Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Big Jim Peppers Are Here, Homemade Chana Punjabi, Vegan Russian Dressing, and More pics

I was going to wait to post these photos in near-future posts but I'm already so far behind with blogging I didn't want to bankroll them.  that and I'm so excite to share these pics with you guys! 

First up...

This pepper!  BUT...this isn't just 'any' pepper...it's a Big Jim Pepper from our Rooftop/Container Garden at work!  Woot!  Sam and I cut one open and ate it raw and LOVED it.  It wasn't sweet.  At the end it had a kick to it, too!  YAY!  These did really well for us and we are already planning on doing more next year.  We had 3 plants that were good size and produced a few.  If we spaced them out more I think we could have gotten more of a yield but I'm happy with what we did get!

We have some late bloomers of our rooftop produce which I will be sharing with you soon.  We are still waiting on the Brussel Sprouts, too, but they do take a long time from start to finish.


Last night I wanted an Indian Inspired dish but also wanted to make some for my lunch today.  Based on what I had in my pantry and in my fresh stock in the kitchen I made some Chana Punjabi and it turned out great.  It wasn't spicy but it was tasty!  Here's the recipe I threw together...

1 Can of Chickpeas
1/2 tea Wildtree Garam Masala
1 tea Wildtree Garlic & Herb
2 Large Tomatoes
1/4 tea Turmeric Extract
Pinch of Garlic Chili Sea Salt

Last week I was sort of craving a Russian Flavored Dressing so I came up with this Mayo-Free, Soy-Free version that I was quite proud of that I did in my Vitamix.  Recipe...

1 C Cashews
2 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tea Coconut Sugar
1 tea Wildtee Garlic & Herb
1 tea Dijon Mustard
1/2 C Relish (or chopped sweet pickles)
3/4 C Ketchup

This was a great dressing AND a wonderful dipping sauce.  Overnight in the frig it thickened up because of the Cashews!  YUM!

Why...yes...YES...that is Moonshine!  I'm mostly posting this because I LOVE the way the photo turned out!

We visited 3 Moonshine places while in TN.  It's now legal there.  We sampled a few from Ole Smoky.  They had Moonshine infused cherries.  I thought I would like them more than I did but they look super cool in the glass jar, don't they? 

My husband ended up purchasing one of their baseball caps.  And some of their Blackberry Moonshine.

There were a few Wineries nearby and we intended to go back and check them out but we ran out of time while on vacation.

DOH!!!!

I just LOVED this fountain that was tucked back in one of the coves in the shopping district of Gatlinburg. 

There were places to sit and shop.  A few places to grab some beverages like a specialty coffee or pastry.  But my FAVORITE part was this fountain and the building facades.

I still have a LOT to blog about from our vacation and more photos to share here and on the Travel Blog.  But I will save those for another day!

I have more giveaways to post about, too!  Hopefully tomorrow!  Stay Tuned!

And don't forget to scroll down...this wasn't my only post for today!

10 comments:

  1. Great looking pepper - hard to grow here, often infested by pests, inside. Now, that's an awesome looking Punjabi dish - gotta try cooking chick peas one of these days - usually we just boil till soft, with a pinch of salt added and eat like that.

    That last pic sure is nice. Place looks great - nice fountain, nice houses, nice flowers, nice everything.

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    1. Thanks! We had a hard time with our other bell peppers this year...of course it was just our first year...but still. I LOVE chickpeas!!!! I will have more dishes coming soon with them.

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  2. Hi Jennifer! Love the pepper!! Everything tastes better when it comes from your own garden, right? All of your recipes look so good. I'm going to try both soon.

    Did you get to Nashville on your vacation in Tennessee? I'm trying to get a few couples to go on a group vacation there because everyone who has been there recently has raved about the city.

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    1. Thanks so much! We were unable to get to Nashville. We were in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville area. I would like to visit there someday, tho! Let me know your highlights! Would LOVE to hear about your trip!

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  3. The food looks good. I'm wondering what they'll feed us on our camping trip. I'll be heading out shortly. I haven't made chana or garbanzo beans in a while.

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    1. Thanks! Some very good comfort foods! I just stocked up on office snacks! I will be posting about them in a little bit along with a few other purchases! I'm looking forward to hearing about the foods on your camping trip, too! I think I will most likely be making another Indian dish within the next week or two...it went down awesomely and I am now craving more :)

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  4. The pepper looks wonderful, awesome job! And the recipes look great too! Peppers can be tricky to grow, hubby wasn't happy that our last batch was not hot at all because of possibly over watering.

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  5. @Christine ~ My 'in reply to' comments are acting wonky so I' slapping a reply on this way...sorry...

    I'm very impressed with these peppers. We've decided to try our hands at seed drying. I hope to post about that today or soon. With your droughts over there what were you able to grow this year?

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  6. Hi Jennifer,
    Just what I was craving, India food! Thank you for sharing your healthy and delicious Chana Punjabi and zesty vegan Russian dressing at the Plant-Based Potluck Party Blog Hop!

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  7. I probably craving Indian food a little bit more than I should LOL. Thanks for the feedback on the dishes and toppings!

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