Recipes from My Brother

Veggie Stew

Just get out your crock pot.

-Fill the thing with frozen vegetables, whatever you want. I specifically used: grilled asparagus, broccoli, chopped spinach, peas, artichoke hearts, mixed grilled onions and peppers.

-Splash a little water on top, I used much less than a cup. It doesn't need much, because the frozen veggies will provide water as they melt.

-Seasonings on top. I used: salt, pepper, olive oil, butter, and rice vinegar (any vinegar works, its just a matter of taste)

-Put the crock pot on high, check back on it in an hour, stir it up (to spread out the seasonings)

-Leave it on for as long as you want. It's ready to eat as soon as its warm, or you can keep it on low for days if you have to.

Delicious Coffee

Equipment:

1 French press

1 tea kettle

some coffee beans

2 mugs

some half and half

a stirring stick (chopstick or wooden spoon is best)

-First step is to mark off different ounce measurements on the outside of your French press These markings are weirdly absent from French presses, because the French don't like accuracy I guess? I marked out some 4 ounce progressions, like 8 12 16 20 24, because those seem to be the most helpful. I just used a sharpie on the outside metal part of mine where its most visible. Now to the coffee brewing!

-I put 4 heaping tablespoons of whole beans in the grinder for 16 ounces of water in the press. This makes 2 mugs of coffee with generous room for half and half (the only way I drink it!) :)

-Pulse-grind it (start and stop it) so you don't burn the beans. Grind it to a point where you still recognize bean-parts, not so its powder-fine.

-Boil your water, set a timer to 4:00 minutes and start it as you being to pour in the water. Pour up to your 16 oz line, stir the hot mess with a chopstick or wooden spoon once or twice, put on the plunger lid (keeps the steam in) and wait the rest of the 4:00 minutes

-I like to pour out the half and half into the mugs early, so that the cream warms up a little, reducing the chance you will scald it when you pour the coffee in.

-BEEP BEEP BEEP! Coffee's ready! Plunge and pour that wonderful stuff. Enjoy creamy rich coffee 4 eva :)