Afternoon snack

I love a good snack. Big bonus points if it's a healthy snack that tastes good and uses up random stuff in the fridge.

While the baby sleeps away a fever, I made a winning snack: a hummus, fresh basil and kale sandwich on toasted bread. Fab!

Other quick snack ideas I love:

• Chips and salsa
• Avocado toast
• Simple spinach salad
• Pistachios
• Granola with almond milk
• Leftover noodles with olive oil and vegan parmesan
• Crackers with Toffuti cream cheese
• Crackers with chocolate hazelnut spread, I love the Justin's brand.
• Smoothie, Current family fave is Strawberries, blueberries, avocado and kale.

Share your favorite simple afternoon snacks!

Non-toxic weed killers

I don't mind weeds in the lawn and while he tolerates my love for some weeds, my husband favors the classic American sea of green. We compromise. All weeds are welcome in the back yard. Clover, wild violets and a few others are acceptable in the front. In fact, I plant clover readily around my entire yard for two reasons... it's a great nitrogen source as fertilizer for the grass growing around it. And two, it's a source of nectar for bees! (More on this in a future post.)

I love the look of clover in the lawn, the bees love it too. Plus it's a natural fertilizer!

Dandelions, oxalis, sorrel and a host of others are less welcome. I have to admit, getting dandelion stems stuck between our toes while walking through the grass isn't all that pleasant. We've finally found a solution that doesn't make me cringe with the thought of us walking barefoot through the lawn. Iron.

Liquid iron is sold at some online garden stores. I bought Iron-X for around $35 that makes 3 gallons in a pump sprayer. I gave it a good try and I'm kinda thrilled. I tested it on a variety of weeks in my yard. Dandelions, creeping Charlie, some oxalis, spurge, prostate surge, black medic and many others were dead within the day.

In a pump sprayer I mixed the iron with water according to the package directions. If ingested, Iron is dangerous. Spray it on and the weeds turn black as they shrivel. Grass may darken a bit but that recovers quickly and the grass is left unharmed. It's a miracle!

Black Medic after iron application

Wood sorrel after iron application

Dandelion after iron application

Creeping Charlie after iron application

But nothing is perfect. The iron does not kill grassy weeds like crab grass. I'm still on the hunt there. It has trouble with  oxalis in some areas. For now I'm pulling those by hand or leaving them. It's a daunting task that I tackle a little at a time.

Prostrate Spurge after iron application

For weeds in the cracks of the driveway and sidewalk or rocks things get interesting. Some say iron can stain your concrete or stone. I haven't found that to be the case in my small test areas. But because iron is a bit expensive I like another option for sidewalk and driveway cracks anyway!

That's where the weed torch comes into play! Keeping safety top of mind this torch is excellent for removing weeds. And in my experience they stay away for some time!

Because the torch scorches everything in range, the weeds and their seeds are destroyed.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Unfortunately grasses and dandelions tend to come back and new weed seeds eventually make their way back in. Others though are goners. I'll take that.

Vinegar with epsom salt and dish soap is another popular option but I've found the results don't last as long. Plus vinegar has it's own clash with the environment. It's very toxic to amphibians, for example. (I have a lot of tree frogs that show up.)

Anyone else have a non-toxic weed solution to share?


Note: At time of this post I have no affiliation or sponsorship from any products mentioned.

Salad club: ranch peppercorn salad

There's nothing overly special about any of this week's ingredients. But the salad is colorful and it just tastes good! 

In the jar from bottom to top:

Peppercorn ranch dressing

Avocado

Carrots

Sweet peppers

Dry salami

Mixed greens

Swiss cheese

Fresh cracked pepper

Enjoy! 

Garlic mustard pesto.

You can see it growing alongside pretty much any given roadway right now. It's called garlic mustard. A knee to thigh high plant with tiny white flowers at its top. You might even have some growing in your yard or garden. Pull it out!

While it is pretty, the problem is that it's invasive. Just one garlic mustard plant produces hundreds of seeds. And it's taking over!

The good news is that it comes out easily and you can eat it!

Here's a recipe I came up with along with some inspiration from Chef Marianne Miller of the Saga Hill Cooking School.

Garlic mustard pesto:

• Lots of garlic mustard leaves, removed from stem (Not the flowers)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Thoroughly wash and dry the garlic mustard leaves. (Be sure the plants you pick for eating have not been sprayed with pesticides.) the leaves remove easily and similar to de-stemming kale or chard. Lightly grasp the top of the stem just beneath the flower. Run your fingers down the stem to remove the leaves. 

Add the leaves and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor. Before mixing, the food processor should be filled with leaves to the max fill line. Pulse until mixture is smooth but not uniform. You can't go wrong here so feel free to not measure. Add more olive oil if you would like the pesto thinner, leave some out if you'd like it to have a thicker consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

That's it! It's done! You can serve it just like you would a basil pesto. Spread it on grilled bread. Serve with pasta and parmesan cheese. Swirl it into your favorite hummus.

And get crazy with the ingredients too. Add some grated parmesan or sun dried tomatoes. Throw in some lime and cumin. Switch out the sunflower seeds for pumpkin seeds or pine nuts. The list is endless. Have fun and enjoy!

And side note: Help spread the word about this invasive plant that needs to be pulled out! 

Spaghetti Pie, my first attempt

Let me start out by saying I'm so not a recipe follower. I like to throw things together and hope for the best. This time it worked! 

I've never made spaghetti pie but I saw it on Facebook from the Today show and it looked design so what the heck... Let's try it.

My so-called recipe for spaghetti pie:

3/4 pound spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente and drained well

2 large or 3 smaller eggs, whisked

3/4 jar marinara sauce

1/4 cup grated Parmesan 

4 oz. whipped cream cheese

1 can mushrooms, sliced

Italian seasoning

1/2 large onion, diced

1 pound pork sausage

4 to 6 oz. shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese

Sprinkle of Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 and cook noodles according to pal age directions.

Brown onion and sausage in a pan until cooked through and browned. Meanwhile in a LARGE bowl add eggs, marinara, Parmesan, cream cheese and mushrooms. Stir to combine, breaking up any large chunks of cream cheese. Drain excess fat from sausage and onion mixture and add to bowl. Stir to combine. Add noodles and toss to combine.

Pour or spoon mixture into a greased springform pan. Top with shredded cheese and herbs.

Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is browned. Remove from oven and let sit 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the pie from the pan, cut and serve! Some extra marinara might be a good idea to have on the plate. 

Enjoy!