veggie crazed.

you know those people. the ones that say they “don’t feel right” without their morning 12 mile run, or a long, sweaty session of hot yoga? people who claim they actually “don’t really like carbs, thanks!” or “just don’t have a craving for sweets ever.” people who, you know, at the core of their existence would actually like to sit on their coach all day and cuddle up to a large piece of warm bread.

sometimes i wonder if people feel this about me when i tell them that vegetables are one of my favorite foods (…right behind warm bread). i genuinely, genuinely at the core of my existence love vegetables in all of their capacities: warm, buttered, salted, raw, drenched in ranch, sautéed, fried, juiced…i love them all!

i’ve been trying to get jeff to appreciate them as much as i do but a compromise is usually made. last night, for instance, i was terribly hungry around eleven. i wanted something warm and filling and…vegetable-y. i had an acorn squash on hand and began looking up simple recipes. i was envisioning some coarse salt, a slap of butter, and an hour in the over. jeff, however, wanted something sugary and buttery and fried, maybe? thus, we compromised (we are so ready for marriage! ha!); i give to you: baked acorn squash…jeff-style.

preheat oven to 400 degrees. half acorn squash and scoop out seeds. place each half in a baking pan with a little bit of water on the bottom (so the skin doesn’t burn). coat the front of the squash with butter and leave some in the cavern. sprinkle on some brown sugar (or in jeff’s case, make a snowball of brown sugar and leave it in the cavern)(…his was way more delicious…) and drizzle maple syrup on the top. bake in over for 60-75 minutes or until the squash is soft and the tops are browned. spoon any buttery substance on top of the squash, let cool for a few minutes, and serve!

delicious. delectable. perfectly sweet. best late-night-snack ever, to date.

here are other easy and delicious veggie-dishes i’ve been making:

1. baked kale chips.
2. baked onion rings (with avocado garlic aioli).
3. spicy collard greens with rice.
4. rainbow chard and red potato hash.
5. (d.i.y) sundried tomatoes.

recipes from mama dear.

whenever i visit home or get in a ten foot radius of my mother, i balloon up like a beluga whale because she force feeds me all her delicious goodies and treats. my most favorite treat that my tastebuds miss daily is her lemon drop cookies.

in order to relieve my current craving, i had her make some and take pictures of the process…the pictures didn’t suffice in the least but i thought that i would share the recipe with you guys!ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter flavored shortening
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
finely chopped zest of one lemon (i don’t always add this)
1 (6-oz) package lemon drops (i usually add more!)
glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
juice of two lemons, about 4-5 tablespoons

*preheat oven to 350

1. in mixing bowl, cream sugar, shortening and, eggs; add vanilla and lemon extract and stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. crush lemon drops in a blender or food processor (or put them in a heavy ziploc bag and therapeutically pound them with a meat mallet while thinking of all things angry in the world).

3. add lemon zest and crushed lemon drops into mixture and roll mixture into balls.

4. flatten slightly with your hand and bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes and let cool on pan for a few minutes.

5. make lemon glaze by mixing powdered sugar with lemon juice to desired consistency. brush glaze over cookie tops after cookies have cooled slightly (if cookies are too hot, the glaze will melt).

…then eat (or gorge, rather), and fall into a deep, deep case of food guilt (…the remedy for food guilt: more lemon drop cookies!).