Wednesday, September 30, 2009

How to Stretch a Meal

First let me preface this post with the statement that you better enjoy chicken before you continue reading.  Having said that, I am pretty satisfied with how long I was able to stretch 2 large chicken breasts over a variety of meals this week.

Monday Dinner

On Monday morning I took 2 large chicken breasts from the freezer and let them defrost in the fridge during the day.  That evening I took them out, and defrosted them a little more in the microwave.  I threw some salt, pepper, dried basil, dried parsley, poultry seasoning, and crushed red pepper on both sides and placed them on a grill.  It was probably the best grill job I’d ever done.  The outside was perfectly golden while the inside was fully cooked.  I made a salad; and heated up a steam-fresh bag of broccoli, cheddar, and rice.

I took one half of a remaining breast and placed it in a plastic container with some leftover broccoli, cheddar, and rice.  I put the other full breast in a separate plastic container.

Tuesday Lunch

Tuesday’s lunch was a repeat of Monday night’s dinner.  Quick and easy, just pop in the microwave and re-heat.

Tuesday Dinner

I took one half of the remaining chicken breast and sliced it into very thin strips at an angle, similar to what people do with turkey or ham.  I boiled some pasta and sauce, and threw the chicken in.  I made another salad and had another complete meal.

Wednesday Lunch

Later that evening, I took the remaining chicken breast and chopped it into smaller pieces.  I took out my magic bullet, threw in some celery and mayonnaise and blended it together.  Then I added black pepper, a slice of cheese, some bread, and now I have a chicken salad sandwich.

Time and Money

One of the reasons I find it difficult to make complete dinners is it can be hard to find the time on evenings to prepare everything.  You get home late from work, you stop at the gym, and by the time you get home the last thing you want to do is cook.  But with the examples above, you can take a few shortcuts.  Monday all I had to do was throw some spices on the chicken, place it in a grill and dress up a salad.  On Tuesday, since the chicken was already cooked, all I had to do was boil pasta.  For Wednesday, I took the leftover chicken and blended it with mayo and celery.  Each meal took 10-15 minutes to prepare.

From a cost standpoint, I got 4 meals out of 2 chicken breasts.  Throw in some spices and condiments, veggies, a couple salads, a slice of cheese, and 2 slices of bread.  Very inexpensive for the value I got out of everything.

All it takes is a little creativity and planning.  You can eat nutritious meals throughout the week and still have the time to do all the things you enjoy.

Fort McHenry

Patriot Day II

September 12, 2009

This is the second in a series of six posts featuring my photographs of the 2009 Patriot Day activities at Fort McHenry. The series will post Wednesdays through October 28, with a set of three images each time. Also on October 28th, a new Patriot Day dedicated page containing the complete set of eighteen photos will post. (Click images for larger views.)

Copyright © 2009 Jim Sizemore.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Recipe Corner

1. One medium piece of fresh roadkill.  Possum for preference.  If not available two plump stoats or a half a dozen moderately fed voles will do

2. Two and a half duck eggs

3. 16 Heads of garlic, peeled, minced and soaked overnight in kerosene

4. 4 cups breadcrumbs 

5. One cup buttermilk

Pre-heat the oven to 755 degrees Kelvin

Wash and pat dry road kill.  DO NOT skin.

Beat the roadkill vigorously with a spandex bikini top.  Then dip the roadkill in the buttermilk and dredge in the breadcrumbs.  Fry the eggs and place in roadkill’s mouth.  Place roadkill in roasting dish and sprinkle with garlic.  Roast in oven turning once.  8 minutes per pound and 15 minutes for the roasting dish for medium rare.  Serve over a bed of unwashed celeriac.  Best accompanied with a glass of hot cream sherry or room-temperature chardonnay.

Serves 8

a case of the mondays, 9/28

Monday.  ’nuff said.  I started the day with a pretty good idea of how it was going to go, but like most other days my schedule shifted right out from under me.  I don’t know why I’m surprised when this happens, although I will say I’m getting much better about flowing with it than I used to.  Got a lot of walking in, since the first thing I did this morning was put my car in the shop for its 50K tune up.

Breakfast:  lemon water; oats, almonds, cinnamon, cardamom, frozen cherries; chai.  This does not look delicious but it was very tasty.  I love cherries and cardamom together.  I’ve been away so much these last two weeks that the cupboard is utterly bare, hence the frozen fruit and no greens.  I’ve got two more days at home this week and then I’m off on travel again, tomorrow I’ll be able to hit the farmer’s market after bootcamp and get some fruit and greens.

Lunch:  arugula, cucumber, white sweet potato, tomato, pecans, pumpkin chutney; blue corn chips; water. Would have preferred to eat outside than at my desk, but the wind was really kicking up and it was threatening rain.  I made sure the computer was off and had some nice music on.

Snack:  nettle tea; lemon ginger tea; grain sweetened chocolate chips, dried cranberries, raw pepitas, raw cashews.  I was out of little containers so I mixed this right up in the bag with the last handful of chocolate chips.  I then proceeded to pour the last bits out of the bag and into my mouth, but ended up dumping half of it down my shirt.  Now, explain to me how it can possibly be that I’m single:  I’m a woman with chocolate cashew cleavage.

Dinner:  fried egg; sprouted wheat toast with butter; kale, tomatoes, onions; apple cider; lemongrass tea; toast with butter and honey. Scrambled eggs:  must be Monday night.  I like to sit on the couch and watch HIMYM. 

Monday, September 28, 2009

Monday's blues and eats.

Didn’t wake up as early today since class only starts at 10 on Mondays. Dear was to fetch me to work, so we decided to head to Old Town Aman Puri for breakfast.. so we get to try the weekday breakfast set which we don’t get to cos we’re never together on weekdays!

However, i didn’t get the set cos i always feel that the food the serve here, i can make at home easily. But since the coffee is better than my homemade one, i just had that and my special K bar..

No sugar but 1 equals. normally, i would use only one, knowing how unhealthy it is, but i find Old Town’s coffee needs more-it’s richer i suppose.

Dear had the Nissin noodle set with white coffee

Came with an egg and sausage. Dear and me still prefer the noodle they used previously. I find this one thinner and it does not live up to what nissin noodle is supposed to me. the soup is addictive though! i kept on drinking it..

Headed to class-though i was unwilling to leave dear..

Dear went back to Focus Point at 1 UTama after dropping me off. the specs ws causing too much pain, and turns out they did make a mistake with the astigmatism. they corrected it for free. their after sales service is good.

Class was break-less today.. no lunch break today.. but short breaks. i only managed to eat what i brought at about  130pm during the five-minute break of International Business lecture-Boring. lol..

sorry i had to use a reenactment cos everyone was still in the lecture hall.. Brought along a Kashi and a naner (two most portable things!)

I think the naner ws tinier than this though!

Couldn’t wait for class to be over. Made plans with Pik San for lunch tomorrow.. I miss hanging out with friends. Just feel so lonely without my Sam!Sam, come back!

After class, gramps came to pick me up since i didn’t drive my car..

Went to Kayu cos they didn’t have any lunch..

Though i had a bite at 130pm, i couldn’t resist not to eat some off what gramps ordered.

Mamak Mee Goreng (Fried noodles-mamak style). RM4.20, though pricier than many indian shops out there, this is better in taste.. quite good and appetising (i think that’s the word to explain!).

Rojak, sauce on the side (Basically, vegetables, with some fried dough, with peanut sauce) RM4.20. The sauce was good. Gramps loved it. Granma was practically treating the sauce as soup, and asked for more!

I didn’t really like the soft dough thing, but the crispy one was alright.

I didn’t have any drink, so i got home, to have a coffee before my workout.

And a few nuts.

Ran the usual amount of time,but i did walk while watching Chef at Home! They cancelled the Thursday night ones.

Granma wasn’t feeling well. i don’t know why her stomach hasn’t been treating her well lately. Sometimes she may vomit or purge after a normal meal. Don’t know why and she’s stubborn to go to the doctor. Please pray for her..

So dinner was at home..

Another attempt at endives chips! Yum and addictive!

Had half of a Cream Cheese and Red bean Multi Grain.

Bought this from Patisfrance on Saturday night! Yum.. i love the creaminess of the cheese.. and red beans! a can-never-go-wrong combo..

Also had an apple with SSB..

Never buy fruits from Malaysian supermarkets! Maybe bananas and grapes.. Other than that.. not too good.

Made banana butter on Saturday!

The color kinda looks bad.. but when i stirred it, it looked more like peanut butter… was so good.. such a better alternative and a healthier one too! I used 4 tbsp of PB to 1 and half naners. Mashed away like mad since i have no blender! yumm.. will make this again! I used some for my bland apples just now..

Had 3 prunes since i didn’t have any the whole day!

And finally-i know my eats seem endless,

i can never go a day without trail mix! Added some cream cheese munchy’s minis to the mix. Love the saltiness of it to blend with the nuts. But actually, it doesn’t matter if the flavours blend cos i always eat the nuts one by one. but i’m just so in love with cashewnuts. i just love the sweetness in it!

Yes, that’s all i ate! Haha. Tomorrow, class isn’t till 10.30! so no wee hour morning run for me.. will get to wake up later.. and there’s only ONE class! Yippee..

I think i’ve some blog reading to do..and AFA reading too!

Ta for now! Sorry for the 3in1 post!

Loves,

Brunch for 4: Herbed-Baked Eggs

I made this delicious egg dish today for brunch.  Baked eggs allow for such an elegant presentation and appear far more complicated than they actually are.  It really isn’t much more than throwing some eggs and other ingredients in gratin dishes.  This recipe was flavored with some fresh herbs, garlic, and parmesan cheese.

The one tricky thing about baked eggs is the timing — I need to work on it.  I initially didn’t cook the eggs long enough and then I may have over cooked one or two of the dishes — the yolks weren’t as runny as I would like.

We served the baked eggs with some freshly sliced slab bacon from Rubiner’s Cheesemongers & Grocers in Great Barrington.  What a delicious start to a rainy Sunday!

Herbed-Baked Eggs
Barefoot Contessa

  • 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
  • 6 extra-large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and Parmesan and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 2 small bowls or teacups (you won’t be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It’s very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking.)

