Which is cool because I’m about a week behind in the rest of my life.

Case in point: I posted my review of this book on Saturday here, and I’m only just now getting around to telling you that I did.

No? Lucky you.

Those, my more southern-dwelling friends, are days when there is nothing you (I) want more than a piping hot bowl of soup.

Even if the soup looks like the color of….something really nasty. And even the name of it sounds like it will taste like….something really nasty.

Parsnip Soup. Sounds fantastic, right?

I invented the bowl of soup you are looking at. And even though it isn’t as fancy looking as other soups, as a proud mama, I think it’s beautiful. “Special” even.

What if I were to call it “Garlicky Parsnip Soup”? Would you be more interested?   ”Garlicky Roasted Parsnip Soup”? Maybe we’re getting warmer.

You know what? I don’t care. Screw you and your bourgeois anti-bland looking soup ‘tude. I’ll tell you where you can put that attitude.

Wait, what? No. I’m a friendly blogger. You can bring your ‘tude to me any time. I can take it.

I’ll just eat some soup in front of you and while you think about how much it probably sucks, I’ll grin to myself because this soup is FANTASTIC!

Parsnip, it turns out, has a rather sweet taste to it (akin to carrots, some say) and when it is roasted, the sweetness becomes even more pronounced. Adding roasted garlic just adds another dimension. You almost don’t need to add any other spices to it, the parsnip and garlic are flavor bombs on their own.

But, spice it up. That’s my motto.

Garlicky Roasted Parsnip Soup

• 3/4 pound parsnips, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 1 head garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 4 cups water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and cooking spray. Spread parsnips on sheet and coat with more spray oil. (I use olive oil in a Misto sprayer – GET ONE if you don’t have one already.) Wrap garlic head in aluminum foil. Roast, stirring a couple times, for about 30-40 minutes until garlic is soft and parsnips are slightly crisped on the outside.

Add everything to a blender and puree until very smooth. If you have an immersion blender, you can use that instead. Pour soup into pan and heat through.

Notes: This soup really doesn’t need any additional flavor, but I did try a bowl with some nutritional yeast stirred in and it was also superb. If you’re into the cheese thing by all means add some in, but I recommend trying it as stated first though.

As per my unspoken pureed soup “rule”, I pimped this bowl out with some more chunky veggies. I love pureed soup flavor, but I like to have something to chew when I eat.

I could never do a juice cleanse, but that’s beside the point.

The point here is that this soup is the easiest, tastiest, blandest, specialest (shush, it’s a word), and warmingest (also a word) soup. Perfect for yet another cold winter day. (May they end soon.)

Do you like parsnips? This was the first time I’ve ever had them! I’m a convert.

Pureed soups? Yeah or nay? Discuss.

But, I’ll have you know that those fancy red velvet cupcakes you are planning on making your sweet for the big dessert tonight? The ones that are from a box? Those are colored with beet powder. (Or a red #1747372 color derivative from some lab, but that’s a whole other issue for another time.)

Actually a lot of “natural” foods are colored with beet powder. In fact, if I were adventurous, I would dehydrate my own beets and grind them. I’ve got the equipment. And the know how.

The desire…..well, not so much.

If I were a smarter blogger, a better blogger, a blogger more in tune with the needs and desires of her audience, I’d have made these cookies a couple weeks ago. And I would have made them in the shape of hearts for today’s festivities.

But I am neither smart nor a good blogger, and clearly your needs and desires are low on my priority list.

The truth hurts, they tell me.

So, let’s just get this straight right now. Beets add a happy burst of color without imparting flavor. Or at least their flavor is easily masked with my two favorite food groups – sugar and chocolate.

Which also happen to be the flavors of today’s holiday. Fitting, no?

Beet Cookies (Makes 8-12 cookies)

• 3/4 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup Stevia Baking Blend (or regular sugar)
• 60 grams pureed beets (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 T coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 square bakers chocolate, melted OR 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine all dry ingredients and stir. Make a well in the center and add beets, vanilla, and oil. Mix to combine. Stir in chocolate chips, if using.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Flatten cookies slightly and bake for 10-12 min at 350.

While cookies are cooling, melt the chocolate in the microwave, being careful to not burn it. Spread on top of cooled cookies.

I PROMISE you can’t taste the beets at all. They can be used like bananas or applesauce in baked goods; they just give them a pink hue.

Also, I would rather have used chocolate chips in these, but I didn’t have any. Since a cookie isn’t a cookie without chocolate (unless its oatmeal raisin…or peanut butter…or ginger….or a snickerdoodle…or whatever, you know what I mean), I had to top these with chocolate.

A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
Happy Valentine’s Day all!!

This recipe is linked to the February blog Hop at FaveDiets.

First of all, this is a non-fiction book. Secondly, this is a cookbook.

I’ve reviewed another cookbook, but generally, I don’t “read” cookbooks. I page through them, I look at the recipes, but I don’t “read” them.

