Archive for 'DIY Sustainable Living'
How to make Parmesean Crusted Tofu
Thursday, January 20th, 2011 Posted by Jessica. Published under DIY Sustainable Living, Recipes. No Comments.
I’ve been a vegetarian for five years, but every time my housemates cook meat, it smells DELICIOUS. A few weeks ago, I came home from work to find the house smelling amazing. My housemate Debby informed me that she’d made parmesan crusted chicken, adding that it probably wouldn’t be too hard to make it with tofu. I made it that night to try it out and she was definitely right– so good! I’d never baked tofu before, but I was really pleased with the results.
Servings: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30-45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 block of extra firm tofu
- 1/2 cup of dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup of bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
- Salt, pepper, chili powder, basil, oregano– to taste
Preheat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the tofu into 16 equal slices. Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan, and spices in a small bowl. Pour the dijon mustard onto a small plate. Now you’re ready to go! Dip the tofu slices pretty liberally in the dijon mustard, and then coat all over with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for about 30-45 minutes, until the tofu is browned.
For folks who are wary of the texture of tofu, this recipe is fantastic! Because it bakes so long and much of the water evaporates out of it, the tofu has a flavor and consistency similar to baked chicken. I was really surprised! And I really caked on the dijon mustard, hoping it would seep into the tofu while it was baking, which worked amazingly well. I’m getting hungry just thinking about this dish. It made for a very nice, non-greasy meal. Serve it with green beans or a nice big salad and you’re golden.
In Rememberance…
Monday, January 17th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Pet Projects. No Comments.
Today we hope that you take time to pause, as we are, to remember those slain for their beliefs, who died taking a stand and for refusing to accept the status quo. Martin Luther King Jr. is an inspirational force, one to be remembered in the wake of yet another violent and tragic shooting this month.
Just as many leaders who have fought for a cause came before him, and many will follow after, keeping his message as a symbol of hope is the only path to get us through this recent stumble. As activists and firm believers in a life lived Against the Grind, we see King as a beacon for change, and for sanity. He stood up against what were societal norms in his time, and he said no, but he did not say yes to violence as a means to an end.
Let us remember his tireless efforts and how he refused to believe that only time would change society. It is a core mission of Against the Grind to push back, just as he pushed, against accepted norms we see as injustices, prohibitive of some to reach happiness or even dangerous at times. Our goals might seem slightly different than King’s, but the actions and words are the same.
Last Saturday, today, and everyday, his words ring true and deep. “Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars… Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
DIY Recipe: Kombucha (Not “Moldy” Tea, Jessica…)
Thursday, January 13th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under DIY Sustainable Living, Holistic Care, How to..., Recipes. No Comments.
I can’t quite remember now how I heard about kombucha or how I decided that I would learn to love it (it’s a bit of an acquired taste like anything fermented. *cough, beer*), but I do know I found it when I was living in New York City. For those of you who are now reading this post and thinking, “What the hell is kombucha?”, Wikipedia explains it here, but the short answer is that it’s a fermented tea.
Here's all that's needed to make kombucha at home.
Whole Foods and other health/co-op stores will sell you it for incredible prices and in lots of flavors, but it’s not the real thing. Nor is it really reasonable for you to say, “I don’t have time!” It’s super duper easy and so much cheaper. The only real trouble one has in making it is locating a “mother”, but really, if you have any friends who are clever in the kitchen, they probably brew it already. Just ask them!
The “mother” is similar to any other fermentation “mother”, like ones used for making vinegar. (Bet you didn’t know how our favorite natural product -vinegar- is made!) Jessica took one look at my brew jar the first time she visited my apartment and said, “Is that mold?” and called it “moldy tea” ever since. It is not, however, mold. It’s a probiotic culture of excellent-for-you bacteria. You know those commercials about the “special” yogurt that’s really just organic, un-pasteurized yogurt? Yeah, it’s the same stuff and it helps with digestion. And since I have the most unhappy digestive system known to man, kombucha really helps restart it.
Once you have your “mother”, you need a glass jar. Don’t use plastic. The bacteria and plastic aren’t really friends. Also, wash it out with boiling water only. You want to sterilize it, but just like other (bad) bacteria, using soap will just kill your “mother”, and that’s not what we want here!
