Happy New Year - Chef Veggie Meal Delivery

It's a New Year and a New Decade!
We are happy to announce Chef Veggie's meal delivery service.
How is Chef Veggie's Meal Delivery Service different from others in town?  100% Vegetarian ingredients, veggie-owned and operated.
We use the best quality ingredients, including organic and locally grown veggies, whole grains, fresh herbs and spices, and healthy fats.  No franken-foods, preservatives, or artificial anything allowed!
We also are proud to use recyclable and compostable packaging endorsed by the Green Restaurant Association.
We will have 6 meals available each week and the delivery will be made in the Austin-area on Tuesday evenings.  We kick-off on January 6th, so be sure to place your order the Saturday before.

To learn more about Chef Veggie's brand new Meal Delivery Service, visit http://menu.chefveggie.com

We are still offering personal chef services, cooking classes and dinner parties, veggie pet food and more.

Visit Chef Veggie or give me a call at (512) 914-1543!
Also, remember if you refer anyone who decides to use my service, you get an automatic 10% off a cookdate/service.

Roasted Root Vegetable Gemelli

Use a large roasting pan (please don't use non-stick or Teflon)
or glass Pyrex dish.
Cut your roots to the desired size, drizzle with olive oil and sea salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the amount.
Serve over your favorite pasta and sprinkle with locally-made Parmesan (we like Brazos Valley Cheese because it is rennet-free) or a vegan Parmesan alternative.  We sauteed the beet greens and added them to the top as well.
A happy winter meal!

Spicy Sabjimata

I recently got a fun gift in the mail from a soul dear to my heart.  She's the sweetest and spiciest thing in Florida's Alachua County.
Devadeva Mirel of Sabjimata is a chef/jam maker/blogger/mom extraordinaire.
It is hard to find someone with her energy level and desire to make heaps of food.

Anyway, she sent me a lovely and very snug "Spicy Italian" babydoll T with her namesake.   We both make  killer veggie sausage but I'm only married to a spicy italian.  She also sent a T-shirt for dear hubby with her "humanmade" logo.  It's great to support items made with love by human hands.
Some "I Cook for Krishna" aprons filled out the package.  Thanks for the reminder! 

Chef Veggie with the last tomato from our garden

If you want to follow a frequently updated veggie foodie blog with snippets of exciting kitchen remodeling,  pictures of awesome food like gluten kabobs, the interesting past times of a super mom,
or need a chef for hire, visit Sabjimata today.
What is sabji you say?  A cute Hindi word for a vegetable preparation.  Have some!

Thanks again Devadeva...you are just like what our dear SP said about chutney:
Too hot to handle but too sweet to resist :) XOXOXO
Sorry for the delay...I'm just not very good at blogging, but thanks for being an inspiration!

Macrobiotic Soups

misocornsoup, originally uploaded by veggiebytes.

With the coming of fall and dropping temperatures, good nourishing soups are a must. Whether you are in tip-top shape or feeling under the weather, a wonderful soup can be a great way to start a meal or be a meal in itself.

The macrobiotic lifestyle reccommends having miso soup everyday.
Miso is a fermented soybean paste that contains beneficial bacteria.
There are several different kinds ranging in color and flavor, from white and sweet, to very dark brown and pungent.
When the soup is prepared properly, the beneficial bacteria in the miso aid in digestion and support the immune system.

Here are two soups I made one evening as I wanted to have more than one kind. I love variety :)
The recipes are adapted from the Macrobiotic Community Cookbook:

Miso Corn Soup

1 tsp oil (sesame is good)
1/8 tsp hing or garlic powder
3 cups water
1/2 cup cut baby carrots
2 fresh ears of corn (one with corn removed from the cob, the other broken into "tires")
1/4 block firm tofu
3 TBSP aka miso (red miso)
dried wakame (optional) (I like Emerald Cove organic wakame)
scallions to garnish

In a medium pot, heat oil and add hing or garlic powder. Add water and bring to a boil, then add the carrots, corn and tofu. If you have dried wakame pieces add them as well. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until carrots are cooked. Turn to low and add miso to a ladle, and take some so the broth and mix with a whisk until you can pour this back into the soup. If you skip this step, you will have a miso blob in your soup. Make sure you never boil miso soup as this kills the healthy microbes. A light 5 minute simmer should stop the fermentation process while still preserving the integrity of the bacteria.
Garnish with scallions.