Place 2 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren’t cooking evenly.) The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Celery-Apple Soup and More Ways to Cook Zucchini

As predicted, I did make a cream of celery soup.  But while I was sautéeing the onions and celery together, I couldn’t help but think something was missing.  And suddenly it occurred to me that the sweet acidity of apples would be the perfect counterpoint to the earthy, vegetal qualities of the celery.  So a peeled, diced apple joined the vegetables in the pot, followed by some gorgeous pork stock.  When all was tender, I buzzed it with the immersion blender until smooth, then finished it off with a swirl of cream.

The zucchini pancakes also panned out pretty much as expected.  Grated zucchini, bound with whipped egg whites and a little chickpea flour.  They fried up fluffy and light, and the sauce I made to go with them (a pot of plain yogurt, a few teaspoons of tahini, and a sprinkling of piment d’espelette- you could also use cayenne or ground chile de arbol) was just right.

For breakfast (okay, brunch) yesterday, I cooked up a ragoût with the zucchini and a bunch of tomatoes.  Then I baked eggs in it, much like I did in this eggplant recipea year ago.  I topped it with the last of the burrata (did I not admit I was obsessed?) and a few torn leaves of basil from the windowbox.  A baguette tradition completed the very satisfying meal.

Originally published on Seasonal Market Menus.

Sandwiches

Summer Sausage, Cheddar & Wholegrain Mustard Sandwich at The Lady Killigrew Cafe, MA, USA

I’ve just  bought a cookbook on eBay that I’ve been hunting down for years. Seven Hundred Sandwiches was compiled by kindred spirit Florence A. Cowles back in 1928. As hard as I try, I cannot conceive the idea of 700 sandwich recipes. This is why I must own the book. At some point Florence must have become insane with boredom. I’m hoping the recipes conceived on those down days will raise a smile. But I’m also hoping there’ll be a handful of sandwiches that will blow my mind. It was in this book that one of my favourite sangers of all time, the BLT, was first referenced.

There’s not much point in trying to improve the word of the sandwich god, but like any zealot, I’m always hoping to twist the original scripture.

Although the sandwich bible might not tell you, a great BLT requires bread that’s thick enough to toast without becoming brittle, and whole egg mayonnaise. In my heaven, heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced Spanish onions and a fiery hot sauce complete the picture. It may not be authentic, but sandwiches provide an excellent canvas for combining flavours you really enjoy. There aren’t many ‘don’ts’ in the world of sandwich construction, and the creation stories behind the most famous sandwiches usually involve a combination of boredom and available items. Just like religion itself, in fact.

Great sandwiches can be found all over the globe. Felafel, souvlaki, Vietnamese bánh mì baguettes, Indian masala dosa, and tacos all qualify as sandwiches in my book. The epicentre of all that is holy wrapped in bread is, however, the United States. Philadelphia Cheesesteaks, Po’ Boys, Reubens, hoagies, hot dogs and hamburgers are all designs worthy of their own scripture.

Burger at Five Guys, Pennsylvania, USA

My most recent sandwich obsession came about from watching an episode of 30 Rock when hungry. The characters all get sandwiches from a secret place in Brooklyn frequented by teamsters. While the contents of the sandwiches aren’t revealed, Tina Fey’s snack-induced rapture got my imagination firing. And not about Tina Fey.

Here’s what I imagined the sandwich to be: a crusty French roll, the kind you get at Vietnamese bakeries, topped with five or six spiced meatballs in a thick tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. It would be grilled until the cheese is bubbling and the edges of the bread are golden brown. A judicious sprinkling of finely diced onion and hot pickled green peppers would finish it off. Having conceived of them, I set about making them the very next day. They ended up being roughly the size of my calf, and after devouring them, we weren’t quite right for two days. It may have been a colon crime, but it was the best damn sandwich I’ve ever eaten.

The ultimate meatball sub

It pays to be inspired and experimental, but as flexible and forgiving as the sandwich formula is, there are times when being a purist is vital.

The Club Sandwich should always, always simply consist of turkey on the bottom layer and bacon, lettuce and tomato on the top, separated by three layers of toast.

It’s a staple of room service menus and nine times out of ten it’s a crashing disappointment.

It remains to this day my Holy Grail of divine carbs.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Of Veggies and Willpower

There is a story from my childhood about me and brussels sprouts.  My mother made them for supper one night; I was 5 or 6 years old.  When I saw them on my plate I was less than entranced.  In fact, I refused to try even a bite of the dreaded (and dreadful smelling) vegetable.  My mother induced me to give them a bite with the bright exclamation that , “they look like mini-cabbages.”  But I didn’t like cabbage either and so I was unpersuaded.  A few hours later, I was allowed to leave the table.  No sprouts had left my plate.

I was a strong-willed child.

As an adult, I learned to make an amazing silken cheese sauce.  I came to really enjoy brussels sprouts when they were served in cheese sauce.  A few years back, right around Thanksgiving, there was an NPR interview with Mollie Katzen, an amazing vegetarian cook whose cookbooks I enjoy.  She talked about making roasted brussels sprouts.  It sounded quite promising.  I’ve been roasting sprouts ever since.

It’s easy to do and oh-so-yummy.   The details:

1 pound of brussels sprouts, washed and halved or quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt to taste

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and then cover the foil with the olive oil.  Place the sprouts cut-side-down on the foil.

Place the sheet of sprouts on the center rack in the oven.  Roast for 10 minutes. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and re-shuffle the sprouts, so that more of the sprout surface will touch the hot oil.  Don’t worry if a few leaves come loose.  Just let ‘em be.

Place the pan back in the oven for 5 more minutes.  When the 5 minutes are up, remove from the oven and leave the sprouts on the pan; they will roast a few more minutes from the residual heat.  Add some salt to taste and serve.  They are tasty hot but can also be served at room temperature.
My parents will note with satisfaction that my 9 year old turns his nose up at the idea of such fare.  He won’t even look at them on the table, not even when I brightly announce that “they look like mini cabbages.”

Whatever.  That leaves more for me.

Bread and Butter (pickles)

My grandfather loved bread-and-butter pickles. I don’t know why I remember that; more notable among his favorite foods were bacon and eggs, pot roast, and pumpkin pie. Yet for some reason, I have a clear vision of my grandparents’ kitchen, with its quintessential 70s wallpaper and dark cabinets, and my grandfather at the table, explaining to me the difference between bread-and-butter (to be eaten with butter sandwiches) and dill pickles.

My grandpa was a gentle man, quiet in comparison to Grandma’s fiery personality. He liked to listen to Michigan State football and the Detroit Tigers on the radio with his friend Dal. The memory of his round face, water-blue eyes, and soft old-man sweaters will always make me smile, and wonder how we would have known each other if he had lived into my adulthood.

I like to think of these as a call to a less hectic time. A time in my life when conversations with Grandpa could occupy as much attention as any book I read or any lesson in school. I suppose I hope to regain that sense of connecting to that present tense, another reason that I gravitate to homemade…

Bread-and-butter pickles

For my grandpa, these basic bread-and-butter pickles (recipe again, from Fanny Farmer Cook Book).

As my second pickle experiment (more successful than the first!), this yielded 3 pints.

  • 6 c thinly sliced pickling cucumbers
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 shredded green pepper
  • 1/4 c pickling salt
  • 2 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 tbsp mustard seed
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 2 c cider vinegar

Mix the vegetables and salt. Cover and let stand for 3 hours. Mix remaining ingredients in a large pot, bring slowly to the boiling point and boil for 5 min. Drain vegetables and rinse well with cold water. Add them to the hot syrup and heat to just below boiling point. Spoon vegetables into hot, sterilized pint jars and fill with cooking syrup, leaving 1/8″ headroom. Seal the jars.

Again, they can be processed in a hot water bath for 10 minutes, but I chose not to process.

What I learned for next time

I used the Cuisinart to shred the pepper… This looked weird, and I have yet to taste, but I think “shred” may mean “thin slice by hand.” We’ll see how they taste…

Friday, September 25, 2009

CILO, Aruba

City Lounge, or CILO, is a new restaurant located at the Seaport Mall in Oranjestaad, Aruba, DWI. There is both indoor and outdoor seating as well as a bar inside with WIFI service. Here’s a first look.

And that bar I mentioned:

We enjoyed an early lunch here, with a view of the nearby marina where fisherman take tourists out for a day on the Caribbean Sea. As for the meal, it was quite good. I started with the tomato soup and here’s a look at the presentation.

Then my wife enjoyed smoked salmon and herbed cream cheese wrap that she found delicious. See below.

I went with the CILO club, which contains parma ham, brie cheese, and the usual lettuce tomato and such. Check it out.

Fries were crispy, too.

You’ll find a crowd of local business people here and a few island visitors salted in. Prices are fair for the quality and good service. Guests of the nearby Renaissance Hotel and Timeshare may want to put this on their list for a convenient snack or meal.

Bon dia.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Roasted Pork with Brussel Sprouts and Apricots

Eleanor and I would like the world to know…..brussel sprouts are gross. I honestly don’t remember ever trying them before this recipe.  They were very filling and the dried apricots made them bearable, but I don’t belive in eating something you don’t like just because it is good for you or your waistline.  So they probably won’t make another appearance in the Robert’s household.  The pork tenderloin was really good, so the meal was not a total waste.  I highly recommend Costco’s tenderloin!

Happy Birthday Sean

Mmmm. This was for Sean’s 20th birthday. Cake team: Leo, Qiongni, Christie, and I. We made 4 cakes and stacked  them up. My kitchen didn’t have an oven, so we tried to use the toaster oven, which was big fail because I tipped it and cake lava started pouring out of a hole all over the bottom of the toaster oven. I didn’t even know this was possible. Leo did some surgery and stuffed the hole up with extra cake. It was beautifully decorated by our frosting expert Christie.

A gigantic 4 layer cake! 12"x10"

Thanks again to Emma Canfield for the pix.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Mine's a large portion...

It says on the packet “serves 2″. Two what? Elves? Mice? People who have already eaten?

