Lupini: Conclusion

Success. When the husband likes it, then you know you've done well. I added a little (a little too much maybe) garlic powder one of the later soaking days to give it a little flavor. Now they are back in salty water to be snacked upon at will.

From what's available around the web, most people soak in fresh water for about 2 weeks. I found that salty water removed the bitter taste in half the time, which makes sense, as salt is used to draw out moisture, in things like salted meat or with cabbage to make coleslaw less drippy. As yet, I have no idea of the nutritional value, but it's a bean. Beans are good for you. Cost effective? Probably not. Time efficient? Nope. Exciting and new? Absolutely.

Lupini: The Taste Test

"The time has come," the Walrus said...  Oh, wait, no, it's day 5, so it's time for the taste test. Here's how it went down: After changing the soak water (which I decided to leave fresh today, to let some of the saltiness dissipate) and waiting for a witness to get home, I made my first attempt. I extracted one lucky bean, bit the skin, for easy removal, and popped it in. My witness will report that I had a questioning look on my face. I was trying to decide if the taste was bitter or not (i.e. not done soaking). It wasn't bitter, it had a metallic overtone, which makes me wonder if I shouldn't have soaked it in a glass canning jar with its original metal lid. Nothing like that good ol' stainless steel flavor.

Where are the beans now? Back in the glass jar, with plastic on top...and some salt. A second attempt tomorrow, maybe?

Lupini: Day II

Post soak, post rinse

Boiling day. Boy, isn't this exciting? Only 4-14 days left until they are ready! After soaking overnight, these little beans got pretty big. Then, they were rinsed and boiled for about 90 minutes, then left in a pot until I did the dishes to clean the jar where they will soak...and soak...and soak.

Dry v. soaked. It's 'uge!

That's what they are doing right now in fact. Soaking in the fridge. Soaking up some salt. 

Coming soon: Taste test - only 4 days left!

If you missed the first installment, look no further than right here.

Next experiment: Lupini

My favorite Italian co-worker introduced me to these a few years ago. They were slightly crunchy, salty, and yummy to snack on. The knowledgeable (and infallible) internet shows that lupini is often prepared for celebrations, such as Easter, often served with beer. Here, I am breaking tradition, with no major celebration and no beer in sight. Until a few weeks ago, I had never seen these little beans, but when they jumped off the shelf of a local market, it was time.

Lupini is a good source of protein, so the internet says, but the beans contain lots of nasty toxins too, which is why they must soak and soak and soak, until the bitterness is gone. This could be up to two weeks. My co-worked gave me a basic recipe, but, 4 years later, I have no idea where it is. I do remember a lot of boiling, rinsing, and salting. Again, after consulting the web, I decided my method:

• Soak for 24 hours. Rinse.
• Boil in salted water for 90 mins. Rinse.
• Cover in salty water (1 T/quart) and refrigerate.
• Rinse and recover with salty water 1-2 times a day until they 'don't bite back.'
• The end product was yellow and plump.

Ready for the ride?

Christmas presents

Happy New Year! Let's talk about Christmas.

Posts have noticeably dwindled a bit in the past three months and someone, somewhere out there, may, for a brief nanosecond, have wondered why. Was it you? Ah, shucks. Well, I spent most of my time making these for my nieces and nephews.

Here are a few technical things I learned:

• Use tight knit fabric, cotton works well.
• Use strong thread.
• Use sharp needles.
• Become friends with the sewing machine. It knows a lot of tricks to make things easier, like the embroidery hoop attachment. 
• Try not to get mad at the sewing machine. It didn't do anything to you.
• Small details are hard to sew.
• Hope and pray the kids won't destroy your handiwork on the first day.

What to do with rice filled animals?

• Throw at parent
• Throw at sibling
• Throw in the microwave to warm feet at night
• Throw at wall
• Don't throw to dog!
• Make into puppets
• Balance on head
• Open for food during the coming apocalypse

Moms and dads might want to practice ducking! (No ducks included.)

Acknowledgments: To all those who posted stuffed animal critters on the web so I could steal ideas and, more importantly, to my husband, aka The Man, for design ideas, quality check, and grunt labor.

Failure

Lately I have been thinking (yes, it is difficult) about failure, mistakes, and regrets. Then I wonder how to acknowledge the fault, then learn something from the experience and (very importantly) move on.

Working in the health and fitness industry, a large part of my job is to assist clients in setting goals and then reevaluating when it doesn't work (i.e. when someone fails to complete a goal.) I want to learn how to move past mistakes and problems without letting it become an insurmountable obstacle. On top of that, it's a new year and the time where everyone seems to dread making resolutions, because they expect to eventually give up.

The question for you: is it possible to bring home an 'F' (or and 'E' (Thank you, BYU.)) and be happy about it?

Thoughts?