This is a bit more than a cookbook though. So, read my review. If you are a science nerd, a culture nerd, a foodie, or even a hippie; this book has something for everyone.

Oh hell. I can’t not say anything.

Just a couple notes. I swear only 2. Maybe 3. Then the process. Promise.

First, I love kimchi. LOVE. But the stuff at the store is just so expensive for what is essentially a jar of cabbage.

Cabbage? Cheap. Spices? Cheap. Cabbage + Spices set out and fermented and sold in a jar? Expensive.

I call BS on that.

Second, I cheated and used a spice packet that was $1.18 (buy it here; or $4 at Amazon.com) but I used less than half. Which means these two jars set me back maybe a whole $3. Compare that to the storebought versions, which are $4-5 each? I won.

Bonus: Made in Hawaii! The Polynesians know kimchi, after all.

If you want to save even more more, you could mix your own spices. But the extra 50 cent savings weren’t worth it to me. Do your thing. I only judge a little.

So. The process.

1. Cut a big head of napa cabbage in half.

2. Cut out that ugly, hard, inedible core. (We only do pretty kimchi here.)

3. Chop cabbage into bite-size pieces. Ribs and all of it.

4. Layer a handful of cabbage, a sprinkle of salt, repeat.

Here’s where my tutorial kind of sucks because I didn’t measure. I know my cabbage was a little over a pound, and the recipe on the spice package said to use 1 T per pound. I did about four layers, so probably a little more.

BUT!!! Here’s the best part. The next step in most “recipes” for sauerkraut and kimchi call for you to get down and dirty and massage the salt into the cabbage to release the juices. If you are in a hurry, by all means, do that. It’s messy though and if your cabbage was in the fridge, you’ll have really cold digits when you’re done.

5. Instead, I let the bowl sit on the counter for about 5 hours, stirring with a spoon just a little whenever I remembered (probably 4-5 times?). The salt worked its magic, and I was left with a bowl of wilty cabbage and salty water.

I did NOT do this. It seems kind of….unsanitary. And gross.

6. After it has wilted, drain off the water and rinse a few times so it isn’t super salty. Add about 1-2 T of the spice mixture (or use your own version; Google “kimchi spice recipe” and you’ll find about a bajillion versions). Mx it all up and add to glass jars.

7. Smash the cabbage down as tightly as possible, cover with water, and put something on top to keep the cabbage submerged. I used another glass jar inside the glass jar, but you could use another cabbage leaf or a plate…you get it.

8. Cover with a towel and leave it in a dark, cool place for 5-7 days. That’s where the magic happens and all those little healthy happy bacteria get to work.

It’s ready when it has that “fermented” bite to it.

I put one jar in the fridge, which slowly stops the fermenting process, after 5 days, and the second jar after 7 days. There wasn’t much of a difference in flavors. I’ve read in various places that you can leave this out for up to 4 weeks and that the flavor changes with time. I’m not that patient though.

Next time, I’m making a bigger batch. These two jars are almost gone.

Have you ever had kimchi? Have you made it yourself?

This spice blend was good, but not nearly spicy enough for me. Next batch I’m adding twice the amount I used this time.

Another young adult book, this one awarded the Newberry Award Medal. I ate those books UP in grade school.

My review here.

And I needed coffee. And I needed A LOT of coffee. Because, thanks to the neighbors STUPID dog barking ALL. NIGHT. LONG. I didn’t sleep well last night. And then once I was awake, I started thinking about the exam I am writing for one of my classes.

It was all downhill after that.

See that jar there with the star on top? Yep. Homemade kimchi. Proof that I really did make it. You’ll hear all about it soon. Promise.

So, in light of a morning full of glorious coffee and a shortened 8 am lecture (Really, did I expect the students to come with review questions? Yes. Should I have? Probably not.), I’ve got a few minutes to talk. About me. And my refrigerator.

Last weekend I spent a couple hours in my kitchen, and For some reason, I took some pictures of the inside of my fridge.

Actually saying it that way makes it sound like I did it for no reason. Whereas in truth, I did it because I was really proud of all the stuff I’d just done, not the least of which was cleaning my fridge. FINALLY.

Ooohhh…..shiny.

Check this – I made ALL those jars of veggies on the top shelf (horseradish cucumbers marinating up front, kimchi, THREE jars of pickled brussels sprouts), boiled a dozen eggs (I eat a LOT of those bad boys), and ground up some free-range not-so-happy-anymore chicken for stir fries.

The rest of the contents are fairly ho-hum and your standard fare – crispers full of veggies, applesauce (I’m loving it with a bit of my homemade strawberry jelly mixed in). Also? I eat a lot of salad.

Clearly, I needed to get some groceries.

Normally, I’ll have a huge stash of pre-made and frozen (by me, obviously) in my freezer, but even that stash has been rapidly dwindling as the semester goes on and I have little time to make anything.

