Vegetarianism Revisited- Stuffed Tomatoes

For a brief moment last year, about a month, I was for the most part a vegetarian. An i eat fish and dairy products vegetarian. I can't remember the name for it, but it made me feel good. No heartburn, I could work out even right after dinner, it was a good way to live. Then Christmas came and with it a month spent at my parents as well as my husband's parents houses. Both families are definitely meat eaters and have a hard time even imagining a dinner without meat. Therefore I ate meat in December. A lot of meat (don't get me wrong I enjoyed it, but....). I have to say not only I but also John both need a break (John is more to do with the fact that he has been eating in restaurants for a month). So I am back. I am returning to my semi-regular vegetarian meals and my stomach has been thanking me this week.

Dinner last night was delicious. Very easy, and tasty and so veggie filled. It was a take on something that was made for me once in Paris. Except when I was offered it there it was stuffed with nearly raw ground beef- no thank you.

Veggie Stuffed Tomatoes

1 small zucchini or squash, grated
1/4 onion, grated
2 small new potatoes, grated
1 artichoke heart, diced
1 T sun dried tomatoes, diced
1/2 egg(or mustard, just a little something to hold the ingredients together)
1/4 c bread crumbs
1/4 c grated parmesan, or any cheese you wish
salt, pepper, garlic powder
2 tomatoes

1. Mix all ingredients but tomatoes together
2. carefully cut the core out of the tomatoes. The using a spoon carve out the seeds in the tomatoes so you have a hollow shell (its easier than it sounds), try to keep the tomato in 1 piece
3. salt and pepper the inside of the tomatoes and spoon in filling, add extra cheese on top
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until the tomato is slightly shriveled and the cheese is browned.
5. I served with pasta as a main course but it could also make as excellent appitizer

My New Favorite Rice

I love rice, it's quick, easy and feels like a whole meal when you put in in a bowl. Just like Jack in the Box's new commercials.

1/2 onion chopped
1 cup rice
2 t cumin
2 t chile powder
salt and pepper
1 T sugar
1 1/2 c canned tomatoes
1/2 c lemon juice

Saute Onion. Add rice and spices. Add everything else and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook with lid on for 20 minutes (don't remove the lid!) Turn off stove and let rest for 15 minutes. Serve. So good!

DECEMER ...

oh yah....

I had a lot of high hopes for December. Healthy habits, getting healthy, instead

My life turned a little more upside down.

John was "temporarily transferred" to the o.c. and I moved into my parents house for the interim. It was the best option to be close to John but still be able to get things done during the day.

I have cooked...
maybe one meal in the last month.

Do you have a mother? Is she a great cook?

Exactly.

I feel rusty, I feel out of place and I need my kitchen back.

Hence the lack of blogging. It is difficult to write about cooking when you aren't cooking.

What have I been doing:

I've been typing up:
my mom's recipe collection (thank you iphoto book)
my grandmothers recipes (thank you blurb)

From this I have learned:

How much recipes have changed in the last hundred years, do you even know what suet is?
How time consuming writing a cookbook is, but at the same time how incredibly worthwhile to preserve something of worth.
How grateful I am for history, for the women who came before me.

What does the future bring:

Some more finishing touches for my Grandma's book
Finishing a never-ending old-fashioned quilt (but that's more my sister's specialty)
Moving back to my own house... next week... I hope I hope!
More recipes, coming soon,
because I need to get

JOY back in the KITCHEN

Wasn't I just sick?

So I am sick again. And to make matters worse, John has been out of town, which means no one to take care of me, and perhaps even worse, no one to go to the grocery store for me.

This is how I survived:

Day one-
Peanut Butter and Jelly for Lunch
Leftover pasta for dinner (YUMMY, onions, tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, cinnamon, cream...)

Day two-
PB&J for lunch
PB&J for dinner (I have explanied before my love of these have I not?)
2 fruit leathers

Day three-
this is where it gets sad
1 PB&J with the very smallest of butts of the bread. Which means no more bread.
Have you been to my house? Have you looked in my cupboards? I don't even have dried pasta let alone "convenience foods". It's times like these that I kick myself for not keeping such things around. And so for dinner:

Banana- Oatmeal- Berry Muffins, oh ya they are good, and pretty dang healthy. (I am attempting a healthy december) Would you like the recipe?

1 1/4 cups flour ( I would have done half wheat flour if I wasn't out of wheat flour)
1 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup soy milk (regular will work too, I used soy)
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2-1 cup frozen/fresh berries (i had frozen mixed berries)

Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients and then combine, as always do not overmix. Spray pans. It makes a dozen regular size muffins.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

If you are also hoping to not gain 10 pounds this month let me know and I will keep posting "semi-healthy" -"healthy" alternatives.

John returns tonight so no worries, life will return to normal tomorrow, perhaps even a pb free day. but then again perhaps not, i am slightly addicted i think.

Remember When...

I posted about starting our garden? Well the tomatoes, eggplant and broccoli are flourishing, yippee. I also started growing arugula which is doing really well. Don't you just love arizona in the fall?

I am writing to ask a request of all the garden experts out there. I am a complete garden virgin (shh don't tell). I am honestly learning everyday because I have no idea what I am doing. But I have to say I am enamoured with my garden and all things garden related. So I was wondering, does anyone have any good books, blogs, websites, etc for learning more about gardening. I realize a lot of learning is doing, but I feel like I could learn a lot before next season to make my attempts go even better. And if you have any of your own wise words, feel free to leave those too. Pretty please.