Macrobiotic food is generally dairy-free. This is great if you are vegan and also if you are suffering from any type of ailment. Dairy products create mucus, so eliminating it from the diet when you are under the weather will help you feel better faster.
It's amazing that you can still have creamy soups without milk and cream. I hope you enjoy this one.

Creamy Broccoli Soup

1 TBSP oil (sesame or olive is good)
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, chopped
4 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
4 cups water
1 TBSP rice flour
1 cup unsweetened soymilk
2 tsp salt

Heat oil and sautee onion if using. Add celery and potatoes and water.
Bring to a boil. Add broccoli and then simmer for 15 minutes.
Add half the soup to a blender with the salt and rice flour. Puree.
If you would still like to have pieces of veggies, leave some of the soup in the pot or if you would like it to be one consistency, puree it all.
Add soymilk and simmer until it is incorporated.
Serve with sesame seeds, gomasio, or my favorite: yasai nori furikake (this is a veggie sesame seed seaweed sprinkle).

You can make both of the soups side by side on your stove in under 30 minutes, even when you aren't feeling well. You will feel the benefit and health support a lot more than a canned soup or very heavy and sodium laden restaurant variety. Be kind to yourself and others: make soup :)

Bi to the Bim to the Bop

bibimbop22009, originally uploaded by veggiebytes.

If I someone asked what is one of my favorite dishes, I would have to say that the Korean spicy delight known as Bi Bim Bop (Bap) would be one of the tops. I first had Bi Bim Bop as a child while living in Japan. My father was serving in the US Army and was stationed there for several years.
Having a Filipino mother guaranteed that I was going to have rice at dinner several times a week, so Asian food was not foreign to my palate. Being an adventurous eater and having a multicultural background made it easy to try new dishes.

My mother had a Korean coworker (Ms. Hitomi), and she invited us over for dinner. I just remember how addictingly sweet and spicy the sauce was. This was the Gochuchang, the soybean paste based spicy sauce that gives flavor to your bowl of rice and veggies.
I also had my first taste of kimchi!

Anyway, Bi Bim Bop is a very balanced meal...carbs, veggies, and protein. Traditionally, there are thin strips of meat and also a fried egg on top of the bowl. Since I'm vegetarian I usually have either graham fried tofu or sauteed gluten or beancurd skin strips.
Bi Bim Bop is very colorful and beautiful to look at. It's also fun to say...even a 2 year old could say this dish. If you go to a Korean restaurant, your main dish will come with many different sides.
These are the namuls. The more they bring the better!

Here are many pictures of different Bi Bim Bop dinners I have made. You can get an idea of how to make it. You can even make this as a raw food dish by subbing processed jicama for the rice and leaving the veggies raw.








BI BIM BOP
-Steamed Rice (Brown or Jasmine)
-Various veggies sauteed in sesame oil and shoyu
-Mung Bean Sprouts
-Shredded Carrots
-Cucumber Slices
-Pickled daikon
-Fried Tofu
-Gluten strips
-KIMCHI
-Gochuchang sauce
-Sesame seeds (white and black) for garnishing

Easy Gochuchang Sauce
6 TBSP Miso (Use white for a sweeter taste or aka (red) miso for a more robust taste)
1 TBSP paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 TBSP agave nectar
Mix together and add more cayenne pepper to your level of comfort.
You can also add a bit of water if you would prefer to have it less thick.
Serve about 2 TBSPs gochuchang in the middle of the bowl of each bowl (serves about 4-6)

Having a hard time finding vegetarian Kimchi with no anchovies or one that is raw with no preservatives? The heat could be kicked up a few notches, but for something labeled mild, this will do. Look for Banyan Foods...they are so honest!

"These are troubling times...of corporate lies and deceit...we must disclose to you, that we really aren't Korean."

Have a Happy Bi Bim Bop Day!
Cristina

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji, originally uploaded by veggiebytes.

