Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens

By the time you read this post, dear readers, I will be off licking giant lollipops, riding unicorns over rainbows, and napping on fluffy marshmallows.  Well, maybe not quite, but I will be in an equally magical place: Iowa.  My parents' farm, to be exact.  Or acreage if you want to get all technical about it.  I'll be whipping up plenty of culinary delights with my mom while my dad and Matt play around with circular saws and build things out of wood.  I might update a little while I'm home, but seeing as my parents' internet is only marginally faster that dial-up, don't hold your breath.  I'll be returning to Mimal's hat early next week with clean, fluoride-treated teeth and plenty of Amana pepper bacon, so get ready for some heart-stopping creations.  

For the time being, I'll leave you with a few things that I enjoy.  They're all food-related, but none of them necessarily qualify as recipes and are worthy of their own posts.  They're more like ideas or suggestions - things I eat when I'm not making pizzas or whipping up vats of chili.  

1. Oatmeal + Peanut Butter + Fruit

I eat this for breakfast at least a few times a week.  Make the oatmeal according to the package directions (usually 1/2 cups oats, 1 cup water, and a few minutes in the microwave).  Stir in a heaping tablespoon of creamy peanut butter.  Crunchy pb works in a pinch, but I prefer the smoothness of creamy pb in my oatmeal.  Top with whatever fresh fruit you have - strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, no berries.  Sometimes I add a few chopped up walnuts or pecans as well.  And sometimes I'll even add a little flax seed.  It's delicious.  

2. Yogurt + Wheat Germ + Honey

This is one of my favorite snacks or desserts.  Take some plain yogurt, sprinkle it with a spoonful of wheat germ, and drizzle it with honey.  It's also good with the addition of fresh fruit.

3. Spinach + Cherry + Blue Cheese + Walnut Salad

I threw together this salad to use up some things in my fridge before leaving town, and now I want to eat it every day.  Rinse off some spinach, chop up a few cherries, add a spoonful of crumbled blue cheese and a few chopped up walnuts.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar and finish with a little freshly cracked pepper.  

4. Iced Tea

Ok, I realize this isn't rocket science, but it's one of those things I've been making over and over again lately and I wanted to spread the word in case there was anyone out there in my same predicament.  Until about a month ago I did not know that you could easily make your own iced tea.  I'm guessing it's due to the fact that my mom, queen of all (mostly) useless kitchen gadgets, orders iced tea all the time at restaurants, but never makes it at home unless it's for some sort of party or special occasion.  When she does make it at home, she makes it with the help of an iced tea maker.  I also remember our old neighbor, Loretta, making sun tea in the summer months by setting a pitcher of tea bags and water on the sidewalk all afternoon.  Thanks to my mom and Loretta, my warped mind believed that making iced tea was a very laborious process and could not be done easily or quickly at home.  

Then recently, while wandering the aisles at Target, I found myself reading a box of Lipton tea bags.  I promise I'm not a total loser, and while I may spend more than my fair share of time at Target, it is usually with a purpose.  Anyway, the geniuses over at Lipton told me that I could easily make iced tea at home by brewing some hot tea and then chilling it.  In the words of Wayne Campbell, what a totally amazing, excellent discovery!  

I've found that Nalgenes are a perfect vessel for iced tea making, and the antioxidants in the tea will cancel out the carcinogens in the plastic bottle.  I kid.  All you have to do is boil 4 cups of water and then pour it over 4 tea bags.  After about 5 minutes, remove the tea bags, and then stick the tea in the fridge to chill.  Be careful with the hot bottle!    

A few ice cubes and an hour or so later, you have iced tea!  You could always speed up the process by using the freezer or throwing in a bunch of ice cubes (preferably cubes made from tea so you don't end up with a watery glass of tea), or you could just make it at night and let it chill while you sleep.