Boil 1 quart of water. While that's boiling hang two tea bags in your jar. Pour boiled water into the jar and let the tea steep for a minimum of 15 minutes.
Once the tea has steeped, remove the tea bags and add 1/4 cup raw cane sugar. Refined sugar isn't recommended.
Then let the tea cool down and the "mother" you had in the fridge for storage warm up on the counter overnight. Make sure your roommate knows not to dump them!
The next morning, pour the mother and all the kombucha it came in into the jar and cover with a paper towel, coffee filter or other breathable cloth. Store this where it can be left undisturbed for at least one week.
Once the tea has fermented for a significant period*, it is either ready to drink as is, or to be bottled for a secondary fermentation**.
* Kombucha will take time to reach the primary fermentation stage. Factors that influence this are amount of sugar you added and the temperature. It will also depend on your taste. The longer you leave it ferment, the more bitter and vinegar-like it will be. Because I prefer mine sweeter, I leave mine go maximum for one week, and in the heat of summer, sometimes it only takes a few days. You will see a fresh clean mother form at the top of your jar like a seal and it will smell somewhat sour (like vinegar) when it’s ready. Don’t fret if you leave it go too long or end the brew too quickly. Your mother will manage and you can just pour out the failed batches.
**Secondary fermentation is my favorite part. It adds carbonation and you can add additional flavors that you were unable to add during the primary fermentation. (Use only basic teas and raw sugar in primary. Some teas and other food stuffs can kill the “mother” in the early stages.) My favorite food stuffs to add thus far have been dried cranberries and blueberries. I might try cherries or raspberries this spring, maybe mango. Adding Earl Grey tea to the bottle didn’t work for me, but I do know people who’ve added it. Jessica liked my spearmint flavored kombucha too. Fresh ginger was also nice. Go crazy here! Again, if you don’t like it, pour it out and start over! When adding the other food stuffs, try and add enough to fill the bottom of the bottle. Don’t use twist off bottles, you can’t re-cap them. Also, again, do sanitize the bottles with boiling water, but don’t use soap!
After another 1-2 weeks in an undisturbed location put the bottles in the fridge and drink at your leisure. Yum!
I tend to make 1 batch every 3-4 months. The “mother” can survive seemingly indefinitely in a small amount of kombucha sealed in the fridge. To the right is what relatively old, but still kickin’ in “mothers” look like. They’re very nice and white when brand spanking new. Sorry I don’t have an example! I haven’t brewed in a while so these are pretty dark.
Happy brewing and digesting!
Website Profile: International Documentary Association
Monday, January 10th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Pet Projects, Website Profiles. No Comments.
Although today’s website profile isn’t of a bicyclist or travel related per se, it’s a newly important to Against the Grind. As we have been working steadily at developing our fundraising plan, Jessica mentioned that the documentary filmmakers she worked with a few years ago had worked with International Documentary Association (IDA) to me. It was immediately clear to me after reading their page summarizing the Fiscal Sponsorship program that this could be an incredible resource for us.
As we have mentioned before, Jessica and I are both experienced documentarians, so it is easy to add a documentary project to our trip. What IDA’s Fiscal Sponsorship program will do for us will give us the chance to offer tax-deductions for donations to any person or organization who contributes to our fundraising campaign. Once accepted, IDA not only “establish[es] a “re-granting” relationship with the project director, giving you the opportunity to apply for and accept grants that require 501(c)(3) status”, but also provides “financial oversight to assure that funds are spent for their designated purpose.” Some people might find this limiting, since funds must be properly allocated, but as I am always looking for help (in any form) when it comes to budgeting, this sounds like a great resource, especially since they promise to “not infringe on your creative control, copyright, or prevent you from future sales or profiting from your project.”
The most exciting part of the Fiscal Sponsorship program to me, is that this will also force us to create not just a simple web-series that would be more for our memories, but rather to fully develop a well rounded, hopefully feature length documentary. If you didn’t read my first draft proposal last week, here it is. IDA adds an official stamp for our project, which for me is highly motivating.
But IDA is not just an organization that can help Jessica and I raise Against the Grind Productions funds, it’s yet another community in which we want to belong. Just as I wrote in my post about grassroots organizing a few weeks ago, gaining this community will be just as valuable as the 501(c)3 status. There’s a video page with clips and trailers for inspiration. There’s a print magazine to get a closer look at what IDA sees as important in documentary filmmaking today. There’s an online directory of members, and much, much more!