There’s chicken, shrimp, and leftover turkey, a lone sad jar of strawberry jam, and two servings of the curried butternut squash soup I made last week.

Oh, but I also made some roasted garlic and turnip soup (no recipe, I just winged it) that are safely stored up there now after taking this photo.

Obviously, the freezer also has obligatory frozen veggies, the remnants of my garden tomatoes, a container of cookies, and a bottle of Jack.

I like veggies, but I LOVE whiskey.

Now that I posted these pictures, I’m really not sure why I did. Hopefully that was somewhat exciting? No? Hmm. Well, welcome to the world of my students. They are bored by me too.

How about I answer some personal-ish questions from Christin?

She tagged me in this quiz, and I don’t normally do these things, but….

1. Do you remember your dreams? Not that I recall. (Hardy har har…)

2. When did you last laugh? This morning during lecture when I was trying to say “deep-water predatory fish” and I said “deepwater fredably swish” Told you I didn’t sleep well last night.

3. What band/album are you smitten with right now? I truly can’t think of one and I am starting to get a sense of how lame my life is.

4. What would you do first if you won the lottery? I hear you have to play to win, and I don’t. But since we’re speaking in hypotheticals, I’d buy a house, pay off my student loans, and start planning a 3-month long summer vacation.

5. What is the last book you read? I posted about it here.And I’m *thisclose* to finishing The Giver.

6. What is the closest item to your left hand right now (other than your keyboard)? My tea mug. (Egyptian Licorice Mint,s ince you asked)

7. Who is your favorite comedian? Oh, great question! Um, either Mitch Hedburg or David Cross. Or Patton Oswald. Or Todd Barry. I can’t pick!!!

8. Do you have any tattoos? Nope.

9. Do you like your middle name? Yep. Jo. Katie Jo.

10. What is your favorite animal? I love all animals!! But birds, obviously. The Canyon Wren, specifically.

11. What is the worst food you’ve ever eaten? You know, I really can’t think of anything. I recall really hating the veal in France. But I couldn’t tell you what it tastes like.

There are probably some rules associated with this thing – like sending it to 8 people in 10 seconds or I’ll have bad luck for the rest of my life, but I forgot to read the fine print.

Pick a question, any question, and answer it in the comments! Or you’ll have bad luck for the rest of your life.

Didn’t know I had that power, did you?

I say Bah Humbug.

It isn’t because I am single. There have been a few of these Hallmark Holidays where I was “with boyfriend” in the past. Even so, I didn’t celebrate the holiday. I’ve never been a fan.

[Full disclosure: I did receive a box of chocolates once. I'm not sure why - we had been together for a year and he knew I wasn't into it. That should have been a hint, I suppose.]

But just because I am single doesn’t mean you are. And just because I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean that you don’t.

And just because I am not officially celebrating anything, doesn’t mean I don’t want a cookie.

A chocolate chip cookie. A mint chocolate chip cookie. With mint chocolate chips in them.

Yeah, that’s right. In addition to the mint extract in the cookie batter, the chocolate chips are mint flavored. There is so much mint going on in these, you’re not going to need to brush your teeth.

Gross. I’m kidding. Brush your teeth kids. And floss daily! Take it from me – if you floss daily and don’t go to the dentist for five years, they’ll never know.

How did a post about cookies turn into me give you unsolicited (and probably bad) dental advice? Ignore me.

Here’s another little nugget about me: I can’t resist cutesy sprinkles and such in the baking aisles at the grocery store. That’s why these cookies have heart shaped sprinkles.

Again, I don’t care about Valentine’s Day, but if the folks at [insert maker of said sprinkles here] want to make a fun and limited edition sprinkle for the holiday, who am I to walk by and not buy it? Who am I to make a cookie and not add the sprinkles to them?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – sprinkles make everything better.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/4 cup margarine
• 1 medium egg (Note – not large)
• 1 cup sugar (I used half NuNaturals Stevia Baking Blend, half erythritol)
• 1/2-1 tsp mint extract**
• 2/3 cup oat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2- 3/4 cup mint chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.

Mix margarine, egg, sugar, mint until creamy; I used a fork and elbow grease. Add in flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until nice and cookie doughy. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be slightly wetter than normal cookie dough, but that’s okay.

Drop cookie dough blobs however big you enjoy your cookies and bake for 10 minutes. You’ll bake them longer if you make bigger cookies, shorter if smaller. Duh.

**Start slowly and go easy on this stuff! Some brands are more potent than others, especially those called “pure” peppermint extract.

Nothing like starting the week with a nice cookie recipe, right? You’re welcome. And, um….Happy Valentine’s Day.

Or whatever.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten or given?

I gave the aforementioned boyfriend a box of oreos. What? He got me something, so I had to reciprocate and the grocery store was on my way to his house. In my defense, the boy loved oreos.

Read all about it.

And because I love you, I’m giving you an on deck post teaser:

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!