Here's my version of Pav Bhaji, a popular Indian snack food that is not deep-fried. I love fried items but this doesn't require heating up a large karhai of oil!
The basic recipe comes from Manjula's Kitchen. She makes traditional vegetarian Indian recipes without garlic and onions (something I try to avoid as much as possible when cooking). Her videos are very easy to follow and she is a very sweet Aunty who will help you.

I substituted little round whole wheat rolls I found at Central Market because white hamburger buns just aren't too appealing to me, but maybe the fluffy white carb clouds make it super authentic.
Here's the link:
http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2009/05/04/pav-bhaji/

Cucumber raita is so easy to make and delicious on a hot day or with spicy food. Enjoy!

Belgian city goes veg on Thursdays

Wouldn't it be neat if you knew that everyone would be eating a healthier meal at least one day a week in your hometown?
The city of Ghent in Belgium has made Thursday a veggie-friendly day.
Every restaurant would have at least one decent option or a totally veg menu and even school lunches in the cafeteria would be plant-based.
Couldn't Austin be this hip too?

Ghent goes veggie to lose weight and save planet

No need to be "The King Of Chefs"

It's always interesting when domain name squatters try to contact me
with the hottest domain name that I must have. They are par with the those who want to place my site at the top of the search engines. I'm already listed on the 1st search page on Google for "vegetarian chef" without having to pay anyone, so I'm quite satisfied.
Here's the latest offering with my replies in bold:
"Hello,
My name is Andrei Mikrukov. I found your website
chefveggie.com in Google while searching
for chef websites.
Yes, because I already have great placement and don't need another domain.
Would you like to be known as the King Of Chefs? NO
Exactly this domain name, www.KingOfChefs.com, is now
available and can become yours today.
The domain is #1 in Yahoo for "king of chefs" and is on
the first page in Google, AOL and many other search engines
for that term.
Yeah, everyone is searching for "king of chefs". Hey, what about queen of chefs, maybe that would sell well ;)
Buy-it-now price is $499.
Current minimum offer amount: $395.
Yeah right, I can't believe another chef would be so gullible!
Please, follow the link on the site.

Take it first and be the only King of Chefs on the net.
Go to http://www.kingofchefs.com
Wishing you success,
Success is more likely by not having unworthy expenditures.

Andrei Mikrukov
www.KingOfChefs.com


P.S. The domain remains available on a non-exclusive first-come,
first-purchased basis. We reserve the right to adjust pricing
and availability.
"

Please if you have a business, do not support these types folks. A domain name is $10.
If I had a brand new business idea, I would come up with a business name around a domain name that is not taken. Nameboy is a great site for coming up with domain name ideas.

New Banner

I just used my nifty (but a little rusty) Adobe Photoshop skills to create a new banner.
The food featured is as follows: my version of veggie Pancit (a Filipino rice noodle dish) with Gyoza (upper left corner), Seitan Picatta (lower left corner), Eggplant Rollatini (upper right corner), and Grilled Radicchio with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette (lower right corner).

I look forward to making more posts and adding more recipes more often!

Greenling at Jo's Coffeehouse for an EcoSocial

Here's a recipe for the sample foods at the EcoSocial at Jo's Coffeehouse on Thursday, April 23rd made with wonderful Greenling produce! Please try to use everything organic especially the strawberries and buttermilk :)

Strawberry & Basil Corn Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup corn flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup oil (I like safflower/sunflower)
1/2 evaporated cane sugar
1 cup buttermilk (or vegans can use hempmilk and 1 tsp lemon juice)
3 TBSP chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

Prepare a regular or mini muffin tin by lightly oiling it and preheat the oven for 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl whisk together the oil, sugar, buttermilk, and basil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir gently. Fold in the strawberries.

Spoon mixture into the muffin tin, filling each one level to the top. Bake for 30 minutes if making full muffins and 25 for minis. Remove when done and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or let cool completely and store in a container in the refrigerator. Makes 10-12 large muffins or 36 minis.

Visit Chef Veggie for more information on how to get wonderful vegetarian meals custom made in your own home!