But of course, as always, before we fully stand behind any recommendation (except when it comes to my recommendation for fleece), we always want to know what you think. Have any of you worked with IDA or know someone who has? Comment below!
How to…Make gingerbread zombies!
Friday, January 7th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under DIY Sustainable Living, Recipes. No Comments.
This probably comes as no surprise whatsoever to our faithful readers, but Rachel has a thing for Zombies. This past New Years Eve, Rachel threw a zombie party and we made these delicious zombified cookies. Make them yourself! This is yet another fantastic recipe from Rachel’s Gingerbread cookbook by Jennifer Lindner McGlinn, with a few minor changes. If you love ginger, I definitely urge you to purchase this book– everything in there is great.
Gingerbread Zombie Ingredients:
- 3 + 1/2 C all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbs cinnamon
- 2 tbs ground ginger (or more!)
- 3/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 C packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 C packed light brown sugar
- 1 C molasses
- 1/4 C heavy cream
Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl.
Throw the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high until it’s smooth and consistent. Add the brown sugar and mix on medium-high until it’s light and fluffy. Pour in the molasses and mix on medium-high until smooth (I coat the inside of the measuring cup with a tiny bit of oil before pouring the molasses in the cup– this keeps it from sticking). Set the mixer on low and gradually add the flour and spice mix. Add the cream, and mix on medium until the dough is “just mixed”. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and stick it in the refrigerator for two hours.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Roll the dough out on a lightly-floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Using your gingerbread men cookie cutters, cut them all out. Now this is the creative part! Use your sick imagination to partially mutilate them in zombie apocalypse-style. Rachel took this duty and severed limbs, gouged out the innards, and partially decapitated some.
Bake on cookie sheets for 6 minutes. Allow to cool fully before frosting them.
Zombie Icing:
- 2 C powdered sugar
- 1/4 C heavy cream or Bailey’s
- red, green, and blue food coloring
- 1 red gel icing tube
- 1 bottle of red hots
- 1 bag of chocolate chips or M&Ms
Mix the powdered sugar and the cream or Bailey’s in a small bowl, adding more cream or more powdered sugar until you get a consistency similar to toothpaste. Create whatever colors you’d like and mutilate to your heart’s content!
These cookies came out very chewy and very gingery. I think this is definitely going to be a new Against the Grind holiday tradition. Happy new year, readers!
Robin Hood Raleigh Update!
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011 Posted by Jessica. Published under Bike Tour Preparations, Pet Projects. No Comments.
Lots of exciting updates today!
Kool-Stop Continental rear brake pads
First, I installed Kool Stop Continental brake pads on my rear brakes. Next, I lubricated the front brake adjusting barrel and tightened the front brakes a bit more. The bike really brakes beautifully, now.
Original, worn pedals
After my brake triumph, I decided to replace the chain. Using my brand-new Park Tool chain remover, I was able to pretty easily get the original chain off. However, when it came time to install the new SRAM-PC 850 bike chain that the sales lady at Ace Wheelworks swore would work with a vintage Raleigh 3-speed, I discovered that the SRAM-PC 850 bike chain did not fit on the rear cog properly at all. Further inspection showed that the Raleigh chain and the SRAM-PC 850 chain were quite different. The Robin Hood chain links are spaced a bit further apart than the SRAM-PC 850 chain. What a bummer! I need to start saving my receipts!!! On the upside, Rachel and I now have a very long length of spare chain to take with us on our bike tour.
I was really mad about the chain mishap and was about to call it quits for the night when I remembered I had nice metal pedals to install! I kept the pedals from my Surly LHT when I replaced them with Shimano M324 SPD pedals. All I needed was a flat head screwdriver to remove the old pedals (which were extremely worn!!) and a small monkey wrench to install my new ones. They looks so nice and shiny on the Raleigh!
New pedals
After that, while looking for something else to do on the bike, I decided to attempt changing out the original Sturmey-Archer trigger shifter with a “new old stock” Sturmey-Archer trigger shifter Hackw0r+h gave me when he helped me install the front brake cable. However, while examining it, it looked like I might need bike cable cutters to get the shift cable out of the shifter. I’ll have to check what the Internet says on this and invest in a set of cable cutters soon. I need bike cable cutters anyway for when I replace the rear brake cable and the shift cable.
