They’re like tea bags. Nouns, not action verbs. Coffee! Yes. :)

I like the convenience of k-cups but not the price and the amount of waste (from the packaging) they produce.

I didn’t google a way to make homemade coffee packets/pouches for automatic drip coffee makers. I thought of this myself.

My coffee maker has a deep ‘v’ at the bottom. A cone, kinda.

I filled each filter with 3 heaping tablespoons of Cafe Bustelo, fan-folded them like wonton pouches, and secured with string which feels like both paper and plastic, because I can’t find my butcher’s twine.

Why only 3 tablespoons? I don’t need to make more than 3 cups of coffee at a time. :)

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Allergy-symptoms-and-’rau dang’-started-this-whole-mess soup.

I just need one thing to get a recipe ball rolling.

Today it was ‘rau dang’, a bitter Vietnamese herb, which is similar to watercress. I bought some last week because buying something new that I’ve never made before, at least twice/month, is my new thing. Well, not new, but it’s never been scheduled before. :)

Ingredients of the entire meal:

  • water
  • white onion
  • red bell pepper
  • smoked chicken leg and thigh
  • chinese celery
  • portabello mushrooms (the caps to top the toast, and the stems for the soup)
  • bragg’s liquid aminos
  • chili oil
  • ginger root
  • ‘rau dang’ and cilantro (added at the end)
  • raw milk bleu cheese
  • olive oil (for portobello mushrooms before grilling)
  • curly endive or frisée
  • apricot & white cherry preserves for the toast
  • whole grain toast

Oh! I forgot to eat the meal with cherry tomatoes! :(

Anyway, it came out really well. Make sure to simmer the soup for a long while so the flavors can marry.

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Pulled chicken, not pork. Salad? Or a deconstructed sandwich.

Firstly, get yourself some kind of smoked meat. Shred it.

In a bowl mix together:

  • whole grain mustard
  • organic honey
  • sea salt
  • olive oil
  • cider vinegar
  • red pepper flakes

Toss the chicken (or other smoked meat) in the vinaigrette. I had butter lettuce, red bell pepper, Persian cucumber, white onion, and cherry tomatoes on hand.

I slathered the whole grain toast with Irish butter and apricot & white cherry preserves. Very fruity and not too sweet. You can choose whatever you like to put on your toast.

EnYoy!! :)

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Hickory-smoked oh-my-goodness.

  • Hoisin, red wine vinegar, coconut oil, minced garlic, and whole grain mustard.
  • Saturated hickory chips.
  • A square bundt pan and aluminum foil to make a smoke box.
  • A big Weber.
  • Some charcoal.
  • And, green onion added for color when I took the pic . :)

I put the charcoal on one side and laid the chicken on the other side (indirect heat). The soaked wood chips went into a square bundt pan (stainless steel) and I covered the pan with a piece of foil into which I poked holes.

3 hours, roughly, was the ‘smoke-time’. So good!! :)

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Thyme for oyster mushrooms and veggie kabobs (kebabs?).

I was going to serve the aoli mustard on the side but changed my mind.

Marinade:

  • olive oil
  • thyme
  • red wine vinegar
  • sea salt

Oyster mushrooms are delicious! I didn’t put them on the skewers with the tomatoes, white onion, and peeled yellow squash, because they cook quickly.

You’ll want to pull them off the grill once the edges get brown.

I’m having these veggies with fluffy brown basmati rice and a little liquid aminos (soy sauce alternative). :D

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