The Lull

I've finished my Certified Nurse Assistant training class and I am now a CNA, pending my state license exam which will be in 2 weeks.  I've had a very promising set of interviews at the local children's hospital and am waiting (fingers crossed) to hear back from them.  Kiddo's school is out, but summer camp has started 3 days a week.  So, today I find myself at the start of the Lull time where I have a whole great list of things that need to be taken care, but am stuck between the end of one thing and the beginning of another.

Plow garden....check!!  The box contains a sunflower and two Cosmos that randomly sprouted from last year's garden.

Today, I don't have to go anywhere.  It's kind of nice.  I woke up early, stained one side of our workshop, went for a run, made some of my mad crazy good Hippie Runner Granola, made a batch of my friend Sami's Granola Crack Bars, and am now contemplating cleaning the porch, putting away laundry and generally straightening out my craft/ office area upstairs. 

Granola Crack Bars.........you can see where I taste tested.....

But all I want to do is lay on the porch swing and read the book that my awesome Fella got me last week.   (Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind)

This is my Fella....... he's pretty awesome.  :)

I will clean of course, because that's what responisble grown-ups do.  But when I was a kid, summer days were spent on the back porch reading and rereading Trixie Belden mysteries, Saddle Club books, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede.  Those were the good days of The Lull between school ending and school starting again. 

Summer.......the ultimate Lull.  I will enjoy my unexpected summer Lull while I have it because soon I will be a working stiff again and wishing for days of nothing but time to put away laundry in.   

"Vegetarians can't grill..........."

.......or so they say..........

No, really- they do.  It's summertime- I talk about how much I love to grill.  Most people who actually know me are a little ........whaaa???.........you?  grill?........but aren't you mostly vegetarian?  What can you possibly GRILL?!  Grills are for MEAT!  Grills are for MEN!  ((insert man grunts))

Um....no.  My ex-husband actually set the grill on fire and made the worst hamburgers EVERY single time he started the grill. (*snickers*)

I'm a bit more gifted with the flames of wonder and might.

And I do it with veggies.

RAAAAH!

But seriously.........it's easy.  Vidalia sweet onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini......whatever you have on hand.  I toss it in olive oil, sprinkle it with a little salt, a little pepper, maybe a dash of cajun seasoning for a little kick and toss it on a hot grill.   Be careful- the potatoes will try to fall between the slats of the grill. 

SHAZAM!!

And then........I drizzle it with some Balsamic Vinegar Reduction.  It's like a magic potion.  It's easy.  Take about a cup of balsamic vinegar, pour it into a saucepan and bring it to a low boil- add about 1 tsp of sugar (raw if you have it) and let it simmer until it reduces by about half.  It's so good- you've got to make some.  You will be drizzling it on salad, raw veggies, grilled veggies, pizza, bread.....pretty much anything.

But wait.......I also make the bread on the grill.  Yeah- grilled bread.  Trust me. 

You make a pretty basic ball of dough, divide it, flatten it, cover it with olive oil and grill it.............

Oooooooo........yeah.

Take 1/2 tsp of Active Dry yeast and add it to 1/2 cup of really warm water- mix it in until it dissolves and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Now......add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, and 1 1/3 cups of flour.  Mix it up into a dough ball and knead on a floured surface for about 2 minutes.  Let it rise for 30 minutes.  (Turn on the grill- let it get hot- grill veggies- by then, you will be ready for the bread.)

Take your dough ball and divide it into 4 hunks and flatten them out into discs (or roll them out- your choice).  They will look like little naked pizzas.  Brush them with olive oil and toss them on the hot grill.  See what they look like in the picture above?  Yup- that's the goal.  It doesn't take long.  Maybe 3-5 minutes per side, depending on how well done you like your bread.  Be sure to shut the lid and hold all the heat in to bake them.  Be sure to brush them with olive oil before you flip them.  You can also sprinkle them with Italian seasoning, or whatever you like.  (Again- they are good with a little balsamic reduction........)

There you go- how to be a Bad Mother Griller......without meat (or any animal anything.)

Yeah- I don't post often enough, but when I do- it's totally worth it.  :)