Happy Earth Day & Happy Anniversary

It's Earth Day 2009!
I hope you have seen the impact of a plant-based diet on your health and the health of Mother Earth. Of all the sources of pollution, the industry of animal agriculture takes the cake. That's why you may have seen the article Vegetarian is the New Prius. Hybrid cars are great but adopting a plant-based diet is something everyone can afford.

It's also Chef Veggie's one year anniversary. I have had a wonderful time making great meals for clients weekly, special dinners, birthday parties and even fun events with Greenling. I plan to continue trying to run my business as green as possible by composting all veggie scraps, buying local and organic food, encouraging the use of Pyrex, shopping with reusable bags,using energy saving cooking methods like pressure cooking, presoaking etc.

To celebrate a great first year in business, I'm offering current and new customers who mention "EARTHDAY" 25% off any service between today and June 30th.
Visit Chef Veggie or give me a call at (512) 914-1543!

Soy Wrap Wrappers

I have ventured into the video world on a whim.
Here's a brief clip of dear daughter making Sushi Party Soy Wrap Wrappers. It features Mango Avocado Love Salad (my super simple recipe found in Vegan Family Favorites).

Kohlrabi and more at Faraday's Kitchen Store

I had the lovely opportunity this past weekend to do 2 cooking demos at Faraday's Kitchen Store in Lakeway. It was co-sponsored by Greenling, the awesome organic and local food delivery service. I was able to use some fresh-from-the-farm purple kohlrabi, teen spinach, microgreens, strawberries, and pecans. These came with this week's Local Box, along with collards, swiss chard, baby arugula, and spring onions.

Here's what Chef Veggie (everyone seemed to think my business name was funny in a cute
sort of way) came up with:

Sweet Kohlrabi Salad


kohlrabisalad, originally uploaded by veggiebytes.

The kohlrabi was spiralized on my very exacting Benriner using it without the grating blade to make the soft curls and then with the fine blade to make the "noodles". It's coated with a cilantro/almond butter/tamari sauce and then topped with beet microgreens.


Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Pecan Vinaigrette

Just a basic salad made with Texas pecans. This was so nice and fresh tasting without the pecans even needing toasting.

Greenling will have more $5 classes at Faraday's on Saturdays featuring different local chefs. I was honored to be able to help with the event and look forward to shopping for perhaps some new knives at Faraday's. BTW, if you are looking for the spiralizer you can get one there...it's a lot more fun than going to Acemart.
Remember, if you are thinking of joining Greenling I can help you get 10% off your first basket!
Eating sustainably is really more fun because you get veggies not found in stores and you can feel good about supporting local businesses. The kohlrabi are waiting for a spin!

Mrs. Carolan's St. Patrick's Salad

st_pattysalad, originally uploaded by veggiebytes.

I have been welcomed into the Irish family by having the last name Carolan (yes..that's my last name not my first). My husband's family is related to the famous Irish harpist Turlough O' Carolan and probably to creators of Carolans Irish Cream. If I visit the Green Isle I hope to eat lots of colcannon made with kale.

Here's my tribute to St. Patrick in the raw:
The only thing that makes it resemble anything Irish is that it is really green.

St. Patrick's Day Salad
serves 1

1 bowl of baby spinach (green)
1/2 avocado cut into chunks (green)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (green)
3 TBSP hemp oil (this is green too)
1/4 cup raisins (use green to make the salad more green!)
1/2 lemon, juice (could use lime, it's green)
1/TBSP agave nectar
1 TBSP sesame seeds

Add everything to a personal size bowl. Mix to make the avocado coat all the spinach. Eat immediately. Recipe can be multiplied easily.
Even your little leprechauns will like this!

Recap of Green Living Expo Cooking Demo

Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to offer a cooking demo at the Austin Green Living Expo.
I was sponsored by Greenling, Austin's own local and organic food delivery service. They brought super fresh produce, including cabbage, broccoli, and cilantro which are all in season.
I made the same dish both days. It's called uppma and it is an Indian light meal snack made with semolina. Semolina is a wheat product used in making pasta. In uppma, it creates a light and fluffy polenta type dish seasoned with traditional Indian spices like mustard seeds, cumin, and turmeric.
After making enough for about 30 people and serving it out in less than 10 minutes, I was wishing I could have made more! A small 2 burner stove just doesn;t have the heat output needed to make huge amounts of food fast. Those that got a sample loved it. It was served with Austin's local yogurt, White Mountain Bulgarian style. If only I could have found local achar (Indian pickle).


