Tasty Oasis | Finding Comfort In The Kitchen

When your whole world, and car, flip upside down

October 10, 2018 By Karen

Karen grilling chicken on the deck (selfie) in blue hat and glasses

I wear glasses now, I chopped off all my hair on my birthday, and I never leave the house without my hat. And I grilled (and burned) chicken tonight!

Hi friends,

For a while now I’ve been wanting to come back and say hello, but the idea of catching you up on my last year-and-a-half has been daunting, for a lot of reasons. The quick story is, on February 17th, 2017, a car fell on my head. That’s the easiest way for me to come to terms with the fact that I’ve spent the last 19 months recovering from a severe concussion, and my whole world has been flipped upside down and back again just like my car when my tire blew out on the highway going 75 miles per hour early one Friday morning.

I have lots of stories to share with you. I do still cook and bake and it’s been part of my healing, so of course I would love to pass on those recipes to you when I can. But I’ve also spent an incredible amount of time on my own these last many months, with more time in my own head than most people ever get a chance to have. My busy is very different than other people’s busy these days, and that is something I’m learning to live with. It allows me time for reflection, time to be with my family, time to appreciate the beauty of my life. This isn’t where I thought I would be, but I am more grateful than I can ever tell you to be alive and to be surrounded by family and friends who continue to love and support me as I discover my new path.

While I do hope to post to this blog on a regular basis sometime soon, I would like to direct you over to Instagram where I have been hanging out for a while. Honestly, it’s just been easier for me. As some of you know, one of my challenges since my accident has been continued issues with my visual system. Because of it, and a whole host of other symptoms that are totally awesome and fun, I haven’t gone back to interpreting yet, I’m not driving on my own, and I’m not a big fan of being on the computer. Oddly enough though, the small screen of my phone is easier for me to navigate, and so Instagram has been more accessible. I also have found a community on there of other people dealing with concussions, post-concussion syndrome, and traumatic brain injury and the support I find there has been really important to me on a daily basis. While I used to scroll through and just see one gorgeous photo of cookies after another, my feed is now filled with motivational quotes related to healing and personal stories from people in similar situations as well as advice and guidance, which has led to conversations and connections. So what you will see over there in my posts very well might be the cookies I’ve made, or the conversation with my kids, or me pouring my heart out about how much it sucks when your brain doesn’t work and all of a sudden you’re the patient instead of the professional in the room, in the same damn room in the same damn hospital where you used to work. I’m not sure yet. Because I am not sure about a lot of things. And you’ll see me tagging my posts with all sorts of concussion hashtags, and it isn’t so that I’m constantly trying to remind you to “look at me! I have something to complain about!” but rather as a way to connect with a community I have found. There may be a new Instagram account that is just concussion related sometime in the near future, but for the moment I still feel like Tasty Oasis is a place I want to be. I still find comfort in my kitchen. It still gives me peace. It has helped me return to me.

Most importantly, I want to thank you. We want to thank you. Thank you for all of the cards, texts, calls, emails, meals, rides, prayers, good vibes, and love you have sent to me and my family over the last year and a half. I have been lousy at returning calls, emails, and writing thank you cards, but we are eternally grateful.

Brian in a blue sweatshirt and Karen in a Stanford red sweatshirt standing in front of a pink dogwood tree.

Mother’s Day, 2018. Trust that there is another photo with our two amazing boys, and they are my everything. But with Brian… I am the luckiest.

I do hope to connect or reconnect with you soon, here, through Instagram, or in real life. (Imagine! Real life!!!) I have tended to isolate at times during my recovery. Sometimes out of necessity because of feeling unwell, or my rehab schedule, or because I just want to save all my energy for my kids, and sometimes because I am mad and cranky and pissed at the world. And sometimes I am busy eating cookie dough and don’t want to explain myself. And then there’s the problem that sometimes phone calls make my headaches spike, my eyeballs can be jerks, and I can’t handle noisy or crowded environments so meeting for lunch just hasn’t been an option. Lately it’s been a combination of all of those things, so please know my lack of response is never personal, I’m just getting through my days.

I wish you all a healthy fall, with safe driving, tasty food on your table, and the clarity to see how good your life is because you have it,

-Karen

**And I do want to apologize to those of you who have been coming to the blog for recipes and have had to deal with a cumbersome printing situation, or any other technical difficulties. Since I have been gone there have been changes to some stuff behind the scenes that I haven’t had the abilities to handle. I’ll get there. Thanks for your patience.