My wife became seriously ill last November, and was diagnosed with cancer. Not only did it change her life dramatically, but it put me in a position I’ve never been in before, and one that left me no choice but to get stuck into running the house single handed. After being waited on hand and foot by my mother for 20 years and then my wife for the following 4 decades, I was suddenly a full time cook, cleaner and washer woman (man).

Over the past ten months my cooking skills have gone from non existant to reasonably good. I advanced from the George Forman lean mean grilling machine to the oven and four burners. I am at the stage when I can cook a reasonable dinner for two, with the added bonus that I can now time everything to finish cooking at the same time. The microwave was redundant except for minor tasks!

My wife had a short stay in hospital this week, and as I left Bart’s hospital on Monday night around nine, I thought “sod it! I’ll nip into Tesco when I get off the bus and get a ready meal or something”. I had a look round and grabbed a bag with a Chinese meal for two. Never tried them before but it was a quick microwave job at that time of night, and I could have the other portion the next day. Some chance! Who measures out the portions I wonder? Mr. Puniverse?

Menu “A” consisted of egg fried rice, chicken and cashews, sweet and sour chicken, four microscopic spring rolls (that were not suitable for microwave cooking) and a bag of prawn crackers. Sounds a lot, but I scoffed it all and hunted round for something to fill me up afterwards!

Tonight, the same thing. My wife only wanted some soup and a roll so I dispenced with the oven and got myself a “serves 2″ carton of two chicken pieces with smoked ham and red onions. Looked really good on the box. Good job I had a bag of salad in the fridge and a large bag of salted peanuts to snack on afterwards!
Think I’ll go back to proper cooking from tomorrow. At least I can decide the size of the portions!

What we want are large portions!

I Love Honey

I made that 100-mile Upside Down Pear Cake on Sunday and I must proclaim its deliciousness to the heavens!  So yummy, so sweet, and I felt GREAT about it because every single ingredient except ONE came from within 100 miles.

That one ingredient was a single teaspoon of baking soda.  Yes, I used Arm and Hammer, and was kind of annoyed about it because EVERYTHING else was local!

If you have pears on hand and are into locavorism, I cannot recommend this recipe enough. It comes from Little City Farm.

PEAR UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Syrup:

  • 1/4 cup honey and/or maple syrup (so 1/2 cup total)
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. water
  • 2-3 ripe pears, cored and sliced

Cake Batter:

  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups local flour (spelt)
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Prepare syrup by melting first four ingredients together in small saucepan. Stir until well combined. Pour into 8×12 glass baking dish.

3. Arrange sliced pears evenly on top of the syrup.

4. In medium sized mixing bowl, beat butter, sweetener and egg.

5. Mix all dry ingredients together in small bowl.

6. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with milk.

7. Spoon cake batter over pears in baking dish.

8. Bake about 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool a few minutes and turn onto a platter.

9. Serve warm or cold with homemade yogurt or whipped cream (with raw milk if you can get it!).

Makes eight servings.

HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM

No raw milk here (I really want to try it one day), but I made my own whipped cream with honey just for this. In your mixer, just whip some cream and add enough honey to your taste.  I put in about a quarter cup and hubby said it was perfect.

My Notes:

  • As you can see, I used a TON of honey in this recipe. No white sugar or other sweetener used! Honey’s really expensive though, so I don’t know if I could keep this up all the time.  Makes me want to get some bees just so it’s cheaper!
  • I specifically bought honey from Lloyd Spear, Beekeeper at the farmers market on Sunday for this dessert. We don’t have much maple syrup left on hand, so I used 1/2 cup of honey instead of 1/4 and 1/4. It was REALLY sweet and I probably could have gotten away with less.
  • I made butter that night just for this as well! The cream came from Battenkill Creamery. So I had fresh butter, fresh BUTTERMILK (because I just used the buttermilk I got from making the butter).
  • I found spelt (white, not wheat, because I was baking) at the co-op. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in a conventional grocery store.  It comes from Champlain Milling Co. which processes and mills locally produced wheat.  In this case, local is 118 miles away – I’m forgiving the extra 18 miles. I could not tell the difference in taste between spelt and wheat, although supposedly it has a nuttier and sweeter flavor.
  • The egg, of course, came from Coopers Ark Farm.
  • And of course, the most important part, the pears. I bought them last week at the farmer’s market from Maynard Farms. They were a little overripe so it might have been better if they were fresher.  Still, they were delish.

The Verdict

I’m in love.  Honey is awesome.

How to cut up a whole chicken

Many people are afraid to buy whole chickens because they don’t know how to cut them up. Growing up, it was something my father always did. I am not sure if my mother even knows how. His cuts were always perfect. A leg looked like a leg and a breast look like what you got in the store. Through college and my first years on my own, I would always buy boneless skinless chicken breasts. As we all know, they are really expensive and don’t offer a lot of flavor.

If you purchase Zweber Farms chickens you get the whole chicken (we do offer cut up chickens, but they must be pre-ordered and cost more). It can be overwhelming the first time you are presented with the five pound bird to cook. Yikes.

Have no fear. I found a really good YouTube video that shows how to cut up a chicken. Depending on your recipe, you can cut up your chicken before or after cooking. After viewing the video go over to our Recipes tab. There you will find a very easy way to roast a chicken from our part-time milker Jen.

Don’t fear the chicken, it is your friend.

Emily

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

CSA: Charleston

Recently, I tried to search WordPress for “CSA” and got nuthin’.  So, in an effort to create something other people can find when looking for information about Community Supported Agriculture, as well as a desire to document our experience, I figured I’d start doing a weekly post about what we got in our CSA box and what we did with all of it.  This is what we got this week: To break that down that’s:

  • 3 turnips, with greens
  • 1 bunch kale
  • 4 beets
  • 8 cucumbers
  • 4 zucchini
  • 4 small green peppers
  • 4 small ears corn
  • 2 large winter squash
  • 4 Roma tomatoes
  • 3 “decorative pumpkins”

my refrigerator pickles

Each week when we get a box, I lay everything out on the kitchen table, determine what is preserveable and what will need to be eaten within the week, and what we can actually manage to eat in a week.  Looking at this spread, I decided the corn and zucchini could be frozen for later.  I usually shred the zucchini and freeze it in bags in quantities conducive to zucchini bread.  The corn just gets shucked and frozen whole in bags as well.  I also decided to make spicy refrigerator pickles with the cucumbers, which is super easy and something I just throw together on the day we receive our produce.  Our fridge is slowly filling up with yogurt tubs of pickles, but they are SO GOOD!

While it would have been fun to eat the beautiful squash this week, I knew a squash soup would preserve better than a lot of the other goodies, so I roasted the squash and made a puree, which I then made into soup (loosely following this recipe, not in a crock pot but on the stove, and using Greek yogurt instead of cream for better freezing) and froze it.

The kale reminded me of one of the best things about the Olive Garden: zuppa toscana.  And what do you know, there’s a recipe on the internet!  I used chicken Italian sausage and skipped the bacon, and the soup turned out pretty great.  It could have used a little red pepper for more spice though. We had zuppa toscana for dinner Thursday night, and for lunch a few times after.

Squash soup on left, zuppa toscana on right. And yes, I was making soup at 9:00 Wednesday night...

The lovely tomatoes and green peppers became a homemade variation on pizza margherita, which incorporated basil from our garden and yummy buffala mozzerella.  It was a great Friday night dinner with a bottle of wine and the dvd of “Wolverine” from Netflix.  And then of course, cold pizza for breakfast the next day!

mmmm pizza!

So that basically leaves beets and turnips, which I have no experience with, and as a result, saved til the end of the week.  The only time I’ve ever eaten turnips, they were boiled in an attempt to trick me into believing they were potatoes.  I was not fooled, and I hated them.  But I found a recipe for turnip risotto, which even incorporates the greens, and which I served with mustard-crusted mahi mahi (a variation of this recipe) last night, and I have to say, it was delicious.  We ate it sitting out on the back porch, and it was like eating a taste of fall just as we can finally feel a bit of coolness in the air.  I brought some of the leftovers to have for lunch today, with a side of refrigerator pickles.

And then there were beets…. so, this leaves the beets.  I am still not sure what to do with them, and we’re getting a new box this week.  I found a beet risotto recipe which I might try, or maybe borscht, or maybe just pickled beets, though I’m not a huge fan of those.  Another friend suggested tossing them with olive oil and rosemary and roasting them in the oven, which is a possibility.

New box tonight! My husband’s sister and her husband are coming to visit this week, and they’re slightly picky eaters, so this week will be an adventure in trying to preserve MORE food so we can eat out a couple of times, as well as trying to cook things our guests will like to eat.

Oh…and as for the “decorative pumpkins?”  They’re sitting on our mantel.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Early Morning Scones

Early this morning, before going to work, I made the Orange Scented Scones. Its a very easy recipe, one you can put together quickly. And, your co-workers will be very pleased when you arrive at work with warm scones. These were very well received at my store!

I did add a few ingredients: 1/2 cup currants(soaked in orange juice) and 1 Tbs. of orange blossom water (which I bought in Morocco earlier this year).

The batter was very sticky but I managed to form some scones and then I glazed them with heavy cream and vanilla sugar. I really like vanilla sugar; it is very cruncy when its cooked.

I will say that the scones were rather flat; I do like to split my scones and add butter but these were too thin to cut. But, these were very tender and moist. I will definitely try the recipe again; but I will try adding a bit more flour and hopefully that will lessen the spreading.

You can find the recipe at: Lady Craddocks Bakery blog:  http://www.ladycraddocksbakery.blogspot.com/

I’m looking forward to this weekend’s recipe: caramelized onion, sage and cheddar muffins.

Eating Swiss Chard

We have Swiss Chard coming out our ears.

I may have found the right way to eat Swiss Chard. It’s still not my favorite vegetable, but I think this recipe makes it tolerable…

Sauteed Swiss Chard

Chop chard stems and as much of the leaves as you want to eat. Keep the stems and leaves separate.

Mince a couple cloves of garlic.

Put a little oil in a heated pan. Add the garlic and stir a couple times. Add the chard stems. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, and anything else you want. Saute until stems are nearly crisp-tender. Add the chopped leaves and cook until the stems are tender and the leaves have wilted.