My daughter says "I'm up for some uppma!"

Here's the recipe for uppma:



Semolina Uppma with Seasonal Veggies

Ingredients
4 cups water
2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp split urad dahl (if available)
2 tsp cumin
1/2 green cabbage, sliced thinly
1 head of broccoli florets
1 carrot, sliced thinly
2 tsp turmeric
1 stick of organic butter or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
2 cups semolina
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice from half a lemon


Preparation
Take a large pot and begin boiling the water. In another heavy bottom pot,bring to medium hight heat and add oil. Add mustard seeds and urad dahl, and heat until they pop. The add cumin and the veggies. Stir-fry until cabbage is wilted and broccoli is bright green. Add this veggie/spice mixture to the other pot of boiling water. In the pot that you cooked the veggies in, put in the butter and wait until it is melted before you add the semolina. Stir the semolina/butter mixture until the semolina gives off a nutty smell. Be careful not to burn.
Add the salt to the boiling water and then all of the semolina. Give it a good stir to
make sure all of the semolina is incorporated and there are not dry spots. Turn the heat to low, cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice. When serving, add cilantro. Perfect with yogurt and mango pickle!

Im still waiting for my little video clip to upload, but hopefully it will be on soon!

Dandies Vegan Marshmallows

I want some vegan marshmallows. I've tried Sweet and Sara but have just found out about Dandies. I think it would be great to make krispy treats even though I don't do well on sugar. The sacrifices we must make :)

www.dandiescandies.com

Cooking Demos at Green Living Expo

Green Living Expo (Friday Feb 27th-Sunday March 1st)

The Green Living & Home Products Expo is the only Home & Garden style show in Central Texas to feature:

* Green Building - Eco-Friendly/Energy-Efficient Products and Builders
* Organic Gardening/Native Landscaping
* Renewable Energies
* Alternative Fuels
* Transportation Alternatives
* Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Interiors
* Organic Foods & Cooking Demonstrations
* Healthy Living with Natural and Organic products
* Fair Trade Products

I will be at the cooking stage on Friday at 3pm and again on Saturday at 12:30pm.
If you register at the stage, you could win a free 3-course vegetarian meal for 4 cooked by yours truly,Chef Veggie, in your home. It's a $175 value!
Come learn more about Greenling, solar power, raw food preparation and much more! Stop by and say "hello"!

Tweet Tweet....Nothing about meat!

Hello fellow veggie lovers!
I have jumped on the bandwagon, or let's say actually I've made me a nest
and now I'm Tweeting on Twitter.
If you would like more updates on happy veggie goodness more often,
come follow me.

VeggieBytes on Twitter

Chef Veggie at the Dirt Club

I had a wonderful time last Wednesday evening, meeting with the Dirt Club, a Lake Travis neighborhood gardening club. The wonderful host, Donna, asked that I come and speak about my personal chef business, about vegetarianism in general, and also prepare a few dishes for people to try.
The menu for the evening was:
Moroccan Tagine (A flavorful stew with root veggies and warm spices)
2 Vegetable Lasagnas (1 traditional with ricotta and Parmesan and another vegan-style with tofu and nooch (nutritional yeast)
Couscous with mint & parsley
2 appetizers - Tandoori Tofu bites & Roasted tri-color root veggie cubes
Hijiki Seaweed salad (a raw dish for the brave!)

Everyone was happy with the food and more people actually enjoyed the seaweed salad than I would have thought.
During my little talk, I explained my business and how much fun it is for both me and my clients. I spoke about why I became vegetarian and how local and organic food is important to me. I was also able to tell people about Greenling, since I'm a new Greenling ambassador who can help you get 10% off your first basket.


I left around 10pm and still had a long drive home, but was given a beautiful parting gift: a lovely hand-painted pot (The Dirt Club does fun things!) with a succulent.
I can't remember the name, something about the star shaped flowers. The pods drop seeds, so more little succulents are growing below.

