. I happily prepared her meal tonight, while listening to traditional mariachi love songs and cooking up a storm. I also made homemade cornbread for the first time, and it was yummy! Scott and I thoroughly enjoyed our Mexican treats before K. gets the rest tomorrow. I love cooking for my husband too.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week... I did a lot of my errands and appointments last week. So this week I will spend time with Scott, work on finances and budgeting, clean up the house, and get ready for Easter with Mom on Saturday and Sunday. I bought the eggs to be colored and the goodies to fill Easter baskets, and gathered some special pine cone twigs for decorating. What am I, Martha Stewart? I also desperately need a haircut, so maybe I can make that happen this week. Do the world a favor, right??

Here is picture thought I am sharing...


And there you have it, my Simple Woman's Day Book. View other entries at Simple Woman's Day Book. Try writing one yourself! It makes a lovely snapshot of your life, as it is - perfect in all its beautiful imperfection - today.

~Ally

Ack! No More Applebee's Salad for Me...

Check out this article on the worst secret-calorie-bomb salads from your favorite eateries. I, for one, will miss the Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad. It was so good!

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/47832/the-unhealthiest-salads-in-america/

Laurel & Ally's Sleep In Cafe: Sausage Quiche #1

(photo by Scott Snyder)

L&A's Sausage Quiche #1

Ingredients:

1 Pillsbury pie crust shell
1/2 lb chicken apple sausage
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cps grated cheddar cheese
2 T flour
2 t parsley flakes, or 1 T chopped fresh parsley if possible
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cps milk
1/4 tsp salt
coarse grated black pepper to taste
dash ground nutmeg
red and green pepper, chopped
olive oil

Directions:

Prepare pie crust: Line the unpricked pastry shell with double thickness of aluminum foil. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 4-5 minutes more until pastry is set and dry. Remove from oven.

Turn oven down to 350 degrees. Put in a cookie sheet on the middle rack to preheat.

Cook sausage, onion, and green and red peppers in pan in a bit of olive oil. Drain excess grease if any.

In large bowl, combine sausage mixture with cheese, flour and parsley. Mix well. Spread into pie crust.

Mix together in separate bowl eggs, milk, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Pour over sausage mixture.

Bake on a preheated cookie sheet for 30-40 minutes, uncovered at 350 degrees, or until eggs are set and top is golden.

Serving suggestions:

Breakfast - serve with toast and jam, orange juice, and fresh fruit like watermelon or berries.
Lunch/Dinner - serve with green tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette, champagne or white wine, and crusty French bread with butter.

Enjoy!

And remember: Always cook with love and good music!

~Ally

"Just cut the moldy parts off...that cheese is fine!"

Ever wondered how long you can leave that mystery meat in the fridge, or whether you should eat the week old pumpkin pie (I wondered both of these things just today!)...

Well check out Still Tasty.com a great website my faithful mom just sent me.

Thanks Ma!

~Ally

Allison's Aztec Casserole

Aztec Casserole
~Pastel o Budin Azteca~
adapted from the traditional Mexican cookbook Lauren made for me

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken breast, cooked, shredded or cubed
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes (with spices added)
1 11-oz. can Super Sweet Yellow & White corn
1 small can salsa verde (green salsa made from jalapenos)
1/2 lb. shredded cheese (Cheddar or Mexi-blend)
2 flour tortillas, burrito-sized
boil-in-bag white rice, cooked according to package
1/2 green pepper, diced
olive or Canola oil for frying
spices: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, basil, lemon pepper
(sour cream optional)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit). Lightly grease a 9x9 baking pan.

Cook chicken - lightly salt, pepper, and lemon pepper.
Cook rice - season with onion powder, garlic salt, and basil.

Use skillet to lightly fry two tortillas, not to the point of crispy.
Then add oil and saute green pepper.



Cut each tortilla in half; use two halves as the first layer of the casserole.

Add half the tomatoes and corn.

Add half the diced chicken and rice.


Add half the green peppers and dot with spoonfuls of salsa verde.

Cover with half the cheese.

Repeat each layer. Cheese should top the casserole. (Can add sour cream to top if desired.)


Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (You may have leftover tomatoes and will have extra salsa verde.)


ENJOY!

~Ally

Making Marie's Apple Pie

(all photos by Scott Snyder) 

On Monday, I had the pleasure of making Marie's wonderful Apple Crumble Pie - the recipe can be found on her blog, A Year From Oak Cottage. 