This makes for fairly tasty chard, although in the interest of full disclosure, I accidentally over-salted the chard, so it was more like eating a salt block than a tasty, healthy leafy green! But, I think it would be pretty tasty with more appropriate seasoning!

Domesticated Diva - NOT!

So, I’m the type of girl who wants it all.  I want to be a career woman, a loyal friend, a grateful daughter, and now a fabulous wifey!  Taking a page from the 1950’s, pre-bra burning era a wifey takes care of the home, her husband, and her childern.  Although I firmly stand by some of my feminist thinking I do want to be good at all of those “domestic” duties.

Challenge #1 – Improve cooking skills.

Yesterday, I decided to surprise Mike and cook dinner for us. I pulled up a recipe titled “Easy Chicken Cutlet” – sounded like something right up my alley – and chose instant pasta as my side.

I started by pulling out a few different bowls – one for the eggs, one for the bread crumbs, and another for the washed chicken (apparently I’m overly paranoid about salmonella).  I rummaged through the cupboard for different spices to sprinkle on the chicken once I had breaded it and pulled out the frying pan.  Then poured a cap full of oil onto the pan and threw on my first cutlet.

I questioned myself on how long I should leave the chicken cooking on each side and so ran to ask Mike.  When I got back there was an unusual amount of smoke in the air. I flipped over the chicken per Mike’s instructions and realized I was a little too late.  The chicken was mostly black and crispy.  I finished cooking that piece and put the next cutlet on the pan. I did this 5 times…apparently I’m not a person who improves with trial and error (at least when it comes to cooking).

Needless to say, we didn’t really enjoy the Surprise Chicken Cutlet meal. BUT I did force us to eat it!

Smokey, messy kitchen

Yummy Burnt Chicken

Mike showing me how it's done

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Pear Honey Pancakes

Healthy and yummy fall pancake breakfast

2 ripe pears

1 3/4 cup milk

1 egg

2 cups spelt flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cookie spices

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

Soy margarine to bake

Chestnut honey

Sift flour baking powder and spices into a bowl. Add egg and milk and mix until well blended. Peel pears and cut them into slices. Add to the pancake batter.  Heat a non-stick pan and brush with soy margarine.  Ladle in batter to make pancakes about 10cm across and bake over a moderate heat for about 3 minutes, then turn and bake the other side. Keep warm until all pancakes are baked. Serve with chestnut honey and dust with tagatose.

The Change

For most of my childhood I grew up with organically grown vegetables and very little meat. The meat my mother used was also hormone and medication free, since in those days they weren’t used to enhance animals growth. She grew all her own fruit and vegetables and herbs out of necessity, not because it was fashionable. My three brothers and I were always healthy. We very rarely got ill.Looking back, even though we were very poor, we were always the healthy kids on the block.

Then I grew up, had my own family and the convenience foods took over. With a child and a full time job, the idea of growing my own produce became a non existent venture. Especially when processed food were cheap and readily available. it was also a status thing. To be able to afford canned food meant you were affluent to a point.

I recall buying a half side of beef, early in my marriage, but that’s as far as buying healthy foods went. Most of the vegetables came in cans, especially in the winter. Buying fresh and cleaning and cutting vegetables became “old fashioned”. Years went by. I gained a lot of weight, no doubt due to my lifestyle and in 2005  my brother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. My oldest brother had passed away with colon cancer in 2002.

I started thinking. How much do modern time illnesses and their increase have to do with what we eat? My middle brother was diagnosed with heart disease and diabetes. Now I finally paid attention. I wasn’t going to be the next one to fall ill. We totally changed our lifestyle. My husband and I rented a house int he country, where I can raise all my own vegetables and we even have chickens and 3 cows. I realize that this is not possible for everyone, yet every one can buy from local farmers thereby reducing the cost of their ingredients and also ensuring that they are fresh. Also the small greengrocer in your neighbourhood carries fresh produce, usually locally grown.You can always ask where it is from.

The trick is to cook and bake like the olden days with modern conveniences of Food Processors, Blenders and Bread makers and a good Vacuum packer or decent Freezer Containers. But the ingredients should all be bought separately so that you have control over what you eat. If we added the amount of preservatives we put into our body in a year, up I am sure we’d all be shocked. My personal opinion is that it is far healthier to eat fresh. It takes a certain amount of dedication and the support of every one in the family, but the benefits are countless. I have gotten rid of allergies that I had for years, I sleep better and generally feel better. I am not a fanatic. I do eat fast food now and again, but it’s a treat not a habit.

What I want to do with this blog is do the research for you. Find out how long  “Supermarket Produce” has been in transit and how long it sat at the distribution center before  finally reaching the bin in the Supermarket. From there I will assemble a list of Farmers Markets in the GTA and research the Farms who sell direct to the Public. The next thing I will investigate is the cost factor  and the savings generated by  canning freezing and baking your own.

Lastly and this will be the mainstay of the blog I will pass along tips and tricks and recipes that get sent to me or that I have discovered myself, that will not only save you time and money, they will also ensure that your family eats the healthiest meals possible.

Til then

The Organic Lady

Saturday, September 19, 2009

French Fries, Without the Fry

Well, since there’s been a lot of ketchup experimentation going on here, it’s only right that we should post a french fry recipe, even it is is a very simple thing to do. Spread the potato love a little.

We bought ourselves a mandoline at the annual City Kitchens sale and have been having fun playing with it. (If you live in Seattle and have never been to City Kitchens, go there. It really is the best store ever. If you get on their mailing list, they’ll send you some unbelievable coupons once a year which you can use on top of the sale.)

good yellow potatoes

olive oil and peanut oil (equal parts)

salt, pepper

fresh sage, chopped finely

  1. Preheat your oven to 475F. (Don’t cheat. It must be hot.)
  2. Slice potatoes into shoe strings on your mandolin.
  3. Rinse potatoes in bowl of water at least twice. Place on a clean, dry dish towel and pat to remove excess water.
  4. Toss fries, oil, salt and pepper together and spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Bake for about 10 minutes. (Keep an eye on these potatoes at the very end. Because they’re so thin they’ll go from perfectly golden to burnt in an instant.)
  6. Remove from oven and toss with sage. Mix and serve.

Notes:

  • Use the same technique for larger cut fries, just increase the baking time.
  • The inspiration for the sage comes from Skillet. One of our favorite restaurants, Agate Pass Cafe, serves their shoestring potatoes with rosemary, which I thought couldn’t be beat until I had a sage potato. Try them both. See what you like.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Food Friday: Raw "cheese" cake

So I have been eating so many different foods lately…. I know it has done me a world of good, i have the blood work to show for it and I am happily missing 27lbs because of it!!  I have tried a couple of desserts and this one is by far the best!! YUMMY!!  I even brought it to work and had a sampling !  It is a raw vegan dessert but trust me it is good!!  It takes time to make but well worth the effort!!

I would post a picture but it gets eaten so fast!!!  Next time I promise!

CRUST

  • 2 Cups raw nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts)
  • ½ Cup Dates (soaked and pitted)
  • Coconut

CHEESE

  • 3 Cups Soaked Cashews (Soak a least an hour, but longer if possible)
  • ¾ Cup Lemon Juice with pulp (or lime for more tartness)

    ¾ Cup Raw Agave Nectar (Honey can be used as a substitute)

    ¾ Cup Raw Coconut Oil (lightly melted- emerge container in hot water or place in dehydrator a few minutes)

    ¼” piece of vanilla bean (use only the scraped out seeds) (extract can work as a substitution if it is pure and doesn’t contain alcohol.)
  • Water as needed

TO MAKE-

Sprinkle coconut on the bottom of a 8″ spring form pan (to avoid the crust sticking). Use a food processor to process nuts and dates to form a crust. Gently press the crust into the pan and smooth with a plastic scraper.

Next, blend (in a high powered blender) all the “cheese” ingredients until smooth & creamy. Pour “cheese” evenly over crust and place in freezer until frozen If you have bubbles gently tap pan on the counter.  Add a little agave or some dates if not sweet enough.   Defrost in refrigerator an hour before serving. Garnish with fresh fruit.

**I would bet you could throw some fresh fruit in the “cheese” to make a fruity cake.  Trust me people will not believe this is truly good for you!!  ENJOY!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Am I Cheap, Thrifty, or Just Really Interested in Self-Sufficiency?

D?  All of the above?

Really, I can afford to buy breadcrumbs, I swear.  But I wanted to see if I could do this, so I didn’t waste any food.

I made my own breadcrumbs this week. I had a leftover baguette from a couple weeks ago and I held onto it to see if it would mold. I considered it an experiment.  (I know….WTF?)  When it didn’t, but when it was as hard as a rock, I went to town.  First I broke it in half over my knee like a stick of dead firewood. It was strangely satisfying.

Stale baguette

Then I went to town chopping it up, first in coarse pieces, then in the food processor.

And finally, I enjoyed mixing in my own herbs: some onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, etc.  Can’t wait to use it!

Seasoned breadcrumbs

Waste not, want not.

The One Minion Search Party, volume 28

I’ve probably said it before, but I really don’t get how the searches, as broad (or weird) as they are, generate hits here. Somebody looks for “funny” or “babies” or “chinese eat baby soup” or “angel statue with arm broken off” and it all winds up in my stats whether anyone’s actually clicked on the search engine’s link to my site or not? It makes me feel something like an ignoramus to not know these things.

Ah well, I am to coding as I am to car repair. I can find the windshield wiper fluid and add oil. But not into the windshield wiper fluid receptacle because that’d be really really wrong…

Anywho, searches. My numbering of these volumes is a little wonky since there are a lot of weeks where I wasn’t blogging, and last week I just plumb forgot about it altogether.

Looking at my overall stats, it is somewhat alarming how many people are looking for Chinese people eating babies. I know I’ve wondered about some of the mystery meats under the red lights at Asian buffets before but I’m pretty sure I’ve never eaten anything that was once a human (or could become one — did you know there’s a cookbook just for semen as an additive out there? It’s called Natural Harvest. Seriously.) If they’re looking for man-eating babies, that isn’t much better. That sounds more like a foray into pedophilia, which is nothing one should be supportive of or promote in any way. Yikes.

