The Blizzard is Over!

Today's storm broke all the records ever set in Oklahoma. It was fascinating to watch. The snow. The wind blowing the snow. The drifts. The birds and geese trying to fly. I never saw so much snow in my yard ever.

I spent the day in my favorite place - the kitchen! I could watch out the window and not miss a flake, see the latest on the TV, and create, create, create!

First, I made this.  It doesn't have a name yet. It was really good.

I shredded a carrot, parsnip, and broccoli in the food processor and put it in a bowl.

Added dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, and a chopped apple.

I squeezed half a lemon over everything.

Olive oil, cider vinegar, and honey whisked together with a fork created the dressing. Mixed it all together and refrigerated it until it was time to eat.

I am glad I wrote this down, maybe now I will remember it.

I usually like raw food, but with the cold wind, and snow blowing outside, I decided soup was in order. Especially for my husband, who isn't so raw! I had anticipated this, so I had soaked black beans over night.

I simmered the beans in vegetable broth with a bit of cayenne pepper for about three hours.  This is my first bean soup from scratch. (I am not a big fan of beans) In a separate pan I sauted onion, garlic, carrots and celery in coconut oil. Added garlic and cumin. Then added this mixture to the beans. Next I threw in some sun-dried tomatoes and oregano.

It was good, great flavor, but it didn't have enough substance. Too brothy. Maybe I will add more vegetables to it tomorrow??

The snow began to slack off a bit, but the wind really kept blowing. When I look at the drifts in the yard they remind me of sand dunes at the beach or in the desert. It is so clean looking. Pretty.

The drift at our front door is almost as tall as I am. (OK, I know I am not a giant!) I don't think we will be going out this door for a while!

So then I made this:

Ah, now this is my kind of soup. I love pureed soups. This is Puree of Turnip Soup. My Mom will love this one! This recipe is from the Resolve to Evolve book by Penni Shelton.  The soup is made from onions, garlic, turnips, and sweet potatoes that have been cooked in a combination of vegetable broth and almond milk, then blended. Great flavor and texture.

And then, before the creative juices dried up today, I made this:

The Chocolate Banana Thing.
(I just made that name up.  I thought it wouldn't look good to have two un-named dishes in one post!)

This was easy! I put a couple of frozen bananas in the blender.  Let them thaw 5 minutes or so.  Added a heaping teaspoon of cacao, vanilla and a squirt of agave and blended until smooth.  Topped it off with some cacao nibs and chopped walnuts.

It was a nice end of the day treat!

Tomorrow promises frigid temperatures. Schools and numerous businesses are closed. We won't be leaving our house.

Hmmmm . . . wonder what that means?