My dear husband and my mom Charlotte - my pie making assistant - LOVED this pie! Scott says it is better than my usual, and he was a pretty big fan of my previous apple pies. So I suppose I will be using Marie's recipe from now on! The only thing I added was a dash of ground cloves to the apple mixture and some pats of butter to dot the top of the apples once in the pie crust, but before the crumb topping was added.
These three top pictures are the before shots, with a delicious mound of crumbs toppling over in a blessed heap.
And this is the after. Browned beautifully. I cooked the pie on 375 Fahrenheit - about 25 minutes, then added foil to cover the outer crust, and cooked an additional 20ish minutes until I could hear the filling bubbling under the crumbs.
Deeeeee-licious! With Boston Vanilla Bean ice cream alongside, we had a slice of heaven on a Monday night. We enjoyed this pie while watching "Milk," a film I highly recommend.

Thanks for sharing your recipe, Marie! We all loved it!

~Ally

Great Things That Made Me Happy

...and KILLED my diet...but only temporarily!

(photo from Web)

1. fried mozzarella sticks - ohh, fried cheesiness is next to godliness
2. a Reuben
3. truly heavenly french fries
4. Ben & Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream
5. did I mention the fried cheese??

flippin' diet. today i'm back to reduced fat mini-pretzels and water. blech.
~Ally

p.s. You tell the WW, then no more fried cheese for you!

My Diet Post

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Does white or red wine go better with an entire box of fudge pops?”
- Dee Ann


All from Shoeboxblog, in honor of my New Year's Resolution diet. Going o--kayyy so far.
~Al

Gookie Gookie

All right dolly, remember this? Well at long last, here is the recipe for yummy Susan's Brownies, an endless crowd favorite.

Susan's Brownies

2 cans sweetened condensed milk
12 oz bag chocolate chips
26 long* graham crackers (*long = 2 squares)

Crush crackers thoroughly (easy in a ziploc, using a rolling pin or can). Mix with milk and chocolate chips. Heavily grease a 9x13 pan. Spread evenly. Bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees (F), until top is just golden brown and starting to come away from pan. Do not wait until top is brown - by tomorrow they'll be hard as rocks! As soon as cool, cut and store in airtight container. Or, um, EAT THEM! ENJOY!

So easy. So delicious. And you heard it here first.

~Ally

THIS

(photo not by me)

is the Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie, by Martha Stewart.

Uh, yep. These are THE cookies to top all Christmas cookies. They are a bit time intensive, but the effort is worth it. Make sure to take them out before they are too done, and once cooled, to wrap them or store them right away - don't want these babies drying out. If they do, just start dipping 'em in milk or coffee or hot cocoa and you'll have a whole new level of delights. Mmmmmm.

Recipe is on Martha's website, here.

What are your favorites?

What are your favorite Christmas cookies? Maybe we can get Marie to bake something special that we love, for her family to enjoy in England.

My favs are:

Chocolate Crinkles
Martha Stewart's Ginger Chocolate Chunk (ohhh, i found these last year and they added a whole new meaning to the word Cookie...)
Almond Crescents
Gingerbread People (with decorations of course)
Kahlua Bars
Rum Balls (yummm)
Anything in a pinwheel formation
Chocolate dipped peanut butter balls
Lemon Squares
Susan's Brownies (graham crackers, s. condensed milk, and chocolate - can't go wrong)
I love the look of Peanut Butter Blossoms, but am satisfied after one
Candied Pecans

mmmm...I better stop. Tell me some of yours. And if you need recipes, I will love to share!
~Ally

and some peanut butter

God bless you, Jim Gaffigan.

'Cause I needed a good laugh.



Thinkin' I'm gonna need some cake now.

Oy...can you say YUMMMM?

[Photos by Marie from A Year From Oak Cottage.]

I have got to get me some of this. Ohhh, I can just taste it for looking at it. {Note it is 1:29 a.m. and we are coming upon the appointed time for another meal.}

To follow Marie's recipe for Blueberry Soured Cream Cake, go to this post. If you're in the States like me, you will also want to look under "What's On The Menu" in the right column, and click on "Measurement Conversion List," where Marie explains the correct conversion from metric to US measurements. Could you just sink your teeth into this? I know I could. Thanks, Marie!



~Allison

Just when you thought you knew everything...

Very interesting post called "God's Pharmacy" on the body and foods that replenish it. Check it out if you're a fan of food and health. Thanks for the link, Kristin.

~Allison