Nettlefiddle

Last Sunday I drug my dumpling Julia out into the woods and threatened to torture her if she didn't help me pick nettles.

We also managed to scrounge up a few of the last fiddleheads along the way. I nearly lost a shoe.

What have you been up to? I've been busy with mushroom identification classes, marathon training, a crazy work retreat, hosting a bake sale for Water for People (we raised nearly $500!), eating cheese, and drinking beer. So much good!

Wild & Homemade

Hi loves! It's "Ask the Intern" week on Questionland- which means that there's a whole section of questions targeted just at me! I'm focusing on all things homemade and wild and would love it if any of my readers stopped on by to pester me. While Questionland is Seattle based- you definitely don't need to live in Seattle to use it. Come check out Wild and Homemade Q&A!

Homemade Cereal: Popped Amaranth with Nuts & Dried Fruit

In an attempt to cut down even further on processed foods- I’ve been experimenting with making my own cereals. This recipe is hands-down my favorite, and while popping amaranth can be messy- it’s also freakishly fun. Amaranth is a grain similar to quinoa that is easiest to find in bulk bins at nicer grocery stores. I buy mine at the Town & Country Markets in Seattle.

Ingredients:
8 tbsp amaranth
1/2 cup raw walnuts (or nut of choice)
1/2 cup dried fruit (my favorites are cranberries and candied ginger)
2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp sea salt

To pop the amaranth:
Heat a large pot (the higher the sides the better) over medium-high heat. Toss in two tablespoons of amaranth (any more at a time and you’ll burn most of it) and stir constantly until most of the grains are popped. It’s better to leave some grains un-popped rather than burning the rest. Dump popped amaranth into a medium sized bowl, and continue this process until all amaranth has been popped.

 Unpopped vs. popped

Once all amaranth is popped- add nuts, dried fruit, salt, and maple syrup to your bowl and mix until combined. If you find your amaranth clumping with the syrup- just get in there with your hands and break things up. Cooking should be messy!  Store in a glass jar or other sealed container, and serve just as you would with any other cereal. I’m happiest eating mine with milk.

Originally posted at Swallowing Seattle.

Shiny & New

Hi Loves-

I'm thrilled to let all ya'll know that I'm the new intern at Swallowing Seattle- esentially the Food & Drink portion of Questionland!  This is really exciting for me, because I both adore Questionland and food. It really doesn't get much better.

I'll be blogging over there from time to time, running my mouth and helping out with themes and contests on Questionland, as well as diving into a lot of new and exciting things happening with food in Seattle. There may be a bit of cross-posting happening here, and I'd be thrilled if any of my readers joined Questionland (you don't have to live in Seattle- many of the questions are more about the "what" rather than the "where").

This months Food & Drink theme is "DIY" and right we're talking about home canning and preserving- with cheese making, homebrewing, and coffee roasting coming up in the next few weeks. We have a really knowledgeable guest panel, including Michael from Herbivoracious among many others. We also have a contest going on right now - The Ultimate Sandwich Showdown! The winner gets a one month subscription to Rouxbe and the joy of eating said delicious sandwich.

Most importantly- I want to let you know that I'm not abandoning you! If anything I'll have more exciting things to share. I know that posting has been a bit spotty lately- January and February are notorious for kicking my ass, but I'm getting excited about longer days and busy weekends coming up. I'm hoping to get out nettle picking this weekend, and I start my first mushroom identification class next month. As always- I'd rather post less often with higher quality, rather than the other way around.

Love love!

- R