Have you ever thought about what it would take to provide your own food?  Like all of it?  It's staggering.  Just keeping away from boxed or pre-made dinners is hard enough, right.  I'm trying to imagine what it might be like...
I would have to quit my job.  I would have to garden in a community garden as well as my own backyard - and do more in my own backyard BTW.  I would have to get a cow that could provide us with milk and some chickens that could give us eggs (because I can't live without those).  I would start making my own cheese (not hard I've heard).  I would need to start canning... everything - a goal of mine anyway... not everything mind you.
It hit me this week that even though I'm doing a lot to get processed foods out of our diets completely it's still there... these insidious little things that you don't even think about.  My hot chocolate from Starbucks (only a couple of times a week but still).  Yogurt.  Salad dressing (I don't make my own... I know, don't say it).  Ketchup.  The list goes on.  I'm not going to get depressed because we've come a long way but it's kinda overwhelming.


That brings me to yesterday.  I had forgotten to bring my fruit for lunch.  I was going to eat at home later anyway so it was fine but I was still really hungry and I had 2 hours to go.  I had run to work in the morning and that always sees me famished by the lunch hour (try like 10:30 a.m.).  I was standing outside the school contemplating what to do.  I should just run and grab something, chew and swallow kind of food.  Then I thought 'If I do that every time I forget something or need something NOW then what kind of example am I to my kids?'  What if I can't even do what I'm asking them to do?  I tuened around went inside, still hungry, and waited until I got home.
So instead of Starbucks hot chocolate (too sweet anyway) and something processed and icky for me, I had one of these (after my lunch of course).  It was totally worth it.  Is there anything better than lemon?  I'm not sure.  Lemon curd?  Well I could eat that stuff straight from the jar... I usually do.


P.S.  I didn't make my own lemon curd... ugh.


Lemon Curd Muffins adapted from The Goddess's Kitchen
makes about 10 large muffins

2 cups self raising flour (I just make my own from all-purpose)
3/4 cup sugar
150 ml milk
75 ml canola or sunflower oil
1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup lemon curd
extra sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a muffin tin with silicon or paper liners
Combine the flour and sugar in a bowl and set aside.
In another bowl combine the milk, oil, egg, lemon juice and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add to the flour mixture and mix to combine.
Line the bottom of each muffin with enough batter to cover.  Place a tsp or so of lemon curd on top of each.  Finish filling each muffin cup until they are 1/2 to 2/3's full.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until just golden on the top and springy to the finger.
Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
Place another tsp or so of lemon curd on top of each muffin.  As the lemon curd melts sprinkle a little sugar on top of each.
Cool completely.

Sometimes, there is just too much noise.  It's everywhere in the city.  Unescapable.  Noise pollution is a growing concern and it's toll is still be researched and documented.  
We had a whirlwind of a weekend culminating in a two hour end of year dance recital for kid #1. It was long and loud.  It was relentless.  Kid #2 was trying to stay positive but by dance segment #24 (out of 39!), he was saying out loud 'Ugh, I told them to stop', 'That song is too long', 'I want to go HOME'.  I sympathized.  By the time we got home we all wanted to have a bath and go somewhere quiet (read: bed).
Sometimes I just want to be home, with no noise.  No tv (please), ipod, radio... nothing.  Just the hum of the refrigerator.  The kind of quiet that can clear your mind or can at least leave you free to contemplate in your own honest way.  That unavoidable kind of quiet.  It might make some uncomfortable but not me.  I could stare at the sky, at a piece of art, hell, I could stare at a wall for a good long time and just think.  Inward.  Contemplative.  Sometimes uncomfortable but hopefully most honest.  
That's not how I was feeling when I made these samosas.  I was in a rush.  I was hungry.  We were all hungry.  I had at least two small/loud voices asking regularly what we would be having for lunch.  We were running somewhere (I can't remember) and I had to use up what was in front of me without too much fuss and fill our bellies.


It worked.  It's an easy recipe but it takes a bit of time.  The rolling and filling part at least.


It was worth it in the end though.  Kid #1 used these for school lunches for a couple of days - they're nicely portable.  I would recommend grabbing a tamarind sauce or a chutney and using that on the side as well.  It will definitely elevate this humble veggie pocket to something higher.
I have to believe that my quiet moments will come more often.  Right now they are fleeting glimmers.  In the meantime I snack on veggie samosas doused in chutney and listen to my fridge humming away behind me.  



Curried Veggie Pie Samosas adapted from Moosewood
serves 4 - 6

Dough:
2 1/2  cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
additional flour for rolling

Combine the flour,turmeric and salt in a bowl.  Add the buttermilk and mix until combined.  Set aside until ready to roll out.

Filling:
3 tbsp oil
1 small onion, diced
3 small potatoes, diced
1 med. carrot, diced
2 cups broccoli, diced
1 cup chard or spinach diced
3 cloves garlic
turmeric
mustard seed
coriander
ginger
cumin
garam masala
salt
sugar or honey
veggie bouillion
water

Heat a large pan over medium heat.  Add the oil, mustard seed and veggies.  Cook together for about 7 minutes.  Turn the heat down or even off.  Add the rest of the spices, the bouillion, salt, sugar and water. Mix until just combined.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
On a lightly floured surface take a piece of dough the size a golf ball.   Roll it out in a circle.  The dough should be about a 1/4 inch thick or so.  Cut the circle in half.  Place a good spoonful of filling in the middle of one side of the half circle.  Using a pastry brush, brush water along the edges and fold the other half over the veggies.  Pinch the edges together and use a fork to cinch them.  Place on a lined baking sheet.
Repeat until all the dough/filling is used up.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  Turn the samosas over (although I didn't) and turn down the oven to 375.  Bake for another 10 minutes.
Cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with Tamarind sauce or chutney or something.