where in the world have i been for the past 4 months?!

Well, dammit. Time and I have not really been friends for a few months now- it keeps running out on me, as much as I need it. Our family has seen some big changes, going from homeless to living in a tiny house on wheels- ok, it's really an RV, but we call it the gypsy wagon; I promise I will have a post up within the next week or so to give you a glimpse of how things are running around here- we moved in with it partially finished (I need to finish our pantry, and build a baker's rack or shelving system of some sort, and our futon/primary seating is still in the workshop, too. Boo me), but are making it work. We have made new friends, lost others, decided to unschool (SCARY! at first, considering we had just taken the last year and a half to make homeschooling work), I have learned how to paint a plywood floor, become familiar with our local transit system, gotten a parking ticket (first EVER), discovered how many people think we are nuts, and - just now- written a hell of a run-on sentence. But, we are happy, and I am close to getting a workspace set up here for myself. How I long to get back to work! I miss you, friends. See you soon, even if I have to trap time in a bottle to make it work.
xo-

Oh, boy. I have a feeling I am going to offend some folks with this one.

Guys, seriously. I have been following the OWS movement from right here in the middle where I always am, and am becoming increasingly flabbergasted by the 'conservative' media's attempts to downplay the message of this widespread protest. Y'all. Really- this is just my take on it, but I am hoping that maybe if you see what I see then maybe you won't be so close-minded about what is going on outside. Occupy Wall Street is basically about the average joe wanting to be heard, to give big money a visual (that is to show them that there are far more of 'us' than 'them') and remind them that in order for us to succeed collectively, we need to all put in our fair share. Before you start fuming, NO, I do NOT want you to have what I have- I want for you to put into our collective pot the same percentage that I have to. That is all. I would like for you to understand what it is like to be without things that you can afford, like health insurance, a pension plan, and more seriously for far too many, food and/or shelter. It is beyond my scope of reason to get why anyone would be angry with their neighbor (or, in these times, former neighbor- helllooo foreclosure) for wanting to have access to these things. America is the ONLY westernized country that demands so much from its citizens, yet admonishes them for asking for equal rights back.... why is that? Has our educational system fallen so far so fast that so many of us lap up what we are spoon fed? I am not asking any of you to come out and support OWS- what I am asking you to do is to think hard before you decry this movement. Remember your neighbors, if you took the time to get to know them- if not, scan your family tree. Would your ideals harm one of them? Better yet, would taxing the wealthy at OUR rate really hurt you? How so?

Also- really, really, really quickly- guys, socialism does not mean communism. Two different words for two different ideals. One can be a socialist and still want his favorite local businessman to become filthy rich- hell, one can even become filthy rich and be a socialist! Check this one out for further clarification : Best explinations for socialism and communism

Now, I am going to post a few hippie ('leftist') links so that, if you are of a different mindset than me, you can at least understand where I am coming from. Hope you take a minute to look through. 

OccupyWallStreet
Max Udargo's Open Letter
Interesting Comparison between TP ideals and OWS ideals

End of Summer Roasted Ratatouille

Ok, y'all- this stuff is seriously delicious, and a great way to say goodbye to all our summer favorites.
I have made ratatouille traditionally before, and let me tell you it is time consuming, messy, and fabulous, but this - this just takes it all to a whole new level.
 Also- I realize that this is basically just a fancy way of describing roasted veg in a light sauce- but let me have my moment, k? Sometimes I need to feel fancy, y'all. I am still a girl...sometimes....

What you need: ( I am listing how many I used- I really don't like recipes per se, so feel free to play around with this and adjust to your liking)
eggplant -2
zucchini (squash)- 2
bell pepper- 2
tomatoes-  3
garlic-3 cloves
rosemary-appx 1tbs, crushed as finely as I could get it
thyme- appx 2 tsp, pinched well
olive oil- 4tbs, divided equally
salt, pepper- this really, really has to be to taste.


What to do with it:
First, slice/dice up allll these veggies- either way is fine- I think I did a little of both...just get em all pieced up. (garlic excluded- just peel that)
 Take half of your olive oil and combine with your dry herbs/salt/pepper- set aside
Toss your veg w 2 tbs olive oil; arrange in single layer - roast 25 min, remove garlic from pan- roast 15 more min


If you have made it this far without throwing your hands up, then yay! The rest is super easy from here on out.
Smash roasted garlic into your herbed olive oil , pour over your roasted ratatouille, and let rest for about 10 minutes. It really does help the flavor- and if you make this a day in advance and simply reheat, even better. I promise you, if this is the last batch of summer veg you can get your hands on, that this is the best way to enjoy them. I had pictures in process really blurry pictures taken by the most beloved and revered child, but really, they were kinda worthless, and I found that most of them consisted of a shoe (in focus) and an eyeball (not so much in focus, but kind of interesting nonetheless). So, let me share, without further ado, the finished product...

