I didn't know what to expect.Then She walked in.
Rainy.A recent rescue. Timid and shy. Hates car rides. Trembling with uncertainty. Part border collie, part retriever. High maternal instincts (she reminds me of "Fly" from the movie Babe) and dotes on other dogs. I immediately latched on. She is one hell of a cuddle-bug.
Of course, every dog was a character and unique.
The story of 10 year old Jamba broke my heart. Stoic. Distant. She sat in the same spot and watched the gray sky drizzle. Treats made her eyes light up for a fleeting moment. Apparently, her owner called while she was at doggy day care and said he was suffering from depression- he couldn't keep her anymore. He never came back for her- just left her at day care. Her loyalty and devotion makes me tear up. It was like she is waiting for him. I hope they find one another again when he's in a better state of being.
After the event, hiked out to Baltimore for a break dance jam. My brother from another mother had entered and one must always support those they love. It's hard to get all together, so it does the soul good. It was nice to see familiar faces and meet new people. There were some pretty nasty 1v1's! Breakin is the closest thing to flying without wings.
In keeping with this chill mode, I made these Yogurt Tartlets because they're relatively easy and on the healthy end of the spectrum. Overall- they were okay. If you're looking for sweet, fatty joy- you've come to wrong place. This is a much more polished, sophisticated, and natural dessert. The yummy crust has oats. The filling though....
Very subtle ginger... which requires GINGER JUICE. How does one acquire ginger juice? You grate ginger like zesting a lemon, then push the zest through a sieve. It's a bit time consuming. Next time I make this- I'm opting out of the ginger and putting 3 teaspoons of juice or honey to save time. Plus, I didn't think 3 teaspoons was enough to get that ginger taste. Sprinkled some ginger powder in there but it wasn't the same.Yogurt Tartletes
by 101 Cookbooks
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon butter, coconut oil, or olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons natural cane sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use low-fat here)
1/4 cup maple syrup
zest of one lemon
3 teaspoons fresh ginger juice*
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
crystalized ginger, dried fruit, or fresh fruit/berries for topping
special equipment: 6 small tart (4 inch) pans or 4 small tart (5 inch) pans
Preheat oven to 350F degrees, rack in the middle. In a medium bowl combine the flour, oats, and salt. In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the maple syrup and sugar. Now add the flour and oat mixture to the butter and stir well. Cook a couple minutes - just until you get a bit of a toasted smell. Stir in the sesame oil and remove from heat. Divide mixture into six equal portions, and as soon as it is cool enough, quickly press the mixture into (and up the sides) of each of the tart pans using your fingers and/or the base of a glass. Freeze until completely cooled - 5 or 10 minutes.
In the meantime, to make the filling, combine the yogurt, maple syrup, lemon zest and ginger juice in a medium mixing bowl. Taste. Add more ginger juice if you like. Now stir in the eggs until well incorporated.
Fill each tart shell with about 1/4 cup of filling, don't worry if you have a bit leftover. Bake for about 20 - 23 minutes. The filling should be set, and no longer jiggly. Remove the tarts and let cool for ten minutes. Now refrigerate for a couple hours, and serve topped with chopped crystallized ginger, fresh fruit, or dried fruit.
*Fresh ginger juice: Grate peeled ginger with a micro-plane grater. Press and squeeze the grated ginger against a fine strainer extracting as much juice as possible.
