Cheap Thrills: Wolf Hollow in Ipswich

Checked out Wolf Hollow in Ipswich last weekend with Chloe. It's right down Rt 133 in Ipswich just before the turn-off onto the road to Russell Orchards. I'd been waiting until Chloe was old enough to have a hope of sitting thru the hour-long talk that's part of the presentation.

She actually managed to pay attention pretty well. The presentation is given at 1:30 in the afternoon and two wolves are present behind a double fence while the guide talks about wolf varieties and their history with humans. The two wolves are Weeble, the oldest wolf and Nina, a young female. Weeble sniffed around a couple of times, ate some cheese treats and retreated to the shade of a large tree while Nina trotted back and forth constantly making eye contact.

There's a full moon howl on this coming Saturday too: Wolves, reggae, beer and barbeque! Adults, $10.00, kids under 5 free. Event starts at 3pm.

Wolf Hollow Saturday Presentation: 1:30pm
Adults admission: $7.50
Kids admission: $5.00

Cheap Thrills: Wolf Hollow in Ipswich

Beat the Heat: Green Curry

Even though it's hot and sticky outside and the cicadas are screaming, I still can't put down my wok. Standing over a pan-full of frying tofu and vegetables while sweat beads on my forehead makes it even more worthwhile when you are sitting down and eating this awesome vegetarian curry!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil
4 oz tofu cut into 1-2 inch strips
1 small head of broccoli
2-3 handfuls of green beans
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 slices
2 or 3 handfuls of mushroom slices

for the sauce:
1/2 medium sized can of coconut milk
1 cube of vegetarian bullion
1-1.5 tablespoons of curry paste (I use Patak's)
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root shredded or 1/2 tsp ginger powder

1 cup of brown rice
2 cups water

Prepare the vegetables and keep them close to the wok for quick, efficient cooking. Heat the oil in the wok over medium heat until it starts to smoke. Add the tofu with a long-handled utensil (to avoid spatter burns) and fry it until it has all browned on both sides.

My general rule of thumb is to add vegetables in the order of their water content. Since the broccoli is the hardest one (least watery) here, add it after pushing the browned tofu up into the sides of the wok. Cook the broccoli until it has softened a little and push it up before adding the green beans. Once they have cooked, add the zucchini slices and the mushroom slices along with the ginger.

Stir-fry everything together for about a minute and then add enough water to cover the bottom of the wok. Add the bullion cube and let that dissolve before adding in the coconut milk and curry paste. Stir the sauce in with the vegetables until everything has blended and then lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes to blend the flavors together.

Turn off the heat and add the curry to helpings of rice and enjoy outside with a nice frosty beverage. (A crisp white wine is a good choice)

Beat the Heat: Green Curry

Vida Local: Coven

I had about 30 seconds to spare before a meeting in Salem this morning and decided to grab an iced coffee and some kind of pastry at Coven. The interior is really fun, with tons of local art everywhere (Rich Flynn Cheap Art!) and a television that was showing everyone's favorite meddling kids, The Amazing Chan Clan.

I got the large iced coffee and a blueberry muffin that was inspiring. As in, I took the first bite and could taste all the right ingredients and instantly wanted to run home and bake my own. Not the usual clod of fats, sugar and flour, but a light, yet substantial cup-cake-sized muffin with fresh blueberries. Bonus points too, for the little spice shakers shaped like lightbulbs at the coffee station.

Coven is located on Essex Street across from Harrison's Comics.

Vida Local: Coven

Bargain of the week! Hummingbird Feeder

Guess what I found in the "Seasonal" aisle at Shaw's yesterday? $1.49 Hummingbird feeders! It was fairly easy to set up, just needed to climb a tree next to the patio to get the right "hang". I found this site that has some good info about using the feeder and a nectar recipe to boot!

Bargain of the week! Hummingbird Feeder

(Almost) Guilt-Free Waffles!

I got a waffle-iron a couple of Christmas's ago and it's one of the favorite things in our kitchen. Chloe's able to pour in the batter pretty well now and it's fun for her to watch the egg whites turn into foam. I started out with making the traditional recipe that came with the appliance booklet, but it made way too many waffles and used an entire stick of butter. Since someone in the family has to watch their cholesterol (ok, both of us), I've adapted the Whole Wheat Waffles recipe that was also in the Oster booklet.

I should have taken a picture, but these were so good I ate them before I remembered to.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
4 tbs wheat germ
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, separated
1.5 cups soy milk
2 tbs honey
4 tbs olive oil

Preheat your waffle iron

Mix the dry ingredients together

Beat the egg whites until just stiff

Mix together the egg yolks, soy milk, honey and olive oil

Using a rubber spatula, stir the egg yolk mix into the dry ingredients. Fold in the egg whites.

Pour the batter in about 1 ladle-full at a time into the pre-heated waffle iron and bake.

These are really good with maple syrup and blueberries!

(Almost) Guilt-Free Waffles!

The Lost Art of Real Cooking

I found this via Delicious Days' website. I found a great excerpt here, but you can find it slightly cheaper here. I can't wait to get this! It's the perfect combination of self-reliance, thriftiness, localvore-ness and taste that I've been looking for! I just hope that my attempt at beer won't turn out like this:

The Lost Art of Real Cooking

East Indian Succotash with Brown Rice

I had to use up some vegetables this evening and decided to put a recent purchase of bulk brown rice into the mix as well. Actually came out really good! The texture of the brown basmati rice and the silky coconut curry sauce really took me back to the days of dining out in restaurants that don't hand out crayons (sigh)

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice (dry measure)
2 cups water

1 large zucchini
3 ears of corn
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 med can stewed tomatoes (or fresh)
3 or 4 scallions
1 cube vegetarian bouillon
6 oz coconut milk
1 teaspoon curry paste

Cook the brown rice in either a covered pot or a rice cooker

At the same time, boil the ears of corn for 2 minutes, then remove them from the pot and use a knife to slice the kernels off the ear.

Chop the zucchini and scallions and add them to the oil in the wok. Stir fry until the scallions are soft and the zucchini has browned a little.

Add the tomatoes. Use some of the liquid if you are using canned or add 1/4 cup water if fresh.

Add the corn and simmer everything for a few minutes.

Pour in the coconut milk and add the vegetable bouillon. Stir until the cube is dissolved.

Add the curry paste and stir until blended. Simmer for a few more minutes, then add the stew to the brown rice when it's ready.

East Indian Succotash with Brown Rice

Vida Local: 3 Reasons to Celebrate!

Survived the crazy thunder/hail storm yesterday and today is one of those days that makes it almost impossible to work downstairs in the "bunker". If you are stuck indoors too, here's 3 reasons to cheer up!

1: The Salem Farmers' Market opens in less than 2 weeks! Sure it gets as crowded as Ben Thanh during Tet, but it's always a great feeling to elbow in there and get your fresh corn while you catch up with your neighbors.

2: Local farmstands are open for business again!


3: Picked-that-day fresh produce is starting to appear in the bins of farmstands. My new favorite is Green Meadows Farm in Hamilton. It's a fun mini-daytrip to go to Bradley Palmer State Park, then stop in at the farm on the way home to pick up dinner. Out of the farmstands I've been to so far this year (4), this is the best one to shop at for all your family's needs. They have guilt-free meat in the freezer section, yogurt, Richardson's milk, toiletries, flowers and enough animals out back to keep a 4 year old entertained while you shop.

Vida Local: 3 Reasons to Celebrate!