Searching for baby photos is another weird one, as far as I’m concerned. I get the desire to look at the photos of family or friends or even the polite nod and smile as your cubicle neighbour swamps you with pics of the newest crotch-fruit. But just searching for baby pictures with no particular baby in mind? What’s that all about? What are people looking for, those odd looking trollish babies, or the ones wearing funny t-shirts advertising babies loving boobies? What? Somebody explain it to me sometime. I genuinely wonder.

“Jesus Christ vs Zeus” makes me think of World Wrestling for some reason. Talk about the match of the century. Was Jesus a pacifist? What would Jesus do? Could the Son of God actually clothesline the Son of Titans or would Zeus just piledrive him into the mat and light his tights on fire with a well placed lightening bolt….okay, and now I’m getting a visual of Christ’s tight butt hanging out for the world to see, and well, I’m blushing a little…if there’s a hell to be had, I’d be on my way, I’m sure.

And I can’t even translate המבורגר — but if Google Images is anything to go by, it’s more hamburgers. People just love hamburgers. I don’t think vegetarians are ever gonna win. No siree bob.



see more Fail Blog

Well, this party was funner than most. And yes, I’m fully aware funner is not a word. Learn to deal. It’ll help with the Poker…

Welcome to Chicago's 43rd Ward

It’s time for another tour of the 50 Wards of Chicago.  I have been a little lax on this as I have started working but I promise to make my 50 wards tour a higher priority!

A couple of weeks ago, Jeff and I visited the 43rd Ward.  Like many Chicagoans, this was not our first visit to this ward – this ward is Lincoln Park.  Alderman Vi Daley and her staff had some great suggestions for us and, indeed, Jeff and I saw some new places!

We started with a trip to the Green City Market.  My first job in Chicago was with Meals on Wheels which had an association with the restaurant industry and chefs.  Because of this, I remember when the Green City Market opened over ten years ago (as I recall, Gale Gand was a driving force for this) over by the Chicago Theater as a way for Chicagoans to enjoy the same local, organic produce, cheese, and meats that chefs (yes “Top Chef Masters” fans, this includes our beloved Bayless) choose from all the time.  A few years ago, the Green City Market moved to Lincoln Park (by the Lincoln Park Zoo) in the summer and the Notebart museum in the winter.  In addition to expanding to include a winter location, the Green City Market now runs 7AM-1PM on both Wednesdays and Saturdays.  And yes foodies, chefs still do a bunch of their shopping there – and some demos, too!

My word of advice – the expanded Green City Market has a ton of food vendors as well as samples at about every booth so come hungry!

After loading up on peaches (remember my post about the yummy Eli’s Cheesecake Peach Cobbler?), veggies, and bread, Jeff and I hit the road and searched for The Bellinger Cottage (2121 N Hudson) which survived the Chicago Fire.  The cottage is adorable and, honestly, the house on the street where I told Jeff I’d like to live (before I realized it was the Bellinger Cottage)!

I admit to a little bit of cheating on this ward visit (look for this in future visits too!) because I have spent so much time here.  Alderman Daley’s office also recommended visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo (one of the last free Zoos in the country – I add to this that in the summer, try to go to a Jammin’ at the Zoo concert and in the winter, don’t miss the Zoo Lights!), the Caldwell Lilly Pool right by the Zoo (Cannon and Fullerton), check out the architecture in the ward (YES!), and the Chicago History Museum (I’m spending my birthday doing one of their new walking tours – can’t wait!).  I’ll add to this that the Notebart Nature Museum is fun for those with kiddos, the Lincoln Park Conservatory is a welcome winter escape, and the neighborhood is full of great eating (Twin Anchors), drinking (well, I’m too old for Lincoln Park drinking), and shopping (Lill Studios!) options!

If you have never been to Chicago, when you do visit, a trip to the 43rd Ward will definitely happen and if you live in Chicago, give the 43rd Ward another visit – I’m sure, like me, you’ll find something new to love there! Hey Chicagoans – got any suggestions to add to this?  Post them in the comments section!

Thanks for reading Bright-Yellow!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Julie & Julia, Ennui & Joy

There must be something of substance in Julie & Julia because I keep thinking about it. Specifically, I keep calling to mind some reviewers’ comments about Amy Adams and her performance. The more I consider her acting work, the better I think it is.

I have not read Julie Powell’s book, so I don’t know if the movie is a good interpretation. The movie shows us two women, living two different lives, with an intergenerational connection through influence. But while we see both women in parallel tracks, needing something to occupy their excess imagination, energy, and creativity, the starting point is quite different for each woman. 

Even through her grief over no children, Julia lives life with relish and delight. She revels in every bite she eats when she’s in Paris, every new friend she makes, each moment her beloved husband steps into the room. When she seeks an outlet, she is seeking a vessel large enough to contain her joy, her passion, and her energy. She tries hat making lessons, and when she sighs, you can feel her boredom as if she had sighed it out in the chair right next to you. She tries bridge lessons, and her eyes don’t so much roll as they just wander. There’s no engagement, no conversation between the bridge partners, nothing to grab her.

It’s when she takes cooking lessons that a possible occupation for her verve shows its face. After all, she adores delicious food, she is with people, and when she finally enrolls in the Cordon Bleu, she has a place for her adventurous edge and her competitive – and good humored – spirit. She was joy and she sought joy.

But Julie starts from ennui. One might call it acedia. A-cedia comes from roots that mean to be without care, that is, to care for nothing, have no interest, wallowing in numbness. That Julie would be immersed in ennui is no surprise: she moves to an apartment with a tiny kitchen and shelves that don’t stay up. Her walk is full of resignation to blankness (and Amy Adams subtle acting here exhibits fine nuance). There is no spring to her step as she goes to work. Once at work she is in the cubicle, that gray box, answering phone calls of anger, sorrow, and deep need for victims of 9/11. She is helpless in the face of almost all of these phone calls, and all she can tell most of them is to fill out paperwork. In this cell of hers, we might be reminded of a monastic monk who must do the same task over and over again. Especially when she yearns to be a writer, and is faced with her own supposed failure, this gray cell becomes a prison instead of a study. 

Interestingly, she ends up addressing this ennui in much the same way sage monastics would advise young adherents. It is through daily tasks, through the utterly mundane tedium of keeping a daily practice, that one creates space for joy and for the springs of life. In this sort of stability one is able to be present and to learn mindfulness. How often have we heard parents speak of the routines of their lives being the space of vivid and treasured moments of joy? Every day those children have to be readied for school. But being present to that routine allows the parent to be available when heartbreaks come home from the classroom, or when a child is spilling over with delight at a discovery. By committing herself to a daily, year-long practice of cooking from Mastering the Art of French Cooking and daily blogging about her practice, she is visited by revelation upon revelation. She learns about her lack of confidence, her ambitions and dreams, her loving husband, her tendency towards self-absorption, her capacity for cooking extraordinary meals in her tiny kitchen. And when she still, daily, goes to her cell at work, it gradually becomes a place of monastic sisterhood – sharing her cooking and blogging triumphs with a fellow “monastic” – and a place of monastic freedom, where she does have the chance to help people. She grows into caring.

In the end, Julia too fights ennui at various times, as the book she writes becomes a long, long process over many years instead of the two she originally predicted. She meets disappointments with a co-author and with publishers, and she gets discouraged. She has within her the natural resource that fights acedia: she cares very much indeed, has a lust for life that stops ennui from growing. Joy is her immune system against ennui.

I suppose I still think the movie is mostly about writing. But there are deeper spiritual truths here we might all heed, and I noticed these because I came across a quotation from David Stendl-Rast:

“Wherever we may come alive, that is the area in which we are spiritual.”

We might add that this spirituality becomes ….a simmering boeuf bourguignon, a scent that infuses the whole self.

Healthy food affordability: a top ten list

So I have been reading all about how healthy food is expensive and I feel that this couldn’t be further from the truth. In one of my classes a professor presented that for $1 per person a meal for four people had to be incredibly nutrient deficient…having run a restauarnt for three months on zero capital, I learned to make healthful food for very little money. I’m going to share just a few of my thoughts in the form of a top ten list.

1. Lentils (green, brown, red, black – each has a different taste and different protein content!) – I like brown the best. They are high fiber and high protein. Good easy to digest low glycemic carbohydrates. Plenty of magnesium to relieve stress.

2. Millet: a great whole grain. Less than $1 a pound, even in whole foods.

3. Kale: I’ve seen it in every supermarket in America. Sometimes it sits all by itself. Sure, organic is better, but the conventional stuff at Pathmark on 125th Street was less than $1  a bunch. I bought 10 the last time I was there.

4. Chicken legs: They aren’t always organic, but I’ve seen organic ones at Fairway for $3 for 6 chicken legs, that 50 cents a leg. I’ve also seen turkey legs for cheap as well, even organic. The legs actually have more iron and the same protein as the breast. If the chicken has been fed well, the fat isn’t so horrible as long as you make veggies the centerpiece of your meal.

5. Peaches in season. Today I saw peaches for $1.29 a pound from New Jersey. They were ripe, delicious, local and cheap! Organic ones were a little bit more, but they are in season now, so take advantage! I’ve seen them for 99 cents a lb too. Buy as you need in smaller quantities – you’ll spend less.

6. Chicken feet: I know it sounds weird, but I was at the farmers market the other day and they actually gave me the feet, get this, FOR FREE! No one wanted them! So I made a to die for soup with the feet and although there wasn’t any meat to speak of – the bones made a delicious healthy soup. I added carrots (10 for $1), celery (not much more) and an onion (28 cents), along with some dill ($1.99 – the most expensive part of the soup – for $4 I could get it all in one package with the dill).

7. Zucchini and summer squash – in season now, very cheap at farmers markets or grocery stores. Pays to buy things in season. I got 3 for $1 over the weekend

8.  Strawberries – 2 for $5, you don’t have to buy 2, I bought one pint…it last me the whole week. I had three strawberries a day in oatmeal, smoothies, on their own. I cut them in half. It pays to portion control!

9. Grass fed beef – ground. It was only about $8 a lb compared to $24.99 for steaks. I know it was good quality because I talked with the farmers on how they raise the animals.

