Asparagus for Breakfast

Today began with a trip to farmers market and the grocery store. After working out at the gym...I was home by 7 form the first two stops.

I threw asparagus in an oiled glass baking dish, with salt and put it in the oven. I browned some home made loose turkey sausage patties in an oiled cast iron pan. The seasonings were rubbed sage,white pepper, Hungarian paprika, and salt. After both sides were browned, i went to the grocery store. When home we all ate the sausage and Asparagus. The kids, not the ones on the diet per/se, had rice Parmesan cheese on their Asparagus. For one child, i serves fruit sweetened corn flakes with rice milk. The other has 1/3 cup of certified gluten-free oats toasted lightly in a small cast iron pan in raw extra virgin coconut oil (the only oil we can have for now,)added home made almond butter , and a 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract.

After that--the dishes stacked on the sink...dishwasher still full but clean form last night...I made some kind of yeast risen gluten-free bread for the kids, so that they do not jump ship. At the grocery I bought a few more snack bags than usual, gluten-free pretzels, rice chips, and crackers...since after three pathetic days of me opening the fridge and pantry...and skulking away with a carrot have broken my carb addiction...and i can now look and not touch. My children are not deprived...only one is complaining...but that is because he is 14, and he not only complains about everything, he is hungry around the clock. he is well fed, and husky...and only doing what he saw/heard his big grown brothers do, when it was time for them to go do like the Three little pigs..and seek their own fortune. This child will have a retail job at this tine next year, and an apprenticeship as soon as the law permits...it is our way---the older ones are gainfully, happily and fruitfully employed. The Ballerina on the other hand---was eating so lightly, that this will be terrific for her...so we will all choose to be happy...or miserable...but no one is truly suffering.

I emptied the dishwasher---washed the non-dishwasher pile of dishes---and proceeded top begin working on this blog, then a snack and lunch. Tomorrow is ST Patrick's Day, and we already dug out two onto green foods with Asparagus for breakfast--and the ballerina will be gone all day on the real day...So, I made the Shamrock Shake i had planned. Ice cubes,vanilla rice milk, vanilla non-dairy ice cream, vanilla extract, and large bunch of mint leaves and a small bunch of spinach leaves...and a tsp of stevia...filled the blender...so i had to taste some---so it did not keep slipping over---perfect! Took it around...the color said asparagus mom--how could you...but the flavor knocked out that thought. I made half of the rest of the fresh mint leaves into tea for my patient---thanks to a reaction to both sulfur based and citric acid remedies for a small rash...his entire body turned spotty red and blotchy and swollen...and now his skin is all sloughing off...i sent him back to work today with a cask of icy mint tea. The neighbor across the street will get the rest of the leaves for her to have soem tea---she liked when we take some over form out garden in summer.

Our garden--the little gardeners are aching to get in the dirt. They have already planted onions, and with a week of unseasonably warm weather---the screen porch and outdoor spaces are spanking clean and good to go...I must remember that the same child that complained about the butter not being soft enough for the bread during lunch was the one that cleaned the porch so thoroughly...but no excuses---complaining is just wrong, and draining to be around. We keep a low threshold here for non-constructive critique.

Lunch was a broccoli cream soup with warm bread. (But cold butter ;P) I first saute'd diced onion to clear---and slightly carmelized in the bottom of an oiled soup pot, and threw on the lid. I washed topped the brocolli into florets of all sizes--no bigger than an inch.For the stumps, i cut off the woodiest dried end, and take my knife and pull off the outer skin form the bottom upward...not too particularly. I slice the stump into 1/4 in slabs---then hammer away at it with the hand chopper until it is finely diced...onto that bottom of the pot with that---stir and soften a bit, add salt and white pepper, then turn that down and prepare a roux. No flour or grains, so I took a can of white beans and threw them into the mini processor till smooth. I whisked the bean paste into the sauted onion and broccoli, then i pour in unflavored rice milk, util it is the right consistency and amount to add the broccoli--and it will be covered---not too liquid, not too creamy. Bring that to a boil, and back it off until i set the table. Mom and Dad were happy with the soup,and the kids could have crusty brown bread.

More dishes. more blogging, and a break to wipe down my downstairs pantry shelves and re-organize, and then scrub the kitchen floor and get a shower. All the veggies and meats are put away in either the fridge. My root vegetables and squash are on the cool screen porch. it is cooler today. My sister and great niece dropped by...my siblings make me laugh harder than anyone on earth, we should go on the road! I needed that.