After that, I took another hard look at the slimy Robin Hood chain. And realized all it needed was a good cleaning! The chain wasn’t stretched at all– when it was on the bike, the chain was very tight. Close inspection of the front and rear cogs revealed there was no wear on them, whatsoever. All I had to do was clean the cogs with some citrus bike cleaner and I saw that they were in better condition than my cogs on my Surly!
So how to clean a caked-on bike chain? I recalled reading online two years ago that the best way to clean a filthy bike chain is to put the chain in a clean 2-liter soda bottle, add some citrus bike cleaner and water, screw the cap on, and shake like crazy. This really worked! Whole chunks of black grime were pouring out of the bottle when I emptied it. I repeated the process three times to make sure the chain was really clean, then rinsed it in the sink and dried it with an old t-shirt. The chain looks about as good as the chain on my Surly, which I think is about as good as I can ask from a 44-year-old chain. Whoever bought that bike originally never rode it. Unfortunately, the light in the basement was pretty bad, so all of the photos of the cleaned chain are blurry.
Anyway, so I reinstalled the bike’s original chain and added some Tri-Flow to it. This bike is basically ready to ride. Yes, I’d like to switch out the
"New Old Stock" Sturmey-Archer shifter
saddle with my Brooks B18 Lady saddle, as well as replace the shift cable, rear brake cable, and trigger shifter, but that’s mostly just to make it ride extra-smooth. I’m not sure I feel awesome about riding as far as my work yet, but I have a meeting tonight about a mile from my apartment and I think I’ll take it out for my Robin Hood’s first real test ride!
This bike needs a name!! Got any ideas?
Developing Against the Grind Productions
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011 Posted by Rachel. Published under Bike Tour Preparations, DIY Sustainable Living, Pet Projects. 3 Comments.
Over the past few months, I’ve been spending much of my thinking time (walking, driving, showering, on the row machine at the gym) pondering our mission here at Against the Grind. When Jessica and I were discussing what our domain and website name would be, we had very different opinions. Jessica’s passions are very different from mine and as a result, we’re coming at this from very different ways.
Problem is, if we want this to be successful in one or more ways, we have to come to some sort of agreement as to what we are. Otherwise, you, dear reader, will just get confused and get nothing out of it. I realize that so far our best allies are found in the bicycling community, so it’s been a big goal of mine to keep it as bike centric as possible. This doesn’t cover every part of who we are though.
What I’ve come up with so far is this:
- We’re both filmmakers. I’m a trained one via my degree, Jessica’s picked up some excellent skills along the way and has journalism skills for storytelling.
- We both absolutely refuse to conform our life paths into anything that would be considered “normal”, although we recognize that “normal” can be changed.
- We both love travel and adventure.
- We’re both eco-conscious and want to learn to be self-sufficient enough to live unplugged from the electric grid.
- We’re both very interested in grassroots activism and community engagement and empowerment.
- We’re in good company in terms of 2 – 5.
- 2 – 5 can all fall under the phrase “living Against the Grind” because the very words invoke a feeling of rebellion and a search for happiness that fits the person not the society.
- We should use our filmmaking skills to spread a movement to live Against the Grind beyond the adventure community.
As a result, I’m announcing a new web-based documentary short series that I will be developing with the help of Jessica. It will live here on Against the Grind, but we’ll need your help to make it successful, as well, because no idea that lives on the web can survive without audience engagement.
The rough proposal as it currently stands is the following:
As we travel along on our bike tour, we meet richly diverse people along the way, each of whom is living life in a singular way, whether it’s a permaculture community in North Carolina, or it’s an LGBT rights group working for equality, or it’s a bicycle advocacy group promoting bike safety. Revolutions for social change are built with individuals fighting single-mindedly for their cause.
Each short, lasting no longer than 10 minutes, will tell the story of one person, whether they’re the leader of a group, a member of a group or the sole actor in their fight Against the Grind, against “the man”, ignoring societal norms, and pushing for change. For an example of the kind of documentary short that I’m envisioning, please check out the documentary I co-created with Kelsi Stoehr, Feminista.