10. Small or large size free range eggs – I got 6 free range eggs for $1.75. They were small sized. They have less cholesterol and overall fat because they are smaller. 2 eggs still made a great fluffy omelet in an 8 inch pan. Wonderful protein and fats. I had with some tat soi from the farmers market. Overall balanced meal.

See, its not that hard to do. I’ll give you some pointers on some budget menus of how to use these and other in season, wallet friendly foods in the next post. Happy healthy affordable eating to you!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Chilled Zucchini Cucumber Soup

It’s been a warm September, so far, so a chilled soup is a lovely (and very easy!) supper to make on busy workdays. Last week I made this and it took about ten minutes. If you’ve kept the vegetables in the refrigerator, you really don’t even have to chill the soup before serving.

Chilled Zucchini Cucumber Soup

1 lb. zucchini, chopped

3/4 lb. cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/3 C. chopped sweet onion, scallions, or fresh chives

1/4 C. white-wine vinegar

1/2 C. water

1 t. chopped fresh hot green chile (and more for garnish, if you wish)

1 1/8 t. salt

1 t. ground coriander

1/2 C. sour cream or Greek yogurt

Put vegetables, vinegar, water, chile, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. coriander in a blender and puree.

Whisk remaining salt and coriander into sour cream or yogurt. Serve the soup topped with sour cream and rings of hot pepper, if you wish.

A (Belated) 1st Anniversary

This past weekend Lauren and I finally found time to celebrate our first anniversary.  (And only 4 months late.)

Friday

It began Friday night when I cooked a surprise dinner for Lauren:

I started with a Caprese salad of sorts.

<– Olive oil straight from Santorini courtesy of Andrew and Sarah Fraser.

<– Fish salt and pepper shakers courtesy of the Bacon family.

 

 

 

Next came the main course, Lemon Fusilli with Arugulla.

 

 

 

 

 

<- Note the bread-bits that were a side item to be dipped in olive oil.

 

 

<– This is the cloth I bought in Mali and on which we had the candle-lit dinner during which I proposed to Lauren.

 

Finally, desert came in the form of some delicious “Affogato,” which is vanilla ice cream with esspresso poured over, then topped with whipped cream and bits of chocolate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was all delicious, and I would like to thank the Frasers for all the supplies they let me borrow and (especially) for their crash course on cooking — it made the meal a huge success.

Saturday

Saturday was much less refined.  After a delicious breakfast with friends and some errands around the house we drove to Little Rock for an afternoon full of one of our favorite things: movies.  We saw 2 in a row: Paper Heart and Julie & Julia.  (See our reviews of these in our posts below.) 

 

 

 

 

<– Lauren.

 

 

 

During these films we went through the entire gambit of human emotion, which can be summed up in the pictures below.

 

Then we had dinner, drove home, and camped in our living room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

<– Thanks to my grandparents for giving us this tent as a wedding gift.  It’s a great one!  Sierra Designs.  We can’t wait to use it a bunch in Africa soon!

 

 

 

Sunday

Lauren and I spent our Sunday reflecting back on our first year of marriage and fashioning a vision for the coming year of our life together.  We set priorities and made goals.  We want to be intentional with our lives, not letting the moments pass by.  It’s too easy for the important things to get lost in the busyness of life.  So we talked about anything and everything, being clear about where we are in our marriage and lives in general, and being clear about where we would like to be in one year, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, etc.  It was a beautiful time, and we already feel better for it.

Following this time together we attacked some lingering errands around the house as the weekend came to a close.

Then I wrote this blog post and felt extremely narcissistic, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Boxed Mac n' Cheese: Tonight's Dinner

Boxed macaroni and cheese? Really? But it’s not that healthy, nor gourmet nor inventive!

Well, it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes food just needs to be comforting, especially on a day with bad weather or after a long work week. One serving of  macaroni and cheese out of the box, or maybe two, won’t kill you but if you still have reservations about it, I have a few ways in which to jazz it up without adding a bunch of fat.

Firstly, you can use low fat butter and skim milk in making macaroni n’ cheese. Sure it isn’t as rich, but it still tastes good and I’ve been using lower fat dairy in my cooking for years. Secondly, do not be afraid to spice it up. Add some black pepper at least (or white), smoked paprika, nutmeg, cayenne…even some garlic powder or minced fresh garlic might be nice to try.

Ok, so it might sound gross but it’s one of my favorite comforting foods of all, thanks to my mother. Cheese n’ Peas is what we call it in my family and that’s simply noodles with cheese and green peas. Frozen peas are wonderful for this since they are frozen at the very peak of their tiny, round, green perfection.  So, adding something green, like peas, broccoli florets or maybe even edamames would be delightful.

Diced tomatoes are also great to throw in and so are cubes of ham. Or, you can add more cheese! Shavings of smoked gouda, sprinkles of Parmesan.  You get the idea right?

You don’t want to try and make your boxed orange stuff gourmet- you just want to add that little something that is going to both improve taste and get some actual nutrition in your meal.

Get creative with your macaroni and cheese. I’d love to hear suggestions!

Court. of img4.allyou.com

[Via http://platprincipal.wordpress.com]

Chocolate Chip Walnut Bars

Makes about 30 squares

Preheat oven to 350F

Crust:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter

Topping:

  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup corn syrup
  • 2 Tbsp corn syrup
  • 2 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 cup excellent quality semi-sweet, or bitter-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts*

Directions:

Crust:

Combine all crust ingredients, mixing until crumbly.  Press firmly into a greased 9” square cake pan.  Bake at 350F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until light golden.

Topping:

Beat eggs sugar, syrup, and butter together until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Pour evenly over crust.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until set and golden.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.

*NOTE:  Pecans or almonds also taste very good in this recipe in place of the walnuts

Freezes well

[Via http://andrecipes.wordpress.com]

Saturday, September 12, 2009

"His-n-Hers" Lasagna

Wahoo!  Saturday!  Love Saturdays!  And I have a BIZ-EEEE one ahead of me.  Lots of catching up with old friends (all former coworkers) today.

Well, as I suspected, my Back/Tri workout was not up to par.  My grip was really weak from the shovel and spade work the day before.  But I got it done – even if it wasn’t my strongest.  My workout partner (MSP) also abandoned me decided to stay in bed for the morning, as he hadn’t had a great night of sleep.  I don’t blame him – been there done that about 600 times myself!

Here’s the Friday recap:

Weight Training (Back & Triceps)

  • TM Warmup followed by arm circles to get the blood flowing to the muscles near my shoulders
  • Close Grip Pulldowns 4 working sets of 11, 10, 9, 12
  • Barbell Rows 3 working sets of 9, 14, 15
  • TRX Row 3 sets of 10, 11, 10
  • Overhead Triceps Extension 4 sets of 15, 15, 8, 9
  • Hyperextensions (low back) on Ball 3 sets of 15

Then I took the beastsdogs out for their wog session (together this time) because I wanted them to get some extra mileage  – it keeps them a little calmer during the day.  I’ve recently started taking them one at a time because together they are a LOT to handle for one human arm that likes to stay in its socket.  Separately they each behave much better.  Together, they turn into disobedient little freaks!  I think it’s because they know that they can overpower me when they are together.   I had planned to take them for 4 miles but I go SO tired of being yanked around like a rag doll I shortened the outing to 3.  They’re lucky they’re so cute – it’s impossible to stay mad at these cuddlebugs:

Friday coffee was my holiday peace dove mug.  It was a chilly windy morning that felt like fall (even had to wear my sweatshirt outside) so I figured I better start preparing myself for summer to be over…. waaaaahhhhhh!  (Can you believe HALLOWEEN stuff is out at the stores now??  It kills me.)

Between weights and dog wogging, I was crazy hungry, so I mixed up a partial scoop of Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer with a cup of almond milk. 

I figured I’d eat something more substantial when I got back but I wasn’t really hungry at that point and was busy doing my ‘chores’.  I had to run to the library and grocery store late morning so I went to the Target SBUX.  Holy moly what a RACKET they have going at that particular Starbucks.  You don’t get to use your registered SBUX card rewards (which in my case this day would have been free soy ‘upgrade’ and free syrup squirt).  I ordered a tall decaf soy latte asking for just ONE pump of pumpkin spice (since it was such an autumnal day!).  Guess how much that tiny cup cost me?  $4.01.  Ex-SQUEEZE me?  For a TALL?  I had to look at the receipt because I thought she must have charged me for a Grande.  They now charge 50 cents for the soy (is this everywhere I wonder or just Target?)  It used to be 40 cents, but I always use my registered card so I haven’t paid much attention I guess.  So no more going to the one at the Target.  OK, sorry for that, just had to get that off my chest.  (I may have to rebel and start going to DazBog instead!  )

Lunch was my SAME-O SAME-O salad.  I know you guys must get bored with my salads having a rotating set of the same ingredients!  I can’t help it!  Don’t fix it if it’s not broken, right?  They’re so goodthat I just don’t want anything else at the moment.  Maybe I will broaden my SALAD HORIZONS someday soon!  This had spinach, zucchini ribbons, yellow tomato, red pepper, dulse, pepitas, sea salt & pepper, HB egg, and olive oil w/ balsamic vinegar.  Oh and a few sundried tomatoes and sprinkle of nutritional yeast, I almost forgot!

Afternoon snack (not pictured) was 1/2 a Larabar and a square of dark chocolate.

We jokingly refer to Friday as Pasta Friday in our house because for a long time we noticed were having some sort of italian meal every Friday night.  Since I had some free time yesterday afternoon, I figured I’d try to make lasagna for MSP as a little surprise.  I’ve never made lasagna before and I love to eat it at restaurants.  (And you KNOW when you eat it out, you’re probably getting 3 days’ worth of calories.)  Well I found a recipe for tofu “ricotta” and thought I’d make that to then put into my own attempt at creating a lasagna recipe. 

I have all of my ingedients gathered to make the tofu ricotta (I felt so “FoodNetwork” taking this pic!)  Tofu, basil, sea salt & pepper, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, & olive oil.

