Leftovers, Leftovers

Howdy! (As we say here at Texas A&M University)

So, we have already jumped into summer school again, and this time it seems less stressful.....that means more time to enjoy cooking and reading online at recipes and blogs!

This week, we happened to make alot of meals and food, so we had tons of extra leftovers that we were re-eating for many days. Our fridge was consequently stocked full for a week! We made homemade tomato vegetable soup and whole grain baguettes, squash cakes and corn, spring rolls and tofu, and a garbanzo onion dish with bulgur.

First-the soup and bread! We just mixed in a bunch of vegetables and didn't really use any recipe. We added 2 large cans of diced tomatoes, chopped celery, chopped carrots, broccoli, chopped red bell peppers, dried basil and oregano, crushed red pepper, and alot of fresh kale. We let it cook in the crockpot, then we added some whole grain spiral pasta and let it cook on high in the crockpot. Hearty, filling, and healthy! The bread was very filling and healthy, too, with some graham flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, soy flour, and flaxseed meal! Nutty, and tasty with olive oil!

Our next homemade dish was bulgur, broccoli, and sauteed garbanzos! It was our first time to use bulgur, and it was really quiet good! It is high in fiber, similar to brown rice/wild rice texture and taste, and cooks quickly like couscous. It could really add a nice nutty flavor to breads, too. We used vegweb recipe "Chickpeas and Onions" http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=4985 for the garbonzo dish. It was fantastic! The red wine flavor and herbs paired very well with the creamy garbonzos and red bell peppers!

Other meals that we made the rest of the week (besides leftovers) were squash potato cakes, which were ok, brownies, and simple dishes, such as grilled soy cheese sandwiches and corn-on-the cob. Today, we made delicious spring rolls (rice paper, lettuce, avocado, cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, carrots) with devine peanut sauce and sauteed firm tofu!

Hope you find inspiration in our cooking experiences and continue to enjoy reading/seeing the meals that we cook!

Our message for today is to enjoy every moment in life with the people (or animals) that you love! Life is short, and we need to express our love for each other and for life in general. Each moment in life, whether good or bad, happens for a reason, and we should continue to persevere with hope, faith, optimism, and patience. Even when they are bad experiences, they teach us and make us grow in wisdom. Share your love with everyone you meet!

Peace, LK