Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Dogs and Gardens Do Not Mix

Well friends. This creature here has eaten not one, not two, but three of my gorgeous, almost-ripe heirloom tomatoes. Don't let the cuteness distract you. She's evil. 


I'm not sure what it is, but it seems like the day before I would pick a tomato, I come outside to find that it is half eaten. I'm such a sucker that in the beginning, I considered that the culprit might be a rabbit or squirrel. But then I remembered-- my dog is a bitch. 

The solution? Chicken wire. That green plastic fence just wasn't cutting it against my tomato-stealing pit bull. I didn't even know dogs liked tomatoes! 


Here she is, fewer than 20 days before I have to pack her up and move a few miles away. I managed to get 10 pretty large plastic pots on clearance from Target for about two dollars each. Hopefully the tomatoes live, but I'm worried about the rest. I'll probably end up just calling this season a wash and trying again in the fall. Sadsies. 

-Leah

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The Best Veggie Burger... So Far.

Like a lot of people, I'm on the hunt for a decent tasting veggie burger. Since I've been vegetarian off and on (mostly off) since I was 17, I've had a lot of crappy faux meat patties. Some are better than others, but none are really enjoyable. Well, I say it's time for a game changer. Bring in the patty!

Please ignore the ugly chipping plate that this beautiful burger is sitting on. 

This recipe is from Saveur, and the link to it is here. The recipe is for Black Bean Burgers with Salsa Fresca and Avocado Crema. I was lazy and just used salsa, but the avocado crema is a really nice sweet topping for a pretty hardy burger. If you know me personally, you already know that I am the Queen of Avocados. I'll most certainly be using the avocado crema in the future- possibly on these Sweet Potato Enchiladas from After Dinner Dance. I've made the enchiladas before and they are in my Top 10. You should try them. Go do it. Now.

Leah

Monday, July 2, 2012

Smoothies


I'm afraid I've jumped on the smoothie bandwagon. They are easy, nutritious, and TASTY! Tasty being the most important reason, of course.

My friends, I would like to introduce you to the smoothie that is a whopping 283 calories and provides you with 25 grams of fiber and 50 grams of protein. Yeah. That's awesome. And as I mentioned above, it is pretty damn delicious, too.

Mango Kale Smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 banana (frozen to give the smoothie an ice cream like consistency)
handful of frozen mango chunks
1 stem kale (just tear it up a little, nothing fancy)
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt 
2 tbsp wheat germ 
1 tbsp slivered almonds

Directions

Throw it all in a blender or food processor. Blend. Drink. Smile. 

Also, it takes better if you drink it out of a mason jar. Science, folks.

Leah