I began building the layers into my lasagna.  I made a vegetarian half for me and a meaty side for MSP.  This is the middle layer.  My side has mushrooms & sundried tomatoes, MSP’s has italian chicken sausage.  My next layer has spinach & artichoke hearts, while MSP’s next layer has…. more sausage.   

My side has a very light sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top and his side has loads of 2% Italian ‘Three Cheese Mix’.

After I put it in the oven I noticed that a cooking bomb had gone off in my kitchen – look at this mess!

And after some serious dishwashing and cleanup:

Ahhh, that’s better.  I can’t stand a messy kitchen!

So here is the lasagna after cooking.  It looks really done, I know!  I should have left the foil on until just at the end because MSP’s cheesy side went a bit past ‘golden brown’ and maybe more toward ‘burnt brown’   

 

 And after plating (on the side is Genesis sprouted grain bread with a smear of pesto & a sprinkle of parm, then into the broiler very briefly):

 And no Italiano dish is complete without a small glass of this:

You know, the lasagna wasn’t too bad at all!  I didn’t add a lot of seasoning because I didn’t know how strong the fresh basil would be.  Next time, I’ll add more seasoning to the tofu “ricotta”.  But I liked it!  Which is a good thing, because I have a TON left over!  Dessert was a cup of Teeccino (herbal ‘faux coffee’): 

And I was again hungry right at bedtime so this little snack was a scoop of raw almond butter with a squeeze of raw honey, about 1/2 cup of almond milk.  I don’t know why I’ve been getting hungry at night, so I think I’ll eat a bigger dinner for the next few days to see if it makes a difference.  I don’t have any qualms about eating right before bed – but it DOES make me wake up ravenously hungry which is why I’d rather not do it.

Today’s question is:  Do you have housemates or family that eat completely different than you?  Do you find it difficult or have you  gotten into the groove of working around it?  I was a little worried at first that when I went meatless it would really add to my cooking workload, but it’s actually been fun to find ways to have us eat essentially the same meal but with a few adjustments.

OK, blog buds!  My tummy is growling, so I need to go get some breakfast started!  Have a MARVELOUS Saturday and I’ll see ya next time!

–Shari B. =)

[Via http://fitfeat.wordpress.com]

Friday, September 11, 2009

Cooking Dash: Help Flo cook and deliver food from four DinerTown restaurants while Cookie the Chef courts culinary celebrity!

Cooking Dash (23 MB download)

And she cooks, too! When Cookie the Chef leaves Flo’s Diner to pursue a career on a popular cooking reality TV show, he creates a shortage of chefs in DinerTown by inviting them all to appear as guest stars. It’s up to Flo to pick up the slack with a whole new set of food service skills! Help Flo and Grandma Florence keep five DinerTown restaurants up and running…if you can stand the heat!

[Via http://newfungames.wordpress.com]

(100) Ways to use a strip of bacon

I just love bacon!  Some people put hot sauce on everything, other people like ketchup–and I put bacon bits on practically everything.  With ideas like these, I’ll be able to add variety to my salty palette!

From bacon apple pie to bacon guacamole, bacon pickles, bacon marshmallows, and yes, even bacon-wrapped tofu, here are the 100 most glorious ways to enjoy god’s greatest gift to tastebuds.

Just click on the photos for full recipes.

Source

[Via http://1websurfer.wordpress.com]

Top Chef Las Vegas - "Vivre Las Vegas"I

“Vivre Las Vegas”

September 9th, 2009

I think I’ve discovered the effect of watching Top Chef week by week.

As particularly obsessive readers of the blog might know, I went through the first five seasons of Top Chef at a pace of about two a week (that’s seasons, not episodes) over a period this summer, and obviously got a little bit addicted to the show. I was curious to see just how I’d react to not being able to turn on the next episode as soon as a chef got sent to pack up their knives.

What I’ve discovered is that it’s made me really impatient, although in a way that really defines how the sixth season is thus far progressing. There is some amazing talent in this year’s cast, and I think that’s the problem: the sheer gulf between those individuals and the rest of the field is so large that I want to be able to watch the next episode not because I’m desperate for more Top Chef but because I want them to cull the herd as quickly as possible so we can see that core group go head to head in what could be one of the most competitive Top Chef finales ever.

For this reason, I was quite pleased to see “Vivre Las Vegas” eliminate two chefs who were pretty well dead weight, as it means we’re that much closer to really getting down to business in Vegas.

I don’t mean to be cruel to Jesse or Hector; in fact, I feel really bad for Jesse, who honestly seemed like she had some decent ideas and even on occasion executed one well (like her very first dish, which competed with Jen for the first High Stakes Quickfire), but who just could not pull it all together. When they asked where she got the idea for her Escargot dish from, she had no clue: she didn’t think it through, and there wasn’t that sense of execution that is required to stay in the competition. It’s unfortunate that she hasn’t been able to execute since that very first challenge, as I don’t think she’s as much of a failure as the show made her out to be, but I think that it was nonetheless time for her to go home.

The same goes for Hector, although he’s been under the radar since his deep-fried steak sent him into the bottom. He was a victim of letting the clock freak him out to the point of bungling what was called out as the “easiest” of the processes – while some were working with proteins that seemed to be challenging or present a particular headache, Hector was cooking what Ash called “basically Filet Mignon,” so he really didn’t have an excuse for his rushed cutting job and bloody cuts. Ash was just sort of collateral damage, someone who’s never been in the bottom before and who knew when the plates were going out that something was wrong.

It was a really enjoyable episode on the whole: James Poniewozik points out that there is something about subtitles that lends it all an element of class, and I think that goes for the entire episode. Part of the charm of Las Vegas is that such class can exist within what can otherwise be a very baudy atmosphere, so for them to bring a touch of France into the show really highlighted the show’s ability to switch between fine dining and sheer chaos at a moment’s notice (which makes Las Vegas a suitable location – it even allows them to go out to the desert, as we see next week). The escargot challenge focused on a protein that some chefs have no familiarity with (Robin admitted it, and logically ended up in the Bottom Three), while the final challenge really was something that couldn’t have been done early in other seasons and really felt special with the presence of Joel Robuchon (who actually got a Chyron tag of “Chef of the Century,” which: awesome).

But really, at this point, this season belongs to the Brothers Voltaggio, Kevin (who won the Quickfire) and Jen. Mike might claim to be at the top, but he’s yet to impress me on his own and both the deconstructed sauce and the way of cooking the fish were both Bryan’s ideas. But the other four have proven themselves time and time again in a wide range of challenges: Jen might be a seafood specialist but she has yet to falter in other areas, Kevin’s simple brand of ingenuity (who can complain about bacon jam?) continues to win over the judges, and the brothers’ sense of sibling competition seems to be powering them to some really refined and professional cooking. It’s the kind of Final Four that would give me pause, if I were Top Chef producers, to let them all go through to the finale and see what each of them pulls out when it’s all on the line.

And everyone else just can’t measure up. Ashley’s been in the bottom for what seems like forever and found herself on the chopping block twice this week, so she’s just biding time. Robin and Laurine are capable but have yet to bring a standout dish to the table, and Eli has shown promise but like Mike seems to be struggling to really break through. Ash and Mattin ended up in the bottom this week (Ash for saucing issues, and Mattin for managing to botch the classical French challenge by adding too much bacon to his sauce), so it’s not as if they’re really proving themselves to be contenders either. And Ron, saved here by his French training, just hasn’t managed to put anything interesting on a plate as far as I’m concerned.

And so, while I’m finding waiting a week for episodes fine in terms of spreading out the Top Chef goodness, right now I just want to fast forward to when we only have the final four standing, and when the show can really get down to business.

Cultural Observations
  • Fun editing mistake: They show a shot of the holding room with Kevin sitting in it, and then show Kevin’s grand entrance.
  • I thought it was interesting to see the judges quite correctly deconstruct Ashley’s Judges’ Table behaviour: she had a chance to throw Mattin under the bus for basically vetoing her idea and instead making the sauce a baconized mess, but she chose to just sit back and keep quiet. She is clearly not in their good books, and it’s like she doesn’t want to give them any excuse to kick her off: a sound strategy, should she improve the quality of her cooking.
  • While I think spending more time with Robuchon (considering his title and stature) is right and all, I hate to see Hubert Keller stop by and barely get to speak. I love me some Hubert, so I demand he return at some point in the future.
  • I like the way the show uses little interstitials to get across normal life in the house: it kind of hearkens back to Season One’s playful house environment, as opposed to the drama with relationships and physical confrontation that seemed to have taken place since then. Mattin’s drunken birthday ramblings seemed like a hell of a fun time.
  • I haven’t posted about the show since the premiere, so I’m curious: who’s everybody’s favourite? I’m kind of rooting for Kevin, since picking between the brothers seems premature and he just seems so much friendlier than the talented but curmudgeonly Jennifer.

[Via http://memles.wordpress.com]

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Good-bye to Summer

I overheard Ender telling Ezra: ” . . . and soon the leaves will be changing and falling off and your job will be to collect all the leaves. They’re REALLY fun!”

So I guess I’d better plan ahead for some leafing adventures since Ender is already longing for the days ahead.

 

 

I’ve spent the last few weeks in this weird fog of busy-ness. Mostly the good kind as we’re getting into the new school year in the studio, but little things are creeping in on me. I mean, I spent the afternoon last Saturday pulling out the winter clothes we had to see what they need and it’s just barely September! But the nights are already pretty cool and in just a few weeks it will be time to wear jeans and layers every day. How did that happen?

 

I haven’t been able to cook much and I’m surprised at how much I miss it after a summer full of kitchen time. Three nights a week I cook only for myself which means I usually end up eating things like a bowl of cold cereal for dinner since I’m the only one eating at that hour. I’m definitely feeling the imbalance. I’m craving a lot of sugar again and the only thing keeping me from eating it is the fact that there is nothing like that in the house. I mean NOTHING. I’m purposely not buying it because I will devour a week’s worth of treats in one sitting.

 

I truly didn’t realize how much I’d miss the cooking on this new schedule. Suddenly I’m only making dinner 4 nights a week. I used to feel like meals were such an enormous chore, but now that I better know what I’m doing in the kitchen I don’t really want to leave it. I’m still learning a ton, but this new found joy in cooking even simple things makes such a difference to me. I miss it.