 YUM!

No, I can't eat dairy..or wheat...or soy.... but yes, I can eat pizza!

SO this is a total gluten-free hack- and yes, sometimes- LOTS of times, I cheat. Where we live right now, we really don't have storage space for pantry staples (including my favorite flour blends), so if I really want to make bread of any sort this is my go-to mix. Normally, though, I do prefer to make my own gluten free mixes- especially high-protein blends... anywho, today was a day I could do everything from scratch, and the much loved and revered child was pestering for pizza for days, so this is what I came up with. Hubs says this is hands down the best pizza I have made to date ( with my rice crust pizza a close second. I say it's all in the sauce, but whateverrrr). This is not vegan, but with a flax egg, it could be...

 That there is what all I used...

 This would be my cheat 'crust'

 ...and yes, it worked very, very well

 half of this pizza was actually with dairy, as the much-revered child will not eat daiya shreds (can't blame him when the real thing is somuch more delicious)

 so I, in all my Girl Scout glory, cut the crust in half and made myself an allergen barrier

this stuff went really, relleh fast. I saved hubs a slice, and he requested MORE! for dinner. 

The secret to a really good pizza crust? Using my super secret olive oil blend in the mix....

The only deviation I really made to the instructions on the box was to add an extra Tbs of oil- that helps to make the starches nice and elastic; other than that, it's as simple as can be. Also,I keep a bulb of roasted garlic (did you know you can do this in the microwave?) in an airtight container in the fridge at all times- so adding a couple of cloves to my pizza sauce was an easy peasy way to dress up a jarred sauce. I made sure that my half had lots of veg so as not to feel guilty about eating almost half a dang pizza (ok- in all fairness it is about the size of a 'small' at a pizzeria)- and hubs had a 'supreme' version too.

 

What have you made lately that was super easy and not bad for you? 

Where I have been for the last few weeks...

Been busy home schooling....

 ...and then went on a brief vacation....

 ...where we all drew some inspiration...

 ...had some fun....

 ... a few laughs...

 ...got bit by a zebra...

 ...watched our car get bit by zebras...

 ...celebrated bub's birthday...

...and now this mama needs a nap. I will be back in blog land within the next couple of days- hopefully you all haven't given up on me yet!

Semi-homemade: Gluten-Free edition!

Ok, so you know that we (meaning kid and I ) are gluten free, and I am dairy free, and some of you have even commented to me that my life must be so hard because 'what could we possibly have to eat without' wheat, barley, rye, and milk? My answer is simple-We eat a lot! Hello! Those of you who know me personally have to see that I am by no means starving to death. Anyways- since I know some of you out there have been at least intrigued by my insanity, I will make a conscientious effort to make at least one out of 4 blog posts recipe/foodie posts. Maybe then I can convince you all of my sanity, and perhaps even get y'all to see that life really isn't that hard without gluten or dairy. Yes, it does take some work, and yes, it means that you will not, for the most part, be shopping in the center aisles at the grocery store, but trust me- my body thanks me for avoiding all that mess anyhow- and yours just might, too...
So, to kick off this series, I am sharing with you a recipe for gluten free burgers with so much in them...

Somuchinum burgers

What you will need:
1 lb of hamburger
1/2 Gluten free bagel (optional)
half pint of mushrooms (appx 6-8 regular sized baby bellas, or button mushrooms. Feel free to experiment if there is another mushroom you like better)
2-3 C uncooked spinach
1 clove garlic
salt, pepper,paprika, turmeric- to taste
Optional- go for this if they are in season ONLY- 1-2 fresh roasted, chopped green chiles, de-seeded
1 large egg

 Toss the mushrooms, spinach, half bagel, garlic, chiles, and spices in the food processor. Pulse until they are thoroughly combined and uniform in size. ( I did ours fairly small because kid is really weird with textures)

yes, I realize that these are out of order. Sorry- I am playing catch up and am sure you get the picture anyhow.

Once all that is pulsed, toss it in a bowl along with your ground beef. 

 Combine, form into patties, and cook in your favorite way. We had absolutely no problems with the patties falling apart- and sadly I have no after photos because the burgers got eaten as fast as I cooked them! 

 

5 things you learn when you begin to homeschool:

1. School soooo does not have to take 8 hours. Upon realizing this, you also begin to realize how flawed our public education system is.
2. You don't know nearly as much as you think you do... Also, that you are never too old to learn something new.
3. Your kid(s) is (are) AWESOME!
4. Learning comes naturally ( and so much faster) when it is fun.
5. Socialization does not only take place in the schoolyard- actually, the schoolyard starts to resemble the Lord of the Flies through the eyes of the homeschooler, with all the cliques and social debauchery rampant these days...


Are there any awesome revelations you have had as a homeschooler?