My Very Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 20, 2017 By Karen

So here’s what’s up: I have the day off of work, and I sat down at the computer to write. As you know, I haven’t posted in a while, which means that since September a lot has changed in the world, when the outlook for our country was very different than it is today. During early fall, there was hope and an excitement about what January 20th would mean, and I fully expected that today would be a celebration. Instead, I find myself watching a reboot of The Twilight Zone. As the months have passed, I’ve often thought about using this space to write how I feel about the election, and the conversations I have had to have with my kids about the way people voted and what this means for their lives, and for all of our lives. But instead, I’ve talked with my friends, I’ve talked with my colleagues, I’ve talked with my family, and I chose to spend my time in other ways.

I believe in honesty, and when I worked on this blog more frequently, one of the most valuable things I got from it was the chance to tell my story. It isn’t always pretty. In fact, our holiday card this year tried to reflect that. The first lines were “Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone’s year was all sunshine and roses like most holiday cards try and make it look? Well, our 2016 had its ups and downs. There were some professional disappointments, cranky bodies (thanks to our age), cranky kids (thanks to their age), and a cranky house (thanks to its age). But thank goodness it was balanced by some pretty awesome moments!” Which is true. All of it. And so as I began to write this morning I tried to dig down to that honest place. And you know what I found? I wanted to escape. I didn’t want to deal. I had a few paragraphs written, and the ideas mapped out for telling you what I think of the latest recipe for our country, and miraculously was going to tie it in to my new favorite dinner recipe (impressive, right?), but instead….I said screw it, and went upstairs to grab some coffee and breakfast.

But then I did something on auto-pilot. Instead of taking out the hard boiled eggs, I reached for two sticks of butter. I popped them in the microwave at half power for a minute. Then I put my mixer bowl on the scale, and reached into my cupboard for the sugars. Three of them. White, turbinado, and dark brown. No recipe in front of me, just a formula in my head. Not my formula, mind you. But a brilliant woman named Ashley Rodriguez’s. …

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Sugar

September 21, 2016 By Karen

Hello friends. It’s been a while. The entire summer passed by and I took a little break from the website. As I am sure you can all relate, there are periods when life seems fuller and busier than others, and you just have to make a choice about how to spend your time. I’ve been trying to figure out why I stepped away from this, and I don’t have a very novel answer. I simply prioritized other things. Spending time with my kids, sleeping more, reading, getting out and being in nature instead of in front of a computer. Oh, and of course there’s that thing called work. We went to Colorado at the end of August though, and it was just what I needed to recharge. Lots of family time and hiking, and appreciating the grandeur of The Rockies. They were incredible, and helped put things into perspective.Another reason that I stepped away was that my shoulder decided to go crazy for a few months. Physical therapy three times a week all summer and the order to rest it as much as possible meant over a month of no cooking at all, because I couldn’t chop anything, lift my arm to reach the dishes, or move a heavy pot. So yeah, I was a little off my game. When you can’t go to your happy place (the kitchen for me) because it hurts, changes have to happen. That said, I still was mostly able to feed my family during that time from the chest freezer that was stocked in my basement and which now is pretty depleted. It just goes to show that planning ahead is always smart. Of course that means now it’s time to fill it up again!

And this Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Sugar is a great addition to any freezer. Or a lunch a box, or the paper towel you grab as you rush out the door so that you can eat it in the car on your way to wherever, or on a fancy plate for company. It also packs nicely for a plane ride to India apparently, since it is what my in-laws always ask me to make them whenever they visit. (Did I tell you they moved? They moved. I’m a bit heartbroken that they’re down in Virginia now, but they’re loving it there.) So I baked a loaf for them to take on their last trip and it was reported that it travels well. It’s a sturdy little cake. Because you use coconut sugar instead of regular, and whole wheat flour, it is a bit denser than a typical banana bread, and has a lower profile. Really, it doesn’t rise as high. I feel this makes it heartier and more satisfying, so I find this a plus. Bananas are sweet enough, so the added coconut sugar is minimal, and you don’t get that cloying sweetness that some banana breads have. And it’s refined sugar free, which is always a good thing, and something I have written about before. (Baked Eggs with Sautéed Mushrooms anyone? Or Sesame Date Granola?)

It’s a one bowl quick bread, you can prep it in under 10 minutes, and it’s a perfect way to use up any over-ripe bananas you have lingering in your fruit bowl or hanging out in your freezer. (Do you have a massive collection of bananas in your freezer? Because I do. Here’s a great smoothie recipe you can use for them.) It’s a healthier choice than most, and I feel good about making it and serving it to those I love. I hope you give it a try, and if you do, please let me know what you think!

…

Baked Eggs with Sautéed Mushrooms

May 11, 2016 By Karen

Remember last year when I wrote about trying to reduce the sugar in my life? I did a good job of it for a while, but then my love of all things chocolate and pastry related got the better of me. I went from cutting out sugar, to slowly introducing it back in, to full on “let’s sit at the kitchen table on a Saturday night with two giant batches of cookie dough and two spoons and just go to town.” Because while I know what’s good for me, I don’t always follow through with healthy choices. That’s human, right?