The tie between each short will be our own story. Jessica and I are still attempting to find our place in the world. Jessica and I are currently obsessed with launching our bike tour, buying gear and fundraising. This trip is only our current manifestation of how we strive to live against norms. But what sort of persons do we want to be when we “grow up” (as in settle down a little)? Will we find a life’s passion that will derail all other passions, becoming an obsession? Whose story will tug at our heartstrings?
Where you, dear reader, come in, is that we need suggestions of groups or people who deserve to have their passion be shared with the world. If they really are living Against the Grind, then we’ll make sure they are on our route. We want to meet with them, talk to them, follow them around for a bit. We also need to know when significant events surrounding this sort of group or person are happening. The bigger the event, the more dramatic and better for film.
Not since university have I been this excited about a film project. I’ve worked on film sets, I’ve produced some of my own work, shot wedding videos, helped produce commercials, but nothing motivated me as much as this project. It needs serious refinement and a hell of a lot of research for the best groups or persons across the country, but with the help of social media and all of you, I know Jessica and I can pull together a really great web-series, one that you’ll want to watch.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions which I implore you to leave below or email to us!
DIY: Old School Communication – The Christmas Card
Friday, December 17th, 2010 Posted by Rachel. Published under DIY Sustainable Living, How to.... No Comments.
Whilst walking to the grocery store last night, I commented to Jessica how I still needed an idea for my post today. She immediately said, “Write about how you write Christmas cards every year!”
I thought about it for a while and decided that, yes, it fits in with DIY Fridays because not many people probably would even know what to do with a card, except maybe to write a yearbook phrase under the clever hallmark words and sign their name anymore. I have to admit, sometimes I do have to sit there at the desk sometimes and wonder, how will I fill all that space?
And yet, somehow, it always fills up even though I barely see most of the people I send cards to since I cherish so many people from so far around the world, there’s always a story to tell. Whether it’s that I’m ready for a change or that I miss them, nothing is too little or unimportant!
Year after year, my parents would send out Christmas cards. So many that my tongue would go dry helping seal them. They’d always type out their letter to update everyone on the year gone by, but always sign by hand at the bottom. I’ve often considered doing the same. Send everyone the same letter, tell them the same things and stuff the cards. But I can’t bring myself to do it.
There’s just something about actually writing out a letter. The reader sees me in my penmanship. The intimacy that we lose in every second of our gadget driven lives is brought back, if only for a minute. I feel closer to the person too. I can tailor the words to fit exactly what would mean most to them, or at least what I hope would mean the most to them. It’s not catchy or rhyming, but I look forward to it each year regardless of the fact that I get so few myself.
It is so easy to rush around until the last minute and to forget the small things that used to be tradition, those things that connected us all into a community. I remember my parents getting a hundred cards each holiday season. Last year there were markedly fewer.
Writing a letter, or postcard, or calling a friend is so easy and yet we do it so little. And it is so intimately tied to Against the Grind’s main mission – to live a modern life that shrugs off the grunge. And if you are kind enough to send us a donation, no matter the size, be sure to send us your address. I fully intend to send every single donor at least one postcard from the road, handwritten and full of gratitude for your generosity and for the wonderful life I’ve been given.
Vinegar: The All-Purpose Everything Solution
Friday, December 10th, 2010 Posted by Jessica. Published under DIY Sustainable Living, Holistic Care. No Comments.
The vinegar cost $0.79. $0.79 for all that power!!
We all know I love vinegar. It’s an amazing replacement for both deodorant and bug repellent. However, did you know it’s also an all-purpose disinfectant? That’s right, folks! Save tons of money on cleaning supplies (and help save the environment!) and fill an old spray bottle with vinegar, and you can clean your entire bathroom and kitchen. The vinegar smell goes away as soon as the surfaces dry. Have pots and pans with caked-on food that won’t come off? Try vinegar. It’s an excellent degreaser– much better than soap, even. You can also use it to remove pit stains from your favorite shirt, as well as take care of that acne on your face.
Apparently I’m not alone in my love of vinegar, either. Just type “various uses of vinegar” into a search engine, and tons of Websites spring up to tell you of the “254 uses for Vinegar“. A natural cheap product that can act as both a fabric softener and a bike frame cleaner is definitely a good thing to bring on a bike tour.
Here are some of my favorite household uses, taken from, of all places, Readers Digest:
Unclog and deodorize drains
The combination of vinegar and baking soda is one of the most effective ways to unclog and deodorize drains. It’s also far gentler on your pipes (and your wallet) than commercial drain cleaners.
