We were doing Savasana (AKA Hippy Mommy's Little Helper) and the teacher told us not to think about our grocery lists, which I was. How did she know? Thing is, I like thinking about my grocery list. It actually clears my mind. I like going to the grocery store after Yoga, without kids, and eating a cookie while I shop. It is an especially awesome day if they have the cranberry orange oatmeal cookies. Otherwise, Virginia Spice or oatmeal raisin is just fine. Last night, as I napped (yeah, yeah, I know you're not supposed to, but I have a one year old who still nurses at night) in Savasana, I did NOT think of my grocery list. This turned out to be a big mistake, as I did not send the grocery energy out into the universe and ended up having to come home without making it to the store. Grrr. So I'll go today with the three boys, which is fun too, but means I won't get a cookie. Here is my list:

pine nuts (for pesto to make with the basil we got in our CSA bag)
parmesan (ditto)
cherries
bananas (yuck. but I am the only one who despises the vile fruit)
bagels
pizza crust (the yummy sprouted wheat one to make eggplant mush pizza. I already have the eggplant mush in the freezer. Yay.)
apples (green, because they're pretty)
tea (the expensive kind in the pink can, because it tastes good and I recently realized that it isn't more expensive, because there are twice as many bags)
dried figs (for salad and snacks)
slivered almonds
feta cheese
mixed greens

Ahhhhhhhhh...do you feel as relaxed as I do now? And here is one of my favorite salad recipes:

mixed greens
slivered almonds
chopped dried figs (the good unsulphured kind in the bulk section)
feat cheese, crumbled
balsamic vinaigrette

Sounds like a lunch.

Dinner is a bit more challenging these days because O is a vegetarian. I will admit that I tried to talk him out of it. I taunted him with visions of delicious barbeque (nay, not just visions, but the physical manifestation, which the rest of us ate, with glee.) he didn't take the bait and has been a vegetarian for a week. But, I am a good Hippy Mommy (well, a Lipstick Hippy Mommy, more on that later. I know you are on the edge of your seat now.) So, I have to be supportive. I'm no short order cook, so I'm just bulking up the vegetarian portions of our regular meals. Luckily, the Eggplant Mush Pizza we're having tonight is vegetarian. I've got to rename that thing; it's really quite good.

Eggplant Mush Pizza

Heat some olive oil in a big frying pan (I love this one, 14 inches)

One by one in a food processor, ground the following, adding it to the pan as you go:

one eggplant, peeled and cubed before it goes into the food processor. Let the eggplant cook for a while before you add the other stuff. You may want to salt it slightly, too. It should absorb all the oil before you add other stuff.
an onion
one box of good mushrooms, like crimini
one or two red peppers (or one red and one yellow), seeded please
a hot pepper or two, if you like, NOT seeded, because the heat is in the seeds
if you have fresh herbs growing (oregano, basil, thyme, chives, whatever) toss those in the pan too

As this mixture gets less liquid, add a can of tomatoes, drained (Rotel if you like it spicier or plain if you don't) and cook the mixture until the liquid is mostly gone.

This makes enough mush for four pizzas, so divide it up and freeze three of them for nice easy meals later.

Take out a pizza crust (or make your own, you over achieving freak.) I love this one (Alvarado Street Bakery California Style Sprouted Wheat Pizza Crust) Put it on a pizza stone or pan. Duh. Unless you are one of those pretentious chef-types who believes the pizza must be cooked directly on the oven rack. Frankly, this makes no difference and just leaves a mess on the bottom of your oven. There is nothing you can say to convince me otherwise.

Spread basil pesto on the crust (I like to make my own and freeze it in ice cube trays. I use 4-5 cubes for this pizza. Ready made pesto is just ducky, too.)

Spread one quarter of the eggplant mush on top of that.

Sprinkle mozzarella on top. You can mix in other cheeses too, if you have them and are trying to use them up, like if you're about to leave town for vacation or to avoid arrest. Fontina and parmesan or asiago are good. You can use shredded mozzarella or, if you have fresh, slice it thinly and use that.

Cook it according to the instructions on the package of crust. It's not rocket science, so if you already threw away the bag, ten to twelve minutes at 400-450 should do it. Just make sure the cheese is melted, dumb dumb.

Other variations:

My sister in law likes to add ground beef to the mush mix.
You can use tomato sauce instead of basil pesto and leave the can of tomatoes out of the mush mix. I would recommend adding fresh basil if you do this.
I sprinkle dried red pepper on top of the finished product, but that is no great innovation.

Okay, off to the store. Namaste, y'all.