 

Maybe it’s just because I love to wear an apron.

 

I’m still trying to find a solution to the dinner situation on those 3 late nights. My Saturday afternoons may soon find itself filled with cooking to prep for the coming week. Or maybe I’ll try to get some freezer things together . . . right now I’m pining for my kitchen and looking forward to this evening when I can get back in there.

 

Oh- and sewing? I can’t even put into words how much I miss all the sewing time I had over the summer! I did sneak in some pajama pants for the boys the other night since they only take an hour from cut to finish but those hardly count. If I can get them to stand still long enough to model them I’ll get some pictures to share.

 

And that extra time with the boys? Oh, I’m missing that too. They don’t seem to be. They are staying with their grandmother in the afternoons and  on my three late nights either their grandfather or their daddy takes over right after dinner. This year there hasn’t been  a single complaint about going to their grandparents in the afternoon. In fact, the boys are practically running out the door before their grandmother comes to pick them up.

 

Practically indescribable, that feeling. I’m happy they’re excited to go; I’m sad that they don’t seem to miss being home. I suppose everything is more exciting at Grandma’s house though, and that’s okay.

[Via http://beyondhomemaking.wordpress.com]

Tips for Healthy Travel

Hi guys!

Thanks for all of your great sandwich suggestions today. I really needed a few more lunchtime ideas and now I have a bunch! You will see me try them all over the next few weeks!

Today I actually ended up eating a nectarine at lunch with my sandwich instead of the carrots, and for snack I had a Fage 2% yogurt with a TJ’s fruit pack (sorry, no picture- I was at a staff meeting when I ate it and I didn’t think it was the time or place for food pictures! Think yesterday’s snack but with yogurt instead of cottage cheese today.) I also snacked on some red grapes during the meeting. I’m not a huge yogurt lover, but, man does that stuff keep you full! It’s impressive actually- I didn’t feel the slightest hunger for 5 hours. At 130 calories a container, I’ll take it!

I was at work until very late, so I brought an easy dinner: an Amy’s “Especial” Burrito with beans, rice, cheese and spices inside. I topped it with a little bit of yogurt that I had saved (yay for thinking ahead!) and some hot sauce. Then I ate my carrots.

I think Amy’s burritos are perfection. They taste great and are really well portioned (300-320 calories), so I don’t feel like I can over-eat (like I always do if I go out for Mexican!)

I really could eat this everyday.

When I got home, I made a cup of Mighty Leaf Chamomile Tea. This is my favorite. It’s kinda pricey, but it is sooo worth it. There are all sorts of wonderful flowers, herbs, and lemony spices to fill your hot mug!

So, now I am off to pack for our trip to Portland tomorrow. We’re flying out at night, so I am working all day, grabbing my stuff, and heading to the airport. We will be staying at Loren’s friend’s house and taking part in lots of wedding festivities all weekend. At times like these, I don’t know what to expect in terms of food or exercise, but I try to plan and prepare for a healthy trip. Here are some of my quick tips for healthy travel:

- Bring your sneakers and workout clothes and be flexible with your workouts. Even if you can’t find a gym nearby, go to a park, take walks through different neighborhoods, do jumping jacks and strengthening moves in your room that don’t require anything but you (i.e. push-ups, planks, ab exercises, etc).

- Bring the snacks you love to prevent over-eating. I always bring granola bars, string cheese, fruit, and whole grain crackers to have with me on flights and during my trips- especially if I am staying with people I don’t know that well. I don’t want to get really hungry and either A) have no way of getting to a snack or B) only have unhealthy options around.

- Stay healthy on the plane. Planes are, I hate to say it, full of germs. I have two great tips to prevent getting sick:

1) Drink Emergen-C or something like it. I am convinced that this stuff, with all of its vitamins and Vitamin C, boosts my immune system and keeps me healthy. I try to drink them every few hours, especially on a long flight.

2) My mom, who is a doctor, taught me this one: put some Neosporin under and around your nostrils. Neosporin is an anti-bacterial and, when placed around your nose, it kills germs before you can even breathe them in!

- Drink lots of water. Flying all day is really dehydrating, as is drinking a lot if you are going to any kind of festivities like we are. Keeping your water consumption up throughout the trip keeps your energy levels up and prevents headaches and fatigue.

- Lastly, and most importantly, have fun! I am bringing plenty of work with me, and hoping to do some, but I am also going to bring some trashy magazines on the plane to balance it out. I’m excited to see lots of Loren’s family and catch up, and just have a great time! Portland is such an awesome city, and I’ve only been there once, so I am really looking forward to exploring!

Can’t wait to take you all with me! First, gotta get packing . Goodnight!

[Via http://katsdailyplate.wordpress.com]

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

I love foraging.

I love this time of year simply because there is so much free food around! I do get quite obsessed with making and preserving when fruits are so abundant.  Mainly because the results taste great, make fantastic Christmas presents and I feel much better that food is not going to waste.

So much so that I even went out with a step ladder the other night to reach the masses of plums from a tree overhanging a public path where I regularly walk the dog.  I’ve had my eye on the deep purple fruits for a few weeks as as the ground became more and more sticky and covered with windfall fruit – I couldn’t watch the waste any longer!  There is still plenty of fruit to be had but I’ll need a bigger ladder….

Also around where I live there is also an abundance of brambles with masses of blackberries.  Last weekend I was far from alone with my tupperware, steadily working my way along the branches collecting the deliciously dark berries and avoiding the thorns! Easily within 30mins I had about a kilo of fruit which is plenty for us, so I continued my cooking/preserving obsession by making Blackberry Jam last night.  I got 4 jars full and I’m really pleased with it as it is still sharp but sweet and hasn’t set too hard.

It’s the first time I’ve made Jam on my own (usually me and my mum have a jam making marathon weekend but we haven’t found time yet)  and my cast iron pan isn’t quite deep enough for good Jam Safety Standards!  With barely an inch to spare from the top, the moulten bubbling syrup was quite intimidating and needed a watchful eye throughout the whole process, but I’m pleased that both Plum and Blackberry Jam set quite well and didn’t cause any sticky kitchen disasters!

Anyway, this year I really have gone a bit mad and stored away to mellow in a dark cupboard (so far) are:

14 jars of Spiced Apple and Marrow Chutney,

6 jars of Red Onion and Tomato Chutney (made by H2B),

8 jars of Plum Chutney,

5 jars of Plum Jam and,

3 jars of Blackberry Jam (the forth is already half eaten!) And amazingly all this fruit and veg has been free!

I still have a few kilos of Cooking Apples from a friends trees (and many more apples still to be picked) and there are still plenty of blackberries and plums out there!  Plus I can’t forget all the tomatos I’ve grown that are still green – I think I might try Green Tomato Ketchup…

[Via http://marelou.wordpress.com]

Labor Day Weekend

This Labor Day Weekend was fantastic. I had great birding experiences and good cooking results.

Saturday night we visited the Air Force Memorial in the DC area and managed to see a “life” bird: the common nighthawk.

We arrived as the sun was setting, the memorial  was bathed in sunset light; just a few minutes later it was dark and the moon was rising over Reagan Airport.

The nighthawks appeared at about 8:15PM, they were amazing, flying, gliding above the spires of the memorial, eating tons of bugs(over 500 bugs a night). A great place to observe a beautiful bird.

I also baked cookies from Sweet Melissa’s Cookbook. We took my perfect batch of double dark chocolate cherry cookies to my husband’s family reunion in Chesapeake VA and the cookies were enjoyed by all. I followed the recipe exactly and was  very happy with the results.

And I made candied orange peel, hoping that I will make the biscotti from Melissa’s cookbook.

Each time I post I will be learning more about links, photos, etc. Please understand it is a new skill for me, it will take time until I am able to co-ordinate photos, links, and everything else.

So, cheers, and please post comments. I need all the help I can get!!

[Via http://birdingbaker.wordpress.com]

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Hyper-Hyper Local Adirondack Goodies

This week, I’m concentrating on canning local food … quite literally from my own backyard.

It Harvest, such as it is here at the RV homestead. Our neighbor has apples and things that he wouldn’t bother with anyway, so much is coming from next door. However, I don’t feel totally useless in the Usable Produce department – I have one apple tree. Combined with the neighbor’s apple trees, I’ll figure have a decent enough haul to can some applesauce, jam, and make a few pies.

So, yesterday was rose hip and apple day. Rose hips are those bulby things that look like tomatoes or apples that grow on your roses late in the season. They can be picked after the first frost when they are bright orange or red. Rugosa Roses seem to have particularly large hips, and that’s what I was harvesting yesterday. I wouldn’t say it’s a completely pleasant job, but I didn’t really get too stuck – just a few nuisance thorns. Other than on the big tree, the apples came down pretty easily too.

I had been very curious about what rose hips might taste like. It’s loaded with viatmin C, but the recipes generally call for a lot of sugar. Hmm. And will it taste faintly of roses? I’ll be sure to let you know how it comes out. Raw, the rose hips have a scent that’s like tomatoes and apple combined.

Interested? Got a prolific rose bush? Want to adventure a little further than Rose Hip Tea? Got a swell apple tree? C’mon, give it a try!

I’ve collected these recipes this week – low pressure, very simple easy canning recipes. If you’re new to canning or jellies and jams in general, these are really great. For me, since I’m trying something new, I thought it would be nice to stick to super easy recipes. Have fun, and please let me know if you give it a shot!

Rose Hip Jelly

2 quarts water

4 quarts rose hips

1 package pectin crystals (or sub 1/2 apples for rose hips)

5 cups sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

Simmer rose hips in water until soft. Crush to mash, and strain through a jelly bag. Should make about 4 cups of rose hip juice. Add to juice, lemon juice and pectin crystals and stir until mixture comes to a hard boil. Stir sugar in at once. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove jelly from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. . Yields about 3 pints.

Apple Caramel Jam

6 cups diced peeled apples (1/8 inch cubes)

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon butter

1 (1.75 ounce) package powdered fruit pectin

3 cups sugar

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a large kettle, combine the apples, water and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until apples are soft. Stir in pectin and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg and return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

[Via http://smallpines.com]