Skittles on the train

I was riding on the subway this week and found myself fascinated and shocked by this little baby sitting in a stroller chowing down skittles.  It just seemed shockingly early for him to be establishing such eating habits and taste preferences.  Like a kid in a candy shop I just couldn’t take my eyes away.  I tried to snap of picture of him on my phone but it just came out blurry every time as the train lurched forward trying to stop me, but here ya go…..

 

Lentil Soup; throw it together as a last minute dinner and voila!

I had some friends visiting last night and after the Thanksgiving holiday not too much food in the fridge for a meal.  I found a bag of carrots, half an onion, and a potato in the fridge and looked around at my grains, spotting the green lentils.  The best thing to make on such short notice (no need for soaking) was lentil soup.  I love soups because you can pretty much throw in whatever you want, whatever is lying around and it always turns out delicious and nutritious!

Ingredients (all estimates):

• ~ 1/2 cup reserved beet juice from steaming beets last week (you could use any kind of broth if you have it or just water if you don’t, this just adds some more flavor)
• ~1/2 cup red cooking wine
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 diced cooking potato
• 3 diced carrots
• ~1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1 1/3 cup green lentils
• lots of water
• spices: see below

Directions:

In a large soup pot heat the olive oil, toss in the onions and let cook until they are soft and translucent. Then add and saute the potatoes and carrots.  Dissolve the tomato paste in the red wine and add along with the broth/beet juice to the pot. Throw in one bay leaf and add your lentils.  Now add enough water to fully cover all your ingredients (lentils soak up a lot of water).  At this point or flavor I add spicy paprika, salt & pepper, a dash of oregano and a dash of cinnamon.  Cover it and let it simmer until the lentils are tender.  Enjoy!

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Make a fruit fly trap!

Ingredients:

• Honey or sugar (about a tsp)
• Vinegar (I use apple cider or red wine)
• A dab of soap (just enough to make bubbles when you pour water in)
• A vessel
• Water

Mix everything together and fill up a vessel (an old jar or something, preferably see-through so you can watch them drop).  Works every time within a few minutes to a few hours. Make sure you don’t fill the jar so full that they can land on the side and drink without having to actually go into the jar.  At the point they enter to take a drink the soap bubbles trap them in and they drown, no more fruit flies bugging you in the kitchen.