But I am trying to get back on track, making the effort to stay away from refined sugar for a little while. It’s been a few weeks of reading labels, and focusing more on getting satisfaction from the savory foods in my life. Yes, I’m still enjoying fruit, and haven’t shied away from putting a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon into the almond cashew butter I make, but I haven’t had a bar of chocolate or a cookie in 24 days. (That’s huge. You’ve got to know that is huge.) And I’ll be honest, while it’s gotten easier, the cravings STILL haven’t gone away entirely. There’s no doubt that my body had to go through some serious withdrawal, and I had a good five or six days of insane crankiness because of it, but I’m trying to reset my habits. 3pm doesn’t have to mean it’s time for a scone, it could very well be time for some carrots and hummus. (I know, crazy talk.)

The Baked Mushroom Skillet at Lekker 209 in Stone Ridge, NY

The House Made Soda Board at Lekker 209. Espresso Cinnamon? Lemon Basil? Yes Please!

To which end, last week I was inspired to recreate a meal I had on vacation in April. I already told you a little about our time in the Catskills, but here’s a bit more. On our first day, we had lunch at a restaurant called Lekker 209. In Stone Ridge, NY, it’s a small cafe that seemed to have more specials listed on the chalkboard than food on the menu. Homemade baked goods (like lavender honey scones and chocolate chili cookies that I’m currently dreaming about) and creative housemade sodas (like the vanilla cream my kid ordered,) complemented all the locally sourced ingredients that made our mouths water. The meal was so good that we returned for breakfast on our last day. I ordered the Baked Mushroom Skillet, and fell in love. (I even posted a picture of it here.) Luckily, as we were walking out of the restaurant, the open kitchen allowed me to stop and ask the chef how he had prepared it. Generously, he told me the basics of how to make it, and I quickly wrote it all down when I got back into the car….

Life Lessons and Julia Child’s Crepes

April 25, 2016 By Karen

I try to teach my kids that it’s okay to fail. That we all struggle, we all make mistakes, but the important thing is trying our best. It’s easy to say, right? The obvious lesson. Teaching by example is ideal, but let’s be honest, this is one instance where being the model feels pretty lousy. At least when it comes to the big things. The ones we really care about.

I’ll spare you all the details, but there was something recently that didn’t go my way. I put my whole self into it, and my kids got to watch me working towards a goal. It wasn’t something I “had to do,” just something that I wanted to do. But I took it seriously, and really did give it my all. When I found out that I failed, I was crushed. I was angry, and sad, and disappointed, and embarrassed. A whole mess of emotions that while appropriate for the situation, were still painfully uncomfortable.

But here’s the thing: as a parent, I couldn’t hide these feelings from my boys. I didn’t want to. Of course, I tried to display them in a way that wouldn’t overwhelm them, but I believe in being honest about how I feel. Not always putting on that pretty face and smiling through the nonsense. Yes, there’s a time and a place for that, but it isn’t in my own home. It doesn’t help anyone. So when I got the news, I took deep breaths and collected myself as best I could. But my older guy, all of 9 years, took one look at me and said, “Mom, what’s wrong?” When I told him, and the tears filled my eyes, he immediately came over to rub my back, and say, “That’s okay. You did your best. That’s what matters, right? You’re not going to give up, are you?” Those few words from him helped put everything in perspective. While I had failed one thing, I clearly had succeeded in something else. I have managed to impart a very important set of values to my kid, and to see it reflected back at me filled my heart with joy. Compassion, love, support, and a belief in perseverance, even when it’s hard. That’s definitely a win.

Jump ahead a few months, and I’ve come up with a much easier and pain free example of teaching my kids about failure, and what might go with it. I doubt it will surprise you that it took place in the kitchen, but as fate would have it, it wasn’t my own kitchen this time. Last week was spring break and instead of sunshine and beaches that the two words typically conjure up, we went the opposite route and rented a home in the Catskills, where it mostly rained and we cuddled up by the fire with books, board games, coloring, and even our cat. (Yes, we have somehow become people who travel with our cat…go figure.) I’d come prepared to bake, traveling with my own recipe collection, as well as canisters of flour, sugar, chocolate chips and a scale. (Doesn’t everyone go on vacation with their own cooking scale? I’m not the only one, am I??? Okay, so I might be. But I’m okay with that. Maybe that’s why you’re all here reading this, right? Because I’m that person?) Anyway, you can imagine how thrilled I was to arrive to the house to find a shelf filled with cookbooks and food memoirs right as you walk through the door. It’s like I found my only little piece of heaven….

