Summer lunch makes me feel fine.....

Here is a delicious and quick lunch I threw together using some of the fine fresh garden veggies I had on hand. 

Sautee onion chunks in some coconut oil. Meanwhile chop up some veggies. I used squash, eggplant, peppers -red, banana, and one other kind, I think cubanelle. I threw the veggies in with the onions, added salt and pepper and some fresh ginger, grated. Lastly, I added chickpeas. I cook my own, so I didn't get an exact measurement, but it was about the same as one 15 oz can. Heat through.  

As you can see, I don't worry too much about measurements, so I recommend that you just keep adding what you like and go from there!! You can also use whatever seasonings/veggies/beansthat you like. 

Enjoy your food, my friends!! :)

The Best Grilled Chicken. Ever.

At Thanksgiving time, I usually brine my turkey, yielding a succulent, flavorful, and juicy bird.  Saving the brining technique for special occasions, I haven't used the technique for everyday cooking...till recently.  A couple of weeks ago, Sophia and I decided to brine a chicken before grilling it. It was also still partially frozen, and I wanted to expedite the thawing process. We used lemon, garlic, rosemary, salt and sugar. Today, I used fresh basil and oregano instead of the rosemary. It comes out so delicious! Following is my recipe for the most delicious way to prepare chicken. I *urge* you to give it a try. With the suggested sides, it makes the perfect summer meal. Enjoy!

You will need -

1-2 whole chickens, cut up.

1 lemon, cut in half, juice, peel and all

1/2 head garlic, sliced in half, skins and all

Fresh herbs - as much or as little as you want. I went with basil and oregano or rosemary. You can do any combo.

Slight 1/3 c salt

Heaping 1/3 c sugar

Water to cover

In a large bowl, pour salt and sugar into 2 c water, stir to dissolve. Add chicken, lemon, herbs, and garlic, then add water till it's all submerged. Stir around to distribute everything evenly. Let sit for 2-3 hours. I let it sit on the counter top, but you can stick it in the fridge if it makes you feel more comfortable.

Get your grill going. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry. Rub with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a bit of garlic powder (opt) or seasoning of choice. I like to start with some foil on the grill with the chicken skin side up. Grill for 15-20 minutes, then remove foil and flip chicken. This helps the skin develop a delicious crust without sticking.

Grill 15-20 minutes more, till chicken is done.

Meanwhile, prepare some brown rice. I like to use this recipe:

Boil 4-6 c water with a bit of salt.

Rinse 1 c brown rice, then add to boiling water.

Reduce heat to med-high and boil for 30 minutes, uncovered.

Drain for 10 seconds then return to pan, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

I took the rest of the basil that I had and stuck it in the food processor with 2 cloves garlic and 2 T olive oil and the zest of one lemon. Then I stirred this into the brown rice when it was finished.

Lightly coat some fresh veggies with olive oil and salt and pepper and throw n the grill for the 2nd half of cooking time. I used yellow squash.

All three components of this meal went really well together. Sophia made some fresh squeezed lemonade to go with it.

Give it a try and enjoy! Play around with it and try different combos of herbs and spices. Just stick with the basic water, salt,and sugar brine.

Re-Run

What with all this running I've been doing, naturally I am inclined to want to run every race that comes along, especially those that give the proceeds to charity. Unfortunately, shelling out between $25 and $65 per race isn't always an option. SO, in true Melanie fashion, I put some thought into it and decided to market the recycled feed sack bags that I have been creating from...you guessed it, recycled feed sacks. They come in an array of colors and designs and are made with this cool material that is extremely strong and durable.

I call my nifty recycled feed sack bags "Re-Run Bags." If you are interested in purchasing a "Re-Run Bag," please contact me at melesqueda@live.com. If you live close to me and would like to arrange for pick-up, I can arrange that, and the cost is $10 per bag. If you live far away and would like me to ship one to you, the cost is $13 per bag. International shipping will be determined upon order.

Buy a bag and tell your friends about it. If you get three or more of your friends to buy one, I'll give you one free of charge as a thank you.

Here are a couple of bags that I have made and are ready for a home. They are exceptional for groceries, books, beach gear, etc. Each bag contains an inside pocket, perfect for keys, cell phones, library cards, waterpark passes, etc.

I have many different types of feed sacks - including horse feed, chicken, game, deer, cattle, and bunny. If you have a specific request, please let me know.

Ham and Steve are ready for bed. I love my little boys!!

Whole Foods to Thrive - Lentil Soup with Wilted Spinach recipe review

With many thanks to Vanessa from Vanessa Runs, I have had the opportunity to read Whole Foods to Thrive by Brendan Brazier in exchange for doing a book review.

I opened the book and was immediately drawn to great variety of vegan recipes that are simple and nourishing. While not a vegetarian myself, I have always enjoyed vegetarian/vegan foods and aspire to include more in my cooking repertoire. I love how Brendan Brazier creates recipes that are nutritionally complete and formulated for maximum performance. The first five chapters in the book are a comprehensive guide on optimal nutrition and how our health depends on it. He also teaches us how to be kinder to our earth with our eating habits, including encouraging us to eat locally. While there were a couple of ingredients that I had not heard of yet (Yay! Something new for me to learn!) such as yacon syrup and sacha inchi, most of the ingredients listed in his recipes are easy to find and just happen take up residence in my pantry already.

From the moment the book was in my hands, I was chomping at the bit to try out a recipe. Always seeking out the simplest of recipes, I decided to make "Lentil Soup with Wilted Spinach." As I sauteed the garlic in coconut oil, my mouth began to water like crazy. It is one of my favorite fragrances! I soaked the lentils for the afternoon so it didn't take as long to cook this delicious soup. At the end of cooking, the recipe says to add lemon juice and spinach. This was lovely. The lemon was bright and summery and the spinach tasted amazingly green and fresh.  I am a huge fan of soup, even in the summer, and this was perfect. It was filling yet light, leaving me satisfied with no post dinner sweet cravings.

I will most definitely make this again, and I look forward to many more delicious and nourishing recipes from this book.

So, thank you, Vanessa, for providing me with this exciting opportunity, and thank you, Brendan Brazier for this well-written, informative and inspiring book. :)

Oh baby it's hot outside!! Even my little Ameracauna/Black Orpington mix hen is taking a cool bath. :)

Hard Times in blogging land... Just when I think it's time to get back into blogging, the hard drive in my laptop died. Yup. Dead. I bought the thing in January, without warranty (like a dummy). Right now I am waiting to get it back from our computer guy so I can call HP and see if there is any type of manufacturer's warranty that might help me get this replaced. For now, I get to use a real computer in the evening when my sweetheart gets home from work OR I use my phone (thankful that I just got mobile blogging set up a couple of weeks ago).

On a side note, I saw that there is a Naked Foot 5K in Austin in August....the registration is $35 so I'll be trying to sell some of my wares to raise the money to go. It sounds like a fabulous time for the whole family, and will be after the first week of school. I plan to actually race it and Olivia wants to raise money to do the race too. There will be a free 1K for kids, a whole mile of grass to run, Tarahumara games and competitions, and foot painting for the kids. I don't know how to post a link from text blogging but I'll try to post one when I get on Honey's laptop tonight. Meanwhile, google Naked Foot 5K for more info.

If you live in the area and would like to purchase one of my totally cool recycled feed sack bags ($10) or some farm fresh free range multi colored eggs from happy chickens ($3.50/doz) please let me know!!! Olivia has a face painting/sharpie tattoo business for birthday parties and other special occasions. She has reasonable rates and if you have ever seen her artwork , she is remarkably talented.

Y'all have an awesome day! Peace out!