Spring must be coming. The trail near my home is dry with only a few muddy spots, so Charleigh and I have been using it the past couple of days. I noted two signs of spring.
1) I've seen the first spring birds in the wild plum thickets....western or mountain bluebirds. I can't tell which, as they swoop out of sight too quickly. It is nice to have a flash of blue after the winter's dreary flocks of crows and magpies. No robins or meadowlarks yet, the real signs of spring.
2) Equestrians must have been out on the trails this weekend...the second sign of spring. Charleigh loves to eat horse-poop and we have continuing battles. Will she "leave it" and get a dog treat, or will she dive down and grab it, and chew and swallow as fast as she can before I can stick my fingers way down her throat and flick it out? Today's score: Dog, 3; Person, 2. And I always end up with a hand covered with dog spit and horse poop, and with green nailbeds. Nice.
Photo from dogshaming.com, not my dog but could be.
Here is a welcome video on whether or not fruit and nut bars, and also dried fruit and nuts, cause weight gain. The results are comforting as it seems they do not, despite being calorie-dense. It is welcome news for me as I don't keep junk food in the house, but when those cravings do hit, as on dreary grey snowed-in days, I have been known to eat dried figs or dates dipped in peanut butter, or Lara Bars (just dried fruit and nuts), or trail mix, until I am absolutely stuffed. Those addiction centers in our brains crave sugar, salt, and fat, especially in combination, just as much as drug addicts crave their drugs of choice. My drugs of choice are just healthier than some.
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/do-fruit-nut-bars-cause-weight-gain/#.UUcffcErvlI.email
I have started slow jogging again after a layoff, trying to heal my piriformis syndrome or proximal hamstring tendinosis or whatever it is. It is like starting all over again, and all the hills in the neighborhood have apparently grown immensely bigger over the winter months. (Mantra: "Be...gin, A...gain, Be...gin, A...gain")
I am a practical cook. I never use recipes, and nothing ever comes out the same way twice. I base ingredients on what is on sale, or what is in season, or whatever is in my pantry that needs to be used up or that I have on hand. I made Cream of Asparagus Soup yesterday that was fantastic, if I do say so myself. It took more effort than I usually go to, but made a lot, so I have lots of leftovers. Yum. The white beans, raw cashews, and potatoes made it thick and creamy. The lemon, cilantro, and dill made it flavorful. I love cilantro.
Cream of asparagus soup:
1 onion, peeled and quartered
1# white mushrooms, washed
4 potatoes, washed and cut into eighths
2 carrots, washed
3-4 cloves of peeled garlic
2+ bunches of pencil-thin asparagus, cut up
1 can drained white kidney beans
6 cups plain soy milk
2 handfuls of raw cashews, maybe a cup's worth
1 Tbl dried thyme
1 Tbl dried dill
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
2 heaping Tbl miso
3 Tbl. low sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, or more to taste
juice of 1 lemon
Optional: serve topped with diced avocado
Oven steam-roast the onion, mushrooms, potatoes and carrots in a covered pot with a cup of water at 450 degrees for 30 minutes. Add the asparagus and garlic and roast for 30 more minutes. Blend all ingredients in batches in your blender. Combine in a pot and reheat until warm. May need to add water if it is too thick. Optional, serve topped with diced avocado.
PS, Sorry about the combined blog about asparagus soup, dried fruit, nuts, and dogs who eat horse poop, but that is my life. If you have tender sensibilities, you must not be a dog-owner or parent or work in the health-care field as a lot of my family do. We can discuss ANYTHING, even at the dinner table.
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