Sun dried tomatoes are pretty delicious (in fact, they’re one of the few “styles” of tomato that Ashley will eat). The fact that you can make them yourself from fresh tomatoes or buy them bagged for long-term tomato storage is also nifty. They are also super healthy for you! One way to serve them is to stuff them into some chicken, then stuff the chicken into your mouth.
SO, Cory has decided to jump on the homebrew train and try his hand at making beer. We bought all the necessary ingredients for a nice Amber Bock that we got to try a homebrew of in the store before we bought the stuff, so hopefully we can live up to that example. The first step is (of course) to thoroughly sanitize everything, because yeast and the stuff that goes into beer would totally eat up any bacterias from the air or equipment, making a weird, off-tasting beer. AKA not what we want. Also, I am going to definitely copy this information from our handy brew procedure sheet, just because I don’t remember a lot of technical names for things.
We saw this recipe on an episode of Down Home With the Neelys, and decided to take it into our own hands because it looks very delicious… and it is also actually very delicious.
You will need:
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
Onion, if you want some…. we did not
1/3 cup mayo
2 tbsp orange juice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Very simple directions:
1. Add sweet potatoes to a large pot of salted water.
2. Bring to a boil over med-high heat and cook the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes and let cool in a colander.
4.Once the potatoes are cool, transfer to a large serving bowl (add onion if you want)
5. In a separate bowl, combine the mayo, orange juice, smoked paprika, cumin and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour over the potatoes and thoroughly mix. (Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour for the flavors to meld.)… We thought it was wayyyy better warm, just because of the warm flavors included in it – pepper, cumin, paprika. Judge for yourself!
We made honey soy glazed porkchops with this, which is a different post, but here is our final picture: 
Quinoa, pronounced KEEN-wah, is a really ‘old’ grain that is just now becoming popular in America. It was first cultivated over 6,000 years ago! It is considered a “whole grain” which is healthier for you than refined grains are (such as White bread, rice, flour, pasta, etc) It is a good alternative to rice or couscous; and in fact, it looks a little like couscous, but it has its own unique flavor. You cook quinoa as you do with rice: Boil in water for 10-15 minutes and then serve.
Quinoa is very rich in nutrients, and can provide many health benefits. It is high in fiber (as most whole grains are), manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus. These nutrients can help prevent migraines, heart problems, and breast cancer; and can provide other health benefits to children, post-menopausal women, and those with diabetes.
The quinoa that you buy in the store has already been processed to remove the saponin found in quinoa’s natural state. (Saponin prevents birds and other animals from eating it, making it is a very low maintenance grain to grow). Some companies also mix a small amount of corn product in with the quinoa germ to make it slightly more palatable; however, based on the nutrient guides on the two or three vendors we have used, this has a very small effect (if any) on the nutrient value of the quinoa.
Being a whole grain, quinoa is also gluten free, and some companies (such as Ancient Harvest) process their quinoa in gluten-free processing centers.
Try it out, it may just become a staple of your diet!
–Cory
[ps. Sources for the above were Wikipedia, WHFoods, and Ancient Harvest's website]