Anyway, it was a great learning experience for everyone, including me.

Temptress...naturally?

Whoever thought hair dye could be tempting, healthy, and even make you into a dark-haired goddess more naturally?
For those of us who have a couple gray hairs peeking through but don't want to subject ourselves to a cocktail of chemicals, a henna-based hair conditioner is the answer.
And this isn't your grandma's henna...no green messy powder and saran wrap.

A company in Brazil, Surya (means the sun) has created a line of henna-based hairdyes that contain a wide variety of botanical Ayurvedic and rainforest ingredients like guarana, acai, jua, aloe vera, brazil nut, amla and much more.
Sometimes what a product doesn't contain can be just as important: No Ammonia, PPD, peroxide, parabens, resorcinol, gmo's, heavy metals or animal ingredients.
I don't think I have seen a hair dye this wholesome and it's guaranteed to cover white and gray hair on the first application. I know, it works!
And if you dont use it all in one application, you can save the rest for later.

But what struck me most is the packaging. On the front is a sadhu with white beard, but check out his cut arms! In his arms is a celestial nymph with henna colored hair.


What's this story?
In ancient India, there was a great sage named Visvamrita who was doing great penance and austerities, after a life as a king. This was making Indra, the head of the lesser gods nervous, so he decided to send of the most beautiful apsara to tempt him. Indeed, she was so beautiful and enchanting that she was able to pull Vishvamrita away from his yogic vision and they became lovers. Eventually, Menaka, grows to have true love for him, no longer wanting to be a temptress and the cause of his downfall and they separate, each back to a life of austerities.
She gives birth to Shakuntala, who later marries a king, and has a son named Bharata (which is what people in India recognize as the country's original name.)
Anyway, I think any woman likes this story because in general, it's our desire to be beautiful.
So if you have gray strands among your dark hair, get this product. You'll be an enchantress in 40 minutes!

The Hand of Buddha

buddhashand, originally uploaded by veggiebytes.

This time of year most people are trying to keep on their New Year's diet, work out, or budget. How about trying something new?
I went to my local grocery store, Central Market, and what do I find in the exotic fruit section? Buddha's hand! This is a citron fruit from Asia...yes, yes, I know it's not local, but it's so cool.
The name Buddha's hand comes from when the "fingers" are folded tightly together to resemble hands in prayer. Most ones you find in stores are quite ripe and the fingers splayed out. So they look more like commercialism at it's finest...."gimme gimme".
Anyway, citron can be candied, makes great zest for anything calling for lemon zest, can be dried for citrus rubs, or you can do as they do in Asia...put it in your linen drawer to perfume your clothes.
Mine is sitting on our dining table with our Indian Buddha.
I can come by anytime and waft the warm citrus smell and pretend I'm back in an asrama again, with hands in prayer position and at peace.

Featured on AustinTidbits.com

Some way cool copy was written about my personal chef services on the hip and local
blog about Austin, AustinTidbits.com.
It's fun to have someone else write about my cooking :)
Picture is Seitan Picatta with lovely vertical haricot verts.

Happy New Year!

Well it's 2009 and after a fun Hawaiian vacation without much chance to cook,
I'm happy to be back in my kitchen.
So to bring luck and prosperity for the New Year, I decided to make some vegetarian black-eyed peas (sans hamhock), greens, and some cornbread.
Central Market had some nice fresh black-eyed peas that only take 15 minutes to cook.
Our garden is full of kale, tatsoi, spinach, bokchoy so instead of the traditional collard greens I made a green combo.
For the cornbread, I modified The Vegan Lunchbox recipe sent in by our own VNA members,
Amy and Candace. I just love sweet cornbread and agave nectar is just more affordable than maple syrup nowadays.
I have come to the realization that despite lots of smoked paprika and spices, black-eyed peas are not my favorite legume and next year I will probably not go Southern but with another tradition, from China: Noodles for Long Life.

This year I hope to post at least weekly. I have about 300 photos from last year and only a handful of blog entries, but soon that will change. I look forward to sharing with all of you Nature's bounty and wish you a healthy and happy 2009.

Cristina