To clear clogs in sink and tub drains, use a funnel to pour in 1/2 cup baking soda followed by 1 cup vinegar. When the foaming subsides, flush with hot tap water. Wait five minutes, and then flush again with cold water. Besides clearing blockages, this technique also washes away odor-causing bacteria.
To speed up a slow drain, pour in 1/2 cup salt followed by 2 cups boiling vinegar, then flush with hot and cold tap water.
Get rid of water rings on furniture
To remove white rings left by wet glasses on wood furniture, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil and apply it with a soft cloth while moving with the wood grain. Use another clean, soft cloth to shine it up. To get white water rings off leather furniture, dab them with a sponge soaked in full-strength white vinegar.
Keep car windows frost-free
If you park your car outdoors during the cold winter months, a smart and simple way to keep frost from forming on your windows is by wiping (or, better yet, spraying) the outsides of the windows with a solution of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water. Each coating may last up to several weeks — although, unfortunately, it won’t do much in the way of warding off a heavy snowfall.
Wash out your dishwasher
To keep your dishwasher operating at peak performance and remove built-up soap film, pour 1 cup undiluted white vinegar into the bottom of the unit — or in a bowl on the top rack. Then run the machine through a full cycle without any dishes or detergent. Do this once a month, especially if you have hard water.
Clean a coffeemaker
If your coffee consistently comes out weak or bitter, odds are, your coffeemaker needs cleaning. Fill the decanter with 2 cups white vinegar and 1 cup water. Place a filter in the machine, and pour the solution into the coffeemaker’s water chamber. Turn on the coffeemaker and let it run through a full brew cycle. Remove the filter and replace it with a fresh one. Then run clean water through the machine for two full cycles, replacing the filter again for the second brew. If you have soft water, clean your coffeemaker after 80 brew cycles — after 40 cycles if you have hard water.
Wash store-bought produce
You can’t be too careful these days when it comes to handling the foods you eat. Before serving your fruits and vegetables, a great way to eliminate the hidden dirt, pesticides, and even insects, is to rinse them in 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar dissolved in 1 gallon (3.7 liters) cold water.
These are just a few of the amazing tricks vinegar has to offer. Check out the full list and let vinegar change your life the way it changed mine!
Recipe: Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding
Friday, November 26th, 2010 Posted by Jessica. Published under DIY Sustainable Living, Recipes. 4 Comments.
Savory Sweet Potato Bread Pudding
I hope you all had excellent food yesterday! I just wanted to share a recipe my awesome bikey friend Allison passed on to me– I’m so thankful she did. Take it from the original Lazy Vegetarian: This recipe is easy, doesn’t take too many ingredients, and tastes amazing.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6 really hungry people or 8 moderately hungry people
Leftover rating: Excellent
Ingredients:
- 1 pound sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 pound carrots, (I don’t bother peeling carrots) sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 7 eggs (yeah that’s a lot of eggs….I might cut it down a bit next time…maybe 4 eggs)
- 2 and 1/2 cups skim milk
- 1/2 cup of beer
- 2 tablespoons good mustard
- 1 baguette, torn into small pieces
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I prefer Cabot Razor’s Edge Sharp)
- 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Any fresh herbs you have on hand (Rachel had sage, rosemary, and thyme)
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Yup. Gonna go eat some more right now...
In a very large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, beer, and mustard. Salt and pepper it. Add the bread pieces and stir until they’re well-mixed. If you’re using fewer eggs, you might have to add more milk– just keep adding until the bread is saturated. Set aside.
Put the sweet potatoes and carrots in a microwave safe bowl and zap them on high for 6 minutes, or until they’re easily stabbed with a fork.
Next, saute the shallots in 2 tbs olive oil until they’re translucent. Add these to your sweet potatoes and carrots, throw in a splash of olive oil, and add your fresh herbs. Don’t forget salt and pepper!
Coat a 9X13″ casserole dish in cooking spray. Line the bottom with half the bread and milk mixture. Next, add half of the sweet potatoes and carrots. Top it off with half of the cheddar and parmesan cheeses. Repeat. (It’s like bread pudding lasagne!)
Cover the dish in aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for 20 more minutes. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before devouring feverishly.