Donna Hay’s Beef, Guinness and Mushroom Pie

March 17, 2016 By Karen

Last St. Patrick’s Day, I shared a quick and healthy green smoothie, and wrote about my brother Brian, who would have been 46 today. This year, in honor of both Pi Day on Monday, and St. Patrick’s Day, I feel obligated to share Donna Hay’s Beef, Guinness and Mushroom Pie with you all. I have been sitting on this since November, and that’s just ridiculous, since there are so many reasons to make this savory pot pie as soon as you can. (Donna Hay, by the way, is Australia’s version of Martha Stewart, but younger, minus the crafts and the jail time, and I will be writing more about her, and our Donna Hay themed cooking club in my next post.) From one of my new favorite cookbooks, it uses a method for the pastry crust that I’ve never heard of before, but is so much simpler that the traditional cold butter version. It’s a hot water pastry that actually melts the butter with water before stirring it into the flour, which results in a kinder dough. It comes together quickly, is sturdy enough to hold up to a hearty filling, yet still flakes. If you’re intimidated by the idea of making a pie, then this is your crust!!! (Or skip it, buy a pre-made shell from the store, and everyone will still love you for making whatever you stick inside of it. I promise. But to be honest, this is totally worth the extra 10-15 minutes of your life.)

But here’s the thing, you’ll want to get started on cooking your brisket first, because this is not a 30 minute meal. Trimming your meat, cubing it, browning it, and finally braising it is time consuming. It’s the type of activity that you can do while listening to a good story though. (I’m currently enjoying this audio book if you’re looking for something entertaining, which is soon going to be a TV series.) And in its own way, it makes for a relaxing time in the kitchen….

Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions

March 7, 2016 By Karen

Caramelized Onions. Two beautiful words. If you combine that with Slow Cooker or Crockpot, you’ve got a phrase that’s even more brilliant: Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions. (Do you hear angels singing? You already know how I feel about the slow cooker, don’t you? Remember The Easiest Crockpot Ribs and Chipotle Barbecue Pulled Pork in the Crockpot?) Because a simple onion effortlessly gets transformed into rich and flavorful goodness that can be added to any variety of dishes. With less than ten minutes of prep work, you can get all of your onions sliced thinly, then you toss them with melted butter and olive oil. It all sits in the slow cooker on low for 10-14 hours, and it makes your home smell heavenly. It’s so easy, you’ll wonder why you’ve never done this before. Typically, caramelizing onions the traditional way requires standing at the stove for at least 45 minutes and stirring regularly, making it somewhat labor intensive. This recipe is the opposite of that. You can even set it up to cook overnight while you sleep, which all by itself is pretty cool.

It’s comfort in a pot. And there are some days more than others that we can all use comfort. I recently interpreted something about coping skills,…

Top 10 Healthy Breakfasts on Tasty Oasis

February 29, 2016 By Karen

Toasted Oatmeal with Flax and Chia Seeds

“When you wake up in the morning, Pooh,” said Piglet at last, “what’s the first thing you say to yourself?”

“What’s for breakfast?” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.

― A.A. Milne

People always say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but so often it’s tempting to skip it or just grab something boring (and unhealthy) on our way out the door or as we head to work. I’m guilty of it, and almost always regret it as a wasted opportunity. You all know I am a bit obsessed with good food, so to have empty, flavorless calories as my foundation for the day is ultimately disappointing. Over time, I have learned that with a little prep work, I can be stocked with options for quick and easy breakfasts that I can feel good about eating and serving to my family. The photos and links here are my favorite Top 10 Healthy Breakfasts on Tasty Oasis. Some, like the Toasted Oatmeal with Flax and Chia Seeds, the Coconut Maple Granola, the Sesame Date Granola, the Chocolate Pumpkin Nut and Seed Butter and the Applesauce with Vanilla and Cinnamon are all things you can make ahead of time (meaning over your weekend.) The Healthy Green Smoothie with Spinach, Kale and Banana and the Healthy Homemade Chocolate Milk take well under five minutes to throw in the blender so you can drink on the run. And if you’ve got a spare 20 minutes (or less) or planning for a weekend breakfast, Martha Stewart’s Buttermilk Pancakes, Dorie Greenspan’s Maple-Cornmeal Biscuits, and Tasty Oasis’s very own Cardamom Almond Matzo Brei are all worth the extra time. Every one of these recipes is easy, and many of them are refined sugar-free, gluten-free and even vegan.

As always, I would love to hear if you’ve made any of these! Please write a comment, share with your friends on Facebook (the button is right at the top,) or pin this post or the specific recipes to come back to them later. If you hover over any image, the pin icon will appear and make it super simple for you. And if you have any favorite recipes of your own, I am always